TODAY'S ACTION
No. 1 Penn State (0-0, 0-0 B1G) heads into the 2011-12 season as one of the favorites to compete for the NCAA Championship in St. Louis this coming March. Penn State is coming off its first NCAA title since 1953 and its first ever Big Ten championship. The Nittany Lions capped off a stunning regular season with a magical March run that saw them claim the conference crown with a perfect afternoon in Evanston, Ill., and the NCAA title before the final session ever began in Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. The Nittany Lions went 17-1-1 in duals, including a 6-1-1 Big Ten mark (tying the school record for conference dual wins in a season). Penn State also won the Virginia Duals and the co-championship of the Southern Scuffle. All of that is history as Penn State turns to the 2011-12 season looking to win a national title. For Nittany Lion fans, however, all attentions long ago turned to the new campaign.
Head coach Cael Sanderson returns four All-Americans (all of whom placed in the top three), two other NCAA qualifiers and some of the best young wrestlers in the country as he looks to continue establishing Penn State as the NCAA's wrestling dynasty. Leading the charge will be 2011 National Champion Quentin Wright. Wright, a junior and a two-time All-American, won the 184 pound title in Philadelphia last year, capping off a stunning March run that saw him win the Big Ten championship as well. Wright went 21-6 during the season, winning his final nine matches.
Senior Frank Molinaro is now a three-time All-American after his superb National Runner-Up finish at 149 a year ago. Molinaro posted a stunning 32-3 overall record, including a 15-0 dual meet mark. He won the Big Ten title at 149 (one of five PSU champions) before blazing his way to the NCAA finals. Molinaro heads into his senior year with a chance to become only the fifth four-time All-American in Penn State history. He has an 88-29 career record. Sophomore David Taylor emerged as one of the best wrestlers in the nation last year as a freshman. Taylor was named the 2011 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, 2011 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and won 38 straight matches, advancing to the NCAA finals. The 2011 NCAA National Runner-Up at 157, Taylor won the Big Ten Championship at 157 and ended the year with a 38-1 record. He projects to move up to 165 for the new season. Classmate Ed Ruth also established himself as one of the nation's elite grapplers during his freshman campaign. Ruth posted a stunning 38-2 mark and ended the year as the third-place finisher at NCAAs at 174 pounds. The bronze medal performance also included earning the NCAA championship Gorriaran Award for the most pin in the least amount of time at the tourney in Philadelphia. Ruth was the 2011 Big Ten Champion at 174 as well.
Joining that foursome will be NCAA qualifiers Cameron Wade and sophomore Andrew Alton. Wade won his first two bouts at heavyweight at NCAAs before a knee injury in the quarterfinals ended his All-America chances. Wade heads into his final campaign with a 71-33 career record. Alton starred as a true freshman at 141, going 30-10 and, like Wade, finishing just one win shy of All-America laurels at NCAAs. Alton posted 18 pins as a rookie, including four straight to start his NCAA career. Other wrestlers returning with starting experience from last year that include James English (149/157), Nick Fischer (157/165), Frank Martellotti (125/133), Nate Morgan (125), Justin Ortega (184/197), Bryan Pearsall (133/141), Nick Ruggear (197) and James Vollrath (157). Top red-shirts who will be making their Penn State debuts include Dylan Alton (149/157), Matt Brown (165/174), Dirk Cowburn (157/165) and Sam Sherlock (133/141). The Nittany Lions also welcome one of the nation's top recruiting classes, including national high school wrestler of the year Morgan McIntosh (184/197) and Nico Megaludis (125), both of whom were among the country's top five recruits.
The Nittany Lions will start the 2011-12 campaign by hosting the Intrasquad Dual on Thursday, Nov. 3, in Rec Hall (it is free and open to the public). The regular season begins with a home dual against Bloomsburg on Sunday, Nov. 13. Match time in Rec Hall for the match-up with the Huskies is set for 2 p.m. Fans can purchase these very limited single dual tickets by calling 814-865-5555. 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. A maximum of four tickets may be purchased per person. The Iowa dual on Jan. 22 is already an SRO sellout, the Minnesota dual on Nov. 20 is sold out but still has a limited number of SRO tickets remaining and all other duals are well under the 600 mark in tickets remaining. 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.
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT
#1 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (0-0, 0-0 B1G)
NAME Wt. YR.-EL.
Jordan Conaway 125 Fr.-Fr.
Cameron Kelly 125 So.-Fr.
#19 Nico Megaludis 125 Fr.-Fr.
Nate Morgan 125 So.-So.
Frank Martellotti 125/133 So.-So.
Derek Reber 125/133 Sr.-Jr.
Michael Waters 125/133 Fr.-Fr.
Bryan Pearsall 133/141 Sr.-Jr.
Sam Sherlock 133/141 So.-Fr.
David Owens 141 Fr.-Fr.
