In reality, it was an intra-squad scrimmage, but every part of yesterday's Wrestle-Offs made it seemed as though that was not the case.

Members of the Penn State wrestling team took to the mat to fight it out for the top spot in each weight class. The level of competition and the overall atmosphere of the crowd in Rec Hall exceeded expectations.

"Whenever you're seeing other teams and their dual meets, and we have more people here for Wrestle-Offs -- an intra-squad match -- 2,000 people, or nearly that, that's just awesome," Penn State coach Troy Sunderland said. "We appreciate the fans that came out today and stayed and watched. Hopefully they got a glimpse of some great things to come at Penn State."

There were several surprise winners and matches. The 157-pound weight class provided the most unpredictable winners, including the eventual victor, sophomore Jason Lapham.

"It gives him some confidence," Sunderland said of Lapham. "All the hard work that he's put in over the summer and this fall is paying off for him. I think this gets him looking at his future and what he wants to do here at Penn State."

Lapham came away with a 4-0 record for the day, defeating sophomore Jonathon Clemens in the final match.

Another shocker from that weight class was senior Nathan Galloway's rocky performance. Galloway, No. 11 in the country, lost both of his matches, including a 2-0 shut out from true freshman Josh Rohler.

"There were definitely surprises that occurred today," Sunderland said. "That's what makes it exciting. That's why these kids have this opportunity. They come out and lay it on the line.

"They'll compete against their teammate, and I told them that before hand. You gotta do your job. They're an opponent when you step on the mat, and they're still your teammates when you step off the mat."

Despite the quality of the freshman class, there weren't any true freshmen to win a varsity spot. Rohler proved why he was one of the most sought after recruits with his win over Galloway.

The No. 8 Nittany Lions lineup looks strong even without one of the talented freshmen in a top spot."

"I do [feel confident]," junior Mark McKnight said. "The guys that are there obviously earned their spot. If we continue to work, I don't think we should have a problem at all."

After transferring from SUNY Buffalo and redshirting last year, McKnight's performance showed his eagerness for the start of the season.

McKnight is ranked No. 11 in his 125-pound weight class, and won both of his matches yesterday against true freshman Eric Caschera. The first match ended in a first-period fall, and he finished the second match with a 23-5 technical fall at 5:52.