Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad won nine of ten bouts in the lopsided road victory, all for bonus points. Five Penn Staters picked up pins, including senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), who moved within four of Penn State's all-time record.
The dual began at 125. Red-shirt freshman Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) battled Rayvon Foley tough but dropped a 6-2 decision to give the Spartans an early 3-0 lead. Senior Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) dominated Matt Santos at 133, rolling to a 12-2 major with almost 4:00 in riding time to put Penn State up 4-3. True freshman Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), continuing his Penn State dual debut weekend at 141, dominated another nationally ranked wrestler. Lee rolled over No. 20 Javier Gasca for a 16-1 technical fall at the 4:08 mark.
Retherford, ranked No. 1 at 149, picked up his 13th pin of the year with a fall over Jwan Britton at the 4:08 mark to put the Lions up 15-3. Junior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, followed suit with his 13th pin, getting the fall over Jake Tucker at the 3:27 mark to give the Nittany Lions a 21-3 lead at intermission.
Junior Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, continued Penn State's pin streak out of intermission, pinning Austin Hiles at the 2:48 mark to give the Lions a 27-3 lead. Sophomore Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 174, dominated Logan Ritchie, rolling his way to a 19-4 technical fall at the 6:21 mark. Junior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 184, notched Penn State's fourth pin, picking up a first period fall over Shwan Shadaia at the 2:02 mark to give Penn State a 38-3 lead.
Sophomore Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.) got the call at 197 and continued Penn State's bonus parade with a dominant 16-3 major over Michigan State's Nick May. Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 8 at 285, finished off a stellar dual weekend for Penn State with the team's fifth pin of the dual, a fall at the 6:35 mark over MSU's Matt Lloyd.
Penn State won nine of ten bouts, all for bonus. The Nittany Lions had five pins (Retherford, Nolf, Joseph, Nickal and Nevills), two tech falls (Lee and Hall) and two majors (Keener and Cassar). Penn State owned a 40-3 takedown advantage. Retherford now has 13 pins this year and 49 for his career, just four shy of the all-time Penn State record of 53. Nolf has 13 this season as well, 42 for his career, which is fifth all-time. Retherford and Nolf remain unbeaten all-time in Big Ten dual meets, Retherford is 29-0 and Nolf 21-0. Nickal picked up his ninth pin of the year and the 34th of his career, putting him seventh all-time on Penn State's career pins list. Penn State, 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten, has now won 38 straight dual meets dating back to the end of the 2014-15 season. Michigan State falls to 4-5, 0-3 in the Big Ten.
The Nittany Lions return home for the first time in a month for a battle against Purdue in Rec Hall on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. Penn State then visits Maryland on Sunday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m. With all home dual meets sold out, a limited number of Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets are available to select Rec Hall duals based on availability. Call 1-800-NITTANY for information or to purchase tickets.
The 2017-18 Penn State wrestling season is sponsored by The Family Clothesline. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
Results:
125: Rayvon Foley MSU dec. Devin Schnupp PSU, 6-2 / 0-3
133: Corey Keener PSU maj. dec. Matt Santos MSU, 12-2 / 4-3
141: Nick Lee PSU tech fall #20 Javier Gasca MSU, 16-1 (5:10) / 9-3
149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU pinned Jwan Britton MSU, WBF (4:08) / 15-3
157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU pinned Jake Tucker MSU, WBF (3:27) / 21-3
165: #1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU pinned Austin Hiles MSU, WBF (2:48) / 27-3
174: #2 Mark Hall PSU tech fall Logan Ritchie MSU, 19-4 (TF; 6:21) / 32-3
184: #1 Bo Nickal PSU pinned Shwan Shadaia MSU, WBF (2:02) / 38-3
197: Anthony Cassar PSU maj. dec. Nick May MSU, 16-2 / 42-3
285: #8 Nick Nevills PSU pinned Matt Lloyd MSU, WBF (6:35) / 48-3
Records: Penn State 7-0, 3-0 B1G; Michigan State 4-5, 0-3 B1G
Up Next for Penn State: home vs. Purdue, Friday, Jan. 19, 7 p.m. in Rec Hall
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Redshirt freshman Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) met Spartan freshman Rayvon Foley. The duo battled evenly for the bout's first minute. Schnupp worked the clock down to under a minute before Foley connected on a shot to open up a 2-0 lead. The Lion was unable to break free of Foley's control and the Spartan carried the 2-0 lead, although Foley picked up on stall warning in the process. Foley chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Schnupp worked to set up his offense but Foley was able to defend the Lion's shot both in the middle and on the edge of the mat. Schnupp fought off a late Foley shot and trailed 3-0 after two. Schnupp chose down to start the third period but Foley was able to maintain control long enough to build his riding time edge up to 1:04 before Schnupp escaped to a 3-1 score. Schnupp tried to connect on a high single but Foley was able to force a stalemate and keep his lead. Foley countered a Schnupp shot and upped his lead to 5-1 at the :36 mark. Schnupp escaped to a 5-2 score and then worked his way in on another single leg but Foley fought off the move and, with 1:11 in time, posted the 6-2 win.
