March 4, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -
Tournament notes in PDF Format
TODAY'S ACTION
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; March 3, 2008 -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (14-5, 5-3 Big Ten), ranked No. 6 nationally, will send its starters to the 2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, hosted by the University of Minnesota. The two-day event, held in UM's Williams Arena, will take place on March 8-9. Saturday's sessions begin at 12 a.m. Eastern/11 a.m. Central and 7 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Central. Sunday's session starts at 1 p.m. Eastern/12 p.m. Central.
The Nittany Lions closed out the dual meet season on February 23 with a sound 35-8 win at Lock Haven in a dual where Penn State rested four starters. Senior Mark McKnight got his 100th career win at 125 in the dual, freshman Michael Lorenzo stepped in to grab his first collegiate dual meet win at 174, Tim Haas closed out his dual meet career with a win at 133 and senior Phil Davis closed out his dual meet career with yet another pin.
All ten Nittany Lions are seeded at the event. Mark McKnight is S6 (seed 6) at 125, Tim Haas is S8 at 133, Garrett Scott is S5 at 141, Bubba Jenkins is S4 at 149, Dan Vallimont is S2 at 157, Dave Rella is S7 at 165, David Erwin is S6 at 174, Phil Bomberger is S5 at 184, Phil Davis is S2 at 197 and John Laboranti is S7 at HWT. Penn State is one of only four conference schools with all ten wrestlers receiving pre-seeds. Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois also turned the trick. Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan each have seven pre-seeds, Northwestern has six, Indiana has five and Michigan State and Purdue have four each.
Last year, Penn State scored 90.5 five points for a fourth place finish in East Lansing, just one half point out of third place. The Nittany Lions qualified seven wrestlers for the NCAA tournament, including heavyweight runner-up Aaron Anspach. Minnesota won last year's title with 156 points followed by Wiscoinsin at 100.5, Iowa at 91 and Penn State at 90.5.
The Big Ten Championships serve as the national qualifier for all 11 Big Ten schools. Penn State's qualifiers will move on to the 2008 NCAA Championships on March 20-22. The three-day event will be held in the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. For more on the NCAA Championships, go to www.stlsports.org/wrestling. All Penn State duals and post-season tournaments will be broadcast locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM and streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com.
PENN STATE'S ENTRANTS IN THE 2008 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS - as of 3/4/08
#6 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (14-5, 5-3 BIG TEN)
Wt. Name (Big Ten Seed) Yr. Hometown/High School 2007-08 Record
125 #9 Mark McKnight (S6) Sr. McDonald, Pa./South Fayette 12-6
133 Tim Haas (S8) Sr. Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff 6-12
141 #10 Garrett Scott (S5) Fr. Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley 16-3
149 #5 Bubba Jenkins (S4) So. Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial 20-3
157 #3 Dan Vallimont (S2) So. Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp. 24-1
165 Dave Rella (S7) So. Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit 13-12
174 #16 David Erwin (S6) So. Urbana, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 23-8
184 #14 Philip Bomberger (S5) Jr. Port Royal, Pa./Juniata 17-6
197 #3 Philip Davis (S2) Sr. Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg 17-1
HWT John Laboranti (S7) Jr. Pittston, Pa./Pittston 22-7
PENN STATE AT BIG TENS: THE SERIES This will be Penn State's 16th appearance in the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The Nittany Lions have finished second three times, third three times and fourth three times during that brief history.
ALL TEN LIONS RECEIVE PRE-SEEDS FOR 2008 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS From top to bottom in head coach Troy Sunderland's line-up, the Nittany Lions have ten seeds at the national qualifier. Senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) is the No. 6 seed at 125. McKnight heads into the tournament with a 12-6 record (all in duals) and was 3-4 in Big Ten duals. The top seed at 125 is Minnesota's Jayson Ness. Senior co-captain Tim Haas (Camp Hills, Pa.) is the No. 8 seed at 133. Haas went 6-12 overall this year but posted a solid 3-5 record in Big Ten duals. The top seed at 133 is Illinois' James Kennedy. True freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) is the No. 5 seed at 141. Scott, who grabbed the starting spot at 141 late in the season, posted a superb 16-3 overall mark, including a 7-2 dual meet record and a 4-1 record in conference duals. The top seed is Michigan's Kellen Russell, who Scott defeated earlier this year. Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) is seeded No. 4 at 149. Jenkins went 20-3 this season, including a 15-3 mark in duals and a 6-2 record in conference action. The top seed at 149 is Iowa's Brent Metcalf.
