Nittany Lions in first place after day one of NCAA Championships
Senior Bryan Pearsall heads into his final season as one of the most experienced Nittany Lion lower weights. Pearsall emerged as an explosive point scorer for Penn State last season at 141, notching six pins, scoring 35 dual meet points and just missing out on a trip to NCAAs. His bonus point prowess proved pivotal in Penn State's Big Ten title run and the Lion senior is looking to forge his first trip to NCAAs and earn All-America status this year.
Lion Career 2011-12: Went 2-2 for fourth place at ESU Open on 11/12...went 0-1 at Nittany Lion Open 12/4...first dual win of the year was a 12-2 major over Lehigh's Jimmy Carucci on 12/9, followed by tough 5-4 loss to #19 Nathan Pennesi of WVU on 12/11...pinned #14 Matt Bonson of Lock Haven at the 4:22 mark in dual meet on 12/18 at LHU...named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (12/18)...went 3-2 with a pin and a tech fall at the Southern Scuffle on 1/1-2...pinned MSU's Brian Gibbs (4:21) in road dual win on 1/8...leading NU's Colin Shober 4-2 on 1/13 when Shober injury defaulted, giving Pearsall the six-point dual win...pinned Pitt's Travis Shaffer with just :03 left in Penn State's 33-6 win over the Panthers on 2/19.
Big Ten Championships (3-2, 7th): Pearsall had a superb run in a tough draw at the 2012 Big Ten Championships in Purdue, going 3-2 and earning valuable bonus points in Penn State's title run...pinned Wisconsin's Thomas Glenn (1:39) before a tough 4-1 loss to eventual national champion #1 Kellen Russell of Michigan...13-2 major over Indiana's Matt Ortega...lost tough 5-2 decision to #9 Jake Sueflohn of Nebraska...beat Purdue's Brandon Nelson 8-2 for 7th place.
2010-11: Pinned Bloomsburg's Nick Wilcox in the first period of season-opening dual on 11/12....went 2-1 at Sprawl and Brawl Duals on 11/21, including pin over Harvard's Fermin Mendez...went 4-2 (with three pins) at the Nittany Lion Open on 12/5...pinned Lock Haven's Evan Kolb on 12/12 in Penn State's 48-0 win over the Bald Eagles...dominated #10 Ian Paddock of Ohio State in Big Ten dual meet victory on 12/19...went 4-2 with two pins at the Southern Scuffle on 12/29-30.
2009-10:
Dropped hard-fought 6-4 sudden victory decision to Tyler Saltsman in intrasquad meet....leading 11-5 vs. Bloomsburg's Dan Gaylord but caught and pinned in collegiate debut on 11/15....took eighth at the Nittany Lion Open, going 1-3 against collegiate competition but picking up three wins against non-collegiate wrestlers...went 1-2 at Reno TOC on 12/20...went 0-4 at Virginia Duals on 1/8-9...got first dual win as a Nittany Lion with a 13-12 decision over Illinois' Daryl Thomas on 1/22.
Big Ten Championships (0-2, DNP): Went 0-2 in his first run at the Big Ten Championships.
2008-09:
Red-shirt season...posted 6-9 mark as unattached wrestler...picked up two wins by fall and one major decision victory.