133: Senior Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) took on Michigan State's Matt Santos. Keener opened up the scoring at the midway mark of the period, rolling Santos' shoulders over and nearly picking up back points. Santos rolled through and Keener settled for a 2-0 lead. Santos escaped after a reset and Keener continued to press the offense and finished off a strong high double for a 4-0 lead with :25 left to wrestle. The Lion senior finished in control and led 4-1 with :53 in time after one period. Santos chose down to start the second period and Keener controlled the action on top. He locked up a brief cradle and rolled Santos for two back points to up his lead to 6-1. Keener spent the rest of the period on offense and ended the rideout with a 6-1 lead and 2:53 in riding time. Keener chose neutral to start the third period. He nearly connected on a fast move on the edge of the mat but action moved out of bounds to force a reset at the 1:38 mark. Keener continued to press and worked low leg control into another takedown and cut to lead 8-2. Keener moved out to a 10-2 lead with a high double leg at the :40 mark. With riding time clinched, the Lion worked his offense from the top position, picked up a stall point and, with 3:37 in riding time, posted the 12-2 major.
141: True freshman Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.) continued his first weekend of Penn State dual action against MSU's Javier Gasca, ranked No. 20 nationally at 141. Lee nearly scored early, Gasca forced a scramble and almost scored himself, and Lee countered again to finish off the takedown to lead 2-0 at the 2:11 mark. Lee cut Gasca loose to a 2-1 score and continued to set the tempo on offense. The Lion freshman fought off the Spartan senior's efforts to control the action on their feet and turned a fast low single into a takedown and four back points as the period ended. Lee led 6-1 after one. Lee chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way into control for a reversal and a 10-1 lead. He maintained top position and then worked Gasca's shoulders over again for a four-count to lead 14-1 with 1:20 in time after two periods.
149: Senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, battled Jwan Britton at 149 and controlled the action from the start. The Lion senior picked up two takedowns in the opening :40 and then turned the Spartan to his back. He reset briefly after getting a two count, turned hit into a four count and led 8-1 at the :48 mark. Retherford reset himself, turned Britton over to his back once more and ended the period with a four count and a 12-1 lead. Britton chose down to start the second period and Retherford steadily worked the Spartan over a third time. This time Retherford finished off the pin at the 4:08 mark, his 13th of the year.
157: Junior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, took on Jake Tucker. Nolf tried to scramble his way to a takedown and back points with his legs early but Tucker was able to work his way into control for an early takedown and a 2-0 lead. Nolf then went to work, quickly using a low single to take down the Spartan, cut him loose and picking up a second takedown quickly to lead 5-3 at the 1:25 mark. Nolf's furious offense included seven first period takedowns and the Lion led 15-8 after one period. He chose down to start the second period, quickly escaped, took Tucker down and finished off a cradle for the fall at the 3:27 mark. It was Nolf's 13th pin of the year.
165: Sophomore Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, met Austin Hiles. Joseph scored quickly, turning a single leg into a takedown and an early 2-1 lead. The Lion sophomore continued to be aggressive, working the center of the mat for control and finishing off a high single for a 4-1 lead at the 1:38 mark. Joseph then locked up a cradle and appeared to have Hiles pinned but was only awarded a four-point near fall to lead 8-1 with :45 on the clock. Joseph reset, steadily worked Hiles' shoulders to the mat and picked up Penn State's third straight pin, this one at the 2:48 mark.
174: Sophomore Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 174, met Logan Ritchie. Hall was steady to start, patiently working his offense for two textbook takedowns in the opening 1:45 to lead 4-2 midway through the first period. Hall added a third takedown with a bullish high double in the middle of the mat to lead 6-2 with 1:00 on the clock. The Lion sophomore then turned Ritchie for four back points at the end of the period to lead 10-2. Hall chose down to start the second stanza and worked his way to an escape and an 11-2 lead. He turned a low single into a scramble and a takedown with :38 left in the second period, upping his lead to 13-2. Trailing 13-2, Ritchie chose top to start the second period and Hall quickly reversed him, cut him and then took him down to lead 17-4 after another cut. He then finished off the match with a takedown to post the 19-4 technical fall at the 6:21 mark.
184: Junior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 184, faced off against Shwan Shadaia. Nickal rolled through two quick takedowns to lead 4-2 in the opening :40. The Lion junior bulled through a high single for a third takedown and a 6-2 lead. He then cut Shadaia loose with 1:22 on the clock, gained control of his shoulders, pulled them down and locked up a cradle for a pin at the 2:02 mark.
197: Sophomore Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.) got the call at 197 and took on Nick May. Cassar took a 2-1 lead at the 1:27 mark with a solid takedown. The Lion sophomore worked the middle of the mat, locked up a high single and finished off a second takedown on the edge of the mat for a 4-1 lead with :46 left in the opening period. Cassar maintained control for the rest of the period and led 4-1 with :58 in time heading into the second stanza. Cassar chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. He then roared through a high shot, lifting May off the mat and taking him down for a 7-1 lead with 1:21 left in the middle period. Cassar built up 2:01 in riding time before May escaped to a 7-2 score. Cassar quickly added a fourth takedown and led 9-2 after two. May chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 9-3 score. Cassar worked his way into control and turned May to his back for a six point move to close out the bout. A 2:30 riding time edge added another point and Cassar posted the 16-3 major.
285: Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 8 at 285, faced off against Spartan freshman Matt Lloyd. Nevills quickly took a 2-0 lead with a low shot for a takedown just :30 into the bout. Nevills cut Lloyd loose and quickly took him down again. The Lion junior let May go, shot low and picked up a third takedown with :42 left in the opening period. Lloyd chose neutral to start the second period . Nevills went to work on offense, turning a low single into a takedown. He then turned Lloyd to his back for a four-count and led 12-2 with 1:10 left in the period. He cut Lloyd loose and used a fast low single for another takedown and a 14-3 edge. Nevills chose down to start the third, escaped and quickly took Lloyd down to lead 17-3. He worked shoulder control into a turn and picked up the pin, Penn State's fifth of the dual, at the 6:35 mark.
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