March 17, 2017
Photo Gallery I VIDEO: Session III Highlights & Review
ST. LOUIS, Mo.; -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, winner of five of the last six NCAA Championships, extended its lead in the team race at the midway point of the 2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. Penn State, under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson, was strong in session three and will have five wrestlers into tonight's national semifinals, airing live on ESPN. All eight Penn State wrestlers are still alive in the tournament.
The Nittany Lions went 5-2 in the quarterfinals and 7-2 overall. Penn State leads the team race with 74.0 points at press time (2:40 p.m. Eastern with a few consolation bouts still on-going). Iowa and Ohio State are in second place with 57.5 points each while Cornell and Oklahoma State are in fourth with 47.0. The Lions are looking for their second straight NCAA title and their sixth in the last seven years. Penn State has won a total of six NCAA team titles (1953, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016) and is seeking its seventh overall. Penn State's five semifinalists have all secured All-America status, including two freshmen picking up the laurels for the first time.
Junior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), the No. 1 seed at 149, met Alex Kocer of South Dakota State in Penn State's first quarterfinal. Retherford opened up an early 4-1 lead with two first period takedowns. After reversing Kocer to begin the second stanza, the Lion senior worked his ride to a technical fall. Retherford turned Kocer twice for four-point near falls, nearly picking up a pin on the second as the period ended. The second period domination gave Retherford a 16-2 lead heading into the third. Kocer chose neutral to start the third period and Retherford ended the bout with a fast double leg takedown to post the 18-2 tech fall at the 5:13 mark. Retherford is now a three time All-American. He is 3-0 with three tech falls so far in this year's tournament and will meet No. 5 Brandon Sorensen of Iowa in tonight's national semifinals.
Sophomore Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), the No. 1 seed at 157, took on B.J. Clagon of Rider in the quarterfinals. Nolf took an early 2-0 lead with a takedown with just over 1:00 left in the period and then built up a 1:00 riding time edge before Clagon escaped. Nolf picked up a takedown with just seconds left and the Lion led 4-1 after one. Nolf chose down to start the second period and summarily ended the match. He reversed Clagon for a quick two and two near fall, then reset himself on top, turned the Bronc to his back and picked up the pin at the 4:06 mark. Nolf is now a two-time All-American. He is 3-0 with two techs and a pin at the tournament's midway point and will take on No. 4 Tyler Berger of Nebraska in the national semifinals.
Red-shirt freshman Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), the No. 3 seed at 165, met No. 6 Daniel Lewis of Missouri in his quarterfinal match-up. Joseph looked to score early with a solid shot, but Lewis countered, controlled the Lion freshman's shoulders and took him down for an early 2-0 lead. Lewis then rode Joseph for the remainder of the period and led 2-0 with 2:22 in riding time after one period. Joseph was undeterred and his conditioning paid off. Lewis chose down to start the second and Joseph controlled action for a bit before he escaped to a 3-0 lead. From that point, Joseph took over. He notched one takedown in the second and trailed 4-2. Choosing neutral in the third, Joseph picked up a quick takedown and worked Lewis' riding time down below 1:00 before the Tiger escaped to a 5-4 lead. With just :08 left, Joseph took Lewis down and rode him out to post the thrilling 6-5 win. The victory makes Joseph an All-American. He is 3-0 with a major so far in St. Louis and will take on No. 2 Logan Massa of Michigan in the national semifinals.
True freshman Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), the No. 5 seed at 174, took on No. 4 Zach Epperly of Virginia Tech in the quarters. Hall took command of the bout early, taking Epperly down at the 2:08 mark and then turning him for two back points to lead 4-0. The Lion continued his strong ride, controlling Epperly, turning him for four more near fall points and leading 8-0 after one period. Taking down to start the second, Hall escaped to a 9-0 lead, but gave up a takedown and led 9-2 at :44. Hall chose down after an Epperly injury time but could not escape the Hokie ride. Still, the freshman led 9-2 after two periods. Epperly chose down to start the final stanza. Hall maintained control of Epperly long enough to push his riding time back over 1:00. Hall's strong work on top broke Epperly to the mat and the Nittany Lion freshman finished the period on top. The ride out gave him 2:23 in riding time and a 10-2 major. Hall became an All-American with the win. He is 3-0 with a tech and a major and will meet No. 1 Zahid Valencia of Arizona State in the semifinals tonight.
