Head coach Cael Sanderson's Penn State squad is coming off a title run at the 2011 Virginia Duals. The Nittany Lions were unstoppable, going 4-0 with with wins over VMI (42-3), Edinboro (37-12), #23 Kent State (27-15) and #15 Michigan (24-12) by a combined score of 130-42. The Nittany Lions won 29 of 40 bouts with Brad Pataky (125), Andrew Long (133), Frank Molinaro (149), David Taylor (157) and Ed Ruth (174) going undefeated (4-0) during the tournament. The Virginia Duals title was Penn State's first since 1991.
Penn State enters this week's dual meets with eight ranked wrestlers and a perfect 11-0 record. The Nittany Lions have started as many as six freshmen at one time during duals this year and currently feature only one senior in the projected starting line-up. Brad Pataky is that lone senior, sporting a 7-2 record and a No. 11 national ranking at 125. Sophomore Andrew Long is 4-0 at 133 with a No. 5 ranking while true freshman Andrew Alton, ranked No. 5 at 141, is 22-2. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro is 17-2 on the year and has a No. 5 ranking at 149 while red-shirt freshman David Taylor is a perfect 23-0 and is ranked No. 3 at 157. Classmate Ed Ruth is 21-1 at 174 and has Penn State's top ranking at No. 2, sophomore All-American Quentin Wright is 8-2 and ranked No. 6 at 184 while junior Cameron Wade, 19-3 overall, is ranked No. 6 at heavyweight.
No. 22 Pittsburgh enters the Friday dual with an 8-5 record, 1-0 in the Eastern Wrestling League. The Panthers are led by No. 3 heavyweight Ryan Tomei, who is 20-3 overall; Zac Thomusseit, who is 20-3 and ranked No. 11 at 197; and Tyler Nauman, who is 16-2 at 141 and ranked No. 7. In addition to that trio of ranked grapplers, the Panthers feature 165-pounder Ethan Headlee who is 20-8 and 184-pounder Max Thomusseit, who is also 20-8. The Panthers are coming off a 33-6 EWL win over Lock Haven last Friday night. Penn State leads the all-time series between the two schools by a wide 50-12-3 margin, but the Panthers battled Penn State to a 19-19 tie in Pittsburgh last year. Prior to last year's tie, Penn State had won two straight. The Lions won 26-19 on Jan. 9, 2005 in Rec Hall. Pitt's last win was an 18-12 victory on Jan. 5, 2001, also in Rec Hall.
Indiana will enter Sunday's dual with Penn State sporting a 10-3 mark, 0-2 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers feature a veteran and balanced line-up with as many as five seniors taking to the mat for the team. Senior Kurt Kinzer is ranked No. 15 at 149 and is 20-6 on the year while classmate Paul Young is No. 5 at 157 with a 21-4 mark. Junior Matt Powless is 28-2 at 197 and is ranked No. 6 while senior Ricky Alcala is 22-6 at heavyweight and ranked No. 14. IU is coming off a hard-fought 25-14 loss at Minnesota last Friday. Penn State has never lost to Indiana in a dual meet and sports a 13-0-1 mark against the Hoosiers. The two teams did not meet last year and the squads tied 19-19 two years ago (on Jan. 23, 2009) in Bloomington.
Penn State returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 30, when No. 8 Iowa invades Rec Hall for a 2 p.m. dual. While the Iowa dual is now a sellout, tickets still remain for Penn State's final two home duals against Illinois and Wisconsin. Fans wishing to purchase single dual meet tickets for the 2010-11 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling season can place their orders by calling 814-865-5555 or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office. The box office is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ticket pricing is $8 for adults and $5 for youth, and there will be a limit of eight tickets per order. Group sales are also available. The 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. Updates from the Nittany Lion Open will air on WRSC AM (1390) and WSQV FM (92.1). All radio broadcasts are streamed live at GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. The 2010-11 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
PROBABLE STARTERS As of January 19, 2011
#2 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (11-0, 1-0 Big Ten)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2010-11 Record
125 #11 Brad Pataky Sr. Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield 7-2
133 #5 Andrew Long So. Creston, Iowa/Creston 4-0
141 #5 Andrew Alton Fr. Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain 22-2
149 #5 Frank Molinaro Jr. Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional 17-2
157 #3 David Taylor Fr. St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 23-0
165 Jake Kemerer Fr. Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield 12-6
Nick Fischer So. Unionville, Pa./Unionville 13-7
174 #2 Ed Ruth Fr. Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township 21-1
184 #6 Quentin Wright So. Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area 8-2
