UPDATE: Unbeaten Penn State hammers No. 11 Illinois, 34-7, getting seven bonus point wins
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by Andy Elder, Special to TheMat.com
Photo of Zain Retherford of Penn State scoring a takedown courtesy of GoPSUSports.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The second-ranked Penn State wrestling team continued its march to a second consecutive undefeated regular season and a showdown with top-ranked Oklahoma State next weekend with a 34-7 thumping of No. 11 Illinois on Friday night.
A season-high sellout crowd of 6,645 Rec Hall fans witnessed the Nittany Lions run their dual meet winning streak to 29 matches overall and 17 straight in the Big Ten.
Penn State, as it has all year, prevented any drama by winning eight of 10 bouts — with a fall, two technical falls, three major decisions and two decisions — while amassing a 34-12 advantage in takedowns.
Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan expected more out of his Illini.
“It was frustrating. I think our guys took a back seat a little bit too much. I think they got caught up in the environment and some of them didn’t finish matches very well,” he said. “Overall, we need to get better; that’s what I got out of it.”
What little drama that existed came in the marquee bout of the night, at 165 pounds.
Coming out of the break, during which several dozen Penn State wrestling alumni were honored, the Nittany Lions led comfortably, 19-4, and the crowd buzzed in anticipation of a showdown between No. 1 Isaiah Martinez, the junior two-time NCAA champion, and No. 4 freshman Vincenzo Joseph.
Martinez won 5-2, but the match was closer than the final score and Joseph made him earn it.
Martinez, on the whistle, thudded Joseph’s head several times and referee Michael Chase stopped the bout to warn him about it. It was all part of Marinez’s plan.
“Absolutely! I’m here to wrestle. It’s a brawl when I wrestle. It’s going to be hard. I like to set a tone right off the whistle,” he said.
The difference came in the first period when Martinez clearly sensed Joseph with a bit too much weight forward. The Illini snapped Joseph down and spun around for a quick takedown. Joseph escaped 17 seconds later and the match went into the second with Martinez leading, 2-1.
A second-period escape from Martinez gave him a 3-1 lead heading into the third. Joseph chose bottom and escaped in eight seconds and the chase was on for a go-ahead takedown.
Always a master technician, Martinez countered every shot Joseph threw at him, including a desperation double with eight seconds left that Martinez converted into a takedown of his own for the 5-2 win.
“Well, It was a good match. You’ve got to go get that takedown, find a way to get a takedown,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. “Martinez is obviously hard to score on. He’s good at scrambling if you get to his legs. We knew that. Joseph knew that going into the match. The difference was a slide-by, it was nice, but I think Joseph comes away confident that he can win that match but you’ve got to do it.”
After having his hand raised, Martinez gestured to the crowd, seemingly encouraging the fans to yell louder.
“It really wasn’t a gesture. I’m not used to being booed by any fan base because just the way I compete. People come to appreciate it. I understand coming to a place like this, he’s a Top 5 guy and they want him to win, but I’m doing my thing. I had a good laugh about it,” he said.
Heffernan wasn’t as jovial.
“He’s getting better but he wasn’t as aggressive as I like to see him. Yeah, he gets everybody’s best shot. He knows how to win, he’s good, but he’s got a lot more in him,” he said.
Martinez tried to downplay his reaction after the match and the crowd’s response.
“I’ll try to stay positive. It is much better when you have your own crowd get excited. I think these fans are smart enough to appreciate good wrestling. I don’t think I necessarily silenced them. They appreciate a good match,” he said. “I’ll be looking to open it up next time a little more.”
As expected, the Nittany Lions won four of the first five bouts and took a 19-4 lead at intermission.
Nick Suriano staked Penn State to a 4-0 lead, using seven takedowns in a 17-6 major decision.
“I’m thinking about scoring points and putting pressure on guys. I’m feeling my offense and my confidence improve every match and I’m feeling really good,” Suriano said.
“I’m training to win gold in March and I have the best coaches and partners and I’m wrestling the best guys in the room every week and I’m getting better. I’m trying to beat these 125-pounders and if I wrestle my way I can beat all of them.”
After Illinois tied the bout at 4-4 with a major decision by Zane Richards at 133, the Nittany Lions swept the next three.
Jimmy Gulibon notched a 10-2 major decision at 141. Zain Retherford and Jason Nolf followed with a fall and 26-11 technical fall at 149 and 157, respectively.
After Martinez’s win, Penn State rolled to the finish with four straight wins.
Mark Hall, in his Rec Hall dual meet debut, amassed a surprisingly easy 17-1 technical fall at 174 over No. 12 Zac Brunson.
“I think maybe at the beginning of the week I was a little nervous. And then it changed to excitement and then from excitement it goes to spirited,” Hall said.
