UNIVERSITY PARK — These sudden, acrobatic pinning combinations are becoming quite the norm for Quentin Wright.
Electrifying a full house crowd with a complete domination of a Big Ten foe? That’s been the status quo for quite a while now for the Penn State Wrestling team. It was no different Sunday as No. 2 Penn State (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) beat No. 12 Michigan (6-5, 4-4) 34-7 at Rec Hall.
Wright, secured his team-leading 11th fall of the season when he caught Michigan’s Hunter Collins in a left-handed headlock and dropped the Wolverine junior to his back at the 3:42 mark of their 184-pound match.
The win clinched the dual meet for Penn State and earned the Nittany Lions their first first Big Ten Dual Meet championship, a regular- season crown they will share with No. 4 Minnesota after the Golden Gophers clobbered No. 7 Nebraska on Sunday.
“I’m always looking for some way to score and I’ve got to have the confidence just to hit it,” Wright said. “A lot of times I’d hold myself back from hitting it or I’d fake when I really should be just going for it. I just need to get out there and when I realize it’s there just go for it rather than hold myself back and that’s kind of what I did.”
The Lions went after the Wolverines immediately.
Penn State freshman 125-pounder Nico Megaludis racked up five takedowns in the opening three minutes of his bout against Grant Pizzo en route to a 22-10 major decision in the opening match.
“Every match you want to score as many takedowns as possible, but I felt they were there so I just tried to take them,” No. 9 Megaludis said. “And I wasn’t able to turn him that match so I might as well try and get points on my feet.”
The Lions weren’t able to break out of the funk they have experienced lately at the 133-and 141-pound weight classes. Penn State’s 133-pounder Frank Martellotti lost an 11-7 decision to No. 16 Zac Stevens before Bryan Pearsall dropped a 12-2 major decision to No. 1 Kellen Russell.
It gave the Wolverines a 7-4 lead that wouldn’t last much longer.
No. 1 Frank Molinaro twisted No. 7 Eric Grajales around the mat at 149 pounds, edging Grajales 6-1 and racking up 3:13 in riding time against the Michigan sophomore.
While still riding Grajales, Molinaro pumped a fist as the final seconds ticked away.
Fresh off a 31-6 win against Nebraska on Friday, Molinaro and the Nittany Lions don’t feel any pressure to keep their current streak going. Penn State hasn’t given up more than 12 points dating back to their lone loss of the season to the Gophers on Nov. 20.
“Not really, we don’t really think about it or brag about it or talk about it,” Molinaro said. “We’re just doing it. It’s not really anything different. Each match we’re all just trying to wrestle hard. When you wrestle hard, like in (Matt Brown’s) match, those kind of things happen.”
Although Wright pulled off the most spectacular move of the dual, it was redshirt freshman Brown who received the biggest ovation from another sell-out crowd.
A day removed from achieving a stirring upset against an opponent who outweighed him by nearly 24 pounds, Brown prevailed as an underdog again at 197 pounds on Sunday.
Brown, listed by the Lions as a 165/ 174-pounder, worked at a relentless pace against Michigan’s Max Huntley, a redshirt freshman ranked No. 15 at 197, eventually tiring Huntley out. The gameplan, virtually identical to the one Brown employed in a 2-1 decision over Nebraska’s James Nakashima, was effective again and allowed Brown to snag Huntley in a double-leg takedown with just five seconds remaining to win 3-1.
“I wouldn’t say I was apprehensive at all, but you do notice it when you get in on a shot,” Brown said of his sizeable weight disadvantage. “It’s a little harder to finish. I just tried to do what the coaches said, working his head and move my feet.”
Brown was filling in again for regular starter No. 12 Morgan McIntosh, who was held out for precautionary reasons with a lingering knee issue.
No. 6 Dylan Alton added a 5-4 decision over Brandon Zeerip at 157 pounds while No. 1 David Taylor (165), No. 2 Ed Ruth (174) and No. 6 Cameron Wade (285) all added bonus points for the Lions with a technical fall, major decision and pin at their respective weight classes.
Penn State has just two duals left before it will head to West Lafayette, Ind., for the Big Ten Tournament.
Can it get any better for the Nittany Lions? “I think so,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. “They’re going to improve each week. It’s little things with each guy. But these guys are gamers. They make the coaches look good. When you show up at the Big Ten (Tournament), that’s what these guys are focused on. They’re going to wrestle at their best.”
Notes: Brown made his Rec Hall debut. ... Penn State won the takedown battle 24-9. ... Penn State acting Athletic Director Dave Joyner presented the team with the Big Ten Dual Meet championship award. ... After the match in the locker room a veteran of the Afghanistan war presented the team with an American flag that flew during combat operations in Afghanistan. ... Frank Molinaro won the Ridge Riley Award for most outstanding wrestler in a home dual.
Travis Johnson can be reached at 231-4629.
