Nittany Lions Down Michigan 19-15
ANN ARBOR – The Penn State wrestling team won four of the first five bouts and six of ten to down No. 15 Michigan for a Big Ten dual meet win. The Nittany Lions got big wins in the lower weights to post a 19-15 win in front of a sold out Cliff Keen Arena crowd in Ann Arbor.
The dual meet began at 125 where Lion junior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 8, put Penn State up early with a 3-2 decision over Michigan’s Conor Youtsey. Penn State junior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 133, was dominant in a 9-3 win over No. 8 Rossi Bruno to give Penn State a 6-0 lead. Gulibon posted three takedowns in the bout. At 141, red-shirt freshman Kade Moss (South Jordan, Utah) notched his biggest win of the season, using a reversal and two different two-point near falls to roll to a 6-3 victory over No. 17 George Fisher.
Sophomore Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.), ranked No. 18 at 149, kept Penn State rolling with a 6-4 win over No. 9 Alex Pantaleo. Beitz used a last second takedown to post the win and put the Nittany Lions up 12-0. Penn State junior Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.) made his Nittany Lion dual meet debut at 157, taking on No. 13 Brian Murphy of Michigan. Frey battled Murphy through seven minutes before dropping a 3-1 decision. With four wins in the opening five bouts, Penn State led 12-3 at intermission.
Michigan’s Taylor Massa cut Penn State’s lead to 12-6 with a 6-3 win over red-shirt freshman Garett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.) at 165. Lion senior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 3 at 174, halted Michigan’s brief momentum with a 12-2 major over Wolverine senior Jake Salazar. The win put Penn State up 16-6 and marked the dual’s first bonus point. Michigan got right back into the dual, however, with a pin at 184. No. 10 Domenic Abounader got a second period fall over red-shirt freshman Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 17. The pin came at the 3:52 mark and cut Penn State’s lead to 16-12.
Junior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 5 at 197, clinched the dual meet in the next match. The Lion used a third period takedown to post a 3-2 decision over No. 8 Max Huntley to put Penn State up 19-12 and secure the Big Ten dual meet road victory. Michigan closed out the dual with a win at 285 as No. 7 Adam Coon downed Penn State senior Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.) 5-2.
Penn State owned a slim 11-8 edge in takedowns in the closely contested dual and picked up its lone bonus point with Brown’s major at 174. Penn State is now 9-2, 5-2 in the Big Ten. Michigan stands at 5-4, 3-3 in the Big Ten.
The Nittany Lions will trek to East Lansing to face the Michigan State Spartans on Super Bowl Sunday. The dual begins at MSU at 2 p.m. Penn State will next return to Happy Valley for the 2015 version of the BJC Dual. The Nittany Lions will host Iowa in a Big Ten battle in the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m.
(7) Penn State 19, (15) Michigan 15
January 30, 2015 – Cliff Keen Arena – Ann Arbor, Mich.
125: #8 Jordan Conaway PSU dec. Conor Youtsey MICH, 3-2 3-0
133: #9 Jimmy Gulibon PSU dec. #8 Rossi Bruno MICH, 9-3 6-0
141: Kade Moss PSU dec. #17 George Fisher MICH, 6-3 9-0
149: #18 Zack Beitz PSU dec. #9 Alex Pantaleo MICH, 6-4 12-0
157: #13 Brian Murphy MICH dec. Luke Frey PSU, 3-1 12-3
165: Taylor Massa MICH dec. Garett Hammond PSU, 6-3 12-6
174: #3 Matt Brown PSU maj. dec. Jake Salazar MICH, 12-2 16-6
184: #10 Domenic Abounader pinned #17 Matt McCutcheon PSU, WBF (3:52) 16-12
197: #5 Morgan McIntosh PSU dec. #8 Max Huntley MICH, 3-2 19-12
285: #7 Adam Coon MICH dec. Jon Gingrich PSU, 5-2 19-15
Attendance: 1,830 (sell out)
Records: Penn State 9-2, 5-2 B10; Michigan 5-4, 3-3 B10
Up Next for Penn State: at Michigan State, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
