March 19, 2009
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team concluded the first day at the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships in fine fashion as two Penn Staters notched upset wins in the second round to advance to the national quarterfinals. Senior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) and true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) both downed higher seeds and will continue on in the winners' bracket tomorrow morning.
Five of Penn State's six grapplers remain alive as the Nittany Lions 18.0 points has the team sitting in tenth place, tied with Missouri, and a mere six points out of fourth place in the national team title race. Iowa and Iowa state are tied with 33.0 each, followed by Ohio State with 30.0 and Nebraska in fourth with 24.0.
Strayer got things started for Penn State with a marathon 7-3 win in three tie-breakers over #7 Nick Fanthorpe of Iowa State. Strayer entered the tournament as the #10 seed and will now face #2 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State in the quarterfinals tomorrow morning. Wright fell behind early to #6 Steve Anceravage of Cornell, but dominated the final two periods. Wright used a stunning throw in the second period to nearly pin the Big Red grappler and rolled on to an 8-6 win. He will face #3 Brandon Browne of Nebraska in the quarters tomorrow morning. Unseeded Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) was Penn State's third grappler in the second round and he dropped an 11-3 major decision to #8 Jonathan Reader of Iowa State. He will return to action in the consolation second round tomorrow morning against Donald Jones of West Virginia.
In the consolation round, Penn State also went 2-1. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) posted a 12-2 major decision over Clarion's Jay Ivanco and moves onto the second round of consolations tomorrow morning. He will face Illinois' B.J. Futrell. Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) received a medical forfeit win over Harvard's Corey Jantzen, the #9 seed, and will face Pitt's Tyler Nauman tomorrow morning in the second round of consolations.
But a superb evening for Penn State was dampened as returning All-American Bubba Jenkins was barely able to wrestle his consolation bout against West Virginia's David Jauregui. Jenkins was injured in the second period of his first round loss (leading 6-1 at the time, the injury led to a stunning first round loss) and had no mobility in a 10-1 loss to Jauregui. The loss ends Jenkins season as the defending national runner-up, who began the year 24-0, ends the season with a 24-3 record.
Despite Jenkins injury and subsequent losses, the Nittany Lions went 4-2 on the evening and end day one with a solid 8-5 record with every wrestler still alive save Jenkins.
The tournament continues tomorrow with two sessions. The national quarterfinals will take place at 11 a.m. as will consolation bouts and will air live on ESPNU HD and ESPN360. Session two on Friday starts at 7 p.m. with more consolation bouts and the national semifinals. ESPN2 HD, ESPNU HD and ESPN 360 will broadcast the semifinals live. The three-day tournament continues on Saturday with sessions at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
BOUT BY BOUT:
125: Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) followed a 1-1 morning up with a first round consolation bout against Jay Ivanco of Clarion at 125. Pataky wasted no time in getting control of Ivanco's right leg, shooting right off the opening whistle and finishing off the takedown at the 2:37 mark to lead 2-0 early on. Pataky then pulled Ivanco's arm underneath and rolled him over for three back points and a 5-0 lead. Pataky rolled Ivanco two more times but could not pick up any back points as the Golden Eagle was able to roll through. But after a reset, Pataky got two more near fall points, rolling his opponent one more time and taking a 7-0 lead. Ivanco did manage an escape before the first period ended but trailed 7-1. Pataky, with a big lead and 2:24 in riding time, chose down to start the second period. Ivanco was strong on top, however, riding Pataky for the entire period to work away most of Pataky's riding time edge. Trailing 7-1, Ivanco chose neutral to start the final period. Pataky countered a slight Ivanco shot, worked his way around the Eagle grappler, and took a 9-1 lead with a takedown at the 1:30 mark. The sophomore then put together another strong ride, tilting Ivanco for two more back points and keeping control of the Clarion grappler until a reset was called with :21 left in the bout. Ivanco managed an escape before the bout ended, but the result was the same as Pataky posted a strong 12-2 major decision. The win gives the sophomore a 2-1 record on day one and moves him into the second round of consolations tomorrow morning against B.J. Futrell of Illinois.
