Penn State Wrestlers Claim Fourth-Straight Big Ten Title
Taylor and Ruth become
school’s first four-time B1G champions to lead Lions to crown
MADISON, Wis.; March 9, 2014 – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team
rode a strong and balanced performance to its fourth-straight Big Ten
Championship this weekend, sparked by two historic individual champions.
Penn State out-distanced second place Iowa by 5.5 points. Head Coach Cael
Sanderson’s squad took the title with 140.5 points while the Hawkeyes were close
behind at 135.0.
In addition to its fourth straight team trophy, Penn
State will return home with its first ever four-time individual champions as
seniors David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) and Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) made school
and conference history with final, historic, title runs. All 10 Nittany Lion
wrestlers are headed to the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City as Penn State
now sets its sights on a fourth straight NCAA crown.
Taylor was named the 2014 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year,
the third time he has won the honor. The Lion senior also pulled in his
first Big Ten Championship Outstanding Wrestler honor as well. Sanderson
won his fourth-straight Big Ten Coach of the Year award.
An epically tight team race heading into the Big Ten finals, Penn State led Iowa
by just one half point (128.5 to 128.0) and each team had five finalists.
While both squads picked up key points in the placing bouts, Penn State would
use those consolation points and the title turns by Taylor and Ruth to roll to
victory.
Taylor, the No. 1 seed at 165, took on second-seed Nick
Moore of Iowa in the finals. With Penn State trailing Iowa at the time of
the bout by 3.5 points, Taylor went to work. The duo traded early shots
with Taylor breaking through at the 1:45 mark for an early 2-0 lead. The
Lion senior then turned Moore for three back points to open up a 5-0 lead with
:45 left on the clock. Taylor then rode Moore out to lead 5-0 with 1:44 in
riding time after one period. Taylor took down to start the second stanza
and escaped to a 6-0 lead. He added another quick takedown, cut Moore
loose and then countered a Moore shot to notch a takedown of his own for a 10-1
lead. The Iowa bench challenged the call, contending that Moore and a takedown
earlier in the scramble, but the Taylor points stood. Taylor then cut
Moore loose and picked up another takedown. Moore countered for his own
score but Taylor carried a hefty 13-5 lead with nearly 2:00 in riding time into
the third period. The third stanza was all Taylor on top, clinching the
riding time point and riding Moore out. The 14-5 major decision, with 3:29
in riding time, made Taylor the 12th four-time Big Ten Champion in
conference history (and Penn State’s first-ever). Taylor will head to the
NCAA Championship with a 29-0 record on the year after his 3-0 Big Ten title run
that included a pin, a tech fall and a major.
Ruth, the No. 1 seed at 184, took on Iowa’s Ethan
Lofthouse, the No. 2 seed, in the finals at 184. With a chance to clinch
Penn State’s fourth-straight team 10-2 title and become the school’s second
four-time Big Ten champ, the Lion senior was unstoppable. Ruth notched two
first period takedowns to open up an early 4-1 lead. Taking down to start
the second, Ruth quickly escaped and then turned in to the Hawkeye quickly,
taking Lofthouse down again to open up a 7-1 lead. He cut Lofthouse loose
and quickly took him down again to lead 9-2 with well over 1:00 in riding time
after two. Lofthouse took down to start the third period but Ruth would
not relent. The Lion senior simply rode the Hawkeye out for the full
period and, with 3:35 in riding time, rolled to the 10-2 major. The win
made Ruth the 13th four-time Big Ten Champion in conference history
and, following teammate David Taylor by mere minutes, the second in Penn State
history. Ruth will head to the NCAA Championship with 29-1 record thanks
to his 4-0 conference title run (which included three majors).
