Feb. 9, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
TODAY'S ACTION
No. 3 Penn State (15-1, 4-1 Big Ten) will host No. 20 Illinois (4-4-1, 2-3-1 Big Ten) on Friday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall and then trek to Minneapolis to take on No. 5 Minnesota (14-3, 5-0 Big Ten*) on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 3 p.m. Eastern. *Minnesota is at Michigan on Friday night while Penn State entertains Illinois.
Penn State is coming off solid swing through the state of Michigan in which it won two Big Ten road duals by a combined score of 58-21 (winning 13 of 20 bouts in the process). The Nittany Lions won 30-9 at Michigan State on Friday and then 28-13 at Michigan on Sunday. Penn State freshman 157-pounder David Taylor remained undefeated on the year, improving to 28-0, with a technical fall in the MSU dual and a first period pin in the Michigan dual. Sophomore Quentin Wright posted a major against the Spartans and picked up a :24 pin against Michigan at 184. Sophomore 133-pounder Andrew Long went 2-0 with two majors, Frank Molinaro won twice at 149 and Ed Ruth won both his battles at 174 to improve to 26-1 on the year.
Taylor (28-0) and Ruth (26-1) lead Penn State in wins and are ranked No. 3 and No. 2 at their respective weights. Molinaro is 22-2 and ranked No. 5 at 149 while freshman Andrew Alton sports a 25-4 mark at 141 and is ranked No. 7. Junior Cameron Wade is 23-4 at heavyweight and ranked No. 6 while Long is 8-1 at 133 and ranked No. 9. Wright sports a 12-3 mark at 184 and is ranked No. 13 while senior 125-pounder Brad Pataky is 7-2 on the year and ranked No. 11.
Illinois comes into Friday's dual with a 4-4-1 mark, 2-3-1 in Big Ten duals. The Fighting Illini are being led by two outstanding wrestlers in their lighter weights. Senior Jimmy Kennedy sports an 11-1 record and is ranked No. 4 at 141 while sophomore B.J. Futrell is 21-4 and ranked No. 7 at 133. Junior Eric Terrazas is 19-6 at 149 while Jackson Morse is 19-8 at 157. Illinois owns a 9-3 record in the all-time series between the two schools with Penn State winning handily last year in Rec Hall (24-11 on 1/22/10). Illinois' last win over Penn State was an 18-15 victory in Champaign on 2/3/08.
Minnesota enters its weekend duals on a roll with a 14-3 mark and a perfect 5-0 record in conference action. The Golden Gophers are feature a balanced line-up led by senior Mike Thorn, who is 31-1 and ranked No. 2 at 141. Junior Sanders is 23-2 and ranked No. 5 at 125 while freshman heavyweight Tony Nelson is ranked No. 8 with a 25-3 record. Freshman Kevin Steinhaus is 25-8 and ranked No. 9 at 184, sophomore Cody Yohn is 22-9 and No. 11 at 165 and senior Scott Glasser is 25-7 and No. 12 at 174. Minnesota owns a 12-6 edge in the all-time series with Penn State, including the last nine straight. The Gophers won 26-16 last year in the dual meet finale for both teams on 2/16/10. Penn State's last win was a 21-13 victory on 2/6/98 in the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Nittany Lions close out their dual meet season by hosting No. 12 Wisconsin on Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. The dual will also serve as Senior Night. Tickets for the season finale are going fast 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 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.