133: Senior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), the #10 seed at 133, met #7 seed Nick Fanthorpe of Iowa State in the second round. Fanthorpe had the first chance to score, gaining control of Strayer's right leg early in the opening period. But Strayer forced a reset out of bounds and action resumed in the center circle at the 1:40 mark. Strayer then took the lead by gaining control of Fanthorpe's shoulders and pulling the Cyclone down at the :46 mark to lead 2-0. Strayer then managed to ride Fanthorpe out to lead 2-0 after the opening period. Strayer chose down to begin the second period steadily worked his way out to an escape and a 3-0 lead with 1:20 left in the middle stanza. Fanthorpe tied Strayer up and nearly scored at the :30 mark, but the Lion All-American was able to force a stalemate and carry the 3-0 lead into the third period. Riding time was not a factor as Strayer had a slim :03 lead. Fanthorpe chose down to begin the third period. Strayer, while he did pick up a first stall warning, maintained control of Fanthorpe long enough to build up a 1:02 riding time edge before the Cyclone escaped to a 3-1 deficit. Fanthorpe gained control of Strayer and worked his way to a tying takedown with :21 left, knotting the score at 3-3. Strayer could not escape before the period ended, sending the bout to a sudden victory period. Neither wrestler would manage any scoring and the bout moved to the tie-breaker. Strayer was down for the first :30 session and could not escape from Fanthorpe's ride. Strayer now needed to keep control of Fanthorpe for :30 to force a second sudden victory period. The Nittany Lion All-American managed to hang on to the Cyclone long enough to force a second sudden victory period. Strayer used a headlock, forcing a scramble with :40 left, but Fanthorpe worked his way to a stalemate and a reset with :30 left. No scoring meant a second tie-breaker, with Fanthorpe down for the first :30. Strayer was once again able to control Fanthorpe and now had his turn to escape in the :30 period. But Fanthorpe was able to control Strayer long enough to force a third sudden victory period. The duo tied up in a scramble for much of the period, with neither man finding an advantage. Still tied at 3-3, a third tie-breaker ensued. Strayer was down for the first :30 again and This time, Strayer escaped to a 4-3 lead at the :20 mark and needed only to hold Fanthorpe down to secure the upset victory. Strayer maintained control of Fanthorpe for and then turned the Cyclone for three back points to grab a thrilling 7-3 victory and move into tomorrow morning's quarterfinals.
141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) took on #9 seed Corey Jantzen of Harvard in the first round of consolations. But Jantzen was injured in his first round bout and had to medical forfeit, giving Molinaro the win plus two team points. Molinaro now moves on to tomorrow morning's consolation round two where he will meet Pitt's Tyler Nauman.
149: Defending national runner-up Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), upset in the opening round and battling a back injury, met West Virginia's David Jauregui in the 149-pound consolation bracket. Jauregui notched the first takedown, working his way behind a hobbled Jenkins for an early 2-0 lead. The Mountaineer then maintained control of Jenkins for :34 before Jenkins escaped to a 2-1 deficit. But Jauregui gained control of Jenkins' arm and tripped him to the ground for another takedown and a 4-1 lead. Jenkins was forced to take an injury timeout with :30 left. Jauregui then rode Jenkins out to lead 4-1 with 1:15 in riding time after one period. Jenkins chose neutral to start the second stanza. Jauregui added another quick takedown to lead 6-1 as Jenkins struggled to continue. Jauregui then rode Jenkins for the rest of the period to lead 6-1 with 2:30 in riding time heading into the final period. Jenkins tried to shoot, but his back would not allow the All-American to finish anything offensively and Jauregui was able to quickly counter and up his lead to 8-1. Jenkins gave up a stall point and Jauregui picked up the riding time point to post a 10-1 major over the injured Lion junior. The loss ends Jenkins' tournament with an 0-2 record as the Nittany Lion's second period injury against Fittery cost him a chance at repeating as an All-American. Jenkins, who began the season 24-0, ends the year with a 24-3 record.
165: Junior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), fresh off a win over the #9 seed in the opening round at 165, met #8 seed Jonathan Reader of Iowa State in the second round. Reader gained control of Vallimont's left arm early and tried to pull him in for a quick takedown, but the Lion All-American was able to break free and move action back to the middle of the mat. Vallimont then countered a Reader shot and took 2-0 lead with a takedown, only to be reversed to tie the bout at 2-2 with 1:30 left in the opening period. Reader the put together a strong ride, controlling Vallimont for a minute and then picking up two near fall points with :10 left to carry a 4-2 lead with 1:15 in riding time into the second period. Reader chose down to start the middle period and quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead. Vallimont gained control of Reader's right foot and nearly took the Cyclone down. But Reader was able to counter the shot and work his way around the Nittany Lion for his own takedown and a 7-2 lead. A ride-out allowed Reader to lead 7-2 with 1:52 in riding time heading into the final period. Vallimont chose neutral to start the third period, only to fall behind 9-2 after another Reader takedown. Vallimont gave up a stall point and, after an escaped, dropped an 11-3 major decision. The loss moves Vallimont into tomorrow morning's consolation second round where he will face the winner of the David Jones (West Virginia)/Jeremy Brooks (Millersville) consolation bout (which takes place later tonight).
