Feb. 14, 2009
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 24 nationally, dropped a 31-6 decision to No. 17 Michigan in its final Big Ten dual meet of the season. Once again starting five freshmen on the road in the Big Ten, Penn State got wins from junior All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.)
With match starting at 141, the Wolverines won four of the first five bouts to lead 13-3 heading into intermission. No. 5 Kellen Russell got away with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Penn State freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) at 141. All-American Jenkins managed a 5-3 win over Mark Beaudry at 149 to tie the score at 3-3. Jenkins, ranked No. 2 at 149, moved to 21-0 with the win. Michigan, however, won the next three bouts. Aaron Hynes majored Penn State freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) at 157 and then junior All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 20 at 165, was upset by Michigan's Justin Zeerip 3-2. In the most entertaining bout of the first five duals, Penn State's Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) gave top-ranked Steve Luke of Michigan all he could handle at 174 before dropping a 6-4 decision. Wright was ranked No. 16 at 174 while Luke, now 22-0, was No. 1.
The second half of the dual began at 184, where No. 13 Anthony Biondo notched a 7-1 win over Nittany Lion senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.). Michigan's Tyrel Todd, ranked No. 6, pinned Penn State's J.R. Brown (Bellefonte, Pa.) at 197 and UM heavyweight Eddie Phillips got a 7-0 win over Lion freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) at heavyweight. Penn State sophomore Pataky, ranked No. 13 at 125, posted a thrilling 11-9 win over No. 17 Michael Watts in the dual's final bout as Penn State once again forfeited at 133, making the final score 31-6.
Penn State is now 8-11-2, 1-5-2 in conference duals. Michigan is now 9-7-1, 4-1-1 in the Big Ten. 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 6, #17 Michigan 31
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009 - Ann Arbor, Mich.
| 141: #5 Kellen Russell MICH dec. Frank Molinaro PSU, 3-1 | 0-3 |
| 149: #2 Bubba Jenkins PSU dec. Mark Beaudry MICH, 5-3 | 3-3 |
| 157: Aaron Hynes MICH maj. dec. Tim Darling PSU, 17-6 | 3-7 |
| 165: Justin Zeerip MICH dec. #20 Dan Vallimont PSU, 3-2 | 3-10 |
| 174: #1 Steve Luke MICH dec. #16 Quentin Wright PSU, 6-4 | 3-13 |
| 184: #13 Anthony Biondo MICH dec. Jack Decker PSU, 7-1 | 3-16 |
| 197: #6 Tyrel Todd MICH pinned J.R. Brown PSU, WBF (1:38) | 3-22 |
| HWT: Eddie Phillips MICH dec. Cameron Wade PSU, 7-0 | 3-25 |
| 125: #13 Brad Pataky PSU dec. #17 Michael Watts MICH, 11-9 | 6-25 |
| 133: Zac Stevens MICH win by forfeit | 6-31 |
Final Score: #24 Penn State 6, #17 Michigan 31
Attendance: TBA
Records: Penn State 8-11-2, 1-5-2 Big Ten; Michigan 9-7-1, 4-1-1 Big Ten
Up next: Home vs. Penn, Friday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
141: Penn State freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) faced No. 5 Kellen Russell of Michigan at 141. Russell took the first shot at the 2:00 mark, but Molinaro managed to step back and reset, then dive forward and work his way into a solid double. Nearly getting the takedown, Molinaro could not quite finish and Russell forced a stalemate with 1:25 left in the opening period. The Nittany Lion freshman battled the fifth-ranked Wolverine to a scoreless first period after that early flurry. Tied 0-0, Russell chose down to begin the second period and immediately instigated a furious scramble in the middle of the mat that resulted in a reversal at the 1:13 mark and a 2-0 lead. Molinaro then spent the next minute working for an important escape but Russell was able to ride the Nittany Lion out to lead 2-0 after two periods. Trailing 2-0, Molinaro chose down to begin the third period. The young Nittany Lion managed an escape with 1:45 left, cutting the lead to 2-1 before Russell could build up a minute riding time advantage. Molinaro shot low with just over 1:00 left, getting control of Russell's leg. After lifting Russell to the mat, Molinaro tried to toss the Wolverine over his back and was called for an illegal move, falling behind 3-1 as Russell got a point on the technical violation. Molinaro opened up offensively with :30 to go, looking for a chance to tie the bout. But Russell was able to play defense and get away with a hard-fought 3-1 win. The victory gave Michigan an early 3-0 lead.
