Feb. 22, 2015
VIDEO: Highlights and Interviews from Senior Day
| 30 | 3 |
| Rec Hall | University Park, Pa. | 6,509 | |
University Park, Pa. - Nittany Lions Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.), Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) and Jimmy Lawson (Toms River, N.J.) each claimed victory in their final home appearances in Penn State's 30-3 win over Rider in Rec Hall. Penn State thrilled over 6,500 fans, its 26th straight home sell out, by winning nine of ten bouts over the visiting Broncs on Senior Day in this season dual finale for the Nittany Lions.
Frey, Brown and Lawson had to wait in the wings for their Rec Hall finales as the dual meet began at 125. Junior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 9, opened up the dual with a solid 8-4 win over Rider's J.R. Wert. Sophomore Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 5 at 133, then put Penn State up 6-0 with a strong 4-1 win over Rider junior Robert Deutsch. Rider senior Chuck Zeisloft posted a 3-2 win over Lion red-shirt freshman Kade Moss (South Jordan, Utah) at 141 to cut Penn State's lead to 6-3.
Sophomore Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 149, overcame a slow start with a four-point move in the last five seconds to grab a 6-3 win over Rider's B.J. Clagon. Frey, a junior in terms of eligibility but graduating this May, made his final Happy Valley appearance at 157. The Montoursville native rolled to a 10-4 win over Rider's Chad Walsh to give Penn State a 12-3 lead at intermission.
Red-shirt freshman Garett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.), ranked No. 18 at 165, turned a tight tie-breaker match with Conor Brennan into a 13-4 major with a final furious flurry. The dual's first bonus point win put Penn State up 16-3. With just one bout left in his Rec Hall career, two-time All-American Brown, ranked No. 2 at 174, put on a takedown exhibition, rolling to a 14-3 major over Rider's Ryan Wolfe (including 3:36 in riding time). Brown's win was the 111th of his career, putting him alone in 17th place on Penn State's all-time wins list. The victory put Penn State up 20-3 as well.
Red-shirt freshman Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 19 at 184, notched a hard-fought 6-4 win over Rider senior Clint Morrison and junior All-American Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 4 at 197, posted a 12-5 win over Bronc senior Donald McNeil. The victories put the Nittany Lions up 26-3. With one bout remaining in his Rec Hall career, seventh-ranked Lawson closed out the dual meet season with a dominating 12-4 major over Rider's Greg Velasco, giving Penn State the 30-3 win.
Penn State won the takedown ware 23-8 and picked up three majors in the win. The crowd of 6,509 was the 26th straight home sell-out for Penn State, including two sold out duals in the near 16K capacity Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State concludes its dual meet season with an 11-4 mark while Rider sits at 13-8.
Penn State now readies itself for the 2015 Big Ten Wrestling Championships on March 7-8. Head coach Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions will be riding a string of four straight Big Ten Championships into the two day event in Columbus, Ohio. Fans can call the Penn State ticket office at 1-800-NITTANY to purchase should they still be available. Penn State 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 2014-15 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
#6 Penn State 30, Rider 3
February 22, 2015 - Rec Hall - University Park, Pa.
125: #9 Jordan Conaway PSU dec. J.R. Wert RID, 8-4 / 3-0
133: #5 Jimmy Gulibon PSU dec. Robert Deutsch RID, 4-1 / 6-0
141: Chuck Zeisloft RID dec. Kade Moss PSU, 3-2 / 6-3
149: #14 Zack Beitz PSU dec. B.J. Clagon RID, 6-3 / 9-3
157: Luke Frey PSU dec. Chad Walsh RID, 10-4 / 12-3
165: #18 Garett Hammond PSU maj. dec. (TB1) Conor Brennan RID, 13-4 / 16-3
174: #2 Matt Brown PSU maj. dec. Ryan Wolfe RID, 14-3 / 20-3
184: #19 Matt McCutcheon PSU dec. Clint Morrison RID, 6-4 / 23-3
197: #4 Morgan McIntosh PSU dec. Donald McNeil RID, 12-5 / 26-3
285: #7 Jimmy Lawson PSU maj. dec. Greg Velasco RID, 12-4 / 30-3
Attendance: 6,509 (26th straight home sell-out)
Records: Penn State 11-4; Rider 13-8
Up Next for Penn State: at 2015 Big Ten Championships, March 7-8, Columbus, Ohio
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Nittany Lion junior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 125, took on Rider's J.R. Wert. Wert and Conaway each shot at the same time at the 1:15 mark and Wert converted the bout's first takedown to lead 2-1. Conway used an underhook to work his way to a 3-2 lead off a takedown with :20 left and then rode Wert out to take that lead into the second period. Wert chose down to start the second stanza and Conaway quickly turned him for two back points and a 5-2 lead. Conaway continued to dominate Wert from the top position, building up 2:00 in riding time while working for another turning combination. Wert able to stay parallel but Conaway's full ride out gave the Lion a 5-2 lead with 2:17 in riding time after two periods. Conaway chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 6-2 lead. Wert added one final takedown but Conaway rolled to an 8-4 win with 2:05 in riding time.
