Feb. 10, 2018
PSU Photo Gallery I VIDEO: Nittany Lions Grit Out Another Victory
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lions (13-0, 9-0 B1G), wrestling without top-ranked Jason Nolf at 157, rolled over visiting Iowa (11-3, 6-3 B1G) in front of nearly 16,000 fans in the sold out Bryce Jordan Center. Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad closed out its Big Ten dual slate with a strong 28-13 win over the Hawkeyes, ending the year as the conference's lone unbeaten squad and winning the 2018 Big Ten Regular Season (Dual Meet) title outright.
Penn State used two quick pins in the second half to run away from No. 7 Iowa, getting fast falls from Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) at 174 and Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) at 184. The duo posted two of Penn State's seven wins in the dual meet.
The dual began at 125 where senior Carson Kuhn (Sandy, Utah) took on his second straight highly ranked opponent. Kuhn took on No. 3 Spencer Lee of Iowa in the dual's opening match-up, and the ranked Hawkeye got a fall at the 2:06 mark. Senior Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) put the Nittany Lions on the scoreboard with a solid 5-2 win over Paul Glynn, cutting the Hawkeye lead to 6-3. True freshman Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 8 at 141, posted a strong 11-8 win over Hawkeye Vince Turk, tying the dual at 6-6.
Senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, dominated No. 2 Brandon Sorensen in one of the bout's most anticipated match-ups. Retherford rolled to a 6-2 win including 3:07 in riding time thanks in large part to a full second period rideout. With No. 1 Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.) out at 157, Lion freshman Bo Pipher (Paonia, Colo.) stepped took on No. 2 Michael Kemerer. Kemerer posted a 14-4 major to give Iowa a 10-9 lead at intermission.
Sophomore Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, led No. 7 Alex Marinelli throughout the bout but, on a throw attempt of his own, was tripped to his back and lost a tough 9-6 upset loss. Sophomore Hall ranked No. 2 at 174, brought nearly 16,000 Nittany Lion fans to their feet by pinning Joey Gunther, locking up a cradle at the 1:00 mark to give Penn State a 15-13 lead. Junior Nickal, ranked No. 1 at 184, followed suit with a cradle of his own and pinned Mitch Bowman in just :50. Nickal's pin gave Penn State a 21-13 lead.
Junior Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) stepped up at 197 and took on No. 7 Cash Wilcke of Iowa and continued to showcase Penn State's wealth of riches at 197. Rasheed dominated the ranked Hawkeye, rolling up four takedowns, including one with just :04 left. The late takedown, and 3:52 in riding time, gave Rasheed a rousing 11-2 major and clinched the dual for the Nittany Lions. Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 6 at 285, sent the record crowd home in great spirits, using a third period takedown and strong offense on his feet to post a 3-2 win over No. 3 Sam Stoll. Nevills' victory gave Penn State the 28-13 dual meet victory.
Penn State nearly doubled up Iowa in takedowns, posting a 17-10 advantage. The Nittany Lions won seven of ten bouts and picked up seven bonus points off two pins (Hall, Nickal) and a major (Rasheed). The victory moves Penn State's dual meet win streak to 44, dating back to the 2014-15 season. It is also Penn State's 25th straight Big Ten dual meet victory. Retherford now has 117 career wins, 14th all-time at Penn State. Nickal now has 13 pins this year, 38 for his career, good enough for sixth all-time at Penn State. Hall now has nine this year, 21 for his career. The sell-out crowd of 15,998 is the largest ever to witness an NCAA dual meet held at an indoor venue (breaking the indoor mark that Penn State held, set in the BJC on Dec. 8, 2013, against Pitt). The Nittany Lions own the top four all-time indoor attendance marks (Iowa's 42,287 for an outdoor meet against Oklahoma State prior to a football game on 11/14/15 is the all-time record). Penn State has wrestled in 44 sellouts in its last 46 dual meets (four of six in the BJC and 40 straight in Rec Hall). Penn State is now 13-0, 9-0 in the Big Ten and the outright, solo owners of the 2018 Big Ten Regular Season (dual meet) title. Iowa falls to 11-3, 6-3 B1G.
The Nittany Lions will close out their dual meet schedule next Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. when they host Buffalo in Rec Hall. A limited number of Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets may be available for the dual. Call 1-800-NITTANY for information or to purchase tickets.
The 2017-18 Penn State wrestling season is sponsored by The Family Clothesline. 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. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
#1 Penn State 28, #7 Iowa 13
February 10, 2018 -- Bryce Jordan Center -- University Park, Pa.
