Feb. 8, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 22 nationally, was downed 31-6 by No. 1 Iowa in its final home conference dual meet of the season. Beset by injuries for the past month, Penn State continued to look for bright spots with a line-up featuring six freshmen in front of over 5,000 fans in a packed Rec Hall.
With the bout starting at 165, Penn State had its early chances at an upset win slip way as junior All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) lost a heart-breaking 5-4 decision on riding time to No. 3 Ryan Morningstar. True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) was then upset at 174 by Iowa's Colby Covington, 3-2.
The Hawkeyes got wins at 184 and 197 to take a 16-0 lead before Nittany Lion freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) got a 4-0 win at heavyweight over Hawkeye reserve Brody Ambrose. At 125, No. 4 Charlie Falck posted a hard-fought 9-3 win over Penn State's Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.). Pataky entered the bout ranked No. 13 and had started the Big Ten dual meet season 5-0. No. 1 Daniel Dennis was taken to the limit at 133 by Nittany Lion All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.). But the top-ranked Hawkeye was able to get out of Rec Hall with a 6-3 win over No. 9 Strayer.
Freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) lost a 6-2 bout to No. 2 Alex Tsirtsis at 141 in a very entertaining bout. The Nittany Lion freshman managed to ride Tsirtsis for the entire third period, trying to turn the Hawkeye for back points but not getting any. Iowa got a pin from No. 1 Brent Metcalf at 149 before freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) got Penn State's second win with a fine performance at 157. In only his second dual as a Nittany Lion, Darling notched a 5-4 win over Iowa's Matt Ballweg.
Penn State started six freshmen in the bout, getting wins from two of them, and four men who were not in the starting line-up at the start of the season.
Penn State is now 7-10-2 on the year, 0-4-2 in conference duals. Iowa is now 20-0, 4-0. The Nittany Lions close out their Big Ten season next weekend, visiting Michigan State on Friday, Feb. 13, and Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 14. 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.
#22 Penn State 6, #1 Iowa 31
Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa.
| 165: #3 Ryan Morningstar IOWA dec. #20 Dan Vallimont PSU, 5-4 (riding time) | 0-3 |
| 174: Colby Covington IOWA dec. #16 Quentin Wright PSU, 3-2 | 0-6 |
| 184: #3 Phillip Keddy IOWA tech. fall (4-pt.) Jack Decker PSU, 25-10 (6:59) | 0-10 |
| 197: #18 Chad Beatty IOWA pinned J.R. Brown PSU, WBF (5:26) | 0-16 |
| HWT: Cameron Wade PSU dec. Brody Ambrose IOWA, 4-0 | 3-16 |
| 125: #4 Charlie Falck IOWA dec. #13 Brad Pataky PSU, 9-3 | 3-19 |
| 133: #1 Daniel Dennis IOWA dec. #9 Jake Strayer PSU, 6-3 | 3-22 |
| 141: #2 Alex Tsirtsis IOWA dec. Frank Molinaro PSU, 6-2 | 3-25 |
| 149: #1 Brent Metcalf IOWA pinned Colby Pisani PSU, WBF (2:18) | 3-31 |
| 157: Tim Darling PSU dec. Matt Ballweg IOWA, 5-4 (riding time) | 6-31 |
Final Score: #22 Penn State 6, #I Iowa 31
Attendance: 5,050
Records: Penn State 7-10-2, 0-4-2 Big Ten; Iowa 20-0, 4-0 Big Ten
Up next: At Michigan State, Friday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
165: Junior All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 20 at 165, met No. 3 Ryan Morningstar in a marquee match-up. Vallimont got in high on Morningstar's right thigh early, working his way to a takedown at the 2:14 mark for an early 2-1 lead (after a quick Morningstar escape). Each man spent the next minute-plus looking for an opening and with :35 left, Vallimont moved in on another high single. The Nittany Lion co-captain then spent :35 battling to finish the move, but Morningstar was able to keep the Lion from getting his right arm into position for the takedown and the first period ended. Trailing 2-1, Morningstar chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Morningstar then dove at Vallimont's feet and nearly got his first takedown. But Vallimont managed to work his hands around the Hawkeye's feet and force a stalemate at the 1:00 mark. Neither wrestler scored over the last minute and action moved to the final period tied 2-2. Vallimont chose down to start the third stanza and escaped to a 3-2 lead with 1:35 left to wrestle. Morningstar quickly scored, however, with a solid low double after the reset and took a 4-3 lead. Vallimont worked to escape to a tie. But Morningstar was able to ride Vallimont until only :07 remained. V Vallimont did escape to tie the score, but the riding time point for Morningstar gave the Hawkeye a 5-4 win.