Andrew Church Fr. Erie, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf 6-11
197 Nick Ruggear Fr. Oxford, Pa./Oxford 13-6
Justin Ortega So. Oxford, Pa./Oxford 4-8
285 #6 Cameron Wade Jr. Twinsburg, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel 19-3
#22 PITTSBURGH PANTHERS (8-5, 1-0 EWL)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2010-11 Record
125 Anthony Zanetta So. Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks 8-10
133 Shelton Mack Fr. Meadville, Pa./Meadville 10-10
141 #7 Tyler Nauman Jr. Middletown, Pa./Middletown 16-2
149 Dane Johnson Fr. New Kensington, Pa./Shady Side Academy 14-12
157 Donnie Tasser So. Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon 14-12
165 Ethan Headlee Jr. Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg 20-8
174 Andy Vaughan Sr. Gibsonia, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic 12-5
184 Max Thomusseit Fr. St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 20-8
197 #11 Zac Thomusseit Jr. St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 20-3
285 #3 Ryan Tomei Sr. Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford 20-3
INDIANA HOOSIERS (10-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2010-11 Record
125 Justin Brooks Fr. Warsaw, Ind./Warsaw Community 12-12
133 Matt Ortega Jr. Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho 14-10
141 Mitchell Richey Fr. Morgantown, Ind./Brown County 13-13
149 #15 Kurt Kinser Sr. Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South 20-6
157 #5 Paul Young Sr. Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South 21-4
165 Ryan LeBlanc Fr. Morrsivlle, N.Y./Morrisville-Eaton 7-6
174 Nick Avery Sr. Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro 9-12
184 Eric Cameron Sr. Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller 12-13
197 #6 Matt Powless Jr. Newburgh, Ind./Evansville Memorial 28-2
285 #14 Ricky Alcala Sr. Bakersfield, Calif.Arvin 22-6
Indiv. rankings Intermat/Team rankings NWCA as of 1/18
THIS WEEK
No. 2 Penn State (11-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will take part in two duals this weekend. Penn State hosts No. 22 Pittsburgh (8-5, 1-0 EWL) on Friday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. and then treks to Indiana (10-3, 0-2 Big Ten) for a Big Ten dual on Sunday, Jan. 23, at 1 p.m.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions will host No. 8 Iowa on Sunday, Jan. 30. The 2 p.m. dual is already sold out.
ON THE AIR
TV - Pittsburgh dual will air live on the Big Ten Network.
Live Web Video -- None
Radio - WRSC AM (1390) and WSQV FM (92.1)
Web -- All radio broadcasts are streamed live at GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package.
ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
For information or credentials, contact me, Pat Donghia, Wrestling SID Phone: 814-865-1757 -- Email: pad11@psu.edu
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HEAD COACH Cael Sanderson Cael Sanderson, now in his second year as mentor of the Nittany Lions, came to Penn State after three extremely successful years as the head coach at his alma mater. Sanderson's teams did not finish any lower than fifth at the NCAA Championships and never had a wrestler not qualify for nationals, getting 30 of 30 grapplers through to the championship tournament. In 2007, Sanderson's rookie campaign, he led ISU to a 13-3 dual meet record and the first of three straight Big 12 Championships. An NCAA Runner-Up finished in Detroit capped off a wildly successful year as the Cyclones crowned one national championship and Sanderson was honored as Big 12 Coach of the Year, National Rookie Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year. The next year, Sanderson led ISU to a 16-4 dual meet mark, another Big 12 title and a fifth place finish at nationals. Iowa State's seven All-Americans in 2008 were the most at the school since 1993. This past season, Sanderson's team went 15-3 in duals, won its third straight Big 12 title and took third place at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis (just 12 points out of first place). The Cyclones also crowned another national champion. In three years, Sanderson's teams went 44-10, won three conference crowns, qualified all 30 wrestlers for nationals, and earned 15 All-America awards and two individual national titles. In his first year at Penn State, he guided the Lions to a 13-6-1 dual meet mark, 5-3 in Big Ten action, and crowned his first Big Ten Champion.
Coach Sanderson now sports a 68-16-1 dual meet mark in this, his fourth year as a collegiate head coach. He is 24-6-1 in his second year at Penn State. As Penn State's head coach, Sanderson has guided the Nittany Lions to its first-ever Southern Scuffle Co-Championship (2010-11) and its first Virginia Duals Championship since 1991 (2010-11)
TICKETS FOR 2011 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP AT NORTHWESTERN AVAILABLE NOW!
