NCAA Wrestling Tournament: Session IV Recap

Each year Penn State has won an NCAA Wrestling team title, it has had one session that you can point to as the session that either turned things in its favor or busted things wide open.

In 2018, Friday night’s session IV appears as if it could be that session if the Nittany Lions go on to win.

Cael Sanderson’s band of merry men went 9-2 in the session including nine consecutive wins to start the session and four bonus-point victories.

On the other hand, Ohio State saw serious trouble on the front side as four of its six semifinalists took losses, including the first four.

Penn State got the session started with Nick Lee continuing his tear through the back side. Lee bulldozed his way through Bucknell’s Tyler Smith to pick up a 13-6 decision and become an All-American after losing in round one.

Zain Retherford then took to the mat and put it in cruise control en route a 10-4 win over Troy Heilmann of North Carolina.

Jason Nolf, looking as healthy as ever, putting a beatdown on OSU’s Micah Jordan to pick up a 16-0 tech fall at the 4:28 mark.

Vincenzo Joseph, steady as he goes, used a second period takedown and some good defense to pick up a 3-1 victory over Virginia Tech’s David McFadden.

Up at 174, Mark Hall dominated Missouri’s Daniel Lewis, getting out to a 5-2 lead before defending a takedown attempt, floating his hips over and picking up the fall at the 6:22 mark to send the Penn State crowd into a frenzy.

At 184, Bo Nickal got two early takedowns and then played some good defense to top Michigan’s Domenic Abounader 6-3 after a riding time point was added, giving Penn State five finalists for the third consecutive years.

Shakur Rasheed became an All-American when he held on for a 6-5 decision over Frank Mattiace before falling to Kollin Moore of Ohio State 7-4.

Nick Nevills followed suit when he beat Jere Heino 6-1 before losing to Sam Stoll of Iowa 4-2 in sudden victory.

Lastly, Nick Lee advanced to the consolation semifinals when he picked up a 12-4 major decision over Eastern Michigan’s Se’Darian Perry.

Penn State seized control of the team race as the Buckeyes faltered, though OSU still has six wrestlers alive in the consi semis.

TEAM SCORES

1. Penn State 120.5
2. Ohio State 109.5
3. Iowa 86.5
4. Michigan 73.5
5. NC State 69.5

RESULTS THROUGH SESSION IV

133

Corey Keener (17-10) place is unknown and scored 0.50 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 - Dom Forys (Pittsburgh) 22-6 won by fall over Corey Keener (Penn State) 17-10 (Fall 4:57)
• Cons. Round 1 - Corey Keener (Penn State) 17-10 won by decision over Cam Sykora (North Dakota State) 23-12 (Dec 9-7)
• Cons. Round 2 - Rico Montoya (Northern Colorado) 25-14 won by fall over Corey Keener (Penn State) 17-10 (Fall 4:28)

141

Nick Lee (32-6) placed 6th and scored 10.50 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 - Ryan Diehl (Maryland) 13-14 won by fall over Nick Lee (Penn State) 32-6 (Fall 2:13)
• Cons. Round 1 - Nick Lee (Penn State) 32-6 won by decision over Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) 25-8 (Dec 7-3)
• Cons. Round 2 - Nick Lee (Penn State) 32-6 won by decision over Mason Smith (Central Michigan) 32-7 (Dec 5-0)
• Cons. Round 3 - Nick Lee (Penn State) 32-6 won by major decision over Cole Weaver (Indiana) 26-12 (MD 13-5)
• Cons. Round 4 - Nick Lee (Penn State) 32-6 won by decision over Tyler Smith (Bucknell) 29-6 (Dec 13-6)
• Cons. Round 5 - Nick Lee (Penn State) 32-6 won by major decision over Sa`Derian Perry (Eastern Michigan) 18-18 (MD 12-4)

149

Zain Retherford (30-0) placed 2nd and scored 21.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 - Zain Retherford (Penn State) 30-0 won by tech fall over Kyle Springer (Eastern Michigan) 21-18 (TF-1.5 7:00 (16-1))
• Champ. Round 2 - Zain Retherford (Penn State) 30-0 won by fall over Alfred Bannister (Maryland) 24-10 (Fall 2:29)
• Quarterfinal - Zain Retherford (Penn State) 30-0 won by tech fall over Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State) 29-7 (TF-1.5 5:00 (20-2))
• Semifinal - Zain Retherford (Penn State) 30-0 won by decision over Troy Heilmann (North Carolina) 31-5 (Dec 10-4)

