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Nittany Lion Wrestlers Claim Second Straight NCAA Championship
Molinaro, Taylor and Ruth all win NCAA titles as Penn State rolls to victory
ST.
LOUIS, Mo. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team added three new
individual champions to its ledgers to complete a stellar run to the
2012 NCAA National Championship. Senior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat,
N.J.), sophomore David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) and sophomore Ed Ruth
(Harrisburg, Pa.) all claimed crowns as Penn State won its second
straight NCAA team title.
The Nittany Lions outdistanced second
place Minnesota by a whopping 25.5 points. The Nittany Lions checked in
with 143.0 points while the Gophers were second with 117.5. Iowa was
third with 107.5 and Cornell was fourth with 102.5. Ohio State rounded
out the top five with 68.5.
In addition to the team title and
three individual titles, Taylor was honored as the Gorriaran Award
winner for the most falls in the least amount of time. Taylor's 5-0 run
to the title included four pins and a technical fall. He is the second
straight Nittany Lion to win the award as Ruth claimed it during Penn
State's title run in Philadelphia a year ago. He was then honored as
the 2012 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler for the season and capped off a
stellar weekend in St. Louis by being named the 2012 NCAA Wrestling
Championships Most Outstanding Wrestler.
True freshman Nico
Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), the No. 10 seed at 125, took on top-seed
Matt McDonough of Iowa in the first national final of the night.
Megaludis battled McDonough through two even periods before the Hawkeye
used a third period takedown to break a 1-1 tie. McDonough then rode
Megaludis out and, with the riding time point, posted the 4-1 victory.
Megaludis ends a superb true freshman run through the 2012 NCAA
Championships with a 4-1 record, as a freshman All-American and as the
2012 National Runner-Up. He ends his first season of collegiate
wrestling with a 28-8 overall record.
Senior
Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), the undefeated top-seed at 149, met
No. 7 Dylan Ness of Minnesota in the title bout. In the national final,
Molinaro took on No. 7 Dylan Ness of Minnesota, meeting the talented
Gopher for the fourth time this season. Molinaro fought off one early
Ness shot and then tried to connect on multiple single legs in the
first period before finally breaking through for a takedown with :20
left. Riding the 2-0 lead into the third period, he escaped to a 3-1
lead and then rode Ness for most of the third period to build up 1:50
in riding time and post the 4-1 win. Already Penn State's fifth
four-time All-American, Molinaro is now Penn State's latest NCAA
Champion. He finished 8th, 5th, 2nd and 1st at NCAAs and closes out a
perfect senior season with a 33-0 record, giving him a 121-29 career
mark. He leaves Penn State as one of the greatest wrestlers in school
history and tied for 8th all-time on Penn State's career win list.
Molinaro's 5-0 run through this year's tourney gives him 17 wins in the
NCAA tournament, tied for fourth all-time in school history.
Sophomore
David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), the undefeated top seed at 165, took on
No. 11 Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh. In the finals, Taylor met No. 11
Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh. Closing out one of the most dominant
performances in NCAA tournament history, Taylor put on a takedown
clinic in rolling to a 22-7 technical fall at the 5:55 mark. The
Nittany Lion sophomore notched three first period takedowns to lead 6-2
after one period. After choosing down to start the second, Taylor
reversed Hatchett, cut him loose, took him down again and added two
near fall points to lead 12-3 after two. The third period was a
blistering display of takedowns as Taylor rolled up five takedowns to
post the technical fall and finish a national championship run with a
5-0 record that included four pins and a technical fall. Taylor ends a
perfect sophomore season with a 32-0 record. He heads into his junior
year as a two-time All-American with a 70-1 record.
Sophomore Ed
Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), the undefeated top seed at 174, met No. 3 Nick
Amuchastegui in a battle of two unbeaten wrestlers. Getting revenge for
an injury default loss in the national quarters last year, Ruth
dominated the Stanford wrestler from start to finish, rolling to a 13-2
major decision and become Penn State's third national champion of the
night. Ruth used a takedown, two near fall points and an escape to bolt
out to a 5-2 lead after one period. He added an escape and a takedown
in the second to lead 8-3 and then, after Amuchastegui chose neutral,
notched a takedown, two near fall points and a rideout to roll to the
major. He ended the match with 3:39 in riding time. Ruth ends a simply
dominating title run with a 5-0 mark, including two pins, a technical
fall and the major in the title bout. The undefeated run gives him a
31-0 mark to close out the year. He heads into his junior season as a
two-time All-American with a 69-2 record.