“I was just real relaxed and real calm and just ready for whatever was gonna happen in the match. It’s unfortunate we only get seven minutes; I wish I could wrestle alld ay. I’m just doing my part and working to score as many points as I can in any position; that’s what it comes down to.”
Bo Nickal followed with an 18-5 major decision. Matt McCutcheon used a takedown with under a minute to go to earn a 3-1 win at 197 and Nick Nevills posted a 5-0 shutout.
Sanderson was pleased with his true freshmen — Suriano and Hall.
“Both great performances, scored a lot of points. Mark’s first match here. Did a nice job. Tough kid. The kid was in the Big Ten finals last year, ranked No. 1 part of the year, so it was a good win. Wrestled really well,” he said.
The Nittany Lions finish out the regular season at 2 p.m. Sunday when Maryland visits. It will be Senior Day and Penn State will wear black and pink singlets in a nod to the university’s original colors.
After that, it’s a date with Oklahoma State on Feb. 19 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in the championship match of the NWCA Dual Championship Series.
No. 2 Penn State 34
No. 11 Illinois 7
(Friday at University Park)
125: No. 2 Nick Suriano, PSU, maj. dec. Travis Piotrowski, 17-6.
133: No. 6 Zane Richards, ILL, maj. dec. George Carpenter, 19-7.
141: No. 11 Jimmy Gulibon, PSU, maj. dec. Mousa Jodeh, 10-2.
149: No. 1 Zain Retherford, PSU, pinned No. 10 Eric Barone, 4:08.
157: No. 1 Jason Nolf, PSU, won by tech. fall over No. 12 Kyle Langenderfer, 26-11 (6:45).
165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez, ILL, dec. No. 4 Vincenzo Joseph, 5-2.
174: No. 7 Mark Hall, PSU, won by tech. fall over No. 12 Zac Brunson, 17-1 (7:00).
184: No. 2 Bo Nickal, PSU, maj. dec. No. 12 Emery Parker, 18-5.
197: No. 9 Matt McCutcheon, PSU, dec. Andre Lee, 3-1.
285: No. 3 Nick Nevills, PSU, dec. No. 15 Brooks Black, 5-0.
Ridge Riley Award winner: Mark Hall, 174 pounds.
Attendance: 6,645.
Referees: Michael Chase, Mike Millward.
Takedowns: Illinois 12; Penn State 34.
Records: Illinois 8-3, 5-3 Big Ten; Penn State 12-0, 8-0.
Next match: Maryland at Penn State, 2 p.m. Sunday.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The second-ranked Penn State wrestling team continued its march to a second consecutive undefeated regular season and a showdown with top-ranked Oklahoma State next weekend with a 34-7 thumping of No. 11 Illinois on Friday night.
A season-high sellout crowd of 6,645 Rec Hall fans witnessed the Nittany Lions run their dual meet winning streak to 29 matches overall and 17 straight in the Big Ten.
Penn State, as it has all year, prevented any drama by winning eight of 10 bouts — with a fall, two technical falls, three major decisions and two decisions — while amassing a 34-12 advantage in takedowns.
Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan expected more out of his Illini.
“It was frustrating. I think our guys took a back seat a little bit too much. I think they got caught up in the environment and some of them didn’t finish matches very well,” he said. “Overall, we need to get better; that’s what I got out of it.”
What little drama that existed came in the marquee bout of the night, at 165 pounds.
Coming out of the break, during which several dozen Penn State wrestling alumni were honored, the Nittany Lions led comfortably, 19-4, and the crowd buzzed in anticipation of a showdown between No. 1 Isaiah Martinez, the junior two-time NCAA champion, and No. 4 freshman Vincenzo Joseph.
Martinez won 5-2, but the match was closer than the final score and Joseph made him earn it.
Martinez, on the whistle, thudded Joseph’s head several times and referee Michael Chase stopped the bout to warn him about it. It was all part of Marinez’s plan.
“Absolutely! I’m here to wrestle. It’s a brawl when I wrestle. It’s going to be hard. I like to set a tone right off the whistle,” he said.
The difference came in the first period when Martinez clearly sensed Joseph with a bit too much weight forward. The Illini snapped Joseph down and spun around for a quick takedown. Joseph escaped 17 seconds later and the match went into the second with Martinez leading, 2-1.
A second-period escape from Martinez gave him a 3-1 lead heading into the third. Joseph chose bottom and escaped in eight seconds and the chase was on for a go-ahead takedown.
Always a master technician, Martinez countered every shot Joseph threw at him, including a desperation double with eight seconds left that Martinez converted into a takedown of his own for the 5-2 win.
