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Nittany Lion Wrestlers Claim Second Straight NCAA Championship
March 17, 2012
VIDEO: Penn State 2012 National Champions VIDEO: Cael Sanderson National Championship Press Conference
VIDEO: Penn State 2012 Individual National Champions
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team added three new individual champions to its ledgers to complete a stellar run to the 2012 NCAA National Championship. Senior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), sophomore David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) and sophomore Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) all claimed crowns as Penn State won its second straight NCAA team title. The Nittany Lions outdistanced second place Minnesota by a whopping 25.5 points. The Nittany Lions checked in with 143.0 points while the Gophers were second with 117.5. Iowa was third with 107.5 and Cornell was fourth with 102.5. Ohio State rounded out the top five with 68.5. In addition to the team title and three individual titles, Taylor was honored as the Gorriaran Award winner for the most falls in the least amount of time. Taylor's 5-0 run to the title included four pins and a technical fall. He is the second straight Nittany Lion to win the award as Ruth claimed it during Penn State's title run in Philadelphia a year ago. He was then honored as the 2012 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler for the season and capped off a stellar weekend in St. Louis by being named the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships Most Outstanding Wrestler. True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), the No. 10 seed at 125, took on top-seed Matt McDonough of Iowa in the first national final of the night. Megaludis battled McDonough through two even periods before the Hawkeye used a third period takedown to break a 1-1 tie. McDonough then rode Megaludis out and, with the riding time point, posted the 4-1 victory. Megaludis ends a superb true freshman run through the 2012 NCAA Championships with a 4-1 record, as a freshman All-American and as the 2012 National Runner-Up. He ends his first season of collegiate wrestling with a 28-8 overall record.
Senior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), the undefeated top-seed at 149, met No. 7 Dylan Ness of Minnesota in the title bout. In the national final, Molinaro took on No. 7 Dylan Ness of Minnesota, meeting the talented Gopher for the fourth time this season. Molinaro fought off one early Ness shot and then tried to connect on multiple single legs in the first period before finally breaking through for a takedown with :20 left. Riding the 2-0 lead into the third period, he escaped to a 3-1 lead and then rode Ness for most of the third period to build up 1:50 in riding time and post the 4-1 win. Already Penn State's fifth four-time All-American, Molinaro is now Penn State's latest NCAA Champion. He finished 8th, 5th, 2nd and 1st at NCAAs and closes out a perfect senior season with a 33-0 record, giving him a 121-29 career mark. He leaves Penn State as one of the greatest wrestlers in school history and tied for 8th all-time on Penn State's career win list. Molinaro's 5-0 run through this year's tourney gives him 17 wins in the NCAA tournament, tied for fourth all-time in school history. Sophomore David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), the undefeated top seed at 165, took on No. 11 Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh. In the finals, Taylor met No. 11 Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh. Closing out one of the most dominant performances in NCAA tournament history, Taylor put on a takedown clinic in rolling to a 22-7 technical fall at the 5:55 mark. The Nittany Lion sophomore notched three first period takedowns to lead 6-2 after one period. After choosing down to start the second, Taylor reversed Hatchett, cut him loose, took him down again and added two near fall points to lead 12-3 after two. The third period was a blistering display of takedowns as Taylor rolled up five takedowns to post the technical fall and finish a national championship run with a 5-0 record that included four pins and a technical fall. Taylor ends a perfect sophomore season with a 32-0 record. He heads into his junior year as a two-time All-American with a 70-1 record. Sophomore Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), the undefeated top seed at 174, met No. 3 Nick Amuchastegui in a battle of two unbeaten wrestlers. Getting revenge for an injury default loss in the national quarters last year, Ruth dominated the Stanford wrestler from start to finish, rolling to a 13-2 major decision and become Penn State's third national champion of the night. Ruth used a takedown, two near fall points and an escape to bolt out to a 5-2 lead after one period. He added an escape and a takedown in the second to lead 8-3 and then, after Amuchastegui chose neutral, notched a takedown, two near fall points and a rideout to roll to the major. He ended the match with 3:39 in riding time. Ruth ends a simply dominating title run with a 5-0 mark, including two pins, a technical fall and the major in the title bout. The undefeated run gives him a 31-0 mark to close out the year. He heads into his junior season as