PROBABLE STARTERS As of February 9, 2011
#3 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (15-1, 4-1 Big Ten)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2010-11 Record
125 #11 Brad Pataky Sr. Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield 7-2
Nathan Morgan Fr. McCook, Neb./McCook 14-9
133 #9 Andrew Long So. Creston, Iowa/Creston 8-1
141 #7 Andrew Alton Fr. Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain 25-4
149 #5 Frank Molinaro Jr. Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional 22-2
157 #3 David Taylor Fr. St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 28-0
165 Jake Kemerer Fr. Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield 13-8
OR Nick Fischer So. Unionville, Pa./Unionville 14-8
174 #2 Ed Ruth Fr. Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township 26-1
184 #13 Quentin Wright So. Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area 12-3
197 Nick Ruggear Fr. Oxford, Pa./Oxford 14-9
Justin Ortega So. Oxford, Pa./Oxford 4-9
285 #6 Cameron Wade Jr. Twinsburg, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel 23-4
#20 ILLINOIS ILLINI (4-4-1, 2-3-1 BIG TEN)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/Last School 2010-11 Record
125 Logan Arliss Fr. Batavia, Ill./Batavia 9-15
133 #7 B.J. Futrell So. Park Forest, Ill./Mt. Carmel 21-4
141 #4 Jimmy Kennedy Sr. Ingleside, Ill./Fox Lake Grant 11-1
149 Eric Terrazas Jr. Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North 19-6
157 Jackson Morse Fr. Alton, Mich./Lowell 19-8
165 Conrad Polz So. Orland Park, Ill./Sandberg 9-8
174 Ben Friedl Sr. Orland Park, Ill./Sandberg 9-5
OR Dan Stelter So. Villa Park, Ill./Montini Catholic 3-7
184 Tony Dallago Fr. Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin 13-12
197 Joe Barczak Sr. Fox Lake, Ill./Fox Lake Grant 11-5
285 Pat Walker So. Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East 9-10
#5 MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (14-3, 5-0 BIG TEN)*
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/Last School 2010-11 Record
125 #5 Zach Sanders Jr. Wabasha, Minn./Wabasha-Kellogg 23-2
133 David Thorn Fr. St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville 11-7
141 #2 Mike Thorn Sr. St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville 31-1
149 Danny Zilverberg Fr. Wayzata, Minn./Wayzata 15-9
157 Matt Mincey So. Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley 10-5
165 #11 Cody Yohn So. Alamosa, Colo./Alamosa 22-9
174 #12 Scott Glasser Sr. Bismark, N.D./Bismark 25-7
184 #9 Kevin Steinhaus Fr. Pennock, Minn./Sunburg 25-8
197 Joe Nord Sr. Waconia, Minn./Waconia 8-10
285 #8 Tony Nelson Fr. Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti 25-3
* Minnesota is at Michigan on Feb. 11, 2011
Indiv. rankings Intermat/Team rankings NWCA as of 2/8
THIS WEEK
No. 3 Penn State (15-1, 4-1 Big Ten) will host No. 20 Illinois (4-4-1, 2-3-1 Big Ten) on Friday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall and then trek to Minneapolis to take on No. 5 Minnesota (14-3, 5-0 Big Ten*) on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 3 p.m. Eastern. *Minnesota is at Michigan on Friday while PSU entertains Illinois.
UP NEXT
Penn State closes out its dual meet season by hosting No. 12 Wisconsin on Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. The dual will also serve as senior night for the Nittany Lions.
ON THE AIR
TV - The Minnesota dual is a Big Ten Network broadcast but is airing on a SAME DAY tape delay at 9:30 p.m. on 2/13 and again on 2/15 at 7 p.m.
Live Web Video -- The Illinois dual is being streamed Live in HD at www.BigTenNetwork.com.
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, now in his second year as mentor of the Nittany Lions, came 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. The Lions finished No. 10 in the final USA Today/Coaches dual meet poll and placed ninth at NCAAs.
Coach Sanderson now sports a 72-17-1 dual meet mark in this, his fourth year as a collegiate head coach. He is 27-7-1 in his second year at Penn State. As Penn State's head coach, Sanderson has guided the Nittany Lions to its first-ever Southern Scuffle Co-Championship (2010-11) and its first Virginia Duals Championship since 1991 (2010-11).
TICKETS FOR 2011 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP AT NORTHWESTERN AVAILABLE NOW!
