Dec. 27, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (7-0, 1-0 Big Ten), ranked No. 4 nationally, will head to Charlotte, N.C., and the Greensboro Coliseum for the 2010 Southern Scuffle, hosted by UNC-Greensboro. The two-day, team-scored tournament takes place on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 29-30. As many as a quarter of the nation's top ranked teams will take part in the prestigious event, won last year by Cornell, including a potential field featuring over 50 nationally ranked wrestlers.
Head coach Cael Sanderson brings an undefeated team into the Scuffle. The Nittany Lions hammered then-No. 22 Ohio State in their last outing back on Dec. 19 by a 42-3 score. The win tied the school record for most lopsided Big Ten dual victory and was highlighted by three pins. Penn State, off to its longest unblemished dual meet start since the 1988-89 season, will now face the test of a team scored tournament and will do it without a key starter. All-American Quentin Wright will once again be out of commission for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State will send a talented field to the Scuffle. A total of 17 Nittany Lions will compete (15 attached, two unattached to be determined). In situations where more than one wrestler is a the same weight, the wrestler who earns the most team points for its school will be the wrestler who's points count in the team title race. True freshman Frank Martellotti is ranked No. 16 at 125 and sports a perfect 12-0 record. Senior Brad Pataky will make his 2010-11 debut at 125 after missing the first semester with an injury. Sophomore Bryan Pearsall is 9-4 at 133 with six pins after going 3-23 a year ago. New Nittany Lion Andrew Long will be making his Penn State debut at 133 as well. The 2010 NCAA national finalist at 125 transferred to Penn State at the end of the first semester. True freshman Andrew Alton is undefeated at 141 with a 13-0 mark, has 10 pins and is ranked No. 9 nationally. Senior Adam Lynch will also compete at 141. Lynch has a 4-1 record this year. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro is ranked No. 6 at 149 with an 8-1 record and three pins. He will be joined at 149 by teammate James English, who is 8-2 with three dual meet wins.
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor is ranked No. 3 at 157 with a perfect 13-0 mark, including three pins, three techs and six majors. Red-shirt freshman James Vollrath is making the trip and will compete at 157 as well. Vollrath is 12-3 on the year. Red-shirt freshman Jake Kemerer returns to action at 165 after missing some action with an illness. He is 8-3 overall. Sophomore Nick Fischer will also wrestle at 165, taking a 10-3 overall record into the event. Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth has a superb 12-1 overall record at 174 and is ranked No. 10 in the nation. he has five pins, three techs and a major. With Wright out at 184, freshman Andrew Church gets the call at 184. Church is 4-5 on the year. Freshman Nick Ruggear and sophomore Justin Ortega will both compete at 197. Ruggear enters the Scuffle with a 12-4 record while Ortega is 3-5. Junior Cameron Wade will be Penn State's lone heavyweight entrant. Wade is ranked No. 6 nationally and is 10-2 on the year.
The field features six teams ranked nationally, including No. 1 Cornell, No. 3 Minnesota and No. 4 Penn State. With over 50 ranked wrestlers set to compete at the event, fans will have the chance to see some marquee match-ups at each weight. The 125, 184 and 197 weight classes could feature up to eight ranked wrestlers while 133 and 141 could each have seven. Most others could have six, meaning the entire tournament field is extremely balanced.
