Jan. 24, 2010
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 13 nationally, dropped a hard-fought 21-14 dual meet at No. 3 Ohio State. Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad won four of ten bouts, highlighted by majors from seniors Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) at 157 and David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) at 184.
Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No.12 at 125, got Penn State off to a good start with a strong 9-7 win over No. 19 Nikko Triggas in the dual's opening bout. Ohio State countered with a major decision at 133 and a technical fall from No. 3 Reece Humphrey at 141 to lead 9-3 after three bouts. No. 3 Lance Palmer nipped No. 5 Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) 5-3 in a key bout at 149 to put Ohio State up 12-3 before Nittany Lion All-American Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) majored Ohio State's Tony Jameson at 157 to cut the Buckeye lead to 12-7 heading into intermission.
Ohio State picked up a critical win at 165 where No. 7 Colt Sponseller rode No. 8 Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) out in the third period to secure a hard-fought 4-2 win (even though Vallimont had the bout's only takedown). The victory put Ohio State up 15-7 with just four bouts remaining. Ohio State picked up a win at 174 before senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) got a 15-2 major over Ohio State's T.C. Pendleton at 184. Erwin's major cut Ohio State's lead to 18-11. However, Ohio State's C.J. Magrum iced the dual with a 10-6 win over sophomore David Crowell (Easton, Pa.) at 197. Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 11 at heavyweight, posted a 10-4 win over. No. 20 Corey Morrison to close out the bout and make the final score 21-14 in Ohio State's favor.
The Buckeyes won six of ten bouts and posted a decisive 25-10 edge in takedowns. The Buckeyes also won the bonus points battle 3-2.
Penn State is now 9-4-1 on the year, 1-1 in Big Ten duals. Ohio State is 12-1, 1-0 Big Ten. The Nittany Lions hit the road next weekend for two more Big Ten duals. Penn State is at No. 1 Iowa on Friday night at 8 p.m. (Eastern) and then visits No. 14 Wisconsin on Sunday for a 2 p.m. (Eastern) match-up. Penn State's next home dual is on Feb. 5 when Northwestern invades Rec Hall for a 7 p.m. match-up. Single event tickets will cost $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Group sales are available once again for groups of 15 people or more. Group prices are $4 in advance and $5 walk-up. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1.800.NITTANY between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC?(1390 AM) or 3WZ (95.3 FM) and on www.GoPSUsports.com as well. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
#13 Penn State 14, #3 Ohio State 21
Columbus, Ohio - January 24, 2010
125: #12 Brad Pataky PSU dec. #19 Nikko Triggas OSU, 9-7; 3-0
133: Ian Paddock OSU maj. dec. Bryan Pearsall PSU, 13-2; 3-4
141: #3 Reece Humphrey OSU tech. fall. Adam Lynch PSU, 22-7 (7:00); 3-9
149: #3 Lance Palmer OSU dec. #5 Frank Molinaro PSU, 5-3; 3-12
157: #5 Cyler Sanderson PSU maj. dec. Tony Jameson OSU, 10-2; 7-12
165: #7 Colt Sponseller OSU dec. #8 Dan Vallimont PSU, 4-2; 7-15
174: #12 Dave Rella OSU dec. Justin Ortega PSU, 12-5; 7-18
184: #12 David Erwin PSU maj. dec. T.C. Pendleton OSU, 15-2; 11-18
197: C.J. Magrum OSU dec. David Crowell OSU, 10-6; 11-21
285: #11 Cameron Wade PSU dec. #20 Corey Morrison OSU, 10-4; 14-21
Attendance: 3,000
Records: Penn State 9-4-1 (1-1 Big Ten); Ohio State 12-1 (1-0 Big Ten)
Up Next for Penn State: at No. 1 Iowa on Friday, Jan. 29, 8 p.m. Eastern
Bout-by-bout
125: Nittany Lion Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 12 nationally at 125, took on Nikko Triggas, ranked No. 19. Triggas used a solid under hook to get the first takedown just thirty seconds into the bout to take and early 2-0 lead. Pataky escaped to a 2-1 deficit at the 2:00 mark and action resumed in the center circle. Pataky caught Triggas in a brief mixer, tossing him to his back for a takedown. But Triggas rolled out of trouble and just gave up the takedown. Pataky, nonplussed, quickly reset and turned the Buckeye for two back points to take a 5-2 lead at the :30 mark. Pataky was then able to ride Triggas out to lead 5-2 with :48 in riding time. Pataky then chose down to start the second stanza but could not break free of a Triggas' ride for a bit. But the Lion junior was steady, working his arm under Triggas' leg to gain control and roll around for a reversal and a 7-3 lead after a quick Triggas escape. Pataky tried another mixer at the :40 mark, but Triggas rolled around the Nittany Lion and countered the move for his own takedown. Pataky escaped at the buzzer to lead 8-5 heading into the final period. Triggas chose down to start the third stanza. Pataky was able to maintain control of the Buckeye long enough to build up over a minute in riding time before being called for stalling for the first time at the 1:00 mark. Pataky maintained control of Triggas after the reset, forcing the Buckeye's face to the mat and working the clock down to the :19 mark before being called for stalling again. The stall point cut Pataky's lead to 8-6. Triggas escaped with :07 left but Pataky's strong work paid off with a 9-7 win, putting Penn State up 3-0.
