Nov. 9, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
TODAY'S ACTION -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team opens up the season with two key in-state dual meets. Penn State visits Bloomsburg (3-0) on Friday, Nov. 12, for a 7 p.m. dual. The Nittany Lions then host No. 15 Lehigh (1-0*) on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. in their home opener (*Lehigh is at Pitt the same night Penn State visits Bloomsburg).
Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad heads into the first dual with a young but strong line-up, featuring as many as nine underclassmen. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro, ranked No. 3 at 149, is questionable for the weekend's duals after an early pre-season injury while senior Brad Pataky is out at 125 in the early going. That leaves junior Cameron Wade, ranked No. 9 at heavyweight as potentially the only upperclassman in the line-up. Still, Penn State's youth movement has it bringing in some of the best young wrestlers in the nation. Sophomore All-American Quentin Wright, ranked No. 3 at 184, is set to return to action after red-shirting last year. Red-shirt freshmen David Taylor, Ed Ruth and Jake Kemerer are set to make the dual meet debuts this weekend. Taylor is ranked No. 6 nationally at 157, Ruth is ranked No. 13 at 174 and Kemerer is set to make his mark at 165. True freshman Andrew Alton will get the nod at 141. Alton enters the year ranked No. 14 nationally. Two sophomores who started as freshmen last year will get the call in the season opener as well. Bryan Pearsall will start at 133 while Justin Ortega, who started at 174 last season, has moved up to 197 and gets the call at that weight. If Molinaro cannot go at 149, look for sophomore James English to take the mat for Penn State.
Bloomsburg will enter this week's action with a 3-0 mark after a strong showing at the Boston University Duals on Saturday. Bloomsburg shutout Southern Maine (49-0) and Bridgewater State (45-0) and downed host Boston University (31-3). Nine of Bloomsburg's 10 starters went 3-0 on the day, led by junior heavyweight Zac Walsh and senior 184-pounder Nate Graham. Penn State leads the all-time series with Bloomsburg 14-5-1, including last year's 23-15 win in Rec Hall.
Lehigh comes in ranked No. 15 nationally and are 1-0 heading into a Friday night tussle at Pittsburgh. The Mountain Hawks began their season with a 45-0 shutout of Drexel last Friday night. Lehigh will be led by top-ranked heavyweight Zac Rey, junior Brandon Hatchett (ranked No. 11 at 165) and sophomore Robert Hamlin (ranked No. 15 at 184). Top matches on tap could feature No. 1 Rey vs. No. 9 Wade at heavyweight and No. 3 Wright vs. No. 14 Hamlin at 184. The Nittany Lions own a decisive 61-34-3 edge in the all-time series with Lehigh, but the Mountain Hawks have won the last two meetings.
Penn State heads to Binghamton University for the 2010 Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Sunday, Nov. 21. Penn State will face Harvard, West Virginia and No. 23 Rutgers at 11:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. Penn State's next home dual is set for Sunday, Dec. 12, when it hosts Lock Haven at 2 p.m. Season tickets for the 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season are on sale now. This year's package features seven home duals (the Nittany Lion Open is not part of the package) and costs only $42 for adults and $28 for youth (18 and under). Fans can place new orders for season tickets by calling Joel Diamond at 814-867-2557. A $5 per order handling fee will be added to new season ticket holders. Single dual tickets will go on sale later this fall. The 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. The Bloomsburg dual will air on WRSC FM (103.1) and WSQV FM (92.1) while the Lehigh dual will air on WRSC AM (1390) and WSQV FM (92.1). All radio broadcasts are streamed live at GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. The 2010-11 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
