Feb. 6, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 3 in the nation, used three pins to hammer No. 13 Michigan 28-13 in the Wolverines house to grab an impressive Big Ten road victory. The Lions handed Michigan their first conference defeat and snapped a six-dual UM win streak. Penn State used three thrilling pins, including two first period falls, to pick up its 15th win of the year.
For the second straight time, Penn State's opponent chose to draw and this time the dual began at 133. Sophomore All-American Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), ranked No. 9, got three back points at the end of the bout to post an impressive 16-6 major over No. 18 Zac Stevens. Michigan's top-ranked 141-pounder Kellen Russell won a thrilling 3-1 overtime decision over Nittany Lion true freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 7, to cut the Lion lead to 4-3. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 5 at 149, dominated Eric Grajales 8-3 with over 2:00 in riding time and then undefeated freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) pinned No. 20 Brandon Zeerip in just 1:01. Taylor, ranked No. 3 at 157, improved to 28-0 on the year with 27 bonus point victories (seven pins, 11 techs and nine majors). Michigan closed out the first half with No. 19 Dan Yates earning a tough 5-2 win over Nittany Lion sophomore Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) at 165, cutting Penn State's lead to 13-6 at the break.
Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, was strong in posting a 13-6 win over Michigan junior Justin Zeerip and then sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) struck quickly at 184, pinning Michigan's Hunter Collins in just :24 to put the Lions up 22-6. Wright, ranked No. 14 nationally, picked up his fifth pin of the year. Michigan rebounded at 197 where No. 10 Anthony Biondo posted a 12-3 major over Lion true freshman Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) to cut the Penn State lead to 22-10. No. 5 Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) erased a 6-2 deficit against No. 10 Ben Apland at heavyweight by choosing top in the third period and quickly turning the Wolverine to his back for a pin at the 5:32 mark. The fall, Penn State's third of the dual and Wade's ninth, clinched the victory. Michigan's Sean Boyle picked up a hard-fought 6-2 win over true freshman Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) at 125 but the Nittany Lions still posted the dominating 28-13 victory.
The Nittany Lions improve to 15-1 on the year, 3-1 in Big Ten action, and handed a hot Michigan team its first loss of the conference season. Michigan falls to 10-3 overall, 5-1 in the loop. Penn State owned a slim 14-12 edge in takedowns, but dominated the dual with bonus points. Head coach Cael Sanderson's crew won six of ten bouts but picked up 10 bonus points off three pins and a major. Michigan notched just one bonus point off a major decision. The win was Penn State's second over the Wolverines after downing their Big Ten brethren in the Virginia Duals title bout. Penn State now owns a 26-24 edge in the all-time series.
Penn State returns to action on Friday, Feb. 11, when it hosts No. 19 Illinois in Rec Hall at 7 p.m. Tickets are 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 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.
#3 Penn State 28, #13 Michigan 13
February 6, 2011 - Ann Arbor, Mich.
133: #9 Andrew Long PSU maj. dec. #18 Zac Stevens, 16-6 4-0
141: #1 Kellen Russell UM dec. (OT) #7 Andrew Alton PSU, 3-1 4-3
149: #5 Frank Molinaro PSU dec. Eric Grajales UM, 8-3 7-3
157: #3 David Taylor PSU pinned #20 Brandon Zeerip UM, WBF (1:01) 13-3
165: #19 Dan Yates UM dec. Nick Fischer PSU, 5-2 13-6
174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU dec. Justin Zeerip UM, 13-6 16-6
184: #14 Quentin Wright PSU pinned Hunter Collins UM, WBF (0:24) 22-6
197: #10 Anthony Biondo UM maj. dec. Nick Ruggear PSU, 12-3 22-10
285: #5 Cameron Wade PSU pinned #10 Ben Apland UM, WBF 5:32) 28-10
125: Sean Boyle UM dec. Nate Morgan PSU, 6-2 28-13
Attendance: 1,036
Records: Penn State 15-1 (4-1 Big Ten), Michigan (10-3, 5-1 Big Ten)
Up Next for Penn State: home vs. #19 Illinois, Friday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m. in Rec Hall
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
133: The dual began at 133, where sophomore Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), ranked No. 9 at 133, met Michigan junior Zac Stevens, who was ranked No. 19. Stevens scored right off the starting buzzer, taking Long down just seconds into the bout to lead 2-0 early. Long quickly escaped and turned into Stevens, looking for a takedown of his own. Long turned a low single into a takedown on the edge of the mat, but the second official waved it off and the Lion still trailed 2-1. But Long was undaunted, getting in deep on a low shot and scrambling for a takedown and a 3-2 lead with :59 on the clock. Stevens escaped quickly and tied the score at 3-3, but Long continued to pressure the Wolverine, but the bout moved to the second period tied. Long chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 lead. The Lion sophomore pressured Stevens to the edge of the mat for the first minute of the period and scrambled his way to a 6-3 lead with a second takedown at the 1:10 mark. Long then put together a brief ride, keeping control of Stevens until the :32 mark and building up a :27 riding time edge. Alton pulled Stevens' head to the mat, moved behind him and picked his ankle for a late takedown with :05 left and led 8-4 after two periods. Stevens chose down to start the third period but Long was able to control Stevens long enough to build up a 1:07 riding time edge before the Wolverine escaped. Long quickly took Stevens down and cut him loose to lead 10-6, looking for a major. Long added another takedown with :30 left and then turned Stevens to his back for three near fall points at the buzzer to grab an impressive 16-6 major with 1:42 in riding time.
