Dec. 13, 2017
WR Notes: 2017-18 vs. Indiana I Video: Sideline to Center Mat, Cassar Continues to Battle
TODAY'S ACTION
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State (4-0, 0-0 B1G) opens up Big Ten action at home when the Indiana Hoosiers (6-2, 0-1 B1G) visit Rec Hall on Sunday, Dec. 17. The dual begins at 2 p.m. and is a BTN national telecast.
Penn State enters the dual meet having just wrapped up finals week. The Nittany Lions last competed on Dec. 3 when head coach Cael Sanderson's squad downed Lehigh 23-19 in front of nearly 10,000 fans in Allentown's PPL Center. The Nittany Lions will ride a 35-dual win streak into the match-up with the Hoosiers.
The Nittany Lions are led by a bevy of ranked grapplers. Senior Corey Keener is 5-0 and ranked No. 18 at 133, senior Zain Retherford is 8-0 and No. 1 at 149, junior Jason Nolf is 8-0 and No. 1 at 157, sophomore Vincenzo Joseph is 3-0 and No. 1 at 165, sophomore Mark Hall is 9-0 and No. 2 at 174, junior Bo Nickal is 8-0 and No. 1 at 184, sophomore Anthony Cassar is 7-1 and No. 9 at 197 and junior Nick Nevills is 9-0 and No. 3 at 285. Junior Jered Cortez sports a 7-1 mark at 141 and freshman Devin Schnupp is 1-6 at 125.
Indiana enters the dual with a 6-2 mark and is 0-1 in Big Ten action. The Hoosiers lost a 26-9 dual at Ohio State last Sunday, winning three of the ten bouts against the Buckeyes. Indiana owns wins over Bloomsburg, Eastern Michigan, Indianapolis, Northern Illinois, SIU-Edwardsville and Cleveland State and also lost to Binghamton. Junior Cole Weaver leads the Hoosiers, posting a 14-3 mark at 141 and ranked No. 12 nationally. Junior Elijah Oliver sports a 13-6 mark at 125, junior Bryce Martin is 12-5 at 165, sophomore Devin Skatzka is 12-2 at 174 and Fletcher Miller is 9-3 at 285 for head coach Duane Goldman.
Penn State owns and 18-0-1 lead in the all-time series. The Nittany Lions won the last meeting, 34-8, at IU on 1/10/16. Penn State also won the last meeting in Rec Hall, 42-3, on 1/9/15.
Penn State will head to Chattanooga for the 2018 Southern Scuffle. The Nittany Lions will be looking for their seventh Scuffle title at the event, which takes place on Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 1-2, 2018. Penn State's next home dual will be on Friday, Jan. 19, when Purdue invades Rec Hall for a 7 p.m. match-up. With all home dual meets sold out, a limited number of Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets are available to select Rec Hall duals based on availability. Call 1-800-NITTANY for information or to purchase tickets.
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 2017-18 Penn State wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
#2 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (4-0, 0-0 B1G)
125 Devin Schnupp Fr. Lititz, Pa./Warwick / 1-6
133 #18 Corey Keener Sr. Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Blue Mountain / 5-0
141 Jered Cortez Jr. Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North / 7-1
149 #1 Zain Retherford Sr. Benton, Pa./Benton / 8-0
157 #1 Jason Nolf Jr. Yatesboro, Pa./Kittanning / 8-0
165 #1 Vincenzo Joseph So. Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic / 3-0
174 #2 Mark Hall So. Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley / 9-0
184 #1 Bo Nickal Jr. Allen, Texas/Allen / 8-0
197 #9 Anthony Cassar So. Rocky Hill, N.J./Montgomery / 7-1
Matt McCutcheon Sr. Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area / 4-2
285 #3 Nick Nevills Jr. Clovis, Calif./Clovis / 9-0
INDIANA HOOSIERS (6-2, 0-1 B1G)
125 Elijah Oliver Jr. Washington, Ill./Community / 13-6
133 Garrett Pepple So. Kendalville, Ind./East Noble / 9-8
141 #12 Cole Weaver Jr. Hudson, Mich./Hudson / 14-3
149 Davey Tunon Fr. Clarksville, Ohio/Clinton-Massie / 9-8
157 Jake Danishek Jr. Lebanon, Ohio/Dayton Christian / 6-1
165 Bryce Martin Jr. Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield / 12-5
174 Devin Skatzka So. Richmond, Mich./Richmond / 12-2
184 Norman Conley So. St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade / 10-8
197 Jake Hinz So. Westerville, Ohio/North / 7-8
OR Spencer Irick Fr. Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern / 2-5
285 Fletcher Miller Jr. Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo / 9-3
Individual rankings are InterMat, team ranking is InterMat TPI
(Tournament Power Index) as of 12/12/17
THIS WEEK
Penn State (4-0, 0-0 B1G) opens up Big Ten action at home when the Indiana Hoosiers (6-2, 0-1 B1G) visit Rec Hall on Sunday, Dec. 17. The dual begins at 2 p.m. and is a BTN national telecast.
