Jan. 8, 2012
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. - The fourth-ranked Penn State wrestling team dominated host Michigan State to pick up a 36-6 Big Ten road win. The dual, wrestled in front of a packed house at Kellog Arena in Battle Creek, Mich., saw Penn State win nine of ten bouts, losing only once on an illegal throw disqualification.
The dual began at heavyweight, where Nittany Lion senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 6 nationally, gave Penn State a 3-0 lead with an 8-3 decision over Steve Andrus. Nittany Lion freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 10 at 125, was crushing Spartan senior Eric Olanowski 8-3 early in the second period before being called for an illegal hold and, when Olanowski could not continue, lost the match on a disqualification, giving MSU a 6-3 lead. Lion sophomore Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) made his 133-pound dual debut with a 7-5 win over Brandon Fifield to tie the dual and then Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) put Penn State on top for good by pinning Brian Gibbs at the 4:21 mark.
No. 1 Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) handled No. 18 Dan Osterman 9-3 at 149 to put Penn State up 15-6. With the win, Molinaro moved into 18th place on Penn State's all-time victories list (105) and into 17th on Penn State's all-time dual meet victory list (47). Freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 157, then downed No. 14 Anthony Jones 1-0 to put the Nittany Lions up 18-6. Top-ranked David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) then majored David Cheza 13-5 at 165.
Second-ranked Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) dominated Michigan State's Curran Jacobs, posting a second period technical fall at the 6:33 mark, getting the 17-2 win. Third-ranked Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) then fought off an early struggle to pin Michigan State's John Rizqallah at the 5:52 mark to put Penn State up 33-6. True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 13 at 197, closed out the dominating performance with a 7-5 win to give Penn State the 36-6 victory.
Penn State won nine of ten bouts and was leading handily in the one bout it lost on the illegal throw call. The Nittany Lions posted a dominating 24-5 edge in takedowns and picked up five riding time points. Penn State picked up nine bonus points off two pins, a tech fall and a major. The Nittany Lions improve to 5-1 on the year, 1-1 in the Big Ten. Michigan State falls to 2-3, 0-2.
Penn State continues a multi-week road swing with two Big Ten road duals next weekend. Penn State is at Northwestern on Friday, Jan. 13, at 8 p.m. (Eastern) and at Wisconsin on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m. (Eastern). Penn State's next home dual is on Sunday, Jan. 22, when Iowa invades Rec Hall for a 2 p.m. dual that is already sold out. The Nittany Lions then host Ohio State on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. Fans can purchase a limited number of `standing room only' tickets for the Ohio State dual by calling 814-865-5555. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under) and can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office. A maximum of four tickets may be purchased per person.
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.
#4 Penn State 36, Michigan State 6
January 8, 2012 - Kellog Arena - Battle Creek, Mich.
285: #6 Cameron Wade PSU dec. Steve Andrus, 8-3 3-0
125: Eric Olanowski MSU DQ over #10 Nico Megaludis PSU
(Illegal Throw, Megaludis up 8-3 early in second period, 3:45) 3-6
133: Frank Martellotti PSU dec. Brandon Fifield MSU, 7-5 6-6
141: Bryan Pearsall PSU pinned Brian Gibbs MSU, WBF (4:21) 12-6
149: #1 Frank Molinaro PSU dec. #18 Dan Osterman MSU, 9-3 15-6
157: #9 Dylan Alton PSU dec. #14 Anthony Jones MSU, 1-0 18-6
165: #1 David Taylor PSU maj. dec. David Cheza MSU, 13-5 22-6
174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU tech fall Curran Jacobs MSU, 17-2 (TF; 6:33) 27-6
184: #3 Quentin Wright PSU pinned John Rizqallah MSU, WBF (5:52) 33-6
197: #13 Morgan McIntosh PSU dec. Nick McDiarmid MSU, 7-5 36-6
Attendance: 3,000
Records: #4 Penn State (5-1, 1-1 B1G), Michigan State (2-3, 0-2 B1G)
Up Next for Penn State: at Northwestern, Friday, Jan. 13, 8 p.m. (Eastern)
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
285: Senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 6 at heavyweight, battled Spartan Steve Andrus. Wade set the tempo early, taking a couple shots out of the gate, looking to take control early. Wade got in on a low single at the 1:46 mark and taking a 2-0 lead at the 1:29 mark. The Lion senior then began working for a chance to turn Andrus for back points. Wade finished off the tilt for three near fall points at the :15 mark and led 5-0 at the end of the first period. Wade chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 6-0 lead. The duo then battled evenly for the rest of the period, allowing Wade to hold that lead heading into the third period. Andrus chose neutral to start the second period, Wade shot low and Andrus countered for a quick takedown to cut the lead to 7-2 after a Wade escape. Wade got called for a stall warning at the :35 mark and then another at the :12 mark, giving Andrus a third point. Wade got the riding time point at the match's end and claimed a hard-fought 8-3 win.