174: True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), the #11 seed at 174, followed up his first round pin with a bout against #6 Steve Anceravage of Cornell in the second round. Wright and Anceravage battled evenly for a minute before Anceravage managed to trip Wright to the ground for a takedown and a 2-0 lead at the 1:56 mark. Anceravage then managed to keep control of Wright for the remainder of the period with a very strong ride and led 2-0 with 1:56 in riding time heading into the second period. Anceravage chose down to start the period and Wright cut him loose to a 3-0 lead. Wright then quickly caught Anceravage in a headlock and threw him to his back, nearly pinning him at the 1:30 mark. Anceravage fought off his back for nearly a minute and finally rolled to his stomach, but the five point move put Wright in the lead 5-3. Anceravage escaped to a 5-4 deficit with :35 left in the period and action returned to the center circle. Leading 5-4, Wright chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 6-4 lead, all before Anceravage could build up a riding time edge (the Big Red grappler had a :56 advantage). Wright nearly notched another takedown at the 1:30 mark, but Anceravage countered and forced action out of bounds. Wright almost completed another double leg with 1:00 left but Anceravage was able fall out of bounds. But Wright was undaunted, using another quick double leg to take Anceravage down to lead 8-5. Wright got called for a stall call, but it was the last point the Nittany Lion would give up and the true freshman went on to post the stunning 8-6 win. The victory moves the young Lion on to tomorrow morning's quarterfinals where he will meet #3 Brandon Browne of Nebraska.
2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships
Team Top Ten - End Session 2
1: Iowa - 33.0
Iowa State - 33.0
3: Ohio State - 30.0
4: Nebraska - 24.0
5: Edinboro - 22.5
6: Boise State 22.0
7: Illinois - 20.5
8: Hofstra -- 20.0
9: Cornell - 18.5
10: PENN STATE - 18.0
Missouri - 18.0
Attendance session two: 15,851
Penn State's record overall through session two: 8-5
Penn State Agate (# indicates tournament seed)
125 - Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield HS), So.
Tournament Record: 2-1 - Overall record now 30-10
Pigtail: WBF (1:40) Ian Moser, Bloomsburg
Rd 1: L, 6-11 dec. #6 James Nicholson, Old Dominion
Cns 1: W, 12-2 maj. dec. Jay Ivanco, Clarion
Cns 2: Tomorrow morning vs. B.J. Futrell, Illinois
133 - #10 Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa./Forest Hills HS), Sr.
Tournament Record: 2-0 - Overall record now 18-8
Rd. 1: W, 7-2 dec. Ricky Deubel, Edinboro
Rd. 2: W, 7-3 (TB3) dec. #7 Nick Fanthorpe, Iowa State
Qtrs: Tomorrow morning vs. #2 Reece Humphrey, Ohio State
141 - Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional HS), Fr.
Tournament Record: 1-1 - Overall record now 20-17
Rd. 1: L, 1-7 dec. #8 Ryan Williams, Old Dominion
Cns 1: W, med. forf. #9 Corey Jantzen, Harvard
Cns 2: Tomorrow morning vs. Tyler Nauman, Pittsburgh
149 - #2 Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial HS), Jr.
Tournament Record: 0-2 - Overall record now 24-3 - Season Complete
Rd. 1: L, 6-12 dec. Matt Fittery, Lock Haven
Cns 1: L, 1-10 maj. dec. David Jauregui, West Virginia
165 - Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp. HS), Jr.
Tournament Record: 1-1 - Overall record now 22-11
Rd. 1: W, 8-6 (sv) #9 Brandon Mason, Oklahoma State
Rd. 2: L, 3-11 maj. dec. #8 Jonathan Reader, Iowa State
Cns 2: Tomorrow morning vs. Donald Jones, West Virginia
174 - #11 Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area HS), Fr.
Tournament Record: 2-0 - Overall record now 31-10
Rd. 1: WBF (1:17) Byron Sigmon, UNC-Greensboro
Rd. 2: W, 8-6 dec. #6 Steve Anceravage, Cornell
Qtrs: Tomorrow morning vs. #3 Brandon Browne, Nebraska