Feb. 8, 2015
VIDEO: Highlights & Post-Match Interviews
| 12 | 18 |
| Bryce Jordan Center | University Park, Pa. | 15,967 (25th straight home sell-out) | |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - In front of nearly 16,000 frenzied collegiate wrestling fans, No. 5 Penn State nearly upset No. 1 Iowa on Sunday in the Bryce Jordan Center. In an epic setting in front of the second largest dual meet crowd in NCAA history, Penn State came up just short to the top-ranked Hawkeyes, winning four of ten bouts and dropping the dual by an 18-12 score.
The dual meet featured 17 ranked wrestlers and began at 125. Nittany Lion junior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 8, mounted a furious third period comeback to overcome an early deficit. But No. 5 Thomas Gilman used a riding time point to notch a thrilling 6-5 decision to give Iowa an early lead. Sophomore Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 7 at 133, sent nearly 16,000 fans to their feet with a late four-point move (takedown and two near fall points) to down No. 3 Cory Clark 8-5 to tie the dual.
At 141, Penn State red-shirt freshman Kade Moss (South Jordan, Utah) dropped a hard-fought 9-4 decision to No. 6 Josh Dziewa as Iowa retook the lead 6-3. Sophomore Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.), ranked No. 18 at 149, nearly notched a last second, dual tying takedown against No. 2 Brandon Sorensen, but the Hawkeye fought off the move and grabbed a tough 6-4 win. At 157, junior Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.) nearly stunned No. 15 Michael Kelley before dropping a 7-4 decision and Iowa led 12-3 at the break.
Nittany Lion red-shirt freshman Garett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.) made at 165 with a thrilling 4-2 win over No. 7 Nick Moore. Hammond broke a 2-2 tie with a low single, lift and takedown with just :06 on the clock to pull Penn State to within six, 12-6. In one of the dual's most anticipated match-ups, Lion All-American Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) met Iowa All-American Mike Evans with the duo ranked No. 2 and No. 3 respectively at 174. Brown set the tempo throughout the seven minutes and, while not posting a takedown, used a second period escape and a third period ride-out to post the 2-0 win and cut Iowa's lead to 12-9.
Penn State red-shirt freshman Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 17 at 184, dropped a 7-1 decision to No. 8 Sammy Brooks as Iowa took a 15-9 lead. Nittany Lion All-American Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 4 at 197, dominated No. 6 Nathan Burak, using a two point near fall in the second period to roll to a 7-1 win and cut the Iowa lead to 15-12.
At 285, Nittany Lion senior Jimmy Lawson (Toms River, N.J.), ranked No. 6, took on No. 2 Bobby Telford with the dual meet in the balance. Telford used an escape, a stall point and a riding time point to post the 3-0 win, keep the Lions from tying the dual and giving the Hawkeyes the 18-12 victory.
In one of the tightest duals of the year for Penn State, neither team notched a bonus point win and the takedown battle was a dead-even 8-8 tie. The crowd of 15,967 is the 25th straight home sell-out for Penn State including two duals in the Bryce Jordan Center. The total is the second highest in NCAA history, just 29 shy of the national record of 15,996, set last year in this same building when Penn State defeated Pittsburgh on Dec. 8. The attendance at today's dual and last year's Pitt dual are the two largest crowds ever for an athletic event in the BJC and are the two largest crowds at any athletic event in Penn State history not held in Beaver Stadium. Penn State is now 10-3, 6-3 in the Big Ten. Iowa is 13-0, 8-0.
Penn State will trek to Stillwater, Okla., for a dual meet against No. 9 Oklahoma State on Sunday, Feb. 15. Action is set for 3 p.m. Eastern (2 p.m. local). A limited number of standing room only tickets are still available for Penn State's home finale against Rider on Feb. 22 in Rec Hall. Fans can call the Penn State ticket office at 1-800-NITTANY to purchase. 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.
#5 Penn State 18, #1 Iowa 12
February 8, 2015 - Bryce Jordan Center - University Park, Pa.
