March 8, 2009
Final 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships Bracket
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will send at least five wrestlers to the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships, led by Big Ten finalists Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.). The Big Ten awarded its 61 automatic qualifiers in front of over 12,000 fans over the course of the weekend in the Bryce Jordan Center, with Penn State and the other 10 conference schools awaiting the allocation of 52 wildcards on Wednesday.
Iowa claimed its second straight team title with 141.0 points, followed by Illinois in second with 113.5. Michigan took third with 92.5 The Nittany Lions took seventh in the team race with 79.5 points The fourth through seventh place teams were all within 9.5 points of each other as Wisconsin (88.0), Minnesota (86.0), Ohio State (80.0) and Penn State (79.5) all battled down to the wire for fourth place.
Penn State went 0-2 in its Big Ten title tilts. In a rematch of last year's national title tilt at 149, Iowa's Brent Metcalf pinned Penn State's Jenkins to end Jenkins' undefeated run and claim his second straight conference crown. Jenkins heads to nationals with a 24-1 record after a 2-1 showing this weekend. At 174, true freshman Wright's thrilling Big Ten tournament run ended with a hard-fought 12-5 loss to defending national runner-up Steve Luke of Michigan. Wright, who went 3-1 as the No. 3 seed, takes the Big Ten runner-up title and a 29-10 record with him to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
The day began with the consolation and placing rounds with three Penn State red-shirt freshmen needing one more win to punch their tickets to St. Louis and three other Penn State veterans looking to add team placing points to their totals. Red-shirt freshmen Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) and Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) were each downed in their respective seventh place bouts at 141 and 157, taking eighth place and leaving their NCAA hopes in the hands of the NCAA Wild Card Committee. Classmate Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Pa.) fell in his first attempt to qualify in the consolation semifinals. He then moved on to the fifth place bout at heavyweight, needing a win to earn a spot in St. Louis. Everhart, however, was too much for Wade and notched a 7-2 win, meaning only a wild card will send Wade to St. Louis.
Penn State had three veterans in consolations that had already qualified for nationals and were looking to earn team points with higher placings. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) went 1-1 on the day, winning in the consolation semifinals but losing to Iowa's Charlie Falck in the consolation finals to take fourth at 125. Senior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) dropped two close decisions, including a tough 11-7 defeat to No. 1 seed Daniel Dennis of Iowa in the fifth place bout. All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) won consolation semifinal bout to earn a shot in the consolation finals at 165. Vallimont then dominated No. 2 seed Colt Sponseller of Ohio State, getting a 7-4 decision with three takedowns to take third place. Vallimont's strong 4-1 tournament has him headed to St. Louis in two weeks.
The NCAA will a lot the remainder 52 wild card qualifiers on Wednesday, March 11, meaning Molinaro, Darling and Wade await word on Wednesday. The 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships will take place on Thursday through Saturday, March 19-21, in St. Louis' Scottrade Center.
BOUT BY BOUT:
125: Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), the No. 4 seed at 125, took on No. 8 seed B.J. Futrell of Illinois in his consolation semifinal match. Pataky wasted no time in getting in on Futrell's left ankle. The quick move forced a scramble in the center circle and the Nittany Lion freshman finally turned it into a takedown at the 2:01 mark, nearly picking up back points in the process. The Nittany Lion sophomore then put together a dominating ride, keeping the true freshman on the mat on the mat for the rest of the period, ending it by turning Futrell for three near fall points. Futrell, trailing 5-0, chose neutral to start the second period and picked up his first takedown :30 into the stanza to cut Pataky's lead to 5-2. Pataky escaped to a 6-2 lead with 1:20 left and then battled Futrell evenly for the remainder of the period. Leading 6-2 with 1:42 in riding time, Pataky chose down to begin the third period and steadily worked his way out to an escape and a 7-2 lead. Futrell added one last takedown, but it was not enough as Pataky walked away with a solid 8-4 decision. The win moved Pataky into the consolation finals.
