Dec. 15, 2013
VIDEO: Zain Retherford Downs No. 1 Logan Stieber; Post-Match Press Conference
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - True freshman Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.) sparked Penn State with an upset victory over No.1 Logan Stieber at 141 to lead the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team to a 31-6 win over No. 6 Ohio State in Rec Hall on Sunday. An SRO sell-out crowd of over 6,300 watched as head coach Cael Sanderson's team dominated the Buckeyes on the Big Ten Network.
Junior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 125, got Penn State off to a hot start, dominating No. 19 Nick Roberts to the tune of a 21-4 technical fall at the 6:54 mark. Red-shirt freshman Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 15 at 133, nearly pulled off the upset at 133 but dropped a 3-2 decision to No. 6 Johnni DeJulius on 1:19 in riding time.
That's when true freshman Retherford, who was ranked No. 8 at 141, down previously unbeaten and top-ranked Stieber in sudden victory. Retherford used a second period ride out to build up a riding time edge that sent the bout into extra time and a takedown in the sudden victory period to send the Rec Hall faithful through the roof and put Penn State up 8-3. Retherford's win keeps the young Lion unbeaten on the year with a perfect 11-0 mark.
At 149, red-shirt freshman Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.) posted the most impressive win of his young Lion career, downing No. 19 Ian Paddock 5-3 to put the Lions up 11-3. Senior James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) closed out the first half with an 11-5 decision over Buckeye Randy Languis to send Penn State into the halftime break with a 14-3 lead.
Senior David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 1 at 165, got Penn State started after the halftime break by dominating 20-5 technical fall at the 7:00 mark over Ohio State's Joe Grandominico. Taylor rolled up 5:37 in riding time in the victory. Taylor remained unbeaten on the year, moving to 11-0. Junior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 3 at 174, majored Mark Martin 16-4 with 3:39 in time to put the Lions up 23-3. Brown stayed undefeated with the win, moving to 11-0.
Senior Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 184, returned to action for Penn State with a resounding 14-3 major over No. 12 Kenny Courts of Ohio State. Ruth built up 5:09 in riding time, marking the second Lion (joining Taylor) to amass over 5:00 in time. At 197, Lion sophomore Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 3 nationally, was held out as a precaution and red-shirt freshman Wes Phipps (Grove City, Pa.) moved up from 184 to take on No. 5 Nick Heflin. Phipps nearly pulled off the upset but the ranked Buckeye countered a Phipps shot late in the final period for a 3-1 win. Junior Jimmy Lawson (Tom's River, N.J.), ranked No. 12 at 285, closed out the dual a dominating 15-4 major of his own, with over 3:00 in riding time as well.
Penn State improves to 6-0, 1-0 in the Big Ten with the win while Ohio State falls to 4-1, 0-1 in conference action. Sanderson's Lions dominated the dual from start to finish, posting a 34-3 margin in takedowns and tallying up two tech falls and three majors.
Taylor and Ruth continue to climb the Penn State career charts. Taylor is now 111-3 with 44 pins, 16th all-time at Penn State. 104 of his 111 wins is with bonus points as well. He now has 52 dual meet wins, tied for 11th all-time at Penn State. Ruth moves to 113-2 overall, alone in 14th on Penn State's all-time victories list.
The sell-out crowd of 6,380 is Penn State's 14th-straight home sellout, including last weekend's record-setter in the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State was without the services of No. 7 Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) at 149 and No. 5 Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) at 157. The twins are slated for a late December return after off-season surgeries.
The Lions will trek to Iowa City, Iowa, next weekend for a non-conference dual in Carver-Hawkeye Arena against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The dual is set for Saturday, Dec. 21, at 9 p.m. Eastern (8 p.m. Central) and will air live on the Big Ten Network. Penn State's next home dual is set for Sunday, Jan. 12, when the Lions welcome Purdue to Rec Hall for a 2 p.m. showdown.
With the full season of Rec Hall duals sold out prior to the start of the campaign, a very limited number of standing room only tickets are available to a few of the remaining Rec Hall duals. People may purchase tickets by calling 1-800-NITTANY or by visiting the Penn State Athletics ticket office located in the BJC. 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 2013-14 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
#2 Penn State 31, #6 Ohio State 6
December 15, 2013 - Rec Hall -- University Park, Pa.