125: #5 Thomas Gilman IOWA dec. #8 Jordan Conaway PSU, 6-5 / 0-3
133: #7 Jimmy Gulibon PSU dec. #3 Cory Clark IOWA, 8-5 / 3-3
141: #6 Josh Dziewa IOWA dec. Kade Moss PSU, 9-4 / 3-6
149: #2 Brandon Sorensen IOWA dec. #18 Zack Beitz PSU, 6-4 / 3-9
157: #15 Michael Kelly IOWA dec. Luke Frey PSU, 7-4 / 3-12
165: Garett Hammond PSU dec. #7 Nick Moore IOWA, 4-2 / 6-12
174: #3 Matt Brown PSU dec. #2 Mike Evans IOWA, 2-0 / 9-12
184: #8 Sammy Brooks dec. #17 Matt McCutcheon PSU, 7-1 / 9-15
197: #4 Morgan McIntosh PSU dec. #6 Nathan Burak IOWA, 7-1 / 12-15
285: #2 Bobby Telford IOWA dec. #6 Jimmy Lawson PSU, 3-0 / 12-18
Attendance: 15,967 (25th straight home sell-out)
Records: Penn State 10-3, 6-3 B1G; Iowa 13-0, 8-0 B1G
Up Next for Penn State: at Oklahoma State, Sunday, Feb. 15, 3 p.m. (Eastern)
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Nittany Lion junior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 8 at 125, met No. 5 Thomas Gilman. The duo battled evenly for the opening minute before Gilman gained control of Conaway's shoulders, worked his way behind the Lion for a takedown and an early 2-0 lead. Gilman controlled the action from the top for the remainder of the opening period to carry that lead and 2:05 in riding time into the second stanza. Gilman chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Gilman tried to work shoulder control into another takedown at the :40 mark but Conaway was able to fight off the move. Trailing 3-0, Conaway chose down to start the third period. Gilman was hit for a first stall warning just eight seconds into the period and Conaway then escaped to a 3-1 score with 1:40 on the clock. The Nittany Lion then shot low and notched his first takedown to briefly tie the score. With Gilman owning a riding time edge, Conaway cut the Hawkeye loose and then quickly got in on a single leg and finished off the takedown. He cut Gilman loose and nearly notched another takedown to take the lead but action moved out of bounds. Gilman was able to fight off Conaway's furious efforts and 2:01 in riding time gave the Hawkeye a 6-5 win.
133: Penn State sophomore Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 7 at 133, took on No. 3 Cory Clark. The duo battle evenly for over a minute before Clark used a low single to take an early 2-0 lead. Gulibon quickly escaped to a 2-1 score but Clark worked his way in to another low single. Gulibon managed to force a stalemate and action resumed on the Nittany Lion logo with :30 on the clock. Leading by one, Clark chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Gulibon worked for control from his feet. He nearly connected on a single leg at the :45 mark but Clark was able to fight off the effort and force a stalemate. Gulibon shook Clark down to the mat and completed a takedown with just :10 on the clock to tie the bout at 3-3 heading into the third period. Gulibon chose down to start the third period. Clark was able to control the action from the top long enough to build up a riding time edge and work the period down to the 1:00 mark. Gulibon was hit for a second and third caution to give Clark a 4-3 lead during a reset. The Lion quickly escaped to a 4-4 tie but Clark had riding time. With time running out, Gulibon gained control of Clark's leg, adjusted his hold as the clock moved under ten seconds and threw Clark to his back for a takedown and two near fall points. The late move gave the Nittany Lion sophomore an 8-5 win as Clark had the riding time edge.
141: Red-shirt freshman Kade Moss (South Jordan, Utah) took to the mat against No. 6 Josh Dziewa at 141. Dziewa drew first blood with a quick takedown but Moss was undaunted, quickly reversing the Hawkeye to tie the bout at 2-2. Dziewa escaped shortly after and led 3-2 at the 2:00 mark with action resuming in the center circle. Moss shot in on a single leg, looking to take the lead, but Dziewa countered for his own takedown and led 5-2 with 1:03 on the clock. Dziewa then rode Moss out for the remainder of the period and led 5-2 with 1:02 in riding time after one. Dziewa chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 6-2 lead. The Hawkeye then got in on a single leg and finished off the move to lead 8-3 after a quick Moss escape. Down 8-3, Moss chose defense to begin the third period. Dziewa controlled the action long enough to build up a 1:37 riding time edge before Moss escaped to an 8-4 deficit. Moss was not able to break through Dwieza's late defense and the Hawkeye posted the 9-4 win.
149: Nittany Lion sophomore Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.), ranked No. 18 at 149, met No. 2 Brandon Sorensen. Beitz opened up an early lead, turning a low single into a takedown and a 2-1 lead after a quick Sorensen escape. Sorensen took the lead with a quick takedown in front to the Iowa bench, moving ahead 3-2 with 1:05 on the clock. Beitz quickly escaped to a 3-3 tie and action resumed in the center of the mat. Sorensen notched a late takedown to lead 5-3 after the first period. Beitz chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-4 score. Sorensen gained control of the Lion's ankle once again on the edge of the mat but Beitz was able to work his way to a reset with 1:00 left in the middle stanza. Sorensen carried that lead into the third period, chose down to start the third, and escaped to a 6-4 lead. After a reset at the 1:19 mark, Beitz began upping the tempo, looking for a chance to tie the bout with a takedown. But Sorensen was able to kill the clock from his feet, working the clock down below :10. The Lion nearly connected on a low double leg but the call was not made and Sorensen walked away with a hard-fought 6-4 win.
157: Junior Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.) battled No. 14 Michael Kelly at 157. Frey was the early aggressor, taking multiple shots in the first minute. Kelly tried to score on a low single midway through the period, but Frey deftly countered the move and worked his way into control and a 2-0 lead with a takedown. Frey controlled the action for over a minute in a mad scramble in the center of the mat. A reset was called on a potentially dangerous hold with Frey in control at the :28 mark. Kelly was able to counter as the period ended and the bout moved to the second period tied 2-2 (Frey had :58 in riding time). Kelly chose down to start the second period and notched another reversal to take a 4-2 lead. Frey was not able to break free of Kelly's ride and trialed 4-2 after two. Frey chose down to start the third period and quickly reversed the Hawkeye to tie the bout at 4-4. Kelly notched his third reversal of the match, however, and retook a 6-4 lead with 1:10 left to wrestle. Kelly built up over a minute's riding time with control up top and then maintained position for the ride out. 1:26 in riding time gave the Hawkeye a 7-4 win.
