Jan. 30, 2011
Watch Interviews Following the Iowa Dual
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The top-ranked Nittany Lion wrestling team dropped a hard-fought 22-13 decision to No. 8 Iowa on Sunday in front of a sold out Rec Hall. Iowa scored key victories at 133, 141 and 184 to upset Penn State and keep its unbeaten streak alive at 73. A capacity crowd of 6,686 watched the dual, which was the largest Rec Hall crowd since fire codes capped attendance in the mid-1990s.
The Hawkeyes came out on fire, picking up three quick wins, including two upsets to put Penn State down early. No. 2 Matt McDonough pinned Nittany Lion true freshman Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) at 125. Morgan was filling in for No. 11 Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), who continues to rest an injury. At 133, Iowa's Tony Ramos, ranked No. 10, posted a 3-2 upset win over No. 5 Andrew Long to put Iowa up 9-0. That win was followed by Montell Marion's 11-9 win over No. 5 Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) at 141. Alton nearly pinned Marion in the first period before Marion, the defending national runner-up at 141, came back with a furious third period comeback. Iowa's third straight win put the Hawkeyes up 12-0.
Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) answered with a 10-3 win over Iowa's Mark Ballweg at 149. Ballweg was ranked No. 15 at 141 and moved up a weight to meet Molinaro. Undefeated freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 3 at 157, continued his dominance with a 12-4 major over No. 14 Derek St. John of Iowa. Taylor had over 4:00 of riding time in the performance. Taylor's major cut the Iowa lead to 12-7 at halftime.
Red-shirt freshman Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa.) battled No. 14 Aaron Janssen tough at 165, but the Hawkeye senior escaped with a 6-2 win. Classmate Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, notched a dominating 10-3 win over No. 13 Ethan Lofthouse at 174 to cut the Hawkeye lead to 15-10. No. 16 Grant Gambrall downed Penn State's Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 6 at 184, 8-3 in another key bout to push the Hawkeye lead to 18-10. No. 14 Luke Lofthouse notched a 17-6 major over Penn State's Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) at 197 to clinch the dual before No. 5 Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) downed Iowa's Blake Raising 1-0 at heavyweight to make the final score 22-13 in Iowa's favor.
Penn State falls to 13-1 with the loss, 2-1 in the Big Ten. Iowa improves to 11-0-1, 4-0 in the conference. Iowa continues its unbeaten string, pushing the mark to 73 duals without a loss. Iowa won the takedown battle 23-14 and the bonus point battle 4-1.
Penn State returns to action on Friday, Feb. 4, in a road dual at Michigan State. Action in East Lansing starts at 7 p.m. Penn State then visits No. 13 Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 6, at 2 p.m. Tickets are also selling fast for the Lions' final two home duals (Feb. 11 vs. Illinois, Feb. 18 vs. Wisconsin) but are still available. Fans wishing to purchase single dual meet tickets 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. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC (1390 AM) and WSQV (92.1 FM). 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.
#1 Penn State 13, #8 Iowa 22
January 30, 2011 - Rec Hall - University Park, Pa.
125: #2 Matt McDonough IOWA pinned Nathan Morgan PSU, WBF (4:16) 0-6
133: #10 Tony Ramos IOWA dec. #5 Andrew Long PSU, 3-2 0-9
141: Montell Marion IOWA dec. #5 Andrew Alton PSU, 11-9 0-12
149: #5 Frank Molinaro PSU dec. #15 Mark Ballweg IOWA, 10-3 3-12
157: #3 David Taylor PSU maj. dec. Derek St. John IOWA, 12-4 7-12
165: #14 Aaron Janssen IOWA dec. Jake Kemerer PSU, 6-2 7-15
174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU dec. #13 Ethan Lofthouse IOWA, 10-3 10-15
184: #16 Grant Gambrall IOWA dec. #6 Quentin Wright PSU, 8-3 10-18
197: #14 Luke Lofthouse IOWA maj. dec. Justin Ortega PSU, 17-6 10-22
285: #5 Cameron Wade PSU dec. Blake Raising IOWA, 1-0 13-22
Attendance: 6,686
Records: Penn State 13-1 (2-1 Big Ten), Iowa (11-0-1, 4-0 Big Ten)
Up Next for Penn State: at Michigan State, Fri., Feb. 4, 7 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: With senior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 125, being held out of action once again, true freshman Nathan Morgan (McCook, Neb.) got the call for Penn State to battle defending national champion Matt McDonough, who was ranked No. 2. Morgan was making his Penn State dual meet debut. McDonough got the first takedown :40 into the bout to take an early 2-1 lead after a quick Morgan escape. The Iowa All-American notched another takedown seconds later, cut Morgan loose and led 4-2 with 1:35 on the clock. The Iowa sophomore added two more takedowns to lead 8-3 at the end of the first period with 1:45 in riding time. Morgan chose down to start the second stanza and McDonough cut him immediately. He tacked on two takedowns and then finished off a cradle to get the pin at the 4:16 mark, giving the Hawkeyes an early 6-0 lead.