133: Sophomore Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked no. 5 at 133, met Bronc junior Robert Deutsch. The duo battled evenly for the opening two minutes until Deutsch took a low single that Gulibon countered into a scoring opportunity. The Lion sophomore worked to force Deutsch's shoulders to the mat but Deutsch was able to get to his feet and force a reset with :15 left in the opening period. Gulibon chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. He then turned a high single into a scramble in the middle of the mat and worked for a takedown for :30. But Deutsch was able to force a stalemate and action resumed in the middle of the mat with both wrestlers on their feet. Trailing by one, Deutsch chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Gulibon once again shot low on Deutsch's right leg and this time the Lion sophomore converted the move for a takedown and a 3-1 lead. Gulibon then controlled the Bronc for the remainder of the period and, with 1:30 in riding time after the ride out, posted the 4-1 victory.
141: Red-shirt freshman Kade Moss (South Jordan, Utah), took on Rider senior Chuck Zeisloft at 141. Zeisloft came out quick, looking to score on a low single off the whistle. But Moss pushed himself out of trouble and kept the bout scoreless after the early shot. Moss began working for control of Zeisloft's shoulders but the Bronc was able to work his way in on a single leg and force a scramble on the edge of the mat. Moss fought off the move for nearly a minute and forced a stalemate with :57 left in the period and the bout still scoreless. Moss chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. But Zeisloft continued to shoot low, working himself into a takedown and a 2-1 lead at the 1:15 mark. Moss quickly escaped to tie the bout at 2-2 and the clock moved below 1:00. Tied 2-2, Zeisloft chose down to start the third period. The Bronc escaped to a 3-2 lead with 1:48 left and action resumed in on the Nittany Lion logo. Moss worked for an opening but Zeisloft was able to counter each move and work the clock down below :40. Moss nearly turned the Bronc's shoulders to the mat with :12 left but Zeisloft was able to fight the move off. Zeisloft was able to escape with a 3-2 win.
149: Sophomore Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 149, met B.J. Clagon. Clagon scored quickly, turning an early shot into a takedown and a 2-0 lead. Beitz escaped right away and immediately turned into Clagon, looking for a go-ahead takedown. Beitz took multiple shots, forcing Clagon back off the mat, forcing the Bronc into a first stall warning at the :20 mark. Beitz chose down and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. He then turned in and connected on a single leg but a quick stalemate sent the wrestlers back to the center of the mat for a reset. Beitz continued to try and connect on low singles with Clagon's defense was equal to the task. Tied 2-2, Clagon chose down to start the third period. Beitz was able to break the Bronc down flat to the mat, working riding time up. Clagon managed an escape with :45 left and Beitz with just :55 in riding time, taking a 3-2 lead. With just :08 left, Beitz turned a low single into a takedown and added two near fall points to take a 6-3 lead as time expired. Rider challenged the call but the call was upheld and Beitz posted the 6-3 win.
157: Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.), a junior in terms of eligibility but graduating in May and wrestling in his final home event, met Rider's Chad Walsh at 157. Frey turned a scrambling shot at the 2:20 mark into a chance to score. He finished off the takedown at the 1:50 mark and then began trying to turn Walsh for back points in the middle of the mat. He turned Walsh on the Lion logo for three back points, and finished off the period on top. The quick flurry gave Frey a 5-0 lead with 1:55 in riding time after one period. Frey chose down to start the second period and steadily turned his way into the Bronc, gaining control of his feet and reversing him for a 7-0 lead. Frey quickly added two near fall points before Walsh escaped to lead 9-1. Walsh added a late takedown in the period and Frey led 9-3 with 1:13 in time after two. Walsh chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 9-4 score with 1:30 on the clock. Frey worked to connect on a single leg but Walsh was able to counter the move and nearly took the Lion down. But Frey fought off the effort and forced a reset with :41 on the clock. Frey, with 1:41 in riding time, rolled to the 10-4 win.
