Penn State Dominates Wisconsin, 33-11

MADISON – No. 1 Penn State (9-0, 5-0 B1G) dominated No. 13 Wisconsin (3-4, 1-4 B1G) on the Badgers’ own mat Friday night, the Nittany Lions’ fourth Big Ten road dual of the month.  Head Coach Cael Sanderson’s squad won seven of ten bouts and controlled the dual from start to finish in a 33-11 road victory.

The Nittany Lions increased their dual match win streak to 26 straight dating back to the end of the 2014-15 season.  Penn State sent seven underclassmen into the bout against the Badgers and posted a gaudy 25-2 takedown advantage.

The dual began at 157 where Nittany Lion sophomore Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, bolted out to a 12-3 lead before pinning Jared Scharenbrock at the 3:48 mark in the second period to put Penn State up 6-0 early. The pin was Nolf’s eighth of the year.  Penn State red-shirt freshman Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 4 at 165, met No. 3 Isaac Jordan in one of the dual’s most anticipated match-ups.  Joseph used a late takedown to take a 4-2 lead but with just :03 left, Jordan reversed the Lion to tie the match at 4-4.  The Badger senior countered a Joseph shot early in extra time to post a thrilling 6-4 (sv) win.

True freshman Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 7 at 174, picked up his first Penn State dual meet win in dominating fashion, rolling up six takedowns and 2:20 in riding time in a 17-4 major decision over UW’s Ryan Christensen. Sophomore Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 2 at 184, continued his torrid pin parade, locking up a cradle late in the first period and pinning Hunter Ritter at the 2:35 mark.  The fall was the 11^th in 13 wins for unbeaten Nickal.  Junior Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 10 at 197, then downed No. 12 Ricky Robertson, using a second period escape and a third period ride-out to post a 2-0 decision with 1:50 in riding time. McCutcheon’s victory put Penn State up 19-3 at intermission.

The second half began with another of the dual’s most anticipated match-ups as sophomore Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) ranked No. 4 at 285, took on senior Connor Medbery, ranked No. 2.  Nevills led 3-2 late in the bout when Medbery notched a last second takedown to post a hard-fought 4-3 win.  The loss to the second-ranked Badger was the first of the year for the Lion sophomore.  True freshman Nick Suriano (Paramus, N.J.), ranked No. 3 at 125, put Penn State up 23-6 with a 15-4 win over Jens Lantz at 125.

Red-shirt freshman Triston Law (Windber, Pa.) made his season and Penn State dual debut at 133 and dropped a 17-2 tech fall to Wisconsin’s Eli Stickley. Senior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 12 at 141, continued Penn State’s dominance with a 15-3 major over  No. 15 Cole Martin. Gulibon rolled off five takedowns in the win. Junior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, closed out the dual with an exclamation point, pinning Andrew Crone at the 4:30 mark.  The fall was Retherford’s 11^th in his 14 wins this year.

Retherford has now won 49 straight matches dating back to the end of the 13-14 season.  He is 14-0 with 11 pins, a tech and a major.  Nolf is 14-0 with eight pins, a major and four techs. Nickal is 13-0 with 11 pins and a major this season. The Nittany Lions are now 9-0, 5-0 in the Big Ten, and winners of 26 straight duals.  Wisconsin falls to 3-4, 1-4 B1G.

Penn State returns to Rec Hall on Sunday, Jan. 29, for a 2 p.m. dual with the Northwestern Wildcats.

#1 Penn State 33, #13 Wisconsin 11

January 27, 2017 – Madison, Wis.

 

157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU pinned Jared Scharenbrock WIS, WBF (3:48)                 6-0

165: #3 Isaac Jordan WIS dec. (SV) #4 Vincenzo Joseph PSU, 6-4 (SV)               6-3

174: #7 Mark Hall PSU maj. dec. Ryan Christensen WIS, 17-4                              10-3

184: #2 Bo Nickal PSU pinned Hunter Ritter WIS, WBF (2:35)                               16-3

197: #10 Matt McCutcheon PSU dec. #12 Ricky Robertson WIS, 2-0                    19-3

285: #2 Connor Medbery WIS dec. #4 Nick Nevills PSU, 4-3                                19-6

125: #3 Nick Suriano PSU maj. dec. Jens Lantz WIS, 15-4                                   23-6

133: Eli Stickley WIS TF Triston Law PSU, 17-2 (TF; 7:00)                                    23-11

141: #12 Jimmy Gulibon PSU maj. dec. #15 Cole Martin WIS, 15-3                       27-11

149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU pinned Andrew Crone WIS, WBF (4:30)                   33-11

Attendance: 1,873

Records: Penn State 9-0, 5-0 B1G; Wisconsin 3-4, 1-4 B1G

Up Next for Penn State: hosts Northwestern, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2 p.m. – Rec Hall