133: Sophomore Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), ranked No. 5 at 133, met Iowa's Tony Ramos, who entered the bout ranked No. 10. The duo battled evenly for the first half of the opening period before Long's consistent pressure forced Ramos into a first stall warning. Ramos answered by getting in deep on Long's legs, but the Nittany Lion sophomore forced a stalemate to keep the bout scoreless. Tied 0-0, Long chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Ramos turned a scramble at the 1:08 mark into a 2-1 lead with a takedown on the edge of the mat. Long quickly escaped to tie the score and nearly scored on a single leg but Ramos fought off the move to keep the bout tied at :15. Tied 2-2, Ramos chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. Ramos got in on another single leg with :50 on the clock and Long forced a stalemate with :34 on the clock. Long could not close out a final shot and Ramos escaped with a 3-2 win to put Iowa up 9-0.
141: True freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) faced off against Iowa's Montell Marion at 141. Alton entered the bout ranked No. 5 in his first year of collegiate action while Marion, last year's national runner-up at 141, was making his first appearance of the season. Alton looked to turn an early headlock into a quick takedown and back points, but Marion was able to fight off the move and force a stalemate with 2:00 on the clock. Alton turned a quick headlock into a near pin at the :16 mark, but the official could not make the call as he tried to get into position and Alton led 5-0 with the three back points. Marion escaped before the period ended and the Lion freshman led 5-1 after three minutes. Marion chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 5-2 deficit. Alton then fought off a Marion shot but the Hawkeye managed a takedown with 1:07 on the clock to cut the Alton lead to 5-4. Alton quickly escaped to a 6-4 lead. The duo traded shots for the rest of the period and Alton led by two heading into the final period. Alton chose down to start the third stanza and Marion cut him loose to a 7-4 lead. Alton got hit for a first stall warning right away and then Marion countered an Alton toss attempt for a takedown to cut Alton's lead to 8-6 after an Alton escape. Marion added another takedown to tie the bout and then began working Alton on top for a riding time point. With :37 left, Alton needed to escape in just :11 and worked his way free, but Marion countered for a takedown and a 10-9 lead as the bout ended. The riding time point gave Marion an 11-9 win and put Penn State down 12-0 after just three bouts.
149: Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 5 at 149, met Iowa's Mark Ballweg, who was ranked No. 15 at 141. Molinaro got the bout's first takedown at the 1:50 mark and began looking for a chance to turn the smaller Hawkeye for back points. Molinaro rode Ballweg into a first stall warning with :24. The Molinaro ride out gave the Lion a 2-0 lead with 2:01 in riding time. Molinaro chose down to start the second period, quickly escaped and then took Ballweg down again to lead 5-0 with 1:25 on the clock. Molinaro cut Ballweg loose and then turned into the Hawkeye, working for another takedown. Molinaro used a high single for another takedown to up his lead to 7-1 with :30 on the clock. Another Molinaro ride-out gave the Lion a 7-1 lead with 2:58 in riding time after two periods. Ballweg chose down to start the third period and Molinaro cut him loose. With the riding time point clinched, Molinaro added another takedown and cut to up his lead to 9-3 with 1:11 left. After a reset at the :12 left, Molinaro almost picked up the major, but Ballweg fought off the late move and Molinaro put Penn State on the board with a 10-3 decision.
157: Red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), undefeated at ranked No. 3 at 157, met Iowa freshman Derek St. John, who was ranked No. 14. Taylor's relentless offense led to a quick takedown and a 2-0 lead with 2:40 on the clock. Taylor turned St. John for back points after a reset, but the Lion did not get the call and his lead held steady at 2-0. Taylor spent the next two minutes working for a turning combination. St. John was able to belly out for the entire period and Taylor led 2-0 with 2:25 in riding time after one period. Taylor chose down to start the second stanza worked his way to an escape and a 3-0 lead. He then got in on St. John and used a low single to force a scramble that he turned into another takedown and a 5-0 lead with 1:05 on the clock. Taylor cut St. John loose after a reset at the :40 mark and then worked tacked on another takedown with :25 on the clock to lead 7-1 after the second period. Facing 2:57 in riding time, St. John chose down to start the third period and Taylor cut him loose to a 7-2 deficit. St. John picked up an escape after choosing down after a poking Taylor in the eye twice. Taylor responded by quickly taking him down for a 9-3 lead with 1:19 on the clock and a riding time point secured. Taylor cut St. John loose again and added another takedown with 1:00 on the clock to lead 11-4. Taylor then rode St. John out to post the dominating 12-4 major with 4:19 in riding time. The win cut Iowa's lead to 12-7 at the halftime break.