Northwestern University is hosting the Big Ten Wrestling Championships March 5-6, 2010 at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. At this time fans can purchase $40 all-session reserved tickets, $36 all session adult general admission tickets, and $24 all session student general admission tickets by calling the Wildcat Ticket Office at 847-491-2287. Every effort will be made to sit fans within a specific fan seating block but nothing is guaranteed. Single session tickets can be ordered over the phone as well, or at the door on the day of the event. The breakdown of prices for each individual session is as follows: Session 1 March 5, 2011 @ 11 a.m.: Reserved Seating $18.00; Adult GA Seating $15.00; Student GA Seating $12.00; Session 2 March 5, 2011 @ 6 p.m.: Reserved Seating $18.00; Adult GA Seating $15.00; Student GA Seating $12.00; Session 3 March 6, 2011 @ 12 p.m.: Reserved Seating $20.00; Adult GA Seating $18.00; Student GA Seating $15.00 Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket when entering Welsh-Ryan Arena.
THREE PINS LEAD LIONS TO 28-13 WIN AT #13 MICHIGAN
Three pins, including two quick first period falls, helped propel Penn State to a resounding 28-13 win at No. 13 Michigan on 2/6. Sophomore Quentin Wright needed only :24 to pin Michigan's Hunter Collins at 184, red-shirt freshman David Taylor pinned No. 20 Brandon Zeerip in 1:01 and junior Cameron Wade used a third period pin at the 5:32 mark to erase a deficit and pin No. 10 Ben Apland. The victories, plus a major from Andrew Long at 133, were part of a six win, ten bonus point barrage that helped Penn State grab the road victory.
LIONS WIN 7 OF 10 IN 30-9 ROUT AT MICHIGAN STATE
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor's 20-5 tech fall over Michigan State's Sean McMurray highlighted Penn State's 30-9 win at Michigan State on 2/4. Penn State also picked up four majors and a forfeit in the win. Quentin Wright posted a 13-1 major over Ian Hinton at 184, Andrew Long majored Chris Lyon 16-5 at 133, Nick Fischer notched a solid 9-1 major over Bobby Nash at 165 and Ed Ruth majored Curran Jacobs 18-6 at 174. Andrew Alton also picked up a forfeit at 141 for the Nittany Lions.
LIONS FALL TO HAWKEYES IN FRONT OF SOLD OUT CROWD OF OVER 6,600; LARGEST REC HALL CROWD IN DECADES
The Nittany Lions won only four bouts in its much-anticipated match-up with the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes on 1/30, dropping a hard-fought 22-13 dual meet to Iowa. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (141), undefeated freshman David Taylor (157), second-ranked Ed Ruth (174) and 20-plus winner Cameron Wade (285) each grabbed wins for Penn State but key losses in a handful of `toss-up' bouts hurt Penn State's chances. The dual was wrestled in front of 6,686 Penn State White Out fans, marking the largest crowd at a Rec Hall sporting event since fire codes capped attendance at the venue in the early to mid-1990s.
TAYLOR UNDEFEATED AT 28-0 WITH 27 BONUS POINT WINS
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor's first period pin (1:01) of #20 Brandon Zeerip of Michigan on 2/6 improved his record to 28-0 on the year, with 27 of those wins earning bonus points. The lone regular decision was a decisive 9-3 win over Virginia Tech's Jesse Dong on 12/5. Dong his currently ranked in the top ten. Taylor has seven pins, 11 tech falls and nine majors. Taylor's bonus win tally of 27 is tied for third all-time on Penn State's single-season list. The record is 32, set by Josh Moore in 2004.
ALTON NOW 4TH ON ALL-TIME SINGLE SEASON PINS LIST
True freshman Andrew Alton picked up three more pins during his third place finish at the Southern Scuffle and now had 13 on the year. Alton is now 24-2 on the year with 16 pins. The 16 falls has him fourth on Penn State's all-time single-season falls list. The record is 24, set by Josh Moore in 2003-04. In addition, Ed Ruth's 10 pins this year has him inching towards the top ten as well. He is just one pin shy of moving into a tenth place tie with five other Nittany Lions.