Sophomore Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), the No. 2 seed at 184, met No. 7 TJ Dudley of Nebraska in his quarterfinal bout. Nickal took an early 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 1:50 mark. Nebraska challenged the call but it stood. After a Dudley escape, Nickal took Dudley down once more to up his lead to 4-2. The Lion sophomore carried that lead into the second period. He took down to start the second and deftly reversed Dudley to up his lead to 6-2. Dudley picked up two points to briefly cut into Nickal's lead but the Lions sophomore wrapped his hands around Dudley's head, moved his hold to lock up a cradle and pinned the Husker at the 4:33 mark. Nickal is now a two-time All-American. He is 3-0 with two pins and a tech and will take on No. 3 Sammy Brooks of Iowa in tonight's semifinals.
Junior Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), the No. 5 seed at 197, met No. 4 Jared Haught of Virginia Tech in the quarters. Haught drew first blood with a solid single leg for a takedown. McCutcheon escaped quickly and trailed 2-1 at the 1:10 mark. Haught took McCutcheon down as the period ended and the Lion trailed 4-1 after the opening stanza. McCutcheon escaped to start the second period but Haught tacked on a third takedown and led 6-3 with :40 left in the middle period. Haught escaped to start the third period and then McCutcheon got in on a low single to force a scramble at the 1:00 mark. Haught forced a stalemate and action resumed neutral. The Hokie fought off McCutcheon's latter shots and posted a hard-fought 7-3 win. McCutcheon's loss sends him to the All-American round tonight to begin session four.
Sophomore Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), the No. 5 seed at 285, took on No. 4 Jacob Kasper of Duke in Penn State's final quarterfinal bout. Nevills fought off an early Kasper shot and kept the match neutral. As the clock wound down below :30, Kasper worked his way in on a single that resulted in a scramble on the edge of the mat where each man nearly scoring. The clock hit 0:00 and action moved to the second scoreless. Kasper chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 1-0 lead after :43. Kasper mounted a late charge with a solid shot and notched a takedown at the buzzer to lead 3-0 after two periods. Nevills chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 3-1 score. Nevills was unable to break through Kasper's strong defense and the Blue Devil notched the 3-1 decision. Nevills' loss sends him to the All-American round tonight to begin session four.
Senior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), unseeded at 141, took on Timmy Box of Northern Colorado in consolation round two. Gulibon, who went 1-1 with a tech fall yesterday, once again proved his mettle, not just winning but picking up bonus points with a major. Gulibon opened up a fast 9-3 lead that he turned into 14-5 major with a late takedown in the third period. Gulibon's win kept him alive in this morning's consolation action where he took on No. 12 Luke Pletcher of Ohio State. The duo battled through a scoreless opening minute with action taking place in the center circle. Gulibon hit on a head outside single and took a 2-1 lead as the clock moved below 1:00. Leading 2-1, Gulibon broke it open in the second period. He escaped to start the stanza and then quickly took Pletcher down to up his lead to 5-1. The Lion senior finished the period on top and led 5-1 with 1:27 in riding time after two. He tacked on two takedowns, an escape and 2:05 in riding time to roll to an 11-5 win and move one more win closer to becoming a two-time All-American. Gulibon will now wrestle in tonight's conso round four, looking for another victory.
Penn State went 7-2 in session three and picked up 7.5 bonus points off two majors, a tech and two pins. Penn State is 22-3 after three sessions, grabbing 23.0 bonus points off three majors, eight tech falls and four pins. All eight Lions are still alive as the Nittany Lions look to win their second straight NCAA title, sixth in the last seven years, and seventh overall.
Semifinalists Retherford, Nolf, Joseph, Hall and Nickal are now All-Americans. McCutcheon, Nevills and Gulibon will wrestle in tonight's consolation round four, needing one more win to secure All-America status and keep pushing Penn State towards a team title. The Nittany Lions, with five All-Americans at this point of the tournament, now have 205 all-time All-Americans, 42 of those have come under Sanderson's tutelage. Retherford now has 12 career NCAA wins, one shy of 21st all-time at Penn State. Nolf is now 15th on Penn State's all-time pins list with 29 for his career while Nickal moves into a tie for 20th all-time with 24.