Penn State returns at one of the nation's top dual meet tournaments when it takes part in the 2011 Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va. The two-day dual meet tourney will take place on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 7-8, in the Hampton Coliseum. Penn State's next home action is on Friday, Jan. 21, when Pittsburgh invades Rec Hall for a 6 p.m. dual (broadcast live on the Big Ten Network). Fans wishing to purchase single dual meet tickets for the 2010-11 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling season can place their orders by calling 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 are also available. The 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. Updates from the Nittany Lion Open 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 COMPETITORS As of December 27, 2010
#4 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (7-0, 1-0 Big Ten)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2010-11 Record
125 #16 Frank Martellotti Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side 12-0
Brad Pataky Sr. Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield 0-0
133 Bryan Pearsall So. Lititz, Pa./Warwick 9-4
Andrew Long So. Creston, Iowa/Creston 0-0
141 #9 Andrew Alton Fr. Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain 13-0
Adam Lynch Sr. Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg 4-1
149 #6 Frank Molinaro Jr. Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional 8-1
James English So. York, Pa./Central York 8-2
157 #3 David Taylor Fr. St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 13-0
James Vollrath Fr. Richboro, Pa./Council Rock South 12-3
165 Jake Kemerer Fr. Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield 8-3
Nick Fischer So. Unionville, Pa./Unionville 10-3
174 #10 Ed Ruth Fr. Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township 12-1
184 Andrew Church Fr. Erie, Pa./Fort LeBeouf 4-5
out *Quentin Wright So. Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area 8-2
197 Justin Ortega So. Oxford, Pa./Oxford 3-5
Nick Ruggear Fr. Oxford, Pa./Oxford 12-4
285 #6 Cameron Wade Jr. Twinsburg, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel 10-2
The Southern Scuffle allows teams to enter more than one wrestler at any given weight class (up to 15), with the top finisher at each weight earning the team points for the school in the team race. Of the 17 wrestlers listed (not including Wright), TWO will be wrestling unattached (to be determined).
THIS WEEK
No. 4 Penn State (7-0, 1-0 Big Ten) heads to Charlotte, N.C., and the Greensboro Coliseum for the 2010 Southern Scuffle, hosted by UNC-Greensboro. The two-day, team-scored tournament takes place on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 29-30.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions will head to one of the nation's top dual meet tournaments when they take part in the 2011 Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va. The two-day dual meet tourney will take place on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 7-8, in the Hampton Coliseum.
ON THE AIR
TV - None
Live Web Video -- None
Radio - 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.
ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
For information or credentials, contact me, Pat Donghia, Wrestling SID Phone: 814-865-1757 -- Email: pad11@psu.edu
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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 finished in Detroit capped off a wildly successful year as the Cyclones crowned one national championship 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 64-16-1 dual meet mark in this, his fourth year as a collegiate head coach. He is 20-6-1 in his second year at Penn State.
PITT DUAL MOVED TO 6 P.M. FOR LIVE BTN COVERAGE!
The home wrestling dual with rival Pittsburgh on Jan. 21 has had its start time moved to 6 p.m. The time change will now allow the Big Ten Network to air the much-anticipated wrestling dual live to over 70 million homes nationwide. Penn State and Pittsburgh have a long and storied wrestling rivalry. The two teams have met 65 times with Penn State owning a 50-12-3 advantage in the series, but the teams wrestled to a 19-19 tie last year in Pittsburgh. This year's dual will feature a number of anticipated match-ups of ranked opponents and is also Penn State's final non-conference dual meet.
ANDREW LONG JOINS NITTANY LIONS
The Penn State wrestling team has added All-American Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa) to its active roster. Long has joined the team and is eligible to compete immediately for the Nittany Lions. Long, who will be a sophomore and compete at 133 pounds this year, was the 2010 NCAA National Runner-Up at 125 pounds, advancing to the national finals in Ohama last year for Iowa State. The Creston, Iowa, native posted a 27-7 record last year on his way to becoming a freshman All-American, collecting six majors, four technical falls and seven pins. Long red-shirted in 2008-09 after a superb high school career that in which he posted a 175-13 record and won three Iowa high school championships. He is the son of Matt and Debbie Long.
