March 11, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Complete Bracket in PDF Format
TODAY'S ACTION
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (17-1-1, 6-1-1 Big Ten, 2011 Big Ten Champions) will send eight wrestlers to the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia, looking to make a run at the school's first national title since 1953. The three-day event takes place at the Wells Fargo Center on March 17-19 and starts on Thursday the 17th at 11 a.m.
Penn State is coming off a superb run at the 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, going 5-0 in the championship finals and winning the school's first ever Big Ten wrestling championship. Five wins in the finals and key bonus points in consolations helped spark Penn State to a one-point victory over runner-up Iowa. Sophomore Andrew Long, junior Frank Molinaro, freshman David Taylor, freshman Ed Ruth and sophomore Quentin Wright each claimed Big Ten crowns at their weights while senior Brad Pataky, freshman Andrew Alton, freshman James Vollrath and junior Cameron Wade each picked up key points and bonus points in consolation action to help Penn State claim the crown. Penn State won the title with 139.0 points while Iowa was in second with 138.0. Penn State crowned five champions while the Hawkeyes crowned two. Minnesota was third with 109.5 while Wisconsin was a close fourth with 103.5.
Senior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) received an at-large bid at 125 during the annual Selection Show aired live at www.ncaa.com to give Penn State its eighth qualifier to NCAAs. In addition, Penn State now knows that seven of its eight entrants will enter the tournament seeded, led by two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), who is the No. 2 seed at 149, and red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), who is the No. 2 seed at 174. All seven of Penn State's seeds are in the top 10. The eight qualifiers are the most for Penn State since eight went in 2006. The Nittany Lions are coming off a thrilling run to the school's first ever Big Ten Championship, sparked by a school record five individual champions.
Pataky, 11-5 overall, will be unseeded at the tournament and will face No. 12 Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech. Pataky and Garnett met twice last year and split the action 1-1. The winner of the Pataky/Garnett bout will take on the winner of the battle between No. 5 seed Zach Sanders of Minnesota and Jason Lara of Oregon State. Sophomore Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), 15-1 overall and the 2011 Big Ten Champion, will be the No. 3 seed at 133. Long, the 2010 NCAA National Runner-Up at 125, will face Northern Colorado's Casey Cruz in the opening round. Long and Cruz did not meet this year. The winner of the Long/Cruz bout will take on the winner of the match-up between Jordan Thome of Army and David Thorn of Minnesota. True freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), 28-8 overall, is the No 6 seed at 141. Alton will battle Binghamton's Anwar Goeres in the opening round. Alton and Goeres did not meet this year. The winner of the Alton/Goeres bout will take on the winner of the first round match-up between No. 11 seed Matthew Mariacher of American and Kaleb Friedley of Northwestern in the second round. Two-time All-American Molinaro, 28-2 overall and the 2011 Big Ten Champion, is the No. 2 seed at 149. He will take on Rider's Zac Cibula in the opening round. Molinaro and Cibula have never met. The winner of the Molinaro/Cibula bout will take on the winner of the battle between Michigan State's Dan Osterman and Penn's Derek Valenti in the second round.
Undefeated red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), 34-0 overall and the 2011 Big Ten Champion, is the No. 3 seed at 157. Taylor will meet Oklahoma State's Robert Erisman in the opening round. Taylor did not face Erisman, who is the Big 12 Champion at 157 but unseeded at NCAAs, this season. The winner of the Taylor/Erisman match will take on the winner of the bout between Matt Kaylor of Binghamton and David Bonin of Northern Iowa in the second round. Red-shirt freshman Ruth, 32-1 overall and the 2011 Big Ten Champion, is the No. 2 seed at 174. Ruth will battle Liberty's royal Brettrager in the opening round. The duo has never met. The winner of the Ruth/Brettrager bout will face the winner of the match-up between Minnesota's Scott Glasser and Wyoming's Patrick Martinez in the second round. Sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), 16-6 overall and the 2011 Big Ten Champion, is the No. 9 seed at 184. Wright will face Virginia's Jonathan Fausey in the opening round. The winner of the Wright/Fausey battle will meet the winner of the bout between No. 8 seed Kevin Steinhaus of Minnesota and Jason McCroskey of Chattanooga in the second round.Junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), 28-6 overall, is the No. 9 seed at heavyweight. Wade will take on the winner of a pig-tail bout featuring unseeded big men Jeremy Johnson of Ohio and Clayton Jack of Oregon State. The winner of Wade's first round battle will take on the winner of the match-up between Northern Iowa's Christian Brantley and No. 8 seed Tony Nelson of Minnesota in the second round.
