#1 Penn State Downs #3 Iowa 24-12 in National Wrestling Showdown

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the direction of head coachCael Sanderson, trekked to Iowa City, Iowa, for a non-conference dual meet with Big Ten rival Iowa. Penn State won the dual, wrestled in front of almost 14,000 fans in Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena while a snow storm rolled into Iowa City, 24-12, winning seven of ten bouts.

The dual meet began at 125, where Nittany Lion junior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 3, got Penn State off to a hot start with a sound 4-1 win over Iowa’s Thomas Gilman at 125. Red-shirt freshmanJimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 15 at 133, battled No.3 Tony Ramos into the third period before Ramos got the fall at the 5:22 mark. True freshman Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), now ranked No. 2 at 141, used a third period takedown and a long ride out to post a strong 4-2 win over No. 9 Josh Dziewa to tie the bout at 6-6.

At 149, red-shirt freshman Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.) silenced the Carver-Hawkeye crowd with a swift five-point throw as his bout ended, breaking a 1-1 tie as he went on to down Iowa’s Michael Kelly 6-1, putting Penn State up 9-6. Senior James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) battled top-ranked and defending national champion Derek St. John tough at 157 before dropping a 10-4 decision, sending the dual into halftime tied 9-9.

Senior David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 1 at 165, gave Penn State a 13-9 lead after intermission with a dominating 12-3 major over No. 4 Nick Moore. Taylor rolled up 4:13 in riding time to post the win. Junior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 3 at 174, then controlled No. 6 Mike Evans with a third period ride out. That, combined with a first period takedown gave the Lion All-American an impressive 4-1 win, putting Penn State up 16-9.

Senior Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 184, then took care of No. 2 Ethan Lofthouse, rolling to a 12- 4 major with 2:21 in riding time. . Sophomore Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 3 at 197, then clinched the dual meet win with a dominating 16-4 major over Hawkeye Sam Brooks, putting Penn State up 20-9. Junior Jimmy Lawson (Tom’s River, N.J.), ranked No. 12 at 285, nearly pulled off the upset of the night with a third period reversal of No. 3 Bobby Telford. But the Hawkeye was able to reverse Lawson as the final seconds wound down and escaped with a 3-2 win, dealing Lawson his first loss of the season, making the dual final at 24-12 Penn State.

Penn State improves to 7-0, 1-0 in the Big Ten (the dual was a non-conference match-up). Iowa falls to 6-1, 0-0 Big Ten. Taylor and Ruth continue to climb the Penn State career charts. Taylor is now 112-3, tied for 15th all-time at Penn State. 105 of his 112 wins are for bonus points as well. He now has 54 dual meet wins, tied for 9th all-time. Ruth moves to 114-2 overall, tied for 13th all-time at Penn State. The dual win marks Penn State’s first victory in Carver-Hawkeye Arena since a 21-12 win on Feb. 3, 2006. The Lions won the takedown battle 18-10 and notched three majors on their way to victory.

Penn State was without the services of No. 7 Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) at 149 and No. 5 Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) at 157. The twins are slated for a late December return after off-season surgeries.

The Lions will head to Chattanooga, Tenn., for New Year’s Day once again as Sanderson’s crew will look for its fourth straight Southern Scuffle crown. The 2014 Southern Scuffle, hosted by UT-Chattanooga, takes place on Jan. 1-2, 2014. Penn State’s next home dual is set for Sunday, Jan. 12, when the Lions welcome Purdue to Rec Hall for a 2 p.m. showdown.

With the full season of Rec Hall duals sold out prior to the start of the campaign, a very limited number of standing room only tickets are available to a few of the remaining Rec Hall duals. People may purchase tickets by calling 1-800-NITTANY or by visiting the Penn State Athletics ticket office located in the BJC. Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstateWREST and on Penn State Wrestling’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2013-14 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.

