Jan. 9, 2010
HAMPTON, Va.; January 9, 2010 - Entering the 2010 Virginia Duals as the fourth seed, the Penn State Nittany Lions dropped a hard-fought 22-15 decision to second seeded Oklahoma to take fourth place at the event. No. 14 Penn State and No. 10 Oklahoma split the ten bouts five to five, but the Sooners used seven bonus points to grab the win and take third place.
The tightly contested dual featured five bouts pitting ranked wrestlers against each other, beginning at 125 where No. 12 Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) posted an 8-6 win over No. 13 Jarrod Patterson. The Sooners countered with a pin at 133 and a major at 141 to take a 10-3 lead. In a hotly contested bout, No. 4 Kyle Terry used a late takedown to fend off an upset bid from No. 5 Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) at 149, posting a 5-2 win and putting the Sooners up on top 13-3.
Penn State got key wins from two All-Americans as Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 2 at 157, posted a 5-2 win over No. 11 Shane Vernon and Dan Vallimont, ranked No. 8 at 165, got a 6-4 (sv) win over No. 16 Tyler Caldwell to cut the OU lead to 13-9. Freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) took No. 8 Jeff James to a tie-breaker but lost 2-1 (tb), cutting PSU's momentum short and putting the Cowboys up 16-9.
Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) got a 9-3 win at 184 to bring Penn State to within four, but a Sooner pin at 197 iced the bout for OU. Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Pa.), ranked No. 18 at heavyweight, posted a 2-0 win over No. 12 Nathan Fernandez to close out the bout but the Sooners would escape with a 22-15 win.
Oklahoma won the takedown battle 14-8 and used the dual's only seven bonus points to break free and grab the victory. Oklahoma State won the team title, downing Lehigh in the finals. Two teams that Penn State beat, Kent State and Virginia Tech, finished fifth and sixth respectively, while Virginia finished seventh and Michigan eighth.
Penn State is now 8-3-1 on the year while Oklahoma stands at 8-1-1. Penn State will be off next weekend and then returns home for the first time in nearly three months when it hosts No. 20 Illinois at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. 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.
#14 Penn State 15, #10 Oklahoma 22
Hampton, Va. - Virginia Duals - January 9, 2010
| 125: #12 Brad Pataky PSU dec. #13 Jarrod Patterson OU, 8-6 | 3-0 |
| 133: Kendric Maple OU pinned Bryan Pearsall PSU, WBF (5:27) | 3-6 |
| 141: #5 Zack Bailey OU maj. dec. Adam Lynch PSU, 16-4 | 3-10 |
| 149: #4 Kyle Terry OU dec. #5 Frank Molinaro PSU, 5-2 | 3-13 |
| 157: #2 Cyler Sanderson PSU dec. #11 Shane Vernon OU, 5-2 | 6-13 |
| 165: #8 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. #16 Tyler Caldwell OU, 6-4 (sv) | 9-13 |
| 174: #8 Jeff James OU dec. Justin Ortega PSU, 2-1 (tb) | 9-16 |
| 184: #14 David Erwin PSU dec. Erich Schmidtke OU, 9-3 | 12-16 |
| 197: #3 Eric Lapotsky OU pinned Clay Steadman PSU, WBF (2:31) | 12-22 |
| 285: #18 Cameron Wade PSU dec. #12 Nathan Fernandez OU, 2-0 | 15-22 |
Records: Penn State 8-3-1, Oklahoma 8-1-1
Up Next for Penn State: Home vs. No. 20 Illinois, Friday, Jan. 22, 7 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: In one of five match-ups between ranked grapplers, No. 12 Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) took on No. 13 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma at 125. Pataky wasted no time in getting in on a single leg, but Patterson was able to kick out of trouble and keep things scoreless. Patterson then caught Pataky's ankle on the edge of the mat and finished off a swift takedown to take a 2-0 lead with 2:25 left. Pataky escaped to a 2-1 deficit, then continued to pressure the Sooner grappler, forcing him towards the edge of the mat. But the Nittany Lion could not break through Patterson's defense and trailed 2-1 after the opening period. Patterson chose down to start the second period but found himself falling victim to a strong Pataky ride. The Nittany Lion junior turned the Sooner grappler for two back points, taking a 3-2 lead at the 1:12 mark. Patterson escaped to a 3-3 tie at the :50 mark with Pataky owning :55 in riding time. Patterson answered with another takedown in front of the Sooner bench at the :25 mark. A ride-out gave Patterson a 5-3 lead after two periods. Pataky chose down to start the third period and steadily worked his way out from underneath Patterson's control. Working around the Sooner, Pataky forced him to his back, getting first the reversal and then three back points to take an 8-6 lead after a quick Patterson escape with :40 left in the bout. Patterson took a few late shots, but Pataky was able to fight off the late Sooner charge and post a thrilling 8-6 win. The victory put the Nittany Lions up 3-0 early.
