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PHILADELPHIA -- It was far from a perfect weekend for Penn State, but when the dust settled on Saturday night at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships in Philadelphia, the Nittany Lions finished on top of the team standings with 107.5 points. It was Penn State's first national championship in wrestling since 1953.
Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.comFive Nittany Lions wrestlers earned All-American honors, including Quentin Wright, who became the program's 22nd NCAA champion by capturing the title at 184 pounds with a 5-2 victory over Lehigh's Robert Hamlin.
After a scoreless first period, Wright picked up two takedowns in the second period to cruise to the victory, avenging an early-season loss to Hamlin.
"It's a great feeling," said Wright, who entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed. "It hasn't really hit me because I just got out of the match, but it's going to get better for a long time."
It was a special weekend for Penn State's wrestling program, just as it was for the 10 wrestlers who claimed individual NCAA titles on Saturday night.
It was an eventful final round that saw shocking finishes, dominating performances, and program firsts.
Perhaps the most shocking finish -- the one that had the sold-out crowd of 17,687 at Wells Fargo Center in a frenzy -- took place at 157 pounds where Bubba Jenkins of Arizona State pinned previously-undefeated freshman David Taylor of Penn State in the second period.
Taylor led the match 1-0 early in the second period before a scramble situation, which resulted in Jenkins locking up a cradle and pinning Taylor.
Jenkins, a 2008 NCAA runner-up and three-time All-American, spent three and a half years in Penn State's program before transferring to Arizona State this season to finish out his college career. He and Taylor were teammates at Penn State last season when both were redshirting. Jenkins' dismissal from Penn State was well-publicized and he left the program on bad terms with his coach, Cael Sanderson.
"He didn't think I was good enough or the right kid to win it at that weight class or any weight class, really," said Jenkins of his former coach, Cael Sanderson. "I wanted to go 149, but he had other ideas. He got rid of me. One man's trash is a whole country's treasure."
Jenkins was one of two Arizona State wrestlers to capture an NCAA title on Saturday night. The other Sun Devil titlist was Anthony Robles, who capped off an undefeated senior campaign (36-0) by defeating defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough of Iowa, 7-1, to claim the NCAA title at 125 pounds.
Robles, who was born without a right leg, jumped out to a sizeable lead early in the match as he picked up a takedown before securing a pair of tilts to go up 7-0 after the first period. Those were all the points Robles needed for the victory.
"I had a lot of butterflies going out there," said Robles, who finished his college career as a three-time All-American. "I've dreamt about stepping on that stage a dozen times. This whole year I have just been preparing for this moment. I was scared out there. But as soon as I hit that takedown, I sort of relaxed."
Robles stated that his competitive wrestling career is over and that he has no plans to pursue an international wrestling career, but that does not mean that he plans to leave the sport anytime soon.
"I've had a great run," said Robles. "I started wrestling when I was a freshman in high school. It's been a great ride. Wrestling has helped me to mature. I have gotten so much self-confidence from the sport. I love the sport. But from here on out, my wrestling competition days are over. I'm really going to be focusing on my next goal, which to be a motivational speaker. But I'll be around wrestling the rest of my life. I love it so much."
Robles was not the only undefeated NCAA champion crowned on Saturday night. Four other wrestlers, Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State (133), Kellen Russell of Michigan (141), Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska (165), and Jon Reader of Iowa State (174), capped off perfect seasons by winning titles.
Oliver used three takedowns, including one off an ankle pick 12 second into the match, and a set of nearfall points to cruise to an 8-4 victory over Boise State's Andrew Hochstrasser. The sophomore from Easton, Pa. becomes Oklahoma State's 134th NCAA champion.
"I had a mindset to go out there and put points on the board right away, thinking if I scored right away the pace of the match and the tempo would have to pick up because he would have to attack me then," said Oliver. "I never stopped attacking, but it opened things up more for me to get to my double and my leg attacks."
Russell, a three-time Big Ten champion and two-time All-American edged Cal Poly's Boris Novachkov, 3-2, to take the title at 141 pounds. Russell scored the only takedown of the match off a scramble situation with just 32 seconds remaining in the match.
"The whole time before the match preparing I knew I would have to get into a scramble to score a takedown," said Russell. "But I also knew that he is one of the best scramblers in the country too from wrestling him prior. Going into the match, I was trying to get my feet moving a little bit. In the third period things started clicking together, even though my ankle was hurting me a little bit. Once I got in that scramble, I was just waiting for the opportunity to pick him up there."
Burroughs dominated his competition in Philadelphia to earn his second NCAA title. His first NCAA title came in 2009 at 157 pounds. This year Burroughs captured the title at 165 pounds with an 11-3 major decision victory over Oklahoma's Tyler Caldwell. He finished the season 36-0 and became Nebraska's first two-time NCAA champion.