149: Junior All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) met Michigan's Mark Beaudry at 149. Jenkins, ranked No. 2, was coming off a solid return against Michigan State the prior night, getting a technical fall against the Spartans. Jenkins had the first chance to score early and notched the takedown at the 2:11 mark to lead 2-0. After the takedown, Jenkins put together a very strong ride, looking for a chance to turn Beaudry for back points. But Beaudry managed an escape to cut Jenkins' lead to 2-1. Jenkins continued to shoot on Beaudry and turned a quick single into a double-leg and a 4-1 lead with :12 left. He then rode Beaudry out to lead 4-1 with 1:13 in riding time after one period. Jenkins chose down to start the second stanza but could not break free of a strong Beaudry ride. Beaudry got hit with one stall warning with 1:10 left, Jenkins got hit with one with :25 left and Jenkins finally got his escape with :05 left. Trailing 5-1, Beaudry chose down to begin the third period and escaped to a 5-2 deficit. Neither man could find an opening to score. Jenkins gave up a point at the :30 mark on a stall but was able to fight off Beaudry's efforts long enough to escape with a 5-3 win and tie the team score at 3-3.
157: Red-shirt freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) took on Michigan sophomore Aaron Hynes at 157. Hynes took an early 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 2:13 mark. Darling worked his way around and nearly reversed the Wolverine with 1:00 left. But action moved out of bounds with Darling getting just an escape. Hynes shot forward with another high single, forcing a scramble in the middle of the mat. Darling spent the next :30 fighting off the pressure, but gave up the takedown and two back points with :20 left. Darling, however, fought his way out from underneath Hynes and notched a reversal as the first period ended to cut his lead to 6-3. Hynes chose down to start the second period and quickly reversed Darling, picking up two back points in the process to take a 10-3 lead with 1:10 left in the second. Darling escaped to a 10-4 deficit. Hynes forced a mad scramble on the edge of the mat, nearly pinning Darling. But the Lion freshman fought off Hynes' efforts and worked the clock down to zero. Trialing 10-4, Darling chose down and was allowed out to a 10-5 deficit. Hynes once again tied Darling up, took him down for two points and two near fall points to lead 14-5 with 1:15 left. Hynes added another takedown and finished out on top. With the bonus point, the Wolverine notched a convincing 17-6 major decision, putting the Wolverines up 7-3.
165: Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 20 at 165, battled Justin Zeerip of Michigan. Vallimont got the first points with a quick takedown to lead 2-1 with 2:09 left (after letting Zeerip up). The Nittany Lion junior continued to set the pace, but Zeerip was able to play defense for the bulk of the first period, keeping the bout close early on. Leading 2-1, Vallimont chose down to start the middle period but could not work his way out of Zeerip's control The Wolverine made little effort to improve his position but managed to ride Vallimont out for the entire period without getting called for stalling. Trailing 2-1 but with 1:51 in riding time, Zeerip chose down to start the third and was quickly cut loose by Vallimont to a 2-2 tie. Zeerip, now with the riding time edge, needed only to play defense for another two minutes to steel an upset victory. Zeerip finally got his first stall warning with 1:00 left as Vallimont continued to shoot and Zeerip continued to back up. After a reset with :33 left, Vallimont began to shoot repeatedly and Zeerip continued to back away from the Nittany Lion. With :10 left, Zeerip managed to tie Vallimont's shoulders up and work the clock down to 0:00. The riding time point gave the Wolverine a stunning 3-2 upset win and put Michigan up 10-3.
174: Nittany Lion rookie Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) faced the stiffest test of the night, taking on undefeated Steve Luke of Michigan at 174. Wright was ranked No. 16 while Luke was 20-0 and ranked No. 1. Each wrestler had an early chance to score, with Luke shooting low on Wright and nearly notching the takedown and Wright countering the move and nearly getting his own. Luke broke onto the scoreboard with a takedown at the 1:37 mark to lead 2-0. Wright escaped at the 1:15 mark, cutting Luke's lead to 2-1. Wright shot with :30 left, but Luke countered the move and gained control of Wright's ankles to take a 4-1 lead with :20 left in the period. A rid-out gave the undefeated Wolverine a 4-1 lead with :45 in riding time after one period of action. Wright chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-2 deficit. Wright scrambled his way to control of Luke's right ankle with :45 left, but Luke was able to force a stalemate on the edge of the mat to hold onto his lead. Leading 4-2, Luke chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead. Wright worked hard for a chance to score, forcing the tempo against the top-ranked Luke. With :32 left, Wright grabbed Luke by the waste and tossed him down for a takedown, cutting the lead to 5-4. Wright cut Luke loose and began working for another takedown to tie the bout. But Luke was able to back away from Wright for the last :20 to grab a hard-fought 6-4 win. The victory put UM up 13-3 heading into intermission.