Sophomore Dan Vallimont is the No. 2 seed at 157 after posting a superb 24-1 record in his first year at 157 pounds. Vallimont went 17-1 in duals and 7-1 in conference duals. His only loss this year was a close 6-3 decision to tournament top seed Mike Poeta of Illinois. Sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) is the No. 7 seed at 165. Rella went 13-12 this year and was 8-10 in duals overall. He posted a 4-3 mark in conference duals as well. The top seed at 165 is Iowa's Mark Perry. Sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) is the No. 6 seed at 174. Erwin posted a 23-8 record this season, including an 8-8 mark in duals. He went 4-3 in conference action. Michigan's Steve Luke is the top seed at this weight. Junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) is the No. 5 seed at 184. Bomberger posted an outstanding 17-6 record this year and was 12-5 in duals. He went 5-2 in conference duals. Ohio State's Mike Pucillo is the No. 1 seed at 184. Three-time All-American Phil Davis is the No. 2 seed at 197. Davis posted a superb 17-1 record this year (all in duals) and was 6-1 against the Big Ten in dual meets. His only loss was to tournament top seed Mike Tamillow of Northwestern. Junior heavyweight John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.) earned the tournament's No. 7 seed at HWT. Laboranti went 22-7 in his first season as a starter for Penn State. He was 8-6 in duals overall and 3-4 in conference duals. Ohio State's J.D. Bergman is the No. 1 seed at this weight.
LIONS END DUAL MEET SEASON 14-5; FINISH THIRD IN BIG TEN DUALS WITH 5-3 MARK Penn State's 35-8 win over Lock Haven in its dual meet finale gave the Nittany Lions a 14-5 regular season mark for the second season in a row and the third time in five years. Penn State has gone on a dual meet tear as of late, combining to go 41-14 over the last three years. The Nittany Lions also finished tied for third in the Big Ten dual meet standings for the second straight season as well.
DAVIS CLOSES OUT DUAL MEET CAREER WITH YET ANOTHER PIN Senior Phil Davis pinned Lock Haven's Ben Hepburn at the 5:25 mark, getting a fall in his final collegiate dual meet. Davis' pin was his sixth of the year and the 28th of his career. The Nittany Lion All-American is now 8th on the all-time Penn State falls list. He closes out his stellar Nittany Lion career with a 58-6 career dual meet record, 26-4 in Big Ten duals. His 58 dual meet victories is fourth all-time at Penn State as well. Davis has a 107-20 overall career record to date, with his 107 career wins placing him 14th all-time at Penn State.
MCKNIGHT GETS 100TH CAREER WIN Senior Mark McKnight received a forfeit victory in Penn State's dual meet finale at Lock Haven on 2/23. The win was the 100th of McKnight's career, including two seasons spent at the University of Buffalo. While not cracking the Penn State all-time list as two of the years were spent at Buffalo, McKnight's four-year record is a stellar 100-40. He is 35-17 as a Nittany Lion.
HAAS GETS WIN IN DUAL MEET FINALE Senior Tim Haas got a 7-3 decision over Lock Haven's BIlly Ashnault in the Nittany Lions' 35-8 win at LHU on 2/23. The victory in what could be Haas' final Penn State dual meet was the senior co-captain's fourth win in his last six bouts, including three Big Ten victories. Haas has 28-20 career record as a Nittany Lion.
LORENZO GETS FIRST COLLEGIATE DUAL MEET WIN Red-shirt freshman Michael Lorenzo, Penn State's back-up 165-pounder, moved up a weight to 174 and got his first collegiate dual meet win in Penn State's 35-8 victory at Lock Haven on 2/23. Lorenzo posted a strong 5-2 decision over LHU senior Michael Metzger, helping a Penn State line-up featuring four reserves still win eight of ten bouts in the dual.
LIONS DOMINATE MSU AND PURDUE IN FINAL HOME WEEKEND Penn State put together a dominating performance in its final home duals of the season, downing Big Ten foes Michigan State 26-13 on 2/15 and Purdue 33-6 on 2/17. The Nittany Lions won 16 of 20 bouts in the duals to outscore their Big Ten rivals 59-19.
DAVIS CLOSES OUT HOME CAREER IN STYLE Three-time All-American Phil Davis closed out his Penn State home dual meet career in fine style. Davis dominated two more Big Ten opponents this past weekend and closed out his stellar Penn State home dual career in fine fashion. Davis whitewashed No. 16 Joe Williams 7-0, breaking through the defensive style of Williams to notch the win and spur Penn State on to a 26-13 victory. Davis then dominated Purdue's Logan Brown, racking up a 16-5 major decision in Penn State's 33-6 win over the Boilermakers. Davis never lost a dual match in Rec Hall, going 24-0 in Rec Hall duals. His home PSU dual meet record is 24-1, with the lone loss coming as a freshman in a dual wrestled at Rec Hall. Davis finished the Big Ten dual season 7-1 and ends his career with a stunning 27-4 record in conference duals.