165: Penn State red-shirt freshman Garett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.) met No. 7 Nick Moore at 165. Hammond and Moore fought through a scoreless couple of minutes with Hammond shooting low and Moore stepping out of trouble to keep the bout tied at zeroes. Tied at 0-0, Moore chose down to start the second period. Hammond maintained control of the Hawkeye for :30 before Moore reversed him to lead 2-0 at the 1:15 mark. Hammond quickly escaped and the dual moved to the middle of the mat with Moore up 2-1. The battle for position continued in the center for the rest of the period and Hammond trailed by one after two. Hammond chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Moore worked to connect on a single leg and Hammond fought the move off the keep the bout tied with :50 on the clock. Hammond connected on a high single with :20 left, lifted the Hawkeye into the air and notched the winning takedown by taking him to the mat with just :06 on the clock. The late score gave Hammond the 4-2 win.
174: Two-time All-American Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 3 at 174, faced off once again Iowa senior Mike Evans, ranked No. 2. It was the seventh meeting between the two with their individual series tied at three wins a piece. Brown was relentless out of the gates, forcing Evans to the outside circle for the first half of the opening period. After a reset with 1:38 on the clock, Brown resumed forcing Evans backwards, looking for an opening and shifting out of the way of a quick Evans counter. Tied 0-0 after one, Brown chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Brown continued to chase Evans, looking for an opening to work his offense. But the Hawkeye was able to keep the Nittany Lion at arm's length, fighting off a sold low single, for the remainder of the period. Trailing by one, Evans chose down to start the third stanza. Brown was able to control the Hawkeye from the top position, working his head to the mat for over a minute to build up a riding time edge. With :45 on the clock, Brown looked to maintain his top position and kept control of him for the rest of the period. Brown's ride-out, and 1:52 riding time, gave the Lion a 2-0 win.
184: Red-shirt freshman Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 17 at 184, took on No. 8 Sammy Brooks. McCutcheon and Brooks battled evenly for the opening minute-plus with neither man breaking through for an early takedown. Brooks took a low shot with 1:00 on the clock and McCutcheon tried to counter the effort. Action moved out of bounds before either man scored and a reset was called with :40 left in the period. Tied 0-0 after one period, Brooks chose down to start the second and escaped to a 1-0 lead :16 in. McCutcheon shot low on the Hawkeye but Brooks was able to counter, work his way into a takedown and take a 3-0 lead with 1:10 left in the middle stanza. McCutcheon quickly escaped to a 3-1 score and action resumed with both men on their feet. Trailing by two, McCutcheon chose down to start the third period but Brooks was able to control the action from the top position. Brooks then turned McCutcheon of three back points to take a 6-1 lead with a clinched riding time point. A short ride out and 2:08 in riding time gave Brooks a 7-1 win.
197: Junior All-American Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 4 at 197, met No. 6 Nathan Burak. The highly ranked duo battled evenly for over two minutes before McIntosh got in on a single leg and, after a bit of work, scrambled his way to a takedown and a 2-0 lead with :33 left in the opening period. McIntosh scrambled his way to a ride out and led by that score after one period. McIntosh chose down to start the second period and quickly worked his way into control of Burak's left ankle. He then broke the Hawkeye's hold scored the reversal to go up 4-0. McIntosh then worked the Hawkeye to his back for two near fall points and a 6-0 lead with just over 1:00 left in the period. McIntosh then broke the Hawkeye down from the top position, building up over 1:00 in riding time as he worked the clock to zeroes. Trailing 6-0, with McIntosh owning 1:39 in riding time, Burak chose down to start the third. McIntosh controlled the Hawkeye from the top position until cutting him loose to a 6-1 score with 1:26 to wrestle. With the riding time point clinched and the clock winding down below 1:00, McIntosh began working for a potential major. The Lion fought off a solid Burak shot with :30 left and then spent the rest of the period chasing the Hawkeye but could not catch him. With 2:12 in riding time, McIntosh rolled to the dominating 7-1 win.
285: Senior Jimmy Lawson (Toms River, N.J.), ranked No. 6 at 285, met No. 2 Bobby Telford. The battle of big men worked its way under the 1:00 mark of the opening period with neither wrestler finding an opening to score. Lawson began working Telford's shoulders and Telford countered for a near takedown at the :10 mark. But Lawson was able to work his way out of the Hawkeye's grasp and kept the bout scoreless after one period. Lawson chose down to start the second period but Telford was able to control the action for well over a minute to build up a riding time edge. He then forced Lawson down on the edge of the mat and continued his ride. Lawson was called for stalling after getting hit for a stall for an untied shoe and Telford led 1-0. Leading 1-0 with 2:00 riding time, Telford chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 2-0 lead. Lawson tried to work for a takedown, but Telford's defense was too much and, with 1;56 in riding time, Telford posted the 3-0 win.