141: Seventh-ranked freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) faced off against top-ranked Kellen Russell of Michigan for the third time. Russell earned hard-fought one-point decisions in each of the prior meetings. The duo came out feisty, with each wrestler looking for early takedowns with a high pace. Alton set the pace early, circling Russell to the edge of the mat. Like the two prior bouts, takedowns were scarce between the two grapplers and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Russell chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Alton tried a low single, under hook but Russell was able to slide out of trouble to keep the one point lead. Alton nearly turned the same move into a takedown but did not get the call at the :40 mark and still trailed 1-0. Trailing 1-0, Alton chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 1-1 tied with 1:41 on the clock. The rest of the third period featured a lot of shoulder ties but neither wrestler was able to find an opening to ice the bout and action moved into a sudden victory period. Alton and Russell traded shots for the extra minute with no results and the bout moved into the first of two overtime periods. Russell was down to start and quickly reversed Alton to lead 3-1. Off a reset with :17, Alton could not work his way free to an escape and trailed by two heading into the next :30 period. Alton was down to start the :30 and once again could not free himself from Russell. The top-ranked Wolverine posted a hard-fought 3-1 overtime decision to cut Penn State's lead to 4-3.
149: Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) met Michigan freshman Eric Grajales at 149. Molinaro, ranked No. 5, set the tempo early but could not break through a defensive Grajales to score early. The Lion junior continued to pressure Grajales, however, and used a strong high double to take him down and lead 2-1 with :22 (after a Grajales escape). Leading 2-1, Molinaro chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly reversed the Wolverine for a 4-1 lead less than :10 into the period. The veteran Lion then put together a punishing ride, maintaining control of Grajales and looking for a chance to turn him for back points. While not getting the turn, Molinaro was able to build up a 2:09 time advantage with the ride out. Grajales chose neutral to start the third period. Grajales turned a low single into a double leg takedown on the edge of the mat with 1:23 left in the third, cutting Molinaro's lead to 4-3. Molinaro escaped to a 5-3 lead and then began pressuring the Wolverine for another takedown. With the riding time point clinched, Molinaro then secured the bout with a strong high single to lead 7-3 with :25 left on the clock. Molinaro then rode Grajales out to post a strong 8-3 win.
157: Third-ranked freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) took on No. 20 Brandon Zeerip of Michigan at 157. Taylor wasted no time in making another statement. He quickly took Zeerip down and gained control of his shoulders. Deftly turning him to his back in seconds, Taylor then worked steadily to get the pin, finally getting the fall at the 1:01 mark to put Penn State up 13-3. The win improved Taylor to 28-0 with 27 of those wins earning bonus points. It was the freshman's seventh pin of the year.
165: Red-shirt sophomore Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) met Wolverine freshman Dan Yates, who was ranked No. 19 at 165. Fischer had the first scoring chance of the bout, getting control of Yates' ankle and nearly getting a go-ahead takedown. But Yates was able to scramble for nearly :30 and force a stalemate. He then countered a Fischer shot and took 2-0 lead with a takedown of his own at the 1:34 mark. Yates then put together a strong ride, building up a 1:34 riding time edge with the ride out. Fischer nearly picked up a reversal at the end of the period, but Yates was able to hold on to lead 2-0 after one period. Fischer chose down to start the second period and steadily escaped to a 2-1 deficit but Yates had 2:06 in riding time. Fischer got in deep on a high single and looked to score a the end of the period, but Yates was able to force a stalemate with :07 left in the period. Leading 2-1 with more than 2:00 in time, Yates chose down to start the third period. He steadily worked his way into a reversal to lead 4-1 and clinch the riding time point. Fischer escaped at the 1:00 mark to trail 4-2 and then tried a high single that Yates was able to block off. Yates held on for the 5-2 win to cut Penn State's lead to 5-2 at the break.