Penn State returned to the top 10 last year in head coach Cael Sanderson's first season as mentor at Penn State. The finish was only the fourth top ten finish for Penn State since (and including) 2000 and the 49.0 points was the 17th most in school history. Penn State had three All-Americans last year, tied for second most since 2003 (Penn State had four in 2008). The 2011 NCAA Championships will mark the end to head coach Cael Sanderson's second year at Penn State. ESPN will offer unprecedented live HD coverage of the entire 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Sessions 1 and 2 are live on ESPN3, sessions 3, 4 and 5 are live on ESPNU and ESPN3 (simulcast) and the championship finals are live on ESPN. All broadcasts are in HD. 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.
PENN STATE'S 2011 NCAA QUALIFIERS
As of March 10, 2011
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (17-1-1, 6-1-1 Big Ten) 2011 BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2010-11 Record
125 Brad Pataky Sr. Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield 11-5
B10 Finish: 7th -- vs. the 125 Field This Year: 2-4 -- Coaches: #16 -- RPI: MS*
133 Andrew Long So. Creston, Iowa/Creston 15-1
B10 Finish: CHAMPION -- vs. the 133 Field This Year: 10-1 -- Coaches: #5 -- RPI: MS*
141 Andrew Alton Fr. Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain 28-8
B10 Finish: 5th -- vs. the 141 Field This Year: 8-8 -- Coaches: #6 -- RPI: #2
149 Frank Molinaro Jr. Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional 28-2
B10 Finish: CHAMPION -- vs. the 149 Field This Year: 15-2 -- Coaches: #3 -- RPI: #4
157 David Taylor Fr. St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 34-0
B10 Finish: CHAMPION -- vs. the 157 Field This Year: 15-0 -- Coaches: #2 -- RPI: #1
174 Ed Ruth Fr. Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township 32-1
B10 Finish: CHAMPION -- vs. the 174 Field This Year: 17-1 -- Coaches: #2 -- RPI: #2
184 Quentin Wright So. Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area 16-6
B10 Finish: CHAMPION -- vs. the 184 Field This Year: 6-6 -- Coaches: #18 -- RPI: #11
285 Cameron Wade Jr. Twinsburg, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel 28-6
B10 Finish: 5th -- vs. the 285 Field This Year: 13-6 -- Coaches: #6 -- RPI: #4
Coaches rankings and RPI as of 2/23
MS -- * Did not meet minimum matches wrestled to qualify for RPI ranking
THIS WEEK
No. 4 Penn State (17-1-1, 6-1-1 Big Ten, 2011 Big Ten Champions) will send eight wrestlers to the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia, looking to make a run at the school's first national title since 1953. The three-day event takes place at the Wells Fargo Center and starts on Thursday at 11 a.m.
UP NEXT
Season complete.
ON THE AIR
TV - ESPN will offer unprecedented live HIGH DEFINITION coverage of the entire 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Sessions 1 and 2 are live on ESPN3, sessions 3, 4 and 5 are live and simulcast on ESPNU and ESPN3 and the championship finals are live on ESPN. All are in HD.
Live Web Video -- see above via ESPN3.com
Radio - WRSC AM (1390) and WBPZ AM.
