Hawkeyes Fall to No. 3 Penn State

Jan. 22, 2012

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The University of Iowa wrestling team fell to third-ranked Penn State, 22-12, Sunday afternoon inside Rec Hall. The No. 2 Hawkeyes won the first three matches to build a 12-0 advantage, but Penn State won the final seven decisions to rally for its first dual victory over Iowa since 2007.

Junior Matt McDonough gave the Hawkeyes an early lead with a 3-1 overtime victory over Nico Megaludis. The 125-pounders traded escapes in the second and third frames to take a 1-1 tie into the sudden victory period, where McDonough scored the winning takedown with two seconds left on the clock.

Sophomore Tony Ramos extended Iowa’s lead to 9-0 with a second period fall against Frank Martellotti. Ramos built a 7-2 lead before locking up a cradle and flattening the Nittany Lion in 4:20.

Senior Montell Marion then gave the Hawkeyes a 12-0 team lead with a 7-3 decision over Bryan Pearsall at 141. Marion didn’t allow an offensive point and scored a takedown in each period.

The Nittany Lions (8-1, 4-1) then started their run of seven straight wins when top-ranked Frank Molinaro scored an 11-5 decision over redshirt freshman Michael Kelly at 149. Eighth-ranked Dylan Alton then trimmed the team lead to 12-6 with 5-3 win over redshirt freshman Nick Moore at 157.

Top-ranked David Taylor earned a 9-4 win over No. 6 Mike Evans at 165 before Penn State grabbed its first lead, 13-12, when Ed Ruth scored a 10-1 major decision over sophomore Ethen Lofthouse. Penn State’s Quentin Wright then extended the Nittany Lion lead to 16-12 with an 8-2 victory over senior Vinnie Wagner.

The Hawkeyes need a win at 197 to set up a decisive heavyweight bout, but junior Grant Gambrall surrendered an overtime takedown against Morgan McIntosh to fall 5-3 and give Penn State a 19-12 team lead. Heavyweight Cameron Wade then closed the dual with a 4-0 shutout against Hawkeye senior Blake Rasing.

The Hawkeyes (9-3, 4-2) return to the mat Sunday, Jan. 29, at 3 p.m. (CT) when No. 4 Minnesota visits Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The contest will be broadcast by AM-800 KXIC and audio streamed online at hawkeyesports.com via Hawkeye All-Access. BTN will televise the dual live. Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and Shane Sparks will have the call.

NOTES: Attendance was 6,500.

#2 IOWA 12, #3 Penn State 22
125 – Matt McDonough (Iowa) dec. Nicholas Megaludis (Penn State), 3-1 (OT)
133 – Tony Ramos (Iowa) pinned Frank Martellotti (Penn State), 4:20
141 – Montell Marion (Iowa) dec. Bryan Pearsall (Penn State), 7-3
149 – Frank Molinaro (Penn State) dec. Michael Kelly (Iowa), 11-5
157 – Dylan Alton (Penn State) dec. Nick Moore (Iowa), 5-3
165 – David Taylor (Penn State) dec. Mike Evans (Iowa), 9-4
174 – Edward Ruth (Penn State) dec. Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa), 10-1
184 – Quentin Wright (Penn State) dec. Vinnie Wagner (Iowa), 8-2
197 – Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) dec. Grant Gambrall (Iowa), 5-3 (OT)
285 – Cameron Wade (Penn State) dec. Blake Rasing (Iowa), 4-0.