The 2012 NCAA National Champion Penn State wrestling team continued to haul in national academic honors with the release of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic First Team listing as well as the top 30 team break-down. Fresh off notching 11 Academic All-Big Ten honorees, head coach Cael Sanderson's two-time defending champions had four wrestlers named to the NWCA's National All-Academic First Team. (more)
Following an outstanding winter athletic campaign, highlighted by an NCAA Wrestling Championship most recently, Penn State sits third in the most recent 2011-12 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Standings. This is the third-straight year Penn State has finished in the top three after the winter season and has finished in the top five the last seven years. (more)
Lloyd Rhoades, Manager of Central Services at Physical Plant was recently inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Lloyd was honored for his lifetime service to the sport of wrestling. Serving in a variety of positions from Head Coach of the Bald Eagle Area Elementary program, Tournament Director, Secretary-Treasurer of Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling, and Chief Business Officer for the state-wide organization, Lloyd has served his sport well. (more)
Four members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, the two-time NCAA and Big Ten Champions, will be taking part in the 2012 United States Olympic Wrestling Team Trials. Three former national champions and red-shirt freshman who won nearly 30 bouts this year will all head to Iowa City on April 21-22, looking to earn a spot in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. (more)
For only the third time in the 18-year history of college wrestling's top award, a sophomore has won the Dan Hodge Trophy. Penn State's NCAA champ David Taylor was named the 2012 Hodge winner. Only his college coach, Cael Sanderson, and Iowa's Brent Metcalf, ever received the honor as a sophomore. Sanderson won the award in 2000 after winning his second NCAA title for Iowa State. The former Cyclone went on to win the Hodge two more times and is the only three-time Hodge winner. (more)
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team added three new individual champions to its ledgers to complete a stellar run to the 2012 NCAA National Championship. Senior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), sophomore David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) and sophomore Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) all claimed crowns as Penn State won its second straight NCAA team title. The Nittany Lions outdistanced second place Minnesota by a whopping 25.5 points. The Nittany Lions checked in with 143.0 points while the Gophers were second with 117.5. (more)
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will have five wrestlers in the national semifinals after a superb quarterfinal showing at the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The Nittany Lions went 5-2, including two pins and a major, to race out to a large lead in the team race. Penn State is in first place with 78.5 while Cornell is in second with 61.5. Iowa is in third with 58.5 while Minnesota is in fourth with 56.0 and Oklahoma State fifth with 50.0. The national semifinals take place, along with more consolation action, tonight at 6 p.m. CDT/7 p.m. EDT, and will be broadcast live on ESPNU and ESPN3.com. (more)
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team had an outstanding second session at the 2012 NCAA Championship in St. Louis' Scottrade Center, going 8-1 to close out day one with a 16-2 record. Head coach Cael Sanderson's crew is alone in first place. Penn State went 7-1 in the championship bracket and picked up another win in consolation action. The Nittany Lions will send seven wrestlers to the quarterfinals tomorrow morning while two other Lions are alive in consolation action. Penn State is in first place with 38.5 points while Minnesota is in second with 33.0. Cornell follows in third with 27.5 while Oklahoma State (26.5) and Iowa (26.0) round out the top five. (more)
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will head to St. Louis, Mo., for the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 15-17, in the Scottrade Center. Penn State heads in with nine national qualifiers. Head coach Cael Sanderson's Nittany Lions have seven seeded wrestlers, including three top seeds. Penn State's nine national qualifiers are the most for the Nittany Lions since the team had nine in 1999. The Nittany Lions will be looking to win a second straight national title at the event and will have four returning All-Americans in their line-up to go along with three freshmen. The three-day event begins at 11 a.m. Central/noon Eastern on Thursday, March 15. (more)
