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=1538 http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S and SPick=20130 and cosponId=12478 MEMORANDUM Posted:April 12, 2013 01:53 PM From: Senator Jake Corman To: All Senate members Subject:Resolution Congratulating Penn State University Wrestling Team's 3rd Straight National Championship On Monday, April 15th, I will be offering a resolution for unanimous consent congratulating the Penn State University wrestling team on their third straight NCAA Division I National Wrestling Championship. The Penn State wrestling team's three consecutive championships are worthy of congratulations and are even more impressive when acknowledging that this is only the third time in the history of NCAA wrestling that a team has one three straight titles. In addition to the team level accomplishment, two Penn State wrestlers, Quentin Wright and Ed Ruth, won individual NCAA titles in their respective weight classes and head coach Cael Sanderson was named National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year. Just as impressive, of the teams thirty seven student athletes, fifteen were named to the Academic All Big Ten Conference team and wrestler Matt Brown won the Elite 89 Award for the top student athlete at the national championships with a 3.97 grade point average. Any member who does not cosponsor through this memo can cosponsor on the floor Monday. Thank you Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:30:24 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1538 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1537 By Craig Sesker USA Wrestling 04/10/2013 http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3 and page=showarticle and ArticleID=26322 Olympic and World champion Jordan Burroughs headlines the list of No. 1 seeds for the 2013 U.S. Open in freestyle wrestling. Burroughs won a World title in 2011 and an Olympic title in 2012 at 74 kg/163 lbs. He is 48-0 on the Senior level over the past three seasons. He is 10-0 this season. 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott is the top seed at 60 kg/132 lbs. Two-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber is seeded second behind Scott. Past World bronze medalist and Olympian Tervel Dlagnev is the top seed at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Olympian Sam Hazewinkel is No. 1 at 55 kg/121 lbs. with past World Team member Brent Metcalf No. 1 at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Past National Team member Keith Gavin is No. 1 at 84 kg/185 lbs. with past NCAA All-American Wynn Michalak No. 1 at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Two-time NCAA champions Jordan Oliver and Ed Ruth also are expected to compete along with 2012 Hodge Trophy winner David Taylor. The Senior-level portion of the U.S. Open is scheduled for April 18-20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The top eight seeds in each weight class will advance directly to the final day of the tournament in their respective weight classes. Those wrestlers will be exempt from competing in the qualifying tournament the day before. The first qualifying tournament will be held on April 18 at 66 kg, 84 kg and 120 kg with the top eight wrestlers advancing to the championship tournament the following day. The second qualifying tournament will be held on April 19 at 55 kg, 60 kg, 74 kg and 96 kg with the top eight wrestlers advancing to the championship tournament the following day. Qualifying tournaments will not be held in weight classes with 19 or fewer entries. If that occurs, all the wrestlers will compete only on the second day. The top seven finishers in each weight class at the U.S. Open will qualify for Junes U.S. World Team Trials in Stillwater, Okla. Seeds are tentative and subject to change. Final seeding of the top eight will be done and posted right after the close of registration on Tuesday. 2013 U.S. OPEN SEEDS 55 kg/121 lbs. 1. Sam Hazewinkel, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Obe Blanc, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Ben Kjar, Orem, Utah (Titan Mercury WC) 4. Zach Sanders, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 5. Mark McKnight, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 6. Brandon Precin, Evanston, Ill. (Wildcat WC) 7. Frank Perrelli, Itahca, N.Y. (New York AC) 8. Kyle Hutter (HRWA/Virginia Beach RTC) 9. Steve Mytych, Coplay, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC) 10. Shawn Contos, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 60 kg/132 lbs. 1. Coleman Scott, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC) 3. Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 4. Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (New York AC) 5. Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. 1. Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC) 2. Chase Pami, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 3. Adam Hall, New York, N.Y. (New York AC/Titan Mercury WC) 4. Jordan Oliver, Easton, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Jason Chamberlain, Springville, Utah (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Phil Simpson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 7. Kevin LeValley, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 8. Drew Headlee, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC) 9. Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC) 10. Kyle Ruschell, Madison, Wis. (New York AC) 74 kg/163 lbs. 1. Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Nick Marable, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids) 3. David Taylor, St. Paris, Ohio (Nittany Lion WC) 4. Anthony Jones, E. Lansing, Mich. (Michigan WC) 5. Colt Sponseller, Glenmont, Ohio (New York AC) 84 kg/185 lbs. 1. Keith Gavin, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 2. Max Askren, Hartland, Wis. (New York AC/Titan Mercury WC) 3. Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) 4. Jon Reader, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids/Cyclone WC) 5. Austin Trotman, Boone, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (Cowboy WC/GRIT Athletics) 7. Ed Ruth, Harrisburg, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 8. Cam Simaz, Ithaca, N.Y. (Finger Lakes WC) 9. Mike Pucillo, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. 1. Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Les Sigman, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 3. David Zabriskie, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC) 4. Chris Pendleton, Laramie, Wyo. (Cowboy WC) 5. Dustin Kilgore, Berea, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) 6. J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 7. Trevor Brandvold, Verona, Wis. (New York AC) 8. Jack Jensen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 9. Cayle Byers, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) 10. Luke Lofthouse, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. 1. Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC) 2. Dom Bradley, Blue Springs, Mo. (Sunkist Kids) 3. Zach Rey, Hopatcong, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC) 4. Ryan Tomei, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Kyle Massey, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC) Mon, 15 Apr 2013 02:39:22 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1537 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1536 By: Pat Donghia The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson, were honored at the Penn State Wrestling Club's annual season-ending banquet. A number of team awards were handed out the event, held at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. Three-time All-American and two-time NCAA Champion Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) was honored with the William N. Neidig Award as Outstanding Wrestler. He also claimed the Joe Scalzo Award for most team points. Ruth won his second NCAA title in complete and dominating fashion, closing out yet another undefeated season with a 12-4 major over Lehigh's Robert Hamlin in the 184-pound title bout at the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The win gave Ruth a perfect 33-0 record to end the season and he heads into his senior year riding a 68-match win streak dating back to 2011. The three-time All-American has now won two straight NCAA titles and has a 102-2 career record. Ruth is fourth on Penn State's all-time pins list with 35. Senior Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), four-time All-American and two-time NCAA Champion, was presented the Leadership Award by the coaching staff. Wright capped off a stellar collegiate career by blazing through an undefeated 32-0 season, culminating in an 8-6 win over top-seeded Dustin Kilgore of Kent State in the 197-pound title bout at the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The victory clinched the team title for the Lions and earned the four-time All-American his second national title (he won the 184-pound crown in 2011 and was runner-up last year). Wright finishes an undefeated season with a 32-0 mark, giving him a final career record of 116-23. Wright is tied for 10th on Penn State's all-time wins list with former four-time All-American and national champion Phil Davis. He leaves Penn State as its sixth four-time All-American (1st in '13, 2nd in '12, 1st in '11 and 6th in '09). Three-time All-American and '12 NCAA Champion David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) took home a total of four awards at the event. Taylor claimed the Charles M. Speidel Award for most takedowns, the Bill Koll Award for most pins and the Most Bonus Points Scored Award. He also garnered one of five team Academic Excellence Awards, his four the `Fourth Year Wrestler', having a class-best 3.55 GPA. Taylor was the 2013 NCAA National Runner-Up at 165, making the trip to the national finals for the third straight year. Taylor dropped a tough 5-4 decision on 1:13 riding time to Cornell's Kyle Dake in the final match of the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Taylor ended an outstanding junior year with a 30-2 record after a 4-1 tournament run. A three-time All-American and last year's 165-pound champ, Taylor is also a two-time NCAA finalist. He heads into his senior season with a stellar 100-3 career record and is tied for second with Quentin Wright on Penn State's all-time pins list with 37. All-American and National Runner-Up Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) grabbed two awards. Brown was presented with the Commitment Award and took home the `Third Year Wrestler' Academic Excellence Award with a 3.97 GPA. He rolled to the NCAA finals in his first trip to nationals, ending his 2012-13 campaign as the 2013 National Runner-Up and an All-American at 174. Brown, who was the No. 2 seed, took top-seeded Chris Perry of Oklahoma State into extra time before dropping a heart-stopping 2-1 tie-breaker decision. Brown ends his first NCAA tournament as the 2013 National Runner-Up at 174 with 29-5 record after a 4-1 tournament run. He heads into his junior year with a superb 56-7 career record. Two-time All-American and National Runner-Up Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) was honored