Wrestlers gain retribution at Big Tens

By RYAN HOCKENSMITH
Collegian Staff Writer

Wounded, aggravated and counted out, they traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich., in hopes of revenge.

They got it . . . almost.

"They" would be the members of the No. 10 Penn State wrestling squad. The payback desired -- winning last weekend's Big Ten Championships.

That didn't happen.

But Nittany Lion grapplers did exact a certain amount of revenge, placing third behind heavy favorites No. 2 Minnesota and No. 3 Iowa.

Coach Troy Sunderland's troops steamrolled past both No. 6 Illinois and the No. 9 host Wolverines, two squads who knocked off the Lions this season in dual meet action.

Lion 184-pounder Ross Thatcher, a second-placer last weekend, was impressed with his squad's efforts.

"The team did a great job," Thatcher said. "Definitely one of the best performances of the season for us."

In addition to getting team grudges squared away, numerous Penn State individuals seeked out familiar foes and settled scores.

Penn State senior Glenn Pritzlaff tore through the 174-pound bracket, a weight class many felt was the strongest of the tournament. Pritzlaff moved into the championship bout opposite Northwestern's Mark Bybee, the two grapplers' third bout of the season.

After splitting their first two matches, Pritzlaff registered an overtime takedown to win his first Big Ten title and avenge a Feb. 14 loss to Bybee.

Also grabbing individual glory was 125-pound Lion Jeremy Hunter.

Hunter methodically added three more wins to his unblemished 29-0 record, defeating Indiana's Pat Cassidy 3-1 in the championship bout.

Last season, Hunter reached the tournament finals only to drop a 2-1 decision to Michigan State's David Morgan.

Lion senior Clint Musser, however, was on the other end of the revenge spectrum.

Musser reached the 157-pound final with three straight wins. There, Iowa's Jamie Heidt awaited. Musser had slipped past Heidt earlier this season with an overtime takedown.

Heidt reversed that decision, handing Musser only his fourth loss of the season and relegating him to second-place status for the second straight season.

Penn State's Thatcher, in his first action since injuring his ankle Jan. 23, disregarded his No. 7 seed and stormed to the championship bout of the 184-pound weight class. But his run ended there with a 6-3 loss at the hands of No. 2 Brandon Eggum of Minnesota.

Thatcher was one person not surprised by his showing.

"I thought I was better than all of those guys I beat, anyway," the junior said of defeating higher seeds. "If I wouldn't have been hurt, I would have gotten a better seed in the first place."

Penn State heavyweight Mark Janus stunned three ranked foes, all of whom had beaten Janus in the past. Janus, seeded No. 7, nipped No. 2 Wes Hand 7-6 in the quarterfinals before dropping to the consolation round after a loss by fall to Illinois' Karl Roesler. Janus led 4-2 at the time, but got nailed for a defensive pin to fall out of title contention.

In the consolation bracket, Janus consecutively defeated David Pierce of Purdue and Michigan State's Matt Lamb to grab third-place honors.

Other Lions advancing to the NCAA Tournament, March 18-20 at The Bryce Jordan Center, were Nate Parker (6th place, 133 pounds), Biff Walizer (7th, 149 pounds), Alex Leykikh (5th, 165 pounds) and Brett Calabretta (7th, 197 pounds).

Overall, Sunderland was pleased with his squad's showing.

"A lot of guys definitely raised their level from what we've done all season," the first-year coach said. "Hopefully things will continue that way."

Meanwhile, Iowa's string of 25 straight Big Ten team titles came to a crashing halt at the hands of Minnesota. Hawkeye coach Jim Zalesky took the loss graciously.

"The streak was good while it lasted," Zalesky said. "But our look has shifted to NCAAs. That's what it's all about."