133: Penn State sent freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) faced off against Sooner Kendric Maple at 133. Maple wasted no time in taking a 3-0 lead with a quick takedown at the 2:41 mark. Maple cut Pearsall loose to a 2-1 lead and then continued to pressure the Lion freshman. Maple added a second takedown at the midway point and this time the Sooner built up a solid riding time edge and adding two near fall points to up his lead to 6-1 after the opening period. With 1:49 in riding time to go along with a five-point lead, Maple chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 7-1 lead with 1:30 left. He then rolled right into a double leg takedown to move out to a 9-1 advantage. Maple rode Pearsall out to carry that lead, plus 2:49 in riding time, into the final period. Pearsall chose down to start the third period. Maple, however, caught the Lion and turned him to his back for a pin at the 5:27 mark. The six points put OU up 6-3.
141: Senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) took on his second straight top-five opponent, this time meeting No. 5 Zack Bailey at 141. Bailey took a 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 2:24 mark. Lynch quickly escaped to a 2-1 deficit and then began looking for a scoring chance of his own. The Nittany Lion battled the fifth-ranked Sooner hard but gave up a second takedown at the :16 mark to trail 4-1 after three minutes of action. Bailey chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Bailey added a third takedown and cut Lynch loose to lead 7-2 with 1:30 left. The Sooner would add one more takedown in the period to lead 9-2 with 1:02 in riding time at the period's end. Lynch chose down to begin the third period and quickly escaped to a 9-3 deficit. But Bailey was able to work around behind Lynch for a fifth takedown to take an 11-4 lead and work his riding time edge up to 1:12. A sixth takedown and two back points, plus the bonus point, gave Bailey a 16-4 major and put the Sooners up 10-3.
149: All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 5 at 149, faced No. 4 Kyle Terry of Oklahoma in the stiffest test yet for Molinaro, who entered the dual with a 21-0 record. The two top five grapplers traded slight shots during the first period, with neither man finding a solid opening over the first three minutes of action. Tied 0-0, Terry chose down to start the second stanza and steadily worked his way to a 1-0 lead with an escape :35 into the period. Molinaro nearly scored on a high double leg, but Terry was able to back-step off the mat and force a reset with 1:00 left. Molinaro continued to pressure Terry off the mat but could not score and the Nittany Lion trailed 1-0 after the second period. Molinaro chose down to start the final period and escaped :40 into the period to tie the bout at 1-1. With under a minute left in the bout, Terry got the bout's key takedown, using a head outside single to trip Molinaro to the mat at the :33 mark, taking a 3-1 lead. Molinaro escaped with :19 left, cutting the lead to 3-2 and then began a frantic effort for a takedown to steal the win. Terry countered a late, frantic Molinaro shot for a final takedown and won the bout 5-2. The loss put OU up 13-3 and dealt Molinaro his first loss of the year.
157: Nittany Lion Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 2 at 157, faced off against No. 11 Shane Vernon. Sanderson took numerous first period shots, but Vernon was able to flee the mat on a number of occasions to keep the bout scoreless after the opening three minutes. The Sooner chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 1-0 lead. Vernon forced a scramble with a solid shot at the midway point, but Sanderson was able to tie the Sooner up and force a reset with :36 remaining the period. With :10 left, Sanderson forced a scramble that ended with the Nittany Lion getting a last second takedown to lead 2-1 as the clock hit zeroes. Sanderson chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 3-1 lead. Vernon almost scored again on a high single, but Sanderson once again stepped out of trouble to hold his lead. Sanderson added a second takedown, quickly gaining control of both Vernon's ankles to take a 5-1 lead with :45 left in the bout. Vernon escaped with :20 left but Sanderson went on to post a convincing 5-2 win, cutting the OU lead to 13-6.