Junior Quentin Wright
(Wingate, Pa.), the defending National Champion and No. 6 seed, faced
off against No. 4 Steve Bosak of Cornell in the final at 184. Wright
and Bosak battled through a scoreless first period and then the Lion
junior chose down to start the second stanza. Wright worked his way to
a reversal but Bosak was able to escape with around :20 on the clock,
cutting the lead to 2-1 after two. Bosak then chose down to start the
third period and escaped to tie the score. Wright pressured Bosak
constantly throughout the match and, in particular, the third period.
But Bosak was able to back away from the Lion and kill the clock in the
third period, sending the match to sudden victory. Bosak then notched
the decisive takedown midway through the period to post the 4-2 (sv)
win. Wright ends the tournament with a 4-1 mark, earning national
runner-up honors. He leaves St. Louis as Penn State's 20th three-time
All-American after a 30-4 season and heads into his senior year with an
84-23 record.
Earlier in the day, red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton
(Mill Hall, Pa.) finished off an outstanding season with a third place
finish at 157. Alton, the No. 7 seed, took down No. 5 Ganbayar Sanjaa
of American by a 7-5 (sv2) decision in the consolation semifinals and
then hammered No. 3 Jason Welch of Northwestern 6-2 in the third place
bout. Alton became Penn State's sixth All-American and assured the
Nittany Lions of having more than half their line-up place in the top
three nationally.
Penn State's 3-2 finals performance gives the
team a final overall record at the 2012 NCAA Championships of 33-9.
Penn State has 25.5 bonus points off of seven pins, seven majors and
three tech falls. Penn State's five finalists is an all-time school
record as is its final team point total of 143.5. The 143.5 is the most
points scored by one team at the tournament since Oklahoma State had
153 in 2005. By virtue of Alton's third place finish, more than half
(six) of Penn State's line-up finished in the top three nationally.
The
Nittany Lions end the year as two-time reigning NCAA and Big Ten
Champions. Penn State posted a 13-1 overall dual meet record and were
the 2012 Big Ten Co-Regular Season Champions with a 7-1 conference
mark. Penn State becomes only the fourth team in NCAA history to win
back-to-back titles.
The full season slate of live dual meet and
tournament action has aired locally 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. The regular season
schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at
www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package. 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.
2012 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS - Top 5 Team Standings Session 4
Saturday, March 17, 2012 - Scottrade Center - St. Louis, Mo.
1: PENN STATE - 143.5
2: Minnesota - 117.5
3: Iowa - 107.5
4: Cornell - 102.5
5: Ohio State - 68.5
2012 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS - Championship Finals Agate
Thursday, March 15, 2012 - Scottrade Center - St. Louis, Mo.
125: #1 Matt McDonough, Iowa 3-2 dec.
#10 Nico Megaludis, PENN STATE
133: #2 Logan Stieber, Ohio State 4-3 dec.
#1 Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State
141: #1 Kellen Russell, Michigan 6-4 (sv) dec.
#3 Montel Marion, Iowa
149: #1 Frank Molinaro, PENN STATE 4-1 dec.
#7 Dylan Ness, Minnesota
157: #1 Kyle Dake, Cornell 4-1 dec.
#2 Derek St. John, Iowa
165: #1 David Taylor, PENN STATE 22-7 TF (5:55)
#11 Brandon Hatchett, Lehigh
174: #1 Ed Ruth, PENN STATE 13-2 maj. dec.
#3 Chris Amuchastegui, Stanford
184: #4 Steve Bosak, Cornell 4-2 (sv) dec.
#6 Quentin Wright, PENN STATE
197: #1 Cam Simaz, Cornell 7-5 dec.
#2 Chris Honeycutt, Edinboro
285: #2 Mike Nelson, Minnesota 4-1 dec.
#4 Zach Rey, Lehigh
The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown/agate of Penn State's tournament to date:
125: Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), Fr. - #10 seed - 28-8 overall - ALL-AMERICAN
1st Rd: W, 13-5 maj. dec. Michael Martinez, Wyoming
2nd Rd: W, 7-3 dec. #7 Jarrod Patterson, Oklahoma
Qtrs: W, 7-4 dec. #2 Zach Sanders, Minnesota
Semis: W, 3-2 (tb2) dec. #6 Frank Perrelli, Cornell
Finals: L, 1-4 dec. #1 Matt McDonough, Iowa
True
freshman Nico Megaludis opened up his first NCAA Championship
tournament with an impressive win over fifth-year senior Michael
Martinez of Wyoming. Megaludis dominated the action from start to
finish and posted the 13-5 major decision, picking up an early bonus
point for Penn State.