McKNIGHT AND HAAS GRAB WINS IN FINAL REC HALL DUAL MEETS Seniors Mark McKnight and Tim Haas each grabbed wins on Senior Day vs. Purdue on 2/17. McKnight posted a 15-5 major over Purdue's Akif Erin and Haas downed Sean Schmaltz 6-2 to help spur Penn State on to a 33-6 win over the Boilermakers.
JENKINS AND ERWIN POST WINS OVER RANKED PURDUE GRAPPLERS Two talented Penn State sophomores took down ranked wrestlers in Penn State's 33-6 win over Purdue on 2/17. No. 5 Bubba Jenkins handled No. 14 Jake Patacsil at 149, posting a convincing 6-1 decision. Erwin, ranked No. 16, took down No. 17 Nick Corpe 8-4 at 174 as well.
LABORANTI'S LAST SECOND TAKEDOWN SECURES WIN OVER NO. 6 MICHIGAN Senior John Laboranti got a takedown in the last second of his 6-4 (SV) win over Michigan's Chad Bleske, securing Penn State's 20-14 win over No. 6 Michigan on 2/8.
SCOTT DOWNS #4 RUSSELL IN PENN STATE'S WIN OVER NO. 6 MICHIGAN; NAMED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK True freshman Garrett Scott used a reversal and two escapes to post a thrilling 4-3 win over No. 4 Kellen Russell of Michigan on 2/8. The decision sent over 4,000 Penn State fans to their feet and helped the Nittany Lions down No. 6 Michigan 20-14. Scott was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (2/13) for his performance. It is the first such honor for the young Nittany Lion.
DAVIS HAMMERS #14 BIONDO Three-time All-American Phil Davis hammered Michigan's Anthony Biondo 15-0 on 2/8, getting the technical fall in 5:58 and helping Penn State beat No. 6 Michigan 20-14 in the process.
SCOTT GETS FIRST BIG TEN WIN BY PINNING #11 PRATER OF ILLINOIS True freshman Garrett Scott got his first career dual match win in a big way. The Nittany Lion 141-pounder pinned No. 11 Ryan Prater of Illinois in the first period (2:21). The win was one of four in the dual for Penn State.
VALLIMONT LOSES CLOSE BATTLE WITH NO. 1 POETA Sophomore 157-pounder Dan Vallimont had his stunning string of 21 straight wins to start the season snapped in a hard-fought 6-3 loss to No. 1 Mike Poeta of Illinois. Vallimont entered the dual as the No. 2 ranked wrestler.
HAAS' PIN AT 133 PROPELS LIONS TO WIN AT #10 NORTHWESTERN Senior co-captain Tim Haas pinned Northwestern's Eric Metzler at the 3:25 mark in the 133-pound bout in Penn State's come-from-behind win against the Wildcats. The pin was Haas first Big Ten dual win of the year and helped his team come back from an early 9-0 deficit to post the victory on 2/1/08.
JENKINS DOWNS #4 LANG Sophomore Bubba Jenkins posted a thrilling 11-8 win over No. 4 Ryan Lang of Northwestern, helping the Nittany Lions post an 18-15 win at No. 10 Northwestern on 2/1/08.
DAVIS' BIG TEN WIN STREAK SNAPPED IN UPSET LOSS TO #3 TAMILLOW Three-time All-American Phil Davis had this unblemished season and string of 18 straight Big Ten dual meet wins snapped in a 6-1 upset loss to No. 3 Mike Tamillow on 2/1/08. Davis had defeated Tamillow 6-2 earlier in the year in an exhibition bout at the NWCA All-Star Classic.
RELLA DOWNS #9 COUGHLIN TO SPARK PENN STATE TO 25-9 WIN OVER #17 INDIANA Sophomore Dave Rella posted a thrilling 2-1 (tb) decision over No. 9 Matt Coughlin of Indiana in the final bout of Penn State's 25-9 win over No. 17 Indiana on Sunday, Jan. 27. The victory capped off a dual in which the Nittany Lions won seven of ten bouts in front of over 4,000 fans in Rec Hall.
