Feb. 20, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 24 nationally, dropped a 20-13 decision to No. 25 Penn in the dual meet finale for head coach Troy Sunderland's squad. Penn State got wins out of its three All-Americans and a true freshman.
The match began at 125 with one of the dual's marquee match-ups as No. 11 Rollie Peterkin downed No. 13 Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) of Penn State, 12-4. All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 133, answered with a 15-8 win at 133 to cut the Penn lead to 4-3. Penn senior Rick Rappo got his 26th win of the year with a 6-0 victory over Penn State freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) at 141 to put Penn up 7-3.
All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) used a takedown with :04 left in sudden victory to notch a critical 3-1 win over Penn's Cesar Grajales. Jenkins entered the bout ranked No. 2 while Grajales was No. 11. Jenkins' win allowed him to finish the regular season with an unblemished 22-0 record. The victory also cut Penn's lead to 7-6. One of the evening's most entertaining bouts occurred at 157 where Nittany Lion freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) nearly pinned and upset No. 18 Matt Dragon of Penn. Dragon posted a hard-fought 7-5 decision put the Quakers up 10-6.
Nittany Lion All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) then got a takedown with just :03 left to post an 11-3 major over Penn's Zack Shanaman and knot the dual meet at 10-10. True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 16 at 174, and notched an 11-5 win to give Penn State a 13-10 lead heading into the final three bouts.
Senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.), wrestling in his last dual meet as a Nittany, Lion, dropped a hard-fought 7-2 decision at 184 to tie the dual once again at 13-13. True-freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) nearly posted another upset, dropping a last second 4-2 decision to Penn junior Thomas Shovlin. The win put Penn up 16-13 heading into the heavyweight bout, where Penn senior Trey McLean posted a major over Penn State heavyweight Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.)
Penn State ends the dual meet season with an 8-12-2 record, 1-5-2 in conference duals. Penn is now 12-6, 4-1 in the Ivy League. The Nittany Lions will host the 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships on March 7-8 in the Bryce Jordan Center. 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 13, #25 Penn 20
Friday, Feb. 20, 2009 - State College, Pa.
| 125: #11 Rollie Peterkin UP maj. dec. #13 Brad Pataky PSU, 12-4 | 0-4 |
| 133: #9 Jake Strayer PSU dec. Bryan Ortenzio UP, 15-8 | 3-4 |
| 141: Rick Rappo UP dec. Frank Molinaro PSU, 6-0 | 3-7 |
| 149: #2 Bubba Jenkins PSU dec. #11 Cesar Grajales, 3-1 (SV) | 6-7 |
| 157: #18 Matt Dragon UP dec. Tim Darling PSU, 7-5 | 6-10 |
| 165: Dan Vallimont PSU maj. dec. Zack Shanaman UP, 11-3 | 10-10 |
| 174: #16 Quentin Wright PSU dec. Scott Giffin UP, 11-5 | 13-10 |
| 184: Colin Hitschler UP dec. Jack Decker PSU, 7-2 | 13-13 |
| 197: Thomas Shovlin UP dec. Clay Steadman PSU, 4-2 | 13-16 |
| HWT: Trey McLean UP maj. dec. Stefan Tighe PSU, 10-1 | 13-20 |
Final Score: #24 Penn State 13, #25 Penn 20
Attendance: 1,749
Records: Penn State 8-12-2; Penn 12-6
Up next: Penn State hosts the 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, March 7-8.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Penn State sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) met Penn junior Rollie Peterkin in one of the dual's premier match-ups. Pataky entered the bout ranked No. 13 while Peterkin was No. 11. Pataky shot first right out of the gates, but Peterkin countered and got the first two points with a takedown at the 2:42 mark. The Penn junior then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Pataky for over a minute and then turning him for three back points to take a 5-0 lead. He then rode Pataky out to carry a commanding 5-0 lead with 2:42 in riding time into the second period. Pataky chose neutral to begin the middle stanza. He then took Peterkin down at the 1:30 mark to cut the lead to 5-2 and then cut the Quaker loose, looking for another takedown. A fast double leg with :30 left allowed the Nittany Lion gain control of the Quaker's right ankle, but Peterkin was able to force a tie up that ended the period. Leading 6-2, Peterkin chose down to start the final period. Pataky cut Peterkin loose to a 7-2 deficit and began looking for a chance to score. But Peterkin countered the Lion sophomore and upped his lead to 9-2 with 1:10 left. Pataky reversed Peterkin with :30 left, cutting the lead to 9-4, but the Penn State sophomore allowed Peterkin out and then gave up a takedown with :02 left, allowing Peterkin to post a 12-4 major and put the Quakers up 4-0 early.
