Jan. 28, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -
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TODAY'S ACTION
Fresh off two Big Ten road ties against ranked teams, the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will put its No. 16 national ranking to the test this weekend when it hosts two Big Ten rivals in Rec Hall. No. 10 Minnesota comes to town on Friday, Jan. 30, for a 7p.m. dual and No. 17 Wisconsin visits Rec Hall on Sunday, Feb. 1, at 1 p.m.
Penn State went west this past weekend to open up Big Ten action, short-handed to begin and even more short-handed after the trip ended. Still, without what amounted to four starters in one dual and five in the other, the Nittany Lions managed two ties against two ranked conference foes on the road. Penn State tied No. 21 Indiana (17-17) and No. 25 Purdue (19-19) less than 24 hours apart. Penn State's top performances of the weekend came from sophomore Brad Pataky, who downed the defending national champion at 125 and improved to 21-5 with a win at Purdue, and senior Jack Decker, who got a technical fall against Indiana at 184 and nearly downed the 14th-ranked wrestler the next day at Purdue (falling 2-1).
The Nittany Lions will be led by All-American Bubba Jenkins, who sports a perfect 19-0 record and a No. 2 ranking at 149. All-American Dan Vallimont is ranked No. 8 at 157 and has since moved up to 165 while All-American Jake Strayer is ranked No. 11 at 133. True freshman Quentin Wright carries a No. 16 mark at 174 while Pataky has only inched up to No. 17 at 125, despite his torrid recent run and win over the defending national champion.
Minnesota will carry an 11-4 overall record and a 1-0 conference mark into its meeting with Penn State on Friday night. The Gophers are led by three superb lighter weights. Freshman Zach Sanders is 27-1 and ranked No. 5 at 125, junior Jayson Ness is 24-3 and ranked No. 5 at 133 and sophomore Mike Thorn is 22-9 and ranked No. 8 at 141. Tyler Safratowich (157), Scott Glasser (165) and Ben Berhow (HWT) have been ranked during the season as well.
Wisconsin comes in 6-5 overall and 0-2 in the loop and will wrestle at Michigan State on Friday night. The Badgers have five ranked wrestlers, including senior Zach Tanelli, who is No. 1 at 141. Junior Kyle Ruschell is No. 5 at 149 while senior Dallas Herbst is No. 3 at 197. Kyle Massey carries a No. 10 mark at HWT and freshman Andrew Howe is now ranked No. 10 at 165.
Top match-ups in the PSU/UM dual include Pataky and Sanders at 125, Strayer and Ness at 133 and Thorn and Nittany Lion freshman Frank Molinaro at 141. The Jenkins/Ruschell match-up looms as the marquee bout in Penn State's dual with Wisconsin, which will also feature interesting match-ups at 165 (Vallimont and Howe) and 141 (top-ranked Tanelli and Molinaro).
Penn State returns to action next weekend in Rec Hall when No. 5 Ohio State comes to town for a 7 p.m. dual on Feb. 6. No.1 Iowa then comes to town for a 2 p.m. tilt on Sunday, Feb. 8. Single-dual tickets are $5 for adults and seniors and $3 for students 18 and under. Penn State students with a proper student ID are admitted to wrestling events for free! Season tickets are $28 for adults and seniors, youth 18 and under season tickets are $21. Fans can call 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 to order tickets. All home duals will be streamed live at gopsusports.com and over the air on WRSC  AM and WHUN AM.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS - as of 1/28/09 **SUBJECT TO CHANGE **
#16 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (7-6-2, 0-0-2 Big Ten)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2008-09 Record
125 #17 Brad Pataky So. Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield 21-5
133 #11 Jake Strayer Sr. South Fork, Pa./Forest Hills 12-3
Tim Haas Sr. Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff 4-3
141 Frank Molinaro (#20 by WIN) Fr. Barnegat, N.J./Souther Regional 17-7
149 #2 Bubba Jenkins Jr. Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial 19-0
Colby Pisani Fr. Ridgway, Pa./Ridgway 0-3
157 Shane Everett Fr. Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley 7-8
165 #8 (at 157) Dan Vallimont Jr. Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp. 14-5
Mark Friend Sr. Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville 3-10
174 #16 Quentin Wright Fr. Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area 21-7
184 Jack Decker Sr. Roseland, N.J./Seton Hall Prep 7-7
Phil Bomberger Sr. Port Royal, Pa./Juniata 6-6