125: #3 Nico Megaludis PSU tech fall #19 Nick Roberts OSU, 21-4 (TF; 6:54) / 5-0
133: #6 Johnni DeJulius OSU dec. #15 Jimmy Gulibon PSU, 3-2 / 5-3
141: #8 Zain Retherford PSU dec. (sv) #1 Logan Stieber OSU, 4-2 (sv) / 8-3
149: Zack Beitz PSU dec. #19 Ian Paddock OSU, 5-3 / 11-3
157: James Vollrath PSU dec. Randy Languis OSU, 11-5 / 14-3
165: #1 David Taylor PSU tech fall Joe Grandominico OSU, 20-5 (TF; 7:00) / 19-3
174: #3 Matt Brown PSU maj. dec. Mark Martin OSU, 16-4 / 23-3
184: #1 Ed Ruth PSU maj. dec. #12 Kenny Courts OSU, 14-3 / 27-3
197: #5 Nick Heflin OSU dec. Wes Phipps PSU, 3-1 / 27-6
285: #12 Jimmy Lawson PSU maj. dec. Nick Tavanello OSU, 15-4 / 31-6
Attendance: 6,380 (14th-straight home sell-out for Penn State)
Records: Penn State 6-0, 1-0 B1G; Ohio State 4-1, 0-1 B1G)
Up Next for Penn State: Saturday, Dec. 21 at Iowa (non-conference dual), 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Two-time All-American Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 125, took on Ohio State freshman Nick Roberts, who entered the dual ranked No. 19 with an 18-4 record. Megaludis shot low at the 1:47 mark and took a quick 2-1 lead just over a minute in. The dual then reset in the center circle and Megaludis continued to force Roberts to the edge of the mat. Megaludis forced Roberts into a stall warning and then used a low single to up his lead to 4-1 at the :35 mark. The Lion junior then controlled the action from the top for the remainder of the period and led 4-1 with :50 in time after one. Megaludis chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. He then controlled Roberts' shoulders, forced his head to the mat and took him down again for a 7-1 lead with 1:15 on the clock. He then picked up a stall point and turned Roberts for three back points to lead 11-1 with 1:56 in time heading into the third. Roberts chose down to start the third and Megaludis allowed the Buckeye to escape to an 11-2 score. Looking for bonus points, Megaludis quickly used a low single for another takedown and led 13-3 with 1:12 left. Megaludis added another takedown and picked up one more stall point before a final takedown and three more back points for a resounding 21-4 tech fall at the 6:54 mark, putting Penn State up 5-0 early.
133: Red-shirt freshman Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 15 at 133, took on No. 6 Johnni DeJulius in a key match-up in the lighter weights. The nationally ranked duo battled evenly for nearly two minutes, with Gulibon working the shoulders and DeJulius taking shots low on Gulibon's legs. Gulibon shot low at the :50 mark, snagged DeJulius' ankle, and notched the first takedown to lead 2-1 at the :30 mark. The Lion freshman fought off a DeJulius throw attempt late and led 2-1 after one. Gulibon chose down to start the second period and nearly worked his way to a reversal. But DeJulius was able to maintain control and a reset was called with 1:22 on the clock. DeJulius was able to continue to control the action for the rest of the period and with the ride out still trailed by one, but had 1:46 in time to his side. DeJulius chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 2-2 tie with 1:19 in time to his advantage. The duo battled evenly for over a minute and the clock worked its way to :40 left. Gulibon was not able to break through DeJulius' defense as the Buckeye backed off the mat for the final seconds and escaped with a 3-2 win on 1:19 riding time.