Northwestern University is hosting the Big Ten Wrestling Championships March 5-6, 2010 at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. At this time fans can purchase $40 all-session reserved tickets, $36 all session adult general admission tickets, and $24 all session student general admission tickets by calling the Wildcat Ticket Office at 847-491-2287. Every effort will be made to sit fans within a specific fan seating block but nothing is guaranteed. Single session tickets can be ordered over the phone as well, or at the door on the day of the event. The breakdown of prices for each individual session is as follows: Session 1 March 5, 2011 @ 11 a.m.: Reserved Seating $18.00; Adult GA Seating $15.00; Student GA Seating $12.00; Session 2 March 5, 2011 @ 6 p.m.: Reserved Seating $18.00; Adult GA Seating $15.00; Student GA Seating $12.00; Session 3 March 6, 2011 @ 12 p.m.: Reserved Seating $20.00; Adult GA Seating $18.00; Student GA Seating $15.00 Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket when entering Welsh-Ryan Arena.
PENN STATE WHITE OUT DECLARED FOR IOWA DUAL!
Penn State athletics and the Nittany Lion wrestling team have declared a Penn State White Out for the sold-out Iowa dual on Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. in Rec Hall. Fans are encouraged to wear their white and help show the nation what Penn State Wrestling Pride is all about! The dual, already sold out, will air on the Big Ten Network (tape delay on Tuesday at 7 p.m. as part of the BTN's weekly wrestling coverage).
LIONS SWEEP THROUGH VIRGINIA DUALS FOR CROWN
Penn State was unstoppable at the 2011 Virginia Duals, going 4-0 with with wins over VMI (42-3), Edinboro (37-12), #23 Kent State (27-15) and #15 Michigan (24-12) by a combined score of 130-42. The Nittany Lions won 29 of 40 bouts with Brad Pataky (125), Andrew Long (133), Frank Molinaro (149), David Taylor (157) and Ed Ruth (174) going undefeated (4-0) during the tournament. The Virginia Duals title was Penn State's first since 1991.
PATAKY'S RUN AT VIRGINIA DUALS SPARKS LIONS
Senior 125-pounder Brad Pataky put together a 4-0 run at the 2011 Virginia Duals to spark Penn State to a tournament crown. The Clearfield, Pa., native collected two pins, a tech fall and a decision to up his season mark to 7-2 after missing the first semester due to an injury. He pinned #10 Nic Bedelyon of Kent State in Penn State's semifinal win over the Flash.
LONG MAKES MARK IN PENN STATE DEBUT
All-American Andrew Long made a quick mark on Penn State's fortunes in his Nittany Lion debut. The mid-season transfer and 2010 National Runner-Up at 125 went 4-0 for Penn State at 133, getting a pin in his first bout and adding two majors and a decision to his tally. Long majored No. 18 Zac Stevens of Michigan in Penn State's championship dual with the Wolverines.
TAYLOR DOMINATES VIRGINIA DUALS; NAMED OW
Freshman David Taylor continued his blazing run through the collegiate ranks with a dominating performance at the Virginia Duals. Taylor went 4-0 at the event with a first period pin, a 25-12 major and two tech falls to lead Penn State to the 2011 Virginia Duals crown. Taylor was named 2011 Virginia Duals Most Outstanding Wrestler for his performance.
MOLINARO AND RUTH GO UNDEFEATED AT VA. DUALS
Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro and red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth each went undefeated at the 2011 Virginia Duals to lead the Nittany Lions to the Duals title. Molinaro had a tech fall, a decision and two majors (including a 10-2 major over #14 Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro). Ruth collected two tech falls, a decision and a one-minute pin against Michigan in Penn State's title bout tilt against the Wolverines.
RUTH NAMED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Penn State wrestler Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending January 2, 2011. The honor is the first for Ruth, a freshman 174-pounder for the Nittany Lions, and is the first for Penn State this year. Ruth won the honor after winning five bouts, including decisions over then No. 1 Mack Lewnes of Cornell and No. 2 Chris Henrich of Virginia, en route to the 174-pound title at the Southern Scuffle last week. Ruth's performance led the Nittany Lions to a tie for first place in the 34-team field and earned him the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler award. Ruth opened the tournament by pinning Army's Robert Doyle in 2:11, followed by an 11-3 major decision over Michigan's Justin Zeerip. He earned his second pin of the event against Lock Haven's Michael Khoury, scoring the fall in 1:07. Ruth then defeated Lewnes by an 11-5 decision in the semifinals before earning a 7-2 decision over Henrich to take home the title.
