March 8, 2008
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.; March 8, 2008 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of veteran head coach Troy Sunderland, moved three wrestlers into tonight's Big Ten Championship semifinals. Sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) and sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) all won their quarterfinal bouts and will be in action tonight. Each of Penn State's semifinalists is also headed to St. Louis for the 2008 NCAA Championships.
The Nittany Lions had four early pig-tail bouts and won three of them. True freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa), Vallimont and Davis picked up early wins. The lone early loss was an upset of No. 7 seed David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) at 174. Erwin remains alive in tonight's consolations.
Penn State went 3-6 in the quarterfinals with Erwin the lone Lion not reaching that round. All ten Penn State grapplers will be in action at 6 p.m. (Central) tonight as the all-important consolation rounds begin. The semifinals will start at approximately 8 p.m. Penn State went 6-7 through session one. Penn State sits in sixth place early in the team race with 39.0 points. Penn State is only 11 points out of third. Iowa leads the team race early with 74.0 points.
Action continues on Sunday with a single session beginning at 12 p.m. (Central). Finals are slated to begin at approximately 2 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
Senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), ranked No. 9 nationally and the tournament's 6th-seed (S6) at 125, met S3 Angel Escobedo of Indiana in the quarterfinals. Escobedo won an early round pig-tail and entered the tournament ranked No. 3. McKnight nearly got the bout's first takedown, gaining control of Escobedo's leg and working for over a minute to take the Hoosier down. But the talented IU grappler managed to work his way out of bounds to force a reset with :40 left in the opening period. With the bout tied 0-0 after the opening three minutes, McKnight chose down to start the second stanza. Escobedo controlled the Penn State senior for the entire period and kept things scoreless while building up a 2:00 riding time edge. Escobedo chose down to start the third period and McKnight, needing takedowns, let him up and trailed 1-0. Escobedo then notched a takedown with less than a minute to ice the bout and stave off McKnight's upset attempt. The riding time point gave Escobedo a hard-fought 4-0 win, sending McKnight to the consolations this evening. McKnight's opponent tonight will be Michigan's Mike Watts
Senior co-captain Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.), the 8th-seed at 133, met S1 Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois. Kennedy, also a winner of a pig-tail, was ranked No. 3 nationally. Kennedy quickly opened up a 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 2:29 mark. The UI sophomore then put together a strong ride, keeping control of Haas for the remainder of the period and carrying a 2-0 lead with 2:29 in riding time into the second period. Haas chose down to start the second stanza but could note record an escape. Kennedy led 3-0 after two, chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 3-0 lead. He then followed that up with a quick takedown to lead 5-1 after a Haas escape and added another takedown to lead 7-2 after another Haas escape. Kennedy added another takedown and the riding time point to post a 10-2 major decision. Haas' loss sends him to tonight's consolations. Haas will take on Michigan's Chris Diehl.
True freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.), ranked No. 10 nationally and the 5th-seed at 141, had one of Penn State's four pig-tail bouts, facing Purdue's Matt Redmond. Making his Big Ten tournament de but, Scott stepped on the mat aggressive and set the tone early. Scott got his first takedown at the 1:49 mark of the first period, taking an early 2-0 lead. Three quick back points at the 1:15 mark put Scott up 5-0 and another less than :30 later gave Scott an 8-0 lead. Not giving the Boilermaker any opportunity for a comeback, Scott deftly turned Redmond over on his shoulders and got a thrilling fall at the 2:24 mark, getting a fall in his Big Ten tournament debut.
The win advanced Scott to the quarterfinals, where he met S4 Dan LeClere of Iowa. LeClere carried a No. 6 ranking with him into the tournament. Scott, who lost to LeClere in early January, battled the Hawkeye evenly for the first three minutes, trading slight scoring chances with neither grapplers having a serious chance to score in the opening stanza. Scott chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead at the 1:44 mark. LeClere then got control of Scott's right leg, working his way up from ankle to thigh and looking for a takedown. Scott, however, countered the move and nearly took turned the Hawkeye to his back for a quick pin. But LeClere bounced out of trouble, forcing a reset with :33 left in the middle period. Scott almost got the bout's first takedown as the period wound down, briefly gaining control of LeClere's feet but not finishing off the move as LeClere skipped away, out of Scott's grasp. Down 1-0, LeClere chose neutral to start the final period, looking to avoid any Scott pinning opportunity. LeClere then worked his way around behind Scott, gaining control of the Lions leg again. But a superb defensive effort from Scott kept LeClere from scoring and Scott was able to hold on to his lead. LeClere frantically tried to score in the final seconds. With just :02 left in the bout in front of the Iowa scorner, LeClere tripped Scott to the mat and posted a stunning takedown to steal a 2-1 win in a bout Scott had within his grasps. The loss sent Scott to the consolation round tonight where he'll face either S2 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin or S8 Ryan Prater of Illinois.
Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 5 in the country and the 4th-seed at 149, met S5 Lance Palmer of Ohio State in the quarterfinals. Palmer was ranked No. 6. Palmer wasted little time in taking Jenkins down, grabbing a 2-0 lead less than :15 into the bout. Jenkins escaped to a 2-1 deficit with 2:15 left in the period and began working for a go-ahead takedown. But Palmer's defense was equal to Jenkins' attack and the Buckeye carried the 2-1 lead into the second period. Palmer chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Jenkins spent the rest of the period forcing Palmer to the edge of the mat, looking for a chance to score and tie the bout. But Palmer gave up nothing and led 3-1 heading into the third period. Jenkins chose down to start the last period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 deficit. He then grabbed Palmer's ankles, pulling the Buckeye to the mat and taking a 4-3 lead with 1:30 left in the bout. After a reset, Palmer escaped to tie the bout at 4-4, but Jenkins was not done scoring. Fresh off the whistle, Jenkins worked in on Palmer's left thigh and steadily got behind the Buckeye for another takedown at the :32 mark. Palmer managed to escape to cut the lead to 6-5, but only :09 remained and Jenkins was able to post a 6-5 win. The victory advanced Jenkins to the semifinals tonight and guaranteed the sophomore a trip to the NCAA tournament as Penn State's first official qualifier. Jenkins will face No. 1 ranked and No. 1 seed Brent Metcalf of Iowa in the semifinals.
Sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 3 in the country and the tournament's 2nd-seed at 157, faced Ohio State's Jason Johnstone in a pig-tail bout. Vallimont nearly got taken down right out of the gates as Johnstone got in on his knee and turned it, working towards a takedown, but Vallimont countered and nearly got a points of his own. The scramble, however, ended in a stalemate and a reset. Fresh off the reset, the duo began scrambling once again and this time, Vallimont worked his away around behind Johnstone for go-ahead points a the 1:16 mark. The Lion sophomore then put together a strong ride, building up a 1:16 riding time edge while riding Johnstone out. Down 2-0, Johnstone out to start the middle stanza. But Vallimont continued his dominance on top, nearly turning Johnstone for a quick near fall. Johnstone managed to roll through but Vallimont maintained control and continued to pile on the riding time. By the time the period ended with a Vallimont ride-out, the Nittany Lion had a 2-0 lead with a guaranteed bonus point due to over 3:00 in time. Vallimont chose down to start the last period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Johnstone worked hard for the first 1:30 and finally got a takedown to cut the lad to 3-2, but the score was too little too late and Vallimont posted a strong 4-2 win.
Vallimont moved onto the quarterfinals where he met S7 Ryan Morningstar of Iowa. Morningstar entered the tournament ranked No. 16. Vallimont set the tempo early, forcing Morningstar back on his heels and to the end of the mat. Morningstar shot low on Vallimont and nearly got a takedown as the period wound down, but Vallimont worked around and locked onto the Hawkeye's ankle to keep from giving up any points in the period. Tied 0-0 after the first stanza, Morningstar chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Vallimont, however was undaunted and used a shot high on Morningstar's right thigh to get a go-ahead takedown with 1:45 left in the period. Morningstar escaped to a 2-2 tie with 1:10 left and the two wrestlers moved to the center circle. The last minute featured a slight scoring chance for Morningstar that Vallimont easily avoided and the bout went to the third period tied 2-2. Vallimont chose down to start the period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. Vallimont then held off Morningstar's last flurry, escaping with a 3-2 win and advancing to the semifinals tonight. The win also moved the Nittany Lion onto the NCAA Championships as Penn State's second qualifier. Vallimont will take on sixth-seeded Jeff Marsh of Michigan tonight.
Sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), the 7th-seed at 165, met S2 Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan in his quarterfinal match-up. Tannenbaum entered the event ranked No. 3 nationally. Tannenbaum got the bout's first takedown just :30 in, taking a 2-1 lead after a Rella escape. Tannenbaum forced a scramble on the edge of the mat, nearly getting a second takedown, but Rella was able to roll out of trouble and force a reset with :45 left. The Nittany Lion then battled the third-ranked Wolverine even for the rest of the period and trailed only 2-1 after one period. Rella chose down to start the second period but could not escape until Tannenbaum had a 1:06 riding time edge. Rella's escape tied the bout at 2-2 with 1:20 left and the feisty Lion sophomore began looking for a takedown of his own. Rella forced Tannenbaum back towards the outer circle but could not break through the Wolverine's defenses. With the bout tied 2-2, Tannenbaum, holding a 1:06 riding time edged, chose neutral to start the last period. Tannenbaum kept Rella at a distance for the first half of the period, forcing the Wolverine back to the edge of the mat. But the Nittany Lion sophomore, looking for a stunning upset of the tournament's second seed, could not work his way through Tannenbaum's defenses and dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision. The loss moved Rella to tonight's consolation round where he will face either Dominic Marella of Northwestern or Tyler Safratowich of Minnesota in the consolations tonight.
Sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 16 nationally and the 6th-seed at 174, met Indiana's Trevor Perry in a first round pig-tail. Perry caught Erwin quickly in a headlock and tossed the Lion sophomore to his back for a quick takedown. The Hoosier, who Erwin beat earlier in the year, then worked hard over the next minute, keeping Erwin's back to the mat and eventually posting a stunning first-round upset with a pin at the 1:19 mark of the first period. The loss sent Erwin to the consolation round tonight, where he will face Illinois' John Dergo, S5.
Junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), ranked No. 14 nationally and the 5th-seed at 184, met S4 Roger Kish of Minnesota in the quarterfinals. Kish, who won a sudden victory decision in a pig-tail earlier in the day, was ranked No. 9 nationally. Bomberger took Kish down and nearly turned him to his back right out of the gates. But Kish fought his way to the edge of the mat, where Bomberger completed the takedown. However, the official ruled that Kish had moved off the surface of the mat and no points were awarded, keeping the bout tied at 0-0 after a furious minute of wrestling. But Bomberger was undaunted, finishing off a double-leg at the 1:25 mark to take an early 2-0 lead. But Kish managed to quickly reverse the Lion junior and tie the bout at 2-2 just seconds later. Bomberger steadily worked his way out of Kish's control to lead 3-2 with an escape at the :40 mark. Down 3-2, Kish chose the bottom to start the second period and escaped to a 3-3 tie just ten seconds into the stanza. Bomberger forced Kish into a first stall warning and shot at the Gopher's midsection, but Kish worked his way behind the Lion junior and notched his first takedown to lead 5-3. Bomberger escaped to a 5-4 deficit, just in time as Kish had :59 of riding time. With :36 left in the period, Bomberger could not get a go-ahead takedown and trailed 5-4 heading into the final period. Not wanting to give Kish a riding time edge, Bomberger chose neutral to start the final stanza, needing a takedown to have a chance at an upset victory. The duo worked the shoulders for most of the period. With just :03 left, Bomberger once again nearly completed a takedown but once again the official ruled action moved off the mat. Kish was able to escape with a hard-fought 5-4 win. The loss moved Bomberger into tonight's consolations where he will face either Adil Kolovic of Northwestern or A.J. Kissel of Purdue.
Three-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 3 in the country and the 2nd-seed at 197, met Ohio State's John Weakley in Penn State's final pig-tail match-up. Davis went to turn Weakley quickly, grabbing his shoulders and looking to take the Buckeye down. But Weakley countered the move and took Davis down for an early 2-1 lead at the 2:00 mark (after a Davis escape). The quick score seemed to energize Davis, who quickly gained control of Weakley's right leg and took a 3-2 lead with a takedown at the :58 mark. Davis then put together a dominating ride, working the Buckeye hard while trying to co0mplete another cradle. Weakley managed to stay off his back, but picked up a stall warning while Davis rode him out to a 3-2 lead after the first period. Davis chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 lead. A stall point on Weakley and a Davis takedown with :52 left in the period gave the Lion a 7-2 lead. Davis then turned Weakley to his back and worked his way to a thrilling pin, picking up the fall with just one second left in the second period (4:59).
Davis moved on to the quarterfinals where he met Iowa's Chad Beatty, the seventh seed. Davis spun around a low Beatty shot and got his first takedown with :40 left in the opening period. He then began working for a pinning opportunity in the first period's final seconds. But Beatty was able to keep off his back long enough for the period to end. Beatty, trailing 2-0, chose neutral to start the second period. But the Nittany Lion All-American wasted no time in gaining control of the Hawkeye grappler, getting a takedown with 1:40 left and steadily turning him to his back for three near fall points and a 7-0 lead. After gathering himself on top, Davis then dominated Beatty for the rest of the period and carried the 7-0 lead into the third period 9wth 2:08 in riding time). Davis, looking for the pin, chose top to start the third stanza. But Beatty was able to escape to a 7-1 deficit, only to get taken down at the 1:40 mark. Davis, leading 9-1, then turned the Hawkeye for two more back points and an 11-1 lead. After a reset at the 1:10 mark, Davis then added three more back points and had the Hawkeye on his back for a pin. But Beatty wriggled out of the stop and turned Davis onto his back. The five point move (two for the reversal and three back points) helped the Hawkeye avoid the technical fall. But Davis still posted a convincing 15-6 major decision and moved on to tonight's semifinals, where he will face third-seeded Patrick Bond of Illinois. He also became Penn State's third qualifier.