with the `Second Year Wrestler' Academic Excellence Award. Megaludis is now a two-time NCAA National Finalist, advancing to the championship bout at 125 for the second straight year at the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Megaludis, who also was a finalist as a true freshman and is now a two-time All-American, was even-up with Illinois' Jesse Delgado late into the bout when Delgado countered a Megaludis scoring attempt and posted a hard-fought 7-4 win. Finishing as National Runner-Up, Megaludis posted a 28-4 record this year after a 4-1 tournament and heads into his junior year with a 56-12 career record. Red-shirt freshman Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.) won the Kaye Vinson Award for Most Improved Wrestler. Conaway scored major points for Penn State in its 2013 team championship run, finishing just one win shy of All-America laurels, bowing out in the `round of 12'. Conaway, a red-shirt freshman at 133, posted a 3-2 with a pin and ended his freshman year with a 19-10 record. Senior James English (York, Pa.), who has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA and could return in 2013-14, took home a pair of awards as well. English grabbed the Community Service Award as well as the `Fifth Year Wrestler' Academic Excellence honor with a 3.44 GPA. English ended an outstanding 2012-13 season with a 14-4 record, including a 3-2 dual meet mark and a Runner-Up finish at 149 in the 2013 Southern Scuffle, helping drive Penn State to the title. He sports a 44-15 career mark. True freshman Caleb Livingston (Drexel Hill, Pa.) was the final Academic Excellence winner, taking home the `First Year Wrestler' honor with a 3.91 GPA. Livingston red-shirted this year. The final award went to senior manager Taylor Durci (North Huntingdon, Pa.), who was honored with the Carl A. Winterburn Award for a senior manager. Durci is a psychology major at Penn State. Penn State is on a run of three straight NCAA titles and three straight Big Ten Championships. 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 2012-13 Penn State Wrestling season was presented by The Family Clothesline. Mon, 15 Apr 2013 02:37:36 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1536 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1535 By Eric Shultz The Daily Collegian A lot of changes can take place in just one year. Around this time last year, Penn State's David Taylor was at the top of collegiate wrestling. Finishing with a perfect 32-0 record and 15 pins, Taylor won the 165-pound championship after four wins by fall in the national tournament led to a 22-7 technical fall in the title match. Taylor capped off the memorable season by winning the Dan Hodge Trophy. Often regarded as the Heisman Trophy of wrestling, the award is given to the nation's best collegiate wrestler. But things were different during the 2012-13 season, Taylor's junior year. Cornell's Kyle Dake bumped up to 165 pounds and ultimately took the 165-pound title from Taylor in the finals. It was announced today that Dake won this year's Dan Hodge Trophy. According to WIN-Magazine.com's release, Dake earned 41 of 43 first-place votes cast by the Hodge Voting Committee, made up of all former Hodge Trophy winners, national wrestling media, retired college coaches from different regions of the country and a representative from a number of national wrestling organizations. Penn State's Ed Ruth received the remaining two first-place votes and was also second in total points, the release said. Ruth's two votes came from the first-time fan vote, which received more than 2500 entries and boosted Ruth past Oklahoma State's Jordan Oliver as the runner-up in points, 89-88, according to the release. Oliver went 32-0 with 17 pins and won this year's national championship at 149 pounds. Ruth certainly earned his runner-up status and may have took home the hardware had Dake not been in the way this season. Ruth, who went undefeated and won the 174-pound national champion in 2012, moved to 184 pounds this year. The transition allowed Matt Brown, who finished the national tournament in second place, to wrestle at 174. Ruth continued his dominance at the new weight. His record was flawless again, as he finished 33-0 with 12 pins and four technical falls. In the 184-pound finals, Ruth won by a 12-4 major decision against Lehigh's Robert Hamlin. But Dake managed to produce an even more remarkable season. The Big Red senior entered the season as a three-time national champion and the only NCAA wrestler to win a title at three different weights (141, 149, and 157 pounds). This season, he moved to 165 in an attempt to extend his record to a national championship at four different weights. The journey culminated in perhaps the most anticipated seven minutes of NCAA wrestling history, a final showdown between Dake and Taylor, who Dake had not lost to before. In the end, Taylor nearly defended his title. After Taylor scored an early takedown, Dake took a lead and carried it to the third period. The match was eventually tied at 4-4 in the closing seconds after a stalling call on Dake and escape by Taylor. But Dake received a riding time point at the end of regulation, which broke the tie and made history. Dake ended his final season at Cornell with his second consecutive undefeated season, going 37-0. His career record is 137-4. According to the release, Dake will be presented the award on May 5 at Cornell's wrestling banquet. Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:50:19 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1535 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1534 Penn State Wrestling Fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once again another year already in the books with another exciting NCAA finish. It seems like we just started preseason practice yesterday and here we are with yet another season complete. It has been a quick four years that we as a staff have been here and there have been a lot of fun moments. This was not a perfect year and was not a perfect NCAA tournament, so there is always going to be some disappointment, but the way the team fought at the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA tournament with everybody contributing to the team score is what Penn State Wrestling has become known for. We had five guys in the finals and every single one of them fought their butts off not only for themselves but for the team and that is exciting. The guys that did not place scored critical points for our team to win an NCAA championship and without them we would not have been able to accomplish the team goal. We lose two of our ten starters from this years team due to graduation and they will both be greatly missed and hard to replace and what they meant to this program cannot really be put into words. Bryan Pearsall went from never placing in the state tournament and a 3-23 year as a freshman to having a winning career record and being a NCAA qualifier. Quentin Wright finished one of the most successful careers in Penn State History with his fourth All- American award, third NCAA final appearance, and second national title while securing a third straight NCAA team title. Quentin proved time and time again that when he was needed by the team he was going to perform at the highest level. Over the past three years he was not the favorite to win any of those years but did so two times and fell just short the third time for a second place finish. These guys have become fan favorites not only for their heart and determination on the mat but because of the type of people they are off the mat. We are very proud of these two and will miss them greatly. The good news is we have eight of our ten starters coming back and we have several guys coming off of redshirt who are going to be very exciting to watch in the coming years. Although the future looks bright we should not take for granted what these teams have been able to accomplish over the past three years and should enjoy it as much as we humbly can. We as a staff are very grateful to be a part of such an amazing family of staff, wrestlers, administration, and most importantly fans and donors of this program. We look forward to continuing to move Penn State Wrestling forward for many years to come. Lastly we have an opportunity for the first time to have a small part in the voting for the Hodge Trophy which is given to the best college wrestler. If you go to http://www.win-magazine.com/ you can vote for Ed Ruth who has just completed his second undefeated season while majoring a 2 time NCAA finalist in the finals for the second straight year. Ed has been nothing but dominate and as I said you can have at least a small impact on who receives that award this year. Thank you again for the continued awesome support and we look forward to seeing many of you at the banquet. GO LIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In other news the NLWC resident athletes will be competing in three weeks in Las Vegas at the US Nationals. We will also have a handful of our college guys competing in that as well so please follow those guys on line. Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:53:15 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1534 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1533 By: Pat Donghia March 29, 2013 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson, followed up its third straight NCAA National and Big Ten titles by dominating the classroom as well. Just under half of Penn State's entire roster, 15 of 37, has been named to the Academic All-Big Ten list. Led by four All-Americans, over 40 percent of Penn State's squad, all letter winners, met the criteria of being in their second academic year at Penn State and carrying a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Penn State's total of 15 was far and away the most of any Big Ten school for wrestling and comprised almost 25 percent of Penn State's total of 64 Academic All-Big Ten honorees for the Winter sports season. Four-time All-American and two-time NCAA Champion Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) was one of four 2013 All-Americans on the list. The honor is Wright's fourth. Wright closed out a stellar career by winning the 197-pound title in Des Moines to cap off Penn State's third straight team title and a 32-0 regular season. Wright leaves Penn State with final career record of 116-23. Wright is tied for 10th on Penn State's all-time wins list with former four-time All-American and national champion Phil Davis. He leaves Penn State as its sixth four-time All-American (1st in '13, 2nd in '12, 1st in '11 and 6th in '09). Three-time All-American and NCAA Champion David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) earned his third Academic All-Big Ten nod. Taylor rolled to a 30-2 record this year and his third straight trip to the NCAA finals. The 2013 National Runner-Up at 165, Taylor was the 2012 165-pound champ and heads into his senior season with a stellar 100-3 career record. He is tied for second with Quentin Wright on Penn State's all-time pins list with 37. Sophomore All-American Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) followed up an outstanding season by earning his first Academic All-Big Ten honor. Brown