In the second round, Megaludis roared back
from a 3-0 deficit in the third period to score seven unanswered points
to post a 7-3 win over No. 7 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma. Megaludis
used an escape, a takedown, three back points and 1:37 in riding time
to roll to the win.
Megaludis exacted sweet revenge on No. 2
seed Zach Sanders of Minnesota in the national quarterfinals. The true
freshman rolled to a 7-4 win thanks to three takedowns and an escape.
Sanders downed Megaludis twice during the regular season by identical
6-2 scores. Megaludis bolted out to a 3-1 lead after two periods with
an escape and takedown. In the third period, the Lion freshman
dominated the action, taking Sanders down twice and picking up the win
to become a true freshman All-American.
Avenging a loss to
another wrestler he met earlier in the year, Megaludis thrilled the
Penn State faithful with a 3-2 (tb2) win over No. 6 Frank Perrelli of
Cornell in the national semifinals. Megaludis took the Cornell senior
through two sudden victory periods and then maintained control for the
full :30 in the second tie breaker. Then, taking bottom on his turn,
Megaludis quickly escaped and advanced to the national finals with the
win.
In the 2012 national final at 125, Megaludis met No. 1 Matt
McDonough of Iowa. Megaludis battled McDonough through two even periods
before the Hawkeye used a third period takedown to break a 1-1 tie.
McDonough then rode Megaludis out and, with the riding time point,
posted the 4-1 victory. Megaludis ends a superb true freshman run
through the 2012 NCAA Championships with a 4-1 record, as a freshman
All-American and as the 2012 National Runner-Up. He ends his first
season of collegiate wrestling with a 28-8 overall record.
133: Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.), So. - 9-11 overall - Season Complete
1st Rd: LBF #1 Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State (2:06)
Cns 1: W, 2-1 dec. Frank Lomas, CS-Bakersfield
Cns 2: L, 9-19 maj. dec. #6 Devin Carter, Virginia Tech
Sophomore
Frank Martellotti made his NCAA Championship debut against the
tournament's No. 1 seed, Oklahoma State's Jordan Oliver. Martellotti
got taken down early by the top seed and then pinned at the 2:06 mark.
The
true sophomore rebounded in the first round of wrestle backs, getting a
reversal in the third period to post an important 2-1 decision over
UC-Bakersfield's Frank Lomas. The win kept Martellotti alive and moved
him into the second round of wrestle backs.
Martellotti was then
eliminated in the second round of consolations, suffering a 19-9 major
decision to No. 6 Devin Carter of Virginia Tech. Martellotti went 1-2
in his first trip to NCAAs but picked up a key team point in the first
round of consolations.
149: Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), Sr. - #1 seed - 33-0 overall - ALL-AMERICAN
1st Rd: W, 9-0 maj. dec. Chris Villalonga, Cornell
2nd Rd: W, 6-5 dec. Scott Sakaguchi, Oregon State
Qtrs: W, 10-2 maj. dec. #8 Eric Grajales, Michigan
Semis: W, 5-0 dec. Justin Accordino, Hofstra
Finals: W, 4-1 dec. #7 Dylan Ness, Minnesota
Top
seed Frank Molinaro began his quest for an NCAA title and his fourth
All-America honor with a dominating 9-0 major over Cornell's Chris
Villalonga at 149. Molinaro recorded three takedowns, an escape, a
stall point and a riding time point off 4:07 in time to coast to the
win.
In the second round, Molinaro battled through a tough
match-up with Oregon State's Scott Sakaguchi. The Nittany Lion senior
used a solid 2:27 riding time edge for the decisive point in a 6-5 win
to more into the quarterfinals.
Molinaro became Penn State's
fifth four-time All-American with a dominating 10-2 major decision over
No. 8 Eric Grajales of Michigan. The Nittany Lion senior broke open a
close match with a takedown and two near fall points in the second and
then two more takedowns, an escape and riding time in the third.
Molinaro heads to the national semifinals and joins Nittany Lion greats
Greg Elinsky, Jim Martin, Sanshiro Abe and Phil Davis as a four-time
All-American. Molinaro then dominated Hofstra's Justin Accordino in the
national semifinals. Molinaro notched a first period takedown and a
third period reversal while rolling up a whopping 4:03 in riding time
to coast to the 5-0 decision. The victory moved him into his second
straight national championship match.