VALLIMONT TAKES DOWN #9 BECKER; STARTS SEASON 21-0 Sophomore Dan Vallimont continued his unbeaten run to start the year with two more wins on the weekend of Jan. 25-27. The No. 4 157-pounder in the country beat Ohio State's Jason Johnstone 5-3 on 1/25 in Columbus. He then thrilled over 4,000 fans in Rec Hall on 1/27 with a convincing 8-5 victory over #9 Brandon Becker of Indiana. Vallimont then posted an 8-4 win at Northwestern on 2/1 to begin the season 21-0.
LABORANTI GETS FIRST BIG TEN DUAL WIN Junior heavyweight John Laboranti downed Indiana's Nathan Everhart, 7-3, in Penn State's victory over the Hoosiers on 1/27. The decision was Laboranti's first in a Big Ten dual meet and helped spark Penn State to a 25-9 win over the 17th-ranked Hoosiers.
DAVIS MAJOR'S OHIO STATE'S WEAKLEY FOR 18TH STRAIGHT BIG TEN DUAL MEET WIN Three-time All-American Phil Davis majored Ohio State's John Weakley 11-0 in Penn State's dual at Ohio State on 1/25. The win was Davis' 18th straight Big Ten conference dual match victory, dating back to a loss against Ohio State's J.D. Bergman in the final dual of his freshman year. He had his win streak stopped at 18 with an upset loss to No. 3 Mike Tamillow of Northwestern on 2/1.
DAVIS MOVING UP CAREER LISTS! Senior Phil Davis has cracked the 100 win mark, becoming the 24th member of Penn State's 100-win club. Davis' victory over John Weakley of Ohio State on Jan. 13 was his 100th. * He now stands at 107-20 overall, 14th all-time. * Davis' 58 dual wins is fourth all-time. * The Harrisburg native's 28 pins (Davis is 28-1 in matches decided by a fall) is eighth all-time at PSU. * The Nittany Lion has competed in 127 career matches, giving him a shot at reaching Glenn Pritzlaff's career total of 135, which would be 20th all-time in PSU history. * Davis is 26-4 all-time in Big Ten duals. * Of his 17 wins this year, six are pins, five are majors and three are technical falls. Only three have been a regular decision.
WADE, MOLINARO AND DARLING CLAIM KENT STATE OPEN CROWNS - A trio of Penn State true freshmen claimed individual titles at the Kent State Open this past weekend. Wrestling unattached, freshmen Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) and Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) each finished first in their respective weight classes at the event on Saturday and combined to go 14-0 with three pins, a technical fall and a major. All Penn State entrants in the tournament were unattached. Molinaro went 5-0 with a pin at 141 to claim the title. Molinaro beat Clarion's Greg Lewis 6-4 in the finals for first place. Darling went 5-0 with a pin and a technical fall to win the 149 pound crown. Darling posted a 7-2 win over Central Michigan's Ryan Cubberly for his championship. Wade went 4-0 with a pin and a major to grab the heavyweight crown. Wade defeated Pittsburgh's Ryan Tomei 7-5 in the finals.
DAVIS, VALLIMONT GO 5-0 AT NATIONAL DUALS Senior 197-pounder Phil Davis and sophomore 157-pounder Dan Vallimont each posted perfect 5-0 records at the 2008 National Duals on 1/12-13. Davis moved to 10-0 on the season with wins over #13 Matt Koz of Chattanooga (4-2), #4 Craig Brester of Nebraska (8-0 major), Matt Panasevich of COrnell (pinned in 4:10), #17 David Bertolino of Iowa State (pinned in 3:50) and John Weakley of Ohio State (a 10-2 major). Vallimont remained unbeaten to start the year as well, moving to 17-0. The sophomore grabbed wins over #20 Seth Garvin of Chattanooga (15-7 major), #18 Chris Oliver of Nebraska (11-6), Drake Hovis of Cornell (13-1 major), #5 Cyler Sanderson of Iowa State (7-4) and Jason Johnstone of Ohio State (4-1). The only other Nittany Lion to go undefeated at the event was freshman 141-pounder Garrett Scott, who beat Cornell's Eric McGill (16-0 technical fall in only 3:35) and #18 Nick Gallick of Iowa State (an 8-0 major).
PENN STATE TOPPLES THREE RANKED FOES AT 2008 NATIONAL DUALS The Nittany Lion wrestlers went 3-2 at the 2008, getting three wins over nationally ranked foes. Penn State beat No. 16 Chattanooga (37-2), No. 19 Cornell (31-9) and No. 4 Iowa State (22-16). In those three bouts, Penn State won 22 of 30 bouts.
DAVIS WINS 100TH CAREER MATCH Senior Phil Davis' 10-2 win over Ohio State's John Weakley on Jan. 13 at the National Duals was the 100th of his career.
