Jan. 4, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; January 4, 2009 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 16 nationally, crushed visiting Lock Haven 36-3 today in an intra-state dual meet. The Nittany Lions won nine of ten bouts, highlighted by Bubba Jenkins' (Virginia Beach, Va.) pin at 149.
Penn State got rolling early with a major from freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) at 174. Senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) followed that up with a win at 184 before Lock Haven got its only win of the day at 197 (Ben Hepburn picked up the LHU decision). Penn State freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) got a win at heavyweight and Penn State led 10-3 as action moved back around to 125.
Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) won by injury default at 125 after leading LHU's Nick Hyatt 5-0 at the 1:28 mark. Pataky was in the process of turning Hyatt to his back when the Bald Eagle was hurt. Senior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) followed that up with a solid 10-4 win at 133 before freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) posted a 17-5 major decision at 141.
With Penn State up 23-3, All-American Jenkins took to the mat against Lock Haven's talented senior Matt Fittery at 149. Fittery entered the bout 19-2 while Jenkins was ranked No. 2 in the country. With Jenkins holding a solid lead at the end of the second period, Jenkins used a quick cement mixer to turn the talented LHU senior to his back and get a thrilling pin at the 4:56 mark. Junior All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) got a major at 157 and red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) got a win at 165 to close out the scoring.
Penn State won the battle of takedowns 32-2 on route to notching nine bonus points. Penn State moves to 5-3 with the win while Lock Haven falls to 4-4. The bout, as well as the dual with Lehigh prior to it, was witnessed by 3,575 fans.
Penn State returns to action on next weekend when it takes part in the 2009 NWCA National Duals. The two-day event pits 16 of the nation's top teams in a dual meet tournament. Northern Iowa's UNI Dome will be the site of the event on Jan. 10-11 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Penn State's next home dual is set for Friday, Jan. 30, when Minnesota comes to town for a 7 p.m. dual in Rec Hall. 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.
#16 Penn State 36, Lock Haven 3
Sunday, January 4, 2009 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa.
| 174: #15 Quentin Wright PSU maj. dec. Travis Stem LHU, 18-5 | 4-0 |
| 184: Jack Decker PSU dec. Tom Kocher LHU, 10-4 | 7-0 |
| 197: Ben Hepburn LHU dec. Clay Steadman PSU, 3-2 | 7-3 |
| HWT: Cameron Wade PSU dec. Ben Murtorff LHU, 5-1 | 10-3 |
| 125: Brad Pataky PSU WB inj. def. Nicholas Hyatt LHU, 1:28 (leading 5-0) | 16-3 |
| 133: Jake Strayer PSU dec. Billy Ashnault LHU, 10-4 | 19-3 |
| 141: #20 Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. Zach Kell LHU, 17-5 | 23-3 |
| 149: #2 Bubba Jenkins PSU pinned Matt Fittery LHU, WBF (4:56) | 29-3 |
| 157: #8 Dan Vallimont PSU maj. dec. Ollie Cooperwood LHU, 16-4 | 33-3 |
| 165: Micah Bollinger PSU dec. Aaron Ernest LHU, 10-4 | 36-3 |
Final Score: #16 Penn State 36, Lock Haven 3
Attendance: 3,575
Records: Penn State 5-3, Lock Haven 4-4
Up next: Penn State takes part in the 2009 National Duals on Jan. 10-11 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
174: Penn State true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) took on Lock Haven's Travis Stem at 125. Wright quickly took Stem to the mat for a 2-0 lead just :08 into the bout and then began to work for a pinning combination. But Stem managed to escape after a reset and Wright led 2-1 at the 1:33 mark (with 1:00 in riding time). Wright quickly added another takedown to up his lead to 4-2 after letting Stem out. The talented Lion freshman added a third takedown to lead 6-3 after pushing Stem out of bounds on the reversal. Wright continued to pressure Stem for the rest of the period and led 6-3 after one period. Wright chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 7-3 lead. He notched his fourth takedown at the :58 mark, picked up a stall point with just :08 left and carried a 10-3 lead with 2:19 in riding time, into the final stanza. Stem chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 10-4 deficit. Wright got another takedown midway through the third period and continued to dominate Stem. Stem gave up another stall, picked up an escape with :15 left, but was taken down and hit with two back points as the period ended and posted an 18-5 major decision. The victory put Penn State up 4-0 early.
