March 9, 2013
VIDEO: Session II Highlights and Interviews
VIDEO: Session I Highlights and Interviews
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers, ranked No. 1 throughout the year on Intermat's national TPI ranking, are in first place at the first day's conclusion of the 2013 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. A total of four Nittany Lions will be wrestling for Big Ten titles tomorrow and all ten Penn State wrestlers have already punched their tickets to the NCAA Championships later this month.
Head coach Cael Sanderson's team is looking for its third straight Big Ten title at the event, being contested today and tomorrow in Champaign, Ill. Penn State is in first place with 123.0 points while Minnesota is in second with 112.5. Iowa follows in third with 109.0.
Defending NCAA Champion David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 2 at 165, became Penn State's first Big Ten finalist with an impressive technical fall over Iowa's Nick Moore in the semis at 165. Taylor rolled to the 15-0 TF at the 2:37 mark, using a takedown and a series of near falls. He was followed by sophomore Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 7 at 174, who dominated Michigan's Dan Yates on his way to a 5-1 decision and a trip to the Big Ten finals.
Defending 174-pound NCAA Champion Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 184, posted a strong 10-1 major decision over Iowa's Ethan Lofthouse, ranked No. 14. Ruth used a four-point first period and a five point third period to roll to the victory and into the finals tomorrow. Three-time All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 197, escaped with a 1-0 win over No. 15 Andrew Campolattano of Ohio State, making a second period escape stand and becoming Penn State's fourth finalist.
All-American Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 3 nationally at 125, dropped a tough 6-3 decision to No. 4 Jesse Delgado of Illinois in the semifinals and will shift into the consolation semis tomorrow. Red-shirt freshman Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 12 at 133, was pinned by No. 1 Logan Stieber of Ohio State at the 1:28 mark and will also wrestle in the conso semis tomorrow. Both Megaludis and Conaway can still take third place.
Senior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.), ranked No. 21 in the coaches poll, earned his first trip to NCAAs with a super 2-0 session at 141. Pearsall posted a hard-fought 6-4 win over Indiana's Alex Gregory in his first conso bout and then earned an NCAA bid with a 19-11 major over Michigan State's Camryn Jackson. Sophomore Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 13, is also headed to Des Moines after a 2-0 session of his own. Alton opened it up with a sizzling pin of Northwestern's Dylan Marriott in just :16. The Nittany Lion sophomore then took down the tournament's top seed, No. 7 Eric Grajales of Michigan 14-8 to earn a trip to Des Moines.
All-American Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 5, also went 2-0 in consolation action to advance to NCAAs, posting a quick first period pin of Purdue's Tommy Churchard (1:03). He then fought his way to a tough 3-2 win over Michigan State's Ryan Watts, the seventh-seed, to advance to the conso semis tomorrow. Megaludis, Conaway, Pearsall, A. Alton and D. Alton can all finish as high as third place.
Sophomore Jimmy Lawson (Tom's River, N.J.) made it a perfect ten for Penn State, advancing to NCAAs with a dominating 13-5 major over Nebraska's Spencer Johnson in his first conso bout. He dropped a tough 7-4 decision to sixth seed Adam Chalfant of Indiana to close out Penn State's session, which shifted him to the seventh place bout tomorrow, already an NCAA qualifier.
Penn State went 11-3 in the evening session and 4-2 in the semifinals. Penn State is 22-7 overall and has tallied 18.5 bonus points off five pins, three tech falls and four majors
The event continues tomorrow with consolation semifinal and some placing bouts at 12:30 p.m. Eastern/11:30 a.m. Central. The Championship Finals begin at 2:30 p.m. Eastern/1:30 p.m. Central and will air live on the Big Ten Network. Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstateWREST and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2012-13 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships - Team Standings After Session 2
Saturday, March 9, 2013 - Assembly Hall - Champaign, Ill.