SUNDERLAND REACHES 100 WIN MILESTONE Penn State mentor Troy Sunderland's 31-9 win over No. 19 Cornell on Jan. 12 at the National Duals was the 100th of his coaching career. Sunderland now stands at 107-78.
ERWIN KNOCKS OFF #8 ANCERAVAGE TO LEAD PENN STATE OVER #17 CORNELL; NAMED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK Sophomore 174-pounder David Erwin notched a thrilling 6-4 win over No. 8 Steve Anceravage of Cornell in Penn State's resounding 35-10 win over the 17th-ranked Big Red on Jan. 4. Erwin scored six points in the closing seconds of the second period to post the victory, the signature win in Penn State's fifth-straight win to open the season. For his efforts, Erwin was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Jan. 6. The honor was Erwin's first and the second of the season for Penn State (Jake Strayer won the award on Nov. 21).
THREE FALLS HIGHLIGHT PENN STATE'S 35-10 WIN OVER #17 CORNELL Penn State used three falls to build up a 14-1 edge in bonus points, plus won seven of ten bouts, to coast to a 35-10 win over visiting Cornell on Jan. 4. The bout was wrestled in front of over 3,200 fans in Rec Hall. Jake Strayer (141), Phil Davis (197) and Mark McKnight (125) each got pins, marking the first time the Lions had three falls in one dual since its 39-3 victory over North Dakota State on Jan. 12 last year (at the Virginia Duals). Penn State also got bonus points from Garrett Scott (getting a forfeit at 149), Dan Vallimont (a major at 157) and Phil Bomberger (a major at 184).
DARLING'S RUNNER-UP SHOWING AT HITCHCOCK OPEN LEADS SIX PSU PLACERS A solid group of Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers performed well on Saturday at the Floyd `Shorty' Hitchcock Open hosted by Millersville University. True freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) led six Penn State place winners with a runner-up showing at 149 pounds. Darling and most of his teammates were wrestling unattached. Darling went 3-0 with two major decisions to advance to the finals before falling to North Carolina's Mike Rappo 5-2 in the title bout. Junior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.), continuing to perform well at 174, went 5-0 overall, but a semifinal loss to a non-collegiate wrestler moved him to the consolation bracket where he continued his prowess to place third. Friend had three pins and a technical fall during his run. Junior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) also had a solid tournament, going 5-1 with a major decision to also finish third at 184 pounds. Sophomore heavyweight Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.) posted a 4-1 record at HWT to place third as well. Three of Herlihy's four wins came in overtime. True freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) actually led Penn State in victories at the tournament, racking up a 7-1 record to finish a strong third at 165 pounds. Red-shirt freshman Mike Eagen (Wharton, N.J.) was solid at 133 pounds as well, going 3-2 and placing fourth. Eagen had two pins and a major decision.
DECKER CLAIMS WILKES OPEN TITLE Penn State Nittany Lion junior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) stormed his way to the 184-pound title at the 2007 Wilkes Open on Friday, claiming the crown in action that finished Friday evening. Decker's performance led a strong contingent of unattached Penn State grapplers as four Nittany Lions placed at the event. Decker went 5-0 on the day including two pins in his first two bouts and added two decisions and a medical forfeit to win the title. Olympic red-shirt Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) also had a strong day, going 4-1 (3-1 vs. collegiate wrestlers) with two technical falls. Pataky lost a close 4-3 decision in the finals to No. 20 Steve Mytych, unattached from Drexel. Penn State also garnered two other place-winners. True freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) had a solid 4-2 day to finish fourth, including a pin. Sophomore Mike Ward (Mayfield, Ohio) went 3-2 (2-2 vs. collegiate wrestlers) to finish fourth at 184. Starting 133-pounder Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) returned to action, getting his feet wet after missing the last six-plus weeks with an injury. Haas went 2-1, 1-1 vs. collegiate wrestlers, at 133. He did not wrestle in consolations as the senior looks to prepare for Penn State's bout with No. 17 Cornell on Jan. 4. His lone loss was a tough 7-5 decision to Brandon Reasy of Pitt-Johnstown in the semifinals. Reasy was ranked No. 2 in the nation at the Division II level.
MOLINARO CLAIMS CSU OPEN TITLE Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) stormed the field at the Cleveland State Open to claim the 141-pound weight class title. The unseeded true freshman, wrestling unattached, went 5-0 at the event to win his second open tournament crown.Molinaro began the tournament with a 7-6 win over Bucknell's Luke Chohany. A pin and a decision followed. Molinaro then got a medical forfeit win in the semifinals before posting an impressive 6-1 win over top-seeded Mike Hurley of Cleveland State in the finals.