IOWA DUAL SOLD OUT
Penn State Athletics has announced that the wrestling dual between No. 2 Penn State and No. 7 Iowa on Jan. 30 in Rec Hall is sold out. A one-day sale of Standing Room Only tickets was sold in just over :30 minutes as well. With the Iowa dual sold out, tickets for Penn State's other three home duals are also selling fast but are available. Penn State hosts in-state rival Pittsburgh in a nationally televised dual on Friday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. The dual will air live to over 73 million households on the Big Ten Network; Illinois on Friday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. and Wisconsin on Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. Fans wishing to purchase single dual meet tickets can place their orders by calling 814-865-5555 or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office. The box office is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ticket pricing is $8 for adults and $5 for youth, and there will be a limit of eight tickets per order. Group sales are still available for the Pitt, Illinois and Wisconsin duals as well.
LIONS STORM THE SOUTHERN SCUFFLE TO EARN CO-CHAMPIONSHIP WITH #1 CORNELL
Behind a solid and balanced attack, the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers stormed the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C., to earn a Co-Championship with No. 1 Cornell. Penn State had three individual champions and a runner-up as well as four other placers. David Taylor won the crown at 157, Ed Ruth earned the 174-pound title as well as Most Outstanding Wrestler honors and Cameron Wade won at heavyweight. Frank Molinaro lost a 1-0 decision in the finalist a 149 as well. Both Penn State and Cornell earned 151.5 points to far-outdistance third place Oregon State. Penn State went 65-22 on the day with 36 of those bouts earning bonus points. Penn State had 15 pins, six technical falls and 15 majors while placing eight wrestlers in the top eight.
Ed Ruth DOWNS #1 AND #2 IN ONE DAY; WINS SCUFFLE CROWN AT 174 AND NAMED OW
Ranked No. 10 at 174, red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth gave notice to the country with a thorough 11-5 win over No. 1 Mack Lewnes of Cornell in the semifinals. Ruth then took on No. 2 Chris Henrich of Virginia in the finals. In a feat rare for any wrestler, yet alone a freshman, Ruth dominated the second-ranked Cavalier on his way to a 7-2 win. In beating the No. 1 and No. 2 seed in the same afternoon, Ruth won the Scuffle crown with a 5-0 record (including two pins and a major). Ruth was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler for his stellar performance. Ruth was one of four finalists Penn State had at the event (and three champs).
TAYLOR UNTOUCHABLE IN CLAIMING 157-POUND TITLE AT SOUTHERN SCUFFLE
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor, ranked No. 3 at 157, continued to dominate the field with a 23-6 technical fall over Michigan's Brandon Zeerip in the semifinals. The win moved him into the finals where he took on No. 9 Paul Young of Indiana. In another dominating performance, Taylor made short work of the Hoosier senior, turning the veteran Big Ten grappler numerous times on his way to a decisive 18-2 technical fall at the 4:06 mark. Taylor was simply unchallenged at the event, going 6-0 with four technical falls and two pins. Taylor was one of four finalists Penn State had at the event (and three champs).
WADE CLINCHES SCUFFLE CO-TITLE WITH HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN IN TOURNEY'S FINAL BOUT
Cameron Wade, ranked No. 6 nationally, continued to roll and beat No. 12 Clayton Jack 7-4 in the semifinals, setting up a finals bout against No. 7 Ben Apland of Michigan. Wade needed a win to force a tie in the team race and he gave the packed house all they could handle. Down 2-1 with time running out, Wade turned Apland for two back points as the Lion faithful roared and, with a riding time point, notched a 4-2 thriller to take the title at heavyweight. The win allowed Penn State to forge a tie in the team race as well. Wade was one of four finalists Penn State had at the event (and three champs).
MOLINARO DROPS 1-0 DEC. TO #1 DAKE IN SCUFFLE FINALS; ALTON LOSES 4-3 TO #1 RUSSEL TO LEAD FIVE OTHER NITTANY LION PLACE WINNERS
After a quarterfinal win, two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 6 at 149, crushed No. 15 Torsten Gillespie 9-1 That win moved him into the finals where he met No. 1 Kyle Dake of Cornell. Molinaro set the offensive tempo, taking shot after shot in the finals but Dake was able to spend the match on the edge of the mat and used a third period escape to post the 1-0 win. Molinaro was one of four finalists Penn State had at the event. The four finalists were joined by four other Nittany Lions as place-winners at the prestigious event. At 141, true freshman Andrew Alton gave up a last-second takedown to No. 1 Kellen Russell of Michigan and dropped a 4-3 decision in a thrilling upset bid in the semifinals. The 9th-ranked 141-pounder rebounded for two wins in wrestle-back to take third place. Alton went 6-1 on the day with three pins and a major. Freshman James Vollrath rebounded from a first round loss at 157 to reel off nine straight wins to storm to third place while freshman Frank Martellotti went 6-3 at 125 to take sixth. Sophomore James English went 5-2 at 149 to take seventh place to round out Penn State's eight place winners.
