“It’s a really good preview, good practice, good ending of the dual meet season going into the Big Tens,” Pataky said. Good call. Pataky is one of four ranked Nittany Lions expected to face a ranked Golden Gopher. All four matchups will come during the meet’s first half, assuming Penn State’s Cael Sanderson and Minnesota’s J Robinson don’t agree to a random draw. Penn State’s past three meets included a total of just two bouts involving ranked wrestlers. Both bouts involved Frank Molinaro, who handled North-western’s Andrew Nadhir and Michigan State’s David Cheza. Tonight’s marquee matchups come with perks: Winners enhance their Big Ten tournament seedings. “They are big, especially for the experiences,” Cyler Sanderson said. “We can possibly wrestle these guys three times before the season is over. It’s real important for all of us to go in there, get a good feel, test ourselves and see what we need to do to win those matches when they are really important.”
The duo met three times last season, with Pataky winning twice, including during the Big Ten Championships. Sanders missed two weeks because of an injury and lost to Iowa’s Matt McDonough 13-2 in his return last week. Pataky is 1-5 against top- 10 opponents. But he’s posted two technical falls and two major decisions since a 7-2 loss to McDonough. The winner likely receives the Big Ten’s third seed behind Indiana’s Angel Escobedo and McDonough. “It’s big,” Pataky said. “I’m not sure how it is all done, but whenever it’s all said and done, that’s the most important part — having a good seed at Big Tens.”
Adam Lynch ranked? Believe it. The Mifflinburg native reached InterMat’s rankings for the first time this week. Lynch is 6-1 in the Big Ten. Thorn is 5-2. Lynch upset Iowa’s Montell Marion. Thorn lost to Marion 15-7 last week. Lynch’s only Big Ten loss was to Ohio State’s Reece Humphrey. Thorn also lost to Purdue’s Juan Archuleta.
A meeting between two New Jersey products should escalate tensions. “I’m really looking forward to wrestling him,” said Molinaro, who attended Southern Regional High School. Molinaro and Mason, a redshirt freshman from Blair Academy, first met in elementary school. They wrestled throughout their youth and high school careers. “I might have been beaten by him once,” said Molinaro, a three-time New Jersey state champ. They have never met in college. “College is different,” said Molinaro, who will likely secure the No. 3 seed for the conference tournament with a victory. “I got a whole year on him, too, so I’m feeling real confident going into this match.”
It seems like this pair has been around for a decade. The duo met twice as freshmen 149-pounders in 2006-07, with Schlatter winning 9-2 and 3-1. Schlatter ended the season with a NCAA title, but multiple injuries have interrupted his career. It’s pretty simple tonight. The winner should arrive in Ann Arbor. Mich., next month as the conference’s No. 1 seed. Cyler was stunned by Iowa’s Jake Kerr last month. He has rebounded with four straight pins. Schlatter dropped to 157 on Jan. 29 after beginning the season at 165. His only loss was as a 165-pounder against Oklahoma State’s Alex Meade. “It’s a good opportunity for Cyler, with Schlatter being a national champion,” Cael Sanderson said. “He’s a tough kid. Cyler has to do what he does, which is wrestle in the areas he wants to be in and make sure he’s attacking.”
Penn State’s success in the four bouts should determine whether it upends a top-10 opponent for the first time. The 10th-ranked Nittany Lions are 0-5 against teams in this week’s NWCA/USA Today top 10. “We have to win the close matches and we need an upset or two,” Cael Sanderson said. “I feel real good about the way our team is wrestling right now. It would be great for us to go in there and put them to the test.”
Thanks to Guy Cipriano and the "Centre Daily Times" (State College, Pa.) for the article