March 7, 2015
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VIDEO: Session I Highlights and Interviews | VIDEO: Session II Highlights and Interviews
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will have two finalists in tomorrow's 2015 Big Ten Wrestling Championship Finals. Senior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) and junior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.) will compete starting at 3 p.m., live on the Big Ten Network. In addition, five more of head coach Cael Sanderson's Nittany Lions will wrestle in consolation action, still alive for third place finishes.
Brown, ranked No. 2 at 174, met No. 3 Mike Evans of Iowa in his semifinal bout. Brown was the aggressor throughout a scoreless first period, forcing the Hawkeye backwards for the bulk of the opening stanza. Brown took a 1-0 lead with a quick escape to start the second period and then continued to force the Hawkeye backwards. Brown took a shot and nearly scored as the period ended but Evans fought off the move and Brown led by one after two periods. Just like in the dual meet in the Bryce Jordan Center back in February, won by Brown, the Nittany Lion senior maintained control long enough to build up over 1:00 in riding time. The Lion All-American then completed the ride out one more time and posted another 2-0 win over Evans. The victory moves Brown into tomorrow's Big Ten finals.
McIntosh, ranked No. 4 at 197, took on No. 5 Scott Schiller in the semifinals. The Lion junior was steady from the get go and his offensive pressure paid off with a strong takedown on the edge of the mat with :59 left in the opening period. McIntosh then picked up another point when Schiller was called for a penalty for kicking McIntosh in the head. A Schiller escape sent the bout to the second period with McIntosh leading 3-1. McIntosh chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-1 lead. Schiller would cut into that lead with an escape of his own to start the third period and action resumed in the center of the mat. Schiller upped his tempo and broke through for a tying takedown late in the bout but McIntosh secured the win with an escape at the :14 mark to post the 5-4 win and move into the finals. McIntosh will wrestle in the Big Ten finals tomorrow, joining Brown as Penn State's finalists.
Junior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 9 in the final NCAA Coaches Poll, took on No. 4 Thomas Gilman of Iowa in his semifinal bout at 125. Conaway gave up an early counter takedown to fall behind 2-1 in the first period. Gilman escaped to start the second period to lead 3-1 but Conaway answered with a late takedown to tie the bout at 3-3 as the second period ended. Conaway chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to 4-3 lead. Gilman retook the lead, 5-4, with :45 left. Conaway scrambled for an escape as the clock wound down but Gilman kept control and posted the hard-fought win. The loss moves Conaway into tomorrow's consolation action still needing one win to clinch a spot at nationals.
Sophomore Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 4, met No. 2 Ryan Taylor of Wisconsin in his semifinal bout at 133: Gulibon fought off three early shots but was hit for stalling early. Gulibon then worked his offense down the stretch and turned a low single into a takedown and a 2-0 lead after one period. Taylor chose down to start the second period and deftly reversed Gulibon to tie the bout at 2-2 with 1:36 on the clock. Gulibon escaped to a 3-2 lead and then led 4-2 after escaping to start the third period. Taylor picked up a third period takedown but cut Gulibon loose to a 5-4 Gulibon lead. Gulibon got hit for a quick stall call and the bout was tied 5-5 at the end of regulation. A late takedown was nearly notched by Taylor but was waved off and then went to review. The takedown was indeed too late and the bout moved to sudden victory. Taylor's offense paid off, however, with a quick takedown and a 7-5 (sv) win. The loss sends Gulibon, already an NCAA qualifier, into tomorrow morning's consolation semifinals.
Red-shirt freshman Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 20, took on No. 14 Brett Pfarr of Minnesota in his semifinal match at 184. The Lion freshman, fresh off knocking off the weight's top seed, gave up an early takedown in the first period to fall behind 2-0 early. Pfarr added a quick second period escape to up his lead to 3-0 and the Gopher was able to carry that lead into the third period with solid defense. McCutcheon chose neutral to start the third period and upped his offense. The Lion freshman cut into the Gopher lead with a late takedown and cut, cutting the lead to 4-2. McCutcheon was not able to complete the comeback and Pfarr was able to hold on for the 4-2 win. The loss sends McCutcheon into tomorrow's consolation semifinals.
