March 19, 2015
ST. LOUIS - The four-time defending national champion Nittany Lion wrestling team notched a perfect first session at the 2015 NCAA Championships inside the Scottrade Center on Thursday.
Bonus points were the theme of Penn State's superb start to the national tournament. The Lions went 7-0 in first-round action, including four wins featuring bonus points (three major decisions and one technical fall). Jordan Conaway (125), Jimmy Gulibon (133), Zack Beitz (149), Matt Brown (174), Matt McCutcheon (184), Morgan McIntosh (197) and Jimmy Lawson (285) all punched their tickets into the second round of the bracket during the initial matches of the tournament.
Gulibon (11-3), Beitz (10-1) and Brown (12-4) each scored wins by virtue of major decision, while McCutcheon (20-5 at 7:00) turned in a dominant technical fall victory in his first ever match at the NCAA Championships.
Thanks to the unblemished record and 4.5 bonus points, the Nittany Lions will head into Thursday's evening session in second spot with 11.5 tallies. Ohio State is first with 13.5 points. Penn State is one of four teams with seven wrestlers still alive in the main draw (Ohio State, Missouri and Oklahoma State).
Session I Team Standings (Main Draw/Consolation)
1. Ohio State - 13.5 (7 Main Draw/3 Consolation)
2. Penn State - 11.5 (7 Main Draw/0 Consolation)
3. Cornell - 11.0 (6 Main Draw/3 Consolation)
4. Missouri - 11.0 (7 Main Draw/3 Consolation)
It was an impressive session for a pair of Nittany Lions who had never wrestled in the NCAA Championships prior to Thursday. Beitz and McCutcheon looked comfortable every second they were on the mat during their first bouts at the national tournament.
"It was awesome," Beitz said. "I'm just grateful to have the opportunity to go out there and wrestle at nationals for Penn State."
Beitz took a 2-0 lead after one against Shawn Greevy (Chattanooga), but he was dominant in the second. The Mifflintown native scored a reversal to open the frame before three near-fall points handed the sophomore a 7-0 lead. He never looked back from there on his way to a 10-1 major.
"The one thing Coach Cael always says is keep going, going and going," Beitz said. "That's what I want to keep trying to do, keep scoring points. And then ride them tough and wear them out."
On the heels of a stout weekend at the Big Ten Championships, McCutcheon got stronger as his match at 184 pounds against Nick Fiegener (Cal Poly). A pair of back points late in the opening frame set the score at 7-3 when the first drew to a close. The Nittany Lion redshirt freshman added two takedowns in the second, including one right at the buzzer. McCutcheon marched to a seven-point third period and notched a 20-5 technical fall.
"It feels good to get the first match out of the way," McCutcheon said. "I'm ready to go. The coaches have me peaking at the right time, and I've just got to keep it going."
With seven wrestlers in the lineup, the Nittany Lions knew how critical extra points would be at the national tournament this year. Thus far, Penn State wrestled with tremendous confidence, and it turned into four wins with extra tallies. The Lions scored at least 10 points in five of the seven victories.
"Bonus points are huge here, and that is what is going through your mind when you are out there," Beitz said. We just go out there with the mindset to score, and then keep scoring."
The undefeated session sets up a host of critical second round matches on Thursday night.
"Our team realizes we are in this," McCutcheon said. "A lot of people are counting us out. Our team has the mindset that we are here to win, so we are going to go out there and score as many points as possible."
Session two begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU and ESPN3.com. One round of consolation action will take place before the Nittany Lions take the mat in the second round. Jordan Conaway will be up first at 125 pounds.