Junior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), the No. 1 at
125, took on Illinois’ Jesse Delgado in the title bout at 125, a rematch of last
year’s NCAA Championship match. Neither man could break through for any
takedowns during regulation, trading escapes (Megaludis in the second and
Delgado in the third). The duo then wrestled evenly for a first sudden
victory period, a first tie breaker and a second sudden victory period with
neither wrestler escaping. In the second tie breaker, Delgado was down
first and escaped in ten seconds. Megaludis escaped but :25 seconds into
his second tie breaker period, giving Delgado a 3-2 (TB2) decision on a :15
riding time edge. Megaludis posted a 3-1 record to finish as Big Ten
runner-up, including a first round pin. Megaludis heads to Oklahoma City
with a 26-3 record.
True freshman Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), the No. 1
seed at 141, met second seed Logan Stieber of Ohio State in a rematch of classic
in Rec Hall from earlier this year. Stieber scored early, taking Retherford down
at the 2:26 mark to open up a 2-0 lead early on. Retherford escaped to a
2-1 score but Stieber had a 1:07 riding time edge. Leading by one after
one, Stieber chose neutral to start the second period. Stieber connected
on a low single at the :45 mark and turned it into a takedown and a 4-1 lead.
The Buckeye then rode Retherford out to carry that lead into the third.
Retherford chose down to start the third and was turned for two near fall
points. He managed a reversal to cut the lead to 6-3 but it was not enough
as Stieber, with 1:41 in riding time, posted the 7-3 win. The loss was the
first for Retherford, who heads to the NCAA Championships as the Big Ten
Runner-Up with a 29-1 record. Retherford went 3-1 with a major in his
first Big Ten Championship run.
Sophomore Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), the No. 1
seed at 197, took on second-seeded Nick Heflin of Ohio State in the finals.
After a scoreless first period, McIntosh chose down to start the second stanza
and worked his way to a reversal and a 2-0 lead. The Lion was able to
control Heflin for a bit, but the Buckeye escaped before the period ended and
McIntosh led 2-1 after two periods. Heflin chose down to start the third
period and worked his way to a reversal and a 2-2 tie. The remainder of
the final stanza had McIntosh pressuring Heflin and the Buckeye playing defense,
stepping back and working the clock down to zeroes. The duo worked through
a scoreless first sudden victory period and then each wrestler escaped in their
firs tie breaker, sending the bout to a second sudden victory tied 3-3. In
the second sudden victory period, Heflin countered a McIntosh shot with just :01
on the clock for the winning takedown, posting the thrilling 5-3 (sv2) win.
McIntosh ended the tournament as the Big Ten runner-up with a 2-1 mark. He
heads to Oklahoma City with a 27-3 record.
Junior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), the No. 2
seed at 174, dominated Illinois’ Tony Dallago in his consolation semifinal bout,
putting on a takedown clinic on his way to a 16-5 major decision (with 3:05 in
riding time). Brown then took on No. 4 Logan Storley of Minnesota in the
third place match. The bout was a tight one but Brown used a strong second
period ride to build up 1:11 in riding time, which would be the difference in a
2-1 victory. Brown’s third place run came off a 4-1 mark with two majors
and an injury default. He heads to NCAAs with a 28-4 record.
Senior James English (York, Pa.), the No. 7 seed at 149,
took on Michigan’s Eric Grajales in the consolation semifinals and dropped a
tough 12-2 bout. The loss sent the Lion senior to the fifth place bout
where he used a second period reversal and a riding time point to down
Wisconsin’s Ryan Lubeck, 3-2. English finished fifth in his first Big Ten
tournament as the seventh-seed, posting a 3-2 record. English will roll on
to his first NCAA Championships with an 11-5 record.
Junior Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.), the No. 8 seed at
285, was pinned by sixth-seed Mike McClure of Michigan State in his consolation
semifinal match. The eighth-seeded Lion then took on Northwestern’s Mike
McMullan in the fifth place bout and dropped a tough 8-2 decision. Gingrich
placed sixth at his first Big Ten Championship as the eighth-seed, going 2-3
with a win over the top-seed. He will head to Oklahoma City with a 22-8
record.
Red-shirt freshman Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), the No.
7 seed at 133, picked up critical bonus points in his seventh-place bout against
Northwestern’s Dominick Malone. Gulibon used a last second takedown and ride out
to post a 9-1 major and placed seventh in his first Big Ten Championship.