"It's definitely an elite company to be a part of," said Burroughs of being the lone Husker to win two NCAA titles. "I feel like I'm setting my own standard for a lot of young guys coming in. We've got tough guys coming in and they're all hungry, so that record might not last long."
It was Burroughs' third victory over Big 12 rival Caldwell this season. Burroughs edged Caldwell, 2-1, in the previous meeting at the Big 12 Championships two weeks ago.
"I think that might have been the first match I didn't get a takedown in like four or five years," said Burroughs of his Big 12 finals victory over Caldwell. "That's definitely not the way I want to wrestle. My friends and family came out. They paid a lot of money. It was probably the last time they ever get to see me wrestle, so I wanted to impress them."
Burroughs grew up less than 30 miles away from Philadelphia in Winslow Township, N.J.
"Being so close to home, a lot of friends and family are here," said Burroughs. "Despite anywhere it was, I was going to wrestle my best tournament and try to put it together. A lot of bonus point victories. Coach Manning always stresses domination every match. I'm not satisfied with winning by one or two points, so I go out there and wrestle my hardest match every time and hopefully get the major."
Reader's perfect season was capped off with a dominating 10-3 victory over a red-hot Nick Amuchastegui, who reached the finals as the No. 7 seed. For Reader, a three-time All-American, it was a form of redemption after not placing at the NCAA tournament last season.
"I had an embarrassing tournament last year," said Reader, who finished the season with a 39-0 record. "I had some obstacles that I had to overcome injury-wise. I spent a lot of time with the Paulsons and Coach Jackson sharpening my skills."
Reader has had three head coaches in his college career at Iowa State. He was signed by Bobby Douglas, wrestled for Cael Sanderson for three seasons, and finished his college career competing for Kevin Jackson. Still, despite all he has gone through, he wouldn't trade his college experience for anything.
"I'm very fortunate to come out of Iowa State," said Douglas. "I wouldn't change it for the world. I love Cyclone Nation and I appreciate everything they've done for me. They've enabled me to be in the same room as the Paulson brothers. I have two World Team members as my everyday workout partners."
Cornell's Kyle Dake captured his second NCAA title in as many seasons with a convincing 8-1 victory over Penn State's Frank Molinaro. Dake dominated Molinaro from the onset, picking up a takedown 26 seconds into the match and eventually accumulating over six minutes of riding time.
"I feel really accomplished to be a freshman and sophomore back to back years winning an NCAA title going up a weight, losing in the EIWAs, coming back and wrestling my heart out, it feels really good," said Dake.
Kent State crowned its first NCAA champion in Dustin Kilgore at 184 pounds. Kilgore, who entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed, trailed 5-1 late in the second period against previously-undefeated Clayton Foster of Oklahoma State before turning the tables and picking up a pin.
"It's the best feeling ever," said Kilgore of becoming Kent State's first NCAA champion. "This is going to help out with recruiting so much. In the future this is going to build such a good team I'm hoping for Kent State because they deserve it. The coaches are phenomenal."
Lehigh's Zach Rey won the NCAA title at heavyweight with a 2-1 victory over American's Ryan Flores, avenging a loss two weeks ago in the EIWA finals.
Rey, who became one of three New Jersey natives to win an NCAA title on Saturday night, joining Russell and Burroughs, said working with his assistant coach, Steve Mocco, a 2008 U.S. Olympian and past two-time NCAA champion, this season made a big impact on him.
"He has brought a whole 'nother level to my conditioning, hand fighting, and just my confidence," said Rey of Mocco. "Nobody else in the country works out with a guy as good as I do every day, Steve Mocco. He's one of the best in the world."
The NCAA Division I Championships set a new attendance record, totaling 104,260 fans over the six-session event. The total shatters the previous record of 97,334 set in 2009 in St. Louis.
Team Standings (Top 10):
1. Penn State 107.5
2. Cornell 93.5
3. Iowa 86.5
4. Oklahoma State 70.5
5. American 65
6. Arizona State 62.5
7. Minnesota 61
8. Lehigh 58.5
9. Boise State 57.5
10. Wisconsin 54.5
Finals Results:
125: No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) dec. No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa), 8-1
133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State), 8-4
141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) dec. No. 3 Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly), 3-2
149: No. 4 Kyle Dake (Cornell) vs. No. 2 Frank Molinaro (Penn State), 8-1
157: No. 4 Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State) pinned No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State), 4:14
165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) dec. No. 3 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma), 11-3
174: No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) dec. No. 7 Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford), 10-3
184: No. 9 Quentin Wright (Penn State) dec. No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh), 5-2
197: No. 4 Dustin Kilgore (Kent State) pinned No. 2 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State), 4:56
285: No. 1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) dec. No. 3 Ryan Flores (American), 2-1
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