133: Nittany Lion All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 133, took on Penn's Bryan Ortenzio in the final dual meet of his Nittany Lion career. Ortenzio got the first takedown to lead 2-1 less than :30 into the bout. Strayer worked to take the lead on the edge of the mat, nearly getting a takedown at the 1:30 mark. But action moved out of bounds, forcing a reset in the center circle. Ortenzio gained control of Strayer's right leg and worked :30 off the clock before a stalemate was called as the Nittany Lion senior fought through the move. Strayer nearly scored as the period ended, but time ran out on the edge of the mat and Strayer trailed 2-1. Strayer chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. With 1:30 left, Strayer finally got his takedown, driving through a high single to take a 4-2 lead. He cut Ortenzio loose after a reset with :51 left and began looking for another takedown. Strayer took a 6-3 lead after a scramble on the edge of the mat and rode Ortenzio out to lead 6-3 with :48 in riding time heading into the third period. Ortenzio chose down to start the third period and was cut loose by Strayer, who then worked a single leg into another takedown and an 8-5 lead (after Strayer cut the Penn wrestlers loose). Sensing bonus points, Strayer began to tack on takedowns. He notched one with 1:15 left to lead 10-6, another with :51 left to lead 12-7, and a third with :35 left to lead 14-8. The Nittany Lion could not break through Ortenzio for a final takedown and posted a 15-8 decision.
141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) took to the mat at 141 against Penn senior Rick Rappo. Rappo entered the bout with a superb 24-5 record. Molinaro had the first solid scoring opportunity, turning a high single into a scoring chance. But the veteran Quaker was able to work out of trouble and keep the bout scoreless early on. Another high single led to another Rappo stalemate as Molinaro continued to pressure the Penn senior. Tied 0-0 after one period, Molinaro chose down to start the second stanza. Rappo put together a strong ride, turning Molinaro for two back points at the :49 mark. A ride-out allowed Rappo to lead 2-0 with a full 2:00 in riding time after two periods. Rappo chose down to start the third period and was cut loose to a 3-0 lead. Molinaro quickly got in on Rappo's right thigh. But Rappo countered and moved around Molinaro to lead get the bout's first takedown and lead 5-0 with 1:33 left. With a riding time point secured, Rappo began looking for a chance to tilt the Lion freshman and post some bonus points. Molinaro was not able to work out from Rappo's control, but the Nittany Lion freshman was able to avoid being tilted and gave up a 6-0 decision rather than a major. The victory put Penn up 7-3.
149: Junior All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Penn senior Cesar Grajales met in another highly anticipated match-up. Jenkins entered the bout 21-0 and ranked No. 2 at 149 while Grajales came in 24-5 and ranked No. 11. Jenkins and Grajales battled evenly through two minutes of action with neither man finding a solid chance to score. The first period ended in a scoreless tie and Jenkins chose down to start the second stanza. The Nittany Lion steadily worked his way out to a 1-0 lead with 1:35 left. Jenkins and Grajales once again battled for a scoring chance. Mirroring the first period, no scoring chances were in the cards and Jenkins was hit with a first stall warning near the end of the second stanza. Trailing 1-0, Grajales chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. With ::20 left, Grajales briefly got in on a single, but Jenkins was able to counter and force a stalemate with :04 left. The match moved to a first sudden victory period. Jenkins gained control of Grajales' right ankle with :20 left and after :16 of work, pulled the talented Quaker in and picked the other ankle for the winning takedown with :04 left in sudden victory. The 3-1 win cut Penn's lead to 7-6 and pushed Jenkins out to a 22-0 record.
