Dec. 14, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; December 14, 2008 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 15 in the nation, crushed visiting West Virginia 27-10 today in a non-conference wrestling dual. The Mountaineers were previously undefeated and receiving votes in the national poll, but Penn State won seven of ten bouts, including the first six, and routed visitors.
With a line-up featuring five freshmen (and without two regular starters), Penn State still rolled to the lopsided win. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) got things started with a forfeit at 125 and the Lions rolled to six straight wins to lead 23-0 before WVU got on the scoreboard. Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) posted a win at 133, freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) notched a close 11-10 win at 141 and All-Americans Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) got majors at 149 and 157.
Red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 165 and got a thrilling 5-2 win for Penn State's sixth straight victory to open the dual. West Virginia got on the board at 174 where No. 14 Kurt Brenner posted a hard-fought 3-2 win over Nittany Lion freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), who was ranked No. 18. West Virginia added a win at 184 over debuting junior Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.) before Nittany Lion red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) got his first PSU dual meet win at 197, a convincing 12-3 major. West Virginia heavyweight Dustin Rogers, ranked No. 18, closed out the dual with a win over PSU freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio).
Penn State won the takedown battle 22-12 and notched a 6-1 edge in bonus points. Three of the five Penn State freshmen who started won their bouts as well (Molinaro, Bollinger and Steadman).
Penn State returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 4, when it hosts a double-dual in Rec Hall. Intra-state rivals Lehigh and Lock Haven visit Happy Valley with Penn State facing Lehigh at 1 p.m. and battling Lock Haven at 3 p.m. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package.
#15 Penn State 27, West Virginia 10
Sunday, December 14, 2008 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa.
125: Brad Pataky PSU win by forfeit 6-0
133: Tim Haas PSU dec. Tyler Oravec WVU, 10-4 9-0
141: Frank Molinaro PSU dec. Colin Johnston WVU, 11-10 12-0
149: #2 Bubba Jenkins PSU maj. dec. Mark Tsinkerdanos WVU, 20-9 16-0
157: #9 Dan Vallimont PSU maj. dec. Ryan Goodman WVU, 10-2 20-0
165: Micah Bollinger PSU dec. Christian Mory WVU, 5-2 23-0
174: #14 Kurt Brenner WVU dec. #18 Quentin Wright PSU, 3-2 23-3
184: Lance Bryson WVU maj. dec. Matt Dodds PSU, 12-4 23-7
197: Clay Steadman PSU maj. dec. Brandon Boyer WVU, 12-3 27-7
HWT: #18 Dustin Rogers WVU dec. Cameron Wade PSU, 6-3 27-10
Final Score: #15 Penn State 27, West Virginia 10
Attendance: 2,042
Records: Penn State 4-2, West Virginia 2-1
Up next: Penn State hosts Lehigh and Lock Haven in a double-dual on Jan. 4, 2009. Action begins at 1 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) started the match off in fine fashion for Penn State, receiving a forfeit at 125 as West Virginia did not weigh in a 125-pounder. Pataky then faced WVU 133-pounder Grant Lowther in an exhibition match. The Lion sophomore posted an 11-3 major despite giving up eight pounds. Pataky gets credit only for the forfeit victory and not the exhibition.
133: Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) started at 133 for Penn State and took on WVU's Tyler Oravec. Oravec got the bout's first takedown to lead 2-1 :30 into the bout. But Haas answered with his own takedown at the 1:04 mark to take a 3-2 lead. Haas then rode the Mountaineer grappler for the rest of the first period and led 3-2 (with 1:01 in riding time) heading into the second stanza. Haas chose down to start the second period and escaped at the 1:34 mark to up his lead to 4-2. Haas and Oravec then battled evenly for the remainder of the second period. Down by two, Oravec chose down to start the final period but could not break free of Haas' control until nearly a minute had passed. Haas still led 4-3 with 1:34 in riding time. Haas kept Oravec at a distance long enough to secure the riding time bonus point and then stunned Oravec with a five point move, tossing Oravec to the mat and getting a three-point near fall as well. Haas took the bonus point and posted a strong 10-4 win, giving Penn State a 9-0 lead.
