Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling
| Penn State Nittany Lions | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Pennsylvania State University |
| Conference |
Big Ten NCAA Division I division |
| Location | University Park, PA |
| Head Coach | Cael Sanderson (8th year) |
| Arena |
Lorenzo Wrestling Complex at Rec Hall (Capacity: 7,000) |
| Nickname | Nittany Lions |
| Colors |
Blue and White[1] |
| Total Team National Championships | |
| 7 (1921, 1953, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016) | |
| NCAA Individual National Championships | |
| 1935, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1984, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 | |
| NCAA Individual Champions | |
| 32 (by 25 athletes) | |
The Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling team is a NCAA Division I Wrestling team competing as members of the Big Ten Conference.
Coached by former Olympian Cael Sanderson, the Nittany Lions have maintained status as a top wrestling program. Penn State holds a four-time NCAA team championship winning streak from 2011-2014, and after winning again in 2016, the Nittany Lions have won seven national championships. The 2015-2016 Penn State team includes such talented wrestlers as Nico Megaludis, Zain Retherford, Jason Nolf, Bo Nickal and Morgan McIntosh. Ed Ruth and David Tayor concluded their collegiate careers in March 2014. Ruth finished third as a freshman and then was a three time National Champion. Taylor was a two-time National Champion and finished as runner-up twice.
History
Penn State wrestling program was established in 1909 and was declared national dual meet champion in 1921.[2][3][4] In 1925 Penn State won all seven team duals in which they competed, finishing the dual meet season undefeated.[5] Charlie Spiedel coached the team from 1927–1964, taking a four-year break during World War II to serve his country. He is credited with laying the groundwork for the Nittany Lion wrestling standard of excellence, and he guided the team to the 1953 national title.[2]
National championships
Team championships
Penn State has won seven national championships as a team (1921, 1953, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016).[6][7]
| Year | Coach | NCAA Meet Points | Duals Record (W-L-T) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | William E. Lewis | N/A | 6-1 |
| 1953 | Charlie Speidel | 21 | 9-0 |
| 2011 | Cael Sanderson | 107.5 | 17-1-1 |
| 2012 | Cael Sanderson | 143 | 13-1 |
| 2013 | Cael Sanderson | 123.5 | 13-1 |
| 2014 | Cael Sanderson | 109.5 | 15-1 |
| 2016 | Cael Sanderson | 123 | 16-0 |
Individual championships
Winners
| Year | NCAA Champion | Weight Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Howard Johnston | 165 lbs |
| 1952 | Joe Lemyre | 167 lbs |
| 1953 | Hud Samson | 191 lbs |
| 1955 | Larry Fornicola | 137 lbs |
| 1955 | Bill Oberly | HWT |
| 1957 | Jon Johnston | 130 lbs |
| 1971 | Andy Matter | 167 lbs |
| 1972 | Andy Matter | 167 lbs |
| 1975 | John Fritz | 126 lbs |
| 1984 | Carl Destefanis | 118 lbs |
| 1984 | Scott Lynch | 134 lbs |
| 1988 | Jim Martin | 126 lbs |
| 1991 | Jeff Prescott | 118 lbs |
| 1992 | Jeff Prescott | 118 lbs |
| 1994 | Kerry McCoy | 275 lbs |
| 1995 | John Hughes | 142 lbs |
| 1996 | Sanshire Abe | 126 lbs |
| 1997 | Kerry McCoy | 275 lbs |
| 1999 | Glen Pritzlaff | 174 lbs |
| 2000 | Jeremy Hunter | 125 lbs |
| 2008 | Phil Davis | 197 lbs |
| 2011 | Quentin Wright | 184 lbs |
| 2012 | Frank Molinaro | 149 lbs |
| 2012 | David Taylor | 165 lbs |
| 2012 | Ed Ruth | 174 lbs |
| 2013 | Ed Ruth | 184 lbs |
| 2013 | Quentin Wright | 197 lbs |
| 2014 | David Taylor | 165 lbs |
| 2014 | Ed Ruth | 184 lbs |
| 2015 | Matt Brown | 174 lbs |
| 2016 | Nico Megaludis | 125 lbs |
| 2016 | Zain Retherford | 149 lbs |
The following table counts the achievements of Nittany Lion wrestlers by name as opposed to year.
