March 8, 2008
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.; March 8, 2008 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of veteran head coach Troy Sunderland, will have two grapplers in the finals of the 2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Three more Penn Staters punched their tickets to St. Louis as a total of five Nittany Lions have qualified for the NCAA Championships. Three more can qualify tomorrow morning.
Two of Penn State's three semifinalists grabbed victories to move on to tomorrow's Big Ten title bouts. Sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) posted an 8-5 win over Michigan's Jeff Marsh at 157 and senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) downed Illinois' Patrick Bond 6-0 at 197 to earn slots in their title bouts. Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) lost to top-seeded Brent Metcalf of Iowa in his semifinal bout and will look to finish as high as third tomorrow.
Joining Vallimont, Davis and Jenkins with trips to St. Louis will be sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), who stunned third-seeded Tyler Safratowich of Minnesota in consolations at 165 to punch his ticket; and junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), who downed Purdue's A.J. Kissel at 184 in his consolation bout to earn a spot at nationals.
Senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) at 125, senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) at 133, and freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) at 141, will all have a chance to earn automatic bids with a win in their respective seventh-place bouts. Scott took an injury default in his consolation bout and could not continue after the end of the second period.
The second session began with the first round of consolations as seven Penn Staters looked to keep their hopes of a trip to the NCAA Championships alive. Three of the seven, Scott at 141, Erwin at 165 and Bomberger at 184, earned first round byes in consolations and waited while the first round was contested. Two of the four Nittany Lions wrestling in the first round of consolations won their first bouts. McKnight at 125 and Haas at 133 both advanced to the second round to join the above threesome.
Minnesota sits in first place with 106.0 points while Iowa is in second with 93.5. Penn State is one of seven teams within 14 points as a battle for third place. Illinois (79.0), Michigan (78.0), Ohio State (76.5), Penn State (68.0), Indiana (66.5), Wisconsin (66.0) and Northwestern (65.0) are all jockeying for third place. After going 6-6 in session two, Penn State is 12-13 after day one of competition. Sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) at 174 and junior John Laboranti at HWT (Pittston, Pa.) both went 0-2 on the day and had their seasons come to an end.
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, took on Michigan's Michael Watts in the first round of consolations. McKnight spent the first minute-plus chasing Watts around the mat, forcing the Wolverine to the edge of the mat and looking for an opening to get on the scoreboard. His hard work paid off with a takedown at the 1:17 mark, finishing off the scoring move on the edge of the mat for an early 2-0 lead. Watts escaped seconds later to cut the McKnight's lead to 2-1. The Lion senior nearly got a second takedown as the period ended, but time ticked away. Still, McKnight held a 2-1 lead after one period and Watts chose down to start the second period. The Wolverine couldn't break loose of McKnight's strong ride as the Nittany Lion senior build up a 1:06 time edge before Watts escaped to a 2-2 tie. With the scored tied at 2-2 and holding a 1:06 riding time edge, McKnight chose down to begin the third period. The Nittany Lion senior escaped to a 3-2 lead, but his time edge slipped just below one minute (0:59). McKnight forced Watts into a first stall warning and kept the pressure on the Wolverine grappler. The Nittany Lion senior iced the bout with a final takedown at the :12 mark, taking a 5-2 lead. A ride-out and a riding time point gave McKnight a solid 6-2 win and moved him one step closer to nationals with a second round match-up against S7 Nikko Triggas of Ohio State.
McKnight faced Triggas with a trip to nationals on the line. McKnight took the first shout of the bout, getting in low on Triggas' right ankle and nearly notching an early takedown. But Triggas countered, stepped behind McKnight and almost scored himself. But McKnight continued to work, scrambling on the side of the mat and getting the go ahead takedown at the 1:49 mark. Triggas escaped to a 2-1 deficit and then turned in on McKnight to get his first takedown and lead 3-2 with 1:14 left in the opening period. McKnight escaped to a 3-3 tie with :48 left in a furious opening stanza. Triggas got another takedown with :12 left and McKnight escaped in time to trail only by one, 5-4, after one period. McKnight then chose down to start the second period but could not break free of Triggas' strong ride. But with :11 left in the period, McKnight reversed Triggas to take a brief 6-5 lead. But Triggas answered with a reversal of his own as the period ended and led 7-6 with 1:45 in riding time after one period. Triggas chose down to begin the final period and quickly escaped to an 8-6 lead. McKnight, now needing multiple takedowns, could not chase Triggas down and fell 9-6 to the Buckeye. McKnight's loss sends him to tomorrow morning's seventh/eighth place bout, needing a win over fourth-seeded Brandon Precin of Northwestern to earn a trip to nationals.