POSSIBLE STARTERS As of November 8, 2010
#6 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2010-11 Record
125 Frank Martellotti Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side 0-0
133 Bryan Pearsall So. Lititz, Pa./Warwick 0-0
OR Sam Sherlock Fr. West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin 0-0
141 #14 Andrew Alton Fr. Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain 0-0
Adam Lynch Sr. Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg 0-0
149 James English So. York, Pa./Central York 0-0
OR #3 Frank Molinaro Jr. Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional 0-0
157 #6 David Taylor Fr. St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 0-0
165 Jake Kemerer Fr. Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield 0-0
174 #13 Ed Ruth Fr. Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township 0-0
184 #3 Quentin Wright So. Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area 0-0
197 Justin Ortega So. Oxford, Pa./Oxford 0-0
OR Nick Ruggear Fr. Oxford, Pa./Oxford 0-0
285 #9 Cameron Wade Jr. Twinsburg, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel 0-0
BLOOMSBURG HUSKIES (3-0)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2010-11 Record
125 Sean Boylan Fr. Seaville, N.J./St. Mark's 3-0
133 Nick Wilcox Fr. Greene, N.Y./Greene Central 2-1
141 Derek Shingara Fr. Shamokin, Pa./Shamokin 3-0
149 Josh Roosa So. Mountaintop, Pa./Crestwood 3-0
157 Frank Hickman So. Castle Hayne, N.C./E.L. Laney 3-0
OR Bryce Busler So. Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley 0-0
165 Josh Veltre So. Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia 3-0
174 Mike Dessino So. Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex 3-0
184 Nate Graham Sr. Selkirk, N.Y./Ravena 3-0
197 Richard Perry Fr. Meriden, Conn./Middletown 3-0
285 Zac Walsh Jr. Denville, N.J./Morris Knolls 3-0
#15 LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (1-0*)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2010-11 Record
125 Mitch Berger Sr. Freehold, N.J./Freehold 1-0
133 Frank Cagnina Fr. Hillsdale, N.J./Queen of Peace 1-0
141 Stephen Dutton Fr. Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point 1-0
149 Joey Napoli So. Boiling Springs, Pa./Cumberland Valley 1-0
157 Sean Bilodeau Jr. Harvard, Mass./Brooks School 1-0
165 #11 Brandon Hatchett Jr. Winter Springs, Fla./Oviedo 1-0
174 Austin Meys Fr. Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa 1-0
184 #14 Robert Hamlin So. Jonesville, Vt./Mount Mansfield Union 1-0
197 Joe Kennedy Jr. Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley 1-0
285 #1 Zach Rey Jr. Hopatcong, N.J./Hopatcong 1-0
Indiv. rankings Intermat/Team rankings NWCA
* Lehigh is at Pittsburgh on Friday, Nov. 12.
THIS WEEK
No. 6 Penn State (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) opens up the season with two key in-state dual meets. Penn State visits Bloomsburg (3-0) on Friday, Nov. 12, for a 7 p.m. dual. The Nittany Lions then host No. 17 Lehigh (1-0*) on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. in their home opener.
UP NEXT
Penn State heads to Binghamton University for the 2010 Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Sunday, Nov. 21. Penn State will face Harvard, West Virginia and No. 21 Rutgers at 11:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3 p.m.
ON THE AIR
TV - Bloomsburg LIVE on WNEP2; Lehigh LIVE WebTV at FloWrestling.com Live Web Video -- Lehigh on GoPSUsports.com AND FloWrestling.
Radio - Bloomsburg is on WRSC FM (103.1 FM) and WSQV FM (92.1); Lehigh is on WRSC AM (1390) and WSQV FM (92.1)
Web -- All radio broadcasts are streamed live at GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package.
