AUBURN HILLS, Mich.; March 17, 2007 每 Nittany Lion All-Americans Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) and Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) helped Penn State maintain a top ten standing in the team race at the 2007 NCAA Wrestling Championships at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Strayer won his one bout today to take seventh place while Davis went 1-1 to finish fifth for head coach Troy Sunderland. First up for Penn State was three-time All-American Davis, who battled Ohio State＊s J.D. Bergman in the consolation semifinals at 197. Davis entered the bout as the No. 4 seed while Bergman was the No. 6 seed. Bergman took the first shot and got in deep on Davis＊ hips, getting a two point takedown with 1:18 left in the period. Davis escaped to a 2-1 deficit, but not before Bergman had built up a 1:16 riding time edge. Davis, down 2-1 to start the second period, chose down to begin the stanza and summarily reversed Bergman to take a 3-2 lead. While Davis worked for a cradle to get back points, Bergman was hit with a first stall call. Davis, the aggressor over the last two periods, nearly completed his cradle with :50 left in the second, but Bergman＊s defense managed to keep the Lion All-American from completing the move. Bergman chose down to begin the final period and continued his defensive style, even from the bottom position. While Davis worked for a cradle, the Buckeye grappler managed a surprise reversal to retake the lead, 4-3. Davis, while working on the edge of the mat, was called for fleeing the mat and Bergman was given a point by the officials. Now down two, Davis quickly escaped after the reset with :38 left. Bergman slid around the edges of the mat while Davis tried to wrestle. No stall call was given despite Davis＊ attempts to engage Bergman and the Buckeye wrestler was awarded a 5-4 victory. Davis＊ loss sent him to the fifth place bout later in the session. Sophomore Strayer met Indiana＊s Andrae Hernandez in the seventh place bout at 133. IN a battle between two unseeded wrestlers who earned All-American status, Strayer drew first blood with a takedown at the 1:33 mark. Not content with a mere seventh place finish, Strayer proceeded to turn Hernandez to his back and, after a short struggle, get an impressive pin at the 2:38 mark. The fall earns Strayer a seventh place finish at this year＊s tournament. The first-time All-American ends the tourney with a 4-2 mark and a 27-8 record for the season overall. Strayer＊s seventh place finish is the second highest finish ever for a Nittany Lion at 133 pounds. In the fifth place bout, Davis took out his frustration over his controversial prior bout on No. 5 seed Jerry Rinaldi of Cornell. Davis, who beat Rinaldi earlier in the tournament and earlier in the season, battled the Big Red grappler through evenly through the first 2:30. Then, with :38 left in the first, Davis grabbed Rinaldi＊s right leg and pulled the Cornell grappler onto the mat for a 2-0 lead with :12 left. A short ride-out later gave Davis a 2-0 lead after the first period. Rinaldi chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Rinaldi shot low on Davis＊ feet and worked through a scramble for a 3-2 lead with a takedown at the :15 mark, but Davis managed a critical reversal right as the second period ended to retain a 4-3 lead heading into the final stanza. Davis chose down to begin the third period and was allowed up by Davis, giving the Nittany Lion a 5-3 edge. Off the reset, Davis shot low on Rinaldi's ankles and took the Cornell grappler down for a 7-3 advantage with just 1:20 to wrestle. Davis put together a very strong ride, building up a 1:06 riding time edge before Bergman escaped to cut the lead to 7-4. Davis wound out the tournament＊s final seconds and, with the riding time point, posted an 8-4 win to place fifth. Davis ends the tournament with a 4-2 record. He ends his junior season with a 28-5 overall record. A three-time All-American now, Davis is Penn State＊s 15th three-time All-American. Penn State is 20-12 overall in the tournament with only the title tilt at HWT left to be contested tonight. The Nittany Lions sit in ninth place with 54.0 points in the team standings while Minnesota and Iowa State battle it out in a close team title race. The 2007 NCAA Wrestling Championships will conclude tonight with the championship finals at 8 p.m. Senior Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.) will battle in the tournament＊s final bout as the No. 2 seed will meet No. 1 seed and defending national champion Cole Konrad of Minnesota in the HWT finals. The full championship session will be broadcast live on ESPN.
125: Mark McKnight, Jr., McDonald, Pa./South Fayette (Record: 2-2 NCAA/23-11 overall) Rd. 1: W, 12-4 maj. dec. Matt Fisk, Lehigh 133: Jake Strayer, So., South Fork, Pa./Forest Hills 每 2007 All-American (Record: 4-2 NCAA/27-8 overall) Rd. 1: WBF vs. Lou Ruggirello, Hofstra (6:19) 149: #12 Dan Vallimont, Fr., Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp. (3-2 NCAA/22-12 overall) Rd. 1: W, 11-2 maj. dec. Ryan Adams, North Dakota State 157: Bubba Jenkins, Fr., Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial (Record: 1-2 NCAA/23-12 overall) Rd. 1: W, 15-3 maj. dec. Michael Chandler, Missouri 174: #4 James Yonushonis, Sr., Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola (Record: 1-2 NCAA/30-6 overall) Rd. 1: W, 8-6 dec. Neal Martin, Appalachian State 197: #4 Phil Davis, Jr., Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg 每 2007 All-American (Record: 4-2 NCAA/28-5 overall) Rd. 1: W, 9-3 dec. Ryan Goodman, North Carolina State HWT: #2 Aaron Anspach, Sr., Columbia, Pa./Columbia 每 2007 All-American (Record: 4-0 NCAA/22-3 overall) Rd. 1: 13-4 maj. dec. Levon Mock, Brown
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