THREE DAYS IN DECEMBER LOOKED A LOT LIKE `93! A 72 hour span, bookended by some interesting travel, looked a lot like 1993 for the Penn State wrestling team. On Friday, Dec. 7, Penn State shut-out Lehigh 33-0 in LU's Stabler Arena. The shutout was the first Nittany Lion shutout of Lehigh since a 39-0 whitewash of the then-Engineers on Feb. 13, 1993. Two days later, on Dec. 9, Penn State made an appearance in Oklahoma State's Gallagher-Iba Arena and came away with a thrilling 21-18 win at No. 3 Oklahoma State. The win was Penn State's first over Oklahoma State since a 38-7 win at OSU on Jan. 30, 1993.
DAVIS' PIN CLINCHES 21-18 WIN AT OKLAHOMA STATE Senior All-American Phil Davis picked up his first pin of the year, getting a fall over Oklahoma State's Clayton Foster (5:50) to clinch the Nittany Lions' 21-18 win at OSU on Dec. 9. The victory was Davis' fourth straight to start the 2007-08 campaign.
VALLIMONT TAKES DOWN #20 McSPADDEN AS LIONS DOWN COWBOYS IN GALLAGHER-IBA ARENA While over ten ranked grapplers were set to battle when then No. 5 Penn State visited then No. 3 Oklahoma State on Dec. 9, only one of the dual's ten bouts featured two ranked wrestlers facing each other. Penn State sophomore Dan Vallimont, ranked No. 10 nationally at 157, downed No. 20 Newly McSpadden of Oklahoma State 5-4 to help Penn State secure a 21-18 win in OSU's Gallagher-Iba Arena.
SCOTT MAKES PSU DUAL MATCH DEBUT Penn State true freshman Garrett Scott made his Penn State dual match debut on 12/9 by taking on Oklahoma State senior Nathan Morgan, who was ranked No. 6 at 141 pounds. Scott, filling in for starter Jake Strayer, battled the returning All-American tough but came away with a 6-3 loss to the veteran Cowboy.
BOMBERGER TAKES DOWN #17 CRAIG TO LEAD PENN STATE TO 33-0 SHUT-OUT OF LEHIGH Junior Phil Bomberger, ranked No. 19 in the nation at 184 at the time, downed then No. 17 David Craig 9-5 to help Penn State post a 33-0 shut-out of Lehigh in the Mountain Hawks' Stabler Arena on 12/7. The victory was Bomberger's first over a ranked opponent this year.
LABORANTI MAKES DUAL MATCH DEBUT AT LEHIGH Junior HWT John Laboranti made his Penn State dual match debut in fine fashion with a solid 12-5 win over Lehigh's Justin Allen on 12/7. The win helped Penn State post a 33-0 shut-out win at Lehigh.
EAGEN GETS FIRST DUAL MATCH WIN AT LEHIGH Red-shirt freshman Mike Eagen, filling in for starting 133-pounder Tim Haas, got his first Penn State dual match debut at Lehigh on 12/7. Eagen posted a 4-3 victory over the Mountain Hawks' Kevin Vinh to help PSU secure a 33-0 shut-out at LU.
FIVE NITTANY LIONS WIN TITLES AT 2007 NITTANY LION OPEN Sophomores Bubba Jenkins and Dan Vallimont led the charge as the fifth-ranked 149-pounder and 11th-ranked 157-pounder each held serve to win at their respective weights. Jenkins posted a perfect 5-0 mark (with an extra win over a non-collegiate wrestler) and Vallimont was 7-0 on the day. Freshman Garrett Scott blazed his way to a 6-0 mark at 141 and the title, including a win over teammate and second-ranked Jake Strayer in the semifinals. Sophomore David Erwin downed teammate Mark Friend, 6-2, in the finals at 174 to claim the title (his third open title of the year). Erwin went 6-0 and Friend went 4-1. Junior John Laboranti beat the 15th-ranked HWT in the nation, Kent State's Jermail Porter, in the finals to claim his title. Laboranti went 5-0 on the day. Friend's runner-up finish at 174 led Penn State's five other placers with Strayer taking fourth (he did not wrestle his third place bout and did not get a loss). No. 18 Phil Bomberger advanced to the quarterfinals at 184 before dropping a hard-fought decision to No. 8 and eventual champion Rocco Caponi of Virginia. Since only semifinal losers can wrestle for third place, Bomberger reeled off three straight wins in consolations to post a strong 6-1 mark and finish in fifth. Dave Rella went 5-2 to finish in sixth place at 165 and sophomore heavyweight Brendan Herlihy went 6-2 overall to finish sixth in the HWT division. In addition, recently signed Nittany Lion recruit Quentin Wright claimed the tournament title at 165 pounds.
