Wrestling: PSU ties NCAA record with five individual champions
ST LOUIS – It's never happened before. Not like this.
Three other teams in college wrestling history have crowned five individual NCAA champions at one tournament, and Saturday night in the Scottrade Center Penn State became the fourth. But never has a team won five in a row, in five consecutive matches.
In what was part of the sixth NCAA team title in the past seven years, for the coaches and wrestlers – not to mention in the scope of history – this one was unlike the rest.
"It was an incredible experience," said associate head coach Cody Sanderson. "Usually you leave this tournament with kind of a heartbreaking feeling because somebody got beat. There still is a little bit of that, but this is the best one so far."
Not only did Penn State crown six All-Americans earlier in the tournament, it finished with five champs, all of which won in dramatic fashion. Here's how they played out:
149 - ZAIN RETHERFORD over LAVION MAYES (MISSOURI) - 18-2 TF
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FINAL RESULT Retherford surrendered the first takedown in the opening 30 seconds of the match before rallying back. He scored the next takedowns in a row before turning Mayes three different times for four near-fall points apiece to clinch the 18-2 techinical fall, his second NCAA championship and his 63rd victory in a row, an NCAA record.
IN HIS OWN WORDS "I've been taken down before. I was feeling kind of nervous a little bit, but more excited nervous. So that's the signal it's go time. It's national finals, let's go. So, yeah, just focusing on keep scoring after that point, doesn't matter."
IN HIS COACH'S WORDS Casey Cunningham: "We're back here after the match (after) Zain goes out there and dominates and techs his guy, and we're back here talking about technique, you know, little things that he could've done differently because he got taken down. That's just how he is. He wants to win world and Olympic titles"
157 - JASON NOLF over JOEY LEVALLEE (MISSOURI) - 14-6 MD
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FINAL RESULT It took nearly two minutes of the first period before Nolf scored the first takedown, but from there he didn't slow down. He went on to score five more and force two stall warning against Lavallee to secure the 14-6 major decision.
IN HIS OWN WORDS "I wanted to get the pin there in the finals. He was kind of hard to open up. I didn't really get a pinning combination up except for the one time, and I didn't even get the takedown either. But I had, in the third period, I had him on his back a little bit, but he fought it off, and the ref didn't really know what was going on. So, yeah, I am looking to get a pin out there every time, no matter what. And I'm kind of upset a little bit when I don't. So even though I just won the national title, I'm still looking to improve. But I'm really grateful for all of this."
IN HIS COACH'S WORDS Cunningham: "Cody spends a lot of time with Nolf and Zain ... and Cody does a great job with them. Just giving them different goals and goals in practice" in order to keep them motivated to dominate matches.
165 - VINCENZO JOSEPH over ISAIH MARTINEZ (ILLINOIS) - FALL (5:25)
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FINAL RESULT Facing Martinez, a two-time NCAA champ who had only one career loss, Joseph surrendered the first takedown, which PSU challenged but the officials confirmed. Joseph quickly escaped and then with 20 seconds remaining in the first he spun behind Martinez to go ahead, 3-2. Martinez quickly escaped to knot the score and then escaped again at the start of the second to go ahead, 4-3. But then Joseph hit a slick pass-by for his second takedown and a 5-4 lead. Martinez escaped again to tie it heading into the third period, but he didn't escape fast enough to negate Joseph's riding time, which sat exactly at 1 minute. But Joseph soon made any riding time moot. In a scramble in the third period, Joseph stuck Martinez to his back for the pin.
IN HIS OWN WORDS "I was confident going in. And even after I gave up that first takedown I was, like, they went to review it. I went back, talked to my coaches. First thing I said to them was: I'm scoring soon. I could feel it starting to open up, and I knew I was going to get to my attack soon."
IN HIS COACH'S WORDS Cael Sanderson: "He's just gotten better with experience. He's a tough kid. You see the look in his eye. He had a great look in his eye during that finals match. He had some big-time wins. In the quarterfinals I think he scored with a few seconds left against a tough, tough kid. He's just a tough kid."
174 - MARK HALL over BO JORDAN (OHIO STATE) - 5-2 DEC.
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FINAL RESULT After a scoreless first period, Hall escaped to start the second. Then in a wild scramble Jordan nearly came out on top with the takedown before Hall wiggled his way around to come out on top, a call that was confirmed by replay review. With a 3-1 lead to start the third, Hall pushed Jordan away for the escape and then battled on his feet for almost the remainder of the match. Hall was hit for stalling once and many of the 18,000-plus fans in attendance wanted another warning against him, but before time expired Hall scored two more to win by decision, 5-2. The win avenged a loss against Jordan in the Big Ten championship round two weeks ago.
IN HIS OWN WORDS "I wrestled a lot of places. This is one of the tougher places. There's a lot of people out there. I've wrestled around the world, different people, different countries. And the important thing (is to) just have fun. I told myself over and over as soon as the negative thought came into my mind, I replaced it with Jesus loves you, NCAA champion, over and over. Whether I was to win or not, Jesus would still love me. And NCAA champion will one day be in his plan, of course be fulfilled, but just have fun. (That is) the most important thing."
IN HIS COACH'S WORDS Cunningham: "Mark Hall is as super special kid. He's been wresting on big stages his entire life. Since he was a little boy he's been wrestling in the biggest events. His family has given him the opprotunity to travel the country and the world. He's a world champion already. He's wrestled the best guys in the world. This is a step along the way. His goal is to start wrestling freestyle now and try to go make a world team. It doesn't stop for him and that's why he's so cool because he's done this his whole life."
184 - BO NICKAL over GABE DEAN (CORNELL) - 4-3 DEC.
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FINAL RESULT Dean, a two-time NCAA champ at this weight class, struck first with the opening takedown in the first period before Nickal quickly escaped. Before the period ended, however, Nickal added a takedown of his own, one that needed instant replay review to be confirmed. With a 3-2 lead entering the second period, Nickal escaped to take a 4-2 lead and it stayed that way into the third period. Dean escaped, 4-3, but Nickal was able to hang on for the decision and his first national championship after falling in the final a year ago.
IN HIS OWN WORDS "Definitely wish I would've got to the legs a little more. I felt like once I was to the legs I was going to finish, work on finishing the legs a lot. When I got to the single leg, he sprawled out. I knew exactly what I needed to do thanks to Cunningham. He helped me with that position over my redshirt year I knew what to do from there. And once I got the leg. I knew I was going to get it. I wish I would have got to the leg a little bit more scored more points had a little more action, but that's all right. I guess a win's a win."
IN HIS COACH'S WORDS Cael Sanderson: "He saw Penn State (as a recruit from Texas) and he saw how we wrestled and our mindset and he wanted to come to Penn State. And when kids do that, that helps us out, because we want kids that want to be with us."