165: Nittany Lion freshman Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa.) took on No. 14 Aaron Janssen of Iowa in a battle at 165. Kemerer set the pace early, taking numerous shots that forced Janssen into an early stall warning at the 1:30 mark. Janssen answered by turning a high single into a takedown and a 2-0 lead with :48 on the clock. Kemerer worked hard for an escaped but Janssen was able to maintain control for the remainder of the period to lead 2-0 with :56 in riding time after one period. Janssen chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Kemerer and Janssen traded shots until Kemerer nearly finished off a high single at the :45 mark. But the Iowa senior was able to step out of trouble and maintain his 3-0 lead. Trailing by three, Kemerer chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 3-1 deficit with Janssen owning 1:16 in riding time. Janssen gave up a stall point, allowing Kemerer to cut the lead to 3-2, but Janssen added another takedown and, with the riding time point, posted the 6-2 win to put the Hawkeyes up 15-7.
174: Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, faced off against No. 13 Ethan Lofthouse of Iowa. The duo traded shots for much of the first period before Ruth got in on Lofthouse's leg for a 2-0 lead with an early takedown. Lofthouse escaped to a 2-1 deficit and then shot in on Ruth. But the Lion freshman countered the move for his own takedown and a 4-1 lead with :10 on the clock. Leading 4-1, Ruth chose down to start the second period. Ruth quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead and then countered a Lofthouse shot for another takedown and a 7-1 lead. Lofthouse added an escaped but Ruth led 7-2 with over a minute's riding time after two periods. Lofthouse chose down to start the third and escaped to a 7-3 deficit. The Hawkeye then gave up a stall warning before Ruth added a final takedown to lead 9-3. The riding time point gave Ruth the 10-3 decision, cutting the Iowa lead to 15-10.
184: Penn State sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 6 at 184, met No. 16 Grant Gambrall. Gambrall countered an early Wright shot and took a 2-0 lead with a takedown just over a minute into the bout. Gambrall rode Wright out for the rest of the period to lead 2-0 with 2:00 in riding time heading into the middle stanza. Wright quickly scrambled his way to an escaped and a 2-1 deficit. Gambrall countered a low Wright shot for another takedown and a 4-1 lead with 1:10 on the clock. Wright escaped after giving up a first stall warning and trailed 4-2 at the end of the second period. Gambrall, with 2:33 in riding time, chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-2 lead. Wright scrambled to score as the period wound down, but Gambrall worked his way around the Lion sophomore with 1:10 on the clock to move out to a 7-2 lead. Gambrall cut Wright loose to a 7-3 deficit but could not score again and Gambrall notched the 8-3 win with the riding time point.
197: Sophomore Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) took on Hawkeye senior Luke Lofthouse, who was ranked No. 14 at 197. Lofthouse took a 2-1 lead early with a takedown and a quick Ortega escape. The Hawkeye senior added a second takedown to up his lead to 4-1, but Ortega quickly reversed the senior to cut his lead to 4-3 with :28 on the clock. Ortega got hit with a stall warning and then Lofthouse escaped with :05 left, quickly slid behind Ortega and notched a late takedown to lead 7-3 after one period. Ortega chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 7-4 deficit. The ranked Hawkeye senior tacked on another takedown late in the second period to lead 9-4 heading into the final period. Lofthouse chose down to start the third stanza, Ortega gave up a point for a locked hand, an escape and then a takedown. The swift flurry of scoring put Lofthouse up 13-5 with :45. Lofthouse added two more takedowns to post 7-6 major decision and clinch the dual, putting Iowa up 22-10.
285: Nittany Lion heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 5 nationally, met Iowa's Blake Raising. The duo of heavyweights traded shots for the bulk of the first period with neither man mounting a real threat to score. Tied 0-0, Raising chose neutral to start the second period. Like the first period, Wade tried to force the tempo, but Raising was able to work the edge of the mat and keep the Lion from gaining an offensive edge. Tied 0-0, Wade chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. The fifth-ranked Lion continued to try and open up the offense, but Raising was able to hand-fight his way to the midway point of the third period. Action continued to the :30 mark when Raising took a shot on the edge of the mat. But Wade deftly forced a stalemate and a reset with :20 on the clock. Wade held on for a 1-0 win, making the final score 22-13 for the Hawkeyes.