a two-time All-American with a 69-2 record. Junior Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), the defending National Champion and No. 6 seed, faced off against No. 4 Steve Bosak of Cornell in the final at 184. Wright and Bosak battled through a scoreless first period and then the Lion junior chose down to start the second stanza. Wright worked his way to a reversal but Bosak was able to escape with around :20 on the clock, cutting the lead to 2-1 after two. Bosak then chose down to start the third period and escaped to tie the score. Wright pressured Bosak constantly throughout the match and, in particular, the third period. But Bosak was able to back away from the Lion and kill the clock in the third period, sending the match to sudden victory. Bosak then notched the decisive takedown midway through the period to post the 4-2 (sv) win. Wright ends the tournament with a 4-1 mark, earning national runner-up honors. He leaves St. Louis as Penn State's 20th three-time All-American after a 30-4 season and heads into his senior year with an 84-23 record. Earlier in the day, red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) finished off an outstanding season with a third place finish at 157. Alton, the No. 7 seed, took down No. 5 Ganbayar Sanjaa of American by a 7-5 (sv2) decision in the consolation semifinals and then hammered No. 3 Jason Welch of Northwestern 6-2 in the third place bout. Alton became Penn State's sixth All-American and assured the Nittany Lions of having more than half their line-up place in the top three nationally. Penn State's 3-2 finals performance gives the team a final overall record at the 2012 NCAA Championships of 33-9. Penn State has 25.5 bonus points off of seven pins, seven majors and three tech falls. Penn State's five finalists is an all-time school record as is its final team point total of 143.5. The 143.5 is the most points scored by one team at the tournament since Oklahoma State had 153 in 2005. By virtue of Alton's third place finish, more than half (six) of Penn State's line-up finished in the top three nationally. The Nittany Lions end the year as two-time reigning NCAA and Big Ten Champions. Penn State posted a 13-1 overall dual meet record and were the 2012 Big Ten Co-Regular Season Champions with a 7-1 conference mark. Penn State becomes only the fourth team in NCAA history to win back-to-back titles. The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action has aired locally WRSC AM (1390 AM) with Friday evening duals being simulcast on WRSC FM (103.1 FM). Lock Haven's WBPZ (1230 AM) will also carry the entire season live, WIEZ (670 AM) in Huntingdon/Lewistown carries all Sunday events. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package. Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2011-12 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
2012 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS - Championship Finals Agate 125: Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), Fr. - #10 seed - 28-8 overall - ALL-AMERICAN
In the second round, Megaludis roared back from a 3-0 deficit in the third period to score seven unanswered points to post a 7-3 win over No. 7 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma. Megaludis used an escape, a takedown, three back points and 1:37 in riding time to roll to the win. Megaludis exacted sweet revenge on No. 2 seed Zach Sanders of Minnesota in the national quarterfinals. The true freshman rolled to a 7-4 win thanks to three takedowns and an escape. Sanders downed Megaludis twice during the regular season by identical 6-2 scores. Megaludis bolted out to a 3-1 lead after two periods with an escape and takedown. In the third period, the Lion freshman dominated the action, taking Sanders down twice and picking up the win to become a true freshman All-American. Avenging a loss to another wrestler he met earlier in the year, Megaludis thrilled the Penn State faithful with a 3-2 (tb2) win over No. 6 Frank Perrelli of Cornell in the national semifinals. Megaludis took the Cornell senior through two sudden victory periods and then maintained control for the full :30 in the second tie breaker. Then, taking bottom on his turn, Megaludis quickly escaped and advanced to the national finals with the win. In the 2012 national final at 125, Megaludis met No. 1 Matt McDonough of Iowa. Megaludis battled McDonough through two even periods before the Hawkeye used a third period takedown to break a 1-1 tie. McDonough then rode Megaludis out and, with the riding time point, posted the 4-1 victory. Megaludis ends a superb true freshman run through the 2012 NCAA Championships with a 4-1 record, as a freshman All-American and as the 2012 National Runner-Up. He ends his first season of collegiate wrestling with a 28-8 overall record.
The true sophomore rebounded in the first round of wrestle backs, getting a reversal in the third period to post an important 2-1 decision over UC-Bakersfield's Frank Lomas. The win kept Martellotti alive and moved him into the second round of wrestle backs. Martellotti was then eliminated in the second round of consolations, suffering a 19-9 major decision to No. 6 Devin Carter of Virginia Tech. Martellotti went 1-2 in his first trip to NCAAs but picked up a key team point in the first round of consolations.