1: PENN STATE - 123.0
2: Minnesota - 112.5
3: Iowa - 109.0
4: Ohio State - 92.0
5: Illinois - 72.5
6: Michigan - 61.0
7: Nebraska - 52.0
8: Northwestern - 50.0
9: Purdue - 29.0
10: Indiana - 26.5
11: Wisconsin - 26.0
12: Michigan State - 17.0
The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown/agate of Penn State's tournament to date (rankings listed are NCAA Coaches Rankings):
125: #3 Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), Sr. - #2 seed - 22-3 overall - NCAA QUALIFIER
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: vs. #12 David Thorn, Minnesota (7th seed) - W, 4-2 dec.
Semis: vs. #4 Jesse Delgado, Illinois (3rd seed) - L, 3-6 dec.
Con Semis: Tomorrow
Sophomore All-American Nico Megaludis opened up the tournament with a bye and then met seventh-seed David Thorn of Minnesota. Megaludis used a second period takedown to post a 4-2 win over seventh-seed David Thorn of Minnesota in the quarterfinals, moving to the semis and securing a spot in the NCAA tournament.
In the semifinals, Megaludis took on fourth-ranked Jesse Delgado of Illinois, the third-seed. Megaludis fell behind early to the Illini and dropped a tough 6-3 decision. The loss sends Megaludis into tomorrow morning's consolation semifinals, still with the ability to take third place.
133: #12 Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.) Fr. - #4 seed - 15-7 overall - NCAA QUALIFIER
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: vs. #11 Daryl Thomas, Illinois (5th seed) - W, 6-5 dec. (TB2)
Semis: vs. #1 Logan Stieber, Ohio State (1st seed) - LBF (1:28)
Con Semis: Tomorrow
Red-shirt freshman Jordan Conaway made his Big Ten tournament debut as the fourth seed at 133 and, after a first round bye, took on fifth-seed Daryl Thomas of Illinois, who was ranked No. 11 nationally in the final NCAA coaches poll. Conaway came out on top in an epic battle between the two grapplers, grinding to a 6-5 TB2 win. Each wrestler traded takedowns in regulation and Conaway fought off two strong takedown attempts in sudden victory. He then rode Thomas out in the second tiebreaker after escaping in his period to post the 6-5 win. The victory moved him into the semifinals and qualified him for the NCAA Championships as a freshman.
Conaway then met the nation's top-ranked wrestler, Ohio State's Logan Stieber, in the semifinals. The top-seeded Buckeye took Conaway down twice early and then turned him for a pin at the 1:28 mark. Conaway's loss moved him to the consolation semifinals, with third place still in his grasp.
141: #21 Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.), Sr. - #4 seed - 22-8 - NCAA QUALIFIER
1st Rd: vs. Tom Kelliher, Wisconsin - WBF (1:24)
Qtrs: vs. #23 Brandon Nelsen, Purdue (5th seed) -- L, 1-2 dec.
Conso Rd. 2: vs. Alex Gregory, Indiana - W, 6-4 dec.
Conso Rd. 3: vs. Camryn Jackson, Michigan (8th seed) - W, 19-11 maj. dec.
Cons Semis: Tomorrow
Senior Bryan Pearsall got Penn State started in the tournament, taking to the mat for Penn State's first bout and getting a quick first period pin over Tom Kelliher of Wisconsin. Pearsall turned a single leg into a scramble and then a cradle, finishing off the move by pulling Kelliher in off the edge of the mat and turning him to his back for a fall at the 1:24 mark. Pearsall then met fifth seed Brandon Nelson of Purdue in the quarters and dropped a tough 2-1 decision, giving up a reversal late in the third period. Pearsall dropped into consolation action, still looking for top six finish at his weight to get to NCAAS.
In his first consolation bout, Pearsall took on Indiana's Alex Gregory. The Lion senior came back from a first period takedown and an early third period takedown to score four points late and win 6-4. The victory pushed him into a conso third round bout against Michigan's Camryn Jackson, the eighth-seed. Pearsall came back from an early 6-2 deficit to dominate the final four minutes, turning Jackson three times in the second period on his way to a 19-11 major decision, bonus points for the Lions, and his first trip to the NCAA Championships.