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 74-17-2 dual meet mark in this, his fifth year as a collegiate head coach. He is 30-7-2 in his second year at Penn State. This year alone, 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). In guiding Penn State to a 6-1-1 conference mark, Sanderson equaled the most Big Ten dual meet wins in Penn State history in just his second year at the helm of the Nittany Lions (Penn State won six Big Ten duals in 1998). Sanderson led Penn State to the school's first ever Big Ten Championship on March 5-6 and was named 2011 Big Ten Coach of the Year.
PENN STATE CLAIMS SCHOOL'S FIRST EVER BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the direction of head coach Cael Sanderson, was nearly perfect on day two of the 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, going 5-0 in the championship finals and winning the school's first ever Big Ten wrestling championship. Five wins in the finals and key bonus points in consolations helped spark Penn State to a one-point victory over runner-up Iowa. Sophomore Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), junior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) and sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) each claimed Big Ten crowns at their weights while senior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) and junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) each picked up key points and bonus points in consolation action to help Penn State claim the crown. Penn State won the title with 139.0 points while Iowa was in second with 138.0. Penn State crowned five champions while the Hawkeyes crowned two. Minnesota was third with 109.5 while Wisconsin was a close fourth with 103.5.
RECORDS FALL AS PENN STATE NABS 2011 BIG TEN TITLE!
Head coach Cael Sanderson led Penn State to the school's first ever Big Ten crown when the Nittany Lions edged Iowa by one point at Northwestern University on March 5-6, 2011. Not only was the crown PSU's first since joining the conference nearly two decades ago (1992-93 season), but the 139.0 points shattered the old school record for points at the tournament (123.50 in 1993). Penn State's five individual champions is also a new record, breaking the old record of three set in 1993 and 1994. The five Nittany Lion finalists tied the record for most finalists (five in 1993).
Cael Sanderson NAMED 2011 BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR
Head coach Cael Sanderson, in his second year as Penn State's head coach, was named 2011 Big Ten Coach of the Year following Penn State's title run at the Big Ten Championships on March 5-6 in Evanston. This year alone, 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). In guiding Penn State to a 6-1-1 conference mark, Sanderson equaled the most Big Ten dual meet wins in Penn State history in just his second year at the helm of the Nittany Lions (Penn State won six Big Ten duals in 1998). Sanderson becomes Penn State's third Big Ten Coach of the Year (the first since 2003).
David Taylor 2011 BIG TEN CHAMP AT 157; NAMED BOTH WRESTLER AND FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Continuing a dominating season of historic proportion, red-shirt freshman David Taylor blazed through the field at the 2011 Big Ten Championships to claim the 157-pound title. Taylor recorded a pin over Minnesota's Matt Mincey, an 18-4 major over Indiana's Paul Young and a decisive 8-3 win over Iowa's Derek St. John in the finals. His run improved him to 34-0 on the year at the end of the tourney, with a school-record tying 32 bonus point wins. Taylor was honored after Penn State won the team title by being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. He becomes the first Nittany Lion ever to win both awards in the same season. Taylor is Penn State's fourth Big Ten Freshman of the Year (the first since 2004) and third Big Ten Wrestler of the Year (the first since 2000). Taylor's win at 157 makes it two in a row for Penn State as graduated senior Cyler Sanderson won the 157-pound crown last year.
Quentin Wright 2011 BIG TEN CHAMP AT 184 NAMED 2011 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP OW
Sophomore Quentin Wright entered the 2011 Big Ten Championship as the eighth and final seed at 184 and left Northwestern as the 184-pound champion and 2011 Big Ten Championship Outstanding Wrestler. Wright, a 2009 All-American at 174 and a red-shirt last year, majored Michigan's Hunter Collins in the first round and then downed No. 1 seed Travis Rutt of Wisconsin 4-3 in the quarterfinals, ending day one on a high note. Wright then posted an 8-5 win over Illinois' Tony Dallago before edging second-seeded Kevin Steinhaus of Minnesota in the finals, finishing off Penn State's perfect five-for-five run in the championship finals. Wright's thrilling effort earned him his first Big Ten title and his OW award was Penn State's first since 1995.