141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), riding a seven match win streak, battled Mountaineer Colin Johnston at 141. Molinaro was the aggressor from the starting buzzer, forcing Johnston back on his heels and towards the edge of the mat. Molinaro notched his first takedown at the 1:26 mark, taking a 2-0 lead. The talented freshman then turned Johnston to his back for three back points and a 5-0 lead. Molinaro then rode Johnston out and held that five point lead heading into the second stanza. Johnston chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 5-1 deficit :20 into the bout. He then took Molinaro down to the Penn Staters lead to 5-3. Molinaro, looking to hold on to his riding time edge, escaped at the 1:05 mark, led 6-3 and still had 1:23 in riding time. With :30 left in the second period, Molinaro gained control of Johnston's right ankle but could not finish the takedown as action moved outside the circle. Johnston added a last second takedown right off a reset with just :01 left to cut Molinaro's lead to 6-5 heading into the final period. Molinaro chose down to start the third period, quickly escaped only to get taken down immediately by Johnston and with 1:40 left, the bout was tied 7-7. Molinaro escaped to lead 8-7 and then turned in on Johnston at the 1:03 mark and took the Mountaineer grappler to the mat, taking a 10-7 lead with just over 1:00 left. Molinaro got hit for a second stall warning on top and Johnston quickly reversed Molinaro and tied the bout at 10-10. A Molinaro escape on the edge of the mat gave the Nittany Lion an 11-10 lead with :38 left (riding time was no longer an issue). Molinaro held off Johnston's efforts in the final seconds and posted an 11-10 decision. The win put Penn State up 12-0.
149: No. 2 Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), returning national runner-up at 149, put his undefeated 10-0 record on the line against West Virginia's Mark Tsinkerdanos. Jenkins was sharp from the start, getting a quick takedown to lead 2-0 at the 2:04 mark. The Penn State All-American cut Tsinkerdanos loose and then quickly added a second takedown to lead 4-1 at the opening period's midway point. A Tsinkerdanos escape cut Jenkins' lead to 4-2, but the Lion co-captain added a third takedown and led 6-3 at the ;30 mark. Jenkins worked for a fourth takedown but Tsinkerdanos kept his distance and the Nittany Lion led 6-3 after one period. Jenkins chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-3 lead. Tsinkerdanos nearly completed a cradle, gaining control of Jenkins and getting the takedown at the 1:30 mark, cutting Jenkins' lead to 8-5 after a Jenkins escape. Jenkins used a cement mixer, turned Tsinkerdanos to his back for a five point move (getting the takedown and three near-fall points) and led 13-5 with over a minute in riding time after two periods. Tsinkerdanos chose down to start the third period. Jenkins held the Mountaineer down for nearly a minute and then cut him loose. A quick Jenkins takedown and cut gave Jenkins a 15-7 lead with :45 left. Jenkins added another takedown, cut Tsinkerdanos loose and led 17-8 with under :30 left. A seventh takedown as the bout ended gave Jenkins a convincing 20-9 major decision. Penn State led 16-0 after four bouts.
157: All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 157, took on Ryan Goodman of West Virginia. Vallimont got his first takedown at the1:56 mark and then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Goodman for 1:33 before the Mountaineer escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Leading 2-1, Vallimont chose down to start the second period. A near reversal almost gave Vallimont two points, but action moved outside the circle and the Nittany Lion led 3-1 after the escape. A solid under hook led to another takedown and this time, Vallimont nearly turned Goodman to his back for back points. But Goodman managed to keep his shoulders parallel and Vallimont led only 5-1 with :30 left. A strong Vallimont ride-out gave the Nittany Lion junior a 5-1 lead (with over 2:00 in riding time) after two periods. Goodman chose neutral to start the third period. Vallimont stepped out of an early Goodman shot to maintain his lead, securing the riding time point in the process as action moved outside the circle with 1:10 left. Vallimont then moved towards a major decision with a takedown at the 1:0 mark. Vallimont cut Goodman loose and led 7-2 with :42 left. Needing one more takedown for bonus points, Vallimont used another under hook to get the decisive takedown at the :10 mark. The final move gave Vallimont a 10-2 major and put Penn State up 20-0.
165: Nittany Lion freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 165 when he met WVU's Christian Mory. Bollinger was the aggressor early on, nearly getting a go-ahead takedown at the 2:00 mark. But a solid scramble on the edge of the mat moved out of bounds and a reset was called with 1:40 to wrestle. Bollinger turned the trick shortly after the reset, stepping behind Mory for the takedown and a 2-0 lead with 1:38 left in the period. The Nittany Lion freshman then put together a very strong ride, keeping control of Mory for the rest of the period to lead 2-0 heading into the second stanza. Mory chose top to start the second period, hoping to turn Bollinger for back points. After a battle, Bollinger worked his way to his feet and looked to send Mory to his back. But the Mountaineer countered the move and turned Bollinger to his back for two near-fall points, tying the bout at 2-2 with :56 left in the period. Mory then rode Bollinger out for the rest of the period, but Mory was hit with a second stall warning as the period ended and Bollinger led 3-2 heading into the final period. Bollinger chose neutral to start the final period. The Nittany Lion freshman shot low on Mory and forced a scramble in the middle of the mat with 1:00. But the Mountaineer managed to fight to a stalemate and a reset was called with :30 left. Bollinger countered a late Mory shot and got a clinching takedown at the :04 mark, getting a 5-2 win in his dual meet debut. The decision put Penn State up 23-0.