133: Freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) faced off with Ohio State's Ian Paddock at 133. The duo battled evenly for the opening :30 but Paddock used a swift double leg to take Pearsall down at the 2:24 mark to take an early 2-0 lead. The talented Buckeye freshman then put together a strong ride, building up over a minute's worth of riding time before turning Pearsall for three back points and a 5-0 lead. Paddock continued to ride Pearsall for the rest of the period and led by five, with 2:24 in riding time, after one period. Paddock chose down to start the second period and reversed Pearsall at the 1:40 mark to up his lead to 7-0. Paddock added three more back points at the :40 mark to take a 10-0 lead after the second period. Trailing 10- and giving up 3:47 in riding time, Pearsall chose down to start the final period. Paddock worked for another turning combination, picking up two near fall points at the 1:18 mark. Pearsall notched a reversal at the end of the match to keep from giving up a technical fall, but the 13-2 major gave Ohio State a 4-3 lead.
141: Senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) faced off with one of Ohio State's top-ranked grapplers, No. 3 Reece Humphrey at 141. Lynch, who was coming off pinning No. 11 Ryan Prater two nights earlier, faced his second top-ranked grappler in three days. The Nittany Lion senior was the aggressor early on, forcing Humphrey to step back from two early shots. Humphrey answered at the 2:12 mark with a quick takedown and cut to lead 2-1 with 1:59 on the clock. Humphrey countered another Lynch shot and took a 4-2 lead with another takedown and cut. A quick third takedown gave the Buckeye, a national runner-up at 133, a 6-3 lead with 1:00 left. Humphrey added a fourth takedown at the :40 mark and led 8-4, then a fifth to lead 10-4 after a ride out. Humphrey chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to an 11-4 lead. The returning All-American added another takedown at the 1:30 mark to lead 13-4 before Lynch escaped to a 13-5 deficit. Humphrey tacked on two more takedowns to lead 17-6 after two periods. Lynch chose down to start the third period and was cut loose by Humphrey at the 1:30 mark to trail 17-7. Humphrey added another takedown and two back points to lead 21-7 with :40 left. Lynch needed an escape to avoid giving up the technical fall but could not break free. The riding time point gave Humphrey the 22-7 technical fall at the 7:00 mark to put Ohio State up 9-3.
149: In one of the bout's marquee match-ups, Nittany Lion All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) met Ohio State's Lance Palmer. Molinaro entered the bout ranked No. 5 while Palmer was ranked No. 3. The vaunted duo traded early barbs, with neither man gaining an advantage until Molinaro gained control of Palmer's right leg at the 1:45 mark. Molinaro worked for nearly :30 to get the takedown, but Palmer was able to work his way out of bounds to force a reset with 1:07 left in the opening period. Palmer then gained control of Molinaro's right leg and got the bout's first takedown at the :22 mark to lead 2-0. Molinaro worked furiously for an escaped but could not work his way out of Palmer's grasp. Trailing 2-0, Molinaro chose down to start the second period. Palmer got hit for a first stall while riding Molinaro out of bounds. The Nittany Lion could not work his way out of Palmer's grasp before the Buckeye built up a minute-plus in riding time. Molinaro escaped to a 2-1 deficit at the 1:10 mark and immediately turned into Palmer, looking for a go-ahead takedown. Molinaro got hit for his first stall warning with :08 left in the period as well. Leading 2-1 with 1:15 in riding time, Palmer chose down to start the third period. Palmer quickly reversed the Nittany Lion to lead 4-1 less than ten seconds into the period. Molinaro's escape at the 1:40 mark cut the lead to 4-2, but Palmer had 1:28 in riding time. Molinaro worked furiously for a tying takedown, but Palmer was able to back away for the final minute-plus. A second stall put Molinaro to within one, 4-3, but time would slip away on Molinaro's upset bid and Palmer posted a hard-fought 5-3 win. The decision put the Buckeyes up 12-3.