In the second round, Molinaro battled through a tough match-up with Oregon State's Scott Sakaguchi. The Nittany Lion senior used a solid 2:27 riding time edge for the decisive point in a 6-5 win to more into the quarterfinals. Molinaro became Penn State's fifth four-time All-American with a dominating 10-2 major decision over No. 8 Eric Grajales of Michigan. The Nittany Lion senior broke open a close match with a takedown and two near fall points in the second and then two more takedowns, an escape and riding time in the third. Molinaro heads to the national semifinals and joins Nittany Lion greats Greg Elinsky, Jim Martin, Sanshiro Abe and Phil Davis as a four-time All-American. Molinaro then dominated Hofstra's Justin Accordino in the national semifinals. Molinaro notched a first period takedown and a third period reversal while rolling up a whopping 4:03 in riding time to coast to the 5-0 decision. The victory moved him into his second straight national championship match. In the national final, Molinaro took on No. 7 Dylan Ness of Minnesota, meeting the talented Gopher for the fourth time this season. Molinaro fought off one early Ness shot and then tried to connect on multiple single legs in the first period before finally breaking through for a takedown with :20 left. Riding the 2-0 lead into the third period, he escaped to a 3-1 lead and then rode Ness for most of the third period to build up 1:50 in riding time and post the 4-1 win. Already Penn State's fifth four-time All-American, Molinaro is now Penn State's latest NCAA Champion. He finished 8th, 5th, 2nd and 1st at NCAAs and closes out a perfect senior season with a 33-0 record, giving him a 121-29 career mark. He leaves Penn State as one of the greatest wrestlers in school history and tied for 8th all-time on Penn State's career win list. Molinaro's 5-0 run through this year's tourney gives him 17 wins in the NCAA tournament, tied for fourth all-time in school history.
157: Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), Fr. - #7 seed - 30-6 overall - ALL-AMERICAN
In the second round, Alton used a strong third period ride to build up a riding time edge and grab an important 2-1 win over No. 10 Anthony Jones of Michigan State. Each wrestler had an escape and Alton's 1:14 in riding time provided the difference as the Lion freshman moved into the quarterfinals. Alton battled No. 2 Derek St. John into sudden victory once again in the quarters. In the extra period, the Lion freshman got in on a single against the Hawkeye but St. John countered, rolled through and picked up the 3-1 sudden victory decision. Alton, still one win from All-America status, moved into the consolation fourth round. In the `round of 12', Alton used a takedown in each of the first two periods to roll to an impressive 6-3 win over Air Force's Joshua Kreimier, earning All-America status as a freshman and keeping his quest for third place alive. Alton added an escape and a riding time point for the victory and joins Nico Megaludis as Penn State's newest freshmen All-Americans. Alton then used a late third period takedown to post a key 4-3 win over No. 11 James Green of Nebraska, earning a trip to the consolation semifinals and keeping a third place finish within reach. Alton got his takedown with less than :30 left and then rode Green out for the victory. In the consolation semifinals Saturday morning, Alton met No. 5 Ganbayar Sanjaa of American. For the second straight bout, Alton went to extra time and once again, proved the victor. The Lion freshman used a swift low double in the second sudden victory period to notch a 7-5 (sv2) win over Sanjaa and move into the third place bout. Alton took on No. 3 Jason Welch of Northwestern for third, closing out Penn State's medal round activity. The Nittany Lion freshman took care of the Wildcat, using two takedowns, an escape and 1:23 in riding time to roll to a 6-2 win. The victory closed out Alton's inaugural NCAA tourney run with a 7-1 mark and a third place finish, well above his No. 7 seed.
165: David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), So. - #1 seed - 32-0 overall - ALL-AMERICAN
Taylor needed just :11 more seconds in his second round match-up. Taylor turned another first period takedown into a pin, getting the fall at the 1:51 mark over UT-Chattanooga's Brandon Wright. Taylor's second straight pin moved him into the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, Taylor needed less than a half a minute to become a two-time All-American. The Nittany Lion sophomore used a low single against No. 8 Robert Kokesh of Nebraska to take the Husker to the mat. He then quickly locked up a cradle and decked the Husker for a pin at the :29 mark, moving into the national semifinals. In the semifinals, Taylor made it four-for-four in pins, getting a fall over No. 4 Bekzod Abdurakhmo of Clarion at the 4:46 mark. Taylor was in the middle of a blistering second period that saw him collect three takedowns before turning the Golden Eagle to his back and getting his fourth straight pin. The victory moved Taylor into his second straight national title bout. In the finals, Taylor met No. 11 Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh. Closing out one of the most dominant performances in NCAA tournament history, Taylor put on a takedown clinic in rolling to a 22-7 technical fall at the 5:55 mark. The Nittany Lion sophomore notched three first period takedowns to lead 6-2 after one period. After choosing down to start the second, Taylor reversed Hatchett, cut him loose, took him down again and added two near fall points to lead 12-3 after two. The third period was a blistering display of takedowns as Taylor rolled up five takedowns to post the technical fall and finish a national championship run with a 5-0 record that included four pins and a technical fall. Taylor ends a perfect sophomore season with a 32-0 record. He heads into his junior year as a two-time All-American with a 70-1 record.