165: Senior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 165, battled No. 16 Tyler Caldwell of Oklahoma. Vallimont used a high single to force a scramble that the senior steadily turned into a 2-0 lead at the 1:41 mark. Caldwell was able to escape quickly and action resumed in the center of the mat with Vallimont leading by one. Vallimont added another solid takedown, moving out to a 4-2 lead after a Caldwell escape. Leading by two, Vallimont chose down to start the second period. Caldwell was able to control the Nittany Lion the entire period, however, and Vallimont led 4-2 after two periods (but Caldwell had 1:37 in riding time). Caldwell chose down to start the third period, needing a quick escape to keep his riding time edge. The Sooner broke free just seconds into the stanza and trailed 4-3 but had a riding time point in hand. But Vallimont worked his way in on a high single, steadily working himself into a scramble that nearly led to a takedown for each man. A reset was called with :54 left in the bout and Vallimont continued to pressure Caldwell, looking for the key takedown. With :30 left, Vallimont gained control of Caldwell's right leg, but once again no scoring occurred and the bout moved into overtime tied 4-4. Vallimont took another shot, getting in on Caldwell's right thigh for the third time. But this time, the Nittany Lion was able to finish off the move and win the bout with a takedown with :18 left. The 6-4 (sv) win cut the Sooner lead to four, 13-9.
174: Freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) took to the mat to face No. 8 Jeff James at 174. Ortega battled the ranked Sooner hard for the first three minutes, fighting off a handful of James shots and keeping the bout scoreless after three minutes. James chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way to an escape and a 1-0 lead at the 1:31 mark. Ortega got hit with a first stall warning with :40 left in the period. Trailing 1-0, Ortega chose down to start the final period and was allowed out to a 1-1 tie early in the third period. Ortega gained control of James' right leg, nearly turning the move into a go-ahead takedown, but the ranked Sooner was able to work his way out of bounds and keep the bout tied at 1-1 with 1:00 left. Ortega, looking for a stunning upset, battled the Sooner evenly for the remainder of the period, sending the bout to sudden victory tied 1-1. Neither wrestler had a solid chance to score during the sudden victory minute, sending the bout to a first tie-breaker period. James was down for the first :30 session and escaped with :12 left to take a 2-1 lead. Ortega rolled around behind James and took the Sooner down, but neither official thought the move was in bounds and the takedown was not awarded. James led 2-1 as Ortega was down for his :30 session. The Nittany Lion freshman scrambled madly to get loose, but James was able to hold onto his feet and work the clock down to a reset with :05 left. Ortega had one final chance to escape but could not and lost 2-1 (tb). The win put OU up 16-9.
184: Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 14 at 184, battled Erich Schmidtke. Erwin wasted no time in taking a 2-0 lead with a takedown a minute into the bout. Erwin then rode the Cowboy out to lead 2-0 with nearly 2:00 in riding time. The senior then chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way for a reversal and a 4-0 lead with just over a minute left in the period. Schmidtke escaped to cut the lead to 4-1 after two periods. Schmidtke chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 4-2 deficit but Erwin iced the bout with another takedown to up his lead to 6-3. With the riding time point assured, Erwin was able to counter a Schmidtke shot and get a final takedown to post a 9-3 win. The victory cut the Sooner lead to 16-12.
197: Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) met No. 3 Eric Lapotsky of Oklahoma at 197. Lapotsky quickly took Steadman down added three near fall points to lead 5-0 less than a minute into the bout. Lapotsky then turned Steadman to his back one more time and got a quick pin at the 2:31 mark. The fall clinched the dual, putting OU up 22-12.
HWT: Penn State sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 18 at heavyweight, met No. 12 Nathan Fernandez in the final bout of the dual. The first period ended in a scoreless tie and Fernandez chose down to start the second period. Wade worked his way into control of the Sooner's legs, using a cross body ride to try and turn Fernandez to his back. Wade was able to control the action from the top, forcing Fernandez into a stall warning while building up a 2:00 riding time edge with the ride out. Wade chose down to begin the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead while maintaining a 1:37 riding time advantage. Wade withstood a late Fernandez charge and used a strong headlock to kill the clock and post a solid 2-0 upset win over the 12th-ranked Sooner. The win was Penn State's fifth, but the Sooners won 22-15.