Sophomore Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.), ranked No. 14, rebounded from a last second loss to Ohio State All-American Hunter Stieber in his first match earlier today by dominating Indiana's Trevor Moody. Beitz nearly pinned the Hoosier out of the gates with a quick cradle and rolled to an 18-3 technical fall at the 6:29 mark. Beitz then moved on to the third round of consolations where he took on Michigan State's Nick Trimble. Beitz wrestled through a scoreless first period and then dominated the second stanza, posting an escape and a takedown to lead 3-0 with over 1:00 riding time after two periods. He tacked on another takedown and a riding time point to roll to a 6-0 win and clinch his first trip to the NCAA Championships. Beitz will wrestle in tomorrow morning's consolation semifinals.
Senior Jimmy Lawson (Toms River, N.J.), ranked No. 7 at 285, met No. 25 Collin Jensen in his first consolation bout. The Nittany Lion senior punched his ticket to the NCAA tournament with a dominant 8-0 major decision, using a couple takedowns and over 3:00 in riding time to roll to victory. In the next consolation round, Lawson took on No. 14 Spencer Myers of Maryland. The duo battled through a scoreless first period and Lawson took a 1-0 lead on an early escape in the second stanza. Myers answered with his own escape in the third period and the match moved to sudden victory. Lawson made short work of the extra stanza, however, rolling through a fast high double to post the 3-1 (sv) win. The victory keeps Lawson alive for third place and moves him into tomorrow's consolation semifinals.
Red-shirt freshman Kade Moss (South Jordan, Utah), ranked No. 25 at 141, took on No. 23 Jameson Oster in his first consolation bout with a trip to NCAAs on the line for the winner. Moss gave up an early counter takedown in the first period and another counter takedown midway through the second to fall behind 4-2 midway through the bout. Moss mounted a comeback late but the damage was done and the Lion freshman dropped a tough 7-4 decision. Moss moved into `extra bouts' with the hope of placing ninth and getting into the pool for a possible at-large bid to nationals. Moss lost his extra bout 4-1 to Michigan's George Fisher.
Junior Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.), followed up a 1-1 morning at 157 that included a win over a '14 All-American by taking on Maryland's Lou Mascola in the second round of consolation action. Frey gave up an early takedown and never recovered as Mascola was able to grind out a tough 5-2 win. Frey moved into `extra bouts' with the hope of placing ninth and getting into the pool for a possible at-large bid to nationals. He majored Wisconsin's T.J. Ruschell 9-0 to move into the ninth place bout.
Red-shirt freshman Garett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.), ranked No. 19 at 165, took on Michigan's Garrett Sutton in his first consolation bout. The Lion freshman fought off two strong Sutton scoring attempts in the opening stanza to keep the bout scoreless. Sutton chose down to start the second period and Hammond controlled the action from the top position for 1:30, then gave up a quick reversal and trailed 3-1 after two. The Lion never recovered from the last flurry and dropped a tough 5-3 decision to the 12th-seeded Wolverine. Hammond moved into `extra bouts' with the hope of placing ninth and getting into the pool for a possible at-large bid to nationals. Hammond then downed Maryland's Alexander Justin 8-1 in his extra placing bout and moved into the 9th place bout.
Penn State went 6-6 in the regular bracket and 2-1 in its three extra bouts tonight. Overall, the Lions stand at 18-12 with 7.5 bonus points off four majors, a tech fall and a pin (bonus points in extra bouts do not count). Penn State is in sixth place in the team race with 78.5 points. Ohio State leads with 102.5, just ahead of second place Iowa's 101.0
Beitz and Lawson both punched their tickets to the 2015 NCAA Championships in St. Louis this evening, joining Gulibon, Brown, McCutcheon and McIntosh, who all earned spots in the first session earlier today. Penn State heads into Sunday's action knowing it has already qualified six for NCAAs with Conaway still in the market for an automatic bid. Moss, Frey and Hammond will continue to wrestle tomorrow morning to determine their places for possible at-large bids, which will be announced on Wednesday, March 11.