The 2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships continue tonight with the national semifinals and consolation action. Session four begins at 8 p.m. Eastern / 7 p.m. Central and airs live on ESPN. The three day event continues through Saturday night's NCAA Championship Finals. Saturday's session five starts at 11 a.m. Eastern / 10 a.m. Central and airs live on ESPNU; and Saturday's session six, the championship finals, begins at 8 p.m. Eastern / 7 p.m. Central and airs live on ESPN. ESPN3 will offer live streaming of every single match, on every single mat, throughout the entirety of the tournament. The entire tournament is also being broadcast by the Penn State Wrestling Radio Network, streamed live for free at www.gopsusports.com/collegesportslive/ .
Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. The 2016-17 Penn State wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
2017 NCAA Championships -- Team Standings (top five) after Session 3:
(NOTE: as of 2:40 p.m. Eastern press time w/ consolation round still in action)
March 17, 2017 -- Scottrade Center -- St. Louis, Mo.
1: PENN STATE -- 74.0
2: Iowa -- 57.5
2: Ohio State -- 57.5
4: Cornell -- 47.0
4: Oklahoma State -- 47.0
Weight-by-weight agate (rankings listed are official tournament seed)
125: #3 Nick Suriano, Fr. -- Did not compete/withdrew
Penn State announced on Wednesday that true freshman Nick Suriano (Paramus, N.J.), the No. 3 seed at 125, would not be able to compete due to an injury (and does not record a loss). Suriano entered the tournament as an at-large bid after taking an injury forfeit at the Big Ten Championships. Suriano ends his season with a 16-3 record (the last two losses by injury default). He was ranked as high as No. 2 nationally before suffering an injury in Penn State's final dual meet of the season.
141: Jimmy Gulibon, Sr. --
Rd. 1: vs. #13 Javier Gasca, Michigan State -- W, 18-3 (TF; 7:00)
Rd. 2: vs. #4 Matt Kolodzik, Princeton -- L, 3-6 dec.
Con 2: vs. Timmy Box, Northern Colorado -- W, 14-5 maj. dec.
Con 3: vs. #12 Luke Pletcher, Ohio State -- W, 11-4 dec.
Con 4: tonight
Senior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), a 2015 All-American at 133 and unseeded this year at 141, took on No. 13 Javier Gasca of Michigan State in the opening round. Gulibon started quickly, taking Gasca down twice in the first period, picking up an escape on an injury restart to lead 5-0 with :58 riding time after the opening period. The Lion senior continued his dominance in the second stanza, adding a takedown and two near fall points to lead 9-0. Looking for bonus points, Gulibon tacked on four bonus points and, with 3:26 in riding time, notched a dominating 18-3 technical fall at the 7:00 mark.
Gulibon took on No. 4 Matt Kolodzik of Princeton. Kolodzik scored quickly, taking Gulibon down off the whistle for an early 2-0 lead. The Tiger countered a solid Gulibon shot for a second takedown and led 4-1 after the opening period. Kolodzik took down to start the second period and Gulibon maintained control for the entire period and trailed 4-1 after two periods. Gulibon chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 deficit. The Lion worked for a tying takedown but Kolodzik connected late to ice the bout and take a hard-fought 6-3 decision.
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149: #1 Zain Retherford, Jr. -- 3X All-American --
Rd. 1: vs. Joshua Maruca, Arizona State -- W, 18-2 (TF; 4:55)
Rd. 2: vs. No. 16 Jordan Laster, Princeton -- W, 16-0 (TF; 5:43)
Qtrs: vs. Alex Kocer, South Dakota State -- W, 18-2 (TF; 5:13)
Semis: Tonight vs. #5 Brandon Sorensen, Iowa -- tonight
Junior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), two-time All-American and last year's NCAA Champion at 149, entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed. Retherford took on Arizona State's Joshua Maruca in the opening round. Retherford took the Sun Devil down quickly, getting two near fall points in an opening flurry to lead 4-0 out of the gates. Retherford picked up two more takedowns and four near fall points to lead 12-2 after one. Retherford reversed Maruca to start the second period and rolled his way to an 18-2 technical fall at the 4:55 mark.
Retherford met No. 16 Jordan Laster of Princeton in his second round match-up. Retherford notched an early takedown and spent the rest of the first period controlling Laster on top, turning him once for four back points and leading 6-0 with over 2:00 in riding time after one. The Lion reversed Laster to start the second period and turned him for four more near fall points to lead 12-0 after two. Laster chose down to start the third period and the Lion senior turned Laster one time and ended the match with a 16-0 technical fall at the 5:43 mark.