Gulibon went 3-2 with a tech fall and a major and heads to his first NCAA
Championship with a 17-13 record.
Junior Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), the No. 5 seed at
157, suffered a tough 13-4 loss to Illinois’ Zac Brunson in the seventh place
bout and took eighth. Alton went 2-3 at the tournament with a major and
heads to Oklahoma City with an 18-5 mark.
Penn State went 29-14 overall, collecting two pins, two tech falls, ten majors
and an injury default for 21 bonus points. Penn State becomes the fifth
team in conference history to win four straight team titles, the first since
Iowa from 1995-1998.
Sanderson’s squad will send 10 automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Championships
two weeks from now in Oklahoma City. This marks the second straight year that
Penn State has sent its full line-up to nationals. It is also the fifth
time that Sanderson has qualified all 10 of his wrestlers as a head coach.
The NCAA announces the full and final NCAA brackets and seeds on Wednesday
night.
Taylor and Ruth became Penn State’s first four-time Big Ten Champions are 12th
and 13th four-time champions in Big Ten history. The senior
tandem is now owners of eight individual and four Big Ten team titles. They head
to Oklahoma City still unbeaten against any Big Ten opponent during their
careers. They are a combined 112-0 against conference foes (56-0 each).
Taylor is now 29-0 on the year with 13 pins, eight tech falls and seven majors.
He is 129-3 all-time with 50 pins, 42 techs and 29 majors and is 56-0 all-time
against Big Ten competition. His 50 pins is three shy of Penn State’s
all-time record of 53.
Ruth is now 29-1 on the year with ten pins, eight tech falls and nine majors.
He will head to Oklahoma City with a 131-3 record, including 45 pins, 24 techs
and 32 majors. He is 56-0 all-time against Big Ten competition as well.
With Taylor’s honors and Sanderson award, Penn State has collected quite a bit
of conference hardware during its current run. The Lions have had the last
four Big Ten Wrestlers of the Year (Taylor three times, Ruth once), Sanderson
has won four straight Coach of the Year honors, Penn State has claimed four
tournament OWs as well (Taylor, Ruth, Quentin Wright and Frank Molinaro) and one
Freshman of the Year (Taylor).
The Nittany Lions now head to Oklahoma City for the 2014 NCAA Wrestling
Championships. Penn State will be seeking its fourth-straight National
Championship during the three-day event, which runs March 20-22, in Oklahoma
City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena. The tournament begins on Thursday morning
at 12 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. Central). All six sessions will air live on
ESPNU and/or ESPN, with ESPN3 offering full tournament multi-mat coverage
online.
Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via
twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstateWREST and on Penn State Wrestling’s Facebook
page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2013-14 Penn State
Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
2014 Big Ten Wrestling
Championships – FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Sunday, March 9, 2014 – Kohl Center, University of
Wisconsin – Madison, Wis.
1: PENN STATE, 140.5
2: Iowa, 135.0
3: Minnesota, 118.5
4: Ohio State, 86.5
5: Nebraska, 79.0
6: Illinois, 78.5
7: Wisconsin, 73.0
8: Michigan, 71.5
9: Northwestern, 58.0
10: Indiana, 37.0
11: Purdue, 34.5
12: Michigan State, 21.5
2014 Big Ten Wrestling
Championships – Championship Finals
Sunday, March 9, 2014 – Kohl Center, University of
Wisconsin – Madison, Wis.