The 2015 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, hosted by Ohio State University, concludes tomorrow beginning at 1 p.m. with placing bouts and finals at approximately 3 p.m. 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.
2015 Big Ten Wrestling Championships Team Standings after Day One
Saturday, March 7, 2015 - St. John Arena, Ohio State University - Columbus, Ohio
1: Ohio State - 102.5
2: Iowa - 101.0
3: Minnesota - 86.5
4: Michigan - 80.5
5: Illinois - 79.0
6: PENN STATE - 78.5
7: Nebraska - 70.5
8: Wisconsin - 64.5
9: Northwestern - 56.5
10: Purdue - 33.5
11: Rutgers - 18.5
12: Michigan State 12.5
13: Indiana - 11.5
14: Maryland - 9.5
The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown/agate of Penn State's tournament to date (rankings listed are Final NCAA Coaches Rankings):
125: #9 Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), Jr., -- #5 seed (21-6 overall)
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: #12 Tim Lambert, Nebraska - W, 7-4 dec.
Semis: #4 Thomas Gilman, Iowa - L, 4-5 dec.
Con semis: Tomorrow vs. #21 Conor Youtsey, Michigan
Junior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 9 in the final NCAA Coaches Poll, received a first round bye as the fifth-seed. Conaway then met No. 12 Tim Lambert of Nebraska in the quarterfinals, Lambert was the fourth-seed. Conaway notched late takedowns in both the first and second periods to bolt out to a 5-0 lead and rolled to an impressive 7-4 win.
In the semifinals, Conaway took on No. 4 Thomas Gilman of Iowa in his semifinal bout at 125. Conaway gave up an early counter takedown to fall behind 2-1 in the first period. Gilman escaped to start the second period to lead 3-1 but Conaway answered with a late takedown to tie the bout at 3-3 as the second period ended. Conaway chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to 4-3 lead. Gilman retook the lead, 5-4, with :45 left. Conaway scrambled for an escape as the clock wound down but Gilman kept control and posted the hard-fought win.
133: #4 Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), So., -- #3 seed (22-5 overall) - NCAA qualifier
1st Rd: Alonzo Shepherd, Indiana - W, 12-3 maj. dec.
Qtrs: #8 Zane Richards, Illinois - W, 3-1 dec.
Semis: #2 Ryan Taylor, Wisconsin - L, 5-7 (sv)
Con Semis: Tomorrow vs. #10 Johnni DiJulius, Ohio State
Sophomore Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 4 and the third seed, met Indiana's Alonzo Shepherd in the first round. Gulibon dominated Shepherd for a 12-3 major to move into the quarterfinals where he took on No. 8 Zane Richards of Illinois. Gulibon battled Richards evenly for nearly seven minutes, with each wrestler notching an escape as the only scoring through 6:50. Gulibon got in on a late single leg and with just :08 left, the Lion sophomore finished off the takedown for a thrilling 3-1 decision.
In the semifinals, Gulibon met No. 2 Ryan Taylor of Wisconsin in his semifinal bout at 133: Gulibon fought off three early shots but was hit for stalling early. Gulibon then worked his offense down the stretch and turned a low single into a takedown and a 2-0 lead after one period. Taylor chose down to start the second period and deftly reversed Gulibon to tie the bout at 2-2 with 1:36 on the clock. Gulibon escaped to a 3-2 lead and then led 4-2 after escaping to start the third period. Taylor picked up a third period takedown but cut Gulibon loose to a 5-4 Gulibon lead. Gulibon got hit for a quick stall call and the bout was tied 5-5 at the end of regulation. A late takedown was nearly notched by Taylor but was waved off and then went to review. The takedown was indeed too late and the bout moved to sudden victory. Taylor's offense paid off, however, with a quick takedown and a 7-5 (sv) win.
