April 14, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson, were honored at the Penn State Wrestling Club's annual season-ending banquet. A number of team awards were handed out the event, held at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.
Three-time All-American and two-time NCAA Champion Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) was honored with the William N. Neidig Award as Outstanding Wrestler. He also claimed the Joe Scalzo Award for most team points. Ruth won his second NCAA title in complete and dominating fashion, closing out yet another undefeated season with a 12-4 major over Lehigh's Robert Hamlin in the 184-pound title bout at the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The win gave Ruth a perfect 33-0 record to end the season and he heads into his senior year riding a 68-match win streak dating back to 2011. The three-time All-American has now won two straight NCAA titles and has a 102-2 career record. Ruth is fourth on Penn State's all-time pins list with 35.
Senior Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), four-time All-American and two-time NCAA Champion, was presented the Leadership Award by the coaching staff. Wright capped off a stellar collegiate career by blazing through an undefeated 32-0 season, culminating in an 8-6 win over top-seeded Dustin Kilgore of Kent State in the 197-pound title bout at the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The victory clinched the team title for the Lions and earned the four-time All-American his second national title (he won the 184-pound crown in 2011 and was runner-up last year). Wright finishes an undefeated season with a 32-0 mark, giving him a final career record of 116-23. Wright is tied for 10th on Penn State's all-time wins list with former four-time All-American and national champion Phil Davis. He leaves Penn State as its sixth four-time All-American (1st in '13, 2nd in '12, 1st in '11 and 6th in '09).
Three-time All-American and '12 NCAA Champion David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) took home a total of four awards at the event. Taylor claimed the Charles M. Speidel Award for most takedowns, the Bill Koll Award for most pins and the Most Bonus Points Scored Award. He also garnered one of five team Academic Excellence Awards, his four the `Fourth Year Wrestler', having a class-best 3.55 GPA. Taylor was the 2013 NCAA National Runner-Up at 165, making the trip to the national finals for the third straight year. Taylor dropped a tough 5-4 decision on 1:13 riding time to Cornell's Kyle Dake in the final match of the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Taylor ended an outstanding junior year with a 30-2 record after a 4-1 tournament run. A three-time All-American and last year's 165-pound champ, Taylor is also a two-time NCAA finalist. He heads into his senior season with a stellar 100-3 career record and is tied for second with Quentin Wright on Penn State's all-time pins list with 37.
All-American and National Runner-Up Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) grabbed two awards. Brown was presented with the Commitment Award and took home the `Third Year Wrestler' Academic Excellence Award with a 3.97 GPA. He rolled to the NCAA finals in his first trip to nationals, ending his 2012-13 campaign as the 2013 National Runner-Up and an All-American at 174. Brown, who was the No. 2 seed, took top-seeded Chris Perry of Oklahoma State into extra time before dropping a heart-stopping 2-1 tie-breaker decision. Brown ends his first NCAA tournament as the 2013 National Runner-Up at 174 with 29-5 record after a 4-1 tournament run. He heads into his junior year with a superb 56-7 career record.
Two-time All-American and National Runner-Up Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) was honored with the `Second Year Wrestler' Academic Excellence Award. Megaludis is now a two-time NCAA National Finalist, advancing to the championship bout at 125 for the second straight year at the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Megaludis, who also was a finalist as a true freshman and is now a two-time All-American, was even-up with Illinois' Jesse Delgado late into the bout when Delgado countered a Megaludis scoring attempt and posted a hard-fought 7-4 win. Finishing as National Runner-Up, Megaludis posted a 28-4 record this year after a 4-1 tournament and heads into his junior year with a 56-12 career record.
Red-shirt freshman Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.) won the Kaye Vinson Award for Most Improved Wrestler. Conaway scored major points for Penn State in its 2013 team championship run, finishing just one win shy of All-America laurels, bowing out in the `round of 12'. Conaway, a red-shirt freshman at 133, posted a 3-2 with a pin and ended his freshman year with a 19-10 record.
Senior James English (York, Pa.), who has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA and could return in 2013-14, took home a pair of awards as well. English grabbed the Community Service Award as well as the `Fifth Year Wrestler' Academic Excellence honor with a 3.44 GPA. English ended an outstanding 2012-13 season with a 14-4 record, including a 3-2 dual meet mark and a Runner-Up finish at 149 in the 2013 Southern Scuffle, helping drive Penn State to the title. He sports a 44-15 career mark.
True freshman Caleb Livingston (Drexel Hill, Pa.) was the final Academic Excellence winner, taking home the `First Year Wrestler' honor with a 3.91 GPA. Livingston red-shirted this year. The final award went to senior manager Taylor Durci (North Huntingdon, Pa.), who was honored with the Carl A. Winterburn Award for a senior manager. Durci is a psychology major at Penn State.
Penn State is on a run of three straight NCAA titles and three straight Big Ten Championships. 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 was presented by The Family Clothesline.