When the ten final matches of the Nittany Lion Open began, eight of the 10 mats had a Penn State representative. Four of the eight Penn State finalists captured a title.
The annual open brought over 600 wrestlers to Rec Hall yesterday. For No. 7 Penn State, it was a final tune-up before its dual season begins against No. 24 Lehigh on Friday.
"This isn't the national tournament or the Big Ten Tournament," Penn State coach Troy Sunderland said. "I think this tournament this year had a significant amount of ranked guys and a tougher field than recent years."
Ranked No. 1 at the 197-pound weight class, