Feb. 13, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich.: The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 24 nationally, hammered Michigan State 28-12 in a Big Ten road dual. With five freshmen in the startling line-up, Penn State got wins from four of them, including the dual clincher from Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) at 197.
Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 125, got the Nittany Lions off to a hot start with a 17-2 technical fall over MSU's Eric Olanowski. Senior Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) did not make weight at 133 and gave up a forfeit, but Penn State quickly answered with two more wins. Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) got a 4-0 win at 141 and junior All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) returned to action after missing the last five duals by getting a 21-6 technical fall over Michigan State's David Cheza at 149. Jenkins, ranked No. 2 nationally, improved to 20-0 with the win.
Michigan State's Anthony Jones picked up his 21st win of the year with an 8-4 victory at 157 over Nittany Lion freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) before a 10 minute intermission, cutting Penn State's lead to 13-9. Junior All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 20, notched a hard-fought 6-5 win over Michigan State's Rex Kendle at 165. True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 16 at 174, posted a 10-3 win at 174 to put the Lions up 19-9. Michigan State's Nick Palmieri downed Lion Jack Decker 7-5 at 184 to cut Penn State's lead to 19-12.
But freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.), also wrestling for the first time since being injured against Indiana on Jan. 23, iced the dual meet with a 4-1 win at 197, putting Penn State up 22-12. Nittany Lion heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) capped off the 28-12 dual win by pinning Michigan State's Steve Andrus at the 3:30 mark.
Penn State had 11 takedowns to Michigan State's eight but the Lions rolled to victory on the back of seven wins and seven bonus points.
Penn State is now 8-10-2, 1-4-2 in conference duals. Michigan State is now 6-7, 1-5 in the conference. The Nittany Lions close out their Big Ten season at Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 14, in a 7 p.m. match-up. Penn State's final home dual of the season is set for Friday, Feb. 20, when it hosts Penn at 7 p.m. in a non-conference battle. 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.
#24 Penn State 28, Michigan State 12
Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 - East Lansing, Mich.
| 125: #13 Brad Pataky PSU tech. fall Eric Olanowski MSU, 17-2 (TF; 5:00) 5-0 | |
| 133: #6 Franklin Gomez MSU win by forfeit | 5-6 |
| 141: Frank Molinaro PSU dec. Collin Dozier MSU, 4-0 | 8-6 |
| 149: #2 Bubba Jenkins PSU tech. fall David Cheza MSU, 21-6 (6:59) | 13-6 |
| 157: Anthony Jones MSU dec. Tim Darling PSU, 8-4 | 13-9 |
| 165: #20 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. Rex Kendle MSU, 6-5 | 16-9 |
| 174: #16 Quentin Wright PSU dec. Ian Hinton MSU, 10-3 | 19-9 |
| 184: Nick Palmieri MSU dec. Jack Decker PSU, 7-5 | 19-12 |
| 197: Clay Steadman PSU dec. Tyler Dickenson MSU, 4-1 | 22-12 |
| HWT: Cameron Wade PSU pinned Steve Andrus MSU, WBF (3:30) | 28-12 |
Final Score: #24 Penn State 28, Michigan State 12
Attendance: 500
Records: Penn State 8-10-2, 1-4-2 Big Ten; Michigan State 6-7, 1-5 Big Ten
Up next: At Michigan, Saturday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Penn State's Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 125, took on Michigan State freshman Eric Olanowski at 125. Pataky once again wasted no time in going on the offensive, nearly scoring ten seconds in before action moved out of bounds. But Olanowski countered his next shot and took a 2-0 lead at the 2:26 mark. Pataky worked to escape from Olanowski's control, forcing the Spartan into a stall warning escaping at the 1:20 mark. The Lion then added a quick takedown to take a 3-2 lead with just over a minute left in the opening period. Pataky then worked to turn the Spartan to his back but Olanowski signaled for an injury timeout. After the reset, Pataky gained control of Olanowski, turned him for three back points with :11 left, rolled him back to his stomach and managed another two-point near fall to lead 8-2 after one period. Olanowski chose neutral to begin the second stanza, but Pataky used a strong high double leg to up his lead to 10-2 with 1:15 left. Gaining control of Olanowski's arm once again, Pataky muscled the Spartan over for three more back points to lead 13-2, then picked up a point on another Olanowski stall. Then with :07 left, Pataky ended the bout by turning Olanowski for three more points and a 17-2 technical fall as the second period ended. The early win put Penn State up 5-0
133: Penn State's Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) did not make weight, allowing No. 6 Franklin Gomez to get a forfeit victory at 133. The six points put Michigan State up 6-5.
141: Penn State freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) took on Spartan Collin Dozier at 141. Molinaro got in high on Dozier's right thigh, looking for an early takedown, but Dozier fought off the effort to force a reset. But Molinaro would not be denied the early lead, powering through Dozier for a 2-0 lead at the 1:56 mark. The Nittany Lion then put together a strong ride, building up a solid time advantage while trying to turn Dozier to his back. Molinaro rode Dozier out to lead 2-0 with 1:56 in riding time after one period. He then chose down to start the second stanza. He forced Dozier into a stall before escaping to a 3-0 lead but Dozier gained control of his left leg and nearly notched his own takedown. Molinaro managed to fight his way to a stalemate at the 1:00 mark. Molinaro picked up his first stall warning before the second period ended. Dozier, down 3-0, chose down to start the third period, but Molinaro was once again strong on top, forcing Dozier to the mat. Molinaro secured the bonus point, but Dozier was nearly able to reverse him before a stalemate at the :34 mark. Still on offense, Molinaro was able to continue his ride for the remainder of the bout and posted a solid 4-0 win. The decision allowed Penn State to retake the lead, 8-6.
149: Returning to the line-up for the first time since Jan. 24, Penn State's Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) took on David Cheza at 149. Jenkins entered the bout 19-0 and ranked No. 2 nationally. Jenkins looked to shake off the ghosts of a long lay-off with early offense. The Nittany Lion gained control of Cheza's ankle and worked his way into a score. But after taking the 2-0 lead, the Nittany Lion called for an injury timeout, forcing a reset with 2:15 left. After the reset, Jenkins quickly tilted Cheza for three near-fall points and a 5-0 lead. Cheza escaped to a 5-1 deficit with 1:42 left, and then took Jenkins down at the 1:15 mark to cut the Lion's lead to 5-3. Jenkins got hit with a first stall warning with :40 left in the period but managed a reversal with :10 left to take a 7-3 lead into the second period. Jenkins chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to an 8-3 lead. Cheza looked to shoot on Jenkins, but Jenkins countered for a takedown, nearly pinning the Spartan in the process but picking up three back points. Jenkins reset himself and picked up three more near fall points to lead 16-3 after two periods. Cheza chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 16-4 deficit. Jenkins nearly caught Cheza in a mixer, but Cheza countered and took Jenkins down, nearly picking up back points. But Jenkins did not just counter the near fall attempt, he worked his way around for a reversal at the 1:00 mark to lead 18-6. After a reset, Jenkins steadily worked himself into control of the Spartan, turning him for three near fall points and finishing on top. Jenkins finally got the technical fall call from the officials, winning 21-6 at the 6:59 mark to put Penn State up 13-6.
157: Red-shirt freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) continued his Big Ten welcome at 157 by taking on Michigan State sophomore Anthony Jones, who was 20-9 heading into the dual. Jones used a solid double leg to take and early 2-1 lead after a Darling escape. The duo battled to a stalemate and a reset with 1:40 left. Jones looked to work in on Darling, but the Lion freshman was able to fight off a late Jones shot and trailed only 2-1 after the opening period. Jones chose defense to start the middle period, but Darling was able to force the Spartan's stomach to the mat and put together a very strong ride, working the clock down but giving up a point on an illegal hold. After the reset, Jones managed to reverse Darling with just :01 left and led 5-1 heading into the third period. Darling, with a 1:48 riding time edge, chose down to start the third period and steadily worked his way to a reversal with 1:23 left, cutting Jones' lead to 5-3. Needing takedowns, Darling cut Jones loose and trailed 6-3 with 1:15 left. After a reset at the 0:46 mark, Jones used a solid high double to notch another takedown an take an 8-3 lead. The Spartan then rode Darling to the :01 mark to get his 21st win of the season with a solid 8-4 victory. The win cut Penn State's lead to 13-9.