Andrew Long 2011 BIG TEN CHAMP AT 133
Sophomore Andrew Long, the 2010 national runner up at 125, earned the Big Ten Championship at 133 with a sizzling 4-0 run through the field at Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena. Long claimed his first conference crown and Penn State's first at 133. He began the tournament with an 18-3 tech fall over Indiana's Matt Ortega, then downed Ian Paddock of Ohio State 6-2. A 7-2 win over fourth-seed B.J. Futrell in the semifinals set up a championship bout with second-seed Tyler Graff of Wisconsin. Long won the title with a swift four-point move in sudden victory, grabbing the 7-3 (sv) win and beginning a stunning PSU run of five-for-five finals victories.
Frank Molinaro 2011 BIG TEN CHAMP AT 149 UNTOUCHABLE IN EVANSTON
Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro was about as dominant as a wrestler can be at his weight class, posting a perfect 3-0 record without giving up a single point to claim the 149-pound title at the 2011 Big Ten Championships. Molinaro, in winning his first crown, majored Minnesota's Danny Zilverberg 9-0 in the first round, shut out fourth-seed Eric Terrazas of Illinois 4-0 in the semifinals and then hammered Michigan's Eric Grajales 3-0 in the championship finals. Molinaro becomes Penn State's first-every 149-pound Big Ten Champion.
Ed Ruth 2011 BIG TEN CHAMP AT 174
Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth continued his dominance in 2010-11 by going 3-0 to win the 2011 Big Ten Championship at 174 pounds. Ruth, who improved to a stellar 32-1 at the tourney's end, was one of five Penn State Champions on the day and, along with classmate David Taylor, gave Penn State two freshman conference champions. Ruth opened the tournament with an 18-5 major over Michigan State's Curran Jacobs before downing Iowa's Ethan Lofthouse 3-2 in the semifinals. He capped off his tourney run with a resounding 8-5 win over second-seed Nick Heflin of Ohio State in the finals.
WADE AND ALTON TAKE FIFTH, JOIN 5 CHAMPS AS AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
Junior heavyweight Cameron Wade and true-freshman 141-pounder Andrew Alton each took fifth place at their weights, adding critical bonus points during the tournament to help Penn State win the school's first ever Big Ten Championship. Wade went 2-2 on the weekend and provided what turned out to be Penn State's final team point with a 9-0 major over Michigan's Ben Apland in the fifth place bout. The two points (one for placing, one bonus for the major), pushed Penn State over the top to win the team race 139.0 to 138.0 over second place Iowa. Alton also went 2-0, notching a key tech fall in the third round of consolations and picking up a critical point with a fifth place bout win over Northwestern's Kaleb Friedley.
PATAKY AND VOLLRATH TAKE SEVENTH; NOTCH CRITICAL BONUS POINT VICTORIES IN TEAM TITLE RUN
Senior Brad Pataky and red-shirt freshman James Vollrath each had one bout on Sunday, the final day of the 2011 Big Ten Championships, and each man stepped up in the biggest of possible ways to not only win their seventh place bouts, but tack on critical bonus points to help Penn State win the 2011 Big Ten Championship by a point. Pataky came back from two Saturday upsets to post a 16-1 tech fall over Michigan State's Eric Olanowski in the seventh place bout at 125, adding 2.5 points (one for the win, 1.5 for the TF) to Penn State's team total. Pataky went 3-2 at the tournament. Vollrath, unseeded at 165, stunned the home crowd with a quick :57 pin over 8th-seed Kevin Bialko of Northwestern. The fall gave Penn State three more team points (one for the win, 2.0 for the fall) and began a run of nine straight Penn State victories during Sunday's final session. Vollrath went 2-2 at the event.
