Jump to content



  • Photo:

    Photo:

    Wisconsin fights back to upset Penn State

    MADISON, Wis. -- The No 15 Wisconsin wrestling team (3-0-0, 1-0-0 Big Ten Conference) upset No. 12 Penn State (3-1-0, 0-1-0 Big Ten) in both teams' Big Ten opener. Penn State jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but the Badgers answered, winning five of the last seven bouts to win the match, 19-15. The win marks the first time UW has beaten the Nittany Lions since the 2001-02 season.

    "I think our young guys really showed a lot of poise today, good things happened for us and we stepped up when we needed to," said head coach Barry Davis. "The team has been really dedicated and focused all season, both in the workout room and in competition, its nice to see it pay off."

    The bout began at 174 lbs. with Badger tri-captain Kelly Flaherty (Big Lake, Minn.) falling to James Yonushonis, 5-3. No. 10 Flaherty tied the match at 3-3 at the end of the second period, but Yonushonis earned a stalling point followed by an escape in the third, to earn the win.

    Penn State earned two more victories at the 184 lbs. and 197 lbs. weight classes. UW's Matt Maciag (Sussex, N.J.) fell to Neil Bretz, 11-5 at 184 lbs. Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) almost upset No. 6 Phil Davis, but was unable to hang on in the tiebreaker, losing 8-7 at 197 lbs.

    The momentum shifted in the heavyweight match up, as Kyle Massey (Champlin, Minn.) pinned Penn State's Joel Edwards at 4:11. At the end of the first, Massey and Edwards were tied at 2-2, both earning points from takedowns. A little over half way into the second, Massey gained control over No. 19 Edwards, pinning him at 4: 11, for Massey's fifth pin of the season. With the win the Badgers were on the board, but still trailed 9-6.

    Collin Cudd quickly changed that, with his four-point major decision victory over Brad Pataky at 125 lbs. A River Falls, Wis., native Cudd jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first and never looked back, winning the match 13-1. Wisconsin now led 10-9.

    However, the Nittany Lions roared back, taking the next two matches and regaining the lead. The Badgers' Zach Tanelli (Millburn, N.J.) was unable to hang on against Jake Strayer at 133 lbs., losing 7-5. Penn State's No. 16 DeWitt Driscoll then defeated Tony Turner (Spring Green, Wis.) at 141 lbs., 5-0.

    With the Badgers down 15-10, tri-captain Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.) upset No. 14 James Woodall in sudden victory overtime to put the dual within reach. No. 17 Turner trailed 4-1 at the end of the first, but was able to tie the match with a take down in the third, followed by a takedown in overtime to win 8-6.

    No. 15 Craig Henning, of Chippewa Falls, Wis., followed suit with an exciting win over No. 10 Nathan Galloway at 157 lbs. Henning, a sophomore, upset Galloway, 5-3 in the second tiebreaker round. The bout was tied at one apiece going into overtime, where neither wrestler scored. In the first tiebreaker both men scored reversals, leaving the match tied at 3-3. After another scoreless sudden victory period, Henning notched another reversal in the second tiebreaker. Galloway couldn't answer, giving Henning the 5-3 victory.

    With the Badger win, UW took the lead 16-15, with one match remaining; No. 20 Jake Donar sealed the win after downing PSU's Phil Bomberger at 165 lbs. Donar and Bomberger were tied at the end of the second, but with two takedowns, a two-point near fall and riding time the Badger prevailed, winning 11-5. The victory secured the Badgers' first Big Ten victory, 19-15.

    Wisconsin has the week off before heading the Cliff Keen Invite in Las Vegas, Dec. 2-3. Last season four Badgers placed at the tournament while the team finished ninth overall. Check uwbadgers.com for the latest updates.

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    There are no comments to display.



    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...