Hawkeyes Pound Penn State, 31-6

Feb. 8, 2009

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA — The top-ranked Hawkeye wrestling team picked up their 20th season win Sunday afternoon when they pounded #22 Penn State, 31-6, at Rec Hall in University Park, PA. Iowa (20-0, 4-0 Big Ten) won eight of the 10 matches to score its 34th straight dual win. Penn State fell to 7-10-2 (0-4-2) in front of over 5,000 fans.

Iowa started the dual at 165 pounds, jumping out to a 16-0 lead with wins at the first four weights. Third-ranked junior Ryan Morningstar rebounded from his loss Friday night at Michigan State with a 5-4 win over #20 Dan Vallimont at 165. Iowa sophomore Colby Covington followed with a 3-2 upset over #16 Quentin Wright at 174, recording his first dual win in a Hawkeye singlet. Covington was wrestling for injured Hawkeye starter Jay Borschel. Third-ranked junior Phillip Keddy posted his 65th career win and his 10th straight victory with a 25-10 technical fall in 6:59 over Jack Decker at 184. Keddy remains undefeated in dual competition (20-0) and has a 23-1 season mark. Iowa junior Chad Beatty, who is ranked 18th at 197, scored his second pin of the season – sticking J.R. Brown in 5:26.

Penn State freshman heavyweight Cameron Wade used a significant weight advantage to beat Iowa redshirt freshman Brodie Ambrose, 4-0. Ambrose, who was wrestling up a weight class for injured starter Dan Erekson, is a 197-pounder for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa bounced back to take the next four weights and seal the team win. Senior Charlie Falck controlled his 125-pound match with #13 Brad Pataky, posting a 9-3 win. Falck, who is ranked fourth in the nation with a 17-1 record and 15-0 dual mark, snapped Pataky’s six-match winning streak and extended his own to five. Junior Daniel Dennis posted his second big win of the weekend with a 6-3 decision over #9 Jake Strayer at 133. Dennis, who jumped to the top of the 133-pound rankings last week, is on a six-match winning streak and is 21-2. Second-ranked Alex Tsirtsis followed a 141 with a 6-2 win over Frank Molinaro to improve to 20-2 (17-1 in duals) this season. Top-ranked Brent Metcalf posted his fifth straight pin and 57th straight victory at 149 when he decked Penn State’s Colby Pisani in 2:18 at 149. Pisani was wrestling for injured Penn State starter Bubba Jenkins, who is ranked second in the nation. Metcalf picked up his 60th career win with the victory and is 25-0 this season. Penn State closed out the dual at 157 with Tim Darling’s 5-4 victory over Hawkeye sophomore Matt Ballweg.

With only two weeks of competition remaining in the 2008-09 regular season, Iowa will host its finals Big Ten duals next weekend in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes will host #25 Purdue (11-3-1, 0-2-1 Big Ten) Friday at 7 p.m. and #8 Minnesota (13-5, 3-1 Big Ten) Sunday at 2 p.m. The Iowa-Minnesota dual will be aired live on Iowa Public Television and taped delay on the Big Ten Network at 7 p.m.

Iowa 31, Penn State 6
165 – #3 Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. #20 Dan Vallimont (PSU), 5-4
174 – Colby Covington (I) dec. #16 Quentin Wright (PSU), 3-2
184 – #3 Phillip Keddy (I) tech. fall Jack Decker (PSU), 25-10, 6:59
197 – #18 Chad Beatty (I) pinned J.R. Brown (PSU), 5:26
Hwt – Cameron Wade (PSU) dec. Brodie Ambrose (I), 4-0
125 – #4 Charlie Falck (I) dec. #13 Brad Pataky (PSU), 9-3
133 – #1 Daniel Dennis (I) dec. #9 Jake Strayer (PSU), 6-3
141 – #2 Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Frank Molinaro (PSU), 6-2
149 – #1 Brent Metcalf (I) pinned Colby Pisani (PSU), 2:18
157 – Tim Darling (PSU) dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 5-4