157: Penn State freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) faced Penn senior Matt Dragon, who entered the bout ranked No. 18 at 157. Dragon forced a scramble midway through the opening period and, after nearly pinning the Lion freshman, took a 2-0 lead with 1:29 left. After a reset, Darling locked his hands but was not penalized for it and Darling worked to reverse the ranked Quaker. After a tie-up on the edge of the mat, Darling got the reversal to knot the score at 2-2 with :13 left in the period. Darling then rode Dragon out and the bout headed to the second stanza tied 2-2 (Dragon had 1:01 in riding time). Dragon chose down to start the second period. Darling looked to turn Dragon, but the senior Quaker managed to work his way around and get his own reversal to lead 4-2 with 1:32 left in the period. Darling nearly scrambled his way into another reversal but Dragon rolled through and maintained his advantage. Dragon managed to turn Darling for two back points before the period ended and led 6-2 after 5:00 of wrestling. Darling chose down to start the third period. Darling could not work his way free of a strong Dragon ride. Dragon gave up a point on two consecutive stalls and led 6-3 with :21 left. Darling managed a reversal with :03 left but ran out of time in his quest for an upset and, with Dragon's riding time point, fell 7-5. The win put Penn up 10-6.
165: Nittany Lion All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) faced Penn's Zack Shanaman at 165. Vallimont wasted no time in taking an early lead, turning his patented single into a 2-0 lead just :10 into the bout. Vallimont then dominated the Quaker senior on top looking for a chance to post back points. Shanaman was able to keep from giving up any near fall points, but Vallimont was able to collect 2:06 in riding time before Shanaman escaped. Leading 2-1, Vallimont chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. With the Lions needing bonus points, Vallimont was the aggressor and took a 5-1 lead with another takedown at the 1:28 mark. Vallimont cut Shanaman loose and began looking for another takedown. Vallimont gained control of Shanaman's right ankle and looked to score one more time as the period ended. While not getting the takedown, Shanaman gave up a point on a technical violation, giving Vallimont a 6-2 lead with 2:30 in riding time heading into the final period. Shanaman chose neutral to start the third period. Vallimont continued to shoot at Shanaman's right thigh, but the Quaker was able to block off the Lion's efforts. Vallimont got another takedown with :12 left to lead 8-2 and cut the Quaker loose with just :10 left. Blazing after the Quaker senior, Vallimont notched a final takedown with just :03 left to post an 11-3 major decision and tie the dual meet at 10-10.
174: True-freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 16 at 174, met Penn's Scott Giffin. Wright nearly pinned Giffin right out of the blocks, almost turning a mixer into a quick six points. But Giffin managed to bounce out of trouble and Wright led 2-0 with 2:38 left. Wright then cut Giffin loose after building up 1:03 in riding time and began looking for another chance to score. Wright continued to pressure Giffin and with :03 left, gained control of the Quaker's shoulders, tripped him to the ground and notched another takedown. Leading 4-1 with 1:06 in riding time, Wright chose down to start the second period and reversed Giffin in just :06 seconds, leading 6-2 after a Giffin escape. Wright continued to work Giffin's shoulders in the hopes of catching the Quaker with a quick throw or trip. Wright nearly got a takedown at the end of the period, but time ran out. Trailing 6-2, Giffin chose down to start the third period and was cut loose by Wright to a 6-3 deficit. Looking to pick up bonus points for his team, Wright continued to force the Quaker to the edge of the mat as Giffin continued to back away from Wright's offense. Wright took a series of shots, forcing Giffin into a second stall call and picking up a point to lead 7-3. Giffin answered, however, with a nice takedown on the edge of the mat to cut Wright's lead to 8-5 (after a Wright escape. Wright notched a quick takedown to up his lead to 10-5 with :14 left and rode Giffin out for an 11-5 win (with the riding time point). The decision gave the Nittany Lions a 13-10 lead.
