Oct. 9, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of veteran head coach Troy Sunderland, heads into the 2008-09 season riding a wave of momentum and enthusiasm that has carried over from its outstanding 2007-08 campaign. The Nittany Lions return three All-Americans and seven wrestlers who started during last year's run to a third place finish at nationals.
"This is a new season for us and with that comes new expectations," said Sunderland. "In a lot of ways, we can be better than we were last season, both as a dual meet team and as a tournament team. But having said that, we are also aware of the fact that we've lost two All-Americans and a ton of points from our finish last year. So what does that mean? Well, that means that we have guys who have been on the cusp of greatness that now must step up and improve themselves for us to meet the expectations we set for ourselves."
Penn State returns three All-Americans: Junior Bubba Jenkins, last year's National Runner-Up at 149; junior Dan Vallimont, last year's third-place finisher at 157; and senior Jake Strayer, back at 133 where he was a seventh place All-American in 2007, all return to lead a talented team into action.
Replacing departed 197-pound National Champion Phil Davis and fourth-place finisher Mark McKnight at 125 loom large for Sunderland's squad, but a strong contingent of returning veterans and an influx of new talent have Penn State primed to improve upon last year's final dual meet ranking (7th) and lofty NCAA finish (3rd).
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT
125: Mark McKnight fulfilled his promise last year with a stunning run at NCAAs, finishing fourth and earning his All-America medal. With McKnight graduated, 125 falls on the shoulders of sophomore Brad Pataky. Pataky, who red-shirted in 2007 and took an Olympic red-shirt in 2008, has had two years to refine his skills and talents since starting for Penn State during the 2005-06 campaign. Pataky went 15-8 as a true freshman that year.
Sophomore Eric Caschera went 2-13 last year, including an 0-1 mark in Big Ten duals. Sophomore Adam Smetana missed last year with an injury and returns for the 2008-09 campaign. Freshman Jack Chidester of Conestoga High School could see time for Penn State at either 125 or 133.
133: Senior Jake Strayer placed seventh at nationals as a sophomore at this weight to become an All-American. He will head into the 2008-09 season looking to return to prominence at 133 after a season at 141 pounds. Strayer went 11-5 at 141 last year and has a combined 53-14 record in two years as a starter at 133. The South Fork native will enter his final campaign with Penn State holding a 64-19 career record. Senior Tim Haas, granted a sixth year by the NCAA after missing most of two seasons with injuries, also returns after starting for the Nittany Lions all year at 133 last season. Haas went 7-15 a year ago, including a 3-5 mark in Big Ten duals. Haas heads into his final year with a 29-13 career record.
In addition to Chidester, who could wrestle at this weight, two other talented freshmen will earn their stripes at 133 pounds. Long Island native Jarret Freeman and Ridgway's Bryan Pearsall will both add their substantial talents to the Nittany Lion practice room. Sophomore Tyler Saltsman, a standout wrestler at Concord High School in New Hampshire, will also be a factor at 133 for the Nittany Lions. Junior Adam Lynch went 9-8 in unattached action last year and returns at 133.
141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro will get his chance to prove his mettle at 141 pounds this season. With Strayer moving down to 133, Molinaro has the inside track at securing the starting nod at this weight. Last season, the team's Freshman of the Year went 17-2 in unattached action as a red-shirt and won numerous open tourney titles.
Red-shirt sophomore Colby Pisani, who went 5-6 in unattached action a year ago, could wrestle here or at 149 and Haas could see time at 141 as well sophomore Mike Eagen.
149: Junior Bubba Jenkins emerged as one of the nation's elite wrestlers at 149 last season and the talented Virginia native returns to try to take the last step towards claiming a national crown. Last year, Jenkins stormed his way to the national title match and while the National Runner-Up finish earned him his first All-America honor, the feisty grappler has one more thing to prove. Jenkins posted a superb 26-6 overall record last year, including a 15-3 dual match mark and 57 dual match points. Jenkins heads into his third season at Penn State with a 49-18 career record, including a 27-10 tournament record.
Talented red-shirt freshman Tim Darling could possibly slide down to 149 but the Nazareth native is more suited for a bigger weight. Red-shirt sophomore Christian Harr joins Pisani at 149 as does talented true freshman James English.
157: Junior Dan Vallimont, like Jenkins, emerged as one of the nation's elite wrestlers. The third place finisher at 157 last season, Vallimont's first All-America run culminated in the bronze at nationals and a stellar 32-3 record. All three of Vallimont's losses were to fellow All-America Mike Poeta of Illinois. The New Jersey native, who went 9-0 in majors last year, heads into his third season at Penn State looking to finish off his quest at a national title and has a 54-15 career record with 100 career dual meet points.
Darling, who was 9-3 in unattached action as a red-shirt last year, is one reason 157 is one of Penn State's deepest weights. Micah Bollinger, another outstanding red-shirt freshman, went 14-4 last year in unattached activity and could wrestle here or at 165. Classmate Shane Everett, sophomore Matt Dodds and true freshmen Justin Aube and Nick Fischer give the Nittany Lions plenty of options.