149: #13 Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), So. - #5 seed - 25-3 overall - NCAA QUALIFIER
1st Rd: vs. Josh Dziewa, Iowa - W, 3-2 dec.
Qtrs: vs. #11 Jake Sueflohn, Nebraska (4th seed) - L, 6-10 dec.
Conso Rd. 2: vs. Dylan Marriott, Northwestern - WBF (0:16)
Conso Rd. 3: vs. #7 Eric Grajales, Michigan (1st seed) - W, 14-8 dec.
Sophomore Andrew Alton, the No. 5 seed, picked up an important 3-2 decision over Iowa's Josh Dziewa in the opening round, turning a first period takedown and a third period escape into the win. Alton then took on fourth-seed Jake Sueflohn of Nebraska in the quarters. Alton dropped a tough 10-6 decision to the 11th-ranked Husker and moved into consolation action, still alive for a top seven finish and a trip to NCAAs.
In consolation action, Alton took on Dylan Marriott of Northwestern and made short work of the Wildcat. Alton came out quickly, gained control of Marriott's shoulders and flipped him to his back for a pin in just 0:16. The fall moved Alton into the consolation third round against top-seed Eric Grajales of Michigan. Alton dominated the action from start to finish, using six takedowns to roll to a 14-8 win, punch his ticket to NCAAs and move into the conso semis.
157: #5 Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), So. - #3 seed - 25-4 overall - NCAA QUALIFIER
1st Rd: vs. Kalvin York, Wisconsin - W, 8-3 dec.
Qtrs: vs. Josh Demas, Ohio State (6th seed) - L, 1-6 dec. (TB2)
Conso Rd. 2: vs. Tommy Churchard, Purdue - WBF (1:03)
Conso Rd. 3: vs. Ryan Watts, Michigan State (7th seed) - W, 3-2 dec.
Conso Semis: Tomorrow
Sophomore All-American Dylan Alton breezed to an 8-3 decision over Wisconsin's Kalvin York in the first round, notching three first period takedowns to bolt out to an early lead. Alton then took on sixth-seed Josh Demas of Ohio State in the quarterfinals battled the buckeye through two sudden victory periods before dropping a 6-1 TB2 decision. Alton dropped to the consolation round, still working towards third place and a trip to NCAAs.
Alton met Purdue's Tommy Churchard in his first consolation bout. Like his brother Andrew a few minutes before, Dylan wasted little time in moving on in the bracket. He quickly took Churchard down, allowed the Boiler an escape and then caught his shoulders, turned him to his back and picked up a first period pin at the 1:03 mark. Alton moved on to battle Michigan State's Ryan Watts and earned a trip to NCAAs with a 3-2 win.
165: #2 David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), Jr. - #1 seed - 25-1 overall - NCAA QUALIFIER
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: vs. Mark Martin, Ohio State (9th seed) - W, 20-5 tech fall (TF; 5:45)
Semis: vs. #12 Nick Moore, Iowa (4th seed) - W, 15-0 tech fall (TF; 2:37)
Finals: Tomorrow
Defending NCAA Champion David Taylor opened up his quest for a third straight Big Ten title with a first round bye. He then took on ninth seed Mark Martin of Ohio State in the quarterfinals. Taylor was once again workmanlike, rolling up points at will on his way to a 20-5 technical fall at the 5:45 mark. The win moved him into the semis and sends him to Des Moines.
Taylor met fourth-seed Nick Moore of Iowa in the semifinals and dismantled the talented Hawkeye, rolling to a 15-0 tech fall in the first period. Taylor used a takedown and a series of turns to end the match at the 2:37 mark and become Penn State's first finalist of the day.
174: #7 Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) - #5 seed - 24-4 overall - NCAA QUALIFIER
1st Rd: vs. Cheney Dale, Indiana (12th-seed) - WBF (6:15)
Qtrs: vs. #6 Nick Heflin, Ohio State (4th-seed) - W, 7-1 dec.
Semis: vs. #11 Dan Yates, Michigan (8th seed) - W, 5-1 dec.