184: Senior 184-pounder Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) faced Penn's Colin Hitschler in the final dual meet of his Penn State career. The duo battled evenly for the first minute-plus until Hitschler gained control of Decker's right leg, pulled it to his shoulder and forcing a minute-long scramble that ended with a Hitschler takedown and a 2-0 lead. Decker escaped quickly and began working for his own takedown with :45 left. Hitschler used a high single leg with :20 left to force another scramble but Decker was able to work off the clock and trailed 2-1 after the opening period. Hitschler chose down to start the second stanza. Decker immediately began trying to turn Hitschler but the Quaker managed to work his way into a reversal and a 4-1 lead just :08 into the period. After a reset, Decker worked his way to his feet and nearly picked up a reversal at the 1:22 mark. But a potentially dangerous hold was called and a reset ensued again. Decker escaped at the :51 mark to cut the lead to 4-2 and began working for an opening to score. Decker took a quick shot at the :15 mark, but Hitschler was able to tie the senior up and wind out the period with a 4-2 lead and 1:09 in riding time. Decker chose top to start the final period, looking for a chance to turn Hitschler. But the Quaker was able to tie Decker up, then work his way out from underneath the Lion senior and escape to a 5-2 lead with 1:12 left. Decker pressured Hitschler, but the Quaker managed to counter his offense and notch another takedown at the :28 mark to take a 7-2 lead. A ride-out allowed Hitschler to notch the 7-2 win and tie the dual meet at 13-13.
197: Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) battled Quaker junior Thomas Shovlin at 197. Shovlin jumped out of the gates and quickly gained control of Steadman's right ankle. But the Lion freshman was able to fight off the pressure and force a stalemate with 2:10 on the clock. Steadman was able to fight off another sound Shovlin double-leg and keep the bout scoreless at the :22 mark. Steadman and Shovlin entered the second period in a scoreless tie and Steadman chose down to start the session. The Nittany Lion freshman continually tried to work his way to his feet. Shovlin continued to ride Steadman out of bounds and gave up a point on a technical violation. Steadman then escaped to a 2-0 lead with 1:05 left and action moved to the middle of the mat. Steadman then had his first opening to score, gaining control of Shovlin's left ankle. Shovlin managed to fight off the effort and wind out the clock. Trailing 2-0, Shovlin chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Steadman gave up a first stall warning with 1:06 left as Shovlin gained control of his ankle. But Steadman nearly countered for his own takedown before action moved out of bounds with :53 left to wrestle. Steadman took a quick shot that Shovlin countered for a go-ahead takedown with :15 left. Shovlin then managed to ride Steadman out to post a hard-fought 4-2 decision (with the riding time point). The win put Penn up 16-13 heading into the final bout of the night.
HWT: Nittany Lion heavyweight Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.) faced Penn senior Trey McLean. Wade was one of five freshmen in the Penn State line-up while McLean was one of six Quaker seniors and carried an 18-6 record. McLean got the bout's first takedown with 1:52 left in the opening period and then rode Tighe for remainder of the period to carry the 2-0 lead with 1:52 in riding time into the second period. Tighe chose down to start the second stanza but McLean turned the Lion for two back points and a 4-0 lead. McLean added two more back points as time ran out to lead 6-0 with 3:51 in riding time heading into the final period. McLean chose down to start the final period and was cut loose to a 7-0 lead. Shovlin quickly added another takedown to up his lead to 9-1 after a Tighe escape with 1:05 left. Tighe could not break through for a takedown as the bout ended and McLean posted a 10-1 major decision to give the Quakers a 20-13 win.