HEAD COACH Cael Sanderson
Cael Sanderson comes to Penn State after three extremely successful years as the head coach at his alma mater. Sanderson's teams did not finish any lower than fifth at the NCAA Championships and never had a wrestler not qualify for nationals, getting 30 of 30 grapplers through to the championship tournament. In 2007, Sanderson's rookie campaign, he led ISU to a 13-3 dual meet record and the first of three straight Big 12 Championships. An NCAA Runner-Up finish in Detroit capped off a wildly successful year as the Cyclones crowned one national champion and Sanderson was honored as Big 12 Coach of the Year, National Rookie Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year. The next year, Sanderson led ISU to a 16-4 dual meet mark, another Big 12 title and a fifth place finish at nationals. Iowa State's seven All-Americans in 2008 were the most at the school since 1993. This past season, Sanderson's team went 15-3 in duals, won its third straight Big 12 title and took third place at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis (just 12 points out of first place). The Cyclones also crowned another national champion. In three years, Sanderson's teams went 44-10, won three conference crowns, qualified all 30 wrestlers for nationals, and earned 15 All-America awards and two individual national titles. In his first year at Penn State, he guided the Lions to a 13-6-1 dual meet mark, 5-3 in Big Ten action, and crowned his first Big Ten Champion. Sanderson now sports a 57-17-1 dual meet mark in this, his fourth year as a collegiate head coach. He went 13-6-1 at Penn State in his first year and guided the team to a ninth place finish at NCAAs with three All-Americans. In four years as a head coach, Sanderson has 36 qualifiers, 18 All-Americans and two National Champions.
LIVE TV AND WEB-TV FEATURED FOR FIRST TWO DUALS
Penn State's first two dual meets will air on live TV (or national WebTV) thanks to the efforts of WNEP-TV in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and to a combined effort between Penn State and FloWrestling. The Nittany Lions' season opener at Bloomsburg will air live on WNEP2-TV. The sister station to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's WNEP, WNEP2's live coverage of the dual begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12. Steve Lloyd, Bob Hawkins, Ricky Bonomo and Rocky Bonomo will call the action. WNEP2 is available throughout Eastern Pa. and the tri-state area. For a complete listing of systems carrying the network, go to http://www.wnep.com/news/wnep2/.
Penn State's home opener against Lehigh on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m., will feature a WebTV live broadcast by FloWrestling. FloWrestling has teamed up with Penn State to provide LIVE coverage of the in-state rivalry with a pregame show beginning at 1:45 p.m. To watch the live event, go to www.FloWrestling.org, the largest wrestling media outlet in the world.
In addition to Flo's live coverage, fans who have Penn State's All-Access package at GoPSUsports.com can view a live webstream of the event as well. Just go to www.GoPSUsports.com, click on All-Access, and follow the directions from there.
BLOOMSBURG DUAL AIRING ON LOCAL FMs
With three Penn State teams being in action on Friday, Nov. 12, Forever Broadcasting is highlighting the Nittany Lion wrestling season opener and airing it on its wide-reaching WRSC FM (103.1). Clinton County's WSQV FM (92.1) is also airing the dual. The Lehigh dual on Sunday, Nov. 14, will air on WRSC AM (1390) and WSQV FM (92.1).
NEARLY 3,000 FANS FILL REC HALL FOR INTRASQUAD
Nearly 3,000 fans rolled into Rec Hall for the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling intrasquad dual meet. Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad took part in 12 matches in front of over 2,900 fans. With one of the nation's best and youngest line-ups, 16 of the 24 wrestlers were freshmen. The dual began with two major decisions. Starting at heavyweight, junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) majored Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.). Wade, ranked No. 9 nationally, posted a 10-1 major decision. Freshman Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) then majored classmate Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.), 10-2 at 125. At 133, sophomore Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) used riding time to post a 2-1 win over freshman Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, Pa.). Senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) posted an exciting 14-10 win over true freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) in one of two bouts at 141. No. 13 Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) pinned Kyle Moran (Oxford, Pa.) at the 1:02 mark in another 141-pound bout. With No. 3 Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) held out at 149, sophomore James English (York, Pa.) posted a strong 8-2 win over freshman David Church (Erie, Pa.) at 149. No. 6 David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) pinned fellow red-shirt freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) at the 4:14 mark at 157. Red-shirt freshman Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa.) notched a strong 10-4 win over sophomore Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) at 165 and true freshman Dirk Cowburn (Coudersport, Pa.) majored freshman Brandon Phillips (Timonium, Md.) 13-3 in an exhibition. Freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 174, notched a 16-1 technical fall over senior Michael Lorenzo (Bellefonte, Pa.) before No. 3 Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) posted a 10-0 major over Andrew Church (Erie, Pa.) at 184. Sophomore Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.), moving up to 197 after wrestling at 174 last year, downed Nick Ruggear 2-1 in the final bout of the night.