OVER 5,100 CHEER AS LIONS CRUSH #22 OHIO STATE 42-3 IN MOST LOPSIDED BIG TEN DUAL WIN IN PSU HISTORY
The Penn State Nittany Lions won nine out of ten bouts to trounce No. 22 Ohio State 42-3 on Dec. 19 in the Big Ten dual meet opener for both teams. Over 5,100 fans crammed into Rec Hall to watch the event (5,102). The win ties a Penn State record for most lop-sided Big Ten dual meet victory. Penn State beat Northwestern 42-3 back on Feb. 6, 2004, also in Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions used pins from Andrew Alton at 141, Frank Molinaro at 149 and Cameron Wade at HWT; majors from Frank Martellotti at 125, David Taylor at 157 and Ed Ruth up a weigh at 184; and a forfeit win at 174 to grab the victory.
LIONS OFF TO BEST DUAL MEET START SINCE 1988-89
The Nittany Lions head to the Southern Scuffle with a 7-0 dual meet record. The mark is Penn State's best start since beginning the 1988-89 year 8-0 (without a loss or tie.)
#3 TAYLOR DOMINATES #13 SPONSELLER; CONTINUES DOMINANT START TO CAREER
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor nearly teched #13 Colt Sponseller of Ohio State in Penn State's dual meet win on 12/19. Taylor posted a 14-1 major with 5:56 in riding time to improve to 13-0 on the year. Taylor has had only one of his 13 bouts be decided by a decision. He has three pins, three tech falls and six majors to date.
ALTON UNDEFEATED AND NEARING TOP TEN SINGLE SEASON FALL MARK AT PENN STATE
True freshman Andrew Alton pinned Ohio State's Randy Languis in just :31 in his Big Ten debut on 12/19, helping spark the Lions to a 42-3 win over the Buckeyes. Alton is now 13-0 on the year with 10 pins. The first-year wrestler needs one more fall to move into a tie for ninth on Penn State's all-time fall-in-a-season list (five wrestlers are tied at 11).
PEARSALL KNOCKS OFF #10 PADDOCK TO LEAD PENN STATE OVER BUCKEYES
Sophomore Bryan Pearsall continued his impressive second season at 133 for Penn State, posting a thorough 9-4 win over No. 10 Ian Paddock of Ohio State. The victory helped spark Penn State to a 42-3 dismantling of Ohio State in the Big Ten dual meet opener for both teams on 12/19.
FISCHER AND VOLLRATH PICK UP FIRST CAREER DUAL MEET WINS
Sophomore 165-pounder Nick Fischer moved up a weight to 174 and picked up his first Penn State dual meet win with a thrilling 7-5 decision over Lock Haven's Michael Khoury in Penn State's 48-0 win over LHU on 12/12. In addition, red-shirt freshman 157-pounder James Vollrath was set to step in at 165 for an ailing Jake Kemerer and picked up a forfeit victory in his Penn State dual meet debut.
LIONS SHUT OUT LOCK HAVEN 48-0 FOR SECOND SCORELESS EFFORT OF THE YEAR
Penn State's 48-0 shut-out of Lock Haven on 12/12 was the team's second of the year, following up on a 45-0 win over Harvard in November. The 48-0 win is Penn State's most lopsided shutout victory since a 54-0 win over Millersville on Jan. 25, 1983. The last time Penn State had two shutouts in one season was the 2006-07 season when the Lions beat Clarion (47-0) and Rider (41-0).
