http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org Penn State Wrestling News en-us webmaster@pennstatewrestlingclub.org (Penn State Wrestling Club) webmaster@pennstatewrestlingclub.org (Penn State Wrestling Club) http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1311 By: Pat Donghia Feb. 3, 2012 LINCOLN, Neb. - The second-ranked Penn State wrestling team travelled to Lincoln, Neb., to take on No. 7 Nebraska in the first-ever Big Ten dual between the two teams and recorded yet another statement victory. Penn State won eight of ten bouts on its way to a lopsided 31-6 win over the home standing Cornhuskers, keeping its hopes of the Big Ten regular season dual meet title alive. The host Cornhuskers opted to draw for the starting weight and the match began at 174. Nittany Lion All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2, pinned Husker Tyler Koehn at the 5:58 mark to give Penn State an early 6-0 lead. All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 184 and battling a serious cold all week long, took down No. 7 Josh Ihnen 9-6, nearly pinning the seventh-ranked grappler right out of the gates and using that quick flurry to coast to victory. At 197, 12th-ranked true freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.) was cleared to wrestle but was held out as a precaution. Red-shirt freshman Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), who weighed in at 174, moved up two weights and beat starting Husker senior James Nakashima, 2-1. The win put the Lions up 12-0 after three bouts. Senior heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 6 at 285, then dominated No. 9 Tucker Lane of Nebraska, picking up an 8-2 win with 1:31 in riding time. True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 125, tacked on a 23-6 technical fall over Shawn Nagel (5:59) to give Penn State a 20-0 lead at the midway point of the dual. At 133, sophomore Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) nearly downed No. 18 Ridge Kelly, but the ranked Husker notched a late reversal to steal a 4-3 win and put NU on the board. Junior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) then lost a hard fought 6-1 decision to No. 5 Jake Sueflohn at 141 to cut Penn State's lead to 20-6. Three-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 1 at 149, dominated Husker Skylar Galloway, posting a 14-6 major with 4:53 in riding time. Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 6 at 157, then beat No. 7 James Green in a thrilling 2-1 overtime bout. Sophomore All-American David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 1 at 165, then closed out the lopsided Penn State win with a resounding 13-3 major over No. 6 Robert Kokesh of Nebraska. The Nittany Lions are now 10-1 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten, while Nebraska falls to 14-2, 5-2 in the Big Ten. The sixth Big Ten dual meet victory ties the Penn State record for conference dual wins in a season with the team having a chance to set a new school mark on Sunday. Molinaro moved into tenth all-time on Penn State's dual meet win list with his victory at 149, he now has 52. Penn State dominated the dual from start to finish, winning eight of the ten bouts and picking up seven bonus points off a pin, a tech fall and two majors. The Nittany Lions won the takedown battle in convincing fashion, notching a 25-3 margin in takedowns. The Nittany Lions now head home to prep for a home dual vs. No. 12 Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. The dual meet is now a full sellout with no SRO tickets remaining as well. If Penn State beats the Wolverines, the Nittany Lions clinch either a share of the Big Ten regular season dual meet title or the title outright (depending on the result of Sunday's Nebraska/Minnesota dual in Minneapolis). The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action will air locally on WRSC AM (1390 AM) with Friday evening duals being simulcast on WRSC FM (103.1 FM). Lock Haven's WBPZ (1230 AM) will also carry the entire season live, WIEZ (670 AM) in Huntingdon/Lewistown carries all Sunday events and further affiliates may be added soon. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package, which will also feature live video streams of many home events. Ticket information is accessed easily online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html . Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2011-12 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. #2 Penn State 31, #7 Nebraska 6 February 3, 2012 - Lincoln, Neb. 174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU pinned Tyler Koehn NU, WBF (5:58) 6-0 184: #2 Quentin Wright PSU dec. #7 Josh Ihnen NU, 9-6 9-0 197: Matt Brown PSU dec. James Nakashima NU, 2-1 12-0 285: #6 Cameron Wade PSU dec. #9 Tucker Lane NU, 8-2 15-0 125: #9 Nico Megaludis PSU tech fall Shawn Nagel NU, 23-6 (TF; 5:59) 20-0 133: #18 Ridge Kelly NU dec. Frank Martellotti PSU, 4-3 20-3 141: #5 Jake Sueflohn NU dec. Bryan Pearsall PSU, 6-1 20-6 149: #1 Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. Skylar Galloway NU, 14-6 (4:53 RT) 24-6 157: #6 Dylan Alton PSU dec. #7 James Green NU, 2-1 (OT) 27-6 165: #1 David Taylor PSU maj. dec. #6 Robert Kokesh NU, 13-3 31-6 Attendance: 2,673 Records: #2 Penn State 10-1, 6-1 B1G; #7 Nebraska 14-2, 5-2 B1G Up Next for Penn State: home vs. #12 Michigan, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2 p.m. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 174: Undefeated sophomore Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, took on NU's Tyler Koehn. Koehn got in on a quick shot but Ruth deftly stepped out of trouble. Ruth countered with his own single leg but Koehn fought off that move and the bout hit the midway point of the first period scoreless. Ruth chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped. He then gained control of Koehn's ankle and turned a low single into a double on the edge of the mat for a 3-0 lead at the 1:25 mark. The Lion sophomore then put together a dominating ride and finished off a cradle with :38 left to pick up three near fall points. Leading 6-0, Ruth rode Koehn out to carry that lead, plus 1:20 riding time, into the final period. Koehn chose neutral to start the third period and shot low on Ruth, but the Nittany Lion countered the move, worked his way into his own takedown and then clinched a cradle to get a quick pin at the 5:58 mark. 184: In yet another match-up of top ranked wrestlers, two-time All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 184, met No. 7 Josh Ihnen. Wright quickly caught Ihnen in a shoulder throw and tossed him to his back for a quick takedown and three near fall points. While Ihnen fought off the pin, Wright maintained control till the 1:30 mark and led 5-1 early. Wright tossed Ihnen one more time, picking up another takedown and led 7-2 after a quick Ihnen escape with :45 left in a furious opening period. Wright chose down to start the second period but could not break free of a strong Ihnen ride. The Husker maintained control of the Lion junior for the entire period, forcing one stall warning but picking up one of his own as well. Wright scrambled to a late escaped with :02 left and led 8-2 after two but Ihnen had 1:25 in riding time. Ihnen chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to an 8-3 deficit. Ihnen forced a scramble at the :40 mark and rolled his way to a takedown to cut the lead to 9-5 at the :30 mark after a Wright escape. Wright held on to the 9-6 win after battling