In the third place bout, Pataky took on No. 2 seed Charlie Falck of Iowa. Pataky took the first shot of the bout, looking to take an early lead on Falck, but the Hawkeye managed to force a stalemate at the 2:40 mark to keep early action scoreless. Falck then caught Pataky in a high hold and took the Lion down for a fall and three-back points for an early 5-0 lead. Pataky spent nearly a minute fighting off the pin and managed to keep his shoulders off the mat and avoid giving up the fall. Down by five, Pataky chose neutral to start the second period, but Falck continued to pour on the offense, adding another takedown. Pataky got an escape before the period ended, but Falck would hold a 7-1 lead with over two minutes in riding time heading into the third period. Falck chose down to start the third period and escaped to an 8-1 lead. Pataky got his first takedown at the 1:00 mark to cut Falck's lead to 8-3. Needing points, he cut the Hawkeye loose and began looking for another chance to score. Pataky tried to mixer Falck near the end of the bout, but the Hawkeye countered, notched a takedown and two back points to post a 13-3 major decision. Pataky's fourth place finish still earns him a trip to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis later this month.
133: All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) took to the mat at 133 to face Jayson Ness of Minnesota in his consolation semifinal bout. Ness was the 4th-seed while Strayer was seeded 6th. Ness force the first scramble, getting in on Strayer's legs and nearly taking a lead with an early takedown. But Strayer was able to scramble his way into a stalemate at the 2:14 mark. Ness was the early aggressor, but it was Strayer who picked up the first points, wrapping the Gopher's shoulders and pulling him to the mat for a 2-0 lead at the 1:12 mark. Strayer dominated the rest of the period on top and was working to turn Ness to his back for near fall points as the period ended, but the Gopher managed to work his arm around Strayer and stunned the Nittany Lion senior with a pin at the buzzer. The fall, at the 2:59 mark, sent Strayer into the fifth place bout.
Strayer took to the mat for fifth place against where top-seeded Daniel Dennis of Iowa. Strayer got the bout's first takedown, forcing Dennis' hands to the mat in front of the Hawkeye bench a minute into the opening stanza. Dennis gained control of Strayer's right ankle and began working for a go-ahead takedown, but Strayer was able to work his way out of bounds and keep his lead at the :50 mark. The Lion senior added to his lead late in the first period, shifting behind a Dennis shot and snatching the Hawkeyes' ankles for a late takedown. Trailing 4-1, Dennis chose down to start the second period and quickly reversed the Nittany Lion to cut the lead to 4-3 with 1:40 left. Strayer escaped to a 5-3 lead with :53 left and action returned to the center circle. Strayer fought off a solid Falck scoring attempt with :15 left in the period and maintained his 5-3 lead heading into the final period. Leading 5-3, the Nittany Lion chose down to start the final period and was cut loose to a 6-3 lead. With 1:10 left, Dennis caught Strayer trying to counter a shot and tripped the Lion to his back for a five point move, getting the takedown and three near fall points to take an 8-6 lead. Strayer, working from underneath, nearly moved himself into a pinning position, but the No. 1 seed was able to put just enough pressure on the Lion's chest to get two more back points before Strayer could escape. Dennis picked up the riding time point and escaped with a hard-fought 11-7 victory. Strayer's sixth place finish was still good enough for a trip to NCAAs.
141: With a trip to NCAAs on the line, red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) met No. 7 seed Ryan Prater of Illinois in the seventh place bout at 141. Molinaro was the early aggressor, shooting low on Prater on numerous times but finding himself in a deadlock each time as Prater forced stalemates each time. The Illini nearly took a lead as the first period ended, but Molinaro fought off the late scoring attempt to send the bout to the second stanza tied 0-0. Prater chose down to start the second period and escaped after a Molinaro ride of nearly a minute. The Lion rookie then shot once again on Prater, and this time the Illini's counter move resulted in a takedown. Prater then rode Molinaro out to lead 3-0 after two periods. Molinaro chose down to start the third period and looked to reverse the Illini. He nearly turned the trick, but Prater rolled through the move and then turned Molinaro for two back points and a 5-0 lead with 1:20 left. Molinaro reversed Prater and cut him loose for a 6-2 lead with just over 1:00 left and then shot in on the Illini one more time. But Prater was able to catch Molinaro and ice the bout with another takedown with under :45 left. Prater gave up a penalty point but added three back points and the riding time point to notch the 12-3 major decision. The loss puts Molinaro's NCAA hopes in the hands of the national wild card committee. Molinaro, now the eighth place finisher in the Big Ten, went 19-16 this year and entered the Big Ten tournament with a No. 25 spot in the Coaches Rankings and an RPI of 26.