197 J.R. Brown Fr. Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte 3-10
HWT Cameron Wade Fr. Twinsburg, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel 11-10
Stefan Tighe Jr. Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep 1-1
#10 MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (11-4, 1-0 Big Ten)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2008-09 Record
125 #5 Zach Sanders Fr. Wabasha, Minn./Wabasha-Kellogg 27-1
133 #5 Jayson Ness Jr. Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy 24-3
141 #8 Mike Thorn So. St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville 22-9
149 Joe Grygelko Fr. Greenfield, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville 6-11
157 Tyler Safratowich Sr. Park Rapids, Minn./Park Rapids 20-9
165 Scott Glasser So. Bismarck, N.D./Bismarck 17-9
174 Matt Everson Jr. Mitchell, S.D./Mitchell 6-4
184 Brent Eidenschink Jr. Detroit Lakes, Minn./Detroit Lakes 6-8
OR Sonny Yohn Fr. Alamosa, Colo./Alamosa 7-6
197 Gordon Bierschenk Jr. Waynesville, Mo./Waynesville 9-9
HWT Ben Berhow So. Hayward, Minn./Albert Lea 17-6
#17 WISCONSIN BADGERS (6-5, 0-2 Big Ten)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2008-09 Record
125 Drew Hammen Jr. Random Lake, Wis./Random Lake 4-12
133 Tom Kelliher Fr. Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley 0-8
OR Kyle Reeve Jr. Mazomanie, Wis./Wisconsin Heights 0-2
141 #1 Zach Tanelli Sr. Short Hills, N.J./Millburn 18-3
149 #5 Kyle Ruschell Jr. Crittenden, Ky./Ryle 18-5
157 Ben Jordan Fr. Urbana, Ohio/Graham 6-9
165 #10 Andrew Howe Fr. Cedar Lake, Ind./Hanover Central 16-4
174 Travis Rutt Fr. New Prague, Minn./New Prague 8-8
184 Eric Bugenhagen So. Franklin, Wis./Franklin 5-11
197 #3 Dallas Herbst Sr. Winneconne, Wis./Winneconne 14-2
HWT #9 Kyle Massey Sr. Champlin, Minn.Centennial 16-6
All rankings listed are USA Today/NWCA as of 1/27/09
TICKETS TO 2009 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS HOSTED BY PENN STATE NOW ON SALE Penn State University will be the host of the 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships this March and tickets for the two day event are now on sale. The Championships take place on Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8. Action begins on Saturday with two sessions, one at 11 a.m. and a second at 6 p.m. Sunday's session, which features the placing bouts and championships, begins at 12 p.m. Full tournament (all session) packages are $30 for adults and $15 for students/youth. Fans can purchase tickets from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each weekday beginning Monday, Jan. 19, either by phone (814-865-5555) or at the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office. The Big Ten Wrestling Championships will feature the nation's best wrestling conference as it looks to crown its 2009 champions and cement its qualifiers to the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis later in March. Nine of the conference's 11 teams are ranked in the top 25 with a tenth receiving votes. The Big Ten finished one-two-three at NCAAs last year, with Iowa taking the crown, Ohio State finishing second just ahead of head coach Troy Sunderland's Nittany Lions, who took third.
BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDIA CREDENTIALS AVAILABLE Credentials for the 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships can now be applied for by following one of two simple steps: For national and Penn State-centric media, send your request via email to Patrick Donghia, Asst. Dir. Athletic Communications at Penn State (pad11@psu.edu). For media covering the rest of the conference's teams, submit your request to that school's wrestling SID. Each institution will be submitting a master list soon. For all requests, please list name, affiliation and type of credential needed.
SHORT-HANDED NITTANY LIONS OPEN UP BIG TEN ACTION WITH TWO TIES ON THE ROAD The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team continued to battle on despite being hit with injury after injury and came away with two ties to open up the Big Ten dual meet portion of its schedule. The Nittany Lions tied No. 21 Indiana 17-17 on 1/23 and then tied No. 25 Purdue 19-19 less than 24 hours later. The draws were the first in head coach Troy Sunderland's head coaching career and marked the first time in Penn State's long history that the team notched two ties in a row. Penn State's last draw was an 18-18 tie against Iowa on Dec. 4, 1992. That tie was the only blemish on Penn State's 22-0-1 record during that campaign.
