As disappointing as it all sounds, the Nittany Lions (10-5, 2-3 Big Ten) have a chance to turn a dismal week into an encouraging one. Penn State’s final major regular- season test arrives at 7 p.m. tonight when it wrestles No. 6 Michigan (15-4, 2-1) at Rec Hall. The Wolverines, who send four returning All-Americans to the mat, are the last ranked opponent on the schedule.
The Nittany Lions, who started the season 8-1, find themselves in a precarious situation. They have lost four of their past six matches. No loss incited coach Troy Sunderland’s ire more than Sunday’s at Illinois, where Penn State lost four bouts by three or less points. Sunderland publicly criticized multiple wrestlers after the meet, an unusual move for the 10th-year coach. “It was definitely frustrating,” Sunderland said Thursday. “We haven’t beaten Illinois in a dual meet since I have been the coach and it was one of those things where I thought we had the better team. But give credit to Illinois. They got the job done.” Sunderland and his staff have spent the past four days analyzing the team’s performance and response. “It has been interesting,” Sunderland said. “We have had good practices. We have been stressing the importance of those seven minutes. The kids have worked hard in all aspects and they have trained as hard as they can. But they are measured by those seven minutes. When the lights go on, that’s the critical time. That’s when they should be wrestling their best. Hopefully, they start wrestling to their potential.”
Potential might be the optimal word for tonight. Michigan has five wrestlers — 141-pounder Kellen Russell, 149-pounder Josh Churella, 165-pounder Eric Tannenbaum, 174-pounder Steve Luke and junior 184-pounder Tyrel Todd — who have the potential to win national titles next month. Scott, another wrestler with vast potential, will face Russell in one of tonight’s best bouts. Sunderland attempted to use Scott at 149 during last month’s home match against Cornell. A Big Red forfeit prevented Scott from competing in the dual. Scott received the starting spot for tonight when Strayer was forced to injury default less than two minutes into Wednesday’s wrestle-off. Sunderland said he doesn’t know the extent of Strayer’s injury or whether another wrestle-off will be held for spot. The Scott-Russell bout features two true freshman with gaudy credentials. Scott won three PIAA Class AA titles at Juniata Valley while Russell claimed senior and junior national titles and advanced to three Beast of the East finals during his career at Blair Academy. Earlier this season, Russell ascended to the top of the college 141-pound hierarchy.
Scott (13-3), who pinned Illinois freshman Ryan Prater on Sunday, will be facing his third Top 10 opponent in a dual meet. He lost to Oklahoma State’s Nathan Morgan 6-3 in December and Iowa’s Dan LeClere 4-3 last month. “It will be interesting to see how Garrett does,” Sunderland said. “It’s obviously a challenge. But Garrett is one of those kids who’s cool and calm. He wrestled in some high-pressure dual meets at Oklahoma State and Iowa, and it will be good to get him back home in a big match.”
Another intriguing bout should occur at 149 where Jenkins faces Churella, who lost to Edinboro’s Gregor Gillespie in last year’s national final. Jenkins and Churella are competing for high seeds in perhaps the Big Ten’s toughest weight class. Tonight’s match begins Penn State’s longest home stretch. The Nittany Lions are wrestling their final three Big Ten matches at Rec Hall before traveling to neighboring Lock Haven later this month. “It has been a tough swing when you look at the travel, competition, canceled flights and the crazy things that have happened,” Sunderland said. “But those are the challenges we want them to go through so if something crazy happens at the Big Ten Tournament or NCAA Championships they are ready for it.”
Thanks to Guy Cipriano and the "Centre Daily Times" (State College, pa.) for the article