184: Senior 184-pounder Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) faced No.13 Anthony Biondo of Michigan. Biondo forced an early scramble, getting control of Decker's right foot. The Nittany Lion senior scrambled out and nearly notched his own takedown, but Biondo was able to regain control with 1:20 left. Decker, however, would not give up the takedown and a reset was called with 1:05 left in the opening period. Decker was equal to Biondo as the first period ended as the Wolverine gained control of Decker's foot and worked for a last second takedown. Decker managed to step back and work his way on top of the Wolverine to keep the score tied at 0-0. Biondo chose down to start the second period and quickly reversed Decker to take a 2-0 lead. Decker worked to get out from Biondo's control, but Biondo managed to ride Decker for the remainder of the period to carry the 2-0 lead with 1:54 in riding time into the final period. Trailing 2-0, Decker chose neutral to start the third period. Biondo countered a Decker shot in the middle of the mat to take a commanding 4-0 lead with 1:30 left. The ranked Wolverine then rode Decker long enough to clinch the riding time point before Decker escaped to a 4-1 deficit. Biondo countered another Decker shot, rolled around him with :11 for the takedown and, with the riding time point, notched the 7-1 win.
197: Red-shirt freshman J.R. Brown (Bellefonte, Pa.) stepped up at 197 to take on Michigan's Tyrel Todd, who entered the bout ranked No. 6. Todd got the first takedown with 1:51 left in the first period to take an early 2-0 lead. Todd then turned Brown to his back and worked his way to a pin at the 1:38 mark, clinching the dual by putting Michigan up 22-3.
HWT: Red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) faced Michigan's Eddie Phillips in the heavyweight bout. Neither man could find an opening against the other during the bulk of the first period. But with :45 left, Wade gained control of Phillips' arms and looked to toss him. Phillips managed to back out of bounds and force a reset with :38 left. With :18 left, Wade tripped on Phillips and slid backwards on the mat. Phillips was able to gain control for an unexpected takedown and a 2-0 lead after one period. Phillips chose down to start the second stanza and Wade began looking for a chance to turn the Wolverine for back points. While Wade looked to turn Phillips, the Wolverine managed to work his way from underneath the Nittany Lion and get a reversal with 1:05 left, taking a 4-0 lead. Phillips was strong on top and rode Wade out to carry that lead into the third period. Wade chose up to begin the third period, hoping to turn Phillips. But the Wolverine was able to escape to a 5-0 lead with 1:40 left in the bout. Wade gave up one final takedown as the bout ended to notch a 7-0 win.
125: Nittany Lion sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) put his No. 13 national ranking at 125 on the line against No. 17 Michael Watts in one of the dual's most anticipated match-ups. Pataky was furious out of the games, taking a quick 2-1 lead after an early takedown with 2:40 left in the first period. The Nittany Lion sophomore added another takedown seconds later to take a 4-1 lead with 2:10 left. Pataky rolled Watts once looking for back points, but action moved out of bounds and a reset was called with 1:32 left. Pataky continued to dominate from the top, building up a sizeable riding time edge in the process. Watts escaped with :40 left, but Pataky continued to set the tempo. Leading 4-2 with 1:55 in riding time to his advantage, Pataky chose down to begin the second period. He escaped to lead 5-2 with 1:32 left and began looking for another takedown. Watts gained control of Pataky's leg, then his arm and tossed him down for a takedown and two back points. The quick four point move gave the Wolverine a 6-5 lead and his ride-out worked Pataky's riding time edge off the clock as well. Leading 6-5, Watts chose down to start the third period. Pataky needed to ride the Wolverine for :16 seconds, but Watts was able to get out quickly. Pataky, however used a quick mixer to turn Watts to the mat for a four-point flurry of his own. The two point takedown and two near fall points put Pataky up 9-7. Watts, however reversed Pataky to briefly tie the bout at 9-9 before a Pataky escaped gave the Lion a 10-9 lead (with 1:27 in riding time) with :50 left in the bout. Pataky was able to play defense for the remainder of the match and notch the exciting 11-9 decision.
133: Penn State did not weigh anyone in at 133, giving the Wolverines six key points in a slot that the Nittany Lions had won during their 21-18 dual meet win over the UM in the National Duals back in January. The six points gave Michigan a 31-6 victory.