#1 Penn State 24, #3 Iowa 12
December 21, 2013 – Iowa City, Iowa

125: #3 Nico Megaludis PSU dec. Thomas Gilman IOWA, 4-1 / 3-0
133: #3 Tony Ramos IOWA pinned #15 Jimmy Gulibon PSU, WBF (5:22) / 3-6
141: #8 Zain Retherford PSU dec. #9 Josh Dziewa IOWA, 4-2 / 6-6
149: Zack Beitz PSU dec. Michael Kelly IOWA, 6-1 / 9-6
157: #1 Derek St. John IOWA dec. James Vollrath PSU , 10-4 / 9-9
165: #1 David Taylor PSU maj. dec. #4 Nick Moore, 12-3 / 13-9
174: #3 Matt Brown PSU dec. #6 Mike Evans IOWA, 4-1 / 16-9
184: #1 Ed Ruth PSU maj. dec. #2 Ethan Lofthouse IOWA, 12-4 / 20-9
197: #3 Morgan McIntosh PSU maj. dec. Sam Brooks IOWA, 16-4 / 24-9
285: #3 Bobby Telford IOWA dec. #12 Jimmy Lawson PSU, 3-2 / 24-12
Attendance: 13,747
Records: Penn State 7-0, 1-0 B1G (non-conference dual); Iowa 6-1, 0-0 B1G
Up Next for Penn State: at Southern Scuffle, Chattanooga, Tenn., Jan. 1-2, 2014

BOUT-BY-BOUT:

125: Junior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 125, took on Thomas Gilman at 125. The duo battled evenly for more than half of the opening stanza. Megaludis patiently worked for an opening to score, but Gilman was able to hold off the Lion’s early offensive efforts and the match moved to the second period tied 0-0. Megaludis chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. He then turned into Gilman and began working in on his attack. Gilman got in on a single leg, forcing Megaludis to duck under and grab the Hawkeye’s ankle, causing a stalemate at the 1:00 mark. Megaludis then got in on a single right off the reset and steadily worked his way to a takedown and a 3-0 lead with :40 on the clock. The two-time All-American then put together a strong ride, forcing Gilman to the mat and maintaining control for the remainder of the period. The short ride out gave the Lion a 3-0 lead after two. Gilman chose down to start the third period and Megaludis kept control long enough to work his riding time over 1:00. Megaludis maintained control until Gilman escaped at the 1:02 mark. With a riding time point almost assured, Megaludis fought off a Gilman shot, then began working for another takedown. Gilman shot low and Megaludis forced a scramble the killed the clock. The Lion got the riding time point and grabbed the 4-1 win.

133: Red-shirt freshman Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 15 nationally, faced off against No. 3 Tony Ramos at 133. The Lion freshman battled the fifth-year season evenly until Ramos got a takedown midway through the first period to take a 2-1 lead. Gulibon escaped quickly, cutting the lead to 2-1 and action resumed in the middle of the mat. Gulibon got called for stalling and then the Hawkeye quickly notched two more takedowns to lead 6-2 with :25 on the clock. A short ride out gave Ramos a 6-2 lead with nearly 1:00 in time after one. Gulibon chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 6-3 deficit. Ramos picked up another takedown at the :45 mark, got another point on a stall and then led 8-4 after Gulibon escaped. Ramos chose neutral to start the third period, picked up another point on a stall and then caught Gulibon’s shoulders. The Hawkeye got the fall at the 5:22 mark and put Iowa up 6-3.

141: True freshman Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 141, met Iowa junior Josh Dziewa, ranked No. 9. Dziewa came out hot, got behind Retherford and took an early 2-0 lead with a takedown. The Lion freshman steadily worked his way to an escaped and 2-1 deficit at the 1:33 mark, with Dziewa having :43 in riding time. Retherford worked in on a single leg but Dziewa was able to fight off the move with :20 left and carry the 2-1 lead into the second period. Retherford chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie with Retherford having :50 in time. After a stalemate at the 1:31 mark, the Lion true freshman continued to shoot at Dziewa’s left leg, forcing the Hawkeye into defense for the next minute. Retherford could not break through Dziewa’s defense and the bout moved to the third period tied 2-2. Dziewa chose neutral to start the third period, avoiding Retherford’s ride. Retherford got in on Dziewa’s right leg off the whistle and steadily worked his way to a takedown and a 4-2 lead with 1:30 on the clock. The Lion freshman then began working strong in the top position. The Lion forced Dziewa to his stomach and continued to dominate the action on top. With less than :30 left on the clock, Retherford worked himself into a position to maintain control for the rest of the bout and walked away with a 4-2 win.