a serious cold all week long. 197: True-freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 12 at 197, was cleared to wrestle but was held out as a precaution. Red-shirt freshman Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), who weighed in at 174, stepped up two weights to take on Nebraska senior James Nakashima. The duo battled through an even first period, with Brown fighting off a quick Nakashima shot and then forcing the tempo as the period wound down. Tied 0-0, Nakashima chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 1-0 lead at the 1:28 mark. Brown shot Nakashima out of bounds twice, forcing the Husker to the edge of the mat repeatedly. Brown shot low once again but Nakashima was able to move out of bounds once more and led 1-0 after two. Brown chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Brown's offense forced Nakashima into a stall at the 1:20 mark and the Nittany Lion freshman continued to pressure the Husker to the edge of the mat. Brown shot low on the Husker with :44 left, but the Husker countered for a near takedown. Brown forced a reset with :42 left and the score tied 1-1 and continued to pressure Nakashima. The Husker was hit with a second stall warning, giving Brown a point and a 2-1 lead while the Lion freshman nearly notched a takedown. Brown worked his way to a strong 2-1 win, up two weights. 285: In the fourth match-up of top ten wrestlers, Nittany Lion senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 6 at 285, met No. 9 Tucker Lane. Wade fought off an early Lane shot as Lane tried to connect on a single leg. The Nittany Lion senior then took Lane down on a counter for a 2-0 lead. Lane worked his way into a position to reverse Wade, but the Lion senior forced a stalemate and maintained his lead at the :24 mark. Wade rode Lane out for the final seconds and carried that two point lead into the second period. Lane chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-1 deficit. The duo then battled through an even period and Wade led by one after two periods. The Lion senior chose down to start the third stanza and Lane cut him loose to a 3-1 Wade lead. Lane got in on a low single but Wade confidently worked his way around the Husker for a counter and his own takedown. The Lion led 5-2 after a Lane escape with :57 on the clock. Wade countered another Lane shot, getting a final takedown to roll to an 8-2 win with 1:31 riding time. 125: Ninth-ranked Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) took on Nebraska sophomore Shawn Nagel at 125. Megaludis quickly gained control of Nagel for a takedown and cut him loose right away for an early 2-1 lead. Megaludis would add two more takedown and cuts to lead 6-3 with 1:06 on the clock. The Lion freshman fought off one Nagel shot, forcing a stalemate with :30 left. The Lion then scored quickly with a high double off the reset and, after a ride out, led 8-3 after one period. Megaludis chose down to start the second period and worked his way to a reversal and then tacked on three quick takedowns to lead 14-6 with :45 left in the middle period. Megaludis then took Nagle down with :22 on the clock and turned him for three near fall points to lead 19-6 after two periods. Nagle chose down to start the final stanza and quickly gave up a stall point to fall behind 20-6. Megaludis then turned Nagle to his back for three final near fall points and a 23-6 technical fall at the 5:59 mark. 133: Penn State sophomore Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) took to the mat at 133 against No. 18 Ridge Kelly of Nebraska. The Lion sophomore scored quickly, taking the ranked Husker down for an early 2-0 lead. Kelly was not able to break free of a strong Martellotti ride as the Nittany Lion built up over 2:00 riding time while trying to turn Kelly to his back. Kelly finally escaped at the :20 mark and Martellotti led 2-1 with 2:28 riding time. Martellotti chose down to start the second stanza but this time it was Kelly who was able to maintain control. The Nittany Lion sophomore was not able to break free and Kelly notched the two minute ride out. Martellotti led 2-1 with Kelly having :28 in riding time after two. Kelly chose down to start the final period but Martellotti was able to maintain control of the Husker but was hit with a late stall warning. Kelly then scrambled around for a reversal with just :02 left and escaped the upset with a 4-3 win. Martellotti had 2:12 in riding time. 141: Junior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) faced off against No. 5 Jake Sueflohn at 141. The Nittany Lion junior scrambled through an early Sueflohn scoring attempt, nearly turning it into his own score. He then countered a second Sueflohn left and kept the bout scoreless at the :30 mark. Tied 0-0, Pearsall chose down to start the second stanza. He quickly escaped and then spent :50 fighting off a Sueflohn takedown attempt before the Husker got the call at the :38 mark to take a 2-1 lead. Sueflohn chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 3-1 lead. Sueflohn then added a second takedown with 1:00 on the clock to take a 5-1 lead. A riding time point gave the fifth-ranked Husker a 6-1 win. 149: Undefeated senior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 1 at 149, met Husker Skylar Galloway. Molinaro scored early, getting a takedown just over :30 into the bout to lead 2-0. He then dominated the action from the top position, building up 2:17 in riding time with the ride out. Molinaro chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Another high single leg led to a second takedown and the Lion cut Galloway loose. The top-ranked senior then used a high double to lift Galloway off the ground for a third takedown and a 7-1 lead with :53 left in the middle stanza. Galloway countered a Molinaro shot, got his own takedown only to be quickly reversed by the Nittany Lion, giving Molinaro a 9-4 lead with over 3:00 riding time for a clinched bonus point. Galloway chose down to start the third period and was cut loose and immediately takedown down by the Lion. Molinaro added another takedown and then spent the remainder of the bout looking for back points. While not picking up any back points, the Lion walked away with a 13-6 major decision with 4:53 in riding time. 157: Sixth-ranked freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) met No. 7 James Green in a key battle at 157. The evenly matched duo battled through a scoreless first period, with neither man finding an opening in which to move through to score. Green chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Alton gained control of Green's shoulders, pulled him down to the mat and then worked his way into a low single. But Green was able to work the action out of bounds to hold his one point lead at the :57 mark. Alton fought off a late Green shot and trailed by one after two periods. Alton chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Alton gained control of Green's leg, worked to pull him in but was nearly countered for an NU takedown. The scramble led to no scoring and action resumed in the center circle tied 1-1 with :40 on the clock. With no one scoring down the stretch, action moved into a sudden victory overtime. Alton nearly got taken down at the :18 mark, but the Lion was able to fight off the move and send the bout to overtime. Alton was down to start the first overtime period and quickly escaped to a 2-1 lead. Green was down for the second period and Alton strongly rode the Husker out to post the 2-1 OT victory. 