March 9, 2008
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.; March 9, 2008 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team had two men in the finals of the 2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, with a chance to become Big Ten champion. Senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) won his second crown at 197 while sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) was downed by top-seeded Mike Poeta of Illinois in his title tilt.
Before Vallimont and Davis had their shots at titles at 157 and 197, six other Nittany Lions continued on in consolations, with three facing must win bouts to clinch a trip to St. Louis. Senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) at 125, senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) at 133 and freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) at 141 each wrestled one time today, in the seventh place bout where a win meant everything.
McKnight dropped a hard-fought 7-1 decision to No. 5 Brandon Precin of Northwestern. Placing eighth, the three-time national qualifier was left at the mercy of a potential wildcard. Already a three-time qualifier who was ranked in the top ten all-season with eight career NCAA wins, McKnight was awarded one of the conference's two wildcards and will head to St. Louis for nationals. Haas lost a 14-4 major to No. 13 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State and saw his season come to an end with the eighth-place finish. Scott, battling an injured knee, was not to be denied a trip to nationals as he pinned Michigan State's Jeff Wimberly at the 1:56 mark of the first period. His seventh place finish makes him Penn State's sixth national qualifier.
Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) at 149, sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) at 165 and junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), all of whom had already qualified for nationals, had consolation bouts early in the day and were looking to finish as high as third. Rella also went 1-1 in consolations, downing Illinois' Roger Smith-Bergsrud to earn a shot at third place. A 2-1 loss to Purdue's Luke Manuel gave Rella a fourth place finish in addition to his first-ever trip to nationals. Jenkins went 1-1 in consolations, downing No. 6 Lance Palmer to take fifth place. Bomberger went 1-1 in consolations and ended the tournament 2-2. The fifth-seed, the Nittany Lion junior placed fifth as well and will head to NCAAs for the first time in his career.
In the finals for Penn State, sophomore Vallimont, ranked No. 3 at 157, took on No. 3 Mike Poeta of Illinois. Poeta defeated Vallimont earlier in the year in Champaign. Vallimont countered an early Poeta shot and completed a quick single leg at the 2:02 mark, but the scrambling action moved off the mat and the score remained tied 0-0. Another shot/counter shot led to a stalemate at the :50 mark as the first two scoring chances in the bout ended with no points. Poeta chose bottom to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. The returning All-American then got in deep on Vallimont's left leg and forced a scramble on the edge of the mat. But Vallimont was able to work free and action moved out of bounds with 1:20 left in the second period. A scramble on the edge of the mat led to Poeta's first takedown and a 3-0 lead with :30 left. The Illini then rode Vallimont out to carry the 3-0 lead into the third period. Down by three, Vallimont chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 deficit. Each Vallimont shot was blocked by Poeta and the Nittany Lion could not break through for a takedown. Poeta then iced the match with a single leg at the :58 mark to take a 5-1 lead. A Vallimont escape cut Poeta's lead to 5-2. He had his last shot countered by the top-seeded Illini and fell behind 7-2 with :30 left to wrestle. A Poeta ride-out gave the Illini an 8-2 win (with riding time) and the Big Ten title. Vallimont, the 2008 Big Ten Runner-Up, 3-1 in his run and heads to nationals with a 27-2 record (both losses are to Poeta).
Three-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 197, met No. 2 Mike Tamillow of Northwestern. Davis downed Tamillow in an exhibition match at the NWCA All-Star Classic while Tamillow returned the favor, beating Davis in the dual in Evanston. Tamillow gained control of Davis' left leg right out of the gates, bringing it up to his hip. But Davis steadily hopped out of trouble and action continued in the center circle with just a minute gone. Davis shot consistently at Tamillow, but the Wildcats' defense kept Davis from getting inside and capitalizing on any scoring chances. Davis' multiple shots could not break the scoreboard and the first period ended in a scoreless tie. Davis chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead at the 1:42 mark. The three-time All-American then continued to force the offense, with Tamillow finally getting a first stall warning. Davis then wrapped his arms around Tamillow's chest and tossed him to the mat for a takedown with :59 left in the period. The Wildcat escaped shortly thereafter to cut Davis' lead to 3-1. After a reset, Tamillow once again gained control of Davis' left leg. This time, the Nittany Lion captain was able to force Tamillow's head into the mat, letting the second period end.
