OREM, Utah — Rarely is a dual meet that ends in such lopsided fashion ever considered this much of a success by the team that finds itself on the short end of the score line.
But the Utah Valley wrestling team — a program that has had to scrape and claw to schedule duals for their home fans over the last few years — will take the 39-3 walloping No. 2 Penn State handed them on Saturday.
They’ll take the gate funds from the 5,470 fans who filed into the UCCU Center to watch the defending national champions face their team.
Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said a trip like this to a place where the sport hasn’t been thriving would serve as a way to grow the sport at the local level. After the dual ended, Utah Valley fans swarmed Penn State wrestlers on the floor of the arena for impromptu photograph and autograph sessions.
“It’s cool to come out here,” Penn State sophomore David Taylor told the Penn State Sports Network after the dual. “It’s a long trip, but I wouldn’t mind doing it again next year. Maybe we’ll get somebody and get two matches set up. It’s just good for wrestling.”
If Sanderson was hoping his team’s performance could raise the profile for college wrestling in Utah, the Nittany Lions put forth an elite effort likely not seen in Orem in a long time.
Penn State won nine of 10 bouts and earned bonus points in six of those to put the dual away just after the halfway point.
Taylor, ranked No. 1 at 165 pounds, got Penn State started with a 2:42 pin of Ethan Smith at 165 pounds before the Lions reeled off five straight wins to clinch their 11th straight win. No. 8 Nico Megaludis guaranteed the win for Penn State with a 19-7 win over Utah Valley’s Colby Christensen.
“You can really tell that kid loves the sport,” Taylor said of Megaludis. “Everything he talks about is wrestling. ... He’s relentless for seven minutes or however long the match takes.”
The Lions continued their torrid pace after Taylor’s start when redshirt freshman and Utah native Matt Brown won a 13-3 major decision against Monte Schmalhaus at 174. No. 2 Quentin Wright pinned David Prieto in 4:46 at 184 before freshman No. 12 Morgan McIntosh made his return to the mat for Penn State.
McIntosh won a 4-3 decision against Brian Chamberlain and No. 6 Cameron Wade easily pinned Dustin Dennison in 1:15 at 285 pounds.
Bryan Pearsall added a 13-4 major decision win against Avery Garner while No. 1 Frank Molinaro and No. 6 Dylan Alton added decisions at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Utah Valley got its lone win at 133 pounds when redshirt freshman Blake Mangum earned a late takedown against Frank Martellotti to win 3-1.
Notes: McIntosh returned after missing the previous two duals with a knee injury. ... Penn State redshirt freshman and Bald Eagle Area standout Jon Gingrich defeated Utah Valley sophomore Zac Jensen by major decision 13-2 in a JV match at 285 pounds. ... Martellotti lost his fifth straight bout and second after leading late in the third period. ... Pearsall broke a four-bout losing streak. ... Molinaro’s win was his 12th shutout victory of the season. ...Wright has earned pins in six of his last eight bouts. ... Taylor won the Ernie Lucas Award for outstanding wrestler in a road dual meet.