157: Senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 5 at 157, took on Ohio State's Tony Jameson. Sanderson gave up an initial takedown at the 2:20 mark, falling behind 2-1 after a quick escape. Sanderson quickly countered with a low pick for a takedown and added two near fall points for a 5-2 lead with 1:40 left in the opening period. He then put together a strong ride, working to turn Jameson for back points while building up a riding time edge. Sanderson worked his way to control of a cradle but was never awarded any back points in a furious scramble. Still, the strong ride out allowed the Nittany Lion to lead 5-2 with 1:45 in riding time heading into the second period. Sanderson chose down and quickly escaped to a 6-2 lead. A quick takedown gave the senior an 8-2 lead with 1:35 left in the period and Sanderson began working for another turning combination. Sanderson had Jameson's back to the mat for a few seconds but no back points were awarded and the score remained 8-2 with under a minute left. Jameson got hit with a first stall warning while Sanderson looked to turn the Buckeye. While once again not gaining any near fall points, the ride-out allowed Sanderson to lead 8-2 with 3:13 in riding time (securing the riding time point) after two periods. Jameson chose down to start the third period and quickly gave up another stall warning, giving Sanderson a 9-2 lead. Sanderson dominated Jameson from the top position for another minute, forcing Jameson to take an injury timeout while in a turning combination. After a reset with :29 left, Sanderson maintained control of Jameson for the remainder of the match and, with the riding time point, posted a 10-2 major decision. The four points cut Ohio State's lead to 12-7 heading into the intermission.
165: In another marquee bout, senior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) faced off against Ohio State's Colt Sponseller at 165. Vallimont was ranked No. 8 while Sponseller was ranked No. 7. Sponseller downed Vallimont in last year's dual but Vallimont returned the favor in the Big Ten Tournament. Vallimont got in dept on a low shot, gaining control of Sponseller for a go-ahead takedown with 1:40 left. Sponseller quickly escaped to cut the lead to 2-1 and action returned to the center circle. Another quick under hook forced another scramble in front of the Ohio State bench, but this time Sponseller was able to work his way out of trouble. Sponseller took two good quick shots that Vallimont was able to fight off as the period ended and Vallimont was able to lead 2-1 after a spirited three minutes of action. Sponseller chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Vallimont, despite taking numerous shots, was called for stalling for the first time at the 1:40 mark after protestations from the Ohio State bench. Neither man could find an opening to score for the rest of the period and the bout moved to the third period tied 2-2. Vallimont chose down to start the third period but could not escape Sponseller's strong ride. He then got hit with a stall warning to fall behind 3-2 and Sponseller built up over a minute's worth of riding time. The Buckeye then rode Vallimont out for a critical 4-2 win, putting Ohio State up 15-7 with just four bouts remaining.
174: Freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) faced off with Ohio State's Dave Rella at 174. Rella entered the bout ranked No. 12 nationally. Rella had the bout's first scoring opportunity with 1:10 left in the opening period, but Ortega was able to slide out of bounds and keep things scoreless at the 1:00 mark. The first period ended in a scoreless tie and Rella chose down to start the second period. A quick escape gave Rella a 1-0 lead. Rella got the bout's first takedown with a fast double leg at the 1:25 mark to take a 3-0 lead. Ortega escaped at the :48 mark to cut the lead to 3-1. Rella gained control of Ortega's shoulders and turned him to the mat for a late takedown to lead 5-1 with :47 in riding time heading into the final period. Ortega chose down to start the third stanza and was cut loose to a 5-2 deficit. The Nittany Lion freshman was called for stalling at the 1:45 mark and then took a quick shot that was countered by Rella for a takedown. Rella cut Ortega loose again to lead 7-3. Working for bonus points, Rella added another takedown and cut to lead 9-4. With a riding time point in hand, Rella added a final takedown at the :40 mark and but could not maintain control of Ortega as the Lion escaped at the :18 mark to cut the lead to 11-5. The riding time point gave Rella a 12-5 win and put the Buckeyes up 18-7.
