TODAY'S ACTION
No. 2 Penn State (9-1, 5-1 B1G) is set for a busy weekend of Big Ten action, beginning with a road trip to No. 7 Nebraska (14-1, 5-1 B1G). The Nittany Lions battle the Cornhuskers on Friday, Feb. 3, . at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. Penn State will travel back to State College on Saturday, arriving home Saturday night and immediately get ready for a Sunday home dual against No. 12 Michigan (6-3, 4-2 B1G). The Lions and Wolverines tangle at 2 p.m. in Rec Hall. The Michigan dual is sold out but a limited number of Standing Room Only tickets still remain as of 2/1/12. With the Big Ten officially recognizing the regular season dual meet champion(s) with a trophy, the importance of this weekend's duals becomes magnified with a conference regular season title (or a share of one) on the line and all three teams in the hunt for the outright title or a share of it.
Penn State is coming off dominating 34-9 win over Ohio State on Sunday, a win that moved it into a battle for the Big Ten dual meet crown. The Nittany Lions are 9-1 overall, 5-1 in the conference and face off against another 5-1 team (Nebraska) and a 4-2 squad (Michigan) that still has a chance to forge a massive five- or six-team tie for first. For Penn State, the math is simple, win two tough duals and it is assured of at least a share of the dual meet crown.
The Nittany Lions are being led by a balanced line-up featuring eight ranked wrestlers, all of which are ranked among the top 12 and four of whom are in the top two. Three-time All-American Frank Molinaro is ranked No. 1 at 149 with a perfect 21-0 mark. All-American David Taylor is also unblemished at 19-0 and is No. 1 at 165. All-American Ed Ruth is also perfect at 21-0 and No. 2 at 174 while two-time All-American Quentin Wright is 18-2 and No. 2 at 184. Senior Cameron Wade is 18-4 and ranked No. 6 at heavyweight while red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton is 16-4 and No. 6 at 157. True freshman Nico Megaludis is 17-5 and No. 9 at 125 while classmate Morgan McIntosh is 14-5 and No. 12 at 197. Sophomore Frank Martellotti is 6-3 at 133 while junior Bryan Pearsall checks in at 141 with a 10-8 record.
Nebraska brings a 14-1 record into the dual, with an impressive 5-1 Big Ten conference mark. . The Huskers are being led by six ranked wrestlers, five of whom are in the top ten. The tough and balanced NU roster features No. 18 Ridge Kelly at 133, No. 5 Jake Sueflohn at 141, No. 7 James Green at 157, No. 6 Robert Kokesh at 165, No. 7 Josh Ihnen at 184 and No. 9 Tucker Lane at heavyweight. This will be the first meeting between the two schools since a 20-16 Nebraska win on Jan. 10, 2009, at the National Duals. Penn State won the last meeting in Lincoln, a 24-14 victory on Jan. 23, 1994. Nebraska has won three straight against Penn State, dating back to a 22-12 Penn State win on 12/5/98 in the Bryce Jordan Center. Nebraska owns an 8-4-1 edge in the series.
Michigan comes in 6-3 overall, with a 4-2 record in Big Ten action. The Wolverines are being led by seven ranked individuals, including No. 1 Kellen Russell at 141. UM also features No. 16 Zac Stevens at 133, No. 7 Eric Grajales at 149, No. 14 Dan Yates at 165, No. 8 Justin Zeerip at 174, No. 15 Max Huntley at 197 and No. 10 Ben Apland at 285. Penn State has won the last two meetings against UM and owns a slim 26-24 edge in the all-time series. Penn State won 28-13 last year on 2/6/11 in Ann Arbor and won 29-10 on 2/7/10 in Rec Hall.
Penn State will make a cross country trek to Orem, Utah, outside of Salt Lake City, to battle Utah Valley on Saturday, Feb. 11. The dual is set for 9 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Mountain (local time). Penn State's next home dual is the season dual finale against Pitt on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. All seats for the Pitt dual are sold out but some standing room only tickets remain. Fans can purchase a very limited number of SRO tickets by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under) and can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office. The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action will air locally on 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 and further affiliates may be added soon.
