March 15, 2012
VIDEO: NCAA Championships Day I Interviews
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team had an outstanding second session at the 2012 NCAA Championship in St. Louis' Scottrade Center, going 8-1 to close out day one with a 16-2 record. Head coach Cael Sanderson's crew is alone in first place.
Penn State went 7-1 in the championship bracket and picked up another win in consolation action. The Nittany Lions will send seven wrestlers to the quarterfinals tomorrow morning while two other Lions are alive in consolation action. Penn State is in first place with 38.5 points while Minnesota is in second with 33.0. Cornell follows in third with 27.5 while Oklahoma State (26.5) and Iowa (26.0) round out the top five.
True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), the No. 10 seed at 125, got Penn State off to a fast start with a thrilling 7-3 win over No. 7 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma. Megaludis roared back from a 3-0 deficit with seven third period points to grab the win and move into the quarterfinals tomorrow morning. Three-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), the top seed at 149, followed that win up with a hard fought 6-5 decision over Oregon State's Scott Sakaguchi to move into the quarters as well, getting the decisive point on riding time. Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), the No. 7 seed at 157, took down No. 10 Anthony Jones of Michigan State in the second round, using a riding time point to post a 2-1 win and move into the quarters.
All-American David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), the top seed at 165, notched his second straight first period pin of the day, pinning Chattanooga's Brandon Wright at the 1:51 mark. That win moved Taylor into the quarterfinals tomorrow morning. Taylor's pin was followed quickly, on the same mat (mat 8) by All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), the top seed at 174. Ruth got his second straight first period pin of the day as well, finishing off a cradle and pinning Missouri's Dorian Henderson at the 1:25 mark. Ruth, like Taylor, moved into the quarterfinals.
Defending National Champion Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), the No. 6 seed at 184, continued Penn State's bonus point blitz with an impressive 10-2 major over No. 11 Ben Clymer of Hofstra. Wright used a late takedown and riding time to get the major's bonus point and move into the quarters. True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.) was downed by No. 1 Cam Simaz of Cornell, falling 22-7. Senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), the No. 6 seed at heavyweight, closed out Penn State's second round in the championship bracket with a solid 8-2 win over Cornell's Maciej Jochym. Wade used two reversals to secure the victory and move into the quarterfinals.
Sophomore Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) closed out Penn State's outstanding evening session (and first day) by staying alive in consolation action at 133. Martellotti used a third period reversal to post a 2-1 win over Frank Lomas of CS-Bakersfield and will continue consolation action tomorrow morning as well.
Penn State rolled to its second straight 8-1 session and is 16-2 after the first day of the championships. The Nittany Lions picked up another five bonus points and racked up 14.5 on day one. The Lions now have four pins, five majors and one technical fall. Penn State's lone two losses were both to No. 1 seeds.
The third session begins tomorrow, March 16, at 10 a.m. CENTRAL/11 a.m. Eastern. Tomorrow's first session includes the quarterfinals and two rounds of consolation action. The three day event continues throughout the day Friday and all day Saturday, culminating with the national finals on Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. CENTRAL/7:30 p.m. EASTERN.
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. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package. 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.
2012 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS - Top 10 Team Standings Session 2
Thursday, March 15, 2012 - Scottrade Center - St. Louis, Mo.
1: PENN STATE - 38.5
2: Minnesota - 33.0
3: Cornell - 27.5
4: Oklahoma State - 26.5
5: Iowa - 26.0
6: Illinois - 23.0
7: Oklahoma - 19.5
8: Ohio State - 19.0
9: Lehigh - 18.0
9: Northwestern - 18.0
The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown/agate of Penn State's tournament to date:
125: Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), Fr. - #10 seed - 26-7 overall
1st Rd: W, 13-5 maj. dec. Michael Martinez, Wyoming
2nd Rd: W, 7-3 dec. #7 Jarrod Patterson, Oklahoma
Qtrs: Tomorrow
True freshman Nico Megaludis opened up his first NCAA Championship tournament with an impressive win over fifth-year senior Michael Martinez of Wyoming. Megaludis dominated the action from start to finish and posted the 13-5 major decision, picking up an early bonus point for Penn State.
In the second round, Megaludis roared back from a 3-0 deficit in the third period to score seven unanswered points to post a 7-3 win over No. 7 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma. Megaludis used an escape, a takedown, three back points and 1:37 in riding time to roll to the win.
133: Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.), So. - unseeded - 9-10 overall
1st Rd: LBF #1 Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State (2:06)
Cns 1: W, 2-1 dec. Frank Lomas, CS-Bakersfield
Cns 2: Tomorrow
Sophomore Frank Martellotti made his NCAA Championship debut against the tournament's No. 1 seed, Oklahoma State's Jordan Oliver. Martellotti got taken down early by the top seed and then pinned at the 2:06 mark.
The true sophomore rebounded in the first round of wrestle backs, getting a reversal in the third period to post an important 2-1 decision over UC-Bakersfield's Frank Lomas. The win kept Martellotti alive and moved him into the second round of wrestle backs.