165: Senior Mark Friend was a bright spot at Penn State last year at 174, starting early on in the season and getting the Nittany Lions off on the right track in an outstanding campaign. Friend went 14-5 overall, including a 1-1 record in duals. This year, Friend will move down to 165, a more natural weight, and will make a run at the starting spot.
True freshman Quentin Wright, fresh off winning world championships over the summer in freestyle, is a definite option for Penn State at 165 or 174. Wright, one of the top recruits in the country, is a two-time state champion from Bald Eagle Area High School and could battle Friend for the starting slot, move up to 174 or red-shirt. Sophomore Michael Lorenzo also returns at 165 after going 4-8 in 2007-08, including a 1-1 mark in duals.
Like 157, there are many Nittany Lions slotted in at 165. Aube, Bollinger, Dodds and Everett could each move up to this weight if necessary. Outstanding true freshman Nick Venditti, from Berwick, could be a factor at either 165 or 174 for the Nittany Lions and classmate Justin Ortega is a natural 165-pounder who will definitely be in the mix as well.
174: David Erwin heads into his third season at Penn State looking to earn his first trip to the NCAA Championships. The talented Ohio-native was upset early in last year's Big Ten tournament and was denied a trip to the tournament. This season, the junior will look to build upon his 13-10 mark from last year and a 46-18 career record. Senior Jack Decker will also battle for the starting spot at 174. An experienced grappler, Decker went 15-7 in 2007-08 and saw action in three duals for the Nittany Lions. Decker is 45-37 overall.
Wright is in the mix at 174 and, as stated, could battle Erwin for the starting spot here, move down to 165 to battle Friend, or red-shirt. The talented Venditti is also an option at 174 for Penn State, giving Sunderland and his staff plenty of quality options at 174.
184: Senior Phil Bomberger was, without any doubt, Penn State's most improved wrestler last year. The Port Royal native emerged as a force on the national scene, was ranked throughout the campaign and earned his first trip to the NCAA Championships. Bomberger's 19-10 overall record may not have translated into All-America honors, but the confidence and experience he gained make him a force once again this year and a legitimate contender to battle for All-America laurels in 2008-09. Bomberger heads into his final season at Penn State with a 35-10 career record.
Clay Steadman, who went 3-3 in unattached wrestling in 2007-08, and red-shirt freshman J.R. Brown, who went 2-2, will be key reserves at 184 for Penn State. There is also the potential of some of the 174-pounders making the move up to this weight if necessary.
197: Sunderland knows that you just don't replace a departed national champion and four-time All-American. But despite the graduation of Phil Davis, the Nittany Lions have some talent to lean on as Penn State transitions to the post-Phil Davis era at 197. Andrew Haile, a senior who has been away from the sport for a few years, makes his return to the Penn State roster and has looked exceptional in summer workouts. Haile was a two-time PIAA placewinner and had over 100 wins in high school.
Red-shirt sophomore Nathan Andrews will also battle for the starting spot at 197. Andrews went 2-7 in unattached action last year.
HWT: Four talented big men will once again face-off for the starting spot at heavyweight for the Nittany Lions. Senior John Laboranti and junior Stefan Tighe split time as starters in 2007-08 while junior Brendan Herlihy and red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade both had a quality season in open tournaments.
Laboranti posted a 22-9 overall record a year ago and was 8-6 in duals while Tighe was 4-4 overall and 2-3 in dual meets. Herlihy posted a solid 15-8 record overall in open tournaments. Wade was outstanding in his red-shirt season, posting a 17-10 overall record in open tournaments.
CHANGE DOESN'T CHANGE THE GOAL
Nittany Lion wrestling fans will see two new faces on the Penn State staff this season. Joining returning top assistant Matt Dernlan on Sunderland's staff will be former Nittany Lion national runner-up Aaron Anspach. Anspach makes the move from director of wrestling operations to assistant coach this season.
The new faces, while new to the blue and white, will certainly be recognizable as two of the most decorated wrestlers in recent NCAA wrestling history. Four-time All-American and two-time national champion Mark Perry joins the Nittany Lion staff as an assistant coach. The winner of the last two national crowns at 165 for Iowa, Perry will be in his first season as a collegiate coach. Lehigh's last national champion, Troy Letters, also joins the Penn State staff as the director of wrestling operations. Letters, a three-time All-American for Lehigh, won the NCAA title at 165 in 2004.
"I am excited about the shape of our staff heading into the new year," Sunderland said. "I'm at once honored and thrilled that these outstanding young men have chosen to continue their careers at Penn State and I am confident that their addition to the current staff will help us reach our ultimate goal of winning a national title."
"We came close last year," Sunderland continued. "But we still have work to do. We have the talent, we have the drive and the ability.  Now it is a question of putting in the hard work and dedication necessary to keep us among the nation's elite and build upon our third place finish from last year. There are a number of teams that can legitimately challenge for the team title this year and we are one of them. But we know that every other team out there has the same goal that we have. It will be thrilling ride for our team and our fans."