JENKINS LISTED AS DAY-TO-DAY; STEADMAN OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND Nittany Lion All-American Bubba Jenkins is listed as day-to-day heading into this weekend's home duals against Minnesota and Wisconsin. Jenkins, ranked No. 2 at 149 and 19-0 on the year, was injured early in the first period of his dual match win at Indiana on Jan. 23. The defending national runner-up gamely continued on for nearly the entire bout and posted the victory to remain undefeated, but he did not compete the next day at Purdue. Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman, who stepped in to start at 197 after Penn State's first dual of the season due to another injury to starter Andrew Haile, will mis this weekend's duals against Minnesota and Wisconsin after suffering a concussion in Penn State's dual at Indiana on Jan. 23. Steadman should return for the Ohio State and Iowa duals. Classmate J.R. Brown, who wrestled against Purdue on Jan. 24, will step in to the 197-spot once again.
VALLIMONT MOVES TO 165; DOWNS #9 MANUEL OF PURDUE Penn State All-American Dan Vallimont, who placed third at 157 last year as a sophomore, has made the move up to 165. Vallimont began action at his new weight class with mixed results last weekend on the road. The Penn State co-captain was upset at 165 on Friday night but then rebounded in fine fashion with a solid 6-4 win over No. 9 Luke Manuel of Purdue. Vallimont notched two third period takedowns to secure the victory, his first of the year over a ranked 165-pounder.
PATAKY STILL SIZZLING AT 125, DOWNS DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPION ESCOBEDO Sophomore Brad Pataky continued his torrid streak at 125, defeating defending National Champion Angel Escobedo on his own mat. Pataky downed No. 4 Escobedo 4-3 on Jan. 23. He followed up that superb showing with a major decision over Purdue's Akif Eren to improve to 21-5 on the year and has won 18 of his last 20 bouts.
DECKER DOMINATES WITH TECH. FALL AGAINST INDIANA; NEARLY UPSETS #14 KISSEL OF PURDUE Senior Jack Decker continued to shine at 184 for Penn State in the Nittany Lions' Big Ten opening road swing. Decker was unstoppable on top in his 15-0 technical fall over Indiana's Eric Cameron on Jan. 23. He then took No. 14 A.J. Kissel of Purdue to the wire before dropping a heart-breaking 2-1 decision to the ranked Boilermaker.
JENKINS, PATAKY AND WRIGHT SHINE AT NATIONAL DUALS AS NITTANY LIONS PLACE EIGHTH A junior, a sophomore and a freshmen stood out for Penn State as the unseeded Nittany Lions went 2-3 and earned an eighth place finish at the 2009 National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Jan. 10-11. Jenkins entered the tournament undefeated and continued that unbeaten run with five wins, leaving the tournament 18-0. Jenkins began the tournament with a pin, a major and a technical fall before closing out his run with two decisions (including a win over No. 18 Jason Chamberlain of Boise State). Pataky went 4-1 with two pins and wins over two ranked wrestlers. Pataky's first against Nebraska came in just 0:12 while his second was over No. 18 Brian Owens of Boise State. He also downed No. 11 Mike Watts of Michigan. Wright went 4-1, with his only loss being a hard-fought 3-1 decision to No. 2 Brandon Brown of Nebraska. Wright moved up to 184 against Michigan and notched a 7-6 decision over No. 11 Anthony Biondo. He also picked up a pin in the tournament. As a team, Penn State opened with a 20-19 win over then No. 5 Missouri, lost a final bout showdown against No. 4 Nebraska (falling 20-16), beat No. 17 Michigan (21-18) and dropped another final bout clash with No. 11 Minnesota, 21-18. Penn State was beaten by No. 16 Boise State, 22-15, in the seventh place match-up. In all, Penn State 24-26 .
VALLIMONT DOWNS #7 CHANDLER TO LEAD LIONS TO WIN OVER #5 MISSOURI Junior All-American Dan Vallimont posted a 3-1 (sv) win over No. 7 Michael Chandler of Missouri to spark the Nittany Lions to a 20-19 win in the first round of the National Duals on 1/10. Vallimont's victory was helped by wins from Brad Pataky at 125, Jake Strayer at 133, Bubba Jenkins at 149 and Quentin Wright up at 184.