165: Undefeated sophomore David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 1, met No. 6 Robert Kokesh in a marquee match-up at 165. Taylor spent the first minute-plus working Kokesh's shoulders, looking for an opening to score. The sophomore finally notched the takedown, rolling through Kokesh at the :39 mark for a 2-0 lead. Taylor then rode the Husker out to carry that lead into the second period. Kokesh chose down to start the second period. Kokesh got his escape at the 1:20 mark, but Taylor quickly turned him to his back for a takedown and two near fall points. Kokesh escaped to a 6-2 deficit, but Taylor quickly took him to his back once again for a takedown and two more near fall points. Leading 10-2, Taylor chose neutral to start the final period. The Lion All-American added another takedown at the 1:06 mark and upped his lead to 12-2. With 2:51 in riding time, Taylor went on to post the convincing 13-3 major over the sixth-ranked Kokesh. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:23:55 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1311 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1310 Penn State travels to No. 7 Nebraska on Friday; hosts Michigan on Sunday Feb. 2, 2012 By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The second-ranked Penn State wrestling squad will compete in two dual matches this coming weekend, but the team actually has three challenges that lie ahead in that same time period. The Nittany Lions' first challenge presents itself on Friday at 8 p.m. when they take on No. 7 Nebraska for the first time since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten. After that, the Penn State grapplers will have just a day's rest before facing another conference foe, No. 12 Michigan, on Sunday at 2 p.m. And the third challenge - the Lions will be in Lincoln, Neb., on Friday night when they meet the Cornhuskers, but are set to square off against the Wolverines in none other than their own Rec Hall. In one weekend, the Nittany Lions will be wrestling in two places that are separated by more than 1,000 miles. But according to the wrestlers who have immersed themselves in the Penn State program and embraced the teachings of head coach Cael Sanderson, challenges are always welcome. Redshirt junior Quentin Wright said that he and his teammates came to Penn State because they are anxious wrestlers, looking for any and every chance they can find to not only have a good time but also prove themselves as competitors. "We want to be in those high-pressure matches," said Wright. "We want to be in those situations and we as a team, we thrive on that competition of knocking off the number one and the number two guy or any time you've got a good opponent." The Nittany Lions carry seven ranked wrestlers in their starting lineup of ten headed into this weekend's Big Ten test. Nebraska will showcase six ranked athletes of its own while Michigan boasts another seven top wrestlers. Wright and his teammates repeatedly admit that they don't pay much attention to whether or not an opponent is ranked No. 1 or not at all, but they do enjoy the thrill of going up against tough competition. "Having somebody test you in your skills, that's why we come to Penn State and we wanted to be a part of that because we love those situations," said Wright. With a record of 9-1 overall and a 5-1 mark in the Big Ten, it makes sense that Wright also describes how he and the Lions rely on consistency and careful preparation before every dual meet. "It's the little things that win the matches," said Wright. "As long as we have a plan about what we need to eat, when we need to eat it and how much we need to warm up, once we do those little things the big things will take care of themselves." Coach Sanderson and his team of decorated assistant coaches have done their homework and know what they are up against this weekend. Nebraska has notched 14 wins already this season and has only lost one match, which they rendered to Iowa less than three weeks ago. The Cornhuskers boast five starting wrestlers who are ranked within the top ten at their individual weights, and are set to feature four freshmen, one sophomore, three juniors and two seniors on Friday night. Michigan has wrestled just nine matches this year with a culminating record of 6-3 and a Big Ten mark of 4-2. Conference opponents Illinois and Minnesota have beaten the No. 12 Wolverines, but they have outlasted Wisconsin, Northwestern, Indiana and Michigan State. Wright said that up against tough traveling constraints and big expectations versus conference opponents, he and his fellow Lions have to remember to simply take each contest as it comes their way. "It's one match at a time - one day at a time," said Wright. "I can't think about Michigan on Sunday because I've got to focus on Nebraska on Friday first. I've got to focus on what I'm going to eat right after weigh-in and how much I'm going to take in my fluids - when I'm going to start warming up, how I'm going to start warming up. If I take care of those little things then the match is going to take care of itself." Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:20:17 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1310 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1309 By Travis Johnson Centre Daily Times UNIVERSITY PARK Frank Martellotti has experienced ups and downs in his wrestling career. He hasn't felt the lows in a while. At least not quite like this. But even though Martellotti is coming off humbling back-to-back losses after starting out perfect in his first 10 dual meet appearances, the Nittany Lion sophomore still took time to smile on Tuesday. "I'm pretty much where I was before," Martellotti said before the team's practice. "I'm just trying to get better. Clearly I have a lot of stuff to work on. It's bad, but it's good to have those matches now, obviously." The good news is the Lions' starting 133-pounder will get two chances this weekend to redeem himself when Penn State faces the No. 7 Nebraska (14-1, 5-1 Big Ten) in Lincoln, Neb., tonight and welcomes No. 12 Michigan (6-3, 4-12) to Rec Hall on Sunday. Martellotti, who spent a portion of last season ranked at 125 pounds before being relegated to the bench after academic issues stunted his spring semester, will likely face two more ranked opponents over the course of the Nittany Lions' upcoming duals. And while Nebraska's Ridge Kiley, ranked No. 18, and Michigan's No. 16 Zac Stevens don't come with as stellar of resumes as Iowa's No. 4 Tony Ramos and Ohio State's No. 3 Logan Stieber did, they still could provide Martellotti with a solid base from which to stage a spring run. A win would be nice. A convincing victory would be even better just two weeks after Ramos rolled Martellotti into a cradle for a pin and Stieber gained control of Martellotti's arms and twisted him to his back for another fall. Penn State coach Cael Sanderson has faith that good things are on the horizon for Martellotti. "He's right there. He's very competitive and we believe in him," Sanderson said. "I think mentally, he's been sharpening his sword a little bit but he should be good to go this week. It's a great weekend and opportunity for him. He'll have a couple of ranked guys and they're not Top 5 like he's seen (or) Top 3, so it'll give him a chance to get in there." Martellotti is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. After his freshman season was derailed due to academic ineligibility, the Pittsburgh native had to wait