LOCK HAVEN — When the new USA Today/NWCA rankings were released Wednesday, Penn State had moved up to No. 10 and several of its wrestlers had shifted higher as well. That didn’t come as a surprise after the Nittany Lions roared past then-No. 11 Lehigh 24-12 and then-No. 10 Cornell 27-7 over the weekend.
While some teams might have been content to bask in the glow of a Top 10 ranking, Penn State looked like it was trying to convince voters to move them even higher.
Even with three starters out of the lineup, Penn State (8-2) dominated Lock Haven (3-7) 33-7 at Thomas Fieldhouse. The Nittany Lions won eight of 10 bouts and amassed a 25-6 edge in takedowns.
“Our kids fought hard, battled hard and did what they should have done tonight, “Penn State coach Troy Sunderland said. “I think we were a little bit sloppy, not quite the same crispness as I saw Sunday against Cornell. They wrestled hard. We just have to tighten things up a little bit and be a little more precise in what we’re doing.”
That may sound like the coach is splitting hairs, but Sunderland is trying to squeeze every ounce of potential out of a lineup that now features eight ranked wrestlers.
Freshman 165-pounder David Erwin, who debuted at No. 10 this week, put together another dominant performance, piling up 18 points in an 18-1 technical fall in just 4:39. And he’s starting to wrestle with a little swagger and attitude.
“I heard about them (the rankings). I’m excited, but we’ll see at the end of the season. I’m just training with the coaches and working on what I do best, “Erwin said. “It’s going to be tough to come out as high as I’m ranked now.”
Sunderland has watched as Erwin’s confidence has grown.
“He’s becoming a little more vocal and feeling more comfortable around the team and the college transition. He’s done a great job with that, “he said. “He’s natural. He’s got a good flow. He just goes from one thing into the next. He keeps kids off balance. I think that was really evident in the match against Cornell. He’s solid in all three positions. He wrestles with a lot of confidence.”
Erwin’s was one of three technical falls the Nittany Lions recorded on the night. The match started at heavyweight and Joel Edwards and Brad Pataky, filling in for starter Tim Haas at 125, gave Penn State a 10-0 lead it would never relinquish. Pataky’s technical fall came at the expense of one of the Bald Eagles’ only two ranked wrestlers in the lineup — No. 17 Obe Blanc.
“We saw Obe Blanc in Las Vegas last year and Brad had lost to him in freestyle, “Sunderland said. “I expected a turnaround, but a turnaround of that magnitude was pretty impressive.”
Pataky said he has been biding his time behind Haas, trying to improve all the while.
“It felt good tonight to get back into the flow of things, “he said. “It feels great. I’ve been working in the room a lot lately on keeping my composure. I used to in matches if I didn’t score right away get frustrated and nervous. Working with the coaches has helped me a lot at keeping my composure.”
Penn State also got wins from No. 12 141-pounder DeWitt Driscoll (by fall), No. 1 184-pounder Eric Bradley (10-3), No. 10 133-pounder Jake Strayer (10-5), No. 11 James Yonushonis (10-6) and No. 15 Nate Galloway (6-5).
Lock Haven got just two wins. The first came at 149 where backup Clint Shirk majored Penn State backup Jason Lapham 10-2. The second was at 197, where Tom Kocher decisioned Penn State fill-in A.J. Cummins 7-2.
Shirk, who was filling in for No. 18 Josh Medina, was just glad to get into the lineup. The former Bald Eagle Area High School standout has endured a growth spurt and can no longer make 141 pounds, where he had been penciled in as a starter.
“It was pretty tough. It just got to me, “Shirk said. “I feel like I’m back to my normal self. I’m glad I had a good match. It feels good to go out there and have a dominating match. It’s good experience.”
That’s not only bad news for Shirk, but also for the team and coach Rocky Bonomo, who suddenly has two talented wrestlers for one slot.
“He had a growth spurt. We’re looking at it as a positive thing. He’s our future 149-pounder when Medina graduates. I was pleased with Clint tonight, “the third-year coach said.
“That’s kind of what a lot of Penn State guys did to us. That sets the tempo for your team. When someone goes out there and gets waffled back and forth and tech falled or pinned like that, it’s hard to get the next guy going. But when you see Clint go out and be dominant, that’s important for our team. We’ll try to get him as much action as possible. We’re going to count on him to do great things. We weren’t expecting a growth spurt.”
Bonomo said Penn State gives his Bald Eagles a glimpse of where he wants his team to be.
“We need a lot more recruiting and a lot more hard work. We like the David vs. Goliath syndrome that’s created here. For us to be competitive with Penn State would be huge. They are a great program, “Bonomo said. “We’re another couple years away. I know our fans don’t want to hear that, but this is a good team. The Penn State team is a darn good team. We’ll get there. We’re working.”
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