March 5, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team sits in second place after the opening session of the 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Northwestern University. Led by sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), who posted a win over the top-seeded 184-pounder, Penn State will send six wrestlers into tonight's Big Ten semifinals.
Iowa leads the team race with 79.0 points and nine semifinals while Penn State and Minnesota are close behind. Penn State has 60.0 points with six semifinalists and Minnesota has 57.5 with six in the semis as well. Wisconsin is in fourth with 42.0 and four in the semis.
The Nittany Lions were led in the first round by Wright, who went 2-0 at 184. The 8th-seed, Wright majored Michigan's Hunter Collins 10-2 in the opening round and downed top-seeded Travis Rutt of Wisconsin. Wright used a first period takedown, a second period reversal and a late defensive flurry to post a 4-3 win and move into the semifinals. Sophomore Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), the top-seed at 133, also went 2-0 for Penn State, picking up key bonus points with an 18-3 technical fall over Indiana's Matt Ortega. He then posted a 6-2 win over 8th-seed Ian Paddock of Ohio State to move into the semifinals.
Joining that sophomore duo in tonight's semifinals will be four other Penn Staters. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), the No. 1 seed at 149, majored Minnesota's Danny Zilverberg 9-0 and moves into the semifinals as does classmate Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio). Wade, the No. 1 seed, downed 8th-seed Ben Kuhar of Northwestern in his quarterfinal bout.
Two-red shirt freshmen continued their impressive Big Ten runs as well. David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), the top seed at 157, pinned 8th-seeded Matt Mincey of Minnesota at the 1:27 mark and classmate Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), the top seed at 174, majored Michigan State's Curran Jacobs in his quarterfinal bout. Taylor's win improves the Lion freshman to 32-0 with 31 bonus point victories. The 31 total is now just one short of Penn State's all-time single season record for bonus point wins in a season. Ruth's win improved him to 30-1 with 22 bonus point victories, which is tied for 10th all-time.
Senior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), the 4th-seed at 125, went 1-1 on the day, including a first round technical fall for bonus points. Pataky dropped a 9-5 decision to fifth-seed Sean Boyle of Michigan and will be in action in consolations tonight. True freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), the 5th-seed at 141, lost a 6-2 decision to 4th-seeded Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois in the quarterfinals and moves into the consolations as well.
Two more of Penn State's five freshmen, true freshman Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) and red-shirt freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) both went 0-1 (at 197 and 165 respectively) and will continue on in consolations tonight.
Penn State posted a solid 11-4 record in the opening round and picked up eight bonus points off two tech falls, two majors and a pin.
The 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships continue this evening with a 6 p.m. (Eastern)/5 p.m. (Central) session that includes the semifinals. The tournament will conclude Sunday afternoon in Welsh-Ryan Arena. The event serves as the national qualifier for all 11 Big Ten programs as individuals try to advance to the 2011 NCAA Championships on March 17-19 in Philadelphia, Pa. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC (1390 AM) and WSQV (92.1 FM). All radio broadcasts are streamed live at GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. The 2010-11 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships - Team Standings After Session 1
Saturday, March 5, 2011 - Evanston, Ill.
1: Iowa - 79.0
2: PENN STATE - 60.0
3: Minnesota - 57.5
4: Wisconsin - 42.0
5: Illinois - 38.0
6: Michigan - 36.0
7: Northwestern - 28.0
8: Indiana - 19.0
T9: Michigan State - 17.0
T9: Ohio State - 17.0
11: Purdue - 13.0
The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown of Penn State's tournament to date:
125: #10 Brad Pataky, Sr., (Clearfield, Pa.) - 4th seed - 9-4 overall
1st Rd: W, 15-0 tech fall over Eric Olanowski MSU (TF; 7:00)
Qtrs: L, 5-9 dec. 5th-seed Sean Boyle MICH
Cns. Rd. 2: vs. Bo Touris OSU tonight
Senior Brad Pataky, the tournament's fourth seed, opened up the 125-pound bracket with a first round match-up against Michigan State's Eric Olanowski. Pataky dominated the Spartan with multiple turns and over 4:00 of riding time on his way to a 15-0 technical fall at the 7:00 mark. Pataky then met 5th-seed Sean Boyle of Michigan and dropped a hard-fought 9-5 decision.
Pataky now moves into tonight's consolation round tonight where he'll face Ohio State's Bo Touris. If Pataky can down Touris, he will face 8th-seed Tom Kelliher of Wisconsin later in the evening.
133: #3 Andrew Long, So. (Creston, Iowa) - 1st seed - 13-1 overall
1st Rd: W, 18-3 tech fall over Matt Ortega IND (TF; 7:00)
Qtrs: W, 6-2 dec. 8th-seed Ian Paddock OSU
Semis: vs. 4th-seed B.J. Futrell ILL tonight
Sophomore Andrew Long, the tournament's top seed at 133, took on Indiana's Matt Ortega in the first round. Long used a last second takedown and a riding time point to post a dominating 18-3 technical fall at the 7:00 mark. He followed that up with a solid 6-2 decision over Ohio State's Ian Paddock, the 8th-seed, giving up an early takedown but roaring back for the decisive victory.