Down 3-1, Tamillow chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 deficit. Davis continued to force the offensive pace, keeping Tamillow on his heels and not giving the Wildcat All-American any openings to counter But with :22 left, the Wildcat once again grabbed Davis' leg and worked for a takedown in front of the Wildcat bench. But Davis was able to once again force the Wildcats' head down and reset was called with just :11 left. Davis then avoided Tamillow's last chance shot and won his second Big Ten title with a 3-2 decision. Davis, now a two-time Big Ten Champion, heads to his fourth NCAA Championships with a 21-1 record. He went 4-0 in his final Big Ten tournament and leaves Penn State with a 13-4 career record at the event. Davis heads to the NCAA Championships with a chance to become only the fourth four-time All-American in Nittany Lion history and a 111-20 career record. By virtue of his victory, Davis also earned one of ten spots on the 2008 Big Ten All-Tournament Team and became a first team All-Big Ten winner.
Penn State was in a bundle of seven teams in the middle of the standings, all within 18 points of each other. The Nittany Lions placed seventh with 84.5 while Iowa claimed the team crown with 127.0. The Nittany Lions went 5-6 today and, added to Saturday's 12-13 mark, went 17-19 during the two-day tournament.
The seven Penn State qualifiers will, as stated, take part in the 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 20-22. The three day event will take place in St. Louis, Mo., in the Scottrade Center.
BOUT-BY-BOUT (Vallimont and Davis Finals recap listed in above story):
Needing a win in his seventh place bout at 125 to earn his fourth trip to nationals, senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) took on No. 5 Brandon Precin of Northwestern. The Nittany Lion entered the tournament ranked No. 9. Precin got the first takedown, sending McKnight to the mat just :20 into the bout to lead 2-0 early. Precin then turned McKnight, sending him to his back at the 1:40 mark and nearly pinning the senior. McKnight fought hard and managed to avoid the pin but found himself down 5-0 at the :50 mark. Precin went on to ride McKnight out and led 5-1 after the first period (Precin gave up a point on an illegal hold during his ride-out). Precin chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 6-1 lead. McKnight could not break through Precin's defense and coasted to a 7-1 win. McKnight, barring a wildcard, saw his season end with the loss. McKnight went 1-3 in the tournament to place eighth as the sixth seed and posted a 13-9 record in his final season with Penn State.
Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.), like McKnight, was facing the season's end in his seventh place bout at 133 with No. 13 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State. The duo battled each other evenly for two minutes, but Humphrey got on the board with a solid double-leg takedown at the 1:14 mark to lead 2-0. Haas escaped, but Humphrey quickly added another takedown and this time, turned the Nittany Lion senior to his back for three near fall points. The five point move gave Humphrey a 7-1 lead with :05 left in the first period. Haas, down 7-1, chose down to start the second period and escaped at the 1:20 mark to a 7-2 deficit. Humphrey added another takedown at the :50 mark to up his lead to 9-3 after a Haas escape. Humphrey chose neutral to start the third period. The Buckeye continued to dominate the bout and went on to post a 14-4 major decision. The loss ended Haas' tournament run with a 1-3 record and an eighth place finish. He ends the season with a 7-15 record.
True freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.), who was two seconds from a semifinal appearance and a guaranteed trip to NCAAs and then suffered a knee injury and defaulted in consolations last night, took the mat at in a seventh place bout at 141. Wearing a wrap on his knee, Scott, ranked No. 10 in the country, faced Michigan State's Jeff Wimberly, looking to somehow find a way to St. Louis. Scott got his first takedown at the 1:53 mark, taking an early 2-0 lead. He then turned Wimberly to his back, nearly pinning the Spartan wrestler and getting a three-point near fall. Not to be denied, the Nittany Lion freshman turned Wimberly once again and pinned the Spartan at the 1:56 mark. The fall pushes Scott on to the NCAA Championships as a true freshman. He went 2-2 with two pins to place seventh at Big Tens and heads to St. Louis with an 18-5 record.
Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 5 at 149, met No. 4 Josh Churella of Michigan in the consolations. Jenkins, already ticketed for nationals, was looking to finish as high as third place in his weight class. Jenkins wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard, taking Churella down and leading 2-1 just :20 into the bout. Churella gained control of Jenkins' leg at the 1:15 mark and after a :45 struggle, got the takedown. Jenkins quickly escaped to tie it at 3-3 but Churella continued to pressure the Lion sophomore, wrapping him in a cradle and getting a two-point takedown and three back points to lead 8-3 after one period. Churella chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 9-3 lead. Jenkins immediately got in on the Wolverine's left ankle. But Churella was able to scramble to the edge of the mat and force a stalemate. Churella then added to his lead with a solid throw at the :55 mark, taking Jenkins to the mat and upping his lead to 11-4 after a Jenkins escape. The returning All-American from Michigan added another takedown to lead 13-4 after the period ended. Jenkins chose down to start the final stanza and escaped to cut Chorale's lead to 13-5. Churella, however, continued to pour on the offense, adding another takedown at the 1:20 mark to lead 15-5. Churella rode Jenkins out and, with a riding time point, posted a solid 16-5 win over Jenkins. Jenkins dropped down to the fifth place match against Ohio State's Lance Palmer.
In the fifth place bout against Palmer, Palmer came out early and pressured Jenkins, forcing the Nittany Lion to the outside circle. But after a reset with 2:00, Jenkins got in deep on Palmer's left ankle and began working for a go ahead takedown. After a brief scramble, Jenkins got the two points with 1:30 left, but gave up a point for locking his hands. Palmer then escaped to knot the score at 2-2 with just over a minute left in the period. That score held for the final minute of the opening period. Tied 2-2 after one period, Jenkins chose down to start the second stanza. Jenkins scrambled around underneath Palmer and after a protracted struggle, gained control of the Buckeye's ankle, pulled him back onto the mat and got a reversal to take a 4-2 lead with a minute left. Palmer re-aggravated an injury during the scramble and, with Nationals just two weeks away, opted to take an injury default. The win gave Jenkins a fifth place finish and ends his tournament run 2-2. He heads to the NCAA Tournament with a 22-5 record.
Sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), already headed to St. Louis, took on Roger Smith-Bergsrud in the consolation semifinals, looking to finish as high as third at 165. Rella nearly got the first takedown, countering a slight Bergsrud shot and nearly locking him in a standing cradle. The Lion sophomore then tried to keep the Illini grappler from fleeing the mat, but Bergsrud was able to work his way off the mat and force a reset with :40 left. Tied 0-0 after the opening stanza, Rella chose down to start the second period. He escaped just :08 in and began pressuring Bergsrud, looking for a chance to score. Bergsrud was able to keep Rella at arm's length for the entire period, keeping the bout close heading into the final period. Down by one, Bergsrud chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Rella then shot low on the Illini grappler, gained control of his ankle and nearly got another takedown. But Bergsrud was able to force yet another stalemate, sending action to the center circle at the 1:35 mark. Rella countered another Bergsrud shot and once again gained control of the Illini's left leg. But Bergsrud rolled through Rella's move and forced another reset with just :32 left. Rella continued to shoot and Bergsrud also took one late shot, but neither wrestler scored and the bout went to a sudden victory period. No one scored in the first sudden victory period, sending action to two :30 tie-breaker sessions. Bergsrud chose down for his session and escaped :05 in, taking a 2-1 lead. Rella then chose down for his period but could not break free of Bergsrud's ride until just :04 remained. Facing a loss, Rella worked his way out and around Bergsrud to stun the Illini grappler with a reversal at the :02 mark. The two point move pushed Rella into the third place bout against Luke Manuel of Purdue
In the third place match-up at 165, Rella and Manuel battled evenly through the first period, with neither man finding an opening or having a real solid chance to score. Tied 0-0, Rella chose down to start the second period but could not break free of Manuel's until the 1:27 mark. Rella took a 1-0 lead with the escape. Down by one, Manuel chose down to start the third period, needing to escape quickly to maintain his riding time edge. The Boilermaker grappler did just that, breaking free just nine seconds in to tie the bout at 1-1 and maintain a 1:15 time advantage. Rella could not break through Manuel's defensive style and dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision. Still, Rella entered the tournament as the seventh-seed and placed fourth, earning a trip to nationals with a 2-2 record. He heads to the NCAA Championships for the first time in his career with a 15-14 record.
Junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), like Rella headed for St. Louis, took to the mat at 184 against No. 7 Phil Keddy of Iowa in the consolation semifinals, also hoping to place as high as third. Keddy nearly got the bout's first takedown of the bout, but Bomberger managed to work his way off the mat. Then, with 1:30 left in the bout, Bomberger turned Keddy onto his shoulders, getting a takedown and nearly pinning the Hawkeye grappler. But no back points were even awarded and Keddy then reversed Bomberger to tie the bout up with 1:15 left. Keddy then worked Bomberger over to his shoulders and got the win by pinning the Nittany Lion at the 2:09 mark. The loss sent Bomberger to the fifth place bout where he No. 9 Roger Kish of Minnesota.
Kish, however, medical forfeited out of the tournament, giving Bomberger the win and a fifth place finish in the 2008 Big Ten Championships. Entering the tournament as the No. 5 seed, Bomberger wrestled to his seed by going 2-2.
2008 Big Ten Championships
Team Standings - FINAL
1: Iowa, 127.0
2: Minnesota, 112.5
3: Michigan, 97.5
4: Illinois, 94.0
5: Ohio State, 92.5
6: Wisconsin, 85.5
7: Penn State, 84.5
T8: Indiana, 80.0
T8: Northwestern, 80.0
10: Purdue, 51.5
11: Michigan State, 34.0
Penn State's record overall: 17-19
Penn State Agate
125 -- Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette), Sr., S6, ranked #9 - NCAA QUALIFIER - 8TH PLACE - WILD CARD
Tournament Record: 1-3 - Overall Record now: 13-9
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: L, 1-7 dec. #5 Brandon Precin, Northwestern
133 - Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff), Sr., S8, unranked - SEASON COMPLETE, 8TH PLACE
Tournament Record: 1-3 - Overall Record now: 7-15
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: L, 4-14 maj. dec. #13 Reece Humphrey, Ohio State
141 - Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley), Fr., S5, ranked #10 - NCAA QUALIFIER - 7TH PLACE
Tournament Record: 2-2 - Overall Record now: 18-5
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: WBF Jeff Wimberly, Michigan State (1:56)
149 - Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial), So., S4, ranked #5 - NCAA QUALIFIER - 5TH PLACE
Tournament Record: 2-2 - Overall Record now: 22-5
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: L, 5-16 maj. dec. #4 Josh Churella, Michigan
5th/6th vs. W, inj. def. #6 Lance Palmer, Ohio State (Jenkins winning 4-2 at time)
157 - Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp.), So., S2, ranked #3 - NCAA QUALIFIER - 2008 BIG TEN RUNNER-UP
Tournament Record: 3-1 - Overall Record now: 27-2
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: L, 2-8 dec. #2 Mike Poeta, Illinois
165 - Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), So., S7, unranked - NCAA QUALIFIER - 4TH PLACE
Tournament Record: 2-2 - Overall Record now: 15-14
Rd. 1: L, 2-3 dec. #3 Eric Tannenbaum, Michigan
Cons Rd 2: W,5-4 dec. #11 Tyler Safratowich, Minnesota
Cons Rd 3: W, 3-2 (tb) dec. vs. Roger Smith-Bergsrud, Illinois
3rd/4th: vs. L, 1-2 dec. Luke Manuel, Purdue
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 - 5TH PLACE
Tournament Record: 2-2 - Overall Record now: 19-8
Rd. 1: L, 4-5 dec. #9 Roger Kish, Minnesota
Cons Rd 2: W, 4-3 dec. A.J. Kissel, Purdue
Cons Rd 3: LBF #7 Philip Keddy, Iowa (2:09)
5th/6th: W, med. forf. #9 Roger Kish, Minnesota
197 - Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg), Sr., S2, ranked #3 - NCAA QUALIFIER - 2008 BIG TEN CHAMPION
Tournament Record: 4-0 - Overall Record now: 21-1
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: W, 3-2 dec.. #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