184: Senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) met Bald Eagle Tom Kocher at 184. Decker worked his way in on Kocher's legs for a hard-fought 2-0 lead after finishing off a takedown at the 1:25 mark. The talented Lion senior then steadily worked Kocher to his back for three near fall points and a 5-0 lead after one period (with 1:25 in riding time). Decker chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 6-0 lead. The New Jersey native then stepped aside a Kocher shot to move behind him and notch another takedown with just under 1:00 left in the period. Kocher escaped at the :08 mark to cut Decker's lead to 8-1 heading into the final period, but Decker had a 1:41 riding time advantage. Kocher chose down to start the third period, escaped and then took Decker down to cut the PSU lead to 8-4. A Decker escape at the :45 mark gave the Nittany Lion senior a 9-4 lead and the fifth-year Nittany Lion coasted his way to a solid 10-4 win. The victory put Penn State up 7-0.
197: Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) faced Ben Hepburn in a match-up at 197. Steadman battled the veteran Bald Eagle evenly over the first three minutes, with each wrestler countering the other and forcing a 0-0 tie heading into the second period. Hepburn chose down to start the second stanza and the senior Bald Eagle quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Neither wrestler had a real opening to score in the second period and Hepburn held the 1-0 lead with one period to wrestle. Steadman chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. With 1:47 left to wrestle, action moved to the center circle. Hepburn had a chance to score on the edge of the mat, but Hepburn moved out of the circle to force a reset with 1:00 left. Steadman then shot low and looked to gain control of Hepburn's feet, but the senior worked his way around the Lion freshman and notched the crucial takedown to take a 3-1 lead. Steadman quickly escaped to cut the lead to 3-2 and the Nittany Lion began looking for a go-ahead takedown. But Hepburn managed to hold Steadman off for the bout's final seconds and posted a 3-2 win, cutting Penn State's lead to 7-3.
HWT: Red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) battled LHU's Gabe Murtorff at heavyweight. Wade pressured Murtorff throughout the entire first period, nearly getting a takedown at the 1:30 mark and forcing the Bald Eagle into a first stall warning. Murtorff picked up his second stall warning with :10 left in the period, giving Wade a 1-0 lead heading into the second stanza. Wade chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-0 lead. Neither wrestler would score over the course of the middle period, however, and Wade held the 2-0 lead entering the third period. Murtorff chose neutral to begin the final period. Yet another Murtorff stall warning gave Wade a 3-0 lead with just over 1:00 left to wrestle and the Nittany Lion added his first takedown at the :40 mark, stepping around Murtorff on the edge of the mat to take a 5-0 lead. Wade looked to turn Murtorff for back points, but was hit with an illegal hold call as the bout ended and notched a dominating 5-1 win. The decision put Penn State up 10-3.
125: Penn State sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) took to the mat against Lock Haven's Nick Hyatt at 125. Pataky wasted no time once again taking the lead, scrambling for a takedown at the 2:43 mark. Pataky then turned the Bald Eagle over for three back points and a 5-0 lead with 1:40 left to wrestle. Another Pataky turn ended the action for Hyatt as the Bald Eagle suffered an injury and defaulted at the 1:28 mark. Pataky's win gave the Lions six points and put Penn State up 16-3.
133: Senior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) faced LHU's William Ashnault at 133. Ashnault got the first takedown on the edge of the mat, getting Strayer at the 1:17 mark. But the Lion All-American quickly escaped to a 2-1 deficit and then took a 3-2 lead with a takedown of his own with :40 left in the period. Strayer then rode Ashnault out and, leading 3-2, chose down to begin the second period. Strayer escaped at the 1:08 mark to lead by two and then added another takedown with :48 left by gaining control of Ashnault's ankles. Strayer cut Ashnault loose and began working for another takedown, notching two more points with :20 left to lead 8-3. A ride-out gave the Nittany Lion an 8-3 after two periods. Ashnault chose down to start the period and Strayer allowed him up to an 8-4 deficit. Looking for a major, Strayer gained control of the Bald Eagle's right leg but could not finish off the move as Ashnault forced a stalemate. Yet another low single led to another scramble with Ashnault once again working his way to a stalemate. Strayer worked his way around to a 10-4 lead with :20 left but time ran out before the Lion senior could work his way to a major decision. Still, the 10-4 win gave Penn State a 19-3 lead.