Rob Vollrath TAKES 2ND AT HITCHCOCK MEMORIAL
Nine members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team travelled to Millersville University on Sunday to take part in the Floyd `Shorty' Hitchcock Memorial Classic. True freshman Rob Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) led the way for the Nittany Lions with a second place finish at 133 pounds. Vollrath, who is red-shirting this year, was wrestling unattached. Vollrath went 4-1 at 133, including a first period pin of York's Sergio Grigorian. The Nittany Lion rookie lost to Lock Haven's John Trumbetti in the finals, 7-1. Red-shirt freshman Andrew Church (Erie, Pa.), also wrestling unattached, went 2-2 at 184 to advance to the semifinals. Church went 1-1 in tie-breaker matches. Senior Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.) went 2-2 at 125 and true freshman Brandon Phillips (Timonium, Md.) went 2-2 at 174. True freshman David Church (Erie, Pa.) went 3-2 at 157 while classmate Cameron Kelly (Pittsford, N.Y.) picked up a win at 125. Freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) also grabbed a win at 165. Other Nittany Lions taking part in the tournament included Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) at 125, Kyle Moran (Oxford, Pa.) at 149 and Justin Haug (Galeton, Pa.) at 165.
PITT DUAL MOVED TO 6 P.M. FOR LIVE BTN COVERAGE!
The home wrestling dual with rival Pittsburgh on Jan. 21 has had its start time moved to 6 p.m. The time change will now allow the Big Ten Network to air the much-anticipated wrestling dual live to over 70 million homes nationwide. Penn State and Pittsburgh have a long and storied wrestling rivalry. The two teams have met 65 times with Penn State owning a 50-12-3 advantage in the series, but the teams wrestled to a 19-19 tie last year in Pittsburgh. This year's dual will feature a number of anticipated match-ups of ranked opponents and is also Penn State's final non-conference dual meet.
ALTON NOW 5TH ON ALL-TIME SINGLE SEASON PINS LIST
True freshman Andrew Alton picked up three more pins during his third place finish at the Southern Scuffle and now had 13 on the year. Alton is now 22-2 on the year with 15 pins. The 15 falls has him fifth on Penn State's all-time single-season falls list. The record is 24, set by Josh Moore in 2003-04.
TAYLOR LEADING DUAL MEET TAKEDOWN RACE
David Taylor has retaking the team dual meet takedown race with 51. Ed Ruth follows closely behind with 49 while Andrew Alton sits in third with 28 and Frank Molinaro is in fourth with 20
OVER 5,100 CHEER AS LIONS CRUSH #22 OHIO STATE 42-3 IN MOST LOPSIDED BIG TEN DUAL WIN IN PSU HISTORY
The Penn State Nittany Lions won nine out of ten bouts to trounce No. 22 Ohio State 42-3 on Dec. 19 in the Big Ten dual meet opener for both teams. Over 5,100 fans crammed into Rec Hall to watch the event (5,102). The win ties a Penn State record for most lop-sided Big Ten dual meet victory. Penn State beat Northwestern 42-3 back on Feb. 6, 2004, also in Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions used pins from Andrew Alton at 141, Frank Molinaro at 149 and Cameron Wade at HWT; majors from Frank Martellotti at 125, David Taylor at 157 and Ed Ruth up a weigh at 184; and a forfeit win at 174 to grab the victory.
LIONS OFF TO BEST DUAL MEET START SINCE 1988-89
The Nittany Lions head to the Southern Scuffle with a 7-0 dual meet record. The mark is Penn State's best start since beginning the 1988-89 year 8-0 (without a loss or tie.)
#3 TAYLOR DOMINATES #13 SPONSELLER; CONTINUES DOMINANT START TO CAREER
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor nearly teched #13 Colt Sponseller of Ohio State in Penn State's dual meet win on 12/19. Taylor posted a 14-1 major with 5:56 in riding time to improved to 13-0 on the year.
PEARSALL KNOCKS OFF #10 PADDOCK TO LEAD PENN STATE OVER BUCKEYES
Sophomore Bryan Pearsall continued his impressive second season at 133 for Penn State, posting a thorough 9-4 win over No. 10 Ian Paddock of Ohio State. The victory helped spark Penn State to a 42-3 dismantling of Ohio State in the Big Ten dual meet opener for both teams on 12/19.
FISCHER AND VOLLRATH PICK UP FIRST CAREER DUAL MEET WINS
Sophomore 165-pounder Nick Fischer moved up a weight to 174 and picked up his first Penn State dual meet win with a thrilling 7-5 decision over Lock Haven's Michael Khoury in Penn State's 48-0 win over LHU on 12/12. In addition, red-shirt freshman 157-pounder James Vollrath was set to step in at 165 for an ailing Jake Kemerer and picked up a forfeit victory in his Penn State dual meet debut.