PATAKY EARNS AT-LARGE BID TO 2011 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Penn State's NCAA qualifier total got a boost during the official NCAA Wrestling Selection Show on Wednesday, March 9, when senior Brad Pataky received an at-large selection to the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Pataky, a senior, now heads to his third NCAA tournament after finishing in the round of 12 the last two years. He heads to Philadelphia with a 5-4 career record at the event. The Nittany Lions have a recent history of making `wild card/at-large' selections count.Penn State's last at-large recipient took complete advantage of the opportunity as one-time red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro took an at-large selection at 141 in 2009 and turned it into an eight-place, All-America, finish in St. Louis. A year before that, then-senior Mark McKnight turned a wild card at 125 into a stunning NCAA tournament run, going 6-2 to take fourth place in St. Louis as well.
FIVE LIONS EARN NO. 1 SEEDS FOR BIG TENS
Five Nittany Lion wrestlers had the the No. 1 seed at their respective weights for the 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships on March 5-6, 2011. Sophomore Andrew Long, junior Frank Molinaro, freshman David Taylor, freshman Ed Ruth and junior Cameron Wade each earned top-seeds for head coach Cael Sanderson's squad. Lon, Molinaro, Taylor and Ruth all met the seeds by winning individual titles. Sophomore Quentin Wright was Penn State's fifth champion, wrestling up from the No. 8 seed to win the crown. Wade took fifth.
HOME WRESTLING ATTENDANCE REACHES HISTORIC LEVELS
Fans of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team came out in full force this year, making tickets to see head coach Cael Sanderson's squad compete in Rec Hall a hot commodity. The Nittany Lions averaged nearly 5,500 fans per home dual, by far the best average attendance at Penn State in two decades or more. Two of Penn State's duals sold out, with the Iowa dual on Jan. 30 selling out standing room only tickets as well. 6,686 fans packed Rec Hall for the match-up with the Hawkeyes, the largest Rec Hall sporting event crowd since enhanced fire codes capped attendance at the building in the mid-1990s. The Wisconsin dual on Feb. 18 also sold out all available seats with a solid portion of SRO tickets being sold as well. 6,311 fans watched Penn State down the Badgers 30-12 on Senior Night. Six of Penn State's seven home duals, including Iowa and Wisconsin, topped the 5,000 fan mark, including 5,527 for Penn State's win over Pittsburgh on Jan. 21. The Nittany Lions drew a total of 38,182 fans to Rec Hall for seven duals, giving Penn State a gaudy 5,455 per dual average. Final national average totals will be released in March with Penn State almost a cinch to finish second nationally, which would be the highest national finish for Penn State in decades. For a complete list of attendance figures from this year, see the table on page five of these notes. Last year in Sanderson's first season as head coach at Penn State, the Nittany Lions averaged 4,341 fans per home dual with the highest figure a 4,883 crowd against Illinois. The figure was about 1,700 more per dual than the prior year. This year's average added over 1,000 fans per dual. In just two seasons with Sanderson at the helm, Penn State has essentially doubled its average attendance from 2,789 in 2008-09 to 5,455 this year. With tickets becoming increasingly hard to find, fans are encouraged to secure season tickets for the 2011-12 season early. Fans can make deposits on new season tickets by calling Joel Diamond 814-867-2557. Current season ticket holders will receive their renewal applications later in the summer. Current season ticket holders can add additional season tickets on their renewal forms. All new season tickets will be sold based on availability basis. Penn State's 5,456 per dual average was easily the second-best in the nation (Iowa, which utilizes Carver Hawkeye Arena, led the country with 8,209). Minnesota wa a distant third at 4,479 per dual. The Nittany Lions and Iowa are the only schools this year to have each dual bring in 4,000 or more fans, going seven for seven this year.
LONG DOMINATES GRAFF TO LEAD LIONS OVER BADGERS
Sophomore Andrew Long, who entered Penn State's dual with Wisconsin on 2/18 ranked No. 8 at 133, dominated No. 3 Tyler Graff 12-5 to lead the Nittany Lions to a resounding 30-12 win. Long's victory improved him to 11-1 on the regular season
MOLINARO, RUTH AND WADE DOWN RANKED BADGERS
Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro majored No. 10 Cole Schmitt of Wisconsin 9-1 at 149 on 2/18, freshman Ed Ruth took care of No. 14 Ben Jordan 8-5 at 174 and junior heavyweight Cameron Wade downed No. 10 Eric Bugenhagen 5-2 to spark Penn State to a 30-12 win over Wisconsin.