PATAKY AND WRIGHT PICK UP WINS OVER RANKED FOES IN VICTORY OVER #17 MICHIGAN AT NATIONAL DUALS Sophomore Brad Pataky posted a 7-5 win over No. 11 Mike Watts and true freshman Quentin Wright moved up a weight to 184 and downed No. 11 Anthony Biondo of Michigan in the Nittany Lions' 21-18 victory over No. 17 Michigan in the National Duals on 1/10. Junior heavyweight Stefan Tighe capped off the win with a 2-1 victory at HWT to secure the win while All-Americans Jake Strayer, Bubba Jenkins and Dan Vallimont added wins to help the cause.
FRIEND DOWNS #18 GLASSER OF MINNESOTA Senior 165-pounder Mark Friend posted a hard-fought 4-3 win over No. 18 Scott Glasser of Minnesota in the Nittany Lions heart-breaking 21-18 loss to the 11th-ranked Gophers at the National Duals on 1/10. The win was Friend's first of the year over a ranked opponent.
DARLING TAKES THIRD AT KENT STATE OPEN Red-shirt freshman Tim Darling went 5-1 with a pin and two technical falls to take third at the Kent State Open on Jan. 18. Darling advanced to the semifinals before losing and then went 2-0 in wrestle-backs to take third place. Red-shirt freshman J.R. Brown went 1-3 at 197 and took sixth place as well.
WRIGHT DOWNS #14 CARUSO OF LEHIGH True freshman Quentin Wright, ranked No. 15 at the time, used a swift double-leg takedown in the opening seconds of sudden victory to post a 7-5 win over then No. 14 Alex Caruso of Lehigh on 1/4. The win was Wright's second over a top 15 ranked wrestler in his fifth bout against one of the nation's top opponents.
JENKINS AND STRAYER DOWN RANKED LEHIGH FOES All-Americans Bubba Jenkins and Jake Strayer each dominated their ranked Lehigh opponents in Penn State's bout with the Mountain Hawks on 1/4. Jenkins dominated No. 11 Trevor Chinn on his way to a commanding 7-2 win at 149 while Strayer gave No. 20 Matt Fisk little breathing room in a textbook 6-1 win at 133.
JENKINS' PIN OF FITTERY HIGHLIGHTS ROUT OF LOCK HAVEN No. 2 Bubba Jenkins was handling talented Lock Haven 149-pounder Matt Fittery in the second period, leading on the scoreboard with just :10 left in the middle stanza, when the Penn State All-American caught Fittery (who was 19-2 at the time) in a cement mixer and quickly tossed him to the mat for a pin at the 4:56 mark. The victory helped Penn State hand Lock Haven a 36-3 defeat, winning nine of ten bouts on 1/4.
DECKER AND BOLLINGER GET DUAL MEET WINS VS. LHU A senior and a freshman came through with solid dual meet wins in Penn State's 36-3 victory over Lock Haven on 1/4. Senior Jack Decker downed Lock Haven's Tom Kocher 10-4 at 184 for his first dual meet win since the 2004-05 season (when Decker stepped in at 149 due to an injury to starter James Woodall). Decker is now 5-3 on the year with a 1-1 dual meet mark. Red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger, who made his dual meet debut against West Virginia on 12/14, won his second straight dual match bout with a 10-4 win over LHU's Aaron Ernest. Bollinger is now 10-4 on the year with a 2-0 dual meet record at 165.
BOMBERGER CLAIMS WILKES TITLE Nittany Lion senior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) went a perfect 5-0 with three majors to claim the 2008 Wilkes Open title at 184 pounds. The returning national qualifier was one of three Penn State starters to place at the event. Bomberger posted a perfect mark and notched three majors on his way to the Wilkes crown. Joining Bomberger with top four finishes was red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), who went 3-1 at HWT to take second place and true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), who posted a stellar 7-1 mark to take third place. Wade had a pin and a technical fall on his way to the finals, where he dropped a close 2-1 decision. Wright, ranked No. 15 at 174 nationally, suffered an upset loss in the second round bout true to form, did not quit, reeling off six straight wins in consolations to take third place. After the upset loss, Wright was untouchable an ended the tournament with two pins, two majors and a technical fall. Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) was Penn State's fourth starter wrestling attached at the event, going 2-2 with a pin at 197.