Cael Sanderson TO BE INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
The nation's first undefeated four-time NCAA champion, Cael Sanderson, joins three other of America's best wrestlers chosen for induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum on June 8-9, 2011 in Stillwater. Distinguished Members selected along with Sanderson for the Class of 2011 include Dennis Hall, Dan Brand and Richard Delgado, posthumously. "This is another outstanding class of inductees," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "I am excited that our Hall of Fame gets to honor such a prestigious group whose legacies span over 60 years of wrestling in this country." Sanderson made history by becoming the first four-time undefeated NCAA Division I champion in collegiate history. The former Iowa State star went 159-0 from 1999 through 2002. He capped his career by winning a Gold Medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
LIONS CROWN FOUR AT NITTANY LION OPEN
No. 5 Penn State sent 29 wrestlers into action at the 2010 Nittany Lion Open, had 16 quarterfinalists and ended the day with four champions. Three freshmen and a junior claimed titles for head coach Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions. Penn State sent eight wrestlers into the finals with half of them winning their bouts. Freshman Frank Martellotti went 5-0 to win at 125 with two pins, a tech fall and a major. Classmate Andrew Alton put on a show at 141, going 6-0 to claim the title with five pins. The fifth pin was a :39 fall over No. 20 Zack Kemerer of Penn in the finals. Red-shirt freshman David Taylor continued his superb run with a 6-0 day at 157. Taylor claimed the title with a 9-3 dismantling of Virginia Tech's Jesse Dong (who was the #3 seed at NCAAs last year). Taylor had a fall, a tech and three majors. Junior Cameron Wade went 5-0 with three tech falls, a pin and a major.
FOUR LIONS TAKE SECOND AT NLO
Penn State's superb day at the 2010 Nittany Lion Open was tempered, however, in the finals at 184. No. 6 Quentin Wright was beating No. 14 Nathan Schiedel of Binghamton when the returning All-American was injured and suffered an injury default to take second place. Wright went 4-1 on the day. Just seconds before that, two-time All-American Frank Molinaro, ranked No. 2 at 149, was upset in overtime by No. 10 Mario Mason of Rutgers. Mason downed Molinaro 3-1 (sv), giving the Lion junior a 5-1 record on the day. Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth, ranked No. 14 at 174, handled No. 9 Scott Giffin of Penn 6-2 in the semifinals and then dropped a hard-fought 9-4 decision to No. 8 Mike Letts of Maryland in the finals. Ruth went 5-1 for second place with two pins and two tech falls. True freshman Dirk Cowburn, wrestling unattached at 165, advanced to the finals where he was pinned by No. 3 Josh Asper of Maryland. Cowburn went 5-1 for his runner-up finish. The day at the NLO was solid all-around for Penn State. The Lions had 29 entrants in the event, 16 of which advanced to the quarterfinals and 11 of which made the semis. Penn State had eight finalists, half of whom won titles.
LION FRESHMEN SHINE AT SPRAWL AND BRAWLS
Penn State started six freshmen in each of its three duals at the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Nov. 21 and the outstanding group posted a superb 16-2 record. Frank Martellotti (125), Andrew Alton (141), David Taylor (157), Jake Kemerer (165), Ed Ruth (174) and Nick Ruggear (197) combined for the solid showing.
RUTH LEADING DUAL MEET TAKEDOWN RACE
Red-shirt freshmen Ed Ruth has taken the lead in Penn State's team dual meet takedown race. Ruth has 26 dual meet takedowns, one more than teammate David Taylor, who has 25. Taylor is one of three Nittany Lions who have not been taken down in a dual meet yet as well. Taylor is 25-0 in takedowns, Andrew Alton is 14-0 and Frank Molinaro is 7-0.
RUGGEAR WINS PSU DUAL DEBUT
True freshman Nick Ruggear made his Penn State dual meet debut at the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Nov. 21 and won his first two bouts (an 12-1 major over Harvard's Bryan Panzano and a 4-2 win over WVU's Cameron Gallaher) before losing to Rutgers' Mike Wagner.
ALTON WINS FIRST FOUR BY FALL
True freshman Andrew Alton won his first four collegiate bouts in fine fashion, getting a pin in each bout. Alton won each of those four bouts with falls in the first period by a combined time of only 3:57.
ENGLISH OUTSTANDING AT SPRAWL AND BRAWLS
Sophomore James English stepped into the starting line-up at 149 to begin the season as two-time All-American Frank Molinaro rehabbed a pre-season injury and made a national statement at the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Nov. 21. English downed two top-ten foes, beating #9 Corey Jantzen of Harvard 4-3 and #8 Brandon Rader of West Virginia 5-3 in back-to-back dual meet wins.