to get back on the mat to start his sophomore campaign when his academic issue lingered. Sanderson made it clear that Martellotti was eligible by NCAA standards, but not by Penn State's. So Martellotti spent more time on his studies, upped his grade point average and returned to the lineup and lent his talents to the Lions' thumping of Michigan State on Jan. 8. "I think a lot of these guys, everyone puts pressure on themselves to some degree," Sanderson said. "But I think for him it's just more being off the mat for awhile and now he's just working himself back in to where he wants to be." Martellotti could practice with the team during last spring and fall, but couldn't accurately guage his conditioning without competing against some of the Big Ten's top talent. But Martellotti won't use conditioning as an excuse for his most recent losses. "I feel pretty good with my conditioning now," He said. "It's just a matter of me going out and wrestling. It doesn't sound very specific, but I just have to wrestle my match." Currently, 133 pounds is one of the conference's deepest weight classes, as seven of the 11 Big Ten teams currently have wrestlers ranked in the top 20. Five of those are in the top 10. Wins over two wrestlers ranked in the polls might lend themselves to Martellotti finding himself among them. "If he goes out and wrestles like he's capable, especially this weekend and just has fun, he's got the ability to be ranked," Sanderson said. "If he goes and wins these matches he's going to be ranked. He's going to bring an extra spot to the conference tournament." Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:18:53 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1309 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1308 By Travis Johnson Centre Daily Times UNIVERSITY PARK Quentin Wright and David Taylor had shown up early to Tuesday's wrestling practice. With classes to attend later in the afternoon, they needed to get in a few practice rounds with one of the more vaunted opponents in the entire Penn State wrestling room assistant coach Casey Cunningham. Taylor briefly watched as Cunningham and Wright rolled around, working on technique and various positions before the trio called it quits as the remainder of their teammates walked into the room. Cunningham, in a pair of gray sweat pants and a gray Penn State wrestling sweatshirt, was soaked in sweat after the session. He goes hard with everyone he wrestles and it's earned him a fierce reputation one that takes many cues from his days as a two-time All- American at Central Michigan amongst his Nittany Lion pupils. Cunningham, who won the 157- pound national championship at the Bryce Jordan Center in 1999, usually works with Penn State's middle weights. But he'll provide lessons for any of the Nittany Lions should they ask him. Oftentimes, his lessons aren't always easy teachings. "I try to stay away from Cunningham now," Penn State 149-pounder Frank Molinaro said. "To keep my confidence up." Taylor battles Cunningham often. The latter rarely shoots, relying more on counter offense, Taylor said, and Cunningham is not afraid to hammer on anyone who challenges him in practice. "They over-exaggerate that stuff a little bit," Cunningham said with a grin. "I try to train as hard as I can to stay with these guys. I think this is a huge advantage. I don't know that there's a lot of programs where their coaches are wrestling with their kids every day. But I think that's a big advantage for our kids and we're still young enough that we can do it. I might not be able to do this for another 15 years, hopefully for another 10 years or something, but we still enjoy it and we can give our guys a different feel and a different look." While Cunningham insists he trains just as hard to keep pace with wrestlers in most cases more than 15 years younger than him Penn State wrestlers insist Cunningham usually always has the upper hand. "Casey's just a crusher. He's just an animal out there," associate head coach Cody Sanderson said. "He's just so strong and so good that he just makes it tough on the guys. But if you wrestle Casey Cunningham, you've got to be ready to go. He's not just going to give you a takedown because you do the technique right, he's going to make you get the takedown and legitimately get the takedown. Those guys know that and they're going to be better because of it." Cunningham, Sanderson and their boss, Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson, all work with different groups and contribute different things to the Penn State lineup. Cael Sanderson, in addition to former Nittany Lion heavyweight Aaron Anspach, usually works with Penn State's group of upper weights while Cody takes charge with the lighter guys. Meanwhile, Cunningham can usually be found battling with Penn State's middleweights. This was a formula Sanderson envisioned when he was hired by Penn State to take over for Troy Sunderland in 2009. When Cael Sanderson was offered the job, he didn't have to think twice about who he wanted on his staff in State College. He was well aware of his older brother's skills as Cody had been on Cael's staff for three seasons at Iowa State and had lent his time and abilities to creating the Utah Valley State (now Utah Valley University) wrestling program from scratch in 2003. Cael Sanderson was also quite familiar with Cunningham, his hard-edged style and work ethic from their days of competing together on the same team at the University World Championships in the early 2000s. They also happened to be roommates at the Olympic Training Center in 2000. While Sanderson jokingly said he has tried to forget those days of having to room with Cunningham, he never forgot his former teammate's work ethic or wrestling ability, and asked Cunningham to join his staff at Iowa State in 2008. From there, Cunningham followed Sanderson to Happy Valley. "Part of the deal, when I was coming here, I was talking to Coach Cody and Coach Casey and it was definitely a packaged deal," Sanderson said. "I wasn't going to leave (Iowa State) if they weren't coming with me." The three have formed a dynamic coaching trio, one that has mentored the current team to an unprecedented level. The No. 2 Nittany Lions, the defending Big Ten and national champions, haven't lost since Nov. 20 and are fresh off demolitions of No. 5 Iowa and No. 6 Ohio State in which Penn State outscored those teams 56-21. Results like those lend themselves to the work Sanderson and his assistants put in with their team on a daily basis. Most of their weeks are spent focusing on Penn State's upcoming opponents, the styles their wrestlers employ and the pace at which they compete. They'll then bring that into the room in order to prepare the Nittany Lions. "We just try to give them certain feels," Cunningham said. "If there's a certain feel they need to have for that weekend based on a guy, we'll kind of adapt (to) that style for a couple of days so that they can feel a left-leg lead or a left-hand shot, or a right-leg lead, right-hand shot, whatever it is. So we kind of adapt to what we feel those guys need." Before Sanderson was finished talking with reporters on Tuesday, he made it known that sophomore 174-pounder Ed Ruth would be his opponent later in the session. For Ruth, it gave him another chance to accomplish one of his main collegiate goals beat Sanderson, the man who never lost in college. "Casey's a little bit more hardcore. Cael's a little bit laid back but he still gets you easy, like it's