FRESHMEN LEAD NITTANY LIONS TO WIN OVER WVU The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team started five freshmen in its dual meet against West Virginia on 12/14 and three of them came away with wins to help spur the Nittany Lions on to a 27-10 victory over the visiting Mountaineers. Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro won a decision at 141, red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger posted a 5-2 decision at 165 and red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman got a 12-3 major at 197. True-freshman Quentin Wright lost a close 3-2 decision to No. 14 Kurt Brenner at 174 and red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade lost a close 6-3 decision at HWT.
BOLLINGER AND STEADMAN GET FIRST DUAL MEET WINS Red-shirt freshmen Micah Bollinger and Clay Steadman each got their first Penn State dual meet wins in the Nittany Lions' 27-10 victory over West Virginia on 12/14. Bollinger, making his Penn State dual debut at 165, posted a 5-2 decision over Christian Mory and Steadman notched a 12-3 major at 197 over Brandon Boyer.
FIVE LIONS GO UNDEFEATED TO CLAIM NITTANY LION OPEN TITLES; FOUR OTHERS PLACE Five Penn State grapplers went undefeated to earn titles at the 2008 Nittany Lion Open on 12/7. Penn State swept crowns from 133 through 157 and grabbed the HWT gold as well. Senior Jake Strayer posted a perfect 6-0 mark (one against a non-collegiate foe) to win the title at 133 with three majors and three pins. Freshman Frank Molinaro went 5-0 (one against a non-collegiate foe) to win the the crown at 141 with three pins and a major. Bubba Jenkins went 5-0 with four majors (including one over #7 Bryce Saddoris of Navy in the finals) and a tech fall to win at 149. Dan Vallimont went 5-0 with a pin, two majors and a tech fall to win at 157. Senior John Laboranti, wrestling unattached at HWT, went 5-0 to win the HWT crown (with a 5-2 decision over #11 Rashard Goff of Cleveland State in the finals). Vallimont, Jenkins and Laboranti each repeated as NLO champs from last year while Strayer and Molinaro claimed their first NLO titles. True freshman Quentin Wright also had an outstanding day and advanced to the finals at 174. Wright went 4-1, with his finals loss coming to two-time ACC Champion Mike Letts of Maryland (who is red-shirting this year). Sophomore Brad Pataky went 6-1 to take fifth at 125, junior Adam Lynch went 5-2 to place sixth at 133 and Tim Darling went 5-1 to take fifth at 165.
LIONS 3-0 AT SPRAWL AND BRAWLS; ONLY PERFECT TEAM The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team posted a superb 3-0 mark at the 2008 Sprawl and Brawl Duals, hosted by Binghamton University on Sunday, Nov. 23. In a field featuring No. 13 Boise State, No. 15 Edinboro, No. 24 Virginia and eastern rival West Virginia, the Nittany Lions were the only squad to post a perfect 3-0 mark. Penn State opened with a 19-14 win over No. 24 Virginia, then downed No. 15 Edinboro 24-16 and closed with a 36-8 pounding of host Binghamton.
JENKINS PINS #17 GILLESPIE OF EDINBORO; GOES 4-0 IN NEW YORK SWING Junior All-American Bubba Jenkins posted a perfect 4-0 mark during Penn State's swing through New York on the weekend of Nov. 21-23. The No. 2 ranked 149-pounder in the nation, Jenkins opened with a 16-7 major of Cornell's Grant Daffin on Friday, Nov. 21. He followed that up with three outstanding performances in Penn State's three wins at the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Nov. 23. Jenkins majored talented Virginia Cavalier Kellon Balum 12-4 and then pinned Edinboro's Torsten Gillespie in just 1:20. Gillespie was ranked No. 17 at the time. The Nittany Lion co-captain then beat Binghamton's Matt Kaylor 10-3. In all, Jenkins notched a pin and two majors during the weekend trip, outscored the three opponents he did not pin 38-14 and picked up 17 dual match points.
MOLINARO HAMMERS #3 MIKE GREY OF CORNELL; GOES 3-0 IN NEW YORK SWING Freshman Frank Molinaro gave notice that his Penn State debut against Hofstra was more of a bad day than trend with an 8-3 pounding of No. 3 Mike Grey of Cornell. Molinaro followed that resounding victory up with two wins at the Sprawl and Brawl Duals in Binghamton. The talented 141-pounder majored Edinboro's Joel Webster and then pinned Binghamton's Anwar Goeres. He picked up 13 dual match points on the weekend.