| Wrestler | Number of NCAA Championships | Number of NCAA Runners-up | Outstanding Wrestler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Ruth | 3 | ||
| Kerry McCoy | 2 | Hodge Award 1997 | |
| Quentin Wright | 2 | 1 | |
| Jeff Prescott | 2 | ||
| Andy Matter | 2 | ||
| David Taylor | 2 | 2 | Hodge Award 2012 & 2014 |
| Frank Molinaro | 1 | 1 | |
| Phil Davis | 1 | 1 | |
| Jeremy Hunter | 1 | 1 | |
| Sanshire Abe | 1 | 1 | |
| John Hughes | 1 | 1 | |
| Jim Martin | 1 | 1 | |
| Glen Pritzlaff | 1 | ||
| Scott Lynch | 1 | ||
| Carl Destefanis | 1 | ||
| John Fritz | 1 | ||
| Jon Johnston | 1 | ||
| Bill Oberly | 1 | ||
| Larry Fornicola | 1 | ||
| Hud Samson | 1 | ||
| Joe Lemyre | 1 | ||
| Howard Johnston | 1 | ||
| Matt Brown | 1 | 1 | |
| Nico Megaludis | 1 | 2 | |
| Zain Retherford | 1 | ||
| Jason Nolf | 1 | ||
| Bo Nickal | 1 | ||
| Troy Sunderland | 2 | ||
| Josh Moore | 1 | ||
| Clint Musser | 1 | ||
| Pat Cummins | 1 | ||
| Aaron Anspach | 1 | ||
| Bubba Jenkins | 1 | ||
| Dan Vallimont | 1 | ||
| Greg Haladay | 1 | ||
| Cary Kolat | 1 | ||
| Dan Mayo | 1 | ||
| Greg Elinsky | 1 |
Olympics and post-graduate careers
Penn State wrestlers have gone on to have success beyond their NCAA achievements. Wrestlers have had career success in the Olympics and in professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
| Year | Wrestler | Competition | Notable Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Katsutoshi Naito | Olympics | Bronze Medal |
| 1988 | Ken Chertow | Olympics | |
| 1996 | Sanshiro Abe | Olympics | |
| 2000, 2004 | Patrick Cummins (fighter) | UFC | two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler and 2004 runner-up |
| 2000, 2004 | Kerry McCoy | Olympics | |
| 2009–present | Phil Davis | Bellator | 12-2 record UFC Light Heavyweight. |
| 2011–present | Bubba Jenkins | Bellator | 6-1 record |
| 2016 | Frank Molinaro | Olympics | T-5th place |
Coaching
Current coaching staff
| Position[8] | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Cael Sanderson |
| Associate Head Coach | Cody Sanderson |
| Head Assistant Coach | Casey Cunningham |
| Assistant Coach | Jake Varner |
| Director of Operations | Adam Lynch |
Head coach history
| Years | Name |
|---|---|
| 1927–1942, 1947–1964 | Charlie Spiedel |
| 1965–1978 | Bill Koll |
| 1979–1992 | Rich Lorenzo |
| 1993–1998 | John Fritz |
| 1999–2009 | Troy Sunderland |
| 2010–present | Cael Sanderson |
Roster
2014-15 Roster [9]
| Name | Wt. Class | Class | Hometown/High School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Alton | 149 | SR | Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain |
| Dylan Alton | 157 | SR | Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain |
| Zack Beitz | 141 | SO | Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata |
| Brian Brill | 165 | SO | State College, Pa./Central Mountain |
| Matt Brown | 174 | SR | West Valley City, Utah/Cyprus |
| George Carpenter | 125 | FR | Chapel Hill, N.C./Carrboro |
| Anthony Cassar | 197 | FR | Rocky Hill, N.J./Montgomery |
| Jordan Conaway | 125/133 | JR | Abbottstown, Pa./New Oxford |
| Dylan Dailey | 174/184 | JR | Danville, Pa./Danville |
| James Frascella | 174 | JR | Carmel, Ind./Carmel |
| Luke Frey | 149 | JR | Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville |
| Jon Gingrich | 285 | SR | Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area |