UP NEXT
After a year hiatus, Penn State returns to the Southern Scuffle looking for its seventh tourney title. The 2018 Southern Scuffle, hosted by UT-Chattanooga, takes place on Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 1-2.
ON THE AIR
TV - BTN live national broadcast
Live Web Video - btn2go (http://www.btn2go.com)
Radio All Season - FREE!!! Penn State Radio Network. All live streaming of Penn State audio is free this year. All audio and some video (both free and $) can be accessed through Lionvision ( http://www.gopsusports.com/collegesportslive/ ).
NOTES
NEVILLS CAPS OFF COMEBACK WIN OVER #7 LEHIGH
Junior All-American Nick Nevills clinched Penn State's 23-19 come-from-behind win over homestanding Lehigh with a third period rideout of No. 14 Jordan Wood to post a 2-0 win. With Penn State leading 20-19 at the time, Nevills' victory helped Penn State finish off a road comeback in front of nearly 10,000 fans in the sold out PPL Center in Allentown, Pa. Nevills used a second period escape and 1:48 in riding time thanks to a full third period rideout of Wood to clinch the victory. Penn State, wrestling with two nationally ranked starters out, had trailed 15-0 after three bouts and 19-11 heading into the final four matches.
PENN STATE'S BONUS BONANZA
Penn State's hot start to the season, 4-0 in duals and winners of the Keystone Classic, comes on the shoulders of a bonus point bonanza. Penn State is 32-8 in its four duals, with 22 of those wins coming via bonus (11 pins, four tech falls and seven majors).
PENN STATE'S PIN PARADE
The race for the Penn State pin crown has gotten off to a fast start and the title is official up for grabs. Jason Nolf (157) is 8-0 on the with seven pins; Mark Hall (174) is 9-0 with five pins; Zain Retherford (149) is 8-0 with six pins and Bo Nickal (184) is 8-0 with four pins. Shakur Rasheed has added six pins in open tournaments at 197 as well.
BO'S FAST FALLS
Okay, so Bo Nickal's fast falls are, well, fast. Nickal is 7-0 on the year with four pins. All four have come in under 60 seconds. That's quick. His fast falls have come in 0:26, 0:53, 0:38 and 0:48 (over #16 Mitch Sliga of Northwestern).
NOLF PINS HIS WAY THROUGH FIRST SEVEN BOUTS
Jason Nolf had a pretty solid start to the 2017-18 season. The junior 157-pounder began his season with seven straight pins. He won the Keystone Classic on 11/19 with four pins and went 3-0 in Penn State's first four duals with pins. The pin streak ended when we won by tech fall over Lehigh's Ian Brown (23-8, 6:40) on 12/3 at Lehigh.
Nick Lee WINS MAT-TOWN OPEN
True freshman Nick Lee, wrestling unattached at Lock Haven, won the Mat-Town Open title on Sunday, 11/26, at 141 pounds. Lee went 4-0 with two pins, a tech and a major to win the crown. Red-shirt freshman Patrick Higgins also competed, going 2-2 with a tech fall to finish fourth at 133 as well.
LIONS ROLL TO KEYSTONE CLASSIC TITLE
Penn State rolled to its second straight Keystone Classic title on 11/19. The Nittany Lions posted a perfect 7-0 mark in the finals and won the team crown with 190.5 points, ahead of second place Northwestern's 156.5. Penn State's title winners were: Jered Cortez (141), Zain Retherford (149), Jason Nolf (157), Mark Hall (174), Bo Nickal (184), Anthony Cassar (197) and Nick Nevills (285).
LIONS GRAB ROAD WIN AT BINGHAMTON
Penn State picked up its first road win of the season, winning at Binghamton 40-2 on 11/17. The Lions won nine of ten bouts, including Bo Nickal's 15-6 major over #14 Steven Schneider and three pins (Zain Retherford, Jason Nolf and Mark Hall).
PENN STATE DOMINATES BUCKNELL 36-6
The Nittany Lions won eight of ten bouts in a lopsided 36-6 victory over visiting Bucknell on 11/12. Penn State picked up pins from Jason Nolf and Zain Retherford, tech falls from Vincenzo Joseph and Mark Hall and majors from Corey Keener and Bo Nickal.