149: Red-shirt freshman Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.) took on Hawkeye junior Michael Kelly at 149. Beitz quickly got in on Kelly’s right ankle but the Hawkeye was able to force a stalemate and action resumed in the center circle with 2:25 on the clock. The duo then battled evenly, with each wrestler taking quick shots. Neither man could finish off a move, however and the clock wound down below :30. Kelly stepped away from one final Beitz shot and the bout moved to the second tied 0-0. Kelly chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way to an escaped and a 1-0 lead. Beitz fought off a solid high shot by Kelly as the Hawkeye looked to control his shoulders. Action moved out of bounds and reset was called at the :58 mark. Beitz continued to shoot low on Kelly, nearly catching his left ankle twice. But Kelly was able to fight off the moves and Beitz trailed 1-0 after two. Beitz chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped. He then gained control of Kelly’s left ankle but Kelly was able to force the action out of bounds and the bout resumed in the center circle tied 1-1 at the 1:13 mark. Beitz continued to shoot and Kelly continued to counter as the clock hit :30. Beitz then hit Kelly with a five point throw, forcing Kelly to the mat, getting the takedown and three near fall points as the bout ended. The swift and stunning move gave the Lion freshman a 6-1 win and put Penn State up 9-6.

157: Nittany Lion senior James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) took on top-ranked Derek St. John at 157. Vollrath and the returning national champion battled evenly for more than half the opening period with neither wrestler finding an opening to score. Vollrath gained control of St. John’s left thigh at the 1:00 mark but St. John countered, forcing a stalemate with :47 on the clock and the bout still tied 0-0. The bout moved into the second period scoreless and St. John chose down to start the middle stanza. He quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead and then worked a quick shot into the bout’s first takedown to lead 3-0 with just over 1:00 on the clock. Vollrath escaped to a 3-1 deficit and action resumed in the center circle. With :20 on the clock, St. John worked his way behind Vollrath and after a short scramble, got another takedown to lead 5-1 after two periods. Vollrath chose down to start the final period but could not break free of St. John’s ride until the Hawkeye had over 1:00 in riding time. Trailing 5-2, Vollrath got hit for stalling at the :45 mark then got taken down quickly to trail 7-3 at the :30 mark. St. John added one more takedown and, with 1:24 in riding time, posted the 10-4 win after a late Vollrath escape. The decision sent the bout into intermission tied 9-9.

165: Lion senior David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 1 at 165, faced off with No. 4 Nick Moore. Taylor came out of the gates hot, quickly catching Moore’s right ankle and notching a takedown less than :20 into the bout. Moore escaped, only to get taken down just seconds later, giving Taylor a 4-1 lead at the 2:15 mark. Taylor began working Moore for a chance to turn him, but the Hawkeye was able to keep from being turned and a stalemate was called with 1:21 on the clock with Taylor still in control Taylor cut Moore loose off the reset and then bulled through a Moore shot, countering for his own takedown and a 6-2 lead with :50 left in the opening period. Taylor rode Moore out and entered the third period with a 6-2 lead and 2:34 in time. Moore chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 6-3 Taylor lead. After a minute in the middle of the mat, Taylor worked Moore to the side, stepped behind him and added another takedown to lead 8-3 after a ride out. With the riding time secured and up 8-3, Taylor chose down to start the third period. A quick escape gave the Lion an 9-3 lead. A quick takedown gave the Lion senior an 11-3 lead at the 1:15 mark. Taylor forced Moore into a stall warning at the :55 mark as he began working for a turning combination. Moore was able to stay parallel and keep from being turned. Taylor’s dominating 12-3 major with 4:21 in time put Penn State up 13-9.