LIONS SHUT OUT LOCK HAVEN 48-0 FOR SECOND SCORELESS EFFORT OF THE YEAR
Penn State's 48-0 shut-out of Lock Haven on 12/12 was the team's second of the year, following up on a 45-0 win over Harvard in November. The 48-0 win is Penn State's most lopsided shutout victory since a 54-0 win over Millersville on Jan. 25, 1983. The last time Penn State had two shutouts in one season was the 2006-07 season when the Lions beat Clarion (47-0) and Rider (41-0).
Cael Sanderson TO BE INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
The nation's first undefeated four-time NCAA champion, Cael Sanderson, joins three other of America's best wrestlers chosen for induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum on June 8-9, 2011 in Stillwater. Distinguished Members selected along with Sanderson for the Class of 2011 include Dennis Hall, Dan Brand and Richard Delgado, posthumously. "This is another outstanding class of inductees," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "I am excited that our Hall of Fame gets to honor such a prestigious group whose legacies span over 60 years of wrestling in this country." Sanderson made history by becoming the first four-time undefeated NCAA Division I champion in collegiate history. The former Iowa State star went 159-0 from 1999 through 2002. He capped his career by winning a Gold Medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
LIONS CROWN FOUR AT NITTANY LION OPEN
No. 5 Penn State sent 29 wrestlers into action at the 2010 Nittany Lion Open, had 16 quarterfinalists and ended the day with four champions. Three freshmen and a junior claimed titles for head coach Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions. Penn State sent eight wrestlers into the finals with half of them winning their bouts. Freshman Frank Martellotti went 5-0 to win at 125 with two pins, a tech fall and a major. Classmate Andrew Alton put on a show at 141, going 6-0 to claim the title with five pins. The fifth pin was a :39 fall over No. 20 Zack Kemerer of Penn in the finals. Red-shirt freshman David Taylor continued his superb run with a 6-0 day at 157. Taylor claimed the title with a 9-3 dismantling of Virginia Tech's Jesse Dong (who was the #3 seed at NCAAs last year). Taylor had a fall, a tech and three majors. Junior Cameron Wade went 5-0 with three tech falls, a pin and a major Penn State's superb day at the Open was tempered, however, in the finals at 184. No. 6 Quentin Wright was beating No. 14 Nathan Schiedel of Binghamton when the returning All-American was injured and suffered an injury default to take second place. Wright went 4-1 on the day. Just seconds before that, two-time All-American Frank Molinaro, ranked No. 2 at 149, was upset in overtime by No. 10 Mario Mason of Rutgers. Mason downed Molinaro 3-1 (sv), giving the Lion junior a 5-1 record on the day. Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth, ranked No. 14 at 174, handled No. 9 Scott Giffin of Penn 6-2 in the semifinals and then dropped a hard-fought 9-4 decision to No. 8 Mike Letts of Maryland in the finals. Ruth went 5-1 for second place with two pins and two tech falls. True freshman Dirk Cowburn, wrestling unattached at 165, advanced to the finals where he was pinned by No. 3 Josh Asper of Maryland. Cowburn went 5-1 for his runner-up finish. The day at the NLO was solid all-around for Penn State. The Lions had 29 entrants in the event, 16 of which advanced to the quarterfinals and 11 of which made the semis. Penn State had eight finalists, half of whom won titles.
LION FRESHMEN SHINE AT SPRAWL AND BRAWLS
Penn State started six freshmen in each of its three duals at the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Nov. 21 and the outstanding group posted a superb 16-2 record. Frank Martellotti (125), Andrew Alton (141), David Taylor (157), Jake Kemerer (165), Ed Ruth (174) and Nick Ruggear (197) combined for the solid showing.
RUGGEAR WINS PSU DUAL DEBUT
True freshman Nick Ruggear made his Penn State dual meet debut at the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Nov. 21 and won his first two bouts (an 12-1 major over Harvard's Bryan Panzano and a 4-2 win over WVU's Cameron Gallaher) before losing to Rutgers' Mike Wagner.
ALTON WINS FIRST FOUR BY FALL
True freshman Andrew Alton won his first four collegiate bouts in fine fashion, getting a pin in each bout. Alton won each of those four bouts with falls in the first period by a combined time of only 3:57.