LIONS NOTCH 5 PINS IN WIN OVER ARMY WEST POINT
Penn State opened up its 2017-18 season with a resounding 45-3 win over visiting Army West Point on 11/9. The Nittany Lions rode five pins to the victory. Senior Corey Keener made his Penn State debut with a pin at 133, Jason Nolf had a fall at 157, Mark Hall pinned #19 Ben Harvey at 174, Bo Nickal picked up a pin in 0:26 at 184 and Nick Nevills had a pin at 125. The five pins in one dual is the most by a Nittany Lion team since pinning five Maryland Terrapins last year on Feb. 12, 2017.
VERKLEEREN WINS BEARCAT OPEN CROWN
True freshman Jerod Verkleeren competed unattached at 149 and rolled through the field for the 149-pound title at the Bearcat Open in Binghamton on 11/12. The Greensburg native went 5-0 in his first open tournament as a collegian to lead Penn State, which had six of its 13 entrants place. Verkleeren had two tech falls. True freshman Nick Lee went 3-1 with two tech falls and a major to place third at 141. Junior Shakur Rasheed went 3-1 with three pins to take fourth place at 197. Junior Devon Van Cura wrestled at 184 and posted a 5-1 record with a major to place fifth. Sophomore Dominic Giannangeli wrestled at 133 and posted a 5-1 mark as well to finish fifth.
Brady Berge LEADS LIONS AT PRINCETON OPEN
True freshman Brady Berge, wrestling unattached at 157, had a strong debut wrestling at the collegiate level to pace Penn State at the Princeton Open on 11/4. The true freshman, redshirting this season, advanced to the semifinals with two major decisions before dropping a match. He rebounded from that loss to win twice including in the consolation finals, placing third at his first tournament. Berge went 4-1 with two majors.
LEE AND RASHEED STRONG AT CLARION OPEN
True freshman Nick Lee competed unattached at 141 in his first open tournament as a Penn Stater and led the Lions at the Clarion Open on 11/5. Lee was impressive, advancing all the way to the finals. Lee went 4-1 on the day with three dominating tech falls and a major. He dropped a hard-fought 6-4 decision to No. 10 Brock Zacherl of Clarion in the finals. Junior Shakur Rasheed, wrestling at 197, went 4-1 with three pins and a tech fall. The Lion junior placed third, winning the consolation finals with a pin in just 0:39. Redshirt freshman Bo Pipher wrestled at 149. Pipher posted a 3-2 mark, with all three wins coming by fall. Junior George Carpenter competed at 133 and posted a solid 4-2 mark including four straight wins in consolation action.
NEVILLS AND HALL COMPETE AT NWCA EXHIBITION
Penn State All-Americans Mark Hall and Nick Nevills competed in the 2017 NWCA All-Star Classic on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m. The exhibition took place at Princeton University. The results from the NWCA All-Star Classic do not count as official wins or losses. Nevills, a 2017 All-American at 285 after placing fifth last year, battled Tanner Hall, also an All-American from Arizona State who placed third last season. Nevills posted a 2-0 win with riding time. Lion sophomore Hall, the 2017 NCAA Champion at 174 as a true freshman, took on Arizona State All-American Zahid Valencia, who finished third last year at nationals. Valencia notched a takedown with just :18 left to grab the 3-2 win. The results are not official wins or losses as the event was an exhibition.
8 LIONS RANKED BY INTERMAT
The Penn State wrestling team, winner of six of the last seven NCAA titles, is currently ranked No. 2 on InterMat's Tournament Power Index (TPI) and No. 1 in its dual meet rankings. Eight Nittany Lions are listed in InterMat's pre-season weight-by-weight rankings as well. Corey Keener is ranked No. 18 at 133, Zain Retherford No. 1 at 149, Jason Nolf No. 1 at 157, Vincenzo Joseph No. 1 at 165, Mark Hall No. 2 at 174, Bo Nickal No. 1 at 184, Anthony Cassar No. 9 at 197 and Nick Nevills No. 3 at 285.
CAEL TO SPEAK AT BLAIR COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME
Nittany Lion head coach Cael Sanderson will serve as the guest speaker at the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremony on Saturday, April 7, 2018. The event will take place at the Blair County Convention Center. Advance orders for tickets, priced at $75 (or $750 for a table of 10) before Dec. 31 and $85 ($850 for a table of 10) after Dec. 31, are currently being accepted. Checks can be made payable to the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame, P.O. Box 162, Altoona, Pa., 16603. Tickets can be purchased online at the HOF's website at www.blaircountysportshof.com. For more information contact Kathy Millward at 814-312-0151. Former guest speakers at the prestigious event include Joe Paterno (1987), James Franklin (2015), Terry Bradshaw, Bobby Knight, Dick Vitale, Joe Theisman, Mary Lou Retton, Bobby Bowden, Jim Boeheim, Hines Ward, Chris Fowler, Ben Rothlisberger and Jay Bilas.