Feb. 7, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Eight members of the Nittany Lion wrestling team continue to be ranked in the latest version of the Intermat national individual rankings. Four Nittany Lion All-Americans are ranked in the top two and all eight are listed in the top 12. Penn State is now 11-1 overall, 7-1 in the Big Ten, after winning at No. 7 Nebraska (31-6) and beating No. 12 Michigan (34-7) this past weekend. Head coach Cael Sanderson's Lions are ranked No. 2 in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll and continue to hold the No. 1 in Intermat's Tournament Power Index (TPI).
Three-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) is 23-0 on the year and ranked No. 1 at 149. All-American David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) is 21-0 thus far and is No. 1 at 165 and All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) is 23-0 at ranked No. 2 at 174. Two-time All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) is No. 2 at 184 with a 20-2 mark.
Senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) is 20-4 at heavyweight and is ranked No. 6 and red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) is 18-4 at 157 and ranked No. 6. True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) is 19-5 at 125 and ranked No. 8 while classmate Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.) is 14-5 at 197 and ranked No. 12.
Penn State is still ranked No. 2 in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. Oklahoma State sits at No. 1 with 250 points while Penn State is second with 236. Iowa (3), Minnesota (4) and Cornell (5) round out the top five. The Nittany Lions widened their hold on the No. 1 spot on Intermat's Tournament Power Index as well. Penn State checks in at No. 1 with a 105.5 TPI while Minnesota and Oklahoma State are No. 2 with 77.5 each. Iowa is No. 4 with 67.5 while Cornell is No. 5 with 66.5.
The Nittany Lions will trek Orem, Utah, this Saturday for a non-conference dual at Utah Valley. The dual with the Wolverines begins at 9 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Mountain time (local to site). Penn State then closes out the regular season by hosting Pittsburgh on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. The dual meet is already sold out, including standing room only ducats, and will serve as Senior Day for Penn State.
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.