Senior co-captain Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.), the 8th-seed at 133, battled Michigan's Chris Diehl in the opening round of consolations. Haas and Diehl battled evenly throughout the first half of the period. After a reset at the 1:28 mark, Haas quickly shot low, gained control of both of Diehl's feet and notched a takedown to lead 2-0 early. The Nittany Lion senior then maintained control of Diehl for :46 before the Wolverine escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Haas nearly added a second takedown at the end of the period, but like McKnight before him, time ticked away. Up by two, Haas chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 3-1 lead shortly thereafter. Diehl began intensifying his offensive pressure, but Haas was able to counter his efforts and maintain a 3-1 lead after two periods. Diehl chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 deficit. Haas got in deep on Diehl's right leg and drove the Wolverine down into the mat for a bout-clinching takedown with :25 left. The Nittany Lion senior then rode Diehl out to post a 5-2 win and move into the second round of consolations, just won win away from qualifying for nationals.
Haas moved on to a second round consolation battle against No. 8 Zach Tanelli, the fourth seed. Tanelli got the first takedown to lead 2-0 just over :30 into the bout. Tanelli then worked Haas over from the top, turning the Nittany Lion senior to his back and getting a pin at the 2:48 mark. The loss sends Haas to tomorrow's seventh/eighth place bout where he will need to defeat No. 13 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State.
True freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.), ranked No. 10 nationally and the 5th-seed at 141, had a first round conso bye and met No. 5 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin, the tournament's second seed. Scott had the first solid scoring chance of the bout, getting in deep on Russell's right leg, but a potentially dangerous hold forced a reset at the 2:10 mark and kept the bout scoreless. Scott got the first takedown at the 1:55 mark, using a right ankle pick to take a 2-0 lead. But Ruschell countered right away with a reversal to briefly tie things before Scott escaped to a 3-2 lead with 1:20 left in the bout. Scott continued to pressure Ruschell, working his way high onto the Badger's right thigh again and looking for another takedown. After a scramble, Scott got the two points with just :02 left in the period to lead 5-2 after one. Ruschell chose down to start the second stanza. During a scramble, Ruschell wrenched Scott's left leg into his hip and the Nittany Lion freshman injured his left knee, forcing a stoppage of action and a long injury timeout. After a reset during the injury timeout, Ruschell escaped to take a 5-3 lead and then quickly took the injured Nittany Lion down to tie the bout at 5-5. Scott then reversed Ruschell to retake a 7-5 lead. With just :15 left, Ruschell notched another reversal to tie the bout at 7-7 and then added three back points to lead 10-7 with one period left. Scott, crumbled in pain at the side of the mat and could not continue, losing by injury default at the 5:00 mark. If Scott can continue tomorrow, his chance at nationals would be a seventh place bout against Michigan State's Jeff Wimberly.
Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 5 in the country and the 4th-seed at 149, took to the mat against the nation's top-ranked wrestler and tournament top seed Brent Metcalf of Iowa. Metcalf took an early 1-0 lead when Jenkins gave up a penalty point for fleeing the mat. Metcalf nearly got a takedown with :30 left, but Jenkins managed to fight off the move and force a reset. But the top-seeded Hawkeye got the takedown with :17 left and added two back points to lead 5-0 after one period. Metcalf chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 6-0 lead. He nearly added another takedown but Jenkins managed to force a stalemate. Metcalf got the added points with a solid takedown at the edge of the mat with :22 left, taking an 8-0 lead. Metcalf rode Jenkins out to carry that lead into the final period. Jenkins chose down to start the third stanza and was allowed up by Metcalf, getting his first point on an escape. But Metcalf got another takedown to up his lead to 10-1 with 1:40 left in the bout. Metcalf would continue to build upon his lead and posted a 15-3 major decision. Jenkins will now meet No. 4 Josh Churella of Michigan in tomorrow's consolation rounds. Jenkins can still place as high as third and no worse than sixth.
Sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 3 in the country and the tournament's 2nd-seed at 157, battled No. 15 Jeff Marsh of Michigan in his semifinal. Marsh was the tournament's sixth-seed. Vallimont got in deep on Marsh's right leg and tried to scramble his way to a takedown. But an injury timeout for the Lion forced a reset with 2:22 left. Two more times, Vallimont shots ended in Marsh's defense forcing stalemates. But on the third effort, Vallimont got his lead with a solid takedown at the :45 mark. A Marsh escape before the period ended gave Vallimont a 2-1 lead after three minutes of wrestling. Marsh chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 2-2 tie at the 1:50 mark. Vallimont retook his lead with another strong double-leg, going up 4-2 with :32 left in the period. The Nittany Lion sophomore then rode Marsh out to carry that 4-2 lead into the final period. Up by two with 1:06 in riding time, Vallimont chose neutral to start the third period, saving his riding time advantage. The Wolverine tied things, however with a takedown on the edge of the mat with 1:15 left in the bout. Vallimont then began working his way around Marsh and reversed the Wolverine to retake the lead 6-4, with :38 left to wrestle. Marsh escaped to cut Vallimont's lead to 6-5, but the Nittany Lion sophomore added one more insurance takedown to post the 8-5 win and advance to tomorrow's championship finals. Vallimont, ranked No. 3 and the second seed, will face No. 2 and top-seeded Mike Poeta of Illinois.
Sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), the 7th-seed at 165, also had a first round by in the consolations and met Minnesota's Tyler Safratowich, the third seed and ranked No. 11 nationally. Rella and the ranked Gopher battled evenly throughout the first two minutes of action, with neither wrestler finding an opening or threatening to score. Rella got the bout's first points with a takedown at the :28 mark to go up 2-0. Safratowich scrambled out and notched an escape to cut Erwin's lead to 2-1 after one period. The Gopher then chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 2-2 tie. The Gopher then nearly got a takedown but Rella kicked out to keep the bout tied at 2-2. Rella chose down to start the final period and reversed the Gopher to lead 4-2. But Safratowich returned the reversal and tied the bout at 4-4. A Rella escape gave the Nittany Lion a 5-4 lead and the sophomore proceeded to hold of the ranked Gophers final efforts and stunned the home crowd with a 5-4 win. The victory moves Rella on to nationals for the first time in his career. The sophomore will face Illinois' Roger Smith-Bergsrud tomorrow and can finish as high as third (and no worse than sixth).
Sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 16 nationally and the 6th-seed at 174, looked to bounce back from an upset loss in the first round when he me S5 John Dergo of Illinois, who was ranked No. 15. Dergo quickly got in on Erwin's right ankle and worked to drive through to a takedown. But the Nittany Lion sophomore fought off the move and kept things scoreless early on in the first period. Dergo took the bulk of the early shots, but Erwin was able to keep from giving up a takedown. Then, the Nittany Lion countered a Dergo shot at the 1:02 mark and forced a scramble that ended with the Lion sophomore battling for nearly a minute to force a stalemate with just :19 left in the period. Dergo once again got in deep on Erwin's thigh off the reset, forcing the Lion into defense once again. Erwin did not give up any points and a furious first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Dergo chose down to start the second period. The Illini grappler escaped to a 1-0 lead :29 into the period and action moved back to the center circle. Erwin fought off another Dergo shot and after breaking free from contact, Erwin dove deep at Dergo's feet and drove through the Illini for the bout's first takedown and a 2-1 lead with :40 left. The Nittany Lion sophomore then rode Dergo out and led 2-1 with 1:14 in riding time to his advantage heading into the third period. Erwin chose down to start the final stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead, quick enough to keep a 1:09 riding time edge. But Dergo kept coming, gaining control of Erwin's ankle once again. But the Lion broke free with 1:209 left to keep his lead. Dergo, however, was rewarded for his offense with a takedown and three back points and the :30 mark, turning a 3-1 deficit into a 6-3 win and sending David Erwin home for the season. The loss ended Erwin's tournament run at 0-2 and his season at 23-10.
Junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), ranked No. 14 nationally and the 5th-seed at 184, had Penn State's third consolation first round bye and took on Purdue's A.J. Kissel. Bomberger and Kissel circled each other in the center of the mat for half of the period. Each man had slight chances to score, but neither could break through and dent the scoreboard until Bomberger scrambled around behind Kissel for the go ahead takedown with :24 left in the period. The Lion junior then turned the Boilermaker to his back but could not hold him long enough to get any near fall points. Up by two, Bomberger chose neutral to start the second period. But Kissel had an answer with a strong takedown on the edge of the mat, tying the bout at 2-2 with 1:05 left in the period. After a reset, Bomberger worked his way underneath and around Kissel to get a reversal and take a 4-2 lead with just :20 left in the second period. He then managed to ride Kissel out and held that lead heading into the final period. Kissel chose down to star the third period and escaped to a 4-3 deficit less than ten seconds into the period. Bomberger kept Kissel at a distance for the next minute-plus, holding onto a slim lead. Bomberger countered a late Kissel shot with just :12 left, forcing a scramble and a stalemate that allowed the clock to run out and give the Nittany Lion junior a 4-3 win. The victory earns Bomberger his first-ever trip to the NCAA Championships and he will meet No. 7 Phil Keddy of Iowa. Keddy is the tournament's third seed.
Three-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 3 in the country and the 2nd-seed at 197, met S3 Patrick Bond of Illinois in Penn State's final semifinal. Bond was ranked No. 11 nationally. Bond had the first chance to score in the bout, getting control of Davis' left leg. But the senior pushed the Illini away and forced a reset with under a minute to wrestle. Davis began pressuring Bond but could not score and the bout headed to the second period tied at 0-0. Bond chose neutral to begin the second stanza, looking to avoid Davis' cradle. Bond shot low on Davis, once again gaining control of his right ankle. But this time, Davis stepped around Bond and used his flexibility to secure a takedown of his own to lead 2-0 at the 1:01 mark. Davis then began putting together a dominating ride, working Bond for a chance to turn him. While not netting any back points, he rode the Illini out to lead 2-0 with 1:01 in riding time heading into the third period. Davis chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 3-0 lead with 1:53 on the clock. Davis was dominant over the course of the last minutes, keeping Bond off base and adding another takedown as the bout ended. A riding time point gave Davis a strong 6-0 win and moved him into tomorrow's championships final against No. 2 Mike Tamillow of Northwestern.
Junior John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.), the 7th-seed at HWT, met S8 Benjamin Berhow of Minnesota, hoping to keep his hopes of a trip to nationals alive. The duo battled evenly throughout the first period, with neither man finding an opening to score. Tied 0-0 heading into the second period, Berhow chose down to start the session and quickly reversed Laboranti to take a 2-0 lead with 1:26 left. The Gopher big man then turned the Lion junior for three back points and a 5-0 lead with 1:10 left. Laboranti returned the reversal after a reset with :25 left and cut Berhow's lead to 6-2 after a Berhow escape. Down by four, Laboranti chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 6-3 deficit with 1:15 left. Berhow had built up a 1:23 riding time edge as well. The Nittany Lion junior shot low on Berhow's ankle, but Berhow held firm and broke free. Laboranti found no more openings and Berhow posted a 7-3 decision. The loss ended Laboranti's tournament at 0-2 and his season at 22-9.
