Jan. 29, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team followed up a win over Iowa with yet another statement victory by hammering visiting Ohio State 34-9 in a key Big Ten dual. Penn State won eight of ten bouts in front of yet another sold out Rec Hall crowd of nearly 7,000 fans, not giving up a single takedown in its eight victories over the fifth-ranked Buckeyes.
True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 8 at 125, opened up the dual with a dominating 6-2 win over No. 15 Johnni Dejulius with 2:41 in riding time. Buckeye Logan Stieber, ranked No. 3 at 133, then pinned Nittany Lion sophomore Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) at the 1:38 mark. At 141, Lion junior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) battled No. 6 Hunter Stieber tough before dropping a 9-5 decision, giving the Buckeyes a 9-3 lead.
Three-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 1 at 149, began a Penn State onslaught with a thorough dismantling of Ohio State's Alex Gordon. Molinaro posted a 12-0 major with an impressive 5:20 in riding time. Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) then hammered No. 20 John Demas, shutting out the ranked Buckeye 4-0 with 1:28 in riding time to give Penn State a 10-9 lead heading into the halftime break.
Coming out of the locker room, All-American David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 1 at 165, posted a devastating 18-3 tech fall over Ohio State's Derek Garcia (6:20). Keeping the Lion train rolling, All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) ranked No. 2 at 174, pinned No. 8 Nick Heflin in the first period, getting the fall at the 2:05 mark.. Defending national champion Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 184, then pinned Buckeye Craig Thomas at the 3:18 mark for Penn State's third straight bonus point win. In a much-anticipated bout at 197, Lion true freshman Morgan McIntosh, ranked No. 12 at 197, took care of No. 20 Andrew Campolattano with a 5-4 win. Senior heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 6 at heavyweight, then took care of No. 16 Peter Capone, posting a 9-0 major with 3:00 in riding time to cap off the 34-9 win.
The Nittany Lions are now 9-1 overall, 5-1 in the Big Ten, while Ohio State falls to 9-3, 3-3. The Nittany Lions dominated the match from start to finish, winning eight of ten bouts, notching 10 bonus points off two pins, a tech fall and two majors, and winning the takedown war by a gaudy 16-4 margin. Penn State did not give up a single takedown in its eight victories and had five wrestlers get riding time points.
The Nittany Lions will trek to Lincoln, Neb., on Friday, Feb. 3, for a Big Ten dual with the Cornhuskers beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central (local to site). Penn State's next home dual is against No. 10 Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. While seats for the dual are now sold out, a limited number of Standing Room Only tickets remain. Fans can purchase these SRO ducats by calling 1-800-NITTANY or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office.
The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action will air locally on WRSC AM (1390 AM) with Friday evening duals being simulcast on WRSC FM (103.1 FM). Lock Haven's WBPZ (1230 AM) will also carry the entire season live, WIEZ (670 AM) in Huntingdon/Lewistown carries all Sunday events and further affiliates may be added soon. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package, which will also feature live video streams of many home events. Ticket information is accessed easily online at 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.
#2 Penn State 34, #5 Ohio State 9
January 29, 2012 - Rec Hall - University Park, Pa.