ENGLISH OUTSTANDING AT SPRAWL AND BRAWLS
Sophomore James English stepped into the starting line-up at 149 to begin the season as two-time All-American Frank Molinaro rehabbed a pre-season injury and made a national statement at the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Nov. 21. English downed two top-ten foes, beating #9 Corey Jantzen of Harvard 4-3 and #8 Brandon Rader of West Virginia 5-3 in back-to-back dual meet wins.
LIONS GO 3-0 AT SPRAWL & BRAWLS, INCLUDING 22-10 VICTORY OVER #24 RUTGERS
The Nittany Lions won seven of ten bouts against #24 Rutgers to down the Scarlet Knights 22-10 and closed out the 2010 Sprawl and Brawl Duals with a 3-0 mark on Nov. 21. The Nittany Lions opened the event by shutting out Harvard 45-0. It was Penn State's first shut-out since the Lions blanked rival Lehigh 33-0 on Dec. 7, 2007. Penn State won the takedown battle with RU 19-7 and posted a daunting 60-10 edge in takedowns over the course of the day's three duals.
Dylan Alton, COWBURN AND VOLLRATH CLAIM ESU OPEN CROWNS
Twelve members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team took part in the 2010 ESU Open, hosted on Saturday East Stroudsburg University and three of them left with individual titles. Dylan Alton, Dirk Cowburn and James Vollrath each won their respective weight classes at the crowded event. With action against unrostered wrestlers not counting in the records, Vollrath was one of three Nittany Lions wrestling attached in the Blue and White singlet. The red-shirt freshman went 4-0 at 157 to win his title. Alton and Cowburn were each wrestling unattached. Alton went 5-0 with a pin and a major to with the 149 pound crown while Cowburn went 4-0 with three pins to with the 165 pound weight class. Three other Nittany Lions placed (all wrestling unattached. Nate Morgan went 4-1 at 125 and advanced to the final bout before losing, placing second. Sam Sherlock went 5-1 at 133 and took third and Thomas Gorman went 6-2 at 157 to place fifth.
SHERLOCK AND FISCHER CLAIM W&J TITLES
Seventeen members of the Penn State wrestling team competed, both attached and unattached at the Washington and Jefferson Open on Saturday. Sophomore Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) and true freshman Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, Pa.) each won their respective weight classes to lead seven Penn State placers. Fischer was one of five Nittany Lions wrestling attached in their blue and white singlets and he went a perfect 6-0 to claim the 165-pound title. He notched a major and had two pins on his way to the crown. Red-shirt freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) had a solid tournament, advancing to the finals at 157 before losing. Vollrath was 4-1 with a major to take second at his weight. Senior 125-pounder Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) went 6-2 with a major to place fifth at 125. Senior Michael Lorenzo (Bellefonte, Pa.) went 1-1 at 174 and freshman Andrew Church (Erie, Pa.) went 4-2 with a major and a pin at 174 to round out Penn State's attached grapplers competing at the event. Sherlock was a perfect 5-0 at 133 to win the crown, posting two majors during his title winning run. Classmate Dirk Cowburn (Coudersport, Pa.) picked up the most wins of any Nittany Lion on the day, going 7-1 with two pins and two majors to take third at a crowded 165-pound weight class. Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.), also a first year wrestler, went 6-1 with a major at 125 to take third while fellow first-year wrestler Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) was 5-1 with a major at 197 to place third and round out Penn State's placers at the event.
FIVE FRESHMEN PERFECT IN DEBUT WEEKEND
Penn State's young and talented line-up got an early lift in its opening weekend as five freshmen combined to go 10-0 in the Nittany Lions' two dual meet victories. True freshman Frank Martellotti went 2-0 at 125, true freshman Andrew Alton went 2-0 at 141 with two pins, red-shirt freshman David Taylor went 2-0 at 157 with a tech fall and a pin, red-shirt freshman Jake Kemerer went 2-0 at 165 (including a win over No. 11 Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh) and red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth went 2-0 at 174 with a tech fall.
NEARLY 5,300 PACK REC HALL AS LIONS DOWN #15 LEHIGH 21-17
The Penn State Nittany Lions, ranked No. 6 at the time, thrilled nearly 5,300 fans in a packed Rec Hall on 11/14 by beating intra-state rival Lehigh, ranked No. 15, 21-17. Five Penn State freshmen made their Rec Hall dual meet debuts by grabbing exciting wins to spark Penn State to a perfect 2-0 opening-weekend start. The crowd was the largest for a Penn State dual since 5,841 watched Penn State beat Iowa 24-13 on Feb. 4, 2007.