141: #25 Kade Moss (South Jordan, Utah), Fr. -- #9 seed (17-17 overall)
1st Rd: #24 Nick Lawrence, Purdue - L, 4-6 (sv) dec.
Cns 1: bye
Cns 2: #23 Jameson Oster, Northwestern - L, 4-7 dec.
Extra 1: George Fisher, Michigan - L, 1-4 dec.
11th place: Tomorrow
Red-shirt freshman Kade Moss (South Jordan, Utah), ranked No. 25 at 141 and the ninth seed, made his Big Ten Championship debut against No. 24 Nick Lawrence of Purdue, the eighth-seed. Moss took a 4-3 lead with a late takedown but gave up a last second escape to send the bout to sudden victory where Lawrence notched a quick takedown to win 6-4 (sv).
Moss took on No. 23 Jameson Oster in his first consolation bout with a trip to NCAAs on the line for the winner. Moss gave up an early counter takedown in the first period and another counter takedown midway through the second to fall behind 4-2 midway through the bout. Moss mounted a comeback late but the damage was done and the Lion freshman dropped a tough 7-4 decision. Moss then lost his extra bout 4-1 to Michigan's George Fisher.
149: #14 Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.), So. -- #6 seed (17-8 overall) - NCAA qualifier
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: Hunter Stieber, Ohio State - L, 4-5 dec.
Con 2: Trevor Moody, Indiana - W, 18-3 TF (6:29)
Con 3: Nick Trimble, Michigan State - W, 6-0 dec.
Con Semis: Tomorrow vs. #9 Alec Pantaleo, Michigan
Sophomore Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.), ranked No. 14, made his Big Ten tourney debut at 149 as the sixth seed and had a first round bye. He took on Ohio State All-American Hunter Stieber in the quarters, the tournament's third seed. Beitz took a late 4-3 lead with a solid takedown with just :30 left in the bout. Beitz looked to ride Stieber out but the Buckeye All-American forced a hard scramble at the end, steadily working his way to a reversal with just :04 on the clock to steal a 5-4 win.
Beitz rebounded from a last second loss to Ohio State All-American Hunter Stieber in his first match earlier today by dominating Indiana's Trevor Moody. Beitz nearly pinned the Hoosier out of the gates with a quick cradle and rolled to an 18-3 technical fall at the 6:29 mark. Beitz then moved on to the third round of consolations where he took on Michigan State's Nick Trimble. Beitz wrestled through a scoreless first period and then dominated the second stanza, posting an escape and a takedown to lead 3-0 with over 1:00 riding time after two periods. He tacked on another takedown and a riding time point to roll to a 6-0 win and clinch his first trip to the NCAA Championships.
157: Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.), Jr. -- #9 seed (14-7 overall)
1st Rd: #17 Anthony Perrotti, Rutgers - W, 7-5 (tb)
Qtrs: #1 Isaiah Martinez, Illinois - L, 9-24 TF (6:30)
Con 2: Lou Mascola, Maryland - L, 2-5 dec.
Extra 1: T.J. Ruschell, Wisconsin - W, 9-0 maj. dec.
9th Place: Tomorrow
Junior Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.) made his conference championship debut at 157 as the ninth seed and met No. 17 Anthony Perrotti of Rutgers, the eighth seed and an All-American for RU last year. Frey used a third period reversal and a riding time point to send the bout to sudden victory then fought off a late takedown attempt by Perrotti to force the tie-breaker. In the :30 sessions, Frey rode Perrotti out and then notched a reversal on his defensive turn to post a thrilling 7-5 (tb) win. Frey's victory moved him into the quarterfinals where he met the nation's top seed, unbeaten Isaiah Martinez of Illinois. Frey scored off the opening whistle to take a brief 2-0 lead. But Martinez remained unbeaten with a strong performance, posting the 24-9 technical fall over Frey.