PATAKY PERFECT IN NEW YORK Sophomore Brad Pataky was superb during Penn State's four matches in New York on the weekend of Nov. 21-23. The 125-pounder went 4-0, getting a 9-6 win over Cornell's Frank Perrelli, beating Virginia's Frank Gitomer 4-2, hammered Edinboro's Kyle Fluke with an 18-3 technical fall and followed that up with another technical fall over Binghamton's Tyler Malmberg (16-0 in under two periods). Pataky outscored his four opponents 47-11 and picked up 16 dual match points in the process.
WADE SECURES NITTANY LION WIN OVER #24 VIRGINIA Freshman heavyweight Cameron Wade downed Virginia big man Jack Danilkowitcz to secure Penn State's 19-15 win over No. 24 Virginia in the first round of the 2008 Sprawl and Brawl Duals. With the match on the line (and Penn State looking for its first win of the season, the Penn State rookie battled Danilkowitcz even through the first period, chose down and escaped in the second and then rode the Cavalier heavyweight out for the entire third period to pick up the 2-0 decision. Wade went 2-2 during the swing through New York, getting a pin against Binghamton as well. His only losses were close decisions to No. 10 Zach Hammond of Cornell (7-6) and No. 8 Joe Fendone of Edinboro (6-2).
HAAS DOWNS #15 DEUBEL; FAST START PROPELS LIONS TO WIN OVER #15 EDINBORO The Nittany Lions won their first four bouts against No. 15 Edinboro in the second round of the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Nov. 23 to bolt out to an 18-0 lead and coast to a resounding 24-16 win over the ranked Fighting Scots. Each of the first four victories were big, either in bonus points or as an upset. Brad Pataky got a technical fall at 125 before Tim Haas downed No. 15 Ricky Deubel of Edinboro 5-4 at 133. Freshman Frank Molinaro then majored Joel Webster before All-American Bubba Jenkins pinned No. 17 Torsten Gillespie midway through the first period to give the Nittany Lions an 18-0 lead. Freshman Quentin Wright added a pin of Fighting Scot Paul Paddock to help the Nittany Lions grab the victory. The fall was Wright's first collegiate pin.
LIONS WIN EIGHT OF TEN TO DOWN BINGHAMTON Closing out a perfect 3-0 day at the 2008 Sprawl and Brawl Duals, the Nittany Lion wrestlers won eight of ten bouts to cost to a 36-8 win over host Binghamton on Nov. 23. Penn State got pins from freshmen Frank Molinaro at 141 and Cameron Wade at HWT, technical falls from Brad Pataky at 125 and Tim Haas at 133, majors from Mark Friend at 165 and Quentin Wright at 174 and decisions from All-Americans Bubba Jenkins at 149 and Dan Vallimont at 157. BU's only wins came as No. 17 Josh Patterson downed Nittany Lion Phil Bomberger at 184 and 197-pounder Corey Waite posted a 10-3 decision over Nathan Andrews, making his PSU dual meet debut.
LABORANTI TAKES SECOND AT MAT-TOWN TO LEAD THREE PSU PLACE WINNERS Senior heavyweight John Laboranti took second place at the 2008 Mat-Town Open on Saturday, Nov. 29, at Lock Haven University. Laboranti went 3-1 on the day, losing in sudden victory in the championship bout to Pittsburgh's Ryan Tomai. Sophomore Adam Lynch rebounded from an opening round loss to post five straight wins in consolations to take third at 133 while red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger went 5-2 at 165 to take fourth. His winners' bracket loss was a 5-2 decision to No. 15 Rex Kendle of Michigan State, the eventual tournament champion.
HAILE OUT INDEFINITELY Penn State suffered the loss of a second starter in the season's opening week when junior 197-pound starter Andrew Haile suffered an injury in his dual meet debut against Hofstra on Sunday, Nov. 16. Haile underwent successful surgery and is likely lost until at least February (if not for the entire season).
WRIGHT TOPPLES #6 LUCAS IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT True freshman Quentin Wright, thrust into the Penn State line-up just days before the Lions' season opening dual vs. Hofstra, downed returning All-American and 6th-ranked Alton Lucas 4-3 in his collegiate debut. Wright used a last second takedown to send over 3,200 Rec Hall fans into a frenzy and claim the victory on 11/16.