125: True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 10 nationally at 125, took on Michigan State senior Eric Olanowski. The Lion freshman took the senior down at the 2:02 mark with a low single for an early 2-1 lead. Megaludis notched his second takedown at the 1:10 mark, cut the Spartan loose and led 4-2 at the 1:10 mark. The Nittany Lion freshman countered an Olanowski shot at the :25 mark, worked his way around him for a third takedown and then rode him out to lead 6-2 after one period. Megaludis chose neutral to start the second stanza, shot low off the whistle and quickly added another takedown and cut to lead 8-3 at the 1:40 mark. But Megaludis was quickly called or an illegal throw, Olanowski did not continue to wrestle and Megaludis lost via a disqualification.
133: Sophomore Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) made his season dual meet debut against the Spartans and took on Brandon Fifield. Fifield got an early takedown and rode the Lion sophomore for over a minute before the Nittany Lion escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Fifield immediately got in on another single, but this time Martellotti scrambled behind the Spartan for a takedown and led 3-2. With a one point lead after one, Martellotti chose down to start the second period, quickly scrambled into a position to reverse Fifield but could not get the call before a stalemate call at the :30 mark. On the reset, Martellotti did reverse Fifield to lead 5-3 after a Fifield escape. Martellotti held that lead after two periods and Fifield chose down to start the third period. The Nittany Lion sophomore was strong on top to start the third, working off a minute's time before Fifield reversed him to tie the bout at 5-5. Martellotti escaped and then fought off a late Spartan shot and, with 1:10 riding time, posted a 7-5 win.
141: Junior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) took to the mat at 141 for Penn State and met MSU freshman Brian Gibbs. Pearsall got on the board at the 1:39 mark, countering a Gibbs shot for a takedown and a 2-0 lead. The Nittany Lion junior then put together a strong ride, controlling Gibbs and turning him for three near fall points at the buzzer to lead 5-0 after one. Gibbs chose neutral to start the second stanza but Pearsall quickly took the Spartan down, turned him for two back points and led 9-0 at the 1:22 mark. Pearsall locked up a far side cradle and worked his way into a chance for a fall, getting the pin at the 4:21 mark.
149: Top-ranked Nittany Lion Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) faced off against Michigan State's Dan Osterman, who was ranked No. 18, at 149. Osterman energized the packed Spartan crowd with an early takedown to lead 2-0 out of the gate. Molinaro quickly escaped, only to see Osterman pressure the Lion senior into another near takedown. Molinaro was able to fight off that move and then, on a reset, used a fierce double leg to take Osterman down and lead 3-2 at the 1:30 mark. The three-time All-American then controlled the action from top, building up over 1:00 in riding time on his way to a ride out. Leading 3-2 with 1:31 in riding time, Molinaro chose down and quickly escaped to a 4-2 lead. Molinaro turned a head outside single into another takedown and a 6-2 lead at the :38 mark. Osterman chose neutral to start the third period. With the riding time point clinched, Molinaro needed just one more takedown to secure a major and picked it up at the :45 mark to lead 8-3 after a takedown and a cut. But it was Osterman who nearly scored at the buzzer with Molinaro holding off the effort and posting the 9-3 win.
