Ruth and Taylor PSU over Clarion on Senior Day

UNIVERSITY PARK – The No. 1-ranked Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team saw a Rec Hall era come to a close on Sunday during its convincing win over visiting Clarion.  Nearly 6,500 fans watched Penn State roll to a 43-3 win in the final home dual meet for a special senior class.

A duo of national champions, Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) and David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), as well as senior James English (York, Pa.) wrestled in the final home dual meets of their careers.  All three came away victorious with Taylor and Ruth thrilling the capacity crowd with first period falls.

The dual began at 125, where junior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 2 nationally, posted a 21-6 technical fall over Clarion’s Hunter Jones, getting the tech at the 5:00 mark.  Red-shirt freshman Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 15 at 133, matched Megaludis with a technical fall of his own, rolling to a 16-0 first period win (3:00) over Clarion’s Victor Lepari.

True freshman Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 2 nationally at 141, posted a 8-4 win over Clarion senior Tyler Bedelyon to put the Lions up 13-0.  Senior James English (York, Pa.) made his Rec Hall farewell in fine fashion, posting a 7-2 decision over Clarion freshman Justin Arthur.  At 157, junior Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 6 in the nation, closed out a perfect Penn State opening half with a 12-6 win over Austin Mathews. The victory gave Penn State a 19-0 lead heading into intermission.

After the break, the sold out crowd rose to its feet as Taylor took center stage in Rec Hall for the final time.  Taylor, ranked No. 1 at 165, gave the fans exactly what they wanted, posting the second fastest pin in Penn State history. Taylor caught Clarion’s Michael Pavasko in just seconds, took him to the mat and flattened his shoulders for a pin in 0:11.  Junior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 4 at 174, was equally impressive, notching a first period pin of his own, getting the fall over Clarion’s Ryan Darch at the 2:50 mark.

Following Brown’s pin at 174, it was time for Ruth to receive a standing ovation as he hit the mat in Rec Hall for the last time.  Ruth, ranked No. 2 at 184, also went out in a blaze of glory with a first period pin.  The Lion senior used his textbook cradle to lock up Clarion’s Dustin Conti, adjust once and then flatten the Eagle for the fall at the 1:05 mark.

Sophomore Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 3 at 197, made it four straight pins for Penn State, notching a second period pin at the 3:11 mark to put Penn State up 43-0.  Clarion avoided the shut-out at 285, however. Junior Jimmy Lawson (Tom’s River, N.J.), ranked No. 12 at 285, got the nod at heavyweight for the first time since an injury sidelined the Lion on Jan. 19.  Lawson mounted a late comeback but riding time would be the difference as Evan Daley posted the 7-6 upset victory with 1:57 in time, making the final 43-3 in Penn State’s favor.

Taylor moves to 26-0 on the year with 12 pins, seven tech falls and six majors.  His 49 career pins is second all-time at Penn State, four shy of the all-time record of 63.  The 0:11 fall was the second fastest in Penn State history (Dylan Alton had an 0:08 pin last year).  Taylor is 126-3, sixth in wins at Penn State, with 49 pins, 41 techs and 28 majors.  He ends his career with 63 dual meet victories, a perfect 63-0 record, third all-time at Penn State win dual wins.

Ruth is now 25-1 with ten pins, eight tech falls and six majors.  His 45 career pins is third all-time at Penn State.  Ruth is now 127-3 all-time, fifth on Penn State’s all-time wins list.  He has 45 pins, 24 tech falls and 29 majors during his Lion career.  He leaves Penn State with a perfect 55-0 dual meet record, eighth all-time in school history.

Megaludis improves to 23-2 with a pin, five techs and nine majors; Retherford is still perfect on the year with a 26-0 mark, including four pins, two techs and seven majors; Alton is 16-2 with three pins and a major; Brown is 24-3 with seven pins, four techs and eight majors; and McIntosh is 25-2 with five pins and 11 majors.

Penn State won the takedown battle by a 24-3 margin.  This was the second time this year Penn State had four pins in a dual (Michigan State).  Sanderson’s Lions close out the dual meet season with a 15-1 overall record and won their second Big Ten dual meet title (co-) with a 7-1 conference ledger.  Clarion is now 9-15 overall.

The Nittany Lions will now prep for the 2014 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, hosted by the University of Wisconsin on March 8-9. Penn State will be aiming for its fourth-straight Big Ten crown at the Kohl Center, with action beginning on Saturday, March 8, at 11 a.m.

Penn State 43, Clarion 3

February 23, 2014 – Rec Hall – University Park, Pa.

125: #2 Nico Megaludis PSU tech fall Hunter Jones CUP, 21-5 (TF; 5:00)              5-0

133: #15 Jimmy Gulibon PSU tech fall Victor Lepari CUP, 16-0 (TF; 3:00)            10-0

141: #2 Zain Retherford PSU dec. Tyler Bedelyon CUP, 8-4                                   13-0

149: James English PSU dec. Justin Arthur CUP, 7-2                                               16-0

157: #6 Dylan Alton PSU dec. Austin Matthews CUP, 12-6                                    19-0

165: #1 David Taylor PSU pinned Michael Pavasko CUP, WBF (0:11)                   25-0

174: #4 Matt Brown PSU pinned Ryan Darch CUP, WBF (2:50)                            31-0

184: #2 Ed Ruth PSU pinned Dustin Conti CUP, WBF (1:05)                                 37-0

197: #3 Morgan McIntosh PSU pinned Danny Sutherland CUP, WBF (3:11)         43-0

285: Evan Daley CUP dec. #12 Jimmy Lawson PSU, 7-6                                         43-3

Attendance: 6,483 (19th straight home sell out)

Records: Penn State 15-1, 7-1 B10; Clarion 9-15

Up Next for Penn State: 2014 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Madison, Wis., Saturday and Sunday, March 8-9, the Kohl Center.