TAYLOR MAJORS #14 ST. JOHN, MOLINARO DOWNS #15 BALLWEG, RUTH BEATS #13 LOFTHOUSE VS. IOWA
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor won his 26th straight bout (staying undefeated) by majoring #14 Derek St. John 12-4 with over 4:00 in riding time. The bonus-point win was Taylor's 25th of the year as of 1/30. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro downed #15 Mark Ballweg 10-3 at 149 and red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth posted a 10-3 win over #13 Ethan Lofthouse at 174.
Cameron Wade BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK, 1/25
Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the period ending January 23. Wade's honor is his first and Penn State's second of the year. Ranked No. 5 by Intermat at heavyweight, Wade went 2-0 last weekend with both wins coming over ranked grapplers. Wade downed then No. 3 Ryan Tomei of Pitt 3-2 in Penn State's 30-7 win over the Panthers on 1/21. He followed that up with a punishing 6-0 victory over then No. 14 Ricky Alcala of Indiana in a 36-8 road win at Indiana on 1/23.
THREE PINS LEAD LIONS TO DOMINATING BIG TEN ROAD WIN AT INDIANA
Penn State used three pins and three majors to cruise to a dominating 36-8 win at Indiana on 1/23. The victory was Penn State's 13th in a row, making the squad 13-0 at the time, the best start in school history. The Nittany Lions got pins from #5 Andrew Alton at 141, #2 Ed Ruth at 174 and #6 Quentin Wright at 184. Penn State also picked up majors from #5 Andrew Long at 133, #3 David Taylor at 157 (over #5 Paul Young) and Jake Kemerer at 165. The Nittany Lions posted a lopsided 27-8 takedown advantage and won eight of ten bouts. The eight winning Nittany Lion wrestlers did not give up a takedown in the dual.
OVER 5,500 WATCH LIONS CRUSH #22 PITT LIVE ON BTN; ALTON DOWNS #7 NAUMAN, WADE DOWNS #3 TOMEI
A near capacity crowd of over 5,500 Penn State fans filled Rec Hall to watch the Nittany Lions handle #22 Pittsburgh 30-7 on Jan. 21. The Nittany Lions won eight of ten bouts at the dual, highlighted by freshman Andrew Alton's win at 141 and junior Cameron Wade's victory at heavyweight. #5 Alton downed #7 Tyler Nauman 8-4 at 141 and #6 Wade beat #3 Ryan Tomei 3-2 at HWT. Penn State also got a major from Andrew Long at 133, a tech fall from David Taylor at 157 and a pin from Ed Ruth at 174. The Nittany Lions posted a 23-12 takedown edge in the win.
LIONS SWEEP THROUGH VIRGINIA DUALS FOR CROWN
Penn State was unstoppable at the 2011 Virginia Duals, going 4-0 with with wins over VMI (42-3), Edinboro (37-12), #23 Kent State (27-15) and #15 Michigan (24-12) by a combined score of 130-42. The Nittany Lions won 29 of 40 bouts with Brad Pataky (125), Andrew Long (133), Frank Molinaro (149), David Taylor (157) and Ed Ruth (174) going undefeated (4-0) during the tournament. The Virginia Duals title was Penn State's first since 1991.
PATAKY'S RUN AT VIRGINIA DUALS SPARKS LIONS
Senior 125-pounder Brad Pataky put together a 4-0 run at the 2011 Virginia Duals to spark Penn State to a tournament crown. The Clearfield, Pa., native collected two pins, a tech fall and a decision to up his season mark to 7-2 after missing the first semester due to an injury. He pinned #10 Nic Bedelyon of Kent State in Penn State's semifinal win over the Flash.
LONG MAKES MARK IN PENN STATE DEBUT
All-American Andrew Long made a quick mark on Penn State's fortunes in his Nittany Lion debut. The mid-season transfer and 2010 National Runner-Up at 125 went 4-0 for Penn State at 133, getting a pin in his first bout and adding two majors and a decision to his tally. Long majored No. 18 Zac Stevens of Michigan in Penn State's championship dual with the Wolverines.