In the national final,
Molinaro took on No. 7 Dylan Ness of Minnesota, meeting the talented
Gopher for the fourth time this season. Molinaro fought off one early
Ness shot and then tried to connect on multiple single legs in the
first period before finally breaking through for a takedown with :20
left. Riding the 2-0 lead into the third period, he escaped to a 3-1
lead and then rode Ness for most of the third period to build up 1:50
in riding time and post the 4-1 win. Already Penn State's fifth
four-time All-American, Molinaro is now Penn State's latest NCAA
Champion. He finished 8th, 5th, 2nd and 1st at NCAAs and closes out a
perfect senior season with a 33-0 record, giving him a 121-29 career
mark. He leaves Penn State as one of the greatest wrestlers in school
history and tied for 8th all-time on Penn State's career win list.
Molinaro's 5-0 run through this year's tourney gives him 17 wins in the
NCAA tournament, tied for fourth all-time in school history.
157: Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), Fr. - #7 seed - 30-6 overall - ALL-AMERICAN
1st Rd: W, 12-4 maj. dec. Jake O'Hara, Columbia
2nd Rd: W, 2-1 dec. #10 Anthony Jones, Michigan State
Qtrs: L, 1-3 (sv) #2 Derek St. John, Iowa
Cns 4: W, 6-3 dec. Joshua Kreimier, Air Force
Cns 5: W, 4-3 dec. #11 James Green, Nebraska
Cns Semis: W, 7-5 (sv2) dec. #5 Ganbayar Sanjaa, American
3rd Place: W, 6-2 dec. #3 Jason Welch, Northwestern
Red-shirt
freshman Dylan Alton made his NCAA Championship debut in fine fashion
with a dominating 12-4 major over Columbia's Jake O'Hara. Alton rolled
up 3:01 in riding time for the important team bonus point.
In
the second round, Alton used a strong third period ride to build up a
riding time edge and grab an important 2-1 win over No. 10 Anthony
Jones of Michigan State. Each wrestler had an escape and Alton's 1:14
in riding time provided the difference as the Lion freshman moved into
the quarterfinals.
Alton battled No. 2 Derek St. John into
sudden victory once again in the quarters. In the extra period, the
Lion freshman got in on a single against the Hawkeye but St. John
countered, rolled through and picked up the 3-1 sudden victory
decision. Alton, still one win from All-America status, moved into the
consolation fourth round.
In the `round of 12', Alton used a
takedown in each of the first two periods to roll to an impressive 6-3
win over Air Force's Joshua Kreimier, earning All-America status as a
freshman and keeping his quest for third place alive. Alton added an
escape and a riding time point for the victory and joins Nico Megaludis
as Penn State's newest freshmen All-Americans.
Alton then used a
late third period takedown to post a key 4-3 win over No. 11 James
Green of Nebraska, earning a trip to the consolation semifinals and
keeping a third place finish within reach. Alton got his takedown with
less than :30 left and then rode Green out for the victory.
In
the consolation semifinals Saturday morning, Alton met No. 5 Ganbayar
Sanjaa of American. For the second straight bout, Alton went to extra
time and once again, proved the victor. The Lion freshman used a swift
low double in the second sudden victory period to notch a 7-5 (sv2) win
over Sanjaa and move into the third place bout.
Alton took on
No. 3 Jason Welch of Northwestern for third, closing out Penn State's
medal round activity. The Nittany Lion freshman took care of the
Wildcat, using two takedowns, an escape and 1:23 in riding time to roll
to a 6-2 win. The victory closed out Alton's inaugural NCAA tourney run
with a 7-1 mark and a third place finish, well above his No. 7 seed.
165: David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), So. - #1 seed - 32-0 overall - ALL-AMERICAN
1st Rd: WBF over Corey Lear, Bucknell (1:40)
2nd Rd: WBF over Brandon Wright, UT-Chattanooga (1:51)
Qtrs: WBF over #8 Robert Kokesh, Nebraska (0:29)
Semis: WBF over #4 Bekzod Abdurakhmonov, Clarion (4:46)
Finals: W, 22-7 tech. fall over #11 Brandon Hatchett, Lehigh (TF; 5:55)
Top-seed
David Taylor opened up his run towards NCAA glory with a quick pin of
Bucknell's Corey Lear. Taylor notched an early takedown and the turned
the Bison to his shoulders for a quick first period fall at the 1:40
mark.