174: Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, faced off against Michigan's Justin Zeerip. Ruth wasted no time in getting in on a single leg, forcing a scramble that nearly led to an early takedown. But action moved out of bounds and a reset ensued at the 2:30 mark. Continuing to pressure the Wolverine, Ruth turned a low single into a 2-0 lead and then began looking for a chance to turn Zeerip for back points. The talented Lion freshman dominated the action from the top position, building up a sizeable riding time edge before cutting him loose at the :35 mark. Ruth then turned into the Wolverine, looking to add one more takedown in the period. Zeerip was able to fight off Ruth's moves and trailed just 2-1 after one period. Zeerip chose down to start the second period and Ruth once again began punishing the Michigan grappler from the top position. Ruth cut him loose at the 1:20 mark, tying the bout at 2-2 but Ruth had 2:34 in riding time. Ruth quickly added a second takedown, cut Zeerip and led 4-3 with 1:00. The second-ranked Nittany Lion fought off Zeerip's first shot at the :45 mark, forcing a stalemate with :20 left. Ruth picked up a third takedown at the buzzer and led 6-3 with 2:38 in riding time after two periods. He chose down to start the third stanza and steadily worked his way to a reversal and an 8-3 lead. After cutting Zeerip again, Ruth would tack on another takedown and cut and led 10-5 with 1:00 left. Needing one more takedown for a major, Ruth used a swift low double to take him down once more and led 12-6 after a quick Zeerip escape. Ruth was not able to get the last takedown and posted the 13-6 win, putting Penn State up 16-6.
184: Sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 184, battled Hunter Collins. Wright wasted less time than Taylor, gaining control of Collins' shoulders right out of the gates and tossed the Wolverine to his back. In just :24, the 14th-ranked Lion sophomore picked up the pin and put Penn State up 22-6.
197: True freshman Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) took to the mat for Penn State at 197 to face No. 10 Anthony Biondo of Michigan. Biondo quickly took Ruggear down to lead 2-0 and then put together a strong ride, keeping control of the young Nittany Lion for the rest of the period to lead 2-0 with 2:53 in riding time. Biondo chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. He then turned a high single into another takedown and a 5-0 lead with 1:34 on the clock. Like the first period, Biondo was able to control Ruggear until cutting him loose at the :31 mark. Biondo tacked on more takedown as the period ended and led 7-1 with 3:58 in riding time, clinching the extra point. Ruggear chose down to start the third period and was cut loose by Biondo to a 7-2 deficit. Ruggear gained control of Biondo's right ankle but Biondo was able to counter the move and add another takedown. The ranked Wolverine then turned Biondo for two back points and led 11-3 after cutting Ruggear loose with :30 left in the match. Biondo would post the 12-3 major and cut Penn State's lead to 22-10.
285: Fifth-ranked heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) met No. 10 Ben Apland of Michigan for the third time as well. Wade won two close decisions in the prior two meetings. Wade shot low on Apland but the Wolverine countered and took the Lion junior down to lead 2-1 after a quick Wade escape. Apland gained control of Wade's right leg and as the Nittany Lion tried to counter the move, the Wolverine worked his way into a second takedown and a 4-1 lead with 1:00 on the clock. Wade quickly escaped and turned into the Wolverine, looking for a takedown of his own. But Apland was able to hold firm and led 4-2 after the opening period with :43 in riding time. Apland chose neutral to start the second stanza. The duo battled evenly until Wade show in once more an Apland's left leg. The Wolverine once again worked to counter the move and forced a scramble in the middle of the mat. Apland steadily worked his way to a third takedown and a 6-2 lead after two periods. Wade chose top to start the third period, needing back points to come back. Wade wasted no time in gaining control of Apland, turning the Wolverine to his back and working himself into a chance for the fall. Wade first got the three count and then adjusted his position to pick up the pin just :28 into the final period. The fall at the 5:32 mark clinched the dual for the Lions, putting Penn State up 28-10.
125: True freshman Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) took on Michigan's Sean Boyle at 125. Morgan shot early, looking to take a lead, but Boyle was able to counter the move and pick up a takedown of his own to lead 2-0 less than a minute into the bout. Morgan worked his way to an escaped at the 1:00 mark, cutting the Boyle lead to 2-1 with Boyle owning 1:12 in riding time. Neither wrestler notched any more points in the opening period and Boyle led by one after the opening period. Boyle chose down to start the third stanza, escaped, and then added a second takedown to lead 5-1 with 1:30 on the clock. Morgan battled for an escape but could not work his way free. The Lion freshman nearly notched a reversal as the period ended, but Boyle was able to maintain control and led 5-1 with 2:38 in time to his advantage at the end of the second. Morgan chose down to start the third and escaped to a 5-2 deficit. The young Lion worked for a takedown of his own, but Boyle was able to maintain his edge and post a 6-2 win.