TAYLOR DOMINATES VIRGINIA DUALS; NAMED OW
Freshman David Taylor continued his blazing run through the collegiate ranks with a dominating performance at the Virginia Duals. Taylor went 4-0 at the event with a first period pin, a 25-12 major and two tech falls to lead Penn State to the 2011 Virginia Duals crown. Taylor was named 2011 Virginia Duals Most Outstanding Wrestler for his performance.
MOLINARO AND RUTH GO UNDEFEATED AT VA. DUALS
Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro and red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth each went undefeated at the 2011 Virginia Duals to lead the Nittany Lions to the Duals title. Molinaro had a tech fall, a decision and two majors (including a 10-2 major over #14 Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro). Ruth collected two tech falls, a decision and a one-minute pin against Michigan in Penn State's title bout tilt against the Wolverines.
RUTH NAMED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Penn State wrestler Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending January 2, 2011. The honor is the first for Ruth, a freshman 174-pounder for the Nittany Lions, and is the first for Penn State this year. Ruth won the honor after winning five bouts, including decisions over then No. 1 Mack Lewnes of Cornell and No. 2 Chris Henrich of Virginia, en route to the 174-pound title at the Southern Scuffle last week. Ruth's performance led the Nittany Lions to a tie for first place in the 34-team field and earned him the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler award. Ruth opened the tournament by pinning Army's Robert Doyle in 2:11, followed by an 11-3 major decision over Michigan's Justin Zeerip. He earned his second pin of the event against Lock Haven's Michael Khoury, scoring the fall in 1:07. Ruth then defeated Lewnes by an 11-5 decision in the semifinals before earning a 7-2 decision over Henrich to take home the title.
LIONS STORM THE SOUTHERN SCUFFLE TO EARN CO-CHAMPIONSHIP WITH #1 CORNELL
Behind a solid and balanced attack, the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers stormed the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C., to earn a Co-Championship with No. 1 Cornell. Penn State had three individual champions and a runner-up as well as four other placers. David Taylor won the crown at 157, Ed Ruth earned the 174-pound title as well as Most Outstanding Wrestler honors and Cameron Wade won at heavyweight. Frank Molinaro lost a 1-0 decision in the finalist a 149 as well. Both Penn State and Cornell earned 151.5 points to far-outdistance third place Oregon State. Penn State went 65-22 on the day with 36 of those bouts earning bonus points. Penn State had 15 pins, six technical falls and 15 majors while placing eight wrestlers in the top eight.
Ed Ruth DOWNS #1 AND #2 IN ONE DAY; WINS SCUFFLE CROWN AT 174 AND NAMED OW
Ranked No. 10 at 174, red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth gave notice to the country with a thorough 11-5 win over No. 1 Mack Lewnes of Cornell in the semifinals. Ruth then took on No. 2 Chris Henrich of Virginia in the finals. In a feat rare for any wrestler, yet alone a freshman, Ruth dominated the second-ranked Cavalier on his way to a 7-2 win. In beating the No. 1 and No. 2 seed in the same afternoon, Ruth won the Scuffle crown with a 5-0 record (including two pins and a major). Ruth was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler for his stellar performance. Ruth was one of four finalists Penn State had at the event (and three champs).
TAYLOR UNTOUCHABLE IN CLAIMING 157-POUND TITLE AT SOUTHERN SCUFFLE
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor, ranked No. 3 at 157, continued to dominate the field with a 23-6 technical fall over Michigan's Brandon Zeerip in the semifinals. The win moved him into the finals where he took on No. 9 Paul Young of Indiana. In another dominating performance, Taylor made short work of the Hoosier senior, turning the veteran Big Ten grappler numerous times on his way to a decisive 18-2 technical fall at the 4:06 mark. Taylor was simply unchallenged at the event, going 6-0 with four technical falls and two pins. Taylor was one of four finalists Penn State had at the event (and three champs).