157

Jason Nolf (25-1) placed 2nd and scored 19.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 - Jason Nolf (Penn State) 25-1 won by tech fall over Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan) 19-8 (TF-1.5 7:00 (22-7))
• Champ. Round 2 - Jason Nolf (Penn State) 25-1 won by decision over Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) 28-12 (Dec 6-1)
• Quarterfinal - Jason Nolf (Penn State) 25-1 won by decision over Michael Kemerer (Iowa) 26-2 (Dec 6-2)
• Semifinal - Jason Nolf (Penn State) 25-1 won by tech fall over Micah Jordan (Ohio State) 25-7 (TF-1.5 4:28 (16-0))

165

Vincenzo Joseph (24-2) placed 2nd and scored 17.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 - Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 24-2 won by major decision over Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton) 16-13 (MD 15-4)
• Champ. Round 2 - Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 24-2 won by decision over Branson Ashworth (Wyoming) 36-6 (Dec 3-1)
• Quarterfinal - Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 24-2 won in sudden victory - 2 over Isaiah White (Nebraska) 25-8 (SV-2 4-2)
• Semifinal - Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 24-2 won by decision over David McFadden (Virginia Tech) 34-1 (Dec 3-1)

174

Mark Hall (32-0) placed 2nd and scored 20.50 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 - Mark Hall (Penn State) 32-0 won by major decision over Austin Rose (Drexel) 20-18 (MD 12-2)
• Champ. Round 2 - Mark Hall (Penn State) 32-0 won by tech fall over Dylan Lydy (Purdue) 35-14 (TF-1.5 6:54 (21-3))
• Quarterfinal - Mark Hall (Penn State) 32-0 won by decision over Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa) 30-7 (Dec 6-2)
• Semifinal - Mark Hall (Penn State) 32-0 won by fall over Daniel Lewis (Missouri) 32-1 (Fall 6:22)

184

Bo Nickal (30-0) placed 2nd and scored 17.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 - Bo Nickal (Penn State) 30-0 won by major decision over Martin Mueller (South Dakota State) 26-8 (MD 16-4)
• Champ. Round 2 - Bo Nickal (Penn State) 30-0 won by decision over Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan) 27-12 (Dec 10-4)
• Quarterfinal - Bo Nickal (Penn State) 30-0 won by decision over Maxwell Dean (Cornell) 31-5 (Dec 13-7)
• Semifinal - Bo Nickal (Penn State) 30-0 won by decision over Domenic Abounader (Michigan) 26-6 (Dec 6-3)

197

Shakur Rasheed (23-5) placed 8th and scored 7.50 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 - Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) 23-5 won by major decision over Sawyer Root (The Citadel) 25-16 (MD 13-5)
• Champ. Round 2 - Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) 23-5 won by major decision over Daniel Chaid (North Carolina) 22-12 (MD 14-3)
• Quarterfinal - Michael Macchiavello (NC State) 21-3 won by decision over Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) 23-5 (Dec 5-4)
• Cons. Round 4 - Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) 23-5 won by decision over Frank Mattiace (Pennsylvania) 31-8 (Dec 6-5)
• Cons. Round 5 - Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 26-3 won by decision over Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) 23-5 (Dec 7-4)

285

Nick Nevills (29-7) placed 8th and scored 7.50 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 - Nick Nevills (Penn State) 29-7 won by fall over Stephen Suglio (Kent State) 21-10 (Fall 5:24)
• Champ. Round 2 - Nick Nevills (Penn State) 29-7 won in tie breaker - 2 over Michael Boykin (NC State) 21-8 (TB-2 5-4)
• Quarterfinal - Amar Dhesi (Oregon State) 23-3 won by decision over Nick Nevills (Penn State) 29-7 (Dec 4-2)
• Cons. Round 4 - Nick Nevills (Penn State) 29-7 won by decision over Jere Heino (Campbell) 27-7 (Dec 6-1)

Cons. Round 5 - Samuel Stoll (Iowa) 24-5 won in sudden victory - 1 over Nick Nevills (Penn State) 29-7 (SV-1 5-1)