125: #8 Nico Megaludis PSU dec. #15 Johnni Dejulius OSU, 6-2 3-0
133: #3 Logan Stieber OSU pinned Frank Martellotti PSU, WBF (1:38) 3-6
141: #6 Hunter Stieber OSU dec. Bryan Pearsall PSU, 9-5 3-9
149: #1 Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. Alex Gordon, 12-0 (5:20 RT) 7-9
157: #7 Dylan Alton PSU dec. #20 Josh Demas OSU, 4-0 10-9
165: #1 David Taylor PSU tech fall Derek Garcia OSU, 18-3 (6:20) 15-9
174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU pinned #8 Nick Heflin OSU, WBF (2:05) 21-9
184: #2 Quentin Wright PSU pinned Craig Thomas OSU, WBF (3:18) 27-9
197: #12 Morgan McIntosh PSU dec. #20 Andrew Campolattano OSU, 5-4 30-9
285: #6 Cameron Wade PSU maj. dec. #16 Peter Capone, 9-0 34-9
Attendance: 6,728
Records: #2 Penn State 9-1, 5-1 B1G; #5 Ohio State 9-3, 3-3 B1G
Up Next for Penn State: at Nebraska, Friday, Feb. 3, 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central (local to site)
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) met fellow true freshman Johnni Dejulius in a battle of ranked 125-pounders. Megaludis entered the bout ranked No. 8 while Dejulius was ranked No. 15. Megaludis gained control of Dejulius' right leg with a high single and steadily worked his way into a scoring position, getting the takedown for a 2-0 lead at the 1:20 mark. The true freshman then maintained control for :51 before the Buckeye escaped to a 2-1 Lion lead. Dejulius chose down to start the second period and Megaludis gained control of the Buckeyes arm, working to turn the Buckeye over for back points with an arm bar. A dangerous hold call stopped action with Megaludis still in control with over 2:00 riding time. Dejulius escaped to a 2-2 tie, but Megaludis continued to pressure the Buckeye, forcing him into defense for the rest of the period. Tied 2-2 but with 2:11 in time to his advantage, Megaludis chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to 3-2 lead. A quick low single led to another Megaludis takedown with :40 left, giving the Lion a 5-2 lead with a clinched riding time point. Megaludis then maintained control for the remainder of the match and rolled to a 6-2 win with 2:41 in riding time.
133: Nittany Lion sophomore Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) took on Ohio State's Logan Stieber, who was ranked No. 3 at 133. Stieber got in on a quickly single leg and drove through for an early takedown and a 2-0 lead. He then worked his way into a pin, getting the fall over Martellotti at the 1:38 mark.
141: Penn State junior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) battled Buckeye Hunter Stieber, who was ranked No. 6 at 141. Stieber scored first, using a high single to take Pearsall down for an early 2-0 lead. Stieber put together a strong ride, trying to turn Pearsall for back points before cutting him loose at the 1:38 mark with 1:04 in riding time. Another quick high single led to a second Stieber takedown and a 4-1 lead for the sixth-ranked Buckeye. Stieber then rode Pearsall out and led 4-1 with 2:11 in riding time after one period. Stieber chose down to start the second period but could not break free of a strong Pearsall ride as the Lion junior maintained control for over a minute. But the sixth-ranked sophomore worked his way into a reversal at the :50 mark to take a 6-1 lead. But Pearsall answered the reversal to cut the lead to 6-3 as the period ended. The Lion junior took down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 6-4 deficit, but Stieber had 1:59 in riding time. Stieber took a low single and worked his way into a takedown and an 8-4 lead with a clinched riding time point at the :45 mark. Pearsall escaped to an 8-5 deficit and continued to pressure the Buckeye, looking for his takedown. Stieber held off a late Pearsall shot and posted the 9-5 decision.
149: Top-ranked Nittany Lion Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) faced off against Alex Gordon at 149. The Lion senior pressured Gordon from the offset, forcing the Buckeye back on his heels. Molinaro connected on a head inside single to take a 2-0 lead with 1:558 left. He then turned Gordon to his back for three near fall points and a 5-0 lead. Molinaro reset himself after action moved out of bounds and maintained control of the Buckeye for the rest of the period to lead 5-0 with 2:03 in time after one. Molinaro chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 6-0 lead. Another takedown with 1:20 left gave the Lion an 8-0 lead and another turn for two near fall points put him up 10-0. Down by ten, Gordon chose down to start the third period (Molinaro had a riding time point clinched). Molinaro spent the entire period trying to turn Gordon for more back points, picking up a stall point in the process. Molinaro posted a 12-0 win with 5:20 in riding time.
157: Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 7 at 157, met Ohio State's Josh Demas, who was ranked No. 20. Alton dove through a high double at the 1:37 mark to take a 2-0 lead, getting the takedown in front of the Buckeye bench. He then maintained control of Demas for over a minute, looking for a chance to turn his foe and forcing him into a first stall warning with :25 on the clock. Alton rode Demas out to lead by two with 1:41 in riding time after one period. Alton chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The Lion continued to pressure Demas, forcing the Buckeye backwards for the rest of the period. Demas, down 3-0 and giving up 1:38 in time, chose neutral to start and Alton quickly got in on a single. Demas once again worked his way towards the outside circle and forced a reset with 1:30 on the clock. Demas took a shot at the 1:00 mark of the third period but Alton nearly turned it into a throw. With the riding time point clinched, Alton rolled on to a 4-0 win to give Penn State a 10-9 lead at the break.