Long will take on 4th-seed B.J. Futrell of Illinois in the semifinals tonight.
141: #7 Andrew Alton, Fr. (Mill Hall, Pa.) - 5th seed - 26-7 overall
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: L, 2-6 dec. 4th-seed Jimmy Kennedy ILL
Consos vs. Fleckenstein/McQuade winner tonight
Rookie Andrew Alton met 4th-seed Jimmy Kennedy in the opening round of arguably the conference's toughest weight class. Kennedy worked his way to a 6-2 decision over Alton, sending the Nittany Lion true freshman into the consolation round.
Alton will meet the winner of the Fleckenstein (Purdue)/McQuade (Wisconsin) bout in the third round of consolations tonight.
149: #3 Frank Molinaro, Jr. (Barnegat, N.J.) - 1st seed - 26-2 overall
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: W, 9-0 maj. dec. 8th-seed Danny Zilverberg MINN
Semis: vs. 4th-seed Eric Terrazas ILL
Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro made short work of Minnesota's Danny Zilverberg, dominating the 8th-seed to the tune of a 9-0 major with over 3:00 of riding time. The decisive win moved the Lion junior into the semifinals.
Molinaro will take on 4th-seed Eric Terrazas of Illinois in the semifinals tonight.
157: #3 David Taylor, Fr. (St. Paris, Ohio) - 1st seed - 32-0 overall
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: WBF over 8th-seed Matt Mincey MINN (1:27)
Semis: vs. 5th-seed Paul Young IND
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor wasted no time making a splash at his first Big Ten tournament. The top-seeded Lion pinned 8th-seed Matt Mincey of Minnesota at the 1:27 mark to move into the semifinals.
Taylor will meet 5th-seed Paul Young of Indiana in tonight's semifinals.
165: James Vollrath, Fr., (Richboro, Pa.) - 24-7 overall
1st Rd: L, 6-19 maj. dec. 1st-seed Andrew Howe UW
Consos: tonight vs. 7th-seed Ryan LeBlanc IND
Red-shirt freshman James Vollrath took on the tournament's top seed, Wisconsin's Andrew Howe, in the opening round. Vollrath found the footing tough against the nation's second ranked 165-pounder and lost a 19-6 major.
The Penn State freshman will take on 7th-seed Ryan LeBlanc of Indiana tonight in the consolations.
174: #2 Ed Ruth, Fr., (Harrisburg, Pa.) - 1st seed - 30-1 overall
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: W, 18-5 maj. dec. 8th-seed Curran Jacobs MSU
Semis: tonight vs. 5th-seed Ethan Lofthouse IOWA
Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth, the No. 1 seed at 174, dominated 8th-seed Curran Jacobs of Michigan State in the quarterfinals. Ruth used multiple takedowns and forced Jacobs into three stalls to roll to the victory and move into tonight's semifinals.
The top-seed Ruth will now meet 5th-seed Ethan Lofthouse of Iowa in the semifinals tonight.
184: #17 Quentin Wright, So. (Wingate, Pa.) - 8th seed - 14-6 overall
1st Rd: W, 10-2 maj. dec. Hunter Collins UM
Qtrs: W, 4-3 dec. 1st seed Travis Rutt WIS
Semis: tonight vs. 5th-seed Tony Dallago ILL
Sophomore Quentin Wright, the eighth seed at 184, battled Michigan's Hunter Collins in a first round match-up. Wright, like Long at 133, used a last second takedown to secure bonus points, posting a 10-2 major over Collins to move into the quarterfinals. In the quarters, Wright used a first period escape, a second period reversal and a swift escape from trouble at the end of the third to down top-seeded Travis Rutt of Wisconsin, 4-3.
Wright will now take on 5th-seed Tony Dallago of Illinois in the semifinals tonight.
197: Nick Ruggear, Fr. (Oxford, Pa.) - 15-13 overall
1st Rd: L, 3-12 maj. dec. 3rd-seed Logan Brown PUR
Conso: vs. 4th-seed Matt Powless IND
True freshman Nick Ruggear took on third seed Logan Brown of Purdue in a pigtail match a 197. Brown defeated Ruggear, picking up a 12-3 major with over 3:00 of riding time.
Ruggear moved into the consolations where he took on 4th-seed Matt Powless of Indiana in the consolations tonight.
285: #6 Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio.) - 1st seed - 27-4 overall
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: W, 7-0 dec. 8th-seed Ben Kuhar NU
Semis: vs. 4th-seed Tony Nelson MINN
Junior Cameron Wade, the top seed at heavyweight, dominated Northwestern's Ben Kuhar, the 8th seed, with a 7-0 decision in the quarterfinals. Wade's win moved him into the semifinals.
Wade will take on 4th-seed Tony Nelson of Minnesota in the semifinals this evening.