Taylor needed just :11 more seconds in his second round
match-up. Taylor turned another first period takedown into a pin,
getting the fall at the 1:51 mark over UT-Chattanooga's Brandon Wright.
Taylor's second straight pin moved him into the quarterfinals.
In
the quarterfinals, Taylor needed less than a half a minute to become a
two-time All-American. The Nittany Lion sophomore used a low single
against No. 8 Robert Kokesh of Nebraska to take the Husker to the mat.
He then quickly locked up a cradle and decked the Husker for a pin at
the :29 mark, moving into the national semifinals.
In the
semifinals, Taylor made it four-for-four in pins, getting a fall over
No. 4 Bekzod Abdurakhmo of Clarion at the 4:46 mark. Taylor was in the
middle of a blistering second period that saw him collect three
takedowns before turning the Golden Eagle to his back and getting his
fourth straight pin. The victory moved Taylor into his second straight
national title bout.
In the finals, Taylor met No. 11 Brandon
Hatchett of Lehigh. Closing out one of the most dominant performances
in NCAA tournament history, Taylor put on a takedown clinic in rolling
to a 22-7 technical fall at the 5:55 mark. The Nittany Lion sophomore
notched three first period takedowns to lead 6-2 after one period.
After choosing down to start the second, Taylor reversed Hatchett, cut
him loose, took him down again and added two near fall points to lead
12-3 after two. The third period was a blistering display of takedowns
as Taylor rolled up five takedowns to post the technical fall and
finish a national championship run with a 5-0 record that included four
pins and a technical fall. Taylor ends a perfect sophomore season with
a 32-0 record. He heads into his junior year as a two-time All-American
with a 70-1 record.
174: Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), So. - #1 seed - 31-0 overall - ALL-AMERICAN
1st Rd: WBF over Jim Resnick, Rider (1:43)
2nd Rd: WBF over Dorian Henderson, Missouri (1:25)
Qtrs: W, 11-4 dec. #9 Nick Heflin, Ohio State
Semis: W, 16-1 tech fall over #4 Logan Storley, Minnesota (TF; 6:38)
Finals: W, 13-2 maj. dec. #3 Nick Amuchastegi, Stanford
Top-seed
Ed Ruth began his quest for an NCAA crown with a quick pin over Rider's
Jim Resnick. Ruth turned his second takedown of the first period into a
cradle and got the fall at the 1:42 mark.
Ruth needed even less
time in his second round match-up with Missouri's Dorian Henderson. The
Lion sophomore turned a first period takedown into a quick cradle and
got the fall at the 1:25 mark, moving into the quarterfinals.
Ruth
joined Taylor as a two-time All-American with a dominating 11-4 win
over Ohio State's Nick Heflin, the No. 9 seed. The Lion used three
takedowns, stall points and 2:45 of riding time to roll to the win and
into the national semifinals.
In the semifinals, Ruth dominated
No. 4 Logan Storley in a rematch of the Big Ten Championship, won by
Ruth two weekends ago. The Lion sophomore used two early takedowns and
a three-point near fall to open up a big lead heading into the third
period. In the third, Storley took down and Ruth made him pay by
turning him for two three-point near falls and then tacking on a final
takedown for the 16-1 technical fall at the 6:38 mark.
In the
finals, Ruth met No. 3 Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford. Getting revenge
for an injury default loss in the national quarters last year, Ruth
dominated the Stanford wrestler from start to finish, rolling to a 13-2
major decision and become Penn State's third national champion of the
night. Ruth used a takedown, two near fall points and an escape to bolt
out to a 5-2 lead after one period. He added an escape and a takedown
in the second to lead 8-3 and then, after Amuchastegui chose neutral,
notched a takedown, two near fall points and a rideout to roll to the
major. He ended the match with 3:39 in riding time. Ruth ends a simply
dominating title run with a 5-0 mark, including two pins, a technical
fall and the major in the title bout. The undefeated run gives him a
31-0 mark to close out the year. He heads into his junior season as a
two-time All-American with a 69-2 record.
184: Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), Jr. - #6 seed - 30-4 overall - ALL-AMERICAN
1st Rd: W, 11-0 maj. dec. Thomas Ferguson, North Carolina
2nd Rd: W, 10-2 maj. dec. #11 Ben Clymer, Hofstra
Qtrs: WBF #3 Ben Bennett, Central Michigan (2:35)
Semis: W, 3-2 dec. #2 Robert Hamlin, Lehigh
Finals: vs. L, 2-4 (sv) dec. #4 Steve Bosak, Cornell
Defending
National Champion Quentin Wright began the defense of his NCAA title
with a resounding 11-0 major decision over North Carolina's Thomas
Ferguson. Wright used a late takedown and three near fall points to
collect the bonus point.
