Oct. 1, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - While practice has yet to start and line-ups are far from set, the Nittany Lions have one wrestler ranked at all ten weights in the preseason rankings from Amateur Wrestling News. Senior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), junior Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) and sophomore David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) are each listed at the top of their weight classes.
Molinaro, a three-time All-American and national runner-up at 149 last year, is ranked No. 1 at that weight. Molinaro, 2011 Big Ten champion, went 32-3 on his way to the national finals last year and carries an 88-29 career record into his final season. Wright, a two-time All-American, was only 12-6 heading into the 2011 Big Ten Championships last March but caught fire to win his final nine bouts, claim the Big Ten crown (earning tournament OW honors) and go on to win the NCAA Championship at 184. He is ranked No. 1 at that weight this year. Taylor won 38 straight to start his NCAA career, won the Big Ten crown and was named Big Ten Wrestler and Freshman of the Year. He advanced all the way to the national finals at 157, ending the year as national runner-up and becoming a freshman All-American with a 38-1 mark. Taylor will begin the 2011-12 season ranked No. 1 at 165.
All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) will enter the 2011-12 season ranked No. 2 at 174 after a superb freshman season. Ruth went 38-2, won the 2011 Big Ten title and rebounded from an injury in the national quarterfinals to finish third at 174 as a freshman, earning All-America laurels as well as the Gorriaran Award in Philadelphia. Senior heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) has been a national qualifier twice and finished just one win shy of All-America laurels last year after suffering an injury in the national quarterfinals. Wade is ranked No. 3 at heavyweight by AWN and carries a 71-33 career record into his final season of wrestling. True-sophomore Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) is ranked No. 4 at 141 by AWN after a superb true-freshman season a year ago that saw the Mill Hall native post a 30-10 record, including 18 pins. Alton finished just one win shy of All-America honors as a rookie, advancing to the `round of 12' in his first appearance at nationals. Alton may red-shirt this season.
With the full preseason still ahead of the Nittany Lions and starting line-ups far from set, AWN's rankings list a number of talented Penn State youngsters who are definitely among those battling to fill out Penn State's starting line-up. Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), twin brother of Andrew and ready to battle for the starting spot at 157 this year, is ranked No. 10 at that weight by AWN heading into the season. Alton went 17-2 as an unattached wrestler in open tournaments last year.
True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.) is ranked No. 12 at 197. McIntosh, the national high school wrestler of the year last season and the nation's top recruit, may red-shirt this season. True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) is ranked No. 16 at 125 by AWN heading into his rookie season. Also the top recruit at his weight coming out of high school, Megaludis could also red-shirt as a true freshman or battle for the starting spot at 125. Junior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) is ranked No. 19 at 133 by AWN. Pearsall went 13-6 at 133 last season with eight pins and a number of wins over ranked wrestlers.
The Nittany Lions will start the 2011-12 campaign by hosting the Intrasquad Dual on Thursday, Nov. 3, in Rec Hall (it is free and open to the public). The regular season begins with a home dual against Bloomsburg on Sunday, Nov. 13. Match time in Rec Hall for the match-up with the Huskies is set for 2 p.m. Season tickets have sold so well for the upcoming year fans wishing to become new season ticket holders must now place their names on a waiting list should addition season tickets become available. Fans can have their names added to the waiting list by calling Penn State ticket office customer service line at 814-867-2557. As more ticket information becomes available, it can be accessed easily online at is www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html . Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2011-12 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.