Dylan Alton CLAIMS NATIONAL COLLEGIATE OPEN 149-POUND TITLE
True freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), closing out a successful red-shirt season for the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, won five straight at the National Collegiate Open to win the 149-pound title. Alton won his second straight open tournament title at the event, hosted by Clarion University. The Mill Hall, Pa., native went 5-0 with two pins and a major. He had falls in 4:39 and in :29 as well as a first round major. Alton downed Lehigh's Anthony Salupo 7-5 in the finals. With the 5-0 run, Alton ups his red-shirt season record to 17-2 with five pins and three majors.
TAYLOR UNDEFEATED AT 34-0 WITH 32 BONUS POINT WINS
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor remained undefeated with a 3-0 run through the 2011 Big Ten Championships and will head to nationals riding a 34-bout unbeaten streak. Taylor notched a pin and a major to win the 157-pound Big Ten crown and is now 34-0 on the year, with 32 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 and his Big Ten title bout was an 8-3 decision over #7 Derek St. John of Iowa. Taylor has eight pins, 14 tech falls and ten majors. Taylor's bonus win tally of 32 is tied for the all-time single season record at Penn State.
Andrew Alton NOW ALONE IN 4TH ON ALL-TIME SINGLE SEASON PINS LIST; Ed Ruth 10TH
True freshman Andrew Alton pinned Wisconsin's Shane McQuade in Penn State's dual meet finale on 2/18. He ends the regular season with a 26-6 record and 17 pins. The 17 falls has him alone in fourth place 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 11 pins this year has him in a tenth place tie with five other Nittany Lions.
WADE FORGES TIE AT #5 MINNESOTA AS TAYLOR AND LONG PROVIDE THE SPARK
Junior heavyweight Cameron Wade posted a convincing 2-0 win over No. 8 Tony Nelson in the final bout of the dual to help Penn State forge an 18-18 tie with Minnesota on 2/13. Freshman David Taylor notched a 16-1 tech fall at 157 and sophomore Andrew Long dominated David Thorn for a 14-4 major to provide the bonus points to help the Nittany Lions get the tie as well. The dual was an even split with each team winning five bouts, getting three bonus points and collecting 14 takedowns. The tie marks the first time PSU left Minnesota without a loss.
LONG DOWNS #7 FUTRELL TO LIFT PENN STATE OVER #20 ILLINOIS
Sophomore Andrew Long's 9-6 win over No. 7 B.J. Futrell of Illinois helped lift Penn State to a convincing 23-13 win over No. 20 Illinois on 2/11. Long's win was the signature victory in the dual which also saw Nathan Morgan pick up his first collegiate dual meet victory at 125, David Taylor pick up yet another tech fall and Ed Ruth get his 11th pin.
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 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 HWT 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; FIVE OTHER LIONS PLACE
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
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 GET FIRST CAREER DUAL 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 & 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 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.
PSU RANKED #4 IN FINAL NWCA/USA TODAY COACHES POLL
The Penn State wrestling team, led by head coach Cael Sanderson, earned a No. 4 ranking in the final USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll, measuring dual meet strength. The finish is the highest for the Nittany Lions since the NWCA and USA Today began partnering on the poll and Penn State's highest final dual ranking in nearly two decades.
EIGHT NITTANY LIONS RANKED IN THEOPENMAT.COM'S FINAL LISTING
Eight Penn State wrestlers are currently ranked nationally by TheOpenMat.com. Senior Brad Pataky is #10 at 125, sophomore Andrew Long is #3 at 133, freshman Andrew Alton is #6 at 141, junior Frank Molinaro is #3 at 149, freshman David Taylor is #2 at 157, freshman Ed Ruth is #2 at 174, sophomore Quentin Wade is #18 at 184 and junior Cameron Wade is #6 at 285.