125: Jesse Delgado ILL dec. Nico Megaludis PSU,
3-2 (TB2; 0:15 RT)
133: Tony Ramos IOWA dec. Tyler Graff WIS, 2-1
141: Logan Stieber OSU dec. Zain Retherford PSU,
7-3
149: Jason Tsirtsis NU dec. Jake Sueflohn NEB, 6-2
157: James Green NEB dec. Derek St. John IOWA, 7-4
165: David Taylor PSU maj. dec. Nick Moore IOWA, 14-5
174: Robert Kokesh NEB dec. Mike Evans IOWA, 6-4
184: Ed Ruth PSU maj. dec. Ethan Lofthouse IOWA, 10-2
197: Nick Heflin OSU dec. Morgan McIntosh PSU, 5-3 (SV2)
285: Tony Nelson MINN dec. Adam Chalfant IND, 2-1 (TB)
The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown/agate of
Penn State’s tournament to date (rankings listed are Final NCAA Coaches
Rankings):
125: #2 Nico Megaludis
(Murrysville, Pa.), Jr. – #1 seed – 26-3 overall
NCAA QUALIFIER – 2nd
Place
1st
Rd: Garrison White, Northwestern, -- WBF (3:19)
Qtrs: #20 Nick Roberts, Ohio State (8th-seed)
-- W, 12-5 dec.
Semis: #9 Ryan Taylor, Wisconsin (4th-seed) –
W, 4-3 dec.
Finals: #3 Jesse Delgado, Illinois (2nd-seed)
– L, 2-3 (TB2; 0:15 RT)
Junior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), the No. 1 at
125, got Penn State off to a fast start by pinning Northwestern’s Garrison White
at the 3:19 mark in his first match, Penn State’s first of the tournament. He
then posted a strong 12-5 decision over Ohio State’s Nick Roberts to move into
the semifinals and secure a trip to Oklahoma City for the NCAA Championships.
The two-time national finalist then withstood a strong effort from fourth-seeded
Ryan Taylor of Wisconsin. Megaludis battled his way to a 4-3 win on 1:45
in riding time to advance to tomorrow’s Big Ten title bout against Illinois’
Jesse Delgado. In the title bout, Megaludis and Delgado traded escapes all the
way through a second tie breaker with the Illini getting the 3-2 (TB2) decision
on :15 of riding time in the second tie-breaker.
133: #15 Jimmy Gulibon
(Latrobe, Pa.), Fr. -- #7 seed – 17-13 overall
NCAA QUALIFIER – 7th
Place
1st
Rd: Dominic Malone, Northwestern (10th-seed) -- W, 15-0 (TF; 5:47)
Qtrs: #5 Tyler Graff, Wisconsin (2nd-seed) --
L, 1-8 dec.
Consos: Shawn Nagel, Nebraska -- W, 9-4
Conso Qtr: #8 Johnni DiJulius, Ohio State – L, 1-6 dec.
7th
Place: Dominic Malone, Northwestern (10th-seed) – W, 9-1 major dec.
Red-shirt freshman Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), the No.
7 seed at 133, dominated Northwestern’s Dominick Malone in his Big Ten
Championship debut, rolling to a 15-0 technical fall at the 5:47 mark.
Gulibon took on second seed and fifth-ranked Tyler Graff of Wisconsin in the
quarterfinals and dropped an 8-1 decision. The loss moves him into the
consolation bracket tonight. Gulibon punched his ticket to the NCAA
Championships with a solid 9-4 win over Nebraska’s Shawn Nagel in his first
consolation bout. He then dropped a tough 6-1 decision to Ohio State’s
Johnni DiJulius in the conso quarters to fall to the seventh place bout. The
Lion freshman picked up critical bonus points in his seventh-place bout against
Northwestern’s Dominick Malone. Gulibon used a last second takedown and ride out
to post a 9-1 major and placed seventh in his first Big Ten Championship.
Gulibon went 3-2 with a tech fall and a major.
141: #2 Zain
Retherford (Benton, Pa.), Fr. -- #1 seed – 29-1 overall
NCAA QUALIFIER – 2nd
Place
1st
Rd: Colton McCrystal, Nebraska -- W, 8-0 major dec.
Qtrs: Jesse Thielke (8th-seed), Wisconsin --
W, 7-2 dec.
Semis: #11 Stephen Dutton, Michigan (4th-seed)
– W, 4-0 dec.
Finals: #3 Logan Stieber, Ohio State (2nd-seed)
– L, 3-7 dec.