174: Penn State true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 16 at 174, took on Colby Covington, stepping in for No. 4 Jay Borschel, who was still battling an injury. Wright was the aggressor from the start, working Covington's shoulders for a takedown. But Covington was able to work his way out of bounds on three separate occasions, keeping the bout scoreless early. Covington then gained control of Wright's right ankle, looking for a takedown. But the Lion fought off the move and nearly turned scored himself. With the bout tied 0-0 after one period, Wright chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Covington countered a Wright shot, slid around the Lion freshman and took a 2-0 lead with :20 left. Wright then quickly escaped to tie the score at 2-2 before the second period could end. Tied 2-2, Covington chose down to start the third and Wright cut him loose to a 3-2 lead, needing a takedown to take the lead. Wright looked for opening s to score, but Covington was able to back up and block off every Lion scoring chance. While he did force Covington into one stall, a second was never called and the Hawkeye posted a 3-2 upset win.
184: Nittany Lion senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) faced No. 3 Phillip Keddy of Iowa at 184. Keddy got the first takedown to lead 2-1, riding Decker for :33 and then cutting him loose. He went on to add five more takedowns in the first period to take a commanding 12-5 lead after three minutes of wrestling. Keddy chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 13-5 lead. The third-ranked Hawkeye then notched two more takedowns to lead 17-6 after two periods. Decker chose down to start the third period and was cut loose by Keddy to a 17-7 deficit. Decker tried to wrap Keddy's head and turn him to his back early in the third, but the Hawkeye countered and moved around Decker for another takedown and a 19-8 lead. Keddy began looking for a technical fall and tacked on three more takedowns for a 25-10 technical fall at the 6:59 mark. The technical fall was worth four points (no back points were scored) and Iowa took a 10-0 lead.
197: Red-shirt freshman J.R. Brown (Bellefonte, Pa.) went to the mat at 197 to take on Iowa's Chad Beatty, who was ranked No. 18. Beatty got the first takedowns, scoring twice in the first minute for an early 4-2 lead. Beatty worked his way around Brown at the 1:30 mark to up his lead to 6-3 after a Brown escape at the 1:02 mark. A fourth takedown allowed Beatty to carry an 8-4 lead into the second stanza. Brown chose down to start the second period and escaped to an 8-5 deficit with 1:20 left. But Beatty continued to pour on the offense with another quick takedown at the 1:00 mark. Beatty then rode Brown out to lead 10-5 with 2:47 in riding time after two periods. Beatty chose down to start the final stanza and reversed Brown to up his lead to 12-5 just ten seconds into the bout. After a reset, Beatty turned Brown to his back and quickly pinned the Nittany Lion at the 5:26 mark, putting Iowa up 16-0 after four bouts.
HWT: Penn State sent heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) into action at heavyweight against Iowa 197-pounder Brody Ambrose. Ambrose was filling in for junior Dan Erekson, who entered the bout ranked No. 7 but was injured Friday night. Wade took a quick 2-0 lead on Ambrose, gaining control of the Hawkeye's right leg and tripping him to the mat for a takedown at the 1:53 mark. With a sizeable weight advantage, Wade put together a strong ride, trying to turn Ambrose for back points. While he was not able to turn the Hawkeye, he did force him into a first stall warning. Leading 2-0, Wade chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 3-0 lead. Wade was not able to notch another takedown over the final minute of the third period and led 3-0 heading into the third. Ambrose chose neutral to start the third. Ambrose gained control of Wade's ankle and looked to notch his first takedown, but Wade was able to work his way around and force a stalemate at the 1:00 mark. Neither wrestler managed a score over the final minute and, with the riding time point, Wade got the 4-0 win. Iowa still led 16-3.