LIONS GO 3-0 AT SPRAWL & BRAWLS, INCLUDING 22-10 VICTORY OVER #24 RUTGERS
The Nittany Lions won seven of ten bouts against #24 Rutgers to down the Scarlet Knights 22-10 and closed out the 2010 Sprawl and Brawl Duals with a 3-0 mark on Nov. 21. The Nittany Lions opened the event by shutting out Harvard 45-0. It was Penn State's first shut-out since the Lions blanked rival Lehigh 33-0 on Dec. 7, 2007. Penn State won the takedown battle with RU 19-7 and posted a daunting 60-10 edge in takedowns over the course of the day's three duals.
Dylan Alton, COWBURN AND VOLLRATH CLAIM ESU OPEN CROWNS
Twelve members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team took part in the 2010 ESU Open, hosted on Saturday East Stroudsburg University and three of them left with individual titles. Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), Dirk Cowburn (Coudersport, Pa.) and James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) each won their respective weight classes at the crowded event. With action against unrostered wrestlers not counting in the records, Vollrath was one of three Nittany Lions wrestling attached in the Blue and White singlet. The red-shirt freshman went 4-0 at 157 to win his title. Alton and Cowburn were each wrestling unattached. Alton went 5-0 with a pin and a major to with the 149 pound crown while Cowburn went 4-0 with three pins to with the 165 pound weight class. Three other Nittany Lions placed (all wrestling unattached. Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) went 4-1 at 125 and advanced to the final bout before losing, placing second. Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, Pa.) went 5-1 at 133 and took third and Thomas Gorman (East Patchogue, N.Y.) went 6-2 at 157 to place fifth.
SHERLOCK AND FISCHER CLAIM W&J TITLES
Seventeen members of the Penn State wrestling team competed, both attached and unattached at the Washington and Jefferson Open on Saturday. Sophomore Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) and true freshman Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, Pa.) each won their respective weight classes to lead seven Penn State placers. Fischer was one of five Nittany Lions wrestling attached in their blue and white singlets and he went a perfect 6-0 to claim the 165-pound title. He notched a major and had two pins on his way to the crown. Red-shirt freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) had a solid tournament, advancing to the finals at 157 before losing. Vollrath was 4-1 with a major to take second at his weight. Senior 125-pounder Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) went 6-2 with a major to place fifth at 125. Senior Michael Lorenzo (Bellefonte, Pa.) went 1-1 at 174 and freshman Andrew Church (Erie, Pa.) went 4-2 with a major and a pin at 174 to round out Penn State's attached grapplers competing at the event. Sherlock was a perfect 5-0 at 133 to win the crown, posting two majors during his title winning run. Classmate Dirk Cowburn (Coudersport, Pa.) picked up the most wins of any Nittany Lion on the day, going 7-1 with two pins and two majors to take third at a crowded 165-pound weight class. Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.), also a first year wrestler, went 6-1 with a major at 125 to take third while fellow first-year wrestler Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) was 5-1 with a major at 197 to place third and round out Penn State's placers at the event.
FIVE FRESHMEN PERFECT IN DEBUT WEEKEND
Penn State's young and talented line-up got an early lift in its opening weekend as five freshmen combined to go 10-0 in the Nittany Lions' two dual meet victories. True freshman Frank Martellotti went 2-0 at 125, true freshman Andrew Alton went 2-0 at 141 with two pins, red-shirt freshman David Taylor went 2-0 at 157 with a tech fall and a pin, red-shirt freshman Jake Kemerer went 2-0 at 165 (including a win over No. 11 Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh) and red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth went 2-0 at 174 with a tech fall.