174: In one of the dual's most anticipated bouts, Nittany Lion freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) met West Virginia senior Kurt Brenner at 174. Wright entered the bout ranked No. 18 while Brenner was ranked No. 14. Wright used great balance early on to stave off an early Brenner shot and keep things scoreless midway through the first period. Brenner nearly scored on a second quick shot on the edge of the mat, but the move was ruled out of bounds and a reset ensued with 1:00 left. Wright was then called for fleeing the mat with :20 left and Brenner led 1-0. Down by one, Wright chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to tie the bout at 1-1. Neither wrestler could find an opening until Wright nearly tossed Brenner to his back with :12 left. Brenner countered the late move and nearly turned it into a takedown of his own, but Wright fought off the Mountaineer's efforts and kept the bout tied at 1-1. Brenner chose down to start the final period. But Wright put together a dominant ride, nearly turning Brenner for near fall points. A dangerous hold forced a reset with 1:12 left and Brenner then reversed Wright with :40 left to lead 3-1. A Wright escaped cut Brenner's lead to 3-2 with just :24 left and the Nittany Lion true freshman then pressured the ranked Mountaineer, looking to grab a win with a last second takedown. Brenner got called for one stall warning and then tied Wright up for the final seconds to post a hard-fought 3-2 win. The decision kept Penn State from continuing its shut-out, cutting the Lions lead to 23-3.
184: Penn State sent 174-pounder Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.) to the mat to take on WVU freshman Lance Bryson at 184. Dodds was making his Penn State dual meet debut. Bryson got a quick takedown just :20 into the bout to take an early 2-1 lead after a Dodds escape. Dodds then battled Bryson evenly for the rest of the first period, keeping things close and trailing only 2-1 after the first period. Bryson chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Dodds was forced into defense during the first half of the second period and was able to keep Bryson from adding to his lead. The feisty Lion junior did give up one more takedown with :20 left in the period and trailed 5-1 heading into the final period. Dodds chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-2 deficit just :10 into the session. Bryson, however, quickly answered with another takedown and led 7-2 withy 1:20 left. Dodds escaped at the :55 mark, cutting Bryson's lead to 7-3. Another Bryson takedown put the WVU freshman up 9-3 with a half a minute left to wrestle. Bryson secured the riding time bonus point and then Dodds escaped to a 9-4 deficit. Bryson needed one more takedown for a major and got it with just :06 left. The final takedown gave Bryson a 12-4 major decision and cut Penn State's lead to 23-7.
197: Nittany Lion freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) returned to action at 197 to battle West Virginia's Brandon Boyer. Steadman, looking for his first dual meet win as a Nittany Lion, got the go-ahead takedown with :35 left to lead 2-0. A strong ride-out gave the McKean native the 2-0 lead heading into the second period. Steadman chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The fourth of five Penn State freshmen starting in the dual, Steadman added to his lead, countering a Boyer shot for his own takedown and 5-0 lead with just over 1:00 left in the period. Steadman then dominated Boyer from the top, building up a sizeable riding time edge before Boyer escaped with just :18 left. Boyer shot low on Steadman's right ankle late, but Steadman forced his weight back on Boyer's head to end the period. Trailing 5-1, Boyer chose neutral to start the final period. Boyer looked to score with a double-leg, but Steadman once again countered the threat for his own takedown and a 7-1 lead with 1:15 left. A Boyer escape cut Steadman's lead to 7-2, but the Nittany Lion had secured the riding time point. Yet another counter for Steadman allowed him to step around a late Boyer shot, gain control of his ankle and get another takedown to lead 9-2. Steadman then turned Boyer to his back for two near fall points but an illegal hold stopped the move and gave Boyer a point. But Steadman rode Boyer out and, with the riding time point, go this first PSU dual meet win with a 12-3 major decision. The victory put Penn State up 27-7.
HWT: The much-anticipated heavyweight battle pitted talented Penn State freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) against West Virginia's Dustin Rogers, who entered the bout ranked No. 18. Rogers had the first real shot to score with a nice move 1:20 into the first period, but Wade managed to fight off the threat and nearly scored on his own. The talented freshmen duo battled evenly for the rest of the first period and the bout moved to the second stanza scoreless. Wade chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Looking to add to his lead, Wade began working Rogers' upper body, looking for a chance to throw the talented Mountaineer. But Rogers' defense was equal to Wade's offense and the bout stayed scoreless through five minutes of wrestling. Rogers chose down to start the final period. But Wade tied the Mountaineer up and nearly turned him to his back. But Rogers managed to fight out of trouble and was given an escape at the 1:28 mark, tying the bout at 1-1. Rogers got the bout's first takedown with :55 left, taking a 3-1 lead. But Wade quickly reversed the ranked Mountaineer to tie the bout at 3-3 with :32 left. Rogers escaped to a 4-3 lead with :20 left and then countered a frantic Wade shot as the bout ended to grab a hard-fought 6-3 win. Penn State still posted a convincing 27-10 win.