The Nittany Lions roared out of the gates, getting a quick 7-3 win from No. 12 Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) at 125. Nittany Lion freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) got his first Penn State dual meet win, holding on for a 13-12 victory at 133. The near capacity Rec Hall crowd was then sent into a frenzy when Lynch pinned No. 11 Ryan Prater at the 3:56 mark. The stunning fall put the Nittany Lions up 12-0. All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 5 at 149, then downed No. 20 Eric Terrazas 5-1 and All-American Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 5 at 157, got a 9-4 win to put Penn State up 18-0 heading into halftime.
All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 165, came out of the intermission and put Penn State up 21-0 with a 10-3 decision. Illinois got on the scoreboard at 174 as No. 14 Jordan Blanton got a five-point technical fall over freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) at 174. The marquee bout of the evening pitted No. 12 David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) against No. 2 John Dergo of Illinois. Erwin took the second-ranked Illini to extra time before Dergo was able to get a takedown and escape with a 6-4 (sv) win. Illini Patrick Bond, ranked No. 10 at 197, got a 9-5 win over Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) at 197, cutting Penn State's lead to 21-11. Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 11 at heavyweight, capped off the evening with an 8-1 win at heavyweight to give the Nittany Lions the 24-11 victory.
Penn State won seven of ten bouts, Illinois won the takedown battle 20-18 and the Nittany Lions had three bonus points to Illinois' two.
Penn State is now 9-3-1 on the year, 1-0 in Big Ten duals. Illinois is 5-4, 0-1 Big Ten. The Nittany Lions leave tomorrow morning and head to Columbus, Ohio, to get set for Sunday's dual at No. 3 Ohio State. Match-time in Columbus is set for 2 p.m. Penn State's next home dual is on Feb. 5 when Northwestern invades Rec Hall for a 7 p.m. match-up. Single event tickets will cost $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Group sales are available once again for groups of 15 people or more. Group prices are $4 in advance and $5 walk-up. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1.800.NITTANY between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC?(1390 AM) or 3WZ (95.3 FM) and on www.GoPSUsports.com as well. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Results:
125: #12 Brad Pataky PSU dec. John Deneen UI, 7-3 3-0
133: Bryan Pearsall PSU dec. Daryl Thomas UI, 13-12 6-0
141: Adam Lynch PSU pinned #11 Ryan Prater UI, WBF (3:56) 12-0
149: #5 Frank Molinaro PSU dec. #20 Eric Terrazas UI, 5-1 15-0
157: #5 Cyler Sanderson PSU dec. Conrad Polz UI, 9-4 18-0
165: #8 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. Joe Barczak UI, 9-4 21-0
174: #14 Jordan Blanton UI tech. fall Justin Ortega PSU, 22-7 (6:26) 21-5
184: #2 John Dergo UI dec. (sv) #12 David Erwin PSU, 6-4 (sv) 21-8
197: #10 Patrick Bond UI dec. Clay Steadman PSU, 9-5 21-11
285: #11 Cameron Wade PSU dec. Marty Smith UI, 8-1 24-11
Attendance: 4,883
Records: Penn State 9-3-1 (1-0 Big Ten); Illinois 5-4 (0-1 Big Ten)
Up Next for Penn State: at No. 3 Ohio State, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 12 at 125, took on Illinois' John Deneen. Pataky wasted no time getting a takedown, scoring less than :20 into the bout. The Clearfield native then put together a strong ride, working Deneen's arms into a turning combination. Pataky rolled the Illini for two near fall points at the 1:30 mark and then forced Deneen into a first stall warning. Two more back points at the minute mark put Pataky up 6-0 with 2:45 in riding time after a solid ride out. Pataky chose down to start the second period. After nearly reversing Deneen before a stalemate forced a reset, Pataky forced Deneen into a technical violation to move out to a 7-0 lead. Deneen managed to maintain control of Pataky for the entire period. Pataky led 7-0 with :42 in riding time after two periods. Deneen chose top to start the final period, looking to turn Pataky and avoid giving up a major. Pataky needed an escape to clinch a major. But it was Deneen who would pick up two back points and a riding time point to make the final 7-3. Pataky's decision put Penn State up 3-0 early.