FOLLOW PENN STATE ON TWITTER AND WITH THE PENN STATE ALL-SPORTS BLOG AT GOPSUSPORTS.COM
A reminder to media and fans that Penn State Athletic Communications' Pat Donghia, wrestling SID, will once again be tweeting every Nittany Lion match result, home and away, over the course of the entire season. From Rec Hall and on the road, get instant updates either online or texted to your phones by signing up at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat. In addition, home events will feature some expanded coverage from the Penn State All-Sports Blog on GoPSUsports.com. The blog offers in depth coverage of many Penn State sports and wrestling has been added to its menu. The GoPSUsports.com Wrestling Blog offers extended coverage of the Nittany Lions at home events. If you live and breathe Penn State wrestling, stay tuned to Wrestling Blog at http://www.gopsusports.com/blog/wrestling/.
FANS LINE-UP TO SEE CAEL AT FAMILY CLOTHESLINE
Head coach Cael Sanderson stopped down at presenting sponsor The Family Clothesline on Oct. 30 for a two-hour autograph signing. Long lines greeted Sanderson for the full two hour stint as Cael took the time to chat and take pictures with Penn State fans from around the region who were in town for the Nittany Lion football game against Michigan later that night.
PENN STATE RANKED #6 IN NWCA/USA TODAY COACHES POLL; SIX LIONS RANKED INDIVIDUALLY BY INTERMAT
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson, will head into the 2010-11 season ranked No. 6 in the first National Wrestling Coaches Association/USA Today Coaches Poll. The No. 6 nod mirrors other national rankings previously released.
Six members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team are listed among the top 20 at their respected weights in the season-opening individual rankings by Intermat. All-Americans Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) and Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) lead Penn State with No. 3 nods. Molinaro, a two-time All-American, is ranked No. 3 at 149 after his 5th place finish last year. He enters into the 2010-11 season with a 56-26 career record and an 8-5 mark at nationals (having placed eighth at 141 two years ago). Wright, who red-shirted last year, is ranked No. 3 at 184. Wright went 33-13 as a true freshman two years ago and took sixth at 174. Junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) is ranked No. 9 at heavyweight. Wade went 22-11 last season and qualified for nationals, going 2-2 in Omaha. He is 37-25 as a two-year starter for the Nittany Lions. Three freshmen are also ranked for the Nittany Lions. Red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) is ranked No. 6 at 157. Taylor went 21-2 as an unattached red-shirt last season. Fellow red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) is ranked No. 13 at 174. Ruth was equally impressive in unattached action last year, going 14-3. True freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) is ranked No. 14 at 141.
PENN STATE RANKED #6 IN W.I.N.'S PRE-SEASON POLL
Six members of head coach Cael Sanderson's Penn State wrestling team are ranked by Wrestling Insider Magazine's pre-season individual rankings. The Nittany Lions also received a No. 7 nod in the publication's pre-season Tournament Power Index (TPI), which differs from dual meet rankings. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) heads into the new year with a No. 3 ranking at 149 after his fifth place finish a year ago. Molinaro went 33-7 as a sophomore. 2009 All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) moves up a weight to 184 and is ranked No. 7 in the early season listing. Wright, who red-shirted last year, was a sixth-place finisher at 174 two years ago with a 33-13 mark. Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) sports a No. 7 ranking at 125 after his second straight trip to the `round of 12'. The two-time national qualifier went 28-10 last season. Classmate Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) is ranked No. 8 at heavyweight. Wade was a 2010 national qualifier and was 22-11 year ago. Red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) is ranked No. 7 early on at 157 while fellow red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) is ranked No. 14 at 174. Both Taylor and Ruth are part of one of two top-ranked recruiting classes that Sanderson will draw from in 2010-11. WIN Magazine does not list true freshmen in its pre-season rankings. Penn State's No. 7 nod in the TPI (which WIN uses to `predict' where teams will finish in the NCAA tournament based on the pre-season individual rankings) has it in the top ten with four other Big Ten schools (Minnesota at No. 4, Wisconsin at No. 5, Ohio State at No. 6 and Illinois at No. 10). Iowa (No. 11), Michigan (No. 13), Northwestern (No. 15) and Purdue (No. 18) give the Big Ten nine teams in the top 20.