149: Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), Sr. - #1 seed - 30-0 overall
1st Rd: W, 9-0 maj. dec. Chris Villalonga, Cornell
2nd Rd: W, 6-5 dec. Scott Sakaguchi, Oregon State
Qtrs: Tomorrow
Top seed Frank Molinaro began his quest for an NCAA title and his fourth All-America honor with a dominating 9-0 major over Cornell's Chris Villalonga at 149. Molinaro recorded three takedowns, an escape, a stall point and a riding time point off 4:07 in time to coast to the win.
In the second round, Molinaro battled through a tough match-up with Oregon State's Scott Sakaguchi. The Nittany Lion senior used a solid 2:27 riding time edge for the decisive point in a 6-5 win to more into the quarterfinals.
157: Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), Fr. - #7 seed - 26-5 overall
1st Rd: W, 12-4 maj. dec. Jake O'Hara, Columbia
2nd Rd: W, 2-1 dec. #10 Anthony Jones, Michigan State
Qtrs: Tomorrow
Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton made his NCAA Championship debut in fine fashion with a dominating 12-4 major over Columbia's Jake O'Hara. Alton rolled up 3:01 in riding time for the important team bonus point.
In the second round, Alton used a strong third period ride to build up a riding time edge and grab an important 2-1 win over No. 10 Anthony Jones of Michigan State. Each wrestler had an escape and Alton's 1:14 in riding time provided the difference as the Lion freshman moved into the quarterfinals.
165: David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), So. - #1 seed - 29-0 overall
1st Rd: WBF over Corey Lear, Bucknell (1:40)
2nd Rd: WBF over Brandon Wright, UT-Chattanooga (1:51)
Qtrs: Tomorrow
Top-seed David Taylor opened up his run towards NCAA glory with a quick pin of Bucknell's Corey Lear. Taylor notched an early takedown and the turned the Bison to his shoulders for a quick first period fall at the 1:40 mark.
Taylor needed just :11 more seconds in his second round match-up. Taylor turned another first period takedown into a pin, getting the fall at the 1:51 mark over UT-Chattanooga's Brandon Wright. Taylor's second straight pin moved him into the quarterfinals.
174: Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), So. - #1 seed - 28-0 overall
1st Rd: WBF over Jim Resnick, Rider
2nd Rd: WBF over Dorian Henderson, Missouri (1:25)
Qtrs: Tomorrow
Top-seed Ed Ruth began his quest for an NCAA crown with a quick pin over Rider's Jim Resnick. Ruth turned his second takedown of the first period into a cradle and got the fall at the 1:42 mark.
Ruth needed even less time in his second round match-up with Missouri's Dorian Henderson. The Lion sophomore turned a first period takedown into a quick cradle and got the fall at the 1:25 mark, moving into the quarterfinals.
184: Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), Jr. - #6 seed - 28-3 overall
1st Rd: W, 11-0 maj. dec. Thomas Ferguson, North Carolina
2nd Rd: W, 10-2 maj. dec. #11 Ben Clymer, Hofstra
Qtrs: Tomorrow
Defending National Champion Quentin Wright began the defense of his NCAA title with a resounding 11-0 major decision over North Carolina's Thomas Ferguson. Wright used a late takedown and three near fall points to collect the bonus point.
Wright then hammered No. 11 Ben Clymer of Hofstra in the second round, using a late takedown and 2:28 in riding time to post a 10-2 major decision and move into the quarterfinals. The major also added important bonus points to the Lions' tally.
197: Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), Fr. - unseeded - 18-9 overall
1st Rd: W, 9-3 dec. Taylor Meeks, Oregon State
2nd Rd: L, 7-22 tech fall #1 Cam Simaz, Cornell (TF; 7:00)
Cons Rd 2: Tomorrow
True freshman Morgan McIntosh made his first NCAA Championship appearance against Oregon State's Taylor Meeks. McIntosh turned the Beaver to his back twice in the third period for three-point near falls and rolled to a 9-3 win in his NCAA tournament debut.
In the second round, the true freshman ran into top seeded Cornell senior Cam Simaz and suffered a 22-7 tech fall defeat at the 7:00 mark on riding time. The loss sent McIntosh into the consolation second round.
285: Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio.), Sr. - #6 seed - 28-4 overall
1st Rd: W, 17-2 tech fall over Quintas McCorkle, Clarion (TF; 7:00)
2nd Rd: W, 8-2 dec. Maciej Jochym, Cornell
Qtrs: Tomorrow
Senior Cameron Wade, the No. 6 seed at heavyweight, began the 2012 NCAA Championships with a superb 17-2 technical fall over Clarion's Quintas McCorkle. Wade picked up a last second takedown and, with the riding time point, picked up the tech fall at the 7:00 mark for 1.5 team bonus points. In the second round, Wade used a six point first period to roll to an 8-2 win over Cornell's Maciej Jochym. The Lion senior notched a takedown, two back points and a reversal in the first period and then a reversal in the third to roll into the quarterfinals.