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157: #1 Jason Nolf, So. -- 2X All-American --
Rd. 1: vs. Thomas Bullard, North Carolina St. -- W, 22-7 (TF; 7:00)
Rd. 2: vs. #16 Victor Lopez, Bucknell -- W, 24-9 (TF; 7:00)
Qtrs: vs. B.J. Clagon, Rider -- WBF (4:06)
Semis: vs. #4 Tyler Berger, Nebraska -- tonight
Sophomore Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), the No. 1 seed at 157 and an NCAA Finalist and All-American last year, took on Thomas Bullard of North Carolina State in the opening round. Nolf notched four first period takedowns and picked up a stall point to lead 9-3 after three minutes. He continued his dominance in the second period and led 12-4 heading into the third period. Nolf escaped to start the third and then tacked on a handful of takedowns and, with a ride out and 1:11 in riding time, posted the 22-7 tech fall at the 7:00 mark.
Nolf faced off with No. 16 Victor Lopez of Bucknell in the second round. Nolf opened up an early lead on the Bison wrestler, notching two quick takedowns in the first period to lead 4-2 with just over 1:00 left in the opening stanza. Nolf carried a 4-3 lead into the second and then poured on the offense, widening his lead to 11-5 after two periods. The Lion sophomore blazed his way through the third period, posting a handful of takedowns and a two point near fall to up his lead to 19-8. Nolf then added two more takedowns, finished on top and with 2:50 in riding time posted the 24-9 technical fall at the 7:00 mark.
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165: #3 Vincenzo Joseph, Fr. -- All-American --
Rd. 1: vs. Keaton Subjeck, Stanford -- W, 5-1 dec.
Rd. 2: vs. #14 Branson Ashworth, Wyoming -- W, 12-4 maj. dec.
Qtrs: vs. #6 Daniel Lewis, Missouri -- W, 6-5 dec.
Semis: vs. #2 Logan Massa, Michigan -- tonight
Red-shirt freshman Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), the No. 3 seed at 165, faced off against Stanford's Keaton Subjeck in the first round. Looking to avenge a loss to Subjeck in Rec Hall in November, Joseph battled Subjeck through a scoreless first period. The Lion freshman chose down to start the second stanza and escaped quickly. He added a late takedown and ride out to lead 3-0 after two periods. Subjeck escaped in the third but Joseph ended the match on top with another takedown and ride out to post the strong 5-1 win.
Joseph met No. 14 Branson Ashworth of Wyoming in round two. Joseph drew first blood with a solid high single that he turned into a takedown and a 2-0 lead. He then controlled the action from the top position and turned Ashworth for four near fall points. He then rode the Wyoming out and carried that lead into the second period. Joseph and Ashworth traded takedowns and the Lion led 8-4 with over 2:00 in time after two periods. He picked up an escape and a takedown in the third period and, with 2:48 in riding time, posted a convincing 12-4 major.
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174: #5 Mark Hall, Fr. -- All-American --
Rd. 1: vs. David Kocer, South Dakota State -- W, 8-2 dec.
Rd. 2: vs. Jadaen Bernstein, Navy -- W, 16-0 (TF; 2:20)
Qtrs: vs. #4 Zach Epperly, Virginia Tech -- W, 10-2 maj. dec.
Semis: vs. #1 Zahid Valencia, Arizona State -- tonight
True freshman Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), the No. 5 seed at 174 and one of two true freshmen in Penn State's line-up, met David Kocer of South Dakota State in round one. Hall notched the first takedown and nearly locked up a cradle in the process but settled for a 2-0 lead. The true freshman then controlled Kocer for the next minute plus to lead 2-1 after one stanza. The second period featured an escape from Hall and Kocer answered with an escape of his own to start the third, setting up a 3-2 score in Hall's favor with 1:45 left to wrestle. Hall iced the match with a takedown and the :40 mark. He then turned Kocer for two back points, finished on top and tacked on 1:36 in riding time to post a strong 8-2 decision.
Hall tangled with Navy's Jadaen Bernstein in the second round. Hall ended the match early. The true freshman took Bernstein down and never let him recover. Leading 2-0 early, Hall used one two point turn and three four-point turns to cruise to a 16-0 technical fall at the 2:20 mark, ending the match with :40 left in the first period.