149: In a rematch of last year's NCAA title bout at 149, Nittany Lion junior Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) met Iowa's Brent Metcalf for the Big Ten title, a rematch of last year's NCAA title bout won by Metcalf in St. Louis. Jenkins shot in on Metcalf near the edge of the mat at the 2:16 mark, only to have the Hawkeye counter and nearly notch a takedown to take an early lead. But action moved out of bounds and a reset was called with 2:13 left in the opening period. Metcalf grabbed Jenkins' right ankle and worked the move for a takedown and a 2-0 lead with 1:18 left in the opening period. A Jenkins escape cut the lead in half with :58 left in the opening period. But Metcalf added a second takedown and then turned Jenkins to his back for two near fall points to lead 6-1 heading into the second period. Metcalf chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 7-1 lead. The defending national champion added a third takedown with 1:10 left and upped his lead to 9-1 with 1:00 left in the second period. Jenkins could not break free of Metcalf's control. Metcalf worked both Jenkins' arms behind him and turned the Lion to his back for a title winning pin at the 4:52 mark. The loss was Jenkins' first of the year and the junior will carry a 24-1 record into the NCAA Championships in two weeks.
157: Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.), the second red-shirt freshman for Penn State looking to earn a trip to nationals with a win in the seventh place bout, faced Michigan State's Anthony Jones at 157. Jones was the tournament's No. 7 seed. Jones wrapped his arms around Darling midway through the opening period, lifting the young Lion off the mat and taking him down to the mat for a swift five-point move at the 1:43 mark. The takedown and near fall points gave Jones a 5-1 lead after a quick Darling escape. Jones used the same move to pin Darling shortly afterwards, getting the fall at the 2:32 mark. Darling ends his tournament as the eighth place finisher in the conference. He owns a
165: All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) met Purdue's Luke Manuel in his consolation semifinal match-up at 165. Vallimont was the No. 6 seed while Manuel was seeded No. 5. Vallimont notched the first takedown early in the bout for a quick 2-1 lead. The Nittany Lion junior gained control of Manuel's right leg again and nearly picked up a second takedown, but the Boilermaker sophomore forced a reset with 1:21 left. Another high single by Vallimont led to a solid takedown with :30 left to put the Nittany Lion up 4-1. He then managed to ride Manuel out to carry the 4-1 lead into the second period. Vallimont chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. The Nittany Lion then countered a Manuel shot and forced another long scramble in front of the Penn State bench. Manuel was able force a reset, however, and action was reset with :36 left in the period. Trailing 5-1, Manuel chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-2 deficit (riding time was not a factor). The duo then battled evenly for the full two minutes of the third period with no offense to be had, giving Vallimont the impressive 5-2 win and moving the Nittany Lion into the consolation finals.
In the third place match at 165, Vallimont battled Ohio State's Colt Sponseller, the No. 2 seed. Vallimont notched the first takedown, turning a high single into a 2-0 lead with just over 2:00 left in the opening period. Sponseller escaped to cut the lead in half and action returned to the center circle. Vallimont stepped behind Sponseller for a second takedown and led 4-2 midway through the first period. Vallimont had two more openings in the first period, but Sponseller was able to keep his distance not give up another first period takedown. Trailing 4-2, Sponseller chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-3 deficit. The duo then fought to a stalemate with 1:30 left before Vallimont countered a Sponseller shot on the edge of the mat, working his way behind the Buckeye to take a 6-3 lead with another takedown. Sponseller managed to escape with :40 left with Vallimont holding a :53 riding time edge. Leading 6-4, Vallimont chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 7-4 lead. Vallimont gained control of Sponseller's right leg and began working for yet another takedown, but Sponseller was able to force a stalemate with 1:10 left. Another Vallimont shot led to another scramble and yet another stalemate, this one with under :30 remaining. From there, Vallimont simply withstood a late Sponseller flurry and posted the convincing 7-4 win. The victory, over the tournament's second seed, gave Vallimont a third place finish as the No. 6 seed. Vallimont's season will continue in two weeks at the NCAA Championships.