157: Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 157, met Michigan State senior Anthony Jones, ranked No. 14, in one of the dual's most anticipated bouts. The ranked duo battled through the first half of the opening period evenly. Jones tried to score off a throw at the 1:20 mark but Alton was able to roll out of trouble and force a reset with the bout still scoreless. After a scoreless first period, Jones chose neutral to start the second stanza. As in the first period, neither man could find a chance to work their offense in the second period and the bout went to the third scoreless. Alton took down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Alton pressured the senior Jones for the entire third period with Jones backing away and playing the edge of the mat. Alton fought off one Jones shot at the :17 mark and then escaped with a 1-0 win.
165: Top-ranked Lion sophomore David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) face off against MSU senior David Cheza at 165. Taylor took a 2-0 lead with a quick takedown but was reversed by Cheza at the 1:50 mark for a 2-2 tie. Taylor quickly escaped, got in on a single leg and pulled Cheza back onto the mat and got the takedown to lead 5-2 at the :49 mark. The Lion sophomore then rode Cheza out to lead 5-2 after one period. Taylor took down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 6-2 lead. Another low single for Taylor gave the Nittany Lion an 8-2 lead at the 1:10 mark. He then turned Cheza for two back points and led 10-2 at the :45 mark but Cheza notched his second reversal to cut Taylor's lead to 10-4 at the :08 mark. Cheza took neutral to start the third period only to be quickly taken down by Taylor, giving the Lion a 12-4 lead with well over 1:00 in riding time. After clinching the riding time point, Taylor continued to build the riding time edge before Cheza escaped at the :23 mark. With the riding time point, Taylor posted the 13-5 major decision.
174: Second-ranked Penn State sophomore Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) med MSU senior Curran Jacobs at 174. Ruth was relentless from the start, forcing Jacobs into a stall warning less than a minute into the bout. He then took Jacobs down at the 2:09 mark to open up an early lead. He then spent the next minute-plus looking to turn Jacobs for back points. He picked up two near fall points and the :25 mark and led 4-0 with 2:09 in riding time after one. Ruth took down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 5-0 lead. The Lion All-American then turned a head lock into a pinning opportunity, getting the takedown and three back points to lead 10-0 at the 1:06 mark. Another dominating ride by Ruth led to a stall point for the Nittany Lion and an 11-0 lead after two periods. Jacobs took neutral to start the third period, but Ruth quickly gained control of the action, working his way around the Spartan for another takedown and a 13-1 lead after a quick Jacobs escape. Another Ruth takedown and cut at the :45 mark gave Ruth a chance for a technical fall. The Lion added the last takedown to post the 17-2 tech fall at the 6:33 mark.
184: Third-ranked junior Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) took to the mat against Spartan John Rizqallah at 184. Wright dominated the action from the start, picking up a quick takedown and then turning Rizqallah for three near fall points to lead 5-0. Rizqallah escaped and countered Wright's next shot for his own takedown, cutting the lead to 5-3 at the :55 mark. He then nearly ended the bout with a pin of Wright, turning the Nittany Lion All-American for three back points to lead 6-5. Wright escaped at the :14 mark to tie the score at 6-6 after the opening period. Wright chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-6 lead. He added to his lead with a nice double leg on the edge of the mat to lead 9-6 with :32 left in the middle stanza. Trailing 9-6, Rizqallah chose top to start the third period. Wright quickly reversed Rizqallah, turned him to his back for two near fall points and reset himself with a 13-6 lead. The defending national champion then turned Rizqalla to his back and, after a brief struggle, pinned the Spartan at the 5:52 mark.
197: True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 13 at 197, met MSU's Nick McDiarmid. The Nittany Lion freshman picked up the bout's first takedown at the 1;49 mark, moving out to a 2-0 lead with 1:43 on the clock. McDiarmid escaped after a brief McIntosh ride and action resumed in the center circle with the Nittany Lion up by one. McDiarmid countered a McIntosh shot to lead 3-2 as the period wound down and rode McIntosh out to lead 3-2 after one period. McIntosh chose down to start the second stanza and, after a brief McDiarmid ride, reversed the Spartan to retake the lead, 4-3. McIntosh was called for locked hands while riding McDiarmid out and the match went to the third tied 4-4. McDiarmid chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 5-4 lead. McIntosh turned a swift low single into a takedown in front of the MSU bench to take a 6-5 lead at the :45 mark. McIntosh maintained control long enough to build up over a minute's riding time. He then rode McDiarmid out and, with the riding time point, posted the 7-5 win.