PSU grapplers earn third straight national title

CLEVELAND — Penn State’s start to the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 15 was as bad as it could get —the first two Nittany Lions to hit the mats at Quicken Loans Arena got pinned.

From that disastrous start, Penn State built to a crescendo March 17, punctuated by a finish as good as it could get — a dramatic pin that clinched the Nittany Lions’ third straight NCAA championship and the seventh in the past eight seasons.

In between Thursday morning and Saturday night, Penn State posted a 39-7 record. Still, the Nittany Lions trailed Ohio State at the end of the first three sessions. Penn State jumped back into the lead after the fourth session, in which the Lions went 5-for-5 in the semifinals. Ohio State stole back the lead early Saturday, during Session 5.

Penn State would eventually crown four champions, a runner-up, a fifth-place finisher and two seventh-place finishers, for a total of eight All-Americans. That tied a program record first accomplished in 1987.

Penn State and Ohio State duplicated a feat done only one time previously in NCAA history — two teams crowning eight All-Americans in the same tournament. The only other time it happened was in 1982 when Iowa and Iowa State pulled it off.

Zain Retherford (149), Jason Nolf (157), Vincenzo Joseph (165) and Bo Nickal (184) all won titles. Mark Hall (174) was runner-up at 174. Nick Lee (141) took fifth and Shakur Rasheed (197) and Nick Nevills (285) both took seventh.

“I think they put forth a tremendous effort throughout the whole year. And a great day today, great day yesterday. And just proud of them and happy for them, more than anything,” Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson said.

“I think they remained calm and focused on their goals and that’s important. I mean, you want to win. When there’s a team race, you know, that obviously adds just additional pressure to individuals. But I thought they did a great job staying focused. And, like I said, I’m really happy for them and proud of them.”

Associate head coach Cody Sanderson talked about the bittersweet nature of the championship.

“Unfortunately, we had a couple of guys who didn’t get to where they wanted to get tonight. We had some guys put on some incredible performances and we get to call ourselves national champions again, so that feels great,” Cody Sanderson said.

“For a moment it was extremely exciting. We were jumping around hugging each other and then 10 seconds later I come running down the hallway and there’s Mark walking through and he has to go up there and stand on the second-place stand. Second place is an incredible feat, but that’s not what he was here to do. So, you feel for him.”

The crowning, clinching moment came at 184. Myles Martin took Nickal down to his back and looked like he might stick him. Nickal had other plans.

“I really didn’t have to think. I’ve been doing that move for a really long time. I try it a lot in practice, just messing around and play wrestling with guys and stuff like that. So, it’s a position that I’m comfortable in. And I knew what I was doing. I didn’t have to think too much about it,” Nickal said.

“Looking back at it initially he knocked me down to my hip. So, I just didn’t really have a solid, like, balance. My feet weren’t like flat under me. I wasn’t able to keep my base underneath me. But when I came back, I had my feet solid on the mat, that way I could drive off them. I wasn’t really thinking like bail in that position. I was just thinking get my hips back underneath me.”

Even as those tenuous seconds ticked by, head assistant coach Casey Cunningham didn’t panic.

“Not really. Bo is super dangerous in there. I was nervous for a second, but I knew he adjusted. That’s Bo Nickal for you,” he said.

Nickal flipped Martin to his back with a move called the high flier, locked in a leg and went to chest to chest and got the fall in 2:29. Nickal’s celebration was unusually demonstrative. He jumped into the arms of all three coaches and then spiked his headgear before shaking Martin’s hand.

“I was definitely super excited. It’s a crazy moment. So, the interview is straight after. You don’t have time to cool down or anything,” he said. “Still everything I said is true: You go to Penn State to win titles as an individual and as a team. That’s what we do. And that’s what we trained for. And we have the best coaches in the country, best facilities, best fans. And best wrestling, easily.”

Now a three-time All-American, three-time finalist and two-time champion, Nickal improved his career record to 90-3.

Retherford built a lead he would never cede with two first-period takedowns to take a 4-1 lead into the second over Lock Haven’s Ronnie Perry. He then escaped to start the second but could not penetrate Perry’s defenses. Then, in the third Perry took bottom and escaped, but again, neither wrestler could mount an offense. Retherford added another point on 1:45 of riding time for the 6-2 final.

“This year, the only difference was I knew that was the last time I was going to wear the singlet. I said it before, but just kind of making the most of this opportunity. Just as nervous as I was the first time doing this. That doesn’t go away. I think it was definitely fun and it’s kind of sad this is the last time I’m wearing this,” Retherford said.

“I felt a lot of emotions today for sure. I know my heart was racing all last night and pretty much all today. So, I took a walk in the sun and went and saw the lake a little bit, just to get my mind off of things. But definitely emotions are going and you gotta kind of relax. That’s what makes this tournament different.”

Perry was the first No. 15 seed to advance to an NCAA final. He was looking to become Lock Haven’s 10th all-time champion and the first since Cary Kolat in 1997.

Retherford will graduate as the 10th four-time All-American in Penn State history, having finished fifth and first three times. He ended his career with a 94-match winning streak, the longest in program history, and a 126-3 career record.

Retherford has 19 NCAA tournament wins as a Nittany Lion, second all-time at Penn State.  He is the school’s 10th four-time All-American. He joins Ed Ruth as the school’s only three-time NCAA champions.

Nolf followed the same script as Retherford, scoring two takedowns in the first period to lead 4-1 into the second on North Carolina State’s Hayden Hidlay, a Lewistown native. The first was a single that Nolf had to work for. The second was a slick snap-by that used Hidlay’s momentum against him.

“On the second one he slicked me pretty good. I’ll be the first to admit that,” Hidlay said. “I kind of fell on my face for a second.”
Nolf admitted he had to adjust his style since his knee injury.

“I just wanted to protect my knee, not put myself in any bad situations to be out longer. Just finding opportunities to score. A couple of times I felt him reach in and post it and got the leg. And the other time I kind of passed his elbow by and got the leg. So, I was just waiting for those opportunities,” Nolf said.

“So a little bit different than my normal style, instead of going and getting it I have to be a little bit more patient so I don’t get myself in those situations. But I think I did a really good job this week.”

Nolf added a second-period escape and then ceded an escape in the third. He added a point for 1:31 in riding time for the 6-2 final.
Now a three-time All-American and two-time champion, Nolf improved his career record to 86-3.

Joseph took down Illinois two-time champion Isaiah Martinez in the final for the second year in a row, but this year it was less dramatic, more surgical.

Joseph hit an inside trip for a takedown in the first and then tilted Martinez for two more. Martinez escaped to start the second but Joseph was awarded a penalty point when Martinez head butted him. Joseph added a third-period escape for the win.
A two-time champion, Joseph’s career record stands at 41-6.

Hall, the defending champion, lost in a rematch with Arizona State’s Zahid Valencial, who Hall beat, 4-3, in last year’s semifinals. This year, Valencia was superior on his feet, scoring three takedowns in a dominating 8-2 win.

A two-time All-American and two-time finalist, Hall’s career record is now 63-4.