133: Freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) took to the mat at 133 to battle Illini Daryl Thomas. Pearsall got in on an early shot but Thomas stepped out of trouble, countered and went up 2-1 with a solid single leg takedown at the 2:20 mark. Pearsall got his takedown shortly thereafter and nearly turned Thomas for back points. Thomas fought off the pinning combination, but Pearsall maintained control of the Illini. He then reset himself and turned Thomas again, this time picking up three near fall points and the :40 mark. The Nittany Lion freshmen was reversed, however, just as the period ended. Still, the solid period had Pearsall up 6-4 with :59 in riding time. Thomas chose neutral to begin the second period. Pearsall exploded through a high shot, controlling Thomas' shoulders and taking him to the mat for another takedown and an 8-4 lead. But Thomas reversed Pearsall once again to cut the Lion's lead to 8-6 with 1:25 left. A Pearsall escape gave him a 9-6 lead with 1:00 to go. Neither man scored the rest of the way and Pearsall led 9-6 with 1:00 in riding time heading into the final period. Pearsall chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 10-6 lead. Thomas quickly took Pearsall down and cut him loose at the 1:40 mark to cut the lead to 10-8. Another takedown and cut gave Pearsall an 11-10 lead . Pearsall was taken down again and cut loose, giving Pearsall a 13-12 lead with :40 left. Thomas looked to score with just seconds left, but Pearsall managed to tie the Illini up and kill the clock for the final seconds to post a thrilling 13-12 decision. The win put Penn State up 6-0.
141: Senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) faced off against Illinois' Ryan Prater, who entered the bout ranked No. 11 nationally at 141. Prater got the bout's first takedown at the 2:10 mark and put together a strong ride. The ranked Illini rode Lynch out to lead 2-0 with 2:10 in riding time after the first period. Lynch chose neutral to begin the second period. Lynch nearly scored early in the period, almost tossing Prater to the amt for two points, but the talented Illini countered the move and maintained his lead. Prater tried to shoot, but Lynch quickly countered and turned the ranked Illini to his back, first getting the takedown and then thrilling the Nittany Lion faithful with a pin at the 3:56 mark. The upset victory put Penn State up 12-0 after three b outs.
149: All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 5 at 149, met No. 20 Eric Terrazas in one of two bouts pitting ranked foes against each other. The duo traded early shots with neither man finding a chance to score until Molinaro nearly got two points at the 1:00 mark. But action moved out of bounds and the bout remained scoreless. Terrazas, who was undefeated at11-0, took a late shot but Molinaro was able to slide out of bounds and keep things scoreless heading into the second period. Molinaro chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Terrazas was hit with a first stall warning at the 1:10 mark as Molinaro was the aggressor, taking shot after shot as he looked for an opening. The Nittany Lion All-American exploded through a double leg to take a 3-0 lead with :35 left in the period. He then rode the Illini out to lead 3-0 with :31 in riding time after two periods. Terrazas chose down to start the final period, quickly escaping to a 3-1 deficit. Molinaro got in on a high single, looking to score again. But Terrazas managed to work his way out of bounds to keep the bout close at 3-1. Molinaro thrilled a capacity Rec Hall crowd with one more takedown to post a 5-1 win. The victory put Penn State up 15-0.
157: Nittany Lion Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 5 at 157, met Illinois freshman Conrad Polz. Sanderson clipped Polz ankle and worked his way into a 2-0 lead with an initial takedown. Sanderson cut the Illini loose right away and turned into his opponent, looking for another takedown. The All-American added a second takedown and then rode Polz out for a 4-1 lead with a 1:11 riding time edge heading into the second period. Polz chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-2 deficit with 1:40 left in the period. Sanderson picked Polz lower leg one more time and took a 6-2 lead with :30 left. A solid ride out allowed the Nittany Lion to carry that lead, with 2:00 in riding time, into the final period. Sanderson chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. Sanderson tried to counter a slight shot by Polz, but the Illini was able to step behind the Nittany Lion and get his first takedown, cutting Sanderson's lead to 7-4. With a riding time point guaranteed, Sanderson steadily worked his way to an escape and an 8-4 lead with :30 left. Sanderson countered a late Polz shot and forced a tie-up that killed the clock, giving the Nittany Lion a 9-4 win. The victory put the Nittany Lions up 18-0 heading into halftime.
165: Senior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 165, took on Illinois' Joe Barczak. Vallimont wasted little time in taking a 2-0 lead, driving through the Illini's lower legs for takedown. Barczak worked his way to an escaped but Vallimont countered with another quick takedown, stepping around behind Barczak to lead 4-1 with 1:00 left to wrestle. Vallimont then put together a dominating ride, keeping Barczak down for the rest of the period to lead 4-1 with 1:36 in riding time after one period. Vallimont chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Vallimont gained control of Barczak's right leg and worked his way through his waste for a 7-1 lead with another takedown. A short ride out allowed the Nittany Lion All-American to carry a 7-1 lead with 1:55 in riding time into the third period. Barczak chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 7-2 deficit. But Vallimont quickly took the Illini down and cut him loose to lead 9-3 with 1:20 remaining. Looking for a major, Vallimont shot low on Barczak, forcing a scramble that ended in a stalemate with :22 left to wrestle. Vallimont could not break through Barczak's defense and posted, with the riding time point, a 10-3 decision. The win put Penn State up 21-0.
