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Red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger made his Penn State debut at 165 with a 5-2 win to help No. 15 Penn State trounce visiting West Virginia 27-10.
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Nittany Lion Wrestlers Crush Visiting West Virginia 27-10 Wrestling Rivalry Renewal
Penn State wins seven of ten bouts to run away with victory
Dec. 14, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; December 14, 2008 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 15 in the nation, crushed visiting West Virginia 27-10 today in a non-conference wrestling dual. The Mountaineers were previously undefeated and receiving votes in the national poll, but Penn State won seven of ten bouts, including the first six, and routed visitors.
With a line-up featuring five freshmen (and without two regular starters), Penn State still rolled to the lopsided win. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) got things started with a forfeit at 125 and the Lions rolled to six straight wins to lead 23-0 before WVU got on the scoreboard. Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) posted a win at 133, freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) notched a close 11-10 win at 141 and All-Americans Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) got majors at 149 and 157.
Red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 165 and got a thrilling 5-2 win for Penn State's sixth straight victory to open the dual. West Virginia got on the board at 174 where No. 14 Kurt Brenner posted a hard-fought 3-2 win over Nittany Lion freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), who was ranked No. 18. West Virginia added a win at 184 over debuting junior Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.) before Nittany Lion red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) got his first PSU dual meet win at 197, a convincing 12-3 major. West Virginia heavyweight Dustin Rogers, ranked No. 18, closed out the dual with a win over PSU freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio).
Penn State won the takedown battle 22-12 and notched a 6-1 edge in bonus points. Three of the five Penn State freshmen who started won their bouts as well (Molinaro, Bollinger and Steadman).
Penn State returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 4, when it hosts a double-dual in Rec Hall. Intra-state rivals Lehigh and Lock Haven visit Happy Valley with Penn State facing Lehigh at 1 p.m. and battling Lock Haven at 3 p.m.
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Sophomore Brad Pataky notched a technical fall in Penn State's 36-8 win over Binghamton and went 3-0 on the day, helping lead PSU to a 3-0 record. Pataky had two technical falls in his three wins
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No. 14 Penn State Pounds Host Binghamton 36-8 to Go 3-0 at Sprawl and Brawl Duals
Two pins, two technical falls and two majors highlight third straight win
Nov. 23, 2008
BINGHAMTON, N.Y., November 23, 2008 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 14 in the nation, pounded host Binghamton 36-8 in the final round of the 2008 Sprawl and Brawl Duals, going 3-0 on the day and improving its record to 3-2. The Nittany Lions used a total team effort, getting two pins, two technical falls and two majors as head coach Troy Sunderland's squad won eight of ten bouts.
Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) and senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) got things started for Penn State, each notching technical falls to put the Lions up 10-0 early. Freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) followed that with a pin at 141 and All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) completed a perfect day with a win at 149.
All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) posted a solid decision at 157 before senior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) got a major decision at 165. Freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) got a major decision at 174 and red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) capped things off with a pin at heavyweight as the Nittany Lions collected 12 bonus points in the strong performance. The Nittany Lions had 22 takedowns to only seven for the Bearcats as well.
Pataky was a perfect 3-0 at 125 for Penn State today; Haas was 3-0 at 133; Jenkins went 3-0 at 149 and Molinaro went 2-0 at 141. Friend was 2-1 at 165, Wright was 2-1 at 174 and Wade was 2-1 at HWT as well.
Penn State is now 3-2 on the year while Binghamton falls to 1-3. The Nittany Lions return to action in State College when they take part in the 2008 Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, Dec. 7.
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No. 14 Penn State Downs No. 24 Virginia 19-15 in First Round of Sprawl and Brawl
Freshman Heavyweight Cameron Wade clinches dual victory
Nov. 23, 2008
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 14 in the nation, downed No. 24 Virginia 19-15 in the first round of the 2008 Sprawl and Brawl Duals hosted by Binghamton University. The senior duo of Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) and Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) pushed Penn State out to an early lead and freshman heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) clinched the dual with a win in the dual's final bout.
With Penn State getting hit with the upset loss of two All-Americans, it was the steady senior due of Haas at 133 and Friend at 165 that helped Penn State build a lead and give Wade his dual-clinching chance in the final bout. Freshman Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) opened the action with a solid win at 125 and Haas followed with an important pin of Virginia's Matt Bonson at 133. The early 9-0 lead was cut into at 141, where 2007 133-pound All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) was upset wrestling up a weight at 141.