is the 2013 National Runner-Up at 174 and the 2013 Big Ten Champion. Brown ended the year with a 29-5 record after a 4-1 NCAA tournament run. He was also named the NCAA Elite 89 Award as the nation's top Division I wrestling student-athlete with the top GPA of all 330 championship competitors. Two-time All-American Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) earned his first Academic All-Big Ten award as well. The two-time NCAA National Runner-UP at 125 has advanced to the national finals as a true freshman and true sophomore. He posted a 28-4 record this year and heads into his sophomore year with a 56-12 career record. Senior James English (York, Pa.) earned his third honor. English posted a superb 14-4 overall record, including a 3-2 dual meet mark, this season. Classmate Andrew Church (Erie, Pa.) earned his second academic honor after a 12-7 season. Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.), another senior, grabbed his fourth Academic All-Big Ten award and went 17-5 this year. Senior Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa.) was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team for the first time as well. Three sophomores earned the honor as well. Cameron Kelly (Pittsford, N.Y.), Kyle Moran (Oxford, Pa.) and Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) each earned their second Academic All-Big Ten awards. Kelly went 5-6, Moran posted a 7-8 mark and Morgan had his season cut short due to injury. Four red-shirt freshmen were named to the Academic All-Big Ten list for the first time. Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.) posted a 13-4 record this year while classmate James Frascella (Carmel, Ind.) went 11-7. Rex Lutz (Easton, Pa.) went 12-2 as well. Classmate Dylan Dailey (Danville, Pa.) rounds out Penn State's 15 award winners. Penn State is on a run of three straight NCAA titles and three straight Big Ten Championships. 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 2012-13 Penn State Wrestling season was presented by The Family Clothesline. Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:51:11 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1533 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1532 By: Travis Johnson Centre Daily Times DES MOINES, Iowa - David Taylor is the future of wrestling. In more ways than one. He's the near future. The Penn State junior will have one more year to wow college wrestling fans and dominate opponents before he'll head out of Happy Valley with freestyle glory and Olympic aspirations in his sights. And he's the distant future. As volunteer workers labored furiously for back-to-back days on Thursday and Friday to reconfigure the Wells Fargo Arena for the latter sessions of last week's NCAA Wrestling Championships, two little kids - one on each day - jumped around, rolled across the mats and shot in for takedown attempts on those same workers. Each little boy - neither could've been older than six - on each day paid homage to his idol. Think of yourself when you were little, pretending to be your favorite baseball player in the backyard or favorite footballer in a neighborhood game of two-hand touch. For me, I was always Marty Straka or Jaromir Jagr blasting home a one-timer from Le Magnifique for the overtime game-winner in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Those little squirts inside Wells Fargo Center - they were David Taylor. "I'm the Magic Man!" they exclaimed. I bet they'd still play Taylor in backyard battles despite the Penn State star's loss to Kyle Dake in the 165-pound championship match. Taylor, maybe he's still stewing over the loss. I'd be willing to bet he is. "It hurts," Taylor said with glazed eyes afterward. "I don't lose. It's something that's going to eat at me for a while." I say Taylor didn't lose. He just didn't win. Wrestling fans did, however. The buildup to Dake/Taylor III was unreal. It was the chatter of every restaurant crowd, the buzz inside every corner bar that hung "Save Olympic Wrestling!" banners from their windows. It was speculated on, bet on, argued over by every person in that city for four straight days. On Sunday, it was still the talk of the town and for good reason. It was an epic match. When Taylor got the opening takedown just 17 seconds in and Dake nearly reversed him into a cradle - a move Taylor slid out of with ease - the arena was so loud you couldn't hear yourself think. There were similar reactions to each of Taylor's four falls leading up to his showdown with Dake. Nothing against Dake, but the building never thundered like it did after Taylor's first four bouts for the Cornell senior's methodical wins. Taylor meanwhile, breathed life into the capacity crowd on each day with jaw-dropping displays of his ultra-aggressive, take-no-prisoners style. "He's made me a better wrestler," Dake said shortly after their championship bout. I've never seen Taylor with as much electricity coursing through his veins after he pinned Illinois' Conrad Polz in a ridiculous 24 seconds in the quarterfinals. And I've never seen him so stunned after he failed to get out from under Dake until it was too late, and lost on a riding time point. Afterward, Cael Sanderson - Taylor's idol growing up - collapsed in the tunnel with his head between his knees, clearly devastated his pupil had been beaten on the scoreboard. It was a touching moment seeing Sanderson weep for Taylor, a true testament to what these modern-day gladiators put into their craft and sacrifice to reach the highest level. Sanderson would know. And although both had become national champions for the third straight season as part