174: Penn State true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), coming off a stunning 3-0 day on Saturday, took to the mat in the 2009 Big Ten title bout at 174 against Michigan's Steve Luke, the defending national runner-up. Wright was the No. 3 seed while Luke was seeded No. 1. Wright took a quick shot on Luke, hoping to score early. But the Nittany Lion freshman stumbled as he worked his way in and Luke countered to notch the takedown and lead 2-1 at the 2:08 mark. The Wolverine senior added another takedown on the edge of the mat, gaining control of Wright's ankle and pulling his other in for a 4-1 lead with 1:41 left in the opening period. Wright quickly escaped to cut into the lead and then turned in on Luke, looking for a takedown of his own. Another Luke counter in front of the Nittany Lion bench put the Wolverine up 6-2 at the 1:00 mark. Wright escaped to a 6-3 deficit, which would carry into the second period. Leading 6-3, Luke chose down to begin the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 7-3 lead. Wright tried an under hook with 1:50 left, but Luke countered his shot once again and slipped behind him, forcing a scramble that ended in another takedown and a 9-3 lead with 1:20 remaining. After escaping, Wright battled to cut into Luke's lead, but the Wolverine was able to keep the Nittany Lion freshman from scoring and led 9-4 after two periods. Wright chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 9-5 deficit (Luke, however, had built up a 1:12 riding time edge). The Nittany Lion freshman could not break through Luke's defense and the Wolverine added a late takedown to notch a convincing 12-5 win (with bonus point). Wright ended his first Big Ten tournament with a 3-1 mark, a second place finish as the third seed, and a trip to the NCAA Championships as a first-year freshman.
HWT: Red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) faced No. 4 seed John Wise of Illinois in the consolation semifinals at heavyweight. With the Big Ten only getting five automatic bids at HWT, Wade needed to win one more bout to earn a trip to nationals. Wade bolted out of the games with an early takedown and worked his way up high on Wise to try and turn him for back points. But Wise was able to work out from underneath the young Nittany Lion and reverse him to tie the bout at 2-2, all this less than :30 into the bout. Wise then rode Wade out, but the Lion freshman appeared to have the Illini pinned on a defensive move near the end of the period but did not get the call. Tied 2-2 with 2:38 in riding time, Wise chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. The duo then battled evenly for the bulk of the period, with Wade forcing Wise backwards to the end of the mat for the entire period but not picking up a stall warning. Down 3-2 and facing a stiff riding time edge, Wade chose neutral to begin the third period. The Lion rookie looked to pick Wise's ankle and take the lead with a takedown, but the veteran Illini countered the move and took Wade down to ice the bout with :40 left. Wise would ride Wade out and notch the 6-2 win with the riding time point. Wade now headed to the fifth-place bout, needing a win over No. 5 seed Nate Everhart of Indiana to earn a spot in the NCAA finals.
Against Everhart, Wade was even with the veteran Hoosier through the first minute-plus. The Nittany Lion freshman was forcing Everhart to the edge of the mat with under a minute left when the Hoosier nabbed his leg and finished the move off with a takedown to lead 2-0 at the :55 mark. Wade notched a critical escape with just :01 left and trailed 2-1 heading into the second period. Everhart chose neutral to begin the second stanza. The duo battled evenly for the bulk of the second period, with Wade forcing Everhart backwards once again and picking up a stall warning with :28 left in the period. Wade chose neutral to being the third period, needing a takedown to take the lead and keep his NCAA hopes alive. Wade had a solid chance with 1:30 left, but Everhart backed out of the circle again to keep his slim lead. Everhart then picked Wade's leg and tripped the Nittany Lion freshman to the mat for a critical takedown and a 4-1 lead with 1:00 left to wrestle. With over a minute in riding time against him, Wade escaped to cut the lead to 4-2 and began pressuring for a takedown of his own. Wade dove at Everhart's legs in a late takedown attempt, but the Hoosier countered and iced the bout with another takedown. Everhart's 7-2 win puts Wade's NCAA hopes in the hands of the wildcard committee.