Returning All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 2 at 149, posted a dominating major decision to put Penn State up 13-3 but Penn State was stunned when fellow All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) suffered an upset loss at 157. Friend answered, however, with a convincing 4-0 win at 165, stopping a potential Virginia run and putting Penn State up 16-6. Virginia's ranked grapplers at 174 and 184 got hard-fought wins over Penn State's ranked grapplers at those two weights, No. 16 Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) at 174 and No. 13 Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.). With just two bouts left, Virginia had cut Penn State's lead to 16-12.
Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.), while falling 10-6, perhaps set the tone for the rest of Penn State's day with a spirited effort in losing to talented Virginia 197-pounder Brent Jones. Still, the Virginia win cut Penn State's lead to 16-15, setting up Wade's showcase at HWT. While neither wrestler managed a takedown, Wade was the dominant wrestler, forcing the tempo throughout the bout. Wade got a point with an escape in the second period and then dominated Virginia's Jack Danilkowitcz with a 2:00 ride-out in the third period to post the 2-0 win and secure Penn State's 19-15 victory.
Penn State is now 1-2 on the year. The Nittany Lions will still face No. 15 Edinboro and host Binghamton in today's action. Penn State returns to action in State College when it takes part in the 2008 Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, Dec. 7. Action begins at 8:30 a.m. and tickets can be purchased at the door. Penn State's next dual meet is set for Sunday, Dec. 14, when the Nittany Lions host West Virginia in Rec Hall.
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No. 7 Penn State Wrestlers Stunned Down the Stretch in 18-15 Upset Loss to Visiting Hofstra
Wright and Wade thrill over 3,200 Rec Hall fans but Lions nipped by Pride
Nov. 16, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 7 nationally, got strong performances of a pair of freshman, but were stunned down the stretch in an 18-15 upset loss to Hofstra in its 2008-09 season opener.
In a bout showcasing Penn State's youth and emerging talent, four Nittany Lions made their dual meet debuts in the match. Hofstra already had a full team tournament and one dual meet under its belt while Penn State was making its' season debut in front of over 3,200 fans. Each team won five bouts, but the Pride won the bonus point battle 3-0 to secure the upset victory.
True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), making his collegiate debut just three days after learning he would start due to an injury to junior David Erwin, gave notice to the nation with a last-second takedown and a stunning 4-3 win over returning Hofstra All-American Alton Lucas at 174. Lucas was ranked No. 6 and undefeated heading into the dual. Red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) notched a critical win at HWT in his Penn State dual meet debut, downing Hofstra's Jordan Enck 4-2. But the victories would not be enough as the Pride stormed back from a 15-11 deficit with two bouts left to steal an 18-15 win.
All-Americans Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) each got wins for Penn State as did national qualifier Phil Bomberger (Port Royale, Pa.). Jenkins, ranked No. 2 at 149, won 10-7 over P.J. Gillespie; Vallimont, ranked No. 3 at 157, downed No. 15 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman 11-8; and Bomberger, ranked No. 15 at 184, won 5-4 over Ben Clymer.
Penn State is now 0-1 on the year while Hofstra is 2-0. The Nittany Lions will trek to No. 4 Cornell on Friday, Nov. 21, for a 7 p.m. dual in Ithaca. Penn State then moves on to Binghamton University for the Sprawl and Brawl duals on Sunday, Nov. 23. The Nittany Lions face No. 21 Virginia at 10 a.m., No. 15 Edinboro at 12 p.m. and Binghamton at 3:30 p.m. Penn State's next home dual is slated for Sunday, Dec. 14, against West Virginia. Action starts at 1 p.m
Boxscore in RESULTS
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Wright makes dramatic debut for Penn State
By Guy Cipriano
UNIVERSITY PARK — Well, nothing has changed since Quentin Wright wrestled his final bout in a Bald Eagle Area singlet during March's PIAA Class AAA Championships. Wright still wins.
He still leaves the mat with that infectious smile.
Wright’s 4-3 victory over Hofstra senior Alton Lucas at 174 pounds made Penn State’s disappointing 18-15 loss to Hofstra on Sunday partially tolerable for the 3,205 fans at Rec Hall.
Many of the fans, after all, either know Wright personally or followed his career at BEA.
