Intrasquad surprises leave questions for Sanderson

Guy Cipriano

UNIVERSITY PARK — Cael Sanderson spent most of Penn State's intrasquad meet sitting on a padded chair in a corner away from the Rec Hall mat.

CDT/Michelle Bixby

Justin Ortega, top wearing white, competes with David Erwin, bottom wearing blue, during the Penn State wrestling intrasquad dual at Rec Hall Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. CDT/Michelle Bixby

View larger

• OFFICIAL SITE: PSU Wrestling

What the new coach witnessed during the first and final bouts Thursday proved confounding.

Justin Ortega bewildered many of the 2,400 fans by opening the meet with a 6-2 victory over David Erwin at 174. True freshman Jake Kemerer then sent the crowd away with more to ponder by edging Dan Vallimont 4-3 in 165.

Erwin and Vallimont are fifth-year seniors expected to stabilize a lineup with multiple holes because of impending redshirts to elite recruits such as Kemerer, David Taylor, Ed Ruth and Luke Macchiaroli. The quartet, by the way, went a combined 3-1.

Ortega joined Kemerer, Ruth and Macchiaroli among the four freshmen winners. But Ortega’s situation is different than the other freshmen.

Ortega redshirted during 2008-09 and entered this year lurking behind the hyped newcomers. Few could have predicted his victory over Erwin, who missed every dual meet and team tournament last season with a shoulder injury.

“I just went out there and left everything on the mat,” said Ortega, who went 89-10 during his career at District 1 Oxford High School but never placed in the PIAA Class AAA Championships. “I didn’t have anything to lose with him being a fifth-year senior.”

Ortega won despite injuring ligaments in his right hand on Erwin’s kneecap during a first-period exchange. Ortega, whose hand was wrapped after the bout, wrestled through the pain, scoring five points in the final three periods. Ortega took Erwin down in the second and added another point by accumulating 1:46 of riding time.

“I didn’t expect that, not as far as the winning and losing, but the way that it happened,” Sanderson said. “It’s something we need to address right away.”

Both Ortega and Erwin’s immediate futures are murky. The match represented one element Sanderson and his assistants will use to determine starters for next Friday’s opener at Lehigh. Sanderson didn’t publicly commit to either wrestler Thursday.

Ortega represented one of the few people in Rec Hall not surprised by the result. Ortega said he doesn’t wrestle Erwin frequently in the practice room. When they do meet, Ortega keeps the bouts competitive, which boosted his confidence entering Thursday.

“I always have faith in myself,” he said. “If you go out there with a negative mind, you’re going to have a negative outcome. I kept telling myself I could do it.”

Kemerer is a confident wrestler, too, and for good reason. He captured two PIAA Class AAA titles at District 7 Hempfield Area High School and his reputation limited the number of early departures Thursday.

Kemerer and Vallimont, a 2008 All- American at 157 pounds, both recorded third-period takedowns. But Kemerer converted a double-leg with five seconds remaining.

“It’s a big confidence booster knowing I beat an All-American,” said Kemerer, the final piece of the 2009-10 recruiting class. “That’s something I can take into the season that will make me work harder.”

One of Kemerer’s classmates showed similar savvy one bout earlier, as Taylor pushed fifth-year senior and former All-American Cyler Sanderson 11-4. Cyler stunned Taylor early, scoring 10 points in the first 2:20. But Taylor, a four-time Ohio state champion, used calculated moves from the top position to compile 1:41 of riding time. Cyler never left Taylor’s grasp during the third period.

“He’s obviously very good on top, especially for a freshman” Cyler said. “Most young guys aren’t very good on top. That’s something he already has under his belt.”

Ruth and Macchiaroli both wrestled beyond their years, defeating opponents with Big 10 experience. Ruth majored Bellefonte graduate J.R. Brown 10-1 at 184 while Macchiaroli, a three-time Arizona state champion, defeated Clay Steadman 5-3 at 197.

“I think we just showed we are here,” Macchiaroli said of his class.

Other winners included Brad Pataky (125), Tyler Saltsman (133), Adam Lynch (141), Frank Molinaro (149), Quentin Wright (184) and Cameron Wade (heavyweight). Wright, a Bald Eagle Area graduate who is redshirting this year, defeated Dave Crowell 8-2 in an exhibition match. Crowell is ineligible to compete this semester after transferring from Pitt midway through last year.

Lynch won his bout by injury default as Colby Pisani suffered a leg cramp early in the first period. Pisani exhausted all of his injury time and Sanderson said he didn’t want the sophomore to risk further injury.

“That’s one of the matches I wanted to see,” Sanderson said.

Thursday’s results left Sanderson with some difficult lineup decisions to make during the next week. Sanderson said the staff will consider a variety of factors when making their decisions.

“We are going to try to put the best team we can out there,” Sanderson said. “Sometimes we will be wrong and sometimes we will be right. Those guys make those decisions everyday with their attitude and how they are working.”

Guy Cipriano can be reached at 231-4643.