Top-seed Ed Ruth began his quest for an NCAA crown with a quick pin over Rider's Jim Resnick. Ruth turned his second takedown of the first period into a cradle and got the fall at the 1:42 mark. Ruth needed even less time in his second round match-up with Missouri's Dorian Henderson. The Lion sophomore turned a first period takedown into a quick cradle and got the fall at the 1:25 mark, moving into the quarterfinals. Ruth joined Taylor as a two-time All-American with a dominating 11-4 win over Ohio State's Nick Heflin, the No. 9 seed. The Lion used three takedowns, stall points and 2:45 of riding time to roll to the win and into the national semifinals. In the semifinals, Ruth dominated No. 4 Logan Storley in a rematch of the Big Ten Championship, won by Ruth two weekends ago. The Lion sophomore used two early takedowns and a three-point near fall to open up a big lead heading into the third period. In the third, Storley took down and Ruth made him pay by turning him for two three-point near falls and then tacking on a final takedown for the 16-1 technical fall at the 6:38 mark. In the finals, Ruth met No. 3 Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford. Getting revenge for an injury default loss in the national quarters last year, Ruth dominated the Stanford wrestler from start to finish, rolling to a 13-2 major decision and become Penn State's third national champion of the night. Ruth used a takedown, two near fall points and an escape to bolt out to a 5-2 lead after one period. He added an escape and a takedown in the second to lead 8-3 and then, after Amuchastegui chose neutral, notched a takedown, two near fall points and a rideout to roll to the major. He ended the match with 3:39 in riding time. Ruth ends a simply dominating title run with a 5-0 mark, including two pins, a technical fall and the major in the title bout. The undefeated run gives him a 31-0 mark to close out the year. He heads into his junior season as a two-time All-American with a 69-2 record.
Wright then hammered No. 11 Ben Clymer of Hofstra in the second round, using a late takedown and 2:28 in riding time to post a 10-2 major decision and move into the quarterfinals. The major also added important bonus points to the Lions' tally. The Nittany Lion junior then thrilled the Scottrade Center in the quarterfinals, hitting a standing cradle against No. 3 Ben Bennett of Central Michigan and working nearly 1:30 to get the sizzling first period pin at the 2:35 mark. The pin makes Wright Penn State's 20th three-time All-American and moved him into the national semifinals. In a rematch of last year's national title bout, Wright once again defeated No. 2 Robert Hamlin of Lehigh. The Nittany Lion junior notched a first period takedown and a second period escape and held on for a hard-fought 3-2 win, moving to the national finals to defend his title. Wright took on No. 4 Steve Bosak of Cornell in the finals. Wright and Bosak battled through a scoreless first period and then the Lion junior chose down to start the second stanza. Wright worked his way to a reversal but Bosak was able to escape with around :20 on the clock, cutting the lead to 2-1 after two. Bosak then chose down to start the third period and escaped to tie the score. Wright pressured Bosak constantly throughout the match and, in particular, the third period. But Bosak was able to back away from the Lion and kill the clock in the third period, sending the match to sudden victory. Bosak then notched the decisive takedown midway through the period to post the 4-2 (sv) win. Wright ends the tournament with a 4-1 mark, earning national runner-up honors. He leaves St. Louis as Penn State's 20th three-time All-American after a 30-4 season and heads into his senior year with an 84-23 record.
In the second round, the true freshman ran into top seeded Cornell senior Cam Simaz and suffered a 22-7 tech fall defeat at the 7:00 mark on riding time. The loss sent McIntosh into the consolation second round. McIntosh met Ohio State's Andrew Campolattano for the third time this season in the second round of consolations. After defeating the Buckeye twice during the year, the Nittany Lion true freshman suffered an 8-3 setback and ended his tournament with a 1-2 record, picking up key team points with a first round win.
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