174: Freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) faced off against No. 14 Jordan Blanton at 174. Blanton quickly took Ortega down to lead 2-0 less than :15 into the bout. Blanton then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Ortega for 1:02 before the Nittany Lion escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Blanton added a second takedown with 1:30 left and then turned Ortega to his back for three back points at the 1:00 mark to lead 7-1. Ortega escaped to a 7-2 deficit. Leading 7-2 with nearly two minutes in riding time, Blanton chose down to start the second period. A quick escape gave the Illini an 8-2 lead. Blanton added two quick takedowns and a cut to lead 12-3 before a blood time forced a stoppage at the 1:16 mark. An Ortega escape made the score 12-4, but Blanton quickly took Ortega down and added two back points to lead 16-4 with :49 left in the stanza. Blanton allowed Ortega to escape and added another takedown to lead 18-5, with 2:05 in riding time, heading into the final period. Ortega chose down to start the final period and escaped to an 18-6 deficit. Blanton got another takedown at the 1:08 mark, cut Ortega loose and then took him down one more time for a 22-7 technical fall at the 6:26 mark. The five points put the Illini on the board but Penn State led 21-5.
184: In another match-up between ranked opponents, senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) met Illinois senior John Dergo at 184. Erwin entered the bout ranked No. 12 while Dergo was a lofty No. 2. Dergo got the first takedown, turning a low single into a scramble and an eventual takedown just under a minute into the bout. Erwin worked his way to an escape and cut the lead to 2-1 midway through the period. Erwin shot low late in the period, but Dergo stepped back and out of trouble. Down 2-1 after one period, Erwin chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Erwin forced another scramble, gaining control of Dergo's ankles and working his way around the second-ranked Illini to get his takedown to lead 4-2 with 1:04 left. Dergo worked his way to an escape, cutting Erwin's lead to 4-3 as action resumed in the center circle with :40 left in the middle period. Trailing 4-3, Dergo chose down to start the third period. Riding time was not a factor. Erwin put together a strong ride, keeping control of the Illini until Dergo escaped at the 1:10 mark, tying the score at 4-4. Erwin forced the issue as the period ended, but Dergo was able to back out of trouble and send the bout to an extra period. Dergo got a quick takedown, gaining control of Erwin's feet for a 6-4 SV win.
197: Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) met Illini senior Patrick Bond at 197. Bond entered the dual ranked No. 10 nationally. Bond got an early takedown, forcing Steadman to the mat on the edge of the circle with just over 2:00 left. A quick Steadman escape cut Bond's lead to 2-1 and action resumed in the center circle. Bond added a second takedown at the :15 mark and rode Steadman out to lead 4-1 after the opening period. Bond chose down to start the second period and worked his way to an escape and a 5-1 lead. Another low single allowed Dergo to get a third takedown to lead 7-1, but Dergo got hit with a second stall for hanging on to Steadman's ankle. Steadman then escaped and trailed 7-3 with :25 left. Trailing 7-3, Steadman chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 7-4 deficit. Steadman shot, but Bond deftly countered to get another takedown. He then cut Steadman loose to lead 9-5 at the 1:14 mark. Steadman got in on a high single after a reset, but Bond countered, steadily working his way around behind Steadman. The Nittany Lion sophomore was able to fight off the move, but Bond was able to post a 9-5 decision, cutting Penn State's lead to 21-11.
HWT: Sophomore heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 11 at heavyweight, took on Illinois' Marty Smith. The duo battled evenly for the entire period with neither man finding an opening for a takedown. Scoreless after three minutes, Wade chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Smith took a low shot at the :45 mark, but Wade was able to quickly step behind the Illini to get the bout's first takedown and take a 3-0 lead. A ride out allowed the Nittany Lion to lead 3-0 with :39 in riding time heading into the final period. Smith chose neutral to start the third period, but was taken down by Wade at the 1:20 mark. Wade cut Smith loose at the :30 mark to a 5-1 lead and began looking for another takedown. Wade picked up another takedown with :15 left and, with a ride out and a bonus point, posted an 8-1 win. The decision gave Penn State a sound 24-11 win.
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