Nittany Lions Prep for Cowboys

AdminFebruary 18, 2016Last Updated: February 18, 2016

4 minutes read

UNIVERSITY PARK – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (15-0, 9-0 B1G) has been selected as the host site for the 2016 NWCA Dual Meet Championship Series title event. No. 1 Penn State will host No. 2 Oklahoma State (*12-2) on Sunday, February 21; at 5 p.m. in Rec Hall (rankings listed are InterMat TPI as of 2/16/16). The event, which is already sold out, will air live on the Big Ten Network. *Oklahoma State hosts North Carolina on Friday, 2/19, post-press.

The Penn State/Oklahoma State match-up pits the nation’s top-ranked Big Ten team against the nation’s top-ranked non-Big Ten squad (based on NWCA Coaches Poll, released 2/15), and the winner of the dual meet will be declared the 2016 NWCA Dual Meet Champion. The Series, in its first season in this new iteration, features eight dual meets across the country. The full 2016 NWCA National Duals Championship Series is as follows: Oklahoma State at Penn State (for the 2016 NWCA National Dual Championship), Iowa State at Minnesota, Lehigh at Rutgers, Appalachian State at Indiana, Missouri at Nebraska, Virginia Tech at Michigan, Edinboro at Ohio State and North Carolina State at Iowa.

“We are excited to be a part of the first NWCA National Dual Championship series,” said Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson. “It is an honor and a great opportunity for us. We are looking forward to Sunday’s dual.”

The Nittany Lions are coming off a 2-0 weekend that saw them win at No. 14 Lehigh (28-9) on Friday night and turn around and win a home dual over Michigan State (41-3) on Saturday night. The MSU victory gave Penn State a perfect 9-0 mark in Big Ten dual meets and earned it a share of the 2016 Big Ten Regular Season title (with Iowa, also 9-0). The Nittany Lions are 15-0 overall.

Penn State features a young and balanced line-up that features five returning All-Americans and nine ranked individuals. Senior All-American Nico Megaludis is 23-2 and No. 4 at 125, senior All-American Jordan Conaway is 21-3 and No. 5 at 133, junior All-American Jimmy Gulibon is 10-7 at 141, sophomore All-American Zain Retherford is 24-0 and No. 1 at 149 and senior All-American Morgan McIntosh is 23-0 and No. 1 at 197. Joining Retherford and McIntosh with No. 1 rankings are red-shirt freshmen Jason Nolf (25-0 and No. 1 at 157) and Bo Nickal (25-1 and No. 1 at 174). Sophomore Matt McCutcheon is 14-3 and No. 6 at 184, red-shirt freshman Nick Nevills is 1-1 and No. 16 at 285 and red-shirt freshman Shakur Rasheed is 15-6 and No. 17 at 174. Penn State has a potential starting line-up featuring six underclassmen (four red-shirt freshmen and two sophomores).

Oklahoma State will bring a 12-2 record into the event. The Cowboys feature a talented line-up as well. Senior Eddie Klimara is 24-3 and No. 6 at 125, sophomore Dean Heil is 23-0 and No. 1 at 141, junior Anthony Collica is 24-6 and No. 12 at 149, true freshman Joe Smith is 27-3 and No. 8 at 157, senior Alex Dieringer is 23-0 and No. 1 at 165, junior Nolan Boyd is 23-6 and No. 13 at 184 and senior Austin Marsden is 22-1 and No. 5 at 285. Junior Kyle Crutchmer is ranked No. 8 at 174 but has been out of the Cowboy line-up.

Sunday’s title tilt will be the 21st meeting between the two national powers. The Cowboys own a 13-6-1 lead in the all-time series, including a close 21-18 win in Stillwater last February (2/15/15). Penn State won the last meeting in Rec Hall, a 23-12 win on 2/16/14. The Nittany Lions and Cowboys both competed in this year’s Southern Scuffle, with Penn State winning its sixth straight Scuffle crown with 183.0 points and OSU second with 158.0

The Nittany Lions will take part in the 2016 Big Ten Wrestling Championships on March 5-6 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Action on Saturday, March 5, begins with at 11 a.m. Eastern, with a 7 p.m. Eastern session to follow. Sunday, March 6th’s session begins at 1 p.m. Eastern.

The NWCA Dual Meet Championship Series match-up is sold out.