of the most dominant wrestling team in decades, it was hard to celebrate fully. Not everyone had won. Minutes later, Sanderson had collected himself and talked about how tough it was winning as a team, but seeing individuals lose. And while Taylor lost individually, he put the rest of the Nittany Lions on his back and carried them to the goal line. He's done it before, too. "He led Penn State to three national championships," Sanderson said. "Through his great leadership, his hustle, his love of competing, leading with a passion and bonus points, he's made this sport a better sport and I couldn't be more proud of the kid." And he's exactly right. While Ed Ruth is the flashy, showman - dominant in his own right - and Quentin Wright is the hometown favorite and a star that's come full circle, there's no doubting - Taylor is the MVP. A week before the NCAA tournament, Taylor and I shared a candid moment in the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex. To end a long one-on-one interview, I looked right into his eyes and asked what was probably one of the more bizarre questions he's ever had to field. He definitely wasn't expecting it. "David, you've earned bonus points in all but 10 of your college matches," I said. "What happened in those other 10? Where were the bonus points?" Obviously, I was kidding. For a second, Taylor's eyes got wide, considering that very question What happened in those' Then he grinned and laughed. That split second where he wondered - that's why David Taylor is the championship-caliber wrestler he is. Already, he's one of the greatest of all time. This is the mindset of the greats, always wondering, always trying to tweak things, improve, relying on past mistakes to better themselves. Taylor prophesized to me that it didn't matter that he lost to Dake in a preseason exhibition match - that one at the NWCA All-Star Classic billed as The Match of the Century' by Flo Wrestling. It didn't matter that he suffered a controversial defeat at Dake's hands in the Southern Scuffle finals. The only match people would remember would be this one. Maybe he was right? But it's not the last one that will count. And David Taylor will never be remembered a loser. Before you know it, the Magic Man will be back with a vengeance. What a scary prospect for his future foes and what a delight it will be for all those kids who will try to follow in his footsteps, just as he's done so with Sanderson before him. Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:50:14 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1532 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1531 By Jim Carlson | Special to PennLive http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/03/ed_ruth_helped_along_path_to_m.html One would think that Penn State wrestler Ed Ruth, who after Saturday night in Des Moines, Iowa, now has two NCAA gold medals and a winning streak that has stretched to 69, would have had a lifelong passion for this sport at which he excels. Apparently there really are two sides to every story. "Edward did not like wrestling," his mother, Thanayi Ruth said. "He was part of Central Dauphin's elementary wrestling program and Kenny Courts was his head coach. "I used to drop him off at his [Courts'] house, and ninety percent of the time he didn't want to get out of the van. I had to pull him out of the van," Thanayi Ruth said. "So I asked, What do I do?' and [Ken] said, If he were my kid, he'd be going to practice.' "Because the alternative was to stay at home and watch TV, and I didn't want him to stay at home and watch TV." So Ed Ruth's mom and youth coach stayed on him when he was, as Ken Courts Sr. said, "second or third grade," hoping, as his mom said, "eventually it would sink in." It was a process. There would usually be one or two kids who would keep him from winning the Eastern National youth tournaments, Courts said. And as a sophomore and junior at Susquehanna Twp. High School, he lost to current teammate Quentin Wright in the PIAA semifinals both years. "He was pretty decent back then; he wasn't the greatest, he was just decent," Thanayi Ruth said, noting that she noticed things coming together for him during the 10th grade. "Basically it was just to keep him busy," she said about Ed's elementary days. "Kenny, he was really good. I would drop [Edward] off at [Kenny's] house and he would take him from his house to practice," Thanayi Ruth said. "It was funny because also at that time, when Edward would get out of the car, he wouldn't immediately go into practice. He'd wander around and he'd come to the door and Kenny would say, You ready?' and [Edward] would shake his head that he was ready." No one's happier that Courts and his crew got him ready than his Penn State coach, Cael Sanderson. "He has a phenomenal feel for wrestling," Sanderson said about his redshirt junior champion. "He's unique in what he does. It's not something guys are used to. "What stands out is he's extremely competitive and he's competitive every day and very consistent in that way. "He's a guy that doesn't really get tired, he gets warmed up. We've been saying that from Day 1 with him. You put those things together: great athletic ability - the guy that wants to be the best and have fun - wants to get out there and perform. That's a pretty good combo." SIGNS OF GREATNESS Courts might dispute that warmed-up part of which Sanderson spoke. "The hardest job was getting him to warm up before he went out," Courts said with a laugh. "Everything else was there." And Courts knew that early on, pretty much from the day Thanayi Ruth called him about young Edward becoming a part of