| Jimmy Gulibon | 133 | SO | Latrobe, Pa./Derry Area |
| Garett Hammond | 157/165 | RS FR | Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg |
| Cody Law | 157/165 | RS FR | Windber, Pa./Forest Hills |
| Jimmy Lawson | 285 | SR | Toms River, N.J./Manchester Township |
| Caleb Livingston | 165/174 | SO | Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby |
| Rex Lutz | 165 | JR | Easton, Pa./Penn Argyl |
| Matt McCutcheon | 184/197 | RS FR | Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area |
| Morgan McIntosh | 197 | JR | Santa Ana, Calif./Calvary Chapel |
| Nico Megaludis | 125 | SR | Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional |
| Kade Moss | 141/149 | RS FR | South Jordan, Utah/Bingham |
| Nick Nevills | HWT | FR | Clovis, Calif./Clovis |
| Bo Nickal | 174/184 | FR | Allen, Texas/Allen |
| Jason Nolf | 149/157 | FR | Yatesboro, Pa./Kittanning |
| Jordan Pagano | 174 | FR | Oradell, N.J./Bergen Catholic |
| Wes Phipps | 174/184 | SO | Grove City, Pa./Grove City |
| Shakur Rasheed | 165 | FR | Coram, N.Y./Longwood |
| Zain Retherford | 141 | SO | Benton, Pa./Benton |
| Josh Rogers | 197 | JR | Pottstown, Pa./St. Pius X/Valley Forge MA |
| Nick Ruggear | 285 | SR | Oxford, Pa./Oxford |
| Devon Van Cura | 174/184 | FR | Washington, N.C./Washington |
| Michael Waters | 133/141 | JR | Advance, N.C./Davie |
| Nicholas Weldon | 184 | FR | Birmingham, Ala./Clay-Chalkville |
| Kenneth Yanovich | 125 | FR | Effort, Pa./Pleasant Valley |
Facilities
Penn State has high quality wrestling facilities. A wrestling room is equipped with equipment and gear. Nittany Lion wrestlers may take advantage of spacious strength training facilities, a practice room, athletic medical facilities and academic support centers housed in the venerable fieldhouse to maximize their talents. The Lorenzo Wrestling Complex - widely considered among the best in the nation - gives Penn State athletes a world-class facility for training. Recently renovated and expanded, the facility encompasses over 24,000 square feet, including the practice room, weight room, locker room and support space. The recent renovation more than doubled the size of the former wrestling room. When hosting home dual meets, mats are set in the gym. Penn State has committed over $145 million to Nittany Lions athletic facilities.[10]
References
- ↑ Penn State Artwork (PDF). The Pennsylvania State University. 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
- 1 2 Palmer, Mark (June 3, 2008). "Intermat Rewind: 1953 Penn State". Intermat. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
- ↑ "Indiana University Alumni Quarterly". IX. Indiana University Alumni Association. 1922: 210. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
- ↑ The Penn State Wrestling Club (2008). A Century of Penn State Wrestling. pp. 18–21. ISBN 978-0-615-19200-0.
- ↑ http://www.wrestlingstats.com/pennstate/home.php
- ↑ "National Championships". Penn State University. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ↑ "Penn State Wrestling History and Records". Penn State Wrestling Club. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Coaches". Penn State University. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ↑ "Official Wrestling Roster". Penn State University. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Lorenzo Wrestling Complex". Penn State University. Retrieved February 19, 2014.