After the Southern Scuffle, Peterkin's without question showed he is ready to compete and contend at 133. Against a field filled with serious competition, Peterkin put together a great run to the final, claiming the championship with a 6-0 win over top seed – and national No. 4 – Lou Ruggirello of Hofstra.
Peterkin was one of two Quakers to place at the Scuffle, joined by No. 7 Micah Burak (fourth at 197 pounds) and Zack Kemmerer (fifth at 141 pounds) as the Red and Blue finished 7th of 34 teams with a score of 71.5. Last year, Penn finished 11th of 31 teams with 62.5 points.
In the final bout, contested atop a center podium under the spotlight, Peterkin survived a tough second period ride from top-seeded Ruggirello to escape late in the middle frame and carry a 1-0 lead into the final period. In the third, Peterkin chose neutral, ,hoping to get a takedown and tie the match rather than risk any tilts from the tough-on-top Ruggirello. Roughly midway through the period, Peterkin found himself tangled in an underhook tie with Ruggirello and used the leverage on the tie to throw the three-time CAA champ to his back for a five-point move. Peterkin finished strong in top position, erasing his riding time deficit and scoring a 6-0 win.
Burak is another Penn wrestler who has quietly went about his business this year en route to a No. 7 ranking entering the tournament. However, after a 6-4 win over top seed – and national No. 1 – Dustin Kilgore of Kent State in the consolation semifinals, Burak may no longer be under the radar. That win was just one of six in the tournament for Burak, as he went 6-2 en route to his fourth place finish. After being knocked out of the championship bracket by Oregon State's Chad Hanke, 3-1 in sudden victory, Burak stormed back though the consolation bracket. He won his next four bouts by a combined score of 41-7 before his close win over Kilgore. In the third-place bout, Burak gave up an early takedown to sixth seed (and national No. 14) Matt Powless from Indiana and couldn't recover for a 4-0 loss.
The third Quaker to put together a fantastic run in Greensboro was Zack Kemmerer at 141 pounds. Kemmerer has hovered around the national rankings all year while leading the Red and Blue in wins. He entered the tournament with two firsts and a second at his three previous tourneys to open the season and can add a fifth after a 6-2 run through the Scuffle. Kemmerer's chance at a championship went by the wayside after a 10-3 loss to second-seeded (and national No. 2) Michael Thorn of Minnesota in the quarterfinals to open the day. However, Kemmerer rallied with two wins over Bloomsburg's Derek Shingara (5-2) and Virginia's Augustus Sako (4-2) to stay alive. In the consolation semifinals, Kemmerer met up with Penn State's super frosh Andrew Alton. Undefeated in his freshman season before a loss to No. 1 Kellen Russell of Michigan in the semis, Alton was looking to replicate his quick pin (0:39) of Kemmerer in the final of the Nittany Lion Open in early December. Kemmerer had other ideas, however, going toe-to-toe with Alton throughout the first two periods, keeping the match square at 4-4 late. A somewhat controversial four-point move for Alton late in the bout was the difference, with the backpoints being counted before the takedown actually appeared to be secured. Kemmerer worked his escape and pushed the action in the waning seconds, but couldn't find the score as time ran out on a frustrated Penn grappler. Undeterred, Kemmerer came back in his medal match, defeating national No. 11 – and sixth seed – Michael Mangrum of Oregon State, 6-5, to end his tournament on a high note.
After a run of early tournaments and duals away from The Palestra, Penn finally has its first home dual of the 2010-11 season ahead of them as the Quakers host Bloomsburg Jan. 9 at 1 p.m.
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