2008 Big Ten Championships
Team Standings - End Session Two
1: Minnesota, 106.0
2: Iowa, 93.5
3: Illinois, 79.0
4: Michigan, 78.0
5: Ohio State, 76.5
6: Penn State, 68.0
7: Indiana, 66.5
8: Wisconsin, 66.0
9: Northwestern, 65.0
10: Purdue, 39.5
11: Michigan State, 30.0
Penn State's record overall through session one: 12-13
Penn State Agate
125 -- Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette), Sr., S6, ranked #9
Tournament Record: 1-2 - Overall Record now: 13-8
Rd. 1: Bye
Qtr.: L, 0-4 dec. #3 Angel Escobedo, Indiana
Cons: W, 6-2 dec. Michael Watts, Michigan
Cons Rd 2: L, 6-9 dec. Nikko Triggas, Ohio State
7th/8th: Tomorrow vs. #5 Brandon Precin, Northwestern
133 - Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff), Sr., S8, unranked
Tournament Record: 1-2 - Overall Record now: 7-14
Rd. 1: Bye
Qtr.: L, 2-10 dec. #3 Jimmy Kennedy, Illinois
Cons: W, 5-2 dec. Christopher Diehl, Michigan
Cons Rd 2: LBF #8 Zach Tanelli, Wisconsin
7th/8th: Tomorrow vs. #13 Reece Humphrey, Ohio State
141 - Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley), Fr., S5, ranked #10
Tournament Record: 1-2 - Overall Record now: 17-5
Rd. 1: WBF Matt Redmond, Purdue (2:24)
Qtr.: L, 1-2 dec. #6 Dan LeClere, Iowa
Cons: L, Inj. Def. #5 Kyle Ruschell, Wisconsin
7th/8th: Tomorrow vs. Jeff Wimberly, Michigan State
149 - Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial), So., S4, ranked #5 - NCAA QUALIFIER
Tournament Record: 1-1 - Overall Record now: 21-4
Rd. 1: Bye
Qtr.: W, 6-5 dec. vs. #6 Lance Palmer
Semi: L, 3-15 maj. dec. #1 Brent Metcalf, Iowa
Cons Rd 3: Tomorrow vs. #4 Josh Churella, Michigan
157 - Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp.), So., S2, ranked #3 - NCAA QUALIFIER
Tournament Record: 3-0 - Overall Record now: 27-1
Rd. 1: W, 4-2 dec. Jason Johnstone, Ohio State
Qtr: W, 3-2 dec. #16 Ryan Morningstar, Iowa
Semi: W, 8-5 dec. #15 Jeff Marsh, Michigan
FINALS: Tomorrow vs. #2 Mike Poeta, Illinois
165 - Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), So., S7, unranked - NCAA QUALIFIER
Tournament Record: 1-1 - Overall Record now: 14-13
Rd. 1: L, 2-3 dec. #3 Eric Tannenbaum, Michigan
Cons Rd 2: W,5-4 dec. #11 Tyler Safratowich, Minnesota
Cons Rd 3: Tomorrow vs. Roger Smith-Bergsrud, Illinois
174 - David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio/St. Paris Graham), So., S6, ranked #16 - SEASON COMPLETE
Tournament Record: 0-2 - Overall Record now: 23-10
Rd. 1: LBF Trevor Perry, Indiana (1:19)
Cons: L, 3-6 dec. #15 John Dergo, Illinois
184 - Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata), Jr., S5, ranked #14 - NCAA QUALIFIER
Tournament Record: 1-1 - Overall Record now: 18-7
Rd. 1: L, 4-5 dec. #9 Roger Kish, Minnesota
Cons Rd 2: W, 4-3 dec. A.J. Kissel, Purdue
Cons Rd 3: Tomorrow vs. #7 Philip Keddy, Iowa
197 - Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg), Sr., S2, ranked #3 - NCAA QUALIFIER
Tournament Record: 3-0 - Overall Record now: 20-1
Rd. 1: WBF John Weakley, Ohio State (4:59)
Qtr.: W, 15-6 maj. dec. Chad Beatty, Iowa
Semis: W, 6-0 dec. #11 Patrick Bond, Illinois
FINALS: Tomorrow vs. #2 Mike Tamillow, Northwestern
HWT - John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa./Pittston), Jr., S7, unranked - SEASON COMPLETE
Tournament Record: 0-2 - Overall Record now: 22-9
Rd. 1: L, 0-15 tech. fall #3 Dustin Fox, Northwestern (TF, 5:06)
Cons: L, 3-7 dec. Benjamin Berhow, Minnesota