Frey followed up a 1-1 morning by taking on Maryland's Lou Mascola in the second round of consolation action. Frey gave up an early takedown and never recovered as Mascola was able to grind out a tough 5-2 win. Frey then majored Wisconsin's T.J. Ruschell 8-0 in the extra placing bouts and moved into the ninth place bout. .
165: #19 Garett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.) Fr. -- #6 seed (23-11 overall)
1st Rd: Nick Visicaro, Rutgers - W, 8-2 dec.
Qtrs: #6 Taylor Walsh, Indiana - LBF (0:38)
Con 2: Garrett Sutton, Michigan - L, 3-5 dec.
Extra 1: Alexander Justin, Maryland - W, 8-1 dec.
Red-shirt freshman Garett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.), ranked No. 19 at 165 and the sixth seed, also wrestled in his first Big Ten tournament and faced Rutgers' Nick Visicaro in the first round. Hammond dominated the bout from start to finish, rolling to an 8-2 win with over 4:00 in riding time. The victory sent him to the quarterfinals, where he met No. 6 Taylor Walsh of Indiana, the third seed. Hammond was working his way out from an early Walsh shot. As the Lion rolled through the move, Walsh caught the Lion freshman and was awarded a pin at the :38 mark of the first period.
Hammond took on Michigan's Garrett Sutton in his first consolation bout. The Lion freshman fought off two strong Sutton scoring attempts in the opening stanza to keep the bout scoreless. Sutton chose down to start the second period and Hammond controlled the action from the top position for 1:30, then gave up a quick reversal and trailed 3-1 after two. The Lion never recovered from the last flurry and dropped a tough 5-3 decision to the 12th-seeded Wolverine. Hammond then downed Maryland's Alexander Justin 8-1 in his extra placing bout and moved into the 9th place bout.
174: #2 Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) Sr. -- #2 seed (24-2 overall) - NCAA qualifier
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: #16 Nathan Jackson, Indiana - W, 15-7 maj. dec.
Semis: #3 Mike Evans, Iowa - W, 2-0 dec.
Finals: Tomorrow vs. #1 Robert Kokesh, Nebraska
Senior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 2 at 174 and the second seed, had a first round bye and took on No. 16 Nathan Jackson of Indiana in the quarterfinals. Brown dominated the action from start to finish, rolling up takedowns on his way to a 15-7 major decision with over 3:00 in riding time.
In the semfinals, Brown met No. 3 Mike Evans of Iowa in his semifinal bout. Brown was the aggressor throughout a scoreless first period, forcing the Hawkeye backwards for the bulk of the opening stanza. Brown took a 1-0 lead with a quick escape to start the second period and then continued to force the Hawkeye backwards. Brown took a shot and nearly scored as the period ended but Evans fought off the move and Brown led by one after two periods. Just like in the dual meet in the Bryce Jordan Center back in February, won by Brown, the Nittany Lion senior maintained control long enough to build up over 1:00 in riding time. The Lion All-American then completed the ride out one more time and posted another 2-0 win over Evans.
184: #20 Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), Fr. -- #8 seed (23-12 overall) - NCAA qualifier
1st Rd: #23 John Rizqallah, Michigan State - W, 6-1 dec.
Qtrs: #9 Sammy Brooks, Iowa - W, 6-4 (sv)
Semis: #14 Brett Pfarr, Minnesota - L, 2-4 dec.