165: Top-ranked Penn Stater David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) met OSU freshman Derek Garcia at 165. Taylor used a blazing fast low single to notch the first takedown at the 2:00 mark. Garcia got hit with a first stall warning quickly as the Buckeyes continued to belly out underneath. Taylor cut Garcia loose at the :30 mark and then worked his way for a second takedown even as Garcia worked to move out of bounds. Up 4-1 with :18 left, Taylor maintained control of the Buckeye for the ride out. Garcia chose down to start the second period and Taylor cut him loose. Garcia got in on a high single, but Taylor easily countered for his own takedown and a 6-2 lead with 1:25 on the clock. Taylor picked up a stall point before turning Garcia to his back. But the Buckeye was able to roll out of trouble without any near falls. Taylor cut Garcia loose, took him down against with :30 on the clock. A third stall gave Taylor a 10-3 lead and two near fall points put him up 12-3 after two periods. Taylor chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 13-3 lead. The Lion sophomore countered another Garcia shot, took him down for a 15-3 lead, and then turned him for three near fall points and the 18-3 technical fall at the 6:20 mark.
174: Second-ranked Nittany Lion Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) took on Ohio State's Nick Heflin, who was ranked No. 8 at 174. Ruth shot quick out of the gates, turning a high double into a scramble on the edge of the mat. But Heflin was able to keep from giving up the takedown and the match remained scoreless. Ruth countered a Heflin shot and then nearly completed a cradle on the takedown. Heflin fought to his belly and the Lion led 2-0. Ruth reset himself, worked his way into a position for a cradle and locked it up. The Lion All-American finished off the eighth-ranked Buckeye at the 2:05 mark with the pin.
184: Second-ranked Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) battled Buckeye Craig Thomas at 184. Wright quickly took the Buckeye down, taking a 2-0 lead just :30 into the bout. The All-American then began working for a chance to turn Thomas, steadily breaking the Buckeye down while building up a solid riding time edge. Wright got two near fall points before Thomas rolled over and out of trouble, giving the Nittany Lion a 4-1 lead at the 1:10 mark. Another high Wright double leg led to a 6-1 lead less than :20 after that and the Nittany Lion once again set to breaking Thomas down. He picked up a riding tim point and then added on two more near fall points to lead 9-1 with :11 on the clock. Wright chose down to start the second, quickly escaped and then caught Thomas in a shoulder throw, tossing the Buckeye to the mat and getting the pin at the 3:18 mark, just :18 into the second period.
197: True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 12 at 197, met Ohio State's Andrew Campolattano, who was ranked No. 20. McIntosh gained control of Campolattano's left ankle and steadily worked his way to a 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 1:47 mark. The Buckeye quickly escaped and action moved to the center circle with McIntosh up by a point. Another low ankle pick by McIntosh led to a second takedown and a 4-2 lead after a quick Campolattano escaped. Campolattano chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 McIntosh lead. McIntosh continued to shoot low, working for a takedown, but an injury forced McIntosh to call for time out, allowing the Buckeye to choose down and escape to a 4-4 tie. With the score deadlocked heading into the third, McIntosh chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-4 lead. The ranked duo battled evenly for the bulk of the period, with the Nittany Lion freshman fighting off a late shot to hold on for a thrilling 5-4 win.
285: Nittany Lion senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 6 at heavyweight, met Buckeye Peter Capone, who was ranked No. 16. Each wrestler took an early shot, with neither man breaking through to score early. The ranked duo battled through an even first period and action moved to the second scoreless. Capone chose down to start the second period and Wade quickly gained control of the Buckeye, working for back points. The Lion senior dominated action from the top, controlling Capone for the full two minutes. Tied 0-0 but with 2:00 riding time to his favor, Wade chose down to start the final period. Wade deftly reversed the 16th-ranked Buckeye for a 2-0 lead and then he once again went to work, turning the Buckeye for three near fall points and a 5-0 lead. After a reset, Wade picked up three more back points and posted a dominating 9-0 major with 3:00 in riding time.