ERWIN AND LABORANTI CLAIM MAT-TOWN TITLES Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) and John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.) claimed titles at the 2007 Mat-Town U.S.A. Open Saturday evening with three other Penn Staters (and Lion-to-be) placing as well. Erwin won the crown at 174 while Laboranti nabbed the heavyweight title. Erwin went 4-0 at 174, winning the title bout over Nittany Lion teammate Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) by a 9-8 score. Friend earned runner-up status with a 3-1 showing. Laboranti posted a 4-0 mark as well, beating Cornell's Maciej Jochem 5-3 (sv) in the finals to claim the title at HWT. He downed teammate Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) with a sudden victory decision in the semifinals. Wade, wrestling unattached, went 3-2 and took home fourth place. True freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.), also wrestling unattached, took second at 165. He lost a 7-3 decision to Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) a high school senior who recently signed on to become a Nittany Lion next fall. Wright went a perfect 4-0 in the tournament to claim the title while Bollinger also posted a 4-0 mark (his loss to a non-collegiate wrestler does not count on his record).
STRAYER NAMED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending on Nov. 18. Strayer, a junior 141-pounder, shares the honor with Wisconsin's Dallas Herbst. Strayer, who entered last Saturday's dual with Hofstra ranked No. 7 nationally at 141, nearly pinned No. 2 Charles Griffin before coasting to a convincing 6-1 win over the returning national semifinalist. The win helped spur No. 10 Penn State on to a 28-11 win over No. 12 Hofstra. The three-time Academic All-Big Ten pick was an All-American for Penn State last year at 133 but has moved up to 141 and has fared well so far this year, sporting a 2-0 record. Strayer is also a co-captain on this year's Nittany Lion squad for head coach Troy Sunderland. The weekly honor is Penn State's first of the year and the first since Aaron Anspach garnered the award on Feb. 7 of last year.
NITTANY LIONS DISMANTLE #12 HOFSTRA Getting three wins in match-ups of top ten wrestlers, Penn State won seven of ten bouts on its way to a thorough 28-11 dismantling of visiting Hofstra in a key Eastern wrestling dual. No. 2 Phil Davis majored No. 6 Joe Rovelli at 197 (12-1), No. 7 Jake Strayer nearly pinned No. 2 Charles Griffin on his way to a 6-1 win and No. 10 Mark McKnight beat No. 7 Dave Tomasette 3-2. Pins from Stefan Tighe at HWT and No. 20 Phil Bomberger at 184, plus decisions from No. 7 Bubba Jenkins (149) and No. 12 Dan Vallimont (157) aided in the victory.
DAVIS, STRAYER, McKNIGHT GET KEY WINS IN VICTORY OVER #12 HOFSTRA Already in top form, three-time All-American Phil Davis posted his second straight big win over a top ranked opponent. No. 2 Davis beat No. 6 Joe Rovelli of Hofstra 12-1 on 11/17, posting a major just a week after a 17-2 tech. fall over the No. 8 ranked 197-pounder from Maryland. No. 7 Jake Strayer nearly pinned No. 2 Charles Griffin, turning the defending national semifinalist to his back for a near fall and walking away with a convincing 6-1 win. Senior Mark McKnight was sound in his 3-2 win over No. 7 Dave Tomasette. The Lion 125-pounder, ranked No. 10 heading into the bout, scored the match-ups only takedown and did not allow Tomasette any openings. The three wins helped spur Penn State on to a 28-11 win.
DAVIS HANDLES TAMILLOW AT NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC EXHIBITION Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 in the nation at 197 pounds, posted a 6-2 decision over No. 3 Mike Tamillow of Northwestern in the 2007 NWCA All-Star Classic, held at the University of Oregon. Davis and head coach Troy Sunderland attended the exhibition event in Eugene, Ore. The victory, being in an exhibition, does not count towards Davis' season record. However, in the span of nine days, Davis began his 2007-08 season with wins over the eighth, sixth and third ranked wrestlers in the country by a combined score of 35-5. Davis is 2-0 on the year with wins over No. 8 Hudson Taylor of Maryland (a 17-2 tech. fall) and No. 6 Joe Rovelli of Hofstra (a 12-1 major).
