By Andy Elder
ST. LOUIS — The universal truth about the NCAA Wrestling Championships is that every wrestler is good, every match tough. But, some wrestlers, some matches are more difficult than others.
Penn State’s six wrestlers, at least in their first bouts, face manageable matchups. At least that’s the impression you get from Nittany Lion coach Troy Sunderland.
“Overall, it’s the national tournament and if you go in unseeded, you’re going to get some highly ranked guys, “Sunderland said. “Our guys are in as good a position as they can be in.”
Junior 184-pounder Eric Bradley was accorded a No. 4 seed. That earns him a matchup with Rider’s T.J. Morrison. Sunderland had hoped Bradley would be seeded third, placing him in the bracket opposite two-time NCAA champion Greg Jones of West Virginia and Bradley rivals Brian Glynn of Illinois and Ben Wissel of Purdue.
“I’m disappointed with Bradley’s position in the bracket and the fourth seed. I would like to see who (Iowa State No. 2 seed Kurt) Backes wrestled, the kids he beat, “Sunderland said. “Probably more important is (Nebraska No. 3 seed Travis) Pascoe who lost in the Big 12 to Backes. I know Backes did lose twice to Paul Bradley of Iowa. If he’s ranked second, he’s ranked second, but the kid who lost in the Big 12 final shouldn’t be seeded ahead of the Big Ten champion. I haven’t seen their individual records. I haven’t seen who Pascoe beat. I know he’s been ranked high all year, but he was ranked high last year and he didn’t perform at the end.”
The rest of the Nittany Lions are unseeded, but still have favorable matchups.
Senior 125-pounder Adam Smith draws West Virginia’s Shawn Cordell in the first round. Smith destroyed Cordell 14-4 in their only meeting. A Smith win would likely result in a matchup with No. 1 seed Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma.
Freshman 197-pounder Phil Davis also faces a rematch. Davis meets No. 10 seed Jerry Rinaldi of Cornell. Davis defeated Rinaldi 8-5 at the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals.
“Phil is kind of an unknown quantity in the NCAAs to a certain degree. He’s going to have his hands full. It’s a tough opening draw with Rinaldi, “Sunderland said. “I’m kind of anxious to see a potential matchup with (Oklahoma State No. 2 seed Jake) Rosholt. If that occurs, I think it’s a great opportunity for Phil.”
Freshman 133-pounder Bryan Heller has a pigtail match with Tony Curto of Bloomsburg. It’s match No. 2 overall, which means he’ll be one of the first eight bouts of the tournament.
“Heller’s going to be the second match so he’s going to be on the mat at the start of the tournament. That will be a neat experience, “Sunderland said. “I think Heller’s sitting in a really good position.”
Sophomore 157-pounder Nate Galloway will meet Paul Bjorlo of Virginia. It’s the second time Galloway’s qualified for NCAAs, but the first time, two years ago, he was unable to wrestle because of a neck injury. And, after losing a controversial match in the Big Ten seventh-place bout, Galloway was given a second chance when the coaches awarded him one of the conference’s two wild cards.
So, does Galloway appreciate the unique opportunity he’s been presented?
“I think that may be something he, at least on the surface, hasn’t really given that much of a sense of appreciation for his opportunity, “Sunderland said. “I think that’s something that I will talk to him about before he steps on the mat in St. Louis and just let him know he was given an opportunity that not many people get.
“It was an opportunity that was denied him two years ago. This is his opportunity to get here, make the most of it and show the Big Ten coaches weren’t wrong by giving him the opportunity to be here.”
At heavyweight, junior Joel Edwards is scheduled to meet Eastern Illinois’ Peter Ziminski in the first round. A win there would earn him a round of 16 showdown with No. 1 seed Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State.
So, with so many favorable matchups, you would think the Nittany Lions would at least have a slight mental edge.
“Yeah. You just have to be careful you don’t take it out too far. Sometimes you don’t even look at anybody else in the rest of the bracket. You can control your own destiny. Sometimes when you start looking at the matchups in the semifinals or finals or that type of thing, then you’re in store for some upsets, “Sunderland said.
“We try to encourage the team atmosphere. At the NCAA tournament that obviously can build momentum and get guys fired up but you really have to keep perspective and to a certain degree do your own thing and the team takes care of itself.”
Wrestling Gear