True freshman Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), the No. 1
seed at 141, made his Big Ten Championship debut with a dominating 8-0 major
over Nebraska’s Colton McCrystal, including 2:52 in riding time. He then
took out 8th-seed Jesse Thielke of Ohio State 7-2 to move into the
semifinals and punch his ticket to the NCAA Championships. In the semifinals,
Retherford dominated Michigan’s Stephen Dutton, rolling to a 4-0 win with 1:15
riding time to advance to the finals, where he met Ohio State’s Logan Stieber.
Stieber notched two takedowns and a near fall as Retherford dropped his first
match of the season, 7-3. Retherford went 3-1 in his first Big Ten
Championship, finishing as runner-up and heading to the NCAA Championship with a
29-1 record.
149: #26 James English
(York, Pa.), Sr. – #7 seed – 11-5 overall
NCAA QUALIFIER – 5th
Place
1st
Rd: Bye
Qtrs: #2 Nick Dardanes, Minnesota (2nd-seed)
-- L, 2-3 dec.
Consos: Brandon Nelsen, Purdue -- W, 3-2 dec.
Conso Qtrs: #18 Ian Paddock, Ohio State (6th-seed)
-- W, 5-2 dec.
Conso Semis: #8 Eric Grajales, Michigan (5th-seed)
– L, 2-12 major dec.
5th
Place: Ryan Lubeck, Wisconsin – W, 3-2 dec.
Senior James English (York, Pa.), the No. 7 seed at 149,
had a first round bye, one of three for Penn State. In the quarterfinals,
he nearly pulled off an early upset, taking No. 2 Nick Sardines of Minnesota to
the wire before dropping a close 3-2 decision. The loss moved him into
consolation action. In the evening session, English picked up his first career
win at the Big Ten Championships in the first round of consolation action,
riding Purdue’s Brandon Nelsen for the entire third period to post a 3-2
decision thanks to 1:23 in riding time. Needing one more win to move on to
NCAAs, used a second period near fall and ride-out to post a 5-2 win over
sixth-seed Ian Paddock of Ohio State, earning his first trip to the NCAA
Championships, Penn State’s 10th qualifier. English took on
Michigan’s Eric Grajales in the consolation semifinals and dropped a tough 12-2
bout. The loss sent the Lion senior to the fifth place bout where he used
a second period reversal and a riding time point to down Wisconsin’s Ryan
Lubeck, 3-2. English finished fifth in his first Big Ten tournament as the
seventh-seed, posting a 3-2 record.
157: #11 Dylan Alton
(Mill Hall, Pa.), Jr. – #5 seed – 18-5 overall
NCAA QUALIFIER – 8th
Place
1st
Rd: Roger Wildmo, Michigan State (12th-seed) -- W, 12-3 major dec.
Qtrs: #4 Derek St. John, Iowa (4th-seed)
-- L, 1-4 dec.
Consos: Randall Languis, Ohio State -- W, 2-1 dec.
Conso Qtrs: #13 Brian Murphy, Michigan (8th-seed)
– L, 1-3 dec.
7th
Place: Zac Brunson, Illinois (7th-seed) – L, 4-13 major dec.
Junior Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), the No. 5 seed at
157, took out Michigan State’s Roger Wildmo to the tune of a 12-3 major decision
in his first round match-up, setting up a quarterfinal bout against defending
NCAA Champion Derek St. John of Iowa. Alton led into the third before St.
John rallied for a hard-fought 4-1 decision, sending Alton into the consolation
bracket. In the evening session, Alton posted a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ohio
State’s Randy Languis in his first consolation bout, using a quick third period
escape to secure 1:00 in riding time to post the critical point. The win
moves Alton on to the NCAA Championships as well. In the consolation
quarters, Michigan’s Brian Murphy notched a late takedown to post a 3-1 win over
Alton, sending Alton to the seventh place bout. The Lion junior then suffered a
tough 13-4 loss to Illinois’ Zac Brunson in the seventh place bout and took
eighth. Alton went 2-3 at the tournament with a major.