125: #3 Spencer Lee IOWA pinned Carson Kuhn PSU, WBF (2:06) / 0-6
133: Corey Keener PSU dec. Paul Glynn IOWA, 5-2 / 3-6
141: #8 Nick Lee PSU dec. Vince Turk IOWA, 11-8 / 6-6
149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU dec. No. 2 Brandon Sorensen IOWA, 6-2 / 9-6
157: #2 Michael Kemerer IOWA maj. dec. Bo Pipher PSU, 14-4 / 9-10
165: #7 Alex Marinelli IOWA dec. #1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU, 9-6 / 9-13
174: #2 Mark Hall PSU pinned Joey Gunther IOWA, WBF (1:00) / 15-13
184: #1 Bo Nickal PSU pinned Mitch Bowman IOWA, WBF (0:50) / 21-13
197: Shakur Rasheed PSU maj. dec. #7 Cash Wilcke IOWA, 11-2 / 25-13
285: #6 Nick Nevills PSU dec. #3 Sam Stoll IOWA, 3-2 / 28-13
Attendance: 15,998 (4th of 6 sellouts in BJC, 44th of 46 overall including 40 straight in Rec Hall)
Records: Penn State 13-0, 9-0 B1G; Iowa 11-3, 6-3 B1G
Up Next for Penn State: home vs. Buffalo, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2 p.m. in Rec Hall
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Senior Carson Kuhn (Sandy, Utah), who made his Penn State debut last weekend in the Lions' win over Ohio State, took on No. 3 Spencer Lee of Iowa at 125. Lee worked his way into an early takedown that Kuhn nearly countered, but the Hawkeye finished off the offense for an early 2-0 lead. Lee controlled the action for the next two minutes and then worked Kuhn's shoulder to his back for the pin at the 2:06 mark.
133: Senior Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) met Iowa's Paul Glynn at 133. Keener worked his way in on a solid single that Glynn was able to fight off, forcing an early stalemate at the 2:10 mark. Keener exploded through a high single at the 1:35 mark and took a 2-1 lead after a quick Glynn escape. Keener continued to press on offense, working the middle of the mat and blowing through a high double at the :25 mark to up his lead to 4-1. Keener then broke the Hawkeye down and, with a rideout, carried that lead into the second period. Glynn chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-2 score but Keener had 1:01 in riding time. Keener continued to work his offense and, with :50 on the clock, worked his way into a single leg but Glynn was once again able to defend his way to a stalemate. Leading 4-2, Keener chose down to start the third period. The Lion worked his way into a scramble off a reset at the 1:10 mark and nearly notched a reversal before a stalemate stopped his progress. Keener escaped to a 5-2 lead at the :45 mark and then shot repeatedly. Glynn's defense was tough and Keener notched a solid 5-2 win.
141: True freshman Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 8 at 141, took on Vince Turk. Turk came out quickly, getting in on a low single and taking Lee down for an early 2-1 lead. Lee then opened up his offense, nearly scoring right after his escape and then taking a 3-2 lead with a quick low single off a reset. Turk escaped to a 3-3 score and Lee continued to work his offense, turning a fast low shot into a takedown and a 5-3 lead with 1:32 on the clock. Lee cut Turk loose to a 5-4 score and continued to press on offense. Turk was able to defend each Lee shot and trailed by one after one. Trailing 5-4, Turk chose down to start the second period and Lee dominated the action from the top, forcing a stall warning at the 1:30 mark and building up 1:44 in riding time before cutting the Hawkeye loose to a 5-5 tie. Lee notched another takedown as the period ended and led 7-5 with over 2:00 in riding time after two. Lee chose down to start the third period and picked up another point on a second Turk stall. Lee scrambled to an escape and a 9-5 lead with 1:07 in riding time at the 1:10 mark. He notched a quick double leg takedown to up his lead to 11-5, cut Turk loose and began looking for bonus points with another takedown. The Lion slipped on a slight throw attempt, giving up the takedown, and posted an 11-8 win.
149: Senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, met No. 2 Brandon Sorensen. The duo battled evenly for the first half of the opening period. Retherford connected on a single leg at the 1:13 mark and took an early 2-0 lead. The Lion then went to work on top, breaking the Hawkeye down and looking for a chance to turn him for back points. Sorensen was able to keep from giving up any near fall points and escaped to a 2-1 score as the period ended. Trailing 2-1, Sorensen chose down to start the second period and Retherford went to work on top. Retherford built up 2:05 in riding time, working the clock down to under 1:00. Retherford maintained control for the remainder of the period and carried the 2-1 lead with a clinched riding time point (3:06) into the third period. Retherford chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. The Lion senior muscled his way through a low single, took Sorensen down and cut him loose to a 5-2 score with a clinched riding time point. Retherford was unable to break through Sorensen's defense to roll up a major and walked away with a strong 6-2 win with 3:07 in riding time.