141: True freshman Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 8 at 141, met defending NCAA Champion 133-pound champion and top-ranked Logan Stieber in one of the dual's most anticipated match-ups. Stieber scored early, using a high single to work his way to a takedown and a 2-1 lead :40 into the bout. The defending NCAA champion then controlled the action from the top, building up :53 in time before Retherford escaped to a 2-1 score. Retherford then got in on Stieber's left ankle, working for a takedown on the edge of the mat. But Stieber was able to work his way out of bounds and held the one point lead. Retherford got called for stalling with :40 on the clock and action returned to the center circle. He fought off a late Stieber shot and trailed by one after one period. Stieber chose down to start the second period and Retherford was able to break the Buckeye down in the middle of the mat. Retherford maintained control of Stieber long enough to kill any riding time edge first, and then forced Stieber into a stall warning. Retherford maintained control of the Buckeye until a reset was called with :19 on the clock. He then continued his ride out after the reset and trailed by one with 1:07 in time to his edge after two. Retherford chose neutral to start the third period and quickly got in on Stieber's left ankle. The Buckeye countered forced a scramble on the edge of the mat. A stalemate was called with :57 left and action resumed in the center circle. Stieber shot low, but Retherford fought off the shot and with :30 left the Lion still trailed by one. Retherford's riding time sent the bout to sudden victory. Retherford shot quickly and gained control of Stieber's ankle again. With just under :30 left, Retherford sealed the deal with the taking, stunning the top-ranked Stieber 4-2 in sudden victory.
149: Red-shirt freshman Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.) took on Ohio State's Ian Paddock, who was ranked No. 19 at 149. The duo battled evenly for over two minutes with Beitz forcing the issue early but Paddock's defense maintaining a 0-0 tie. Beitz gained control of Paddock's leg with :28 on the clock but the Buckeye was able to slip out of bounds and keep the bout scoreless after one period. Paddock chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Beitz drew first blood, countering a Paddock shot for a takedown and a 2-1 lead. But the ranked Buckeye was able to reverse the Lion freshman and retook the lead, 3-2. With just :20 left, Beitz countered with his own reversal and rode Paddock out to lead 4-3 after two. Beitz chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 5-3 lead. With riding time not a factor, Beitz continued to pressure the Buckeye, forcing him back on his heals while looking for a chance to add to his lead. With :30 left, Paddock opened up offensively but Beitz was able to keep the Buckeye at arms' length and walked away with a 5-3 win.
157: Senior James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) battled Buckeye Randy Languis at 157. Vollrath wasted no time opening up a lead, taking Languis down quickly to open up an early 2-1 edge. The Lion senior then took Languis down again to lead 4-2 midway through the period. After forcing the Buckeye into a stall warning, Vollrath blew through a high double, forcing a scramble in the middle of the mat. But this time, Languis was able to force a stalemate and action resumed with :50 left. Leading by two, Vollrath chose down to start the second period. The Lion senior escaped to a 5-2 lead and began pressuring Languis with 1:00 on the clock. Neither man broke through over the final minute and Vollrath led 5-2 heading into the third. Languis chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 5-3 score, but Vollrath's constant pressure led to another takedown and a 7-3 lead for the Nittany Lion. Vollrath cut Languis loose and began working for another takedown. Languis was able to keep Vollrath from scoring again until the :28 mark when the Lion used a solid high double to notch another takedown. He cut Languis loose, looking for another takedown and picked one up to post the 11-5 win. The decision gave Penn State a 14-3 lead at intermission.
165: Three-time All-American David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 1 at 165, met Ohio State's Joe Grandominico. Taylor scored just seconds out of the gates, gaining control of Grandominico's ankle and opening up the quick lead. Taylor worked for a turning combination but eventually cut the Buckeye loose to a 2-1 score. Another swift ankle pick led to another takedown and a 4-1 lead with 1:30 on the clock. Taylor's pressure on top finally led to a cradle and two near fall points. Leading 6-1 with :30, Taylor added another three point turn to lead 9-1 after the opening period. Grandominico chose down to start the second period and was cut loose by Taylor after :30. Leading 9-2 with over 3:00 in riding time, Taylor countered a Grandominico shot for an 11-2 lead and, with the ride-out, led 11-2 with over 4:00 in time after two. With the riding time point clinched, Taylor chose neutral and quickly took the Buckeye down again, upping his edge to 13-2. Taylor cut Grandominico loose and took him down once more to lead 15-4 after another cut. Taylor added one more takedown to lead 17-5 lead after another cut and with :12 left, iced the technical fall with another takedown. With 5:37 in riding time, Taylor posted the 20-5 TF at the 7:00 mark and put Penn State up 19-3.