165: #1 David Taylor
(St. Paris, Ohio), Sr. – #1 seed – 29-0 overall
NCAA QUALIFIER – BIG TEN
CHAMPION
1st
Rd: Bye
Qtrs: #20 Austin Wilson, Nebraska (8th-seed)
-- W, 22-4 tech fall (TF; 7:00)
Semis: #13 Jackson Morse, Illinois (5th-seed)
– WBF (0:40)
Finals: #4 Nick Moore, Iowa (2nd-seed) – W,
14-5 maj. dec.
Senior David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), the No. 1 seed at
165, had a first round bye and then hammered eighth seed Austin Wilson of
Nebraska, rolling to a 22-4 technical fall at the 7:00 mark. Taylor’s win
moved him into the semifinals and secured his trip to the NCAA Championships
later this month. Taylor then made short work of fifth-seed Jackson Morse
of Illinois in the semifinals, gaining control of the Illini’s shoulders,
stepping over his chest and turning his shoulders flat to the mat for a pin in
just 0:40. The pin was Taylor’s 13th of the year and the 50th
of his career, leaving him three shy of the Penn State record of 53. In
the finals, Taylor dominated Iowa’s Nick Moore, turning a five point first
period lead into a 14-5 major decision, picking up key team bonus points and
becoming Penn State’s first-ever four-time Big Ten Champion (and the 12th
in Big Ten history). Taylor went 3-0 in his final Big Ten Championship
with a pin, a tech fall and a major.
174: #5 Matt Brown
(West Valley City, Utah), Jr. – #2 seed – 28-4 overall
NCAA QUALIFIER – 3rd
Place
1st
Rd: Kevin Bialka, Northwestern -- W, inj. def. (0:02)
Qtrs: Scott Liegel, Wisconsin (7th-seed) -- W,
12-3 major dec.
Semis: #6 Mike Evans, Iowa (3rd-seed) – L, 2-3
dec.
Conso Semis: Tony Dallago, Illinois (5th-seed)
– W, 16-5 major dec.
3rd
Place: #4 Logan Storley, Minnesota (4th-seed) – W, 2-1 dec.
Junior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), the No. 2
seed at 174, took on Northwestern’s Kevin Bialka in the first round and received
an injury default at the 0:02 mark, pushing Brown into the quarterfinals and
keeping Bialka alive in consolation action. He then majored Wisconsin’s Scott
Liegel 12-3 in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals as well as NCAAs.
In his semifinal match, Brown suffered a 3-2 upset at the hands of Iowa’s Mike
Evans, giving up a first period takedown that would prove to be the difference.
The loss moved him into the consolation semifinals. Brown dominated
Illinois’ Tony Dallago in his consolation semifinal bout, putting on a takedown
clinic on his way to a 16-5 major decision (with 3:05 in riding time).
Brown then took on No. 4 Logan Storley of Minnesota in the third place match.
The bout was a tight one but Brown used a strong second period ride to build up
1:11 in riding time, which would be the difference in a 2-1 victory.
Brown’s third place run came off a 4-1 mark with two majors and an injury
default. He heads to NCAAs with a 28-4 record.
184: #2 Ed Ruth
(Harrisburg, Pa.), Sr. – #1 seed – 29-1 overall
NCAA QUALIFIER – BIG TEN
CHAMPION
1st
Rd: Tanner Lynde, Purdue -- W, 9-1 major dec.
Qtrs: Nikko Reyes, Illinois -- W, 4-1 dec.
Semis: Dom Abounader, Michigan (5th-seed) W,
9-1 maj. dec.
Finals: #4 Ethan Lofthouse, Iowa (3rd-seed) W,
10-2 maj. dec.
Senior Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), the No. 1 seed at 184,
put up almost six minutes of riding time (5:55 to be exact) in a 9-1 major over
Purdue’s Tanner Lynde in the opening round. He followed that up with a 4-1
win over Illinois’ Nikko Reyes, moving into the semifinals and earning a trip to
nationals as well. In the semifinals, Ruth took care of Michigan’s Dom
Abounader in the semifinals, rolling to a 9-1 major decision with over
3:00 in riding time (3:05). In the finals, Ruth dominated Iowa’s Ethan
Lofthouse, rolling up 3:35 in riding time on his way to a 10-2 major decision,
clinching the team title for the Nittany Lions. He became the second four-time
Big Ten champion in Penn State history (along with teammate Taylor) with a 4-0
run (including three majors) and heads to nationals 29-1 overall.