nothing," Ruth said. "And Cody, he's so tricky. His skill level is just crazy. When I wrestle him, whether I end up on top or he ends up on top, I still feel like I'm at a disadvantage." Wright said sometimes Cael Sanderson will give up a takedown in order to let on the appearance that his students are getting closer to his level. But when asked if the team's most talented wrestlers are getting closer to his level, Sanderson just smiled. "It depends on the day," Sanderson said. Taylor quickly responded to the question, asking "What kind of question is that?" "He wins all the time. It doesn't matter how much he allows us to think we get a takedown," Wright added. "Coach Cael definitely wins all of the time. Coach Cael will let us, if we do it right, we get the takedown. Coach Cunningham, he won't let you score a point. He's not fun to wrestle. Casey, he'll try to make you quit. Put it that way." They haven't quit yet, however. "If you compare us three, you're going to get some consistency," Cody Sanderson said. "I think we have a lot of the same attitudes and we have the same expectations for the team. We expect these guys to work hard and give us everything they've got. Individually, we're all different. We wrestle different weight classes, we have different experiences. So when it comes to actual on the mat teaching, you're going to get a reflection of those differences and those experiences." Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:58:39 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1308 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1307 By: Pat Donghia TODAY'S ACTION No. 2 Penn State (9-1, 5-1 B1G) is set for a busy weekend of Big Ten action, beginning with a road trip to No. 7 Nebraska (14-1, 5-1 B1G). The Nittany Lions battle the Cornhuskers on Friday, Feb. 3, . at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. Penn State will travel back to State College on Saturday, arriving home Saturday night and immediately get ready for a Sunday home dual against No. 12 Michigan (6-3, 4-2 B1G). The Lions and Wolverines tangle at 2 p.m. in Rec Hall. The Michigan dual is sold out but a limited number of Standing Room Only tickets still remain as of 2/1/12. With the Big Ten officially recognizing the regular season dual meet champion(s) with a trophy, the importance of this weekend's duals becomes magnified with a conference regular season title (or a share of one) on the line and all three teams in the hunt for the outright title or a share of it. Penn State is coming off dominating 34-9 win over Ohio State on Sunday, a win that moved it into a battle for the Big Ten dual meet crown. The Nittany Lions are 9-1 overall, 5-1 in the conference and face off against another 5-1 team (Nebraska) and a 4-2 squad (Michigan) that still has a chance to forge a massive five- or six-team tie for first. For Penn State, the math is simple, win two tough duals and it is assured of at least a share of the dual meet crown. The Nittany Lions are being led by a balanced line-up featuring eight ranked wrestlers, all of which are ranked among the top 12 and four of whom are in the top two. Three-time All-American Frank Molinaro is ranked No. 1 at 149 with a perfect 21-0 mark. All-American David Taylor is also unblemished at 19-0 and is No. 1 at 165. All-American Ed Ruth is also perfect at 21-0 and No. 2 at 174 while two-time All-American Quentin Wright is 18-2 and No. 2 at 184. Senior Cameron Wade is 18-4 and ranked No. 6 at heavyweight while red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton is 16-4 and No. 6 at 157. True freshman Nico Megaludis is 17-5 and No. 9 at 125 while classmate Morgan McIntosh is 14-5 and No. 12 at 197. Sophomore Frank Martellotti is 6-3 at 133 while junior Bryan Pearsall checks in at 141 with a 10-8 record. Nebraska brings a 14-1 record into the dual, with an impressive 5-1 Big Ten conference mark. . The Huskers are being led by six ranked wrestlers, five of whom are in the top ten. The tough and balanced NU roster features No. 18 Ridge Kelly at 133, No. 5 Jake Sueflohn at 141, No. 7 James Green at 157, No. 6 Robert Kokesh at 165, No. 7 Josh Ihnen at 184 and No. 9 Tucker Lane at heavyweight. This will be the first meeting between the two schools since a 20-16 Nebraska win on Jan. 10, 2009, at the National Duals. Penn State won the last meeting in Lincoln, a 24-14 victory on Jan. 23, 1994. Nebraska has won three straight against Penn State, dating back to a 22-12 Penn State win on 12/5/98 in the Bryce Jordan Center. Nebraska owns an 8-4-1 edge in the series. Michigan comes in 6-3 overall, with a 4-2 record in Big Ten action. The Wolverines are being led by seven ranked individuals, including No. 1 Kellen Russell at 141. UM also features No. 16 Zac Stevens at 133, No. 7 Eric Grajales at 149, No. 14 Dan Yates at 165, No. 8 Justin Zeerip at 174, No. 15 Max Huntley at 197 and No. 10 Ben Apland at 285. Penn State has won the last two meetings against UM and owns a slim 26-24 edge in the all-time series. Penn State won 28-13 last year on 2/6/11 in Ann Arbor and won 29-10 on 2/7/10 in Rec Hall. Penn State will make a cross country trek to Orem, Utah, outside of Salt Lake City, to battle Utah Valley on Saturday, Feb. 11. The dual is set for 9 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Mountain (local time). Penn State's next home dual is the season dual finale against Pitt on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. All seats for the Pitt dual are sold out but some standing room only tickets remain. Fans can purchase a very limited number of SRO tickets by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under) and can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office. The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action will air locally on WRSC AM (1390 AM) with Friday evening duals being simulcast on WRSC FM (103.1 FM). Lock Haven's WBPZ (1230 AM) will also carry the entire season live and further affiliates may be added soon. WIEZ 670 AM (Huntingdon/Lewistown) will carry all Sunday duals during the regular season plus the Big Ten and NCAA Championships in March. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package, which will also feature live video streams of many home events. Ticket information is accessed easily online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html . Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2011-12 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. POSSIBLE STARTERS #2 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (9-1, 5-1 B1G) WTNAMEELHT/HSREC 125#9 Nico MegaludisFr.Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional17-5 133Frank MartellottiSo.Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side6-3 Derek ReberJr.Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg4-5 141Bryan PearsallJr.Lititz, Pa./Warwick10-8 149#1 Frank MolinaroSr.Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional21-0 157#6 Dylan AltonR-Fr.Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain16-4 165#1 David TaylorSo.St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham19-0 174#2 Ed RuthSo.Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Twp.21-0 184#2 Quentin WrightJr.Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area18-2 197#12 Morgan McIntoshFr.Santa Ana, Calif./Calvary Chapel14-5 285#6 Cameron WadeSr.Twinsburg, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel18-4 #7 NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (14-1, 5-1 B1G) WTNAMEELHTREC 125Shawn NagelSo.Kimball, Neb.4-11 133#18 Ridge KellyJr.Eagel Grove, Iowa14-8 141#5 Jake SueflohnFr.Watertown, Wis.19-4 149Brandon WilbournR-Fr.O'Fallon, Mo.10-8 157#7 James GreenFr.Willingboro, N.J.25-3 165#6 Robert KokeshR-Fr.Wagner, S.D.22-3 174Tyler KoehnJr.Pittsburg, Kan.17-6 184#7 Josh IhnenJr.Sheldon, Iowa18-2 197James NakashimaSr.Dwight, Ill.16-6 285#9 Tucker LaneSr.Redvale, Colo.20-3 #12 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (6-3, 4-2 B1G) WTNAMEELHT/HSREC 125Grant PizzoSo.Brighton, Mich./Brighton6-12 133#16 Zac StevensSr.Monroe, Mich./Monroe17-6 141#1 Kellen RussellSr.High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy22-1 149#7 Eric GrajalesSo.Brandon, Fla./Brandon14-3 157Brandon ZeeripSo.Fremont, Mich./Hesperia12-10 165#14 Dan YatesSo.Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia18-5 174#8 Justin ZeeripSr.Fremont, Mich./Hesperia18-2 184Hunter CollinsJr.Gilroy, Calif./Gilroy6-9 ORChris HealdFr.West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield6-7 197#15 Max HuntleyFr.Emerald Isle, N.C./Blair Academy14-8 285#10 Ben AplandJr.Woodbridge, Ill./Downers Grove South19-5 Indiv. Rankings Intermat as of 1/31; Team Rankings NWCA/USA Today as of 1/31 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:10:39 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1307 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1306 By: Pat Donghia Jan. 31, 2012 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Eight members of the Nittany Lion wrestling team continue to be ranked in the latest version of the Intermat national individual rankings. Four Nittany Lion All-Americans are ranked in the top two and all eight are listed in the top 12. Penn State is now 9-1 overall, 5-1 in the Big Ten, after a resounding 34-9 thumping of Ohio State in a sold out Rec Hall last Sunday. Head coach Cael Sanderson's Lions are ranked No. 2 in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll and continue to hold the No. 1 in Intermat's Tournament Power Index (TPI). Three-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) is 21-0 on the year and ranked No. 1 at 149. All-American David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) is 19-0 thus far and is No. 1 at 165 and All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) is 21-0 at ranked No. 2 at 174. Two-time All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) is No. 2 at 184 with an 18-2 mark. Senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) is 18-4 at heavyweight and is ranked No. 6 and red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) is 16-4 at 157 and ranked No. 6. True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) is 17-5 at 125 and ranked No. 9 while classmate Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.) is 14-5 at 197 and ranked No. 12. Penn State is now ranked No. 2 in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. Oklahoma State is No. 1 with 250 points while the Lions follow with 236. Cornell is No. 3 with 227; Minnesota is No. 4 with 214 and Iowa No. 5 with 212. The Nittany Lions retain their hold on the No. 1 spot on Intermat's Tournament Power Index with 102.0 points while Oklahoma State is second with 81.5. Minnesota (73.0), Cornell (69.5) and Iowa (54.0) follow to round out the TPI top five. The Nittany Lions will trek to Lincoln, Neb., on Friday, Feb. 3, for a Big Ten dual with the Cornhuskers beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central (local to site). Penn State's next home dual is against No. 10 Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. While seats for the dual are now sold out, a limited number of Standing Room Only tickets remain. Fans can purchase these SRO ducats by calling 1-800-NITTANY or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office. The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action will air locally on WRSC AM (1390 AM) with Friday evening duals being simulcast on WRSC FM (103.1 FM). Lock Haven's WBPZ (1230 AM) will also carry the entire season live, WIEZ (670 AM) in Huntingdon/Lewistown carries all Sunday events and further affiliates may be added soon. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package, which will also feature live video streams of many home events. Ticket information is accessed easily online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html . Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2011-12 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:06:58 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1306 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1305 The Daily Collegian After Sunday's convincing victory, Ed Ruth was outside the Rec Hall media room laughing with fans and posing with kids for pictures, all while having his younger brother climbing on his back. It was a light moment for the sophomore All-American after Penn State's key win over the fifth-ranked Buckeyes. Less than an hour before, Ruth was not giving Ohio State's Nick Heflin similar hospitality. The 174-pounder punished Heflin for the short time the match lasted before Ruth locked up his cradle move and finished off the pin late in the first period. Ruth has been completely dominate this season, posting a 21-0 mark, and ranked second in his weight class. And while Ruth won a Big Ten championship and finished third at the NCAA Championships last year at 174-pounds, coach Cael Sanderson has seen major developments in Ruth's maturation. "I think early in his career, he would be standing around on the edge of the mat just because he can type of thing or just kind of goofing around," Sanderson said of Ruth. Though Ruth's personality sometimes seems like he's always goofing around, the 21 consecutive wrestlers he has beaten this year may say otherwise. Ruth admits he likes to have fun and interact with people to help him relax. Before they take the mat, most wrestlers put themselves into a "bubble" and zone out all distractions. Those distractions can include coaches, teammates and family. But not Ruth. In fact, he said he likes the distractions and it is something his coaches have accepted given his results this year. Shortly before his match on Sunday, while he was warming up and watching his teammates wrestle in the corner of Rec Hall, two younger boys ran up to Ruth. It was Ruth's 11-year-old brother and his friend. After the three conversed for a bit and had some laughs, Ruth said he was put at ease for his bout. "I like it when people come up to me, like people I know and my family, and talk to me and say, 'Hey Ed, how are you doing' and 'do a good job,'" the All-American said. "That really just helps me out on the mat." It's obvious by the ear-to-ear smile that's normally on Ruth's face that he's thoroughly enjoying both his own and his team's impressive seasons, and he is also having a lot of fun in doing so. Although, he likes to laugh, smile and have fun, when Ruth gets into a match, and even in practice, he is a competitor. "Even though he acts like maybe he's not sometimes, he's very competitive," Sanderson said. Even in practice, Sanderson said Ruth hates to lose because he has had the addicting feeling of winning in him all year. And the competition he has been dominating recently has been no slouch either. Last week against Iowa, it was No. 9 Ethan Lofthouse that he beat 10-1. And coming into Sunday's bout, Heflin was ranked eighth in the country. "He's so hard to stop, he's so quick and his conditioning is great, so it's a lot of fun," the coach said. Ruth and his teammates realize the potential for this season both individually and collectively. Ruth has learned from past experiences on how to improve his game on the mat. And although he is still laughing and having fun, his opponents may not be having the same fun. "Now, he's goofing around with a purpose and real intent to score points," Sanderson said. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:06:19 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1305 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1304 Penn State wins eight bouts to roll past Ohio State Jan. 30, 2012 By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson tells his squad of more than 30 student-athletes two of the same things week in and week out. Wrestle hard for seven minutes, and go have fun. In just his third season with the Nittany Lions, the standout wrestler himself seems to be teaching his young team the right ideas at all of the right times. The Lions shined through as an entire team on Sunday afternoon to defeat the fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, 34-9, in their 10th dual of the season. In front of another sold-out crowd in Rec Hall, Penn State took eight of the 10 bouts on the day to cruise to a resounding victory and reiterate its presence as not only a consistent unit but also a dominant one. The Nittany Lions scored three decisions, two major decisions, one technical fall and two pins to keep the crowd on its feet and their head coach smiling as he sat mat-side. "I think they went after it and they looked good," said Sanderson. "Conditioning looked good and technique's improving every weekend. We saw a lot of attitude out there which is what it takes to be the best and to win the big matches as we get into the postseason here." Freshman and No. 8 Nico Megaludis notched the first three Penn State points of the match at 125 in a bout that ended in a 5-2 decision over Ohio State's No. 15 Johnni Dejulius, but the Buckeyes fired right back. Ohio State's pair of brothers ran away with the following two bouts as No. 3 Logan Stieber pinned sophomore Frank Martellotti and No. 6 Hunter Stieber won by a 9-5 decision over Bryan Pearsall. The nine dual points would be the only points that the Buckeyes would score on Sunday. "The dual meet had potential to be a very close dual meet but when you get in those big matches and you start getting the tech falls and falls... you can kind of open it up there and that's what they did," said Sanderson." The Buckeyes started eight wrestlers with freshmen eligibility and two sophomores, and eight of the 10 on the starting roster were ranked in the top 20 at their respected weights. But Nittany Lion sophomore David Taylor said that against any team, ranked or not, he and his teammates share the same approach no matter what. "Regardless of who it is, our job, what we want to do, is we're going to go out to beat the guy up," said Taylor. "We share the same mentality no matter who we're wrestling." Taylor was one of the five Penn State wrestlers who scored bonus points in the Big Ten dual win over Ohio State, along with seniors Frank Molinaro and Cameron Wade, junior Quentin Wright and sophomore Ed Ruth. Looking on from the Nittany Lions' corner of the mat, Coach Sanderson was caught grinning a bit more than usual on Sunday as he too recognized the spark that his veterans provided. "I mean you get a tech or a pin and the whole place goes crazy and that's enough motivation for the whole team to want to be doing that," said Sanderson." You can't really get that feeling that you get when everyone jumps up and goes crazy really any other way and it's pretty neat." And the Lions had more than one opportunity to see the crowd do just that as Rec Hall erupted in standing ovations five times in the afternoon. Sunday's dual match marked the second week in a row that the facility had been sold out for a Penn State match. Wright said that the packed house is something that always seems to help him push himself that extra mile. "It's definitely the best atmosphere in the country," said Wright. "To have back-to-back weeks like that, it makes it so much fun for us as wrestler to go out there and we get excited for that." The conference victory gives Penn State a 9-1 mark overall this season and a Big Ten record of 5-1. The Nittany Lions will head on the road to Lincoln, Neb., and face their next conference opponent as they take on the Cornhuskers on Friday at 8 p.m. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:05:28 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1304 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1303 By Travis Johnson Centre Daily Times UNIVERSITY PARK It's no secret that David Taylor, Quentin Wright and Ed Ruth constantly try to outdo each other in the Penn State wrestling team's practice room. Lately, their quest inside Rec Hall has been to see who can get the loudest ovation after a big win. Take your pick of any one of them from Sunday. All three earned bonus points in dramatic fashion at 165, 174 and 184 pounds, respectively, each sending another capacity crowd to its feet as No. 2 Penn State throttled No. 5 Ohio State, 34-9. "You can't really get that feeling that you get when everyone jumps up and goes crazy really any other way," Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. "These guys did a great job. The dual meet had potential to be a very close dual meet, but when you get in those big matches and you start getting the tech falls, I think David got us started. ... He can kind of open it up there, and then fall, fall and having that leadership from our older kids is a big deal." The Stieber brothers, Logan and Hunter, whom Ohio-native Taylor spoke highly of early in the week, spotted the Buckeyes a 9-3 lead after Logan pinned Frank Martellotti in the first round of their 133-pound bout and Hunter won a grueling 9-5 decision over Bryan Pearsall at 141. That would be the last time the Buckeyes had the upper hand, as Penn State swept the remaining matches, earning bonus points in all but two. The Buckeyes wrestled without Cam Tessari, ranked No. 14 at 149 pounds, who is still recovering from an injury suffered against Minnesota earlier in the season and aggravated during the Buckeyes' upset of No. 6 Iowa last week. The Buckeyes also were without No. 10 C.J. Magrum at 184. Ohio State coach Tom Ryan wouldn't use the absences of two of his best wrestlers as excuses, however. "They just outworked us today," Ryan said. "I don't think it takes someone that's coached for 20 years to know what passion looks like. We saw passion at home a week ago and we saw a lack of passion today." For the Nittany Lions, it was quite the opposite. Nico Megaludis, constantly on the attack to begin the dual, earned a 6-2 decision over Johnni DiJulius at 125 before the Stieber brothers went to work. Frank Molinaro had no trouble with Tessari's replacement, Alex Gordon at 149, majoring the Buckeye freshman to cut Ohio State's lead to 9-7. Dylan Alton put Penn State ahead for good with a 4-0 decision over Josh Demas at 157. Then, Penn State's "Murderer's Row" a nickname starting to catch on for Taylor, Ruth and Wright did its thing. Taylor, No. 1 at 165, used 6:20 to score an 18-3 technical fall against Derek Garcia and furiously pumped his fist as the referee raised his hand. "It's always nice to beat those guys," Taylor said. "I grew up as friends and working out with a lot of those guys. We're friends off the mat but on the mat you've got to beat them." Then, No. 2 Ruth needed just 2:05 to