WADE WINS IN HIS PENN STATE DUAL MEET DEBUT Red-shirt freshman heavyweight Cameron Wade was solid in claiming a 4-2 win over Hofstra's Jordan Enck in his Penn State dual meet debut. Wade claimed one of Penn State's five wins in the dual in front of over 3,200 cheering Rec Hall fans on 11/16.
VALLIMONT DOWNS #15 BONILLA-BOWMAN OF HOFSTRA Penn State All-American Dan Vallimont, ranked No. 3 in the nation, downed No. 15 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman of Hofstra 11-8 in his season opening action against the Pride on 11/16.
DECKER AND BOLLINGER PLACE AT ESU OPEN The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team had nine wrestlers compete in the East Stroudsburg Open yesterday, six attached and three unattached. Senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) led Penn State with a fifth place finish at 184 while red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) placed seventh at 165. Decker went 2-1 at the event and received a bye in the fifth place bout to claim fifth. His only loss was a quarterfinal defeat to Tom Shovlin of Penn, who placed second. Bollinger went 3-2 with a pin to tie for seventh place as the seventh place bout was not contested.
ERWIN TO MISS 2008-09 SEASON Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) will miss the entire 2008-09 season after suffering an injury on Nov. 9 at the Michigan State Open. The junior 174-pounder was ranked No. 18 nationally at his weight at the time. Erwin's injury forces the two-year Penn State starter to end his campaign with a 3-0 mark. Erwin was hurt in the semifinals at the MSU Open and took an injury forfeit before the finals bout. With Erwin out, true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) will forgo a red-shirt season and man the 174-pound spot. Wright, a two-time PIAA State Champion from nearby Bald Eagle Area High School, was one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school.
ERWIN LEADS 14 NITTANY LIONS AT MSU OPEN; MOLINARO AND PATAKY PLACE AS WELL Junior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) took second place at 174 pounds at the MSU Open, leading three Nittany Lions who placed at the event. In all, 14 Nittany Lions competed at the event for head coach Troy Sunderland. Five of Penn State's projected dual meet starters took part, including two of the Nittany Lions' six ranked grapplers. Erwin, ranked No. 20 nationally, went 3-0 to start the tournament but did not wrestle in the finals, taking an injury default after his semifinal win. Erwin's 3-1 finish was good enough for second place. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 20 at 125, advanced to the semifinals before losing to No. 4 Brandon Precin of Northwestern. Pataky went 2-2 on the day and placed fourth. Freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) was also solid at 141, advancing to the semifinals before losing to No. 18 Ryan Williams of Old Dominion. Molinaro wrestled back well, went 5-1 on the day and took third.
HAAS, STRAYER, JENKINS, VALLIMONT NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS FOR 2008-09 SEASON The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team has named a talented foursome as co-captains for the 2008-09 season. Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.), junior Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), senior Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) and junior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) will share team leader duties this year. Haas, a sixth year senior who was given an extra year of eligibility due to having two seasons shortened by injuries, will wrestling at 133 this year after going 7-15 last season. Haas was 5-11 in duals with a solid 3-5 Big Ten dual meet record. Haas has a 29-23 career record. Jenkins is the defending national runner-up at 149. The Virginia-native went 26-6 last season, including a 4-1 showing at nationals and an appearance in the NCAA title tilt. The All-American, who is now 49-18 overall at Penn State, has a 10-6 career Big Ten dual meet record, including a 6-2 mark last season. Jenkins begins his run at a national title with 82 career dual meet points. Strayer was a 2007 All-American at 133 and moved up to 141 last season where he went 11-5. A two-time NCAA qualifier (he reached the `Round of 12' at 133 in 2006), Strayer returns to 133 this season. Strayer has a 64-19 career record, including a 53-14 mark at 133 pounds. Strayer's 39-9 career dual match record his highlighted by a 30-5 mark at 133 (12-4 in Big Ten action). He has 133 career dual match points.Vallimont earned his first All-America honor last year with a superb third place finish at 157 pounds. It was the New Jersey-native's first season at 157 pounds. Vallimont posted a superb 32-3 mark last year, including a 5-1 performance at nationals to take third place. Vallimont, who reached the `Round of 12' at nationals at 149 in 2007, has a 54-15 career record including a 29-8 dual match mark (12-4 in Big Ten action). He has 100 career dual match points as well.