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184: #2 Bo Nickal, So. --
Rd. 1: vs. Mitch Sliga, Northwestern -- W, 15-0 (TF; 3:20)
Rd. 2: vs. #15 Steven Schneider, Binghamton -- WBF (5:33)
Qtrs: vs. #7 TJ Dudley, Nebraska -- WBF (4:33)
Semis: vs. #3 Sammy Brooks, Iowa -- tonight
Sophomore Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), the No. 2 seed at 184 and an NCAA Finalist and All-American at 174 a year ago, took on Mitch Sliga of Northwestern in the first round. Nickal took Sliga down quickly, opening up a 2-0 lead in the first minute. Nickal turned Sliga for four once, then reset and turned him again for four more to lead 10-0, then again for two to lead 12-0 with 2:20 in riding time after one period. Nickal escaped to start the second stanza and then ended the match with a final takedown, posting a 15-0 technical fall at the 3:20 mark.
Nickal met No. 15 Steven Schneider of Binghamton in round two. The Loin sophomore opened up an early 4-1 lead with two fast takedowns. With 1:30 on the clock, Nickal went to work on top, trying to turn Schneider for near fall. He got the four point turn and led 8-2 with 1:54 in riding time after the opening period. Nickal added a takedown to lead 10-3 with over 2:00 in time after two periods and then ended things early in the third. After action moved neutral, Nickal took Schneider to the mat, locked him up and got the pin at the 5:33 mark.
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197: #5 Matt McCutcheon, Jr. --
Rd. 1: vs. Christian Brunner, Purdue -- WBF (1:53)
Rd. 2: vs. #12 Frank Mattiace, Penn -- W, 6-3 dec.
Qtrs: vs. #4 Jared Haught, Virginia Tech -- L, 3-7 dec.
Con 4: tonight
Junior Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), the No. 5 seed at 197 and a three-time NCAA qualifier, battled Christian Brunner of Purdue in the opening round. McCutcheon got in on an early first period single and Brunner forced a scramble in the middle of the mat. The Lion junior worked his way into control, getting Brunner's back to the mat. McCutcheon worked his ankle free of Brunner's hold and then forced the Boilermaker flat for a first period pin at the 1:53 mark, Penn State's first fall of the tournament.
McCutcheon battled No. 12 Frank Mattiace of Penn in the second round. McCutcheon worked his way in on an early single and turned it into a takedown and a 2-0 lead at the 1:30 mark. After a quick Mattiace escape, McCutcheon used another textbook single to open up his lead to 4-2 after the opening stanza. Mattiace notched the only points of the second period with an escape. Leading 4-3, McCutcheon chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-3 lead, maintaining over 1:00 in riding time. The Lion junior nearly picked up a third takedown but Mattiace fought off the final effort. Still, with riding time, McCutcheon posted a strong 6-3 win, going 2-0 on the day with a pin.
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285: #5 Nick Nevills, So. -- 3rd seed --
Rd. 1: vs. Doug Vollaro, Lehigh -- W, 4-2 dec.
Rd. 2: vs. #12 William Miller, Edinboro -- W, 6-2 dec.
Qtrs: #4 Jacob Kasper, Duke -- L, 1-3 dec.
Con 4: tonight
Sophomore Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), the No. 5 seed at 285, battled Lehigh's Doug Vollaro in the first round. The Lion sophomore battled Vollaro through a scoreless first period and then escaped quickly to start the second period to lead 1-0. Vollaro took Nevills down and the Lion quickly escaped, knotting the score at 2-2 after two periods. Vollaro chose neutral to start the third period and Nevills took advantage. The Lion sophomore got in on a low single, Vollaro tried to counter and Nevills worked his way into control and a 4-2 lead with :40 left. Nevills then broke the Mountain Hawk down and finished on top to post a hard-fought 4-2 win and finish off Penn State's perfect first round.
Nevills took on No. 12 William Miller of Edinboro in Penn State's final match of the second round and the session. Nevills got in on an early single and, after nearly 1:00 of work, got control of the Scot big man for a takedown and a 2-0 lead at the :53 mark. Nevills rode Miller out to lead 2-0 with :57 in time after the opening period. Miller opted to take down to start the second stanza and, after Nevills tried to turn Miller, the Scot reversed the Lion to tie the bout at 2-2 with 1:00 on the clock. Nevills, however, maintained nearly 2:00 of riding time at that point. Nevills escaped to a 3-2 lead with 1:16 in time after two periods. The Lion answered with his own reversal in the third and led 5-2 with 1:37 in riding time. The Lion sophomore finished on top and, with 2:01 in time, posted the 6-2 decision.
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