pin No. 8 Nick Heflin at 174. Fans inside Rec Hall were standing as Ruth, on his feet against Heflin, locked his cradle in against the Buckeye sophomore and rolled him to his back for the fall. It was a dramatic improvement from when Heflin stood toe-to-toe with Ruth in last season's Big Ten tournament championship, an 8-5 decision for Ruth. "That definitely made a statement there," Ruth said. "The second time wrestling him, I just felt more experienced. I felt a little bit more comfortable on the mat. The first time out we were both freshmen, we were both fresh at it. It definitely made a difference the second time." Not to be outdone, No. 2 Wright immediately went after Magrum's backup, freshman Craig Thomas. Seconds in, Wright covered nearly the entire diameter of the mat as he speared Thomas, who is listed as a 165-pounder on Ohio State's roster, to the mat for the first of three takedowns. Wright added four nearfall points in the first period to take a 9-1 lead into the second. Wright chose down and quickly escaped and landed another lunging double-leg takedown before Thomas worked back to his feet. But before Thomas could slide out from Wright's control, the Bald Eagle Area alum put Thomas in a headlock and threw him to his back. The referee's hand slapped the mat just seconds later and the crowd went wild again. "It's definitely the best atmosphere in the country," Wright said. "To have back-to-back weeks like that, it makes it so much fun for us as wrestlers. We get excited for that and I just think everybody enjoys it. It was a lot of fun. It's always fun when you get to throw someone." Soon after Wright's domination of Thomas, the majority of the Penn State fans went eerily silent as freshman 197-pounder Morgan McIntosh looked to have injured his right knee the same joint that he hurt earlier in the season at the Nittany Lion Open. No. 12 McIntosh hopped up off the mat after a brief injury timeout and consulted with team trainer Dan Monthly and Sanderson. He would resume the bout, earning 5-4 decision over No. 20 Andrew Campolattano. "That was good to see," Sanderson said of McIntosh's ability to finish the bout strong. "He's got flexible knees and sometimes that's good and sometimes it's not because you put yourself in bad positions more because you're used to being able to do that. But yeah, he'll be fine." No. 6 Cameron Wade closed the dual with a 9-0 major over No. 16 Peter Capone at 285. Notes: Penn State won the takedown battle 16-4. ... A group of Penn State wrestlers gathered Saturday night to watch former Penn State standout Phil Davis' UFC fight against Rashad Evans, a bout Davis lost by unanimous decision. Davis weighed in for his fight in a white Penn State singlet. ... Molinaro's match gave him his 11th shutout win of the season. ... Gordon chose down to begin the third against Molinaro, a decision that drew audible laughs from the Rec Hall crowd due to Molinaro's prowess in the top position. ... Ruth won the Ridge Riley award as the Lions' best wrestler on the afternoon. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:04:42 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1303 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1302 By JIM CARLSON The Patriot-News STATE COLLEGE About 45 minutes after No. 2-ranked Penn State dismantled No. 5 Ohio State 34-9 on Sunday, Ed Ruth was carrying his little brother on his shoulders. Short of the Penn State practice room where Ruth's competition is more fierce than he sees in an actual dual meet, it's safe to say that 11-year-old Edmund Ruth put more pressure on the nation's second-ranked 174-pound wrestler than his OSU foe. And it was no average Buckeye, it was eighth-ranked Nick Heflin (19-3) who lasted just over two minutes, unable to flee from Ruth's patented cradle, one which he can throw from just about any position. "Ed Ruth's special," Ohio State coach Tom Ryan said about the Nittany Lions' redshirt sophomore. "The mistake that was made [by Heflin] wasn't made on the crossface cradle, the mistake was made about five seconds before when you're on your feet, and you should have been away. "The intensity level dropped, Ruth puts you back on the mat, and then you get cradled. It was a good job by Ruth," Ryan said. Indeed it was ... for the 21st time this season. He hasn't had many close matches, save for a Southern Scuffle finals match Jan. 2 (6-3) against his own talented teammate, Matt Brown. Practice is another matter. Ruth not only mixes it up with teammates David Taylor, Quentin Wright and Morgan McIntosh, but coaches Cael Sanderson and Casey Cunningham as well. Those two have five NCAA medals and one Olympic medal between them all gold, of course. "Ed's college goal is to beat Coach Cael and Coach Casey before he leaves," said Wright, who also had a fall on Sunday. "That makes it fun." Whether that happens remains to be seen as Sanderson will only crack a sly smile when asked if Ruth is getting closer to doing that. "He's good; Ed's good," Sanderson said. "When he wants to get on your leg, he's gonna get on your leg. "He's very competitive. He doesn't like to lose in practice. He's just a competitor and that's why he's as good as he is. I don't remember a practice when he's laid there and let you hammer on him ... just doesn't happen." A crowd favorite, Penn State fans enjoy their little chant of "R-u-u-u-u-th, R-u-u-u-u-th" when Ed walks on the mat and later walks off after another victory. That his signature move is a pinning combination that at the very least nets him a lot of points makes his appearance in the seventh match of the day well worth waiting for. With Taylor, Ruth, Wright, McIntosh and Cameron Wade in the final five bouts, it's quickly becoming the Greatest Show on Resilite in Rec Hall, starring Ruth as one of the show-stoppers. A free spirit with a contagious smile, Ruth said he doesn't work on his cradle in practice, but "when it comes to the match, it's the thing I feel most comfortable doing," Ruth said. "If somebody beats my cradle, I feel like I have a lot of moves to fall back on." The person responsible for introducing Ruth to the cradle was not only in attendance on Sunday, he was speaking to Ruth about it just before he went on the mat. Jesse Rawls Jr., a principal at CD East, was a PIAA champion for Susquehanna Twp. and worked with Ruth in the early stages of his career. Most wrestlers don't like to be bothered prior to a match, but Ruth's not one of them. "I like it when people I know and family come up to me and talk to me," he said. "It puts a smile on my face and puts me at ease." And often times the other guy on his back. NOTES -Iowa rebounded from a two-match losing streak by defeating No. 3 Minnesota 19-17 on Sunday in Iowa City. Mike Evans, a former Cumberland Valley wrestler, gave the Hawkeyes the deciding points by recording the meet's only fall. Evans, ranked eighth at 165, pinned 14th-ranked Cody Yohn in 6:02. -Penn State travels to Nebraska on Friday and hosts Michigan on Sunday. Michigan defeated Michigan State 26-9 on Sunday. -Harvard's fourth-ranked 157-pounder, Walter Peppelman of Central Dauphin, scored a major decision against Army on Saturday but Harvard went down in an upset, 24-17. -Brother Marshall Peppelman of Cornell at 165 was defeated by technical fall by fourth-ranked Andrew Sorenson of Iowa State, but Cornell won seven of 10 bouts in a 28-11 victory in Ames, Iowa, Sunday. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:03:03 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1302