MOLINARO CLAIMS ESU OPEN TITLE Penn State freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) made his debut at the collegiate level count, claiming the 141-pound title at the 2007 East Stroudsburg Open on Saturday. Wrestling unattached, Molinaro blazed to a 6-0 record with two pins. Freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.), junior Mike Ward (Mayfield, Ohio) and sophomore Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.) were all solid as well, advancing to the quarterfinals at their respective weights.
LIONS WIN NINE OF TEN TO TAKE DOWN TALENTED TERRAPINS Penn State won nine of ten bouts to take down a young and talented Maryland Terrapin team. Senior Phil Davis got a technical fall at 197, junior All-American Jake Strayer and sophomore Dan Vallimont got majors at 141 and 157 while sophomore Bubba Jenkins thrilled the crowd with a pin at 149. Mark McKnight (125), Dave Rella (165), Mark Friend (174), Phil Bomberger (184) and Stefan Tighe (HWT) all grabbed major decisions in the victory.
DAVIS HAMMERS #8 TAYLOR FOR ROUSING SEASON OPENING WIN; STRAYER MAJORS #20 PINTO No. 2 Phil Davis met No. 8 Hudson Taylor of Maryland in his first action of the year on 11/11. What many expected to be a battle of titans turned into a short-lived bout as Davis piled on back-points and more back points on his way to a 17-2 technical fall over the talented Terrapin sophomore in only 4:12. No. 7 Jake Strayer, an All-American at 133 last year and making his collegiate debut at 141, posted a 14-0 major decision over No. 20 Charlie Pinto in Penn State's season-opening dual match win over Maryland.
ERWIN AND LABORANTI WIN MSU OPEN TITLES Not letting defeat in Wrestle-Offs last weekend dampen their aspirations at national glory this season, two Penn State sophomores traveled to East Lansing, Mich., this past weekend and came away with titles at the MSU Open. Sophomores David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) and John Laboranti (Scranton, Pa.) won titles at 174 and heavyweight, respectively. Erwin, ranked No. 11 nationally at his new weight of 174, posted a 5-0 record with two major decisions, giving notice that the Lion sophomore is still a factor on the national scene. Laboranti went 4-0 at HWT with a major as well. True freshman Cameron Wade (Mayfield, Ohio), wrestling unattached, advanced to the semifinals at HWT before falling 3-1 to Tate. Wade went 2-3 and placed sixth.
LIONS RANKED #6 IN FINAL USA TODAY/NWCA DUAL MEET POLL; DAVIS LEADS 7 RANKED INDIVIDUALS The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the direction of veteran head coach Troy Sunderland, ended the dual meet season ranked No. 6 in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll as compiled and released by Intermat. The Nittany Lions were second only to top-ranked Iowa among Big Ten schools in the final dual meet poll, which can be viewed in its entirety at www.intermatwrestle.com. Iowa claimed all 12 first place votes and finished first, followed by Central Michigan in second and Iowa State in third. Nebraska claimed the No. 4 spot while Oklahoma State finished ranked fifth. Penn State concludes the dual seat at No. 6 followed by four more Big Ten schools to round out the top ten: Wisconsin (7), Minnesota (8), Ohio State (9) and Illinois (10). Michigan is ranked No. 11 with Northwestern (13) and Indiana (20) giving the Big Ten nine ranked teams in the top 25, with six claiming top ten spots. The Nittany Lions ended the dual meet season with a 14-5 overall record, 5-3 in Big Ten duals (good enough for third place in the final dual standings) and had impressive wins over two of the teams ranked ahead of it (21-18 at No. 5 Oklahoma State and 22-16 vs. Iowa State in the National Duals). It marks the second straight season that Sunderland's squad went 14-5 overall and finished in third place in the dual meet standings.
Senior All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) leads a contingent of seven ranked individuals. Davis is ranked No. 3 at 197 and ended the regular season with a 17-1 record with six pins. The co-captain's career mark stands at 107-20. Joining Davis with a top three ranking is sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.). Vallimont is ranked No. 3 at 157 and sports a team-best 24-1 record. Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) is ranked No. 5 at 149 with a 20-3 record, giving the Nittany Lions three grapplers ranked in the top five. Senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) checks in at No. 9 at 125 with his 12-6 record and recently won his 100th career victory. McKnight is 100-40 for his career, which included two seasons at Buffalo (35 of his wins have come as a Lion). True freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) is ranked No. 10 at 141 with a 16-3 record and gives Penn State five wrestlers ranked in the top ten. Junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) is ranked No. 14 at 184 and sports a 17-6 record this year. Sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) is ranked No. 16 at 174 and ended the regular season with a 23-8 record.
All rankings listed are USA Today/NWCA as of 2/27/08