165: Red-shirt freshman Garett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.), ranked No. 18 at 165, met Rider junior Conor Brennan. The duo battled evenly for the first minute with Hammond forcing the Bronc back with low singles and Brennan backing away. After a third time backing away, Hammond was called for pushing out of bounds as Brennan backed off and the penalty point gave Brennan a 1-0 lead with :20 left. Leading 1-0, Brennan chose down to start the second period. Hammond was able to keep control of the Bronc for :30 before Brennan escaped to a 2-0 lead. Hammond worked his way into a low single and finished off the takedown to tie the score at 2-2 with 1:00 left in the period. A short ride out sent the bout into the third period tied 2-2. Hammond chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. Brennan was able to work his way to a reversal on the edge of the mat to take a 4-3 lead with 1:18 on the clock. Hammond quickly escaped off a reset and the bout was tied 4-4 as the clock hit 1:00. Hammond countered a Brennan shot and tried to work his way around for a winning takedown at the buzzer but action moved out of bounds and into a sudden victory period. Brennan nearly grabbed the win with a solid single leg but Hammond fought off the effort. Each man nearly scored in the last five seconds but time ran out and action moved into a tiebreaker. Hammond chose down for his tie-breaker, quickly escaped and then took Brennan down. He added three back points and carried a 10-4 lead into the next tie-breaker session. Brennan took injury time so Hammond got the choice again and took down to lead 11-4. He added one more takedown and turned a tie-breaker match into a 13-4 major.
174: Senior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 2 at 174, battled Rider's Ryan Wolfe in his Rec Hall swan song. Brown was relentless out of the gates, forcing Wolfe backwards for over 2:00 and taking a 1-0 lead off two stall calls. Brown then blew through a low double to take a 3-0 lead with a takedown at the :59 mark. Brown then rode Wolfe out to carry that lead into the second period. Brown chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. He then continued to dominate the action, taking Wolfe down for a 6-1 lead after cutting the Bronc loose at the :40 mark. Brown tacked on another quick takedown and cut him loose with :18 left and then blew through a high double with :10 on the clock to lead 10-2 with 1:50 in riding time after two periods. Wolfe chose down to start the third period and Brown's ride forced him into another stall, giving the Nittany Lion an 11-2 lead. Wolfe escaped only to have Brown take him down once again. Leading 13-3 with a clinched riding time point, Brown spent the final :30 in control and rode Wolfe out to a 14-3 major with 3:36 in riding time.
184: Red-shirt freshman Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 19 at 184, met Rider senior Clint Morrison. McCutcheon used a fast high double and two quick back points to take a 4-0 lead midway through the opening period. The Lion freshman dominated the action from the top position, building up over 1:00 in riding time while trying to turn Morrison for back points. Morrison was able to escape off a reset and cut McCutcheon's lead to 4-1. Leading 4-1 with 1:06 in riding time, McCutcheon chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. McCutcheon began pressing the Rider senior but could not work his way for a takedown and led by four after two periods. Morrison escaped to a 5-2 score with McCutcheon owning just :58 in riding time. Morrison cut the lead to 5-4 with a takedown in front of the scorer's table with 1:21 to wrestle. McCutcheon escaped to a 6-4 lead and Morrison began to pick up the pace. But McCutcheon worked his way into a high single, looking for another takedown as time ran out. Morrison was able to fight the move off but McCutcheon's efforts allowed him to hold on for the 6-4 win.
197: Junior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 4 at 197, battled veteran Bronc Donald McNeil. McIntosh bolted out to an early 2-0 lead with a high double to takedown. He then controlled McNeil for 1:17 before the Bronc escaped to a 2-1 score. McIntosh continued to press McNeil and notched his second takedown as the clock wound down in the period. McNeil was also hit for a late stall as McIntosh rode him out to lead 4-1 with 1:27 in riding time after one period. McNeil chose down to start the third period but McIntosh was too strong for the Bronc to work his way free. The Nittany Lion junior spent over a minute in control before cutting McNeil loose to a 4-2 score with :33 on the clock. McIntosh quickly blew through another him double to up his lead to 6-3. McIntosh added another takedown and picked a point on stalling to lead 9-3 after two. McIntosh chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 10-3 lead. McNeil posted his first takedown and took McIntosh to his back for just a second at the 1:00 mark but McIntosh rolled through the move to hold a 10-5 lead. McNeil was hit for stalling a third time and McIntosh, with 2:07 in riding time, posted the 12-5 win.
285: Senior Jimmy Lawson (Toms River, N.J.), ranked No .7 at 285, wrestled Rider's Greg Velasco in his final action in Rec Hall. Lawson scored quickly, taking Velasco down to a 2-1 lead in the opening :30. The Lion senior then locked Velasco's shoulders up and forced the Bronc to the mat for a quick 4-2 lead with 1:47 on the clock. Lawson used a quick trip for a takedown and a 6-2 lead as the period ended. Trailing by four, Velasco chose down to start the second stanza. Lawson broke Velasco down, building up a sizeable riding time edge while trying to turn the Bronc to his back. Velasco was able to stay parallel but Lawson's strong ride gave the Lion senior a 6-2 lead with 2:57 in riding time after two periods. Lawson chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. He added another takedown and led 9-2 with 1:30 on the clock. Lawson cut Velasco loose with 1:00 on the clock with a clinched riding time point. He bulled his way through another takedown, cut him loose to an 11-4 score and, with 3:44 in riding time, posted the 12-4 major decision.