WADE CLINCHES SCUFFLE CO-TITLE WITH HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN IN TOURNEY'S FINAL BOUT
Cameron Wade, ranked No. 6 nationally, continued to roll and beat No. 12 Clayton Jack 7-4 in the semifinals, setting up a finals bout against No. 7 Ben Apland of Michigan. Wade needed a win to force a tie in the team race and he gave the packed house all they could handle. Down 2-1 with time running out, Wade turned Apland for two back points as the Lion faithful roared and, with a riding time point, notched a 4-2 thriller to take the title at heavyweight. The win allowed Penn State to forge a tie in the team race as well. Wade was one of four finalists Penn State had at the event (and three champs).
MOLINARO DROPS 1-0 DEC. TO #1 DAKE IN SCUFFLE FINALS; ALTON LOSES 4-3 TO #1 RUSSELL TO LEAD FIVE OTHER NITTANY LION PLACE WINNERS
After a quarterfinal win, two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 6 at 149, crushed No. 15 Torsten Gillespie 9-1 That win moved him into the finals where he met No. 1 Kyle Dake of Cornell. Molinaro set the offensive tempo, taking shot after shot in the finals but Dake was able to spend the match on the edge of the mat and used a third period escape to post the 1-0 win. Molinaro was one of four finalists Penn State had at the event. The four finalists were joined by four other Nittany Lions as place-winners at the prestigious event. At 141, true freshman Andrew Alton gave up a last-second takedown to No. 1 Kellen Russell of Michigan and dropped a 4-3 decision in a thrilling upset bid in the semifinals. The 9th-ranked 141-pounder rebounded for two wins in wrestle-back to take third place. Alton went 6-1 on the day with three pins and a major. Freshman James Vollrath rebounded from a first round loss at 157 to reel off nine straight wins to storm to third place while freshman Frank Martellotti went 6-3 at 125 to take sixth. Sophomore James English went 5-2 at 149 to take seventh place to round out Penn State's eight place winners.
Rob Vollrath TAKES 2ND AT HITCHCOCK MEMORIAL
Nine members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team travelled to Millersville University on Sunday to take part in the Floyd `Shorty' Hitchcock Memorial Classic. True freshman Rob Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) led the way for the Nittany Lions with a second place finish at 133 pounds. Vollrath, who is red-shirting this year, was wrestling unattached. Vollrath went 4-1 at 133, including a first period pin of York's Sergio Grigorian. The Nittany Lion rookie lost to Lock Haven's John Trumbetti in the finals, 7-1. Red-shirt freshman Andrew Church (Erie, Pa.), also wrestling unattached, went 2-2 at 184 to advance to the semifinals. Church went 1-1 in tie-breaker matches. Senior Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.) went 2-2 at 125 and true freshman Brandon Phillips (Timonium, Md.) went 2-2 at 174. True freshman David Church (Erie, Pa.) went 3-2 at 157 while classmate Cameron Kelly (Pittsford, N.Y.) picked up a win at 125. Freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) also grabbed a win at 165. Other Nittany Lions taking part in the tournament included Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) at 125, Kyle Moran (Oxford, Pa.) at 149 and Justin Haug (Galeton, Pa.) at 165.
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.
#3 TAYLOR DOMINATES #13 SPONSELLER
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 improved to 13-0 on the year.
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 & VOLLRATH GRAB 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 Penn State's superb day at the 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.
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, Dirk Cowburn and James Vollrath 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 went 4-1 at 125 and advanced to the final bout before losing, placing second. Sam Sherlock went 5-1 at 133 and took third and Thomas Gorman 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 and true freshman Sam Sherlock 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 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 went 6-2 with a major to place fifth at 125. Senior Michael Lorenzo went 1-1 at 174 and freshman Andrew Church 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 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, also a first year wrestler, went 6-1 with a major at 125 to take third while fellow first-year wrestler Nick Ruggear 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.
NINE LIONS RANKED IN FIRST OFFICIAL NCAA COACHES PANEL RANKINGS
The NCAA released Thursday the first of three coaches' panel rankings for the 2010-11 wrestling season. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Nine of head coach Cael Sanderson's Penn State Nittany Lions are listed in the first official individual rankings. Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn spots for the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches across the nation. Each qualifying tournament has five coaches rank the top 33 wrestlers in two weight classes. For ranking purposes, coaches must select a wrestler as a starter at a designated weight class. In addition, coaches may only select one wrestler per weight class.
