The difficult process begins tonight at No. 10 Northwestern (5-5). It will continue Sunday at No. 15 Illinois (8-1). This has the makings of the Nittany Lions’ (9-4) most challenging weekend until next month’s Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis. Northwestern’s lineup includes five wrestlers ranked in the Top 12 of their respective weight classes. Illinois hasn’t lost to Penn State — this requires an extensive scan of the record book — since 1957. “The Big Ten is a tough conference and every week is a brawl,” sophomore 174-pounder David Erwin said. “This is going to be no different.” The brawls might include fewer haymakers once Penn State returns from Illinois.
After this weekend, the Nittany Lions’ schedule includes home matches against No. 6 Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue, and a commuter to Lock Haven. The Spartans, Boilermakers and Bald Eagles are unranked and rebuilding. Sunderland said Penn State’s goals are similar to the ones it possessed when it started the season 6-0. The Nittany Lions want to win every remaining duals meet. Sunderland believes his team can navigate its remaining six matches without a loss. Six straight wins would give Penn State its best dual meet record since finishing 18-3 in 1998-99, John Fritz’s last year as head coach. “It’s very doable,” said Sunderland, whose team went 14-5 last season. “If we wrestle up to our capabilities, and if we are ready for every match, it’s certainly within our reach.”
Northwestern, on the other hand, can give Penn State fits if it wrestles to its capabilities. The Wildcats recorded their only victory against Penn State in 1995. But this could be one of the best teams in Northwestern history. Senior 149-pounder Ryan Lang, senior 197-pounder Mike Tamillow and senior heavyweight Dustin Fox are national-title contenders. The Wildcats almost had a returning national champion in their lineup but star 184-pounder Jake Herbert elected to take any Olympic redshirt year. Fox, Herbert, Tamillow and Lang helped Northwestern finish fourth at last year’s national championships. “Last year, they had a great team and they could have been even more dominant this year had they had Herbert,” Sunderland said. “Tamillow, Lang and Fox have been great performers for them. They have really gotten a lot out of that class. Those kids have brought the program to a whole new level of success.”
Lang, a national finalist at 141 last year, and Tamillow should be involved in two of tonight’s best bouts. Lang will face unpredictable Penn State sophomore Bubba Jenkins while Tamillow has an opportunity to avenge his loss to Phil Davis during the National Wrestling Coaches All-Star Classic. Davis, who missed the Indiana match to attend the funeral of a family member in Chicago, might receive another test Sunday against Illinois sophomore Patrick Bond. Tamillow and Bond could make Davis work to earn bonus points, something Penn State’s three-time All-American has recorded in 11 of 12 victories this season. “It has been a while since Phil has wrestled two matches in a weekend against two, highly- ranked and competitive kids,” Sunderland said.
Notes:The anticipated 141-pound wrestle-off didn’t occur this week because of a hamstring injury sustained by freshman Garrett Scott. Sunderland said junior Jake Strayer will wrestle at 141 against Northwestern and Illinois. Scott will travel with the team and is expected to weigh-in for both matches. Sunderland said Erwin defeated junior Mark Friend in a “close match” during this week’s wrestle-off at 174.
Thanks to Guy Cipriano and the "Centre Daily Times" (State College, Pa.) for the article