165: Nittany Lion All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 20 at 165, took on Michigan State's Rex Kendle, who entered the bout with a 20-9 record. Vallimont took the first shot, nearly taking a quick 2-0 lead. But Kendle was able to step back and keep things scoreless. Vallimont, however, continued to b the aggressor and final got his takedown to lead 2-0 at the 1:45 mark. Kendle, however, was able to reverse Vallimont and tie the bout at 2-2 with 1:30 left. The Spartan was able to ride Vallimont out as well. Tied 2-2 but facing 1:20 in riding time, Vallimont chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. The Nittany Lion then gained control of Kendle's leg and looked for another takedown, but Kendle countered on the edge of the mat and took Vallimont down to lead 4-3. Vallimont quickly escaped to tie the bout, but Kendle still had 1:29 in riding time. With :45 left, Vallimont used a low single to gain control of Kendle and take a 6-4 lead with just under :30 left. Vallimont then rode Kendle out to carry that lead into the third period. Kendle chose down to start the final stanza and quickly escaped to a 6-5 deficit. Kendle upped the offensive pressure, trying to work his way around Vallimont for a go ahead takedown. Each man was hit with a stall warning at the :30 mark and Kendle could not break through Vallimont's defense. The Nittany Lion All-American's 6-5 win put Penn State up 16-9.
174: True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) took on Michigan State's Ian Hinton at 174. Wright took a quick 4-0 lead with a fast takedown and a two-point near fall. The Nittany Lion, ranked No. 16 nationally, then dominated Hinton on top. After a reset, Wright forced Hinton to the mat repeatedly, looking for a chance to turn the Spartan for more near fall points. While not managing to turn Hinton, the 2:29 ride-out allowed Wright to carry the 4-0 lead into the second period. Wright chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-0 lead. Wright tripped Hinton to the mat for a takedown and a 7-0 lead with :50 left. A Hinton escaped with :32 left gave the Spartan his first point and Wright led 7-1 after two periods. Hinton chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 7-2 deficit, but Wright had secured a riding time point. Looking for a major, Wright nearly picked up another takedown with :20 left to take a 9-3 lead, but a locked hands call kept him from securing the major. Still, the 10-3 decision put Penn State up 19-9.
184: Nittany Lion senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) battled MSU's Nick Palmieri at 184. The duo spent the first minute battling in the center of the mat, with each man hoping to gain control of the other's shoulders. A double-stall warning at the 1:04 mark forced a reset and Decker began shooting low on Palmieri. The Lion's offensive efforts paid off with :37 left when he countered a soft Palmieri shot, worked behind the Spartan junior and took a 2-0 lead with a takedown. Palmieri took a second injury timeout, so after the reset, Decker chose down with :20 left. But Palmieri was able to turn Decker to his back for two near fall points as the period ended. Tied 2-2, Decker chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 3-2 lead with 1:25 left (Palmieri had 1:02 in riding time). Decker and Palmieri battled evenly for the remainder of the second period. Since he had the riding time edge, Palmieri chose neutral to start the third period. Palmieri took a 4-3 lead with a takedown at the 1:02 mark, but Decker quickly escaped to a 4-4 tie Still, Palmieri's 1:10 riding time edge was still a deciding factor. Decker took a shot, but Palmieri countered and iced the bout with a high double with :14 left, taking a 6-4 lead. Decker escaped, but Palmieri was able to notch a 7-5 win and cut Penn State's lead to 19-12.
197: Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) stepped in at 197 to take on Spartan Tyler Dickenson. Steadman, like Jenkins, had not wrestled since being injured in the dual at Indiana on Jan. 23 and was making his first appearance since then. Dickenson gained control of Steadman's right thigh, but the Nittany Lion freshman was able to counter and nearly work his way around for his own takedown at the :51 mark. The stalemate forced a reset. Steadman once again countered a Dickenson shot as the period ended and nearly managed a takedown at the end of the first period. But time ran out with the bout still tied 0-0. Steadman chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Neither man found any chances to score, but Steadman's steady offensive pressure enabled the Lion freshman to set the tone. Trailing 1-0, Dickenson chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Steadman, however, countered a Dickenson shot, skipped around behind him and took a 3-1 lead with a swift takedown at the 1:40 mark. Steadman then dominated Dickenson from the top, riding the Spartan out, getting the bonus point and winning 4-1. The decision pot Penn State up 22-12, icing the dual.
HWT: Penn State red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) took on MSU's Steve Andrus at heavyweight. The freshman duo battled evenly throughout the first half of the opening period. Wade gained control of Andrus' right leg and looked for the lead with a takedown, but the Spartan was able to pull back and keep the bout scoreless with 1:00 left to wrestle. With the score knotted at 0-0, Wade chose down to start the second period and quickly reversed Andrus to take a 2-0 lead. He then turned the Spartan to his back and ended the dual with a pin at the 3:30 mark. The fall gave the Nittany Lions a 28-12 dual meet win.