PENN STATE RANKED NO. 16 IN USA TODAY/NWCA COACHES POLL The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Troy Sunderland, is ranked No. 16 in the latest NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, as compiled and released by Intermat. The full release can be viewed at www.intermatwrestle.com. The Nittany Lions were off last week and begin Big Ten dual meet action this weekend on the road. Penn State, now 7-6-2 on the year after mustering two short-handed ties on the road in Big Ten action last weekend, has five individuals ranked among the top 20 at their respective weights and a sixth receiving a ranking in other national polls. The Nittany Lions are being led by a trio of All-Americans all holding down top 12 spots.
Iowa continues to hold down the No. 1 spot, followed by Iowa State (2), Cornell (3), Nebraska (4) and Ohio State (5). Missouri (6), Lehigh (T7), Illinois (T7), Central Michigan (9) and Minnesota (10) round out the top ten. The Big Ten has ten teams ranked in the top 25 as Penn State (16), Wisconsin (17), Michigan (18), Northwestern (T19), Indiana (T19) and Purdue (25) all made the grade.
Junior All-Americans Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) lead Penn State's ranked contingent. Jenkins maintains his hold on No. 2 at 149 while Vallimont is ranked No. 8 at 157 but has made the move up to 165 for the year. All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) is still ranked No. 11 at 133. True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) checks in at No. 16 at 174 while sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) is ranked No. 17 at 125 after a strong performance at the National Duals. In addition to those ranked wrestlers, freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) is ranked No. 20 at 141 by W.I.N. Magazine. NITTANY LIONS SIGN HARRISBURG STAND-OUT EDWARD RUTH TO NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the direction of head coach Troy Sunderland, has signed Harrisburg-native Edward Ruth to a National Letter of Intent. Ruth will join the Nittany Lions next season for the 2009-10 campaign. The talented 171-pounder wrestled at Susquehanna Township High School from his freshmen to junior years and has since moved on to the Blair Academy in New Jersey where he will compete this year and matriculate this spring. "We are very excited that Edward has chosen to continue his career with us at Penn State," said first assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Matt Dernlan. "He is a unique talent and has been blessed with a God-given skill set that few possess. These talents, combined with our tradition, could translate into a truly special career. With Edward's commitment and the talent on our team now, we believe Penn State Wrestling has solidified its status as one of the nation's elite wrestling teams." Ruth is a two-time PIAA Triple-A place-winner, finishing fourth and fifth in his final two years at STHS. Ruth fell to current Nittany Lion 174-pound starter Quentin Wright in the state semifinals each of those seasons. In 2008, he won the NHSCA High School Junior National Championship. "Edward has shown that he has all the ability in the world and his work ethic and attitude make him a great fit for our squad," Sunderland said. "We're very pleased to welcome him to the Penn State wrestling family and look forward to him donning the blue and white singlet." Ruth was coached by Joey Scott at Susquehanna Township and is being coached by Jeff Buxton at The Blair Academy this season. He is the son of Eddie and Thanayi Ruth. The Ruth's reside in Harrisburg, Pa., home of four-time All-American and 2008 National Champion Phil Davis.
PENN STATE WRESTLING RADIO! All Penn State wrestling duals and the post-season will be aired live locally on WRSC (1390 AM State College) and regionally on WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and streamed live at GoPSUsports.com. Jeff Byers will once again serve as the voice of Penn State wrestling!
LIVE AUDIO WEBCASTS ONLY $9.95 PER MONTH! All of Penn State's wrestling duals, the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships (as well as the Troy Sunderland Show), will once again be webcast live at www.GoPSUsports.com. Fans just go to GoPSU and click on All-Access. From there, just sign up for the All-Access package of your choice for as little as $9.95 per month. The All-Access package gives fans all of Penn State's audio and video feeds for every Penn State sporting event that features audio or video, not just wrestling!
THE Troy Sunderland SHOW! Penn State head wrestling coach Troy Sunderland will once again host his weekly coaches show. This year's show will be broadcast each week on WMAJ (1450 AM State College). The shows air on Wednesday's at 6 p.m.
PENN STATE & TAKEDOWN RADIO This year, Penn State is a proud premier sponsor of the nation's top wrestling radio network, Take Down Wrestling Radio. The Nittany Lions have joined forces with TDR and will be featured regularly on the national network. Fans can listen to TDR simply by visiting www.takedownradio.com.