Junior John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.), the 7th-seed at HWT, met S2 Dustin Fox of Northwestern in the quarterfinals. Fox, ranked No. 3 nationally, picked up an early takedown in the first period and added three back points for a 5-0 lead midway through the period. The returning All-American then picked up three more near fall points with another turn of Laboranti and led 8-0. Fox forced Laboranti into giving up a stall point and then added two more back points for an 11-0 lead after one period. Laboranti chose neutral to start the second period. Fox picked up another stall point on Laboranti and then another takedown with :30 left to lead 14-0 with after the second period. Fox chose down to start the final period, needing only an escape to get a technical fall. Fox escaped at the 1:54 mark and posted a 15-0 technical fall at 5:06. The loss pushed Laboranti into tonight's consolations where he will meet Minnesota's Benjamin Berhow, the eighth-seed.
2008 Big Ten Championships
Team Standings - End Session One
1: Iowa, 74.0
2: Minnesota, 64.0
3: Illinois, 50.0
4: Michigan, 46.0
5: Northwestern, 39.5
6: Penn State, 39.0
7: Wisconsin, 29.0
8: Indiana, 28.0
9: Ohio State, 17.0
10: Michigan State, 12.0
11: Purdue, 11.5
Penn State's record overall through session one: 6-7
Penn State Agate
125 -- Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette), Sr., S6, ranked #9
Tournament Record: 0-1 - Overall Record now: 12-7 Rd. 1: Bye
Qtr.: L, 0-4 dec. #3 Angel Escobedo, Indiana
Cons: Tonight vs. Michael Watts, Michigan
133 - Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff), Sr., S8, unranked
Tournament Record: 0-1 - Overall Record now: 6-13
Rd. 1: Bye
Qtr.: L, 2-10 dec. #3 Jimmy Kennedy, Illinois
Cons: Tonight vs. Christopher Diehl, Michigan
141 - Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley), Fr., S5, ranked #10
Tournament Record: 1-1 - Overall Record now: 17-4
Rd. 1: WBF Matt Redmond, Purdue (2:24)
Qtr.: L, 1-2 dec. #6 Dan LeClere, Iowa
Cons: Tonight vs. TBA
149 - Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial), So., S4, ranked #5 - NCAA QUALIFIER
Tournament Record: 1-0 - Overall Record now: 21-3
Rd. 1: Bye
Qtr.: W, 6-5 dec. vs. #6 Lance Palmer
Semi: Tonight vs. #1 Brent Metcalf, Iowa
157 - Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp.), So., S2, ranked #3
Tournament Record: 2-0 - Overall Record now: 26-1
Rd. 1: W, 4-2 dec. Jason Johnstone, Ohio State
Qtr: W, 3-2 dec. #Ryan Morningstar, Iowa
Semi: Tonight vs. #15 Jeff Marsh, Michigan
165 - Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), So., S7, unranked
Tournament Record: 0-1 - Overall Record now: 13-13
Rd. 1: L, 2-3 dec. #3 Eric Tannenbaum, Michigan
Cons: Tonight vs. TBA
174 - David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio/St. Paris Graham), So., S6, ranked #16
Tournament Record: 0-1 - Overall Record now: 23-9
Rd. 1: LBF Trevor Perry, Indiana (1:19)
Cons: Tonight vs. #15 John Dergo, Illinois
184 - Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata), Jr., S5, ranked #14
Tournament Record: 0-1 - Overall Record now: 17-7
Rd. 1: L, 4-5 dec. #9 Roger Kish, Minnesota
Cons: Tonight vs. TBA
197 - Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg), Sr., S2, ranked #3
Tournament Record: 2-0 - Overall Record now: 19-1
Rd. 1: WBF John Weakley, Ohio State (4:59)
Qtr.: W, 15-6 maj. dec. Chad Beatty, Iowa
Semis: Tonight vs. #11 Patrick Bond, Illinois
HWT - John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa./Pittston), Jr., S7, unranked
Tournament Record: 0-1 - Overall Record now: 22-8
Rd. 1: L, 0-15 #3 Dustin Fox, Northwestern (TF, 5:06)
Cons: Tonight vs. Benjamin Berhow, Minnesota