197: #3 Morgan
McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), So. – #1 seed – 27-3 overall
NCAA QUALIFIER – 2nd
Place
1st
Rd: Bye
Qtrs: Timmy McCall, Wisconsin (8th-seed) -- W,
7-4 dec.
Semis: #13 Nathan Burak, Iowa (5th-seed) – W,
3-2 (tb) dec.
Finals: #5 Nick Heflin, Ohio State (2nd-seed)
– L, 3-5 (SV2)
Sophomore Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), the No. 1
seed at 197, received Penn State’s third first round bye at 197 and then posted
a workmanlike 7-4 win over Wisconsin’s Timmy McCall in the quarterfinals.
The win moved McIntosh into the semifinals and earned him a trip to his second
NCAA Championship. In the semifinals, McIntosh used a late reversal in the tie
breaker period to grab a 3-2 (tb) win over Iowa’s Nathan Burak, the fifth-seed.
Each wrestler had an escape in regulation and wrestled a minute of scoreless
action in the sudden victory period. McIntosh rode Burak for all but a
second of the opening tie-breaker stanza but the Hawkeye’s late escape gave him
a 2-1 lead. McIntosh was steady on bottom, however, deftly working his way
into control of Burak with :07 left for a reversal. A short ride out gave
the Lion sophomore the 3-2 (tb) win and moved him into the finals to face Ohio
State’s Nick Heflin. In the finals, McIntosh battled the Buckeye through
regulation, sudden victory and a tie-breaker before giving up a last second
takedown in the second sudden victory period, dropping the heart-breaking 5-3
(sv) decision. McIntosh’s second-place run came off a 2-1 performance and
sends him to NCAAs with a 27-3 overall record.
285: #14 Jon Gingrich
(Wingate, Pa.), Jr. – #8 seed – 22-8 overall
NCAA QUALIFIER – 6th
place.
1st
Rd: Collin Jensen, Nebraska (9th-seed) -- W, 12-3 major dec.
Qtrs: #1 Adam Coon, Michigan (1st-seed) -- W,
3-1 (sv)
Semis: #6 Tony Nelson, Minnesota (5th-seed) –
LBF (1:58)
Conso Semis: #7 Mike McClure, Michigan State (6th-seed)
– LBF (4:58)
5th
Place: #2 Mike McMullan, Northwestern (3rd-seed) – L, 2-8
Junior Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.), the No. 8 seed at
285, wrapped up a perfect first round for Penn State with a 12-3 major over
ninth-seed Collin Jensen of Nebraska. Gingrich’s major gave Penn seven
first round wins, all for bonus points. In the quarters, Gingrich notched
the upset of the early session, using a textbook low single early in sudden
victory to take out No. 1 Adam Coon of Michigan, 3-1 (sv). The win moved
the Lion junior into the semifinals and earned him his first trip to the NCAA
Championships. Gingrich could not follow up his upset of the tournament’s top
seed by defeating the defending NCAA Champion. Tony Nelson of Minnesota
was able to pin Gingrich at the 1:58 mark and send the Lion junior into the
consolation semifinals. Gingrich was pinned by sixth-seed Mike McClure of
Michigan State in his consolation semifinal match. The eighth-seeded Lion
then took on Northwestern’s Mike McMullan in the fifth place bout and dropped a
tough 8-2 decision. Gingrich placed sixth at his first Big Ten Championship as
the eighth-seed, going 2-3 with a win over the top-seed. He will head to
Oklahoma City with a 22-8 record.
Patrick
Donghia
Penn
State Wrestling Twitter:
http://twitter.com/pennstateWREST
Penn
State Wrestling Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling
Assistant Director of Athletics Communication
Ph: 814 865 1757 -- email: pad11@psu.edu