141: Red-shirt Freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 20 at 141, met Bald Eagle Zach Kell. Molinaro got two strong takedowns in the first minute to lead 4-1 before beginning to work for back points after the second takedown. Kell managed to scramble out of real danger each time Molinaro looked to turn him and force a reset with 1:10 left in the opening period. Molinaro cut Kell after the reset then quickly took him down for a third time and a 6-2 lead with :50 left in the period. A strong ride-out allowed Molinaro to lead 6-2 with 1:57 in riding time after the first three minutes. Kell chose down to start the second stanza and Molinaro cut him to a 6-3 deficit. The Lion freshman drove his way through a strong high double and upped his lead to 8-3. With Kell struggling to stay off his back, Molinaro dominated the Bald Eagle for the remainder of the period. Leading 8-3 with nearly four minutes in riding time, Molinaro chose down to begin the final period and quickly escaped to a 9-3 lead. Molinaro then lifted Kell off the mat, tossed him to his back for a takedown and three back points and led 14-4 after the superb five point move. With :45 left, Molinaro scrambled his way to another takedown and a 16-5 lead after Kell escaped and coasted to the 17-5 major decision. The major gave Penn State a 23-3 lead.
149: Nittany Lion All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) met Lock Haven's Matt Fittery at 149. Fittery entered the bout with a sizzling 19-2 record. Fittery and Jenkins battled evenly through three minutes, with the Bald Eagle having the best scoring chance near the end of the opening stanza. But Jenkins managed to fight off the move and keep things scoreless heading into the second period. Jenkins chose down to start the period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Jenkins got his first takedown at the 1:13 mark, finishing off a low double to lead 3-1 after a Fittery escape. Fittery shot low on Jenkins as the second ended and Jenkins countered the move by finishing off a mixer and pinning the talented Lock Haven senior at the 4:56 mark. The six point fall gave Penn State a 29-3 lead.
157: Penn State All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 157, met LHU's Ollie Cooperwood at 157. Vallimont got the first takedown early in the opening period to take a 2-0 lead. A strong ride allowed the Nittany Lion All-American to build up a 2:10 riding time edge as well and Vallimont led 2-0 after one period. Cooperwood chose neutral to start the second period, only to have Vallimont take him down just :10 in. Vallimont cut Cooperwood and let 4-1, added a third takedown to up his lead to 6-1 and then cut the Bald Eagle again to lead 6-2. With bonus points within reach, Vallimont added a fourth takedown with :34 left. Vallimont cut Cooperwood once again and used a textbook high crotch to notch a fifth takedown with just :12 left. Vallimont then rode Cooperwood out to lead 10-3 with nearly three minutes of riding time. Vallimont chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to an 11-3 lead (with a riding time point clinched). Vallimont got his sixth takedown shortly thereafter and upped his lead to 13-4 after a Cooperwood escape. The junior co-captain added one more takedown as the bout ended and rolled to the 16-4 major decision, giving Penn State a 33-3 lead.
165: Penn State sent red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) to the mat at 165 to take on Aaron Ernest of Lock Haven. Bollinger took an early lead with a swift move behind Ernest at the 2:15 mark, moving out to a 2-1 edge after a quick Ernest escape. The duo battled evenly for the remainder of the opening period with Ernest having a chance down the stretch to score. But Bollinger managed to force a stalemate on the edge of the mat and kept his 2-1 lead. He then chose down to start the second stanza and steadily worked his way to a reversal with 1:30 left to lead 4-1. A Ernest escape cut the lead to 4-2 with 1:00 left in the middle period. The Lion freshman added yet another takedown, stepping over an Ernest shot to go up 6-2 with just :15 left and rode the Bald Eagle out to hold that lead heading into the third period. Ernest chose top to start the final period and once again worked his way for a reversal and an 8-2 lead with 1:10 left. Seeking a major, Bollinger cut Ernest loose, countered a shot and worked his way around for another takedown and a 10-4 lead with :40 left. Needing one more takedown and a ride-out for the major, Bollinger pressured Ernest for the remainder of the period but could not notch the final takedown. Still, the red-shirt freshman posted a dominating 10-4 win and gave Penn State a 36-3 victory.