Wright received the loudest applause during pre-match introductions. He received an even louder one when his last-second takedown yielded a victory over Lucas, a returning All-American ranked sixth in the NWCA/InterMat poll.
The victory extended one of the longest winning streaks in local wrestling history. Wright holds an 81-bout in-season winning streak and hasn’t lost since falling to current teammate Tim Darling in the 2006 PIAA Class AAA finals
Of all the moments in his spectacular career, Wright, a two-time PIAA Class AAA champion, said none ranked higher than Sunday.
“That’s the No. 1 moment because all of my fans came to support me,” Wright said with his high school coach, Skip Pighetti, standing 10 feet away. “I knew they were here just by hearing their voices. The people close to my heart were here, all the people from Bald Eagle, Bellefonte, State College. ... Everyone was here to watch this match against a tough kid and I put everything I had into it.”
Wright’s debut developed into a sudden event.
His planned redshirt year ended before it started because of a season-ending shoulder injury to junior David Erwin. Wright and coach Troy Sunderland made the decision to forgo the redshirt season last Thursday, giving Wright three days to prepare for Hofstra.
Lucas introduced Wright to college wrestling by recording a takedown eight seconds into the bout. Wright quickly escaped.
“I would have to say that was ‘Welcome to college wrestling,’” Wright said. “But I came back and said, ‘I haven’t quit yet. Don’t count me out. I’m going to keep wrestling.’”
Wright chose down to begin the second period and escaped again to tie the bout 2-2. Both wrestlers worked upper-body moves throughout the period, and when referee Ross Thomas waved off a late takedown by Wright, boos resonated throughout Rec Hall.
Lucas chose down and escaped to take a 3-2 lead early in the third period. With 1:31 remaining, Lucas took injury time and first-year Penn State assistant coach Mark Perry, a two-time national champion at Iowa, trounced toward Wright and shouted poignant instructions.
“He said, ‘Quentin you have to be mentally tough, push him right here and break him,’” Wright said.
Wright stayed on the offensive and Lucas received a stall warning with 30 seconds remaining. Lucas then grabbed Wright’s ankle to begin a frantic final 20 seconds.
Wright countered the shot. ...15 ... Wright curled into Lucas 10 ... Wright grabbed a leg. ... 5 ... Wright forced his way into a takedown. ... 0.
The call angered the Hofstra bench but it stood and Wright smiled as Thomas raised his hand. The victory spurred one of the loudest Rec Hall roars in recent years.
“You have a lot of pressure on a young kid coming out first dual meet against a returning All-American ranked sixth in the country,” Penn State coach Troy Sunderland said. “You can’t script it any better.”
The victory should boost Wright’s confidence entering a difficult weekend. Penn State travels to Cornell on Friday and will compete in the Sprawl and Brawl Duals two days later in Binghamton, N.Y.
Potential opponents include Cornell’s Steve Anceravage (No. 5), Virginia’s Chris Hen-rich (No. 15) and Edinboro’s Phil Moricone (No. 16).
“I think this validates how good he really is,” Sunderland said. “There’s no hiding of Quentin Wright, not that there was before. There certainly won’t be any now.”
Wright doesn’t like hiding, anyway. After conducting multiple interviews and signing autographs, Wright celebrated his victory by teaching moves to children inside an almost empty Rec Hall.
The grin never left Wright’s face as he reveled in his most recent accomplishment
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College experience humbling to Wright
Guy Cipriano
UNIVERSITY PARK - Quentin Wright now understands how his opponets felt the past two years.
Wright, the two-time PIAA Class AAA champion from Bald Eagle Area who went undefeated as a junior and senior, said his first semester in Penn State’s wrestling room has proved humbling.
“When you step into the college practice room, it’s a whole new world,” Wright said. “I remember the first two weeks of practice were the worst thing I ever went through. It took me back to my beginning and the start of wrestling where I wasn’t getting any takedowns and I wasn’t scoring. It was really hard. But I’m starting to make the adjustment.”
The adjustment will continue Sunday when Wright competes in public wrestle-offs at Rec Hall. Wright is scheduled to compete with returning starter David Erwin and junior Matt Dodds at 174 pounds.
A redshirt season appears in Wright’s immediate future. Coach Troy Sunderland said during Thursday’s media day the staff is “leaning toward” redshirting their prized recruit.