LIONS BEAT HUSKIES BEFORE SRO CROWD
Penn State travelled to Bloomsburg University on 11/13 for the 2010-11 season opener and downed the host Huskies 41-3 in front of a standing-room-only crowd in BU's Nelson Field House. On a night when Bloom was re-dedicating a newly renovated arena, Penn State's fan base turned out in full force to make up a large chunk of over 2,300 fans in the 1,700 capacity venue. Penn State won nine of ten bouts, including getting five wins from freshmen making their collegiate debuts. Sophomore Bryan Pearsall got a key pin at 133, sophomore James English stepped in at 149 to grab a win, All-American Quentin Wright got a pin at 184 and sophomore Cameron Wade got a major at HWT to round out PSU's nine wins.
NEARLY 3,000 FANS FILL REC HALL FOR INTRASQUAD
Nearly 3,000 fans rolled into Rec Hall for the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling intrasquad dual meet. Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad took part in 12 matches in front of over 2,900 fans. With one of the nation's best and youngest line-ups, 16 of the 24 wrestlers were freshmen.
PENN STATE RANKED #2 IN NWCA/USA TODAY COACHES POLL; 8 LIONS RANKED INDIVIDUALLY BY INTERMAT
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, led by head coach Cael Sanderson, continues to hold the No. 2 spot in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. In addition, eight Penn State individuals are ranked in the top 20 at their respective weights by Intermat, led by true freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) who is No. 2 at 174. The top two teams remain the same in the dual meet Coaches Poll. Cornell is No. 1 with 275 points while Penn State is a close second with 264. Virginia Tech moved up to third with 249 while Big Ten foes Wisconsin (4th, 241) and Minnesota (5th, 234) round out the top five. Oklahoma State (6), Missouri (7), Iowa (8), Boise State (9) and Oklahoma (10) comprise the rest of the top ten. Big Ten teams Michigan (11), Illinois (15), Northwestern (19) and Purdue (23) are also ranked, giving the conference eight teams ranked in the coaches poll while both Indiana and Ohio State are receiving votes. While the USA Today/NWCA poll reflects projected dual meet strength, Intermat's official tournament team ranking (projecting post-season tournament finishes based on each entity's individual rankings) now has Penn State tied with Cornell in the No. 1 spot. TheOpenMat.com also compiles a comprehensive tournament strength ranking and has Cornell in the No. 1 spot with Penn State No. 2 on that listing.
Senior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) is 7-2 on the year with two pins, two techs and a major and is ranked No. 11 at 125. Sophomore All-American Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa) is ranked No. 5 at 133 with a 4-0 mark, including a pin and two majors. Freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) is ranked No. 5 at 141. Alton is 22-2 on the year with 15 pins and three majors. His only two losses are one-point decisions to the top-ranked 141-pounder and his 15 pins is fifth all time at Penn State for falls in a single season. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) is ranked No. 5 at 149. Molinaro sports a 17-2 record with three pins, three tech falls and seven majors. Freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) remains undefeated on the year and has a 23-0 record. Taylor is ranked No. 3 at 157 and has six pins, nine tech falls and seven majors. Only one of his 23 bouts has been decided by less than a major. Classmate Ed Ruth is ranked No. 2 at 174 and has a 21-1 record. The Harrisburg native has eight pins, five tech falls and two majors. Sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), a 2009 All-American at 174, was ranked among best at 184 before an injury sidelined him in December. The junior is back in the Penn State line-up and is ranked No. 6 with an 8-2 record. Junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) is ranked No. 6 at heavyweight. Wade sports a 19-3 record with eight pins, three tech falls and two majors.
SEVEN NITTANY LIONS RANKED BY THEOPENMAT.COM
Seven Penn State wrestlers are currently ranked nationally by TheOpenMat.com. Senior Brad Pataky is #11 at 125, sophomore Andrew Long is #8 at 133, freshman Andrew Alton is #5 at 141, junior Frank Molinaro is #5 at 149, freshman David Taylor is #2 at 157, freshman Ed Ruth is #2 at 174 and junior Cameron Wade is #6 at 285. All-American Quentin Wright will not be ranked by TOM until he returns to the Penn State line-up at 184.
SINGLE DUAL MEET TICKETS ON SALE
Fans wishing to purchase single dual meet tickets for the 2010-11 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling season can place their orders by calling 814-865-5555 or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office. The box office is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ticket pricing is $8 for adults and $5 for youth, and there will be a limit of eight tickets per order. Group sales are also available. This year's home schedule continues in a nationally televised dual. The Pittsburgh Panthers close out Penn State's non-conference schedule in Rec Hall on Friday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. live on the Big Ten Network. The Iowa Hawkeyes come to town on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 2 p.m., followed by a match-up with the Illinois Illini on Friday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions close out their dual meet schedule with a home meeting with the Wisconsin Badgers on Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.
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