Wrestling: PSU leads team race, sends 7 into NCAA quarterfinals

ST LOUIS – Penn State announced just 24 hours before the start of the national tournament that it would be without one of its highest-seeded wrestlers in 125-pound freshman Nick Suriano. That meant that in order to defend its NCAA team title from a year ago, it would do so with an eight-man contingent. The news put a greater premium on bonus points, and in order to remain in contention, or even pace the field, it would help to have every starter advance to the second day of the tournament.

That's just what happened Thursday as the Nittany Lions won 15 of their first 16 matches.

After the first day of competition in the Scottrade Center, which had an attendance of 18,157 for each of the two sessions, Penn State held the advantage in the team race with 30.5 points. Ohio State was in second place with 26.0, while Iowa and Oklahoma State trailed closely behind with 25.5 and 24.5, respectively.

With the lead in the team race, Penn State sends seven wrestlers into Friday morning's quarterfinals, while an eighth is still in contention in the consolations round. It was an inspired effort, certainly, but was it moved by the absence of Suriano?

"Yes and no," head coach Cael Sanderson replied. "I think they want to win as a team. Having Suriano in there obviously [would've been a boost], but more than anything they feel bad for Nick because he's a guy who has wanted to do great here and do well, but you have to be focused on your best. You can let the team motivate you a little bit, but for the most part you have to be focused on what you're doing with your own hands and feet and brain. If you can add a little fire to that then so be it."

For the day, Penn State scored bonus in more than half of its bouts.

Returning NCAA champion Zain Retherford (149 pounds) and All-Americans Jason Nolf (157) and Bo Nickal (184) led their teammates with bonus in each of their matches. Retherford opened with an 18-2 technical fall (4:55) over Josh Maruca of Arizona State before a 16-0 tech fall (5:43) over Jordan Laster of Princeton. Nolf scored consecutive tech falls as well. His first came over Thomas Bullard of North Carolina State, 22-7, before a 24-9 blasting of Victor Lopez of Bucknell. Both of Nolf's tech falls lasted the entire 7 minutes. Nickal earned a 15-0 tech fall (3:20) against Mitch Silga of Northwestern in the opening round before pinning Steven Schneider of Binghamton (5:33) in his second match.

While the Nittany Lions poured on bonus, thus helping secure a team lead after day one, Nickal's was one of only two pins on the day.

"First day, you hope to get get a few more pins, but the guys are still wrestling well," Sanderson said. "Again, it's going to come down to those big matches tomorrow and which team wins. If you want to be a national champion then tomorrow is part of that process."

Wrestling in his first national tournament, redshirt freshman Vincenzo Joseph (165) avenged an early-season loss against Stanford's Keaton Subjeck in the opening round. Having previously fallen, 18-12, in Joseph's first dual meet in Rec Hall, this time Joseph prevailed, 5-1. In his next match he won by major decision, 12-4, over Branson Ashworth of Wyoming.

True freshman Mark Hall (174) also was victorious in the first two national-tournament matches of his career. His first was an 8-2 decision over David Kocer of South Dakota State before he won by tech fall against Navy's Jadaen Bernstein in 2:20. It was the shortest-lived tech fall of Penn State's seven and it appeared to come with a sense of urgency, perhaps, in an attempt to compensate the loss of points from his classmate Suriano. That, however, might not have been the case.

"I'm just wrestling," Hall said. "If I do my part, the team part will take care of itself. We have a really good team and these guys are strong."

Also wrestling in his first NCAA tourney after injuries interrupted his redshirt freshman season a year ago, Nick Nevills (285) secured two decisions. His first came against Doug Vollaro of Lehigh, 4-2, before beating William Miller of Edinboro, 6-2, in the second round.

Matt McCutcheon (197) scored the first fall of the day for his team in the opening round, pinning Christian Brunner of Purdue in a neutral scramble in the first period (1:53). He then followed that up with a 6-3 decision over Frank Mattiace of Penn in the second round.

Leading heading into the second day of the tournament, McCutcheon and his teammate are aiming to keep the focus off the team race and rather focus on their individual performances.

"We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing and it’ll take care of itself," McCutcheon said. "Coaches can do that job. That’s their job to tell us where we’re at. As a team all we have to worry about is to go out there and score as much as possible.”

1. Penn State - 30.5

2. Ohio State - 26.0

3. Oklahoma State - 25.5

4. Iowa - 24.5

5. Missouri - 20.0

141: Jimmy Gulibon, Sr.

Rd. 1: vs. No. 13 Javier Gasca, Michigan State – W, 18-3 (TF; 7:00)

Rd. 2: vs. No. 4 Matt Kolodzik, Princeton – L, 3-6 dec.

NEXT - Con 2: vs. Timmy Box, Northern Colorado

149: No. 1 Zain Retherford, Jr.

Rd. 1: vs. Joshua Maruca, Arizona State – W, 18-2 (TF; 4:55)

Rd. 2: vs. No. 16 Jordan Laster, Princeton – W, 16-0 (TF; 5:43)

NEXT - Qtrs: vs. Alex Kocer, South Dakota State

157: No. 1 Jason Nolf, So.

Rd. 1: vs. Thomas Bullard, North Carolina St. – W, 22-7 (TF; 7:00)

Rd. 2: vs. No. 16 Victor Lopez, Bucknell – W, 24-9 (TF; 7:00)

NEXT - Qtrs: vs. B.J. Clagon, Rider

165: No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph, Fr.

Rd. 1: vs. Keaton Subjeck, Stanford – W, 5-1 dec.

Rd. 2: vs. No. 14 Branson Ashworth, Wyoming – W, 12-4 maj. dec.

NEXT - Qtrs: vs. No. 6 Daniel Lewis, Missouri

174: No. 5 Mark Hall, Fr.

Rd. 1: vs. David Kocer, South Dakota State – W, 8-2 dec.

Rd. 2: vs. Jadaen Bernstein, Navy – W, 16-0 (TF; 2:20)

NEXT - Qtrs: vs. No. 4 Zach Epperly, Virginia Tech

184: No. 2 Bo Nickal, So.

Rd. 1: vs. Mitch Sliga, Northwestern – W, 15-0 (TF; 3:20)

Rd. 2: vs. No. 15 Steven Schneider, Binghamton – WBF (5:33)

NEXT - Qtrs: vs. No. 7 TJ Dudley, Nebraska

197: No. 5 Matt McCutcheon, Jr.

Rd. 1: vs. Christian Brunner, Purdue – WBF (1:53)

Rd. 2: vs. No. 12 Frank Mattiace, Penn – W, 6-3 dec.

NEXT - Qtrs: vs. No. 4 Jared Haught, Virginia Tech

285: No. 5 Nick Nevills, So.

Rd. 1: vs. Doug Vollaro, Lehigh – W, 4-2 dec.

Rd. 2: vs. No. 12 William Miller, Edinboro – W, 6-2 dec.

NEXT - Qtrs: No. 4 Jacob Kasper, Duke

Agate courtesy of GoPSUSports.com