#5 Andrew Alton 141/149 So.-So.
Luke Frey 141/149 Fr.-Fr.
#1 Frank Molinaro 149 Sr.-Sr.
Kyle Moran 149 So.-Fr.
#13 Dylan Alton 149/157 So.-Fr.
Seth Beitz 149/157 So.-Fr.
James English 149/157 Sr.-Jr.
James Vollrath 157 Jr.-So.
Nick Fischer 157/165 Sr.-Jr.
#1 David Taylor 165 Jr.-So.
Matt Brown 165/174 So.-Fr.
Dirk Cowburn 165/174 So.-Fr.
James Frascella 165/174 Fr.-Fr.
Brandon Phillips 174 So.-Fr.
#2 Ed Ruth 174 Jr.-So.
Andrew Church 174/184 Jr.-So.
#1 Quentin Wright 184 Sr.-Jr.
#9 Morgan McIntosh 184/197 Fr.-Fr.
Justin Ortega 184/197 Sr.-Jr.
Scott Syrek 184/197 Fr.-Fr.
David Crowell 197 Sr.-Sr.
Nick Ruggear 197 So.-So.
Clay Steadman 197 Sr.-Sr.
Collin Campbell HWT Fr.-Fr.
Jon Gingrich HWT So.-Fr.
#5 Cameron Wade HWT Sr.-Sr.
Rankings Intermat as of 10/21
PENN STATE WRESTLING ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS!
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Phone: 814 865 1757 -- email: pad11@psu.edu
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HEAD COACH CAEL SANDERSON
Cael Sanderson, now in his third year as mentor of the Nittany Lions, came to Penn State after three extremely successful years as the head coach at his alma mater. Sanderson's teams did not finish any lower than fifth at the NCAA Championships and never had a wrestler not qualify for nationals, getting 30 of 30 grapplers through to the championship tournament. In 2007, Sanderson's rookie campaign, he led ISU to a 13-3 dual meet record and the first of three straight Big 12 Championships. An NCAA Runner-Up finished in Detroit capped off a wildly successful year as the Cyclones crowned one national championship and Sanderson was honored as Big 12 Coach of the Year, National Rookie Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year. The next year, Sanderson led ISU to a 16-4 dual meet mark, another Big 12 title and a fifth place finish at nationals. Iowa State's seven All-Americans in 2008 were the most at the school since 1993. In his final year at ISU, Sanderson's team went 15-3 in duals, won its third straight Big 12 title and took third place at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis (just 12 points out of first place). The Cyclones also crowned another national champion. In three years, Sanderson's teams went 44-10, won three conference crowns, qualified all 30 wrestlers for nationals, and earned 15 All-America awards and two individual national titles. In his first year at Penn State (2009-10), he guided the Lions to a 13-6-1 dual meet mark, 5-3 in Big Ten action, and crowned his first Big Ten Champion. The Lions finished No. 10 in the final USA Today/Coaches dual meet poll and placed ninth at NCAAs. Last year, Sanderson guided the Nittany Lions to its first-ever Southern Scuffle Co-Championship (2010-11) and its first Virginia Duals Championship since 1991 (2010-11). In guiding Penn State to a 6-1-1 conference mark, Sanderson equaled the most Big Ten dual meet wins in Penn State history in just his second year at the helm of the Nittany Lions (Penn State won six Big Ten duals in 1998). Sanderson led Penn State to the school's first ever Big Ten Championship on March 5-6 and was named 2011 Big Ten Coach of the Year. Saving the best for last, he led the Nittany Lions to the 2011 NCAA National Championship in Philadelphia on March 17-19, Penn State's first since 1953 and Sanderson's first as a collegiate head coach. Coach Sanderson now sports a 74-17-2 dual meet mark after five years as a collegiate head coach. He is 30-7-2 after his second year at Penn State.
WRESTLING RADIO NETWORK READY FOR '11-12 SEASON
The Penn State Wrestling Radio Show will begin yet another season on Wednesday, Nov. 2, while multiple local stations will once again broadcast the entire 2011-12 Nittany Lion season. The march to St. Louis begins with the Intrasquad dual on Nov. 3 and concludes with the national championships in late-March. The wrestling radio season begins on Nov. 2 when Jeff Byers hosts the first edition of the Penn State Wrestling Show. The show will air every Wednesday from 6 to 6:30 p.m. and will air across the state on the Pennsylvania Sports Network. Local affiliate 3WZ (95.3 FM) will serve as the flagship station for the show that will features coaches, wrestlers and other individuals affiliated with the Nittany Lion wrestling program. The 30-minute show welcomes calls from fans, who can call into the show at 814-237-0953. In addition to 3WZ, the weekly show can be heard on the following stations: WCPA (900 AM) Clearfield/DuBois; WIEZ (670 AM) Lewistown/Huntingdon; WLYC (1050 AM) Williamsport/Lewisburg; WLYC (104.1 FM) Montoursville/Jersey Shore; WBPZ (1230 AM) Lock Haven; WTZN (1310 AM) Troy/Canton; WTTC (1550 AM) Towanda/Elmira, N.Y.; WGET (1330 AM) Gettysburg/Hanover. 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. 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.