Senior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) is ranked No. 11 at 125. Sophomore All-American Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa) is ranked No. 8 at 133. True freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) is ranked No. 5 at 141. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) is ranked No. 6 at 149. Red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) is ranked No. 2 at 157. Classmate Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa.) is ranked No. 33 at 165. Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) is ranked No. 2 at 174. All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) is ranked No. 8 at 184. Junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) is ranked No. 7 at heavyweight. In all, seven of Penn State's nine ranked individuals are ranked in the top eight at their respective weights.
PSU RANKED #3 IN NWCA/USA TODAY COACHES POLL; 8 LIONS RANKED BY INTERMAT
The Penn State wrestling team, led by head coach Cael Sanderson, is now ranked No. 3 in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. The 13-1 Nittany Lions also maintain eight individual ranked by Intermat, with six of those grapplers listed among the top ten at their respective weights. Cornell continues to hold the top spot with 272 points while Iowa is No. 2 with 264. Penn State is close behind in third with 255, picking up more points from last week after this weekend's 2-0 swing through the state of Michigan. Oklahoma is No. 4 with 236 while Minnesota is No. 5 with 235. Virginia Tech (6), Rutgers (7), Boise State (8), Oklahoma (9), Lehigh (t10) and Michigan (t10) round out the top ten. Wisconsin (12), Northwestern (16), Illinois (20) and Purdue (23) are also ranked, giving the Big Ten eight teams ranked in the top 25.
While the USA Today/NWCA poll reflects projected dual meet strength, Intermat's official tournament team ranking (projecting post-season tournament finishes based on each entity's individual rankings) has Penn State in the No. 3 spot. TheOpenMat.com also compiles a comprehensive tournament strength ranking and has Penn State No. 3 while W.I.N. Magazine has the Lions No. 4 on their TPI. A brief look at the top 25 shows that Penn State's final three duals are all against ranked opponents (Feb. 11 vs. No. 20 Illinois, Feb. 13 at No. 5 Minnesota and Feb. 18 vs. No. 12 Wisconsin). Penn State owns six wins over teams now ranked: No. 7 Rutgers, No. 10 Lehigh, No. 10 Michigan twice, No. 15 Kent State and No. 22 Pittsburgh.
Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) is 26-1 on the year and sits at No. 2 at 174. Ruth has 10 pins, five technical falls and three majors this year. Classmate David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) is undefeated this year, posting a 28-0 mark at 157 and is ranked No. 3. He has 27 bonus point victories with seven pins, eleven tech falls and nine majors. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) is ranked No. 5 at 149 with a 22-2 mark. He has three pins, three techs and seven majors. Junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) is No. 6 at heavyweight with a 23-4 mark. Wade has nine pins, three techs and two majors as well. Joining that quartet is true freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), who is ranked No. 7 at 14 with a 25-4 mark and 16 pins. Sophomore Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa) is No. 9 at 133 and is 8-1 on the year while senior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), 7-2 at 125, is ranked No. 11. Sophomore All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) is 12-3 this season and is ranked No. 13 at 184.
SEVEN NITTANY LIONS RANKED BY THEOPENMAT.COM
Eight Penn State wrestlers are currently ranked nationally by TheOpenMat.com. Senior Brad Pataky is NR at 125 since he has not wrestled recently, sophomore Andrew Long is #11 at 133, freshman Andrew Alton is #6 at 141, junior Frank Molinaro is #5 at 149, freshman David Taylor is #2 at 157, freshman Ed Ruth is #2 at 174, sophomore Quentin Wade is #14 at 184 and junior Cameron Wade is #5 at 285. TOM also has Penn State ranked #3 in its TPI (tournament power index).
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. Penn State's final two duals are with the Illinois Illini on Friday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. and with the Wisconsin Badgers on Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.