2009 Big Ten Championships
Final Team Standings - End Session 3
1: Iowa, 141.0
2: Illinois, 113.5
3: Michigan, 92.5
4: Wisconsin, 88.0
5: Minnesota, 86.0
6: Ohio State, 80.0
7: PENN STATE, 79.5
8: Northwestern, 73.5
9: Indiana, 67.5
10: Purdue, 52.0
11: Michigan State, 45.5
Penn State's record overall through session three: 16-21
Penn State Agate (seed/Intermat/Coaches/RPI)
125 - Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield HS), So., S4/14/13/13
Tournament Record: 2-2 - Overall record now 28-9 - NCAA QUALIFIER - 4TH PLACE
Rd 1: Bye
Qtr: W, 7-5 dec. #5 Zach Sanders, Minnesota
Semi: LBF #1 Brandon Precin, Northwestern (6:12)
Cons Semis: W, 8-4 dec. #8 B.J. Futrell, Illinois
3rd Place: L, 13-3 maj. dec. #2 Charlie Falck, Iowa
133 - Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa./Forest Hills HS), Sr., S6/9/9/6
Tournament Record: 1-3 - Overall record now 16-8 - NCAA QUALIFIER - 6th PLACE
Rd. 1: Bye
Qtr: W, 3-2 dec. #3 Jimmy Kennedy, Illinois
Semi: L, 9-5 dec. #2 Franklin Gomez, Michigan State
Cons Semi: LBF #4 Jayson Ness, Minnesota (2:59)
5th Place: L, 11-7 dec. #1 Daniel Dennis, Iowa
141 - Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional HS), Fr., NS/NR/25/26
Tournament Record: 1-3 - Overall record now 19-16 - 8th Place
Rd. 1: L, 10-2 maj. dec. #2 Kellen Russell, MICH
Cons Rd. 1: W, 7-3 dec. #8 Andrae Hernandez, Indiana
Cons Rd. 2: L, 7-4 dec. #4 Mike Thorn, Minnesota
7th Place: L, 12-3 maj. dec. #7 Ryan Prater, Illinois
149 - Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial HS), Jr., S2/2/2/6
Tournament Record: 2-1 - Overall record now 24-1 - NCAA QUALIFIER -2ND PLACE
Rd. 1: Bye
Qtr: W, 7-3 dec. #7 Nick Walpole, Indiana
Semifinals: W, 2-1 dec. #6 Andrew Nadhir, Northwestern
Finals: LBF #1 Brent Metcalf, Iowa (4:52)
157 - Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth HS), Fr., NS/NR/NR/NR
Tournament Record: 1-3 - Overall record now 15-11 - 8th Place
Rd. 1: L, 1-7 dec. #2 Jason Welch, Northwestern
Cons Rd. 1: W, 6-3 dec. #8 Ben Jordan, Wisconsin
Cons Rd. 2: L, 7-4 dec. Colton Salazar, Purdue
7th Place: LBF #7 Anthony Jones, Michigan State (2:32)
165 - Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp. HS), Jr., S6/NR/20/NR
Tournament Record: 4-1 - Overall record now 21-10 - NCAA QUALIFIER - 3RD PLACE
Rd. 1: W, 7-2 dec. Dominica Marella, Northwestern
Qtr: L, 2-3 dec. #3 Ryan Morningstar, Iowa
Cons Rd. 1: BYE
Cons Rd. 2: W, 8-1 dec. #7 Paul Young, Indiana
Cons Semis: W, 5-2 dec. #5 Luke Manual, Purdue
3rd Place: W, 7-4 dec. #2 Colt Sponseller, Ohio State
174 - Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area HS), Fr., S3/16/14/11
Tournament Record: 3-1 - Overall record now 29-10 - NCAA QUALIFIER - 2ND PLACE
Rd. 1: WBF vs. Nick Corpe, Purdue (5:18)
Qtr: W, 5-4 dec. #6 Trevor Perry, Indiana
Semifinals: W, 11-10 dec. #2 seed Jay Borschel, Iowa
Finals: L, 12-5 dec. #1 Steve Luke, Michigan
184 - Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J./Seton Hall Prep), Sr., NS/NR/NR/NR
Tournament Record: 0-2 - Overall record now 8-15 - TOURNAMENT COMPLETE
Rd. 1: L, 19-5 maj. dec. #3 Philip Keddy, Iowa
Cons Rd. 1: L, 2-0 (ot) dec. Sonny Yohn, Minnesota
197 - Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa./General McLane HS) NS/NR/NR/NR
Tournament Record: 0-2 - Overall record now 5-16 - TOURNAMENT COMPLETE
Rd. 1: L, 10-2 maj. dec. #6 Matt Powless, Indiana
Cons Rd. 1: L, 13-4 maj. dec. #4 Gordon Bierschenk, Minnesota
HWT - Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel HS) NS/NR/NR/NR
Tournament Record: 2-3 - Overall record now 15-14
Rd. 1: LBF, #4 John Wise (6:57)
Cons Rd. 1: W, 14-8 dec. #6 Corey Morrison, Ohio State
Cons. Rd. 2: W, 5-0 dec. #7 Eddie Phillips, Michigan
Cons Semis: L, 6-2 dec. #4 John Wise, Illinois
5th Place: L, 7-2 dec. #5 Nate Everhart, Indiana