Con Semis: Tomorrow vs. #15 T.J. Dudley, Nebraska
Red-shirt freshman Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 20 and the eighth seed, made his Big Ten tourney debut at 184 against ninth-seed John Rizqallah of Michigan State, who was ranked No. 23 nationally. McCutcheon turned a late scramble into a takedown and three back points to roll to a 6-1 win over Rizqallah, moving into the quarterfinals. The Lion freshman took on top-seeded Sammy Brooks of Iowa, ranked No. 9 nationally, in the quarterfinals. McCutcheon battled back from giving up an early takedown and stayed tight with the top-seed. Trailing 3-2 (and essentially 4-2 as Brooks had a clinched riding time point), McCutcheon worked in on a low double leg and with just :04 left, sent the bout to sudden victory with a takedown. Energized, the Lion freshman remained aggressive and slid down on another low double. After just seconds of work, McCutcheon stunned the crowd and the top-seeded Hawkeye with a takedown and a 6-4 (sv) win.
In the semifinals, McCutcheon took on No. 14 Brett Pfarr of Minnesota in his semifinal match at 184. The Lion freshman, fresh off knocking off the weight's top seed, gave up an early takedown in the first period to fall behind 2-0 early. Pfarr added a quick second period escape to up his lead to 3-0 and the Gopher was able to carry that lead into the third period with solid defense. McCutcheon chose neutral to start the third period and upped his offense. The Lion freshman cut into the Gopher lead with a late takedown and cut, cutting the lead to 4-2. McCutcheon was not able to complete the comeback and Pfarr was able to hold on for the 4-2 win.
197: #4 Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), Jr. -- #2 seed (25-2 overall) - NCAA qualifier
1st Rd: bye
Qtrs: Nick McDiarmid, Michigan State - W, 13-3 maj. dec.
Semis: #5 Scott Schiller, Minnesota - W, 5-4 dec.
Finals: Tomorrow vs. #3 Kyle Snyder, Ohio State
Junior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 4 at 197 and the second seed, had a first round bye and battled Michigan State's Nick McDiarmid. McIntosh handled the Spartan from the opening whistle, nearly getting a first period pin off a standing throw. While McDiarmid was able to roll out of trouble, McIntosh was never challenged and rolled to a 13-3 major decision.
In the semis, McIntosh took on No. 5 Scott Schiller in the semifinals. The Lion junior was steady from the get go and his offensive pressure paid off with a strong takedown on the edge of the mat with :59 left in the opening period. McIntosh then picked up another point when Schiller was called for a penalty for kicking McIntosh in the head. A Schiller escape sent the bout to the second period with McIntosh leading 3-1. McIntosh chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-1 lead. Schiller would cut into that lead with an escape of his own to start the third period and action resumed in the center of the mat. Schiller upped his tempo and broke through for a tying takedown late in the bout but McIntosh secured the win with an escape at the :14 mark to post the 5-4 win and move into the finals.
285: #7 Jimmy Lawson (Toms River, N.J.), Sr. -- #5 seed (15-2 overall)
1st Rd: Chris Nash, Michigan State - WBF (4:36)
Qtrs: #4 Bobby Telford, Iowa - L, 1-2 dec.
Con 2: #25 Collin Jensen, Nebraska - W, 8-0 maj. dec.
Con 3: #14 Spencer Myers, Maryland - W, 3-1 (sv)
Con Semis: Tomorrow
Senior Jimmy Lawson (Toms River, N.J.), ranked No. 7 at 285 and the fifth seed, took on Michigan State's Chris Nash in the opening round. Lawson dominated the bout from the start, leading 8-0 after one period. The Lion senior chose top to start the second and turned Nash for a pin at the 4:36 mark, moving into the quarters. Lawson met No. 4 Bobby Telford of Iowa in the quarterfinals and dropped a tough 2-1 decision on riding time.
Lawson met No. 25 Collin Jensen in his first consolation bout. The Nittany Lion senior punched his ticket to the NCAA tournament with a dominant 8-0 major decision, using a couple takedowns and over 3:00 in riding time to roll to victory. In the next consolation round, Lawson took on No. 14 Spencer Myers of Maryland. The duo battled through a scoreless first period and Lawson took a 1-0 lead on an early escape in the second stanza. Myers answered with his own escape in the third period and the match moved to sudden victory. Lawson made short work of the extra stanza, however, rolling through a fast high double to post the 3-1 (sv) win.