184: Penn State's David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 12 at 184, met Ohio State's T.C. Pendleton. Erwin wasted no time in gaining control of Pendleton's leg, lifting it up and finishing off the takedown for a 2-0 lead with 2:10 left in the opening period. Erwin the put together a strong ride, working his way into control of Pendleton and nearly turning Pendleton to his back for near fall points. The ride-out allowed Erwin to lead 2-0 with 2:15 in riding time after one period. Erwin chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The Lion senior then turned back into Pendleton, knowing that Penn State needed bonus points to have any hope of storming back for an upset victory. Erwin quickly countered a Pendleton shot for another takedown and cut the Buckeye loose to a 5-1 lead with 1:20 left. Erwin countered a Pendleton shot, turned the Buckeye to his back and took him down for two points and three near fall points, almost pinning him in the process. Erwin lead 10-1 with 2:58 in riding time and Pendleton chose down to start the third period. Pendleton got called for stalling quickly and then Erwin turned him to his back for three more near fall points, taking a 13-1 lead. Needing one more set of back points to secure a technical fall, Erwin first forced Pendleton into a stall, cut him loose and then worked valiantly for another takedown. Pendleton was able to fight off Erwin's final flurry and keep the damage to a major. Erwin's 15-2 win cut the Buckeye lead to 18-11 with two bouts remaining.
197: Penn State sophomore David Crowell (Easton, Pa.) took to the mat at 197 to battle Ohio State's C.J. Magrum. Magrum got a quick takedown, shooting through Crowell to take an early 2-0 lead. Crowell was not able to escape until the 1:20 mark, cutting Magrum's lead to 2-1. Another high shoulder move allowed Magrum to notch a second takedown and lead 4-2 after a Crowell escape. Magrum added one more takedown as the period ended and led 6-2 with 2:12 in riding time at period's end. Crowell chose down to start the second period and steadily escaped to a 6-3 deficit. Crowell nearly scored at the 1:15 mark with a solid shot, but Magrum was able to work his way out of bounds and force a reset with a minute to wrestle. Crowell got his first takedown with a nice high double to cut the Magrum lead to 6-5 as the period ended. Leading 6-5 with over 2:00 in riding time, Magrum chose down to start the third period and Crowell cut him loose to a 7-5 lead. Magrum quickly got in on Crowell's legs and steadily worked his way to a critical takedown a the 1:30 mark to take a 9-5 lead. With the riding time point guaranteed, Magrum essentially led by five points. Crowell escaped with seconds left but the 10-6 decision iced the dual, giving Ohio State a 21-11 lead.
285: In a fourth match-up of ranked wrestlers, Penn State sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) met Ohio State senior Corey Morrison at heavyweight. Wade was ranked No. 11 while Morrison was ranked No. 20. The duo battled evenly for the first two minutes before Morrison got in deep on a low single. But Wade was able to counter the move, work his way on top of Morrison, and take a 2-0 lead with :42 left in the opening session. He then gained control of Morrison, turning the Buckeye for three back points and a 5-0 lead (with :42 in riding time) after one period. Morrison chose neutral to start the second period. Like the first period, the second began with each man looking for an opening to score. Morrison got in deep on Wade's right ankle again and once again, Wade countered, worked around Morrison and got another takedown to lead 7-0 with :30 left in the period. Leading 7-0 with 1:20 in riding time, Wade chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to an 8-0 lead (while maintaining a minute plus in riding time). Morrison got his first takedown with a high-double at the :58 mark, cutting Wade's lead to 9-2 after cutting him loose. Wade took a low shot that Morrison countered, getting another takedown to cut the lead to 10-4. The 10-4 win by Wade made the final scored 21-14 in Ohio State's favor.