NEARLY 5,300 PACK REC HALL AS LIONS DOWN #15 LEHIGH 21-17
The Penn State Nittany Lions, ranked No. 6 at the time, thrilled nearly 5,300 fans in a packed Rec Hall on 11/14 by beating intra-state rival Lehigh, ranked No. 15, 21-17. Five Penn State freshmen made their Rec Hall dual meet debuts by grabbing exciting wins to spark Penn State to a perfect 2-0 opening-weekend start. The crowd was the largest for a Penn State dual since 5,841 watched Penn State beat Iowa 24-13 on Feb. 4, 2007.
LIONS BEAT HUSKIES BEFORE SRO CROWD
Penn State travelled to Bloomsburg University on 11/13 for the 2010-11 season opener and downed the host Huskies 41-3 in front of a standing-room-only crowd in BU's Nelson Field House. On a night when Bloom was re-dedicating a newly renovated arena, Penn State's fan base turned out in full force to make up a large chunk of over 2,300 fans in the 1,700 capacity venue. Penn State won nine of ten bouts, including getting five wins from freshmen making their collegiate debuts. Sophomore Bryan Pearsall got a key pin at 133, sophomore James English stepped in at 149 to grab a win, All-American Quentin Wright got a pin at 184 and sophomore Cameron Wade got a major at HWT to round out PSU's nine wins.
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.
PENN STATE RANKED #4 IN NWCA/USA TODAY COACHES POLL; 6 LIONS RANKED INDIVIDUALLY BY INTERMAT
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, led by head coach Cael Sanderson, is ranked No. 4 in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. Penn State is tied for fourth with Big Ten rival Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions are 7-0 on the year and off to their best dual meet start since beginning the 1988-89 season 8-0. The Nittany Lions also have six wrestlers ranked individually by Intermat. Cornell continues to head the team list with a No. 1 nod while Oklahoma State is in second. Minnesota is ranked No. 3 with Penn State moving up to a tie for fourth with Wisconsin. Iowa sits in sixth while Boise State following in seventh. Oklahoma is ranked No. 8 while Illinois is No. 9 and Lehigh is No. 10. Michigan (15), Purdue (16), Northwestern (20) and Ohio State (25) round out the Big Ten teams in the top 25, giving the conference nine schools ranked in the coaches poll. Red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) leads Penn State's ranked wrestlers, sitting at 3 at 157. Taylor is 13-0 on the year with three pins, three techs and six majors. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) is ranked No. 6 at 149 with an 8-1 record, including three pins, a tech and two majors. Junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) is ranked No. 6 at heavyweight and sports an 8-2 mark with four pins, three techs and two majors. True freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) is ranked No. 9 at 141 with a perfect 13-0 mark. Ten of Alton's 13 wins have been by fall. Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) is ranked No. 10 at 174 with a superb 12-1 mark, including five pins, three techs and a major. True freshman Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) is also undefeated at 125 with a 12-0 record and is ranked No. 16 nationally. All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), who was ranked in the top 10 at 184 prior to being injured in early December, will return to the rankings upon his return to the line-up.
PEARSALL MAKES RANKINGS DEBUT AS EIGHT NITTANY LIONS RANKED BY THEOPENMAT.COM
Seven Nittany Lions are currently ranked in the top 20 at their respective weights by TheOpenMat.com and Penn State is ranked No. 2 as a team. The seven ranked Lions are Frank Martellotti (#12 at 125), Bryan Pearsall (#20 at 133), Andrew Alton (#7 at 141), Frank Molinaro (#4 at 149), David Taylor (#2 at 157), Jake Kemerer (#20 at 165), Ed Ruth (#9 at 174) and Cameron Wade (#6 at 285). All-American Quentin Wright, who was ranked in the top five at 184, will not be ranked by TOM until he returns to the Penn State line-up.
SINGLE 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 by calling 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 are also available. This year's home schedule continues in a nationally televised dual. The Pittsburgh Panthers close out Penn State's non-conference schedule in Rec Hall on Friday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. live on the Big Ten Network. 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.
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.