the Central Dauphin elementary program. "Right away," Courts said about Ed's potential. "I saw amazing balance from a kid at an early age. When I watched him at the middle school where we practiced walk on his hands up and down the steps, I knew right then, and I told his mother even that day, that if he sticks around wrestling he's gonna be outstanding. "It was amazing the things he could do," Courts said. "Even then he was an excellent wrestler, but I think he loved football a little more early. But his mother was very forceful in making him continue to do it. She'd drop him off at the house every day and we'd take him to practice. She did an outstanding job." Ruth committed to Penn State to wrestle for coach Troy Sunderland and then attended Blair Academy in New Jersey for one season and won a national prep title. "He decided to go to Penn State and I thought that would be a good fit for him with the coach that was there at that time," Courts said. "The maturity from high school to college was there and it was only a matter of time that he'd be on that national podium. It was a matter of time. He's the whole package, no doubt about it." What makes Ed Ruth stand out, Courts said, is his ability, but it transcends that. "The long, lanky wrestler, his leverage, his outstanding balance- He's probably one of the hardest wrestlers, I'm guessing, to take down," Courts said. It doesn't happen much now (Lehigh's Robert Hamlin got to him twice in the November dual meet) and it didn't happen much then. Courts explained that the goal of Ruth's young teammates, and that included Walter and Marshall Peppelman, currently wrestling for Harvard and Cornell, respectively, was to be able to take Ruth down. "We knew they were where they should be if they could do that," Courts said. "Edward was a little heavier in weight but still, if you took Edward down you knew you could probably beat anybody in your weight class. Working out with him was sensational." MAT SENSE Ruth is one of the calmer wrestlers you'll ever see. He doesn't panic if an opponent gets a deep takedown shot on him or puts him in a precarious position. In fact, Ruth often times exposes his own back to the mat in order to put his opponent on his. Like Sanderson, Courts cites Ruth's ability and drive, his ultra-competitive gear, as the secret to his success. "Ability was No. 1 and I'm sure now his drive is No. 2," Courts said. "I don't care what school he's at, he'd still be a national champ. Penn State's a great school. Ohio State's a great school. Iowa. Wherever he would be at- because it's his ability. But I think the drive now overrides those things." Courts and Ruth still speak. In fact, Courts chatted with him at this year's Penn State-Ohio State match in Columbus. Courts' son, Kenny, wrestles for the Buckeyes but wrestled against Penn State's Wright during that match. "He was the same calm, relaxed guy who's excellent," Courts said about their talk. "The calmness was always a part of it. When he lost he'd work to get back where he was but he was always calm. "I was glad that Ohio State bumped Kenny up to 197 only because of the friendship we've built up for so long. We could all see each other; It worked out good." Ruth's mom and ex-coach remain incredibly pleased the things are working out. Courts is ready to see even more success. "Well, since I was a part of his wrestling career early, it's probably one of the biggest thrills you can have as a coach, besides your son winning a state title," he said about Ruth winning a national crown. "You see a kid that you worked with, who you took to practice, you made him get in the van, you made him go to practice and now he continues to still do it even at the next level. "Even last year I had to cry for a moment because of the moment of me and his mother to get him where he's at today, to get him to practice, to get him to do those things. The discipline now he has is amazing. My heart goes out to him. "You want to see him win a couple more national titles. Maybe at a different weight class that Kenny's in next year," Courts said, "but I hope he wins a couple more because he sure deserves it. He paid the price." He's a fan favorite at Penn State's Rec Hall. They chant "R-u-u-u-u-u-u-th" when he wins and they anticipate him throwing his patented crossface cradle on an opponent any opponent. "Yeah, that's special, that's my kid," Thanayi Ruth said about the Rec Hall experience. "I'm just enjoying every moment of it. I appreciate the fans how they enjoy him and I love the fact that he appreciates them and wants to give them a show. "He appreciates the fans and everything at the school. It's just a wonderful opportunity. "And he wants it now instead of me wanting it for him," she said. "He wants it for himself now and that's the big difference. He bought into the fact that he was good. And he can be as good as he wants to be and he's buying into everything that's available to him and what he's capable of. "It's just amazing to be honest with you. I thought he was good, but I didn't expect he'd be at this level. It's a blessing." Sort of a gift that keeps on giving. "My husband and I were very, very excited that he won," she said about last year's title that Ed won in St. Louis. "I just wanted to jump out of my seat and hug him all up. "And I just had to tell him, thank you,' because as a parent he makes me very proud. If he does that again this year, I'll be excited again." He did just that on Saturday in Des Moines. And with one more year of eligibility remaining, it's a success story that isn't over yet. THE ED RUTH FILE Weight: 184 pounds Class: Junior High School: Susquehanna Twp., Blair Academy (N.J.) PENN STATE RECORD Season Overall Big Ten/NCAA (tournaments) 2009-10: Redshirt 2010-11: 38-2 overall; 3-0 at Big Tens; 6-1 at NCAAs 2011-12: 31-0; 3-0; 5-0 2012-13: 33-0; 3-0; 5-0 Career: 102-2; 9-0; 16-1 Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:47:47 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1531 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1530 March 28, 2013 By Matt Allibone, GoPSUSports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - As Quentin Wright took the mat for what would be his final match in a Penn State singlet, the four time All-American couldn't have asked for a better script. With the Nittany Lions needing one more win to pull away from second place Oklahoma State to secure their third straight national title, the Wingate, Pa native found himself face to face with Kent State's Dustin Kilgore, who like Wright, was looking to cap off an undefeated season with his second individual title. "I knew one of us had to take it upon our shoulders to get it and I thought why not me," said Wright. "Let's go out there. Let's win this. Let's clinch the team race." Going up against an opponent that hadn't been taken down once all year, Wright scored three takedowns on Kilgore, including two in the final period for an 8-6 victory that put the finishing touches on an incredible senior season for Wright as well as another title for the Nittany Lions. Even after clinching the second national title of his decorated career, Wright seemed much prouder of his team's accomplishment than his own. "The team race is really important to me personally," said Wright. "Winning (for myself) too, but more importantly, the team race is important." Wright's victory gave Penn State its second individual national champion, after junior Ed Ruth scored a dominant 12-4 major decision over Lehigh's Robert Hamlin for his second consecutive national title. For Ruth, the most memorable moment of his title run occurred directly after his win over Hamlin, when head coach Cael Sanderson congratulated him by lifting the 184-pounder up onto his shoulders. "That's one of the things that makes me even more proud to win the title because, at the same time, I'm making my coaches happy," said Ruth. "These guys that put so much time and effort into me, and they dedicate a lot of themselves, not just time, but themselves, just everything that they have to make you who you are." While Ruth was quick to thank his coaching staff for the impact they had on his success, Sanderson made sure that the credit for the Nittany Lions title was given solely to his wrestlers. Sanderson stated he was immensely proud of not only Wright and Ruth, but all ten of his starters who qualified for the national tournament, including junior David Taylor, sophomore Nico Megaludis, and sophomore Matt Brown, who all reached the finals and were named All-Americans. "I'm really proud of these guys, I guess, for the effort and what they did," said Sanderson. "They went out there and they scored the most points. That's what wins." What set this team apart, according to the coaching staff, was the toughness and work ethic that each member of the team exhibited, not just during the national tournament, but during the whole season in general. It is these traits that Sanderson believes has allowed his program to reign as the kings of college wrestling for three consecutive years now. "It takes character and that's what this sport is all about. That's what it takes," said Sanderson. "It's just being tough." Although the Nittany Lions are thrilled to have accomplished the goal that they set out to achieve at the beginning of the season, they have no plans on letting their run of success end any time soon. With eight starters returning to the lineup next season, including All-Americans Ruth, Taylor, Megaludis and Brown as well as 2012 All-American Dylan Alton, Penn State has its eye set on nothing less than their fourth straight national championship. For the time being though, the Lions are going to sit back and enjoy their most recent championship, and reflect on all the long hours of hard work they put into winning it. "I think every year you have different challenges. It certainly doesn't get any easier," said Sanderson. "We're super happy. Our guys did a great job. Back and forth. Our guys came through." Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:09:55 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1530 http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1529 DES MOINES, Iowa - Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) is the recipient of the Elite 89 award for the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship. Brown, majoring in Crime, Law and Justice, has near-perfect 3.97 grade point average. He was presented with the award after the championship finals at the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Saturday, March 23, in Des Moines, Iowa, as Penn State its third straight NCAA team title. The Nittany Lion sophomore entered the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championship as the Big Ten Champion at 174 and the No. 2 seed overall. Brown went 4-1 to end the year as National Runner-Up and an All-American. He ended his year with a 29-5 mark. The Elite 89, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships. Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed. For more information on the Elite 89 award winners, log on to NCAA.com/elite89. Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:35:21 GMT http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/content/read_news.php?id=1529