IOWA DUAL SOLD OUT INCLUDING SRO, MINNESOTA SOLD OUT W/ SOME SRO REMAINING; OTHERS NEARING SAME STATUS
A mere 90 minutes after the public sale of single dual tickets began, Penn State's Jan. 22 dual match against Iowa has sold out, including 300 standing room only tickets. With over 6,500 tickets now distributed for the match-up with the Hawkeyes, the single dual allotments for Penn State's remaining six home events are also disappearing fast. Rec Hall's listed capacity is 6,502 including the 300 SRO ducats. A very limited number of single dual tickets are still available for Penn State's other six remaining home dates, less than 700 per event including the SRO allotment. Penn State hosts Bloomsburg on Sunday, Nov. 13, in the season opener at 2 p.m. The Bloomsburg dual will feature the raising of Penn State's 2011 Big Ten and NCAA Championship banners. The Lions then host Minnesota on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 12 p.m. in a dual that will air live to a national audience on the Big Ten Network. Former Penn State national champion and four-time All-American Phil Davis will sign autographs after the Gopher dual as well.
The Nittany Lions host West Virginia on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m. The dual with the Mountaineers features recognition of the 1953 national title team as well as free Penn State winter hats on a first come, first serve basis (amount to be determined). The Iowa dual (already sold out) follows on Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. and then the Ohio State Buckeyes come to Rec Hall on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. The dual with the Buckeyes has been designated as a white out and features a t-shirt giveaway. Michigan comes to Happy Valley on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. as the wrestling team's Code Blue event and will feature a wrestling water bottle give away. The home dual season ends on Sunday, Feb. 19, when the Pittsburgh Panthers come to town for a 2 p.m. match-up. The battle with the Panthers will serve as Senior Day and features an autograph session with the team after the match. Fans can purchase these very limited single dual tickets by calling 814-865-5555. 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. A maximum of four tickets may be purchased per person.
PENN STATE RANKED NO. 1 BY INTERMAT; NINE LIONS RANKED INDIVIDUALLY
The Intermat individual and team preseason rankings have been released and Penn State will head into the 2011-12 season ranked No. 1 in yet another poll. Nine Nittany Lions will head into the season with a national ranking, including three who sit at the No. 1 spot at their respective weights. Penn State, the defending National and Big Ten Champion, will enter the season ranked No. 1 with 108.5 points in Intermat's preseason team tournament strength index. Big Ten rival Iowa is second with 99.0 and Oklahoma State is third with 84.5. Minnesota is fourth with 77.5 while Cornell and Lehigh are tied for fifth with 65.5 each. Michigan, American, Illinois and Ohio State round out the top ten (giving the Big Ten six of the nation's top ten ranked teams). Northwestern is ranked No. 19 as well. Defending national champion Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) is ranked No. 1 at 184 after claiming the title last year in Philadelphia. Wright went 21-6 a year ago, including nine straight at season's end to win the Big Ten and NCAA crowns. Wright is a two-time All-American. Senior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) is ranked No. 1 at 149 after advancing to the NCAA finals in Philadelphia. Molinaro, a three-time All-American and the reigning Big Ten champion, carries an 88-29 career record into his final season. Sophomore David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) is ranked No. 1 at 165 after blazing to a 38-1 record as a freshman last year and earning All-America laurels with a spot in the NCAA finals at 157. Taylor was the Big Ten 157-pound champ, the 2011 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and 2011 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. Sophomore Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) is ranked No. 2 at 174 after placing third at that weight a year ago and earning All-America laurels. Ruth, who went 38-2 overall as a freshman, won the 2011 Gorriaran Award at the NCAA Championships for most pins in the least time. Senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) heads into the new season ranked No. 5 at heavyweight. Wade, who went 30-8 in '10-11, is a two-time national qualifier and finished just one win shy of All-America status at NCAAs last year, losing in the `round of 12'. True Sophomore Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) is ranked No. 5 at 141 after a breakout true freshman campaign a year ago. Alton went 30-10 with a stunning 18 pins as a rookie. Like Wade, Alton was an NCAA qualifier who finished one win short of All-America laurels in the `round of 12'. Three freshmen are also ranked for Penn State. Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), battling for the starting spot at 157, is ranked No. 13 at that weight by Intermat after red-shirt campaign a year ago. True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.) is ranked No. 9 at 197 and classmate Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) is ranked No. 19 at 125. McIntosh and Megaludis were both among the nation's top recruits last season coming out of high school.
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