“Well, It was a good match. You’ve got to go get that takedown, find a way to get a takedown,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. “Martinez is obviously hard to score on. He’s good at scrambling if you get to his legs. We knew that. Joseph knew that going into the match. The difference was a slide-by, it was nice, but I think Joseph comes away confident that he can win that match but you’ve got to do it.”
After having his hand raised, Martinez gestured to the crowd, seemingly encouraging the fans to yell louder.
“It really wasn’t a gesture. I’m not used to being booed by any fan base because just the way I compete. People come to appreciate it. I understand coming to a place like this, he’s a Top 5 guy and they want him to win, but I’m doing my thing. I had a good laugh about it,” he said.
Heffernan wasn’t as jovial.
“He’s getting better but he wasn’t as aggressive as I like to see him. Yeah, he gets everybody’s best shot. He knows how to win, he’s good, but he’s got a lot more in him,” he said.
Martinez tried to downplay his reaction after the match and the crowd’s response.
“I’ll try to stay positive. It is much better when you have your own crowd get excited. I think these fans are smart enough to appreciate good wrestling. I don’t think I necessarily silenced them. They appreciate a good match,” he said. “I’ll be looking to open it up next time a little more.”
As expected, the Nittany Lions won four of the first five bouts and took a 19-4 lead at intermission.
Nick Suriano staked Penn State to a 4-0 lead, using seven takedowns in a 17-6 major decision.
“I’m thinking about scoring points and putting pressure on guys. I’m feeling my offense and my confidence improve every match and I’m feeling really good,” Suriano said.
“I’m training to win gold in March and I have the best coaches and partners and I’m wrestling the best guys in the room every week and I’m getting better. I’m trying to beat these 125-pounders and if I wrestle my way I can beat all of them.”
After Illinois tied the bout at 4-4 with a major decision by Zane Richards at 133, the Nittany Lions swept the next three.
Jimmy Gulibon notched a 10-2 major decision at 141. Zain Retherford and Jason Nolf followed with a fall and 26-11 technical fall at 149 and 157, respectively.
After Martinez’s win, Penn State rolled to the finish with four straight wins.
Mark Hall, in his Rec Hall dual meet debut, amassed a surprisingly easy 17-1 technical fall at 174 over No. 12 Zac Brunson.
“I think maybe at the beginning of the week I was a little nervous. And then it changed to excitement and then from excitement it goes to spirited,” Hall said.
“I was just real relaxed and real calm and just ready for whatever was gonna happen in the match. It’s unfortunate we only get seven minutes; I wish I could wrestle alld ay. I’m just doing my part and working to score as many points as I can in any position; that’s what it comes down to.”
Bo Nickal followed with an 18-5 major decision. Matt McCutcheon used a takedown with under a minute to go to earn a 3-1 win at 197 and Nick Nevills posted a 5-0 shutout.
Sanderson was pleased with his true freshmen — Suriano and Hall.
“Both great performances, scored a lot of points. Mark’s first match here. Did a nice job. Tough kid. The kid was in the Big Ten finals last year, ranked No. 1 part of the year, so it was a good win. Wrestled really well,” he said.
The Nittany Lions finish out the regular season at 2 p.m. Sunday when Maryland visits. It will be Senior Day and Penn State will wear black and pink singlets in a nod to the university’s original colors.
After that, it’s a date with Oklahoma State on Feb. 19 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in the championship match of the NWCA Dual Championship Series.
No. 2 Penn State 34
No. 11 Illinois 7
(Friday at University Park)
125: No. 2 Nick Suriano, PSU, maj. dec. Travis Piotrowski, 17-6.
133: No. 6 Zane Richards, ILL, maj. dec. George Carpenter, 19-7.
141: No. 11 Jimmy Gulibon, PSU, maj. dec. Mousa Jodeh, 10-2.
149: No. 1 Zain Retherford, PSU, pinned No. 10 Eric Barone, 4:08.
157: No. 1 Jason Nolf, PSU, won by tech. fall over No. 12 Kyle Langenderfer, 26-11 (6:45).
165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez, ILL, dec. No. 4 Vincenzo Joseph, 5-2.
174: No. 7 Mark Hall, PSU, won by tech. fall over No. 12 Zac Brunson, 17-1 (7:00).
184: No. 2 Bo Nickal, PSU, maj. dec. No. 12 Emery Parker, 18-5.
197: No. 9 Matt McCutcheon, PSU, dec. Andre Lee, 3-1.
285: No. 3 Nick Nevills, PSU, dec. No. 15 Brooks Black, 5-0.
Ridge Riley Award winner: Mark Hall, 174 pounds.
Attendance: 6,645.
Referees: Michael Chase, Mike Millward.
Takedowns: Illinois 12; Penn State 34.
Records: Illinois 8-3, 5-3 Big Ten; Penn State 12-0, 8-0.
Next match: Maryland at Penn State, 2 p.m. Sunday.
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