Wright said he’s fine with sitting out. "I look at it as a year to gain on my competition,” he said. “They are going to wrestle me off this Sunday and we will see how it goes, but I look at it like I’m training to be a national champion. If (Erwin) gets hurt, I have to be ready to step in to win it. If (Erwin) goes through and does how he does, then next year I will be able to step in and win nationals. Every moment that I’m here I’m training for the long-term goal of winning nationals.”
Wright has spent the preseason practicing with first-year assistant coach Mark Perry, a two-time national champion at Iowa, and Tim Darling, a three-time PIAA Class AAA champion from Nazareth High School. Darling, coincidentally, handed Wright his final high school loss during the 2006 PIAA Class AAA finals.
“Quentin takes it to a whole new level,” Darling said. “It’s contagious and it has caught on with me a little bit. I like working with him in practice because when we work out I feel like he’s giving me that extra little push to go a little bit harder. We’re always showing each other stuff.”
Weight shuffling
Senior Jake Strayer’s weight still remains a mystery.
Strayer, an All-American at 133 in 2007 who lost his 141-pound starting spot midway through last season, will begin this season at 141, where he will wrestle-off with redshirt freshman Frank Molinaro, a three-time New Jersey state champion.
Senior Tim Haas, who received a sixth-year medical hardship season from the NCAA, will begin the year at 133. Sunderland said he eventually expects Strayer to drop to the lower weight class.
A change in the NCAA weight certification process means Strayer can begin the season at 141 pounds yet compete at 133 later in the year.
“We were talking and there’s no way I’m going to be able to hold 133 the whole year,” said Strayer, who has a 64-19 career record. “I’m going 141 for at least the first part of the year because I’m not going to make 133 the whole year. We are going to go from there and wait to drop.”
Strayer said no timetable for the drop has been established.
Trying to replace a champion
Five wrestlers, including Penns Valley graduate Nathan Andrews and Bellefonte graduate J.R. Brown, will compete for the 197- pound starting spot this weekend. The graduation of national champion Phil Davis and Jared Platt’s dismissal from the team created a hole at the weight.
Andrew Haile, a two-time PIAA Class AAA placewinner at District 7 Greensburg Salem High School, has returned to the team and will compete for the spot. Haile went 2-3 as a true freshman in 2005-06 before leaving the program.
Senior Jack Decker, a starter at 149 in 2004-05, and sophomore Clay Steadman are also wrestling at 197 this weekend.
“I’m optimistic that 197 is a weight where we are going to compete at very strongly,” Sunderland said.
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All-American Dan Vallimont will meet Jordan Leen in the NWCA All-Star Classic along with teammate Bubba Jenkins.
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Nittany Lion Wrestler Dan Vallimont Picked For NWCA All-Star Classic
All-American joins teammate Bubba Jenkins at the prestigious event
Oct. 31, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 3 at 157 pounds, has been selected to participate in the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic. The exhibition event will take place at Ohio State's St. John's Arena on Monday, November 24, at 7 p.m.
Vallimont, who joins teammate Bubba Jenkins(Virginia Beach, Va.) in the exhibition, steps in for No. 2 Mike Poeta of Illinois, will face No. 1 Jordan Leen of Cornell. Leen won the national title at 157 last year for the Big Red. Vallimont took third at nationals last year and ended the year with a superb 32-3 overall record. All three of his losses were to Poeta. Leen and Vallimont did not meet in last season.
The selection of Vallimont and Jenkins marks the third straight year that a Nittany Lion has been represented at the prestigious event, annually pitting the top two pre-season wrestlers at each weight class against each other in an exhibition. In 2006, Penn State sent Phil Davis and James Yonushonis and last year Davis took part again.
The ten-bout exhibition features a full list of the nation's best wrestlers: 125: #2 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) vs. #3 Charlie Falck (Iowa) 133: #1 Joey Slaton (Iowa) vs. #2 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) 141: #1 J Jaggers (Ohio State) vs. #2 Nick Gallick (Iowa State) 149: #1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. #2 Bubba Jenkins (Penn State) 157: #1 Jordan Leen (Cornell) vs. #3 Dan Vallimont(Penn State) 165: #1 Nick Marable (Missouri) vs. #2 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) 174: #1 Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. #2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) 184: #1 Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) vs. #3 Phil Keddy (Iowa) 197: #1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) vs. #2 Hudson Taylor (Maryland) HWT: #1 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) vs. #3 Kyle Massey (Wisconsin)