Finals: Tomorrow
Sophomore Matt Brown made his Big Ten tournament debut picking up big bonus points for Penn State by pinning Indiana's Cheney Dale at the 6:15 mark. Brown was nearing a tech fall in the third period when he got the fall with :45 left in the bout. He then faced fourth seed Nick Heflin of Ohio State in the quarterfinals. Brown was dominant in the match, setting the tempo throughout the bout, with the pressure paying off in the third when the Lion sophomore took the sixth-ranked Buckeye down and added three back points. Brown's 7-1 win moved him into the semifinals and punched his ticket to his first NCAA Championship.
In his semifinal match-up with Michigan's Dan Yates, Brown was dominant once again. The sophomore used takedowns in the second and third periods to roll to a 5-1 win and move into the finals tomorrow afternoon.
184: #1 Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), Jr. - #1 seed - 27-0 overall - NCAA QUALIFIER
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: vs. Cody Magrum, Ohio State (8th seed) - W, 18-3 tech fall (TF; 5:58)
Semis: vs. #14 Ethan Lofthouse, Iowa (5th seed) - W, 10-1 maj. dec.
Finals: Tomorrow
Defending NCAA 174-pound champion Ed Ruth, now up at 184, began his quest for a third straight Big Ten title with a bye as well. He then took on Ohio State's Cody Magrum, the eighth seed, in the quarterfinals. Ruth, like Taylor, was steady, rolling up points on his way to an 18-3 technical fall at the 5:58 mark. Ruth's win moved him into the semifinals and pushed him on to NCAAs as well.
Ruth then took on Iowa's Ethan Lofthouse in the semifinals and rolled his way to a 10-1 major over the Hawkeye. Ruth used three takedowns and a two-point turn to open up his lead and move into the finals tomorrow.
197: #2 Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), Sr. - #1 seed - 26-0 overall -- NCAA QUALIFIER
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: vs. Max Huntley, Michigan (8th seed) - WBF (1:20)
Semis: vs. #15 Andrew Campolattano, Ohio State (4th-seed) - W, 1-0 dec.
Three-time All-American Quentin Wright, looking for his second Big Ten crown, had a first round bye at 197. He then faced off against eighth-seed Max Huntley. He made short work of his Wolverine foe, using a shoulder throw to toss Huntley to his back and secure the first period pin at the 1:20 mark. The win pushed him into the semifinals and will send Wright to his fourth NCAA Championship.
Wright then faced Ohio State's Andrew Campolattano in the semifinals. In the semis, Wright used a second period escape to post a hard-fought 1-0 win and become Penn State's fourth finalist.
285: #12 Jimmy Lawson (Tom's River, N.J.) - #7 seed - 22-6 overall -- NCAA QUALIFIER
1st Rd: vs. Kosta Karageorge, Ohio State (10th seed) - W, 9-1 maj. dec.
Qtrs: vs. #8 Mike McMullan, Northwestern (2nd seed) - L, 4-6
Conso 2: vs. Spencer Johnson, Nebraska (9th seed) - W, 13-5 maj. dec.
Conso 3: vs. #15 Adam Chalfant, Indiana - L, 4-7 dec.
7th Place: Tomorrow
Sophomore Jimmy Lawson, the third member of the Nittany Lion line-up making his Big Ten Championships debut, picked up bonus points as well to round out a 5-0 first period for the Nittany Lions. Lawson posted a 9-1 major over Ohio State's Kosta Karageorge (with over 4:00 riding time). He then met second seed Mike McMullan of Northwestern in the quarterfinals. Lawson made a late comeback attempt but his flurry fell short in a 6-4 loss. The defeat dropped him into the consolation bracket, still alive for a top eight finish and a trip to NCAAs. Lawson then met Nebraska's Spencer Johnson in his first consolation bout. Lawson punched his ticket to the NCAA Championship and picked up key bonus points with a dominating 13-5 major over Johnson. The win was highlighted by a late five point move (takedown and three near-fall) that gave Lawson the major. The Lion sophomore then met sixth-seed Adam Chalfant of Indiana, who was ranked No. 15 nationally. Lawson dropped a 7-4 decision and moved into the seventh place bout.