157: With No. 1 Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.) still sidelined at 157, Nittany Lion Bo Pipher (Paonia, Colo.) took on No. 2 Michael Kemerer. Pipher took a quick early shot but Kemerer countered his way to a takedown and a 2-0 lead at the 2:40 mark. Pipher worked his way to his feet and escaped to a 2-1 score but Kemerer quickly notched a second takedown to lead 4-1 with 1:45 on the clock. Pipher escaped to a 4-2 score but Kemerer notched a third takedown with :35 on the clock and rode Pipher out for the rest of the period. Leading 6-2, Kemerer chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 7-2 score at the 1:41 mark. Kemerer connected on a low shot to up his lead to 9-2 at the 1:00 mark. Pipher escaped to a 9-3 score with :43 on the clock but Kemerer notched on more takedown to lead 11-3 with 2:04 in riding time after two periods. Pipher chose down to start the third period and escaped to an 11-4 score with 1:38 on the clock. Kemerer scored on a low shot at the :50 mark and upped his lead to 13-4 with a clinched riding time point. The Hawkeye finished on top and, with 3:22 in riding time, posted a 14-4 major decision.
165: Sophomore Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.0, ranked No. 1 at 165, met No. 7 Alex Marinelli. Joseph countered a quick Marinelli shot and nearly locked the Hawkeye up for a throw right off the opening whistle. But Marinelli was able to stay on his feet and action resumed neutral at the 2:20 mark. The Lion sophomore worked the middle of the mat for the next minute plus and then blew through a fast double leg for the opening takedown and a 2-0 lead at the :47 mark. Marinelli escaped to a 2-1 score with :20 left and that score held into the second period. Leading by one, Joseph chose down to start the second period. The Lion steadily worked his way to an escape and a 3-1 lead at the 1:25 mark. He fought off two solid shots and then worked a fast double into a takedown and a 5-1 lead, nearly picking up back points in the process. He tried to lock up a cradle but Marinelli fought through the move and escaped, forcing a reset at the :20 mark. Trailing 5-2, Marinelli chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-3 score. Joseph tried to throw the Hawkeye but got tripped to his back, giving up the takedown and four back points to trail 9-5 at the 1:10 mark. Joseph escaped to a 9-6 score with :40 left and began chasing the Hawkeye, looking to tie the bout. Marinelli was able to fight off the Lions' charge and posted the 9-6 upset win. 174: Sophomore Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 174, battled Joey Gunther. Hall caught Gunther's shoulders at the 2:20 mark and worked the Hawkeye to his back for a takedown. He then locked up a cradle and picked up the fall at the 1:00 mark.
184: Junior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 184, took on Iowa's Mitch Bowman. Nickal wasted no time taking Bowman down. The Lion used a fast low single to take the Hawkeye down and then deftly locked up a cradle to post the pin at the :50 mark, Penn State's second straight fast fall.
197: Junior Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) got the nod at 197 and battled No. 7 Cash Wilcke. Rasheed wasted no time in opening up a lead, taking the Hawkeye down off the opening whistle for an early 2-0 lead. The Lion worked the top position, nearly locking up a cradle but action moved out of bounds and a reset was called with 1:56 on the clock. Wilcke escaped off the reset and Rasheed led 2-1 with :58 in riding time at the 1:45 mark. Rasheed's offense was unstoppable early, connecting on a low single for another takedown and a 4-1 lead with 1:20 on the clock. Rasheed broke Wilcke down to build up well over 1:30 in riding time, forcing a stall warning in the process. Rasheed finished the period on top and led 4-1 with 2:31 in riding time after the opening period. Rasheed chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. The Lion continued to press Wilcke, looking for a chance to score again. Wilcke countered and forced a scramble that ended in a potentially dangerous call. Iowa challenged for a takedown on the scramble but the call stood and action resumed with Rasheed leading 5-1 at the :42 mark. Wilcke shot low and Rasheed scrambled his way to a stalemate as the period ended. Wilcke chose neutral to start the third period and Rasheed made him pay, working his way through a fast double leg to open up a 7-1 lead with another takedown. The Lion clinched the riding time point and continued to work for a chance to turn the Hawkeye. Rasheed picked up a point on another Wilcke stall and led 8-1. Wilcke escaped with :20 left and with just :08 left, Rasheed roared through a final double leg to clinch a major decision. With 3:52 in riding time, Rasheed rolled to the 11-2 major decision.
285: Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 6 at 285, met No. 3 Sam Stoll. The duo battled evenly for the first two minutes of the opening period, with both men looking for control in the middle of the mat. Nevills took a slight low single at the :45 mark but Stoll stepped away from the shot and action moved to the second stanza tied 0-0. Stoll chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. The duo worked the middle of the mat for the remainder of the period and Nevills trailed by one after one. The Lion senior chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. He then continued to work his offense on the edge of the mat and scrambled his way to a takedown and a 3-1 lead at the 1:40 mark. The Lion senior maintained control until a Stoll escape at the :50 mark, with Nevills lead 3-2 with :45 in time. Nevills stepped away from a final Stoll shot and posted the strong 3-2 win.