Penn State Rolls Over Rider 38-4

AdminDecember 19, 2015

2 minutes read

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – No. 1 Penn State (6-0) dominated home-standing Rider (3-4) in the team’s final dual meet of the first semester. The Nittany Lions won nine of ten bouts and rode a flurry of second half pins to the lop-sided 38-4 victory.

The dual began at 125 where senior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 4 at 125, dominated Brenden Calas in a 20-5 technical fall at the 7:00 mark (with 3:47 in riding time). Senior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 6 at 133, was equally dominant at 133, posting an 18-4 major decision with 2:36 riding time, putting Penn State up 9-0. Sophomore Kade Moss (South Jordan, Utah) took to the mat again at 141 and posted a 13-6 win over Paul Kirchner.

Sophomore Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, fought off a valiant effort from No. 14 B.J. Clagon to post a 2-1 win using 1:52 in riding time. Red-shirt freshman Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 157, closed out the first half an 18-7 major over No. 20 Chad Walsh. That victory gave the Nittany Lions a 19-0 lead at intermission.

Red-shirt freshman Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) then struck like lighting, pinning No. 15 Conor Brennan late in the second period. Rasheed turned a double leg into a headlock and throw for the fall at the 4:28 mark to put Penn State up 25-0. Red-shirt freshman Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 5 at 174, was equally quick, turning a reversal to start the second period into a pin of Wayne Stinson. Nickal chose down to start the second, reversed and pinned the Bronc in just eight seconds, getting the fall at the 3:08 mark. The pin was Nickal’s fifth of the year.

Sophomore Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 184, posted a 3-0 win over Mike Fagg-Daves at 184 and senior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 1 at 197, majored Ryan Wolfe 10-1 to put Penn State up 38-0. At 285, junior Caleb Livingston (Drexel Hill, Pa.) stepped up to heavyweight in his Penn State dual meet debut but dropped a 17-6 major decision.

Penn State is now 6-0 overall, 1-0 in the Big Ten while Rider falls to 3-4, 0-1 in the EWL. Penn State posted a lop-sided 30-8 edge in takedowns and picked up 11 bonus points off two pins, a tech fall and three majors. A capacity crowd of 1,800 standing room only fans filled Rider’s Alumni Gymnasium.

The Nittany Lions’ next action will be on Jan. 1-2, 2016, when the team heads to Chattanooga looking for its sixth straight Southern Scuffle title. Penn State’s next home dual is on Friday, Jan. 15, when it hosts Nebraska at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall.

#1 Penn State 38, Rider 4

December 19, 2015 – Lawrenceville, N.J.

125: #4 Nico Megaludis PSU tech fall Brenden Calas RID, 20-5 (TF; 7:00) 5-0

133: #6 Jordan Conaway PSU maj. dec. Zach Valcarce RID, 18-4 9-0

141: Kade Moss PSU dec. Paul Kirchner RID, 13-6 12-0

149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU dec. #14 B.J. Clagon RID, 2-1 15-0

157: #3 Jason Nolf PSU maj. dec. #20 Chad Walsh RID, 18-7 19-0

165: Shakur Rasheed PSU pinned #15 Conor Brennan RID, WBF (4:28) 25-0

174: #5 Bo Nickal PSU pinned Wayne Stinson RID, WBF (3:08) 31-0

184: #13 Matt McCutcheon PSU dec. Mike Fagg-Daves RID, 3-0 34-0

197: #1 Morgan McIntosh PSU maj. dec. Ryan Wolfe RID, 10-1 38-0

285: Mauro Correnti RID maj. dec. Caleb Livingston PSU, 17-6 38-4