Penn State Crowns Two Champs, Fifth Team Title
NEW YORK – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team entered the final session of the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships in New York’s Madison Square Garden with the team title already clinched. Head Coach Cael Sanderson’s squad shifted focus to individual glory and came away with two individual champions and ran away with the team tile by over 20 points.
Penn State crowned two NCAA Champions, starting at 125 where senior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) downed Iowa’s Thomas Gilman 6-3. Sophomore Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.) followed that up with a 10-1 major decision over Iowa’s Brandon Sorensen. Penn State won the team title with 123.0 points, far out-distancing second place Oklahoma State’s 97.5.
Megaludis, the No. 3 seed at 125, took on Gilman in the first of Penn State’s five NCAA title bouts. Already Penn State’s ninth four-time All-American, Megaludis was not to be denied in his third trip to the NCAA finals. Megaludis took Gilman down late in the first period and rode the Hawkeye out to lead 2-0 after the opening stanza. Gilman chose down to start the second period and escaped after a short Megaludis ride to cut the lead to 2-1. The Lion notched his second takedown midway through the period to up his lead to 4-1. Megaludis then controlled Gilman long enough to build up a riding time edge before the Hawkeye escaped to a 4-2 deficit. Megaludis chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead. He gave up a point on stalling but picked up another at the bout’s end on 1:29 riding time to post the 6-3 win and claim his first NCAA title in his final bout as a Nittany Lion.
Megaludis’ 5-0 run through the tournament gives him final record of 32-3 this year. He closes out his Penn State career 11th on Penn State’s all-time wins list with a 119-19 career record. A four-time All-American, Megaludis placed second, second, third and first as a Nittany Lion. Megaludis becomes Penn State’s 31st NCAA Champion (becoming the 24th individual to do so), and Sanderson’s ninth NCAA champion at Penn State. Megaludis is now tied for second on Penn State’s all-time NCAA tournament wins list with 18.
Retherford, the No. 1 seed at 149, took on Sorensen, the No. 2 seed, in Penn State’s second finals bout. Leaving no doubt as to a season of total dominance, Retherford dominated the Hawkeye, rolling to a 10-1 major decision with over 3:00 in riding time. Retherford notched two first period takedowns to lead 4-1 after one period and continued that dominance throughout the bout. He led 7-1 after two and then, with less than :20 left, continued Penn State’s bonus point parade with a takedown to secure the 10-1 major decision and win his first NCAA title.
Retherford ends a perfect season with a 5-0 run through NCAAs, including a major, a technical fall and three pins. He ends his sophomore year, a two-time All-American and new NCAA Champion, with a 33-0 overall record, 67-3 for his career. He had 15 pins this season alone, tied for seventh on Penn State’s all-time single season falls list. Retherford was the 2016 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and was named the 2016 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler of the Year.
Red-shirt freshman Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), the No. 3 seed at 157, met No. 1 Isaiah Martinez of Illinois in the finals, a tie-breaker match-up with Nolf pinning Martinez in the regular season and the Illini wining on criteria in the Big Ten finals. Martinez notched a late takedown to take a 6-5 win. Nolf battled Martinez to a 3-3 tie after the first period, tied the bout at 4-4 with a quick escape to start the third and pressed the action from start to finish. With Martinez already having been called for stalling once, Nolf was forcing Martinez backwards once again when the Illini slipped behind him for a takedown with under :20 left. Nolf escaped quickly but it was too late as the clock hit zeroes and Martinez on top 6-5.
Nolf ends his freshman season with a 33-2 overall record, a freshman All-American and an NCAA Finalist. He had 15 pins, 11 tech falls and five majors and was the 2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Red-shirt freshman Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), the No. 1 seed at 174, took on Ohio State’s Myles Martin in the finals. As happened in Nickal’s only other loss of the season, a shoulder throw attempt by Nickal ended with his opponent slipping around and countering Nickal’s move. Martin slipped through Nickal’s attempt for a takedown and four near fall points of his own to take an early 6-0 lead. Nickal spent the rest of the bout dominating the action, taking Martin down twice and forcing him into three stall warnings. But it was not enough as the Buckeye was able to keep his distance for an 11-9 win.
Nickal ends his freshman season with a 33-2 overall record, a freshman All-American and an NCAA Finalist. He had eight pins, seven tech falls and six majors.
Senior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), the No. 1 seed at 197, met No. 2 J’Den Cox of Missouri in Penn State’s final title bout of the night. The Nittany Lion senior, already a three-time All-American, was looking to cap off a stellar career with an NCAA title but a last second takedown by Cox gave the Tiger the 4-2 win instead. McIntosh and Cox battled through a scoreless first period with McIntosh scrambling away from a near takedown by Cox. Cox chose down to start the second and escaped to a 1-0 lead. McIntosh matched the escape to tie the bout in the third but not before Cox had over 1:00 in riding time. With the score tied 1-1, Cox slipped down on a shot near the edge of the mat and took McIntosh down with :10 left on the clock. McIntosh escaped, Cox got the riding time point, and the Lion senior dropped a hard-fought 4-2 decision.
McIntosh ends his season with a 32-1 record and leaves Penn State with a 114-19 career record. McIntosh is a three-time All-American, NCAA Finalist and sits in 17th place on Penn State’s all-time wins list. His 24 career pins is also tied for 18th on Penn State’s all-time list as well.
The Nittany Lions close out their NCAA title clinching tournament with a 30-12 overall record. Penn State picked up 23.0 bonus points off five pins, four tech falls and seven majors. The Nittany Lions head back to State College with six All-Americans, two individual NCAA Champions and yet another team crown.
This year’s team title is the school’s sixth overall. Penn State has won in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and now 2016 under Sanderson. The only other title in school history was in 1953. Sanderson ties Iowa State’s Harold Nichols and Oklahoma State’s John Smith with five NCAA team titles as a head coach, fifth all-time in NCAA history.
Earlier in the day, senior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.) placed sixth at 133, ending his Penn State career as a two-time All-American. Conaway, Penn State’s sixth All-American in the tournament, went 30-7 overall and ended his Nittany Lion career with a 91-32 mark. Junior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.) went 2-2 at 141, junior Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.) went 2-2 at 165 and sophomore Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.) went 0-2 at 184 to round out Penn State’s nine-man contingent.
The event, held in MSG for the first time, was a rousing success. Saturday’s final two sessions are second and third all-time for a session behind St. Louis Session 6 in 2015 (19,715) and total attendance is behind St. Louis in 2015 (113,013) and St. Louis in 2012 (112,393). The NCAA Championship returns to St. Louis next year.
2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships – FINAL Team Standings ( Top Five — Session 5):
March 19, 2016 – Madison Square Garden – New York, N.Y.
1: PENN STATE – 123.0
2: Oklahoma State – 97.5
3: Virginia Tech – 82.0
3: Ohio State – 86.0
5: Iowa – 81.0
Attendance: 110,194 (all session)