174: Penn State junior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 3, met No. 6 Mike Evans in a key battle at 174. Brown wasted no time taking control of the bout, blowing through a high double to take an early 2-1 lead with 2:31 on the clock. The duo then battled evenly after the early flourish, with the score holding steady at 2-1 as the clock worked itself to under a minute. Brown continued to try and set up his offense while Evans was able to defend the Lion’s shots. Brown nearly added a second takedown but Evans was able to fight it off and Brown led 2-1 after one period. Brown chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way to a 3-1 lead with 1:22 on the clock. Brown shot off a reset and Evans was able to block off the effort. The Hawkeye then shot with Brown fighting off the move and the score remained 3-1 in Brown’s favor with :45 left in the second. Brown forced Evans into a first stall warning and kept up the pressure for the rest of the period. Trailing 3-1, Evans took down to start the third. Brown made him pay for the decision, putting together a very strong ride as he maintained control for well over a minute and built up a minute-plus in riding time. With :30 on the clock, Brown continued to hold the Hawkeye down. Brown was able to hang on to Evans as the clock hit zeroes and post the 4-1 win with 1:40 in riding time. The victory put Penn State up 16-9.

184: Senior Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 184, met No. 2 Ethan Lofthouse in a highly anticipated match-up. Ruth came out quickly, shooting in and gaining control of Lofthouse’s leg. But the Hawkeye was able to counter, nearly turning the Lion to his back in a mad scramble in the middle of the mat. Ruth worked his way out of trouble and a stalemate was called with 1:48 on the clock. Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson then called for a review of an early Ruth takedown and won the appeal. The call gave Ruth a 2-1 lead and the bout was reset at the 2:45 mark. After Lofthouse escaped, Ruth quickly picked up a second takedown and led 4-2 with 1:36 left in a long opening period. Lofthouse fought off another quick Ruth shot but the Lion was relentless, using another high single to take a 6-3 lead with :40 on the clock. Ruth chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-3 lead. Ruth forced Lofthouse into a stall warning and then blew through a quick high double to take a 9-3 lead. Ruth then rode Lofthouse out to lead 9-3 after two with over 1:00 in time. Lofthouse chose down to start the third period and worked his way to an escape and a 9-4 lead. Lofthouse shot low but Ruth countered and worked his way out of trouble with 1:15 on the clock. The Lion All-American then used a solid low double to take an 11-4 lead with :50 left to wrestle, clinching the riding time point in the process. Ruth then broke Lofthouse down after a reset and then rode the Hawkeye out to secure the major decision with 2:21 in riding time. The 12-4 major put Penn State up 20-9.

197: Nittany Lion sophomore Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 3 at 197, met Iowa’s Sam Brooks. McIntosh exploded off the whistle, gaining control of Brooks’ arm, rolling him over his shoulder and nearly picking up the early pin. Brooks was able to fight off the pin but the five point move gave McIntosh the early 5-1 lead after Brooks escaped. McIntosh worked his way in on a nice low single, getting the takedown to lead 7-1 at the :50 mark. McIntosh picked up three more near fall points after locking up a cradle late in the period and led 10-1 after one. Brooks chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 10-2 score. McIntosh was relentless, however, blowing through a double leg to lead 12-3 after cutting Brooks loose. The Lion sophomore added one more takedown to lead 14-4 after two periods. McIntosh chose down to start the third period and steadily worked his way to an escaped and a 15-4 lead. McIntosh worked his way into control of Brook’s right leg but the Hawkeye was able to counter the shot and force a stalemate at the :20 mark.

285: Junior Jimmy Lawson (Tom’s River, N.J.), ranked No. 12 at heavyweight, met Hawkeye Bobby Telford, who was ranked No. 3. The duo battled evenly for the entire first period, with neither man finding an opening as offense was hard to come by in the early going. Telford chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Like the first period, neither wrestler could find any offense and the bout moved to the third period with Lawson down by one. Lawson chose down to start the third period and, after a bit of work, moved behind Telford for a reversal and a 2-1 lead with :40 left. Lawson worked to keep control of the Telford but the Hawkeye was able to return the favor, working his way to a reversal of his own. Lawson worked the final seconds for a tying escape but Telford was able to keep control long enough the buzzer to sound, allowing the third-ranked Hawkeye to escape with a hard fought 3-2 win.