FIVE NITTANY LIONS RANKED BY THEOPENMAT.COM
Five Nittany Lions are currently ranked in The OpenMat.com's latest individual rankings. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro is No. 3 at 149, freshman David Taylor is No. 8 at 157, freshman Ed Ruth is No. 17 at 174, sophomore All-American Quentin Wright is No. 4 at 184 and junior Cameron Wade is No. 8 at heavyweight. The full list of rankings can be viewed at www.theopenmat.com .
BOTH SINGLE MEET AND DUAL MEET TICKETS ON SALE
Fans wishing to purchase single dual meet tickets for the 2010-11 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling season can place their orders starting on Monday, October 18 at 10am. Season ticket holders will have the advantage of ordering up to four additional tickets for any home matches on Friday, October 15, before going on sale to the public. With season tickets already at record levels and an attractive seven-match home dual schedule, the public sale of single event tickets is expected to result in early sellouts for some of the home matches this year at Rec Hall. To place reserved ticket orders, fans may call 814-865-5555 or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office. The box office is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ticket pricing is $8 for adults and $5 for youth, and there will be a limit of eight tickets per order. Group sales will begin November 1, based on availability.
Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad features two returning All-Americans, two more returning national qualifiers and two consecutive top-three recruiting classes. This year's home schedule begins in earnest on Sunday, Nov. 14, with a home dual against in-state rival Lehigh at 2 p.m. Lock Haven then invades Rec Hall on Sunday, Dec. 12, for a 2 p.m. match-up. The Big Ten season begins early when conference rival Ohio State comes to Happy Valley for a 2 p.m. dual on Sunday, Dec. 19. The Pittsburgh Panthers close out Penn State's non-conference schedule in Rec Hall on Friday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. The Iowa Hawkeyes come to town on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 2 p.m., followed by a match-up with the Illinois Illini on Friday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions close out their dual meet schedule with a home meeting with the Wisconsin Badgers on Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.
Season tickets are also still available, priced at only $42 for adults and $28 for youth (18 and under). Fans can place new orders for season tickets by calling Joel Diamond at 814-867-2557. A $5 per order handling fee will be added to new season ticket holders. All ticket orders will be fulfilled and mailed by November 1, 2010. All times are subject to change. The 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
PENN STATE WRESTLING RADIO NETWORK EXPANDS
The Penn State wrestling radio network is expanding with the addition of a second station carrying all live action during the 2010-11 season. In addition, PA Sports Now will carry the Cael Sanderson Show on over 10 stations state-wide (see side panel note). Once again, Forever Broadcasting's WRSC (1390 AM) will serve as the flagship station for the entire dual meet schedule as well as tournament action from the Nittany Lion Open, the Southern Scuffle, the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships. This year, Clinton County's WSQV (92.1 FM) has signed on to carry the live schedule as well. Jeff Byers, long-time voice of Penn State wrestling, will once again call the action for Nittany Lion fans. All live broadcasts, dual meets and tournaments, as well as the Cael Sanderson Show, will also be streamed live on GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. Simply got to www.GoPSUsports.com, click on the All-Access icon and follow the steps to sign up.