Ruth and Wright win individual titles as Cael Sanderson's squad continues dominant run
There is an argument to be made that Matt Brown was among the top 174-pounders in the nation last year. Brown posted a stellar 27-2 mark as a freshman for Penn State, going 5-0 in duals and downing three ranked wrestlers, including wins over ranked 197-pounders in the Big Ten. Brown's top performance may have come in one of his two losses, taking teammate and 2012 National Champion Ed Ruth to the wire in a 6-3 loss in the Southern Scuffle title bout. Brown is gearing up for his own title run at 174 this year as Ruth moves up a weight, making Brown a legitimate contender for NCAA gold in March.
Lion Career 2011-12: 2011-12: Red-shirted in 2008-09...went 5-0 to win title at ESU Open on 11/12...5-0 at Laker Open on 11/19 to win crown, including two pins and three techs...5-1 at the Nittany Lion Open on 12/4 to place fifth...made Penn State dual debut at 174 with 19-4 tech fall over Lock Haven's Aaron McKinney on 12/18...superb run at the Southern Scuffle, going 4-1 to take second place...lost in finals to teammate #2 Ed Ruth by 6-3 margin, beat #7 Dorian Henderson and #11 Logan Storley of Minnesota in the process, also had two pins...made Big Ten dual meet debut on 2/3 up two weights at 197 (weighed in at 174) and downed Husker starter James Nakashima 2-1...two days later, weighed in at 174 once again and moved up two weights to beat 15th-ranked 197-pounder Max Huntley of Michigan 3-1 in his Rec Hall dual debut...majored Utah Valley's Monte Schmalhaus 13-3 in front of homestate crowd in Orem, Utah, on 2/11...majored Pitt's Ethan Headlee 12-2 in season dual finale on 2/19.
2010-11: Red-shirted during the 2008-09 season at Iowa State for Sanderson before his two year mission...posted a 22-6 record as a red-shirt...wrestled at both 157 and 165.
High School/Personal
Brown amassed a superb 149-4 career record at Cyprus High School in Utah, won three state titles, finished fourth as a freshman and was a two-time high school All-American. He is the son of Dave and Cindy Brown.