125: Penn State's Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 125 and riding a five-match Big Ten win streak, took on No. 4 Charlie Falck of Iowa in one of the dual's many highlighted meetings. For the first time in the Big Ten season, Pataky gave up the first takedown as Falck used a solid low double to take a 2-1 lead after a Pataky escape with 2:05 left in the opening period. Falck added a second takedown at the :50 mark, gaining control of Pataky's thigh and lifting him up for a 4-1 lead. Pataky could not break free for an escape as the first period ended and Falck carried that three-point lead into the second stanza. Pataky chose down and was cut loose to a 4-2 deficit. But Falck was able to set the tempo and added a third takedown for a 6-3 lead just :15 into the period. Falck used a swift high double leg with just :06 left to up his lead to 8-3 after two periods. Falck chose neutral to start the third stanza. Pataky looked for openings, but Falck was able to counter every Pataky shot and work his way to a 9-3 win (with the riding time point). The hard-fought decision put Iowa up 19-3.
133: Senior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 133 faced his sternest test to date when he met No. 1 Daniel Dennis of Iowa. Strayer was solid early on, fighting off a flurry of Dennis shots and keeping the bout scoreless early. Dennis was the aggressor, but Strayer's quick footwork allowed the Nittany Lion senior to keep Dennis at arm's length. Tied 0-0 after one period, Dennis chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Dennis countered a Strayer shot and, after a scramble that almost had Strayer on his back, took a 2-0 lead at the 0:49 mark. Strayer escaped to a 2-1 deficit with :18 left and immediately turned into the Hawkeye, looking for a late takedown. But Dennis was able to keep Strayer away and led 3-1 after two periods. Strayer chose down and quickly escaped to a 3-2 deficit just seconds into the final period. Strayer shot low with 1:20 left and, once again, Dennis was able to step aside and around the Nittany Lion to notch his own takedown. With a 5-2 lead, Dennis was able to ride Strayer long enough to build up a 1:11 riding time edge before Strayer escaped to a 5-3 deficit. Strayer continued to shoot, but Dennis was able to play defense long enough to wind out the clock and post a 6-3 win (with the riding time point).
141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) went to battle at 141 against Iowa's Alex Tsirtsis, ranked No. 2. Tsirtsis spent the first period on attack, but Molinaro gamely fought off a first scoring chance for nearly a minute before forcing a reset. But with :32 left, the Hawkeye's pressure paid off with a takedown and a 2-0 lead. Down 2-0, Molinaro chose down to start the second period. Tsirtsis, however, was able to ride the Nittany Lion freshman long enough to build up a solid riding time edge before Molinaro escaped. With just :20 left, Tsirtsis added another takedown and then added two back points for a solid 6-1 lead after two periods. Tsirtsis chose down to start the third period and Molinaro began working for back points. Tsirtsis, however, was able to keep the Lion freshman from notching any near fall points. Molinaro did force the second-ranked Hawkeye into a stall warning, however. Molinaro picked up one point for another Tsirtsis stall but could not turn the Hawkeye for back points. Molinaro was able to ride the Hawkeye out, but Tsirtsis was able to grab the 6-2 win.
149: With many fans hoping to see a rematch of last year's national championship bout at 149, Penn State was still without the services of No. 2 Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), who was still out with an injury. In his stead, red-shirt freshman Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.) took on No. 1 Brent Metcalf, the defending national champion. Metcalf, the defending national champion, was too much for Pisani early on, notching three early takedowns before getting a pin at the 2:18 mark. The win gave Iowa a 31-3 lead.
157: Nittany Lion freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.), who made his dual meet debut on Friday, took to the mat at 157 to face Iowa's Matt Ballweg. Darling was the aggressor early, looking for a chance to open up an early lead. Darling gained control of Ballweg's shoulders and tossed him to his back for a takedown on the edge of the mat. After a reset with 2:04 left, Darling then put together a solid ride, building up a sizeable 2:03 riding time edge by riding Ballweg out. Trailing 2-0, Ballweg chose neutral to start the second period. Darling took a long injury timeout right at the start of the second stanza and, after a reset, Ballweg immediately used a high double-leg to tie the bout at 2-2 with 1:20 left. Darling quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead with 1:04 left and action resumed in the center circle. Darling got in on Ballweg's right ankle with :50 left, but the Hawkeye was able to force a stalemate. Ballweg nearly got another takedown as the period ended, but Darling was able to stay away long enough for the buzzer to sound. Leading 3-2 with 1:36 in riding time, Darling chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 lead. Ballweg once again tried to score on a high double, but this time Darling was able to wrap his opponent's chest long enough to force another stalemate at the 1:04 mark. The Lion rookie, wrestling in only his second dual, was able to cinch the riding time point before Ballweg was able to get a takedown with just :10 left. But Darling's riding time point allowed him to notch a 5-4 win and make the final score Iowa 31, Penn State 6.