Wright then hammered No. 11 Ben Clymer
of Hofstra in the second round, using a late takedown and 2:28 in
riding time to post a 10-2 major decision and move into the
quarterfinals. The major also added important bonus points to the
Lions' tally.
The Nittany Lion junior then thrilled the
Scottrade Center in the quarterfinals, hitting a standing cradle
against No. 3 Ben Bennett of Central Michigan and working nearly 1:30
to get the sizzling first period pin at the 2:35 mark. The pin makes
Wright Penn State's 20th three-time All-American and moved him into the
national semifinals.
In a rematch of last year's national title
bout, Wright once again defeated No. 2 Robert Hamlin of Lehigh. The
Nittany Lion junior notched a first period takedown and a second period
escape and held on for a hard-fought 3-2 win, moving to the national
finals to defend his title.
Wright took on No. 4 Steve Bosak of
Cornell in the finals. Wright and Bosak battled through a scoreless
first period and then the Lion junior chose down to start the second
stanza. Wright worked his way to a reversal but Bosak was able to
escape with around :20 on the clock, cutting the lead to 2-1 after two.
Bosak then chose down to start the third period and escaped to tie the
score. Wright pressured Bosak constantly throughout the match and, in
particular, the third period. But Bosak was able to back away from the
Lion and kill the clock in the third period, sending the match to
sudden victory. Bosak then notched the decisive takedown midway through
the period to post the 4-2 (sv) win. Wright ends the tournament with a
4-1 mark, earning national runner-up honors. He leaves St. Louis as
Penn State's 20th three-time All-American after a 30-4 season and heads
into his senior year with an 84-23 record.
197: Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), Fr. - 18-10 overall - Season Complete
1st Rd: W, 9-3 dec. Taylor Meeks, Oregon State
2nd Rd: L, 7-22 tech fall #1 Cam Simaz, Cornell (TF; 7:00)
Cons Rd 2: L, 3-8 dec. Andrew Campolattano, Ohio State
True
freshman Morgan McIntosh made his first NCAA Championship appearance
against Oregon State's Taylor Meeks. McIntosh turned the Beaver to his
back twice in the third period for three-point near falls and rolled to
a 9-3 win in his NCAA tournament debut.
In the second round, the
true freshman ran into top seeded Cornell senior Cam Simaz and suffered
a 22-7 tech fall defeat at the 7:00 mark on riding time. The loss sent
McIntosh into the consolation second round.
McIntosh met Ohio
State's Andrew Campolattano for the third time this season in the
second round of consolations. After defeating the Buckeye twice during
the year, the Nittany Lion true freshman suffered an 8-3 setback and
ended his tournament with a 1-2 record, picking up key team points with
a first round win.
285: Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio.), Sr. - #6 seed - 28-6 overall - Season Complete
1st Rd: W, 17-2 tech fall over Quintas McCorkle, Clarion (TF; 7:00)
2nd Rd: W, 8-2 dec. Maciej Jochym, Cornell
Qtrs: L, 0-7 dec. #3 Clayton Jack, Oregon State
Con 4: L, 4-7 dec. Nick Gwiazdowski, Binghamton
Senior
Cameron Wade, the No. 6 seed at heavyweight, began the 2012 NCAA
Championships with a superb 17-2 technical fall over Clarion's Quintas
McCorkle. Wade picked up a last second takedown and, with the riding
time point, picked up the tech fall at the 7:00 mark for 1.5 team bonus
points.
In the second round, Wade used a six point first period
to roll to an 8-2 win over Cornell's Maciej Jochym. The Lion senior
notched a takedown, two back points and a reversal in the first period
and then a reversal in the third to roll into the quarterfinals.
Wade
then fell to No. 3 Clayton Jack of Oregon State in the quarterfinals.
The Lion senior fell victim to two takedowns and a reversal and shifted
down to the consolation rounds still one win from All-America stats.
In
the `round of 12', Wade fell victim to a third period reversal and
dropped a hard-fought 7-4 decision to Binghamton's Nick Gwiazdowski.
The Lion senior fell just one win shy of All-America status for the
second straight year. He ends his senior season with a 28-6 overall
record and leaves Penn State with a 94-39 career record.
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