174: All-American Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 3 at 174, took on Ohio State's Mark Martin. Brown came out of the gates hot, taking a quick shot and scrambling to a 2-0 lead with a takedown. Brown then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Martin until an escaped at the :50 mark. Leading 2-1, Brown chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. The Lion junior then reset himself, moved forward on offense and continued to set the temp. Brown shot low with :55 on the clock and notched his second takedown to lead 5-2 after cutting Martin loose. Looking for another takedown in the period, Brown worked his way behind the Buckeye and upped his lead to 7-2 with :20 left. Brown picked up another point on a Martin stall and led 8-2 with 2:00 in time after two. Martin chose down to start the third period and Brown forced him into another stall to lead 9-2. With the riding time point clinched, Brown cut the Buckeye loose and quickly took him down again to lead 11-3 with 1:00 left to wrestle. The Lion then turned the Buckeye for two back points, cut him loose and began working for more points. Brown would add one more takedown and, with 3:39 of time, post the 16-4 major.
184: Three-time All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 184, returned to action for Penn State against fellow Harrisburg native Kenny Courts, who was ranked No. 12. Courts came out quickly, taking Ruth down for an early 2-0 lead. But the Lion junior worked himself to a reversal and tied the bout at 2-2 with 2:20 on the clock. Ruth spent the next minute looking to turn Courts but the Buckeye was able to keep the Lion from turning him. Ruth forced Courts into a stall warning and then picked up two back points to lead 4-2 with :20 on the clock. A short ride out later and Ruth led 4-2 with 2:01 in riding time after one period. Ruth chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead. He then scrambled his way to another takedown and led 7-2 with 1:31 on the clock. Ruth maintained control of Courts well over a minute into the period and built up over 3:00 in riding time with another ride-out. Courts was hit with stalling between periods to put Ruth up 8-2 and the Lion quickly took Courts down for a 10-3 lead after cutting him loose. Ruth's pressure led to another takedown. Courts got hit for another stall because of untied shoes and Ruth's lead ballooned to 13-3 with :50 left on the clock. Ruth continued to control the action, keeping Courts down for the rest of the period on his way to a 14-3 major with 5:09 in riding time.
197: Sophomore Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 3 at 197, was held out as a precaution. With that, red-shirt freshman Wes Phipps (Grove City, Pa.) moved up from 184 and met Ohio State's Nick Heflin, ranked No. 5. Phipps, giving up over 10 pounds, was the aggressor early. The Lion freshman shot continuously early on, forcing the ranked Buckeye back towards the edge of the mat for over two minutes. The Lion battled Heflin to a scoreless 0-0 tie after one period. Heflin chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. The duo battled evenly for the period with Phipps once again the aggressor. Trailing by one, Phipps chose down to start the third stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Phipps continued to shoot, forcing Heflin back on his heels. The Buckeye countered a Phipps shot with :30 left and took a 3-1 lead. Phipps scrambled for a reversal late, but the Buckeye was able to maintain control and kill the clock, escaping with a hard fought 3-1 decision over the Lion freshman.
285: Junior Jimmy Lawson (Tom's River, N.J.), ranked No. 12 at 285, battled Buckeye Nick Tavanello in the dual's final bout. Lawson countered an early Tavanello shot, worked his way around for a takedown and nearly got an early pin. The Buckeye was able to fight off his back but the quick five point move gave Lawson a 5-0 lead with 1:50 on the clock. The Lion junior then put together a strong ride, working Tavanello for nearly two minutes with the ride out. Lawson chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped. He then rolled through another takedown to ups his margin to 8-0 with over 3:00 in time. Tavanello escaped to an 8-1 Lawson lead with :50 left on the clock. Trailing 8-1, Tavanello chose down to start the third period and Lawson cut him loose immediately. Lawson answered with a nifty trip-to-takedown to lead 10-3 after another cut and, with the riding time point clinched, the junior began working for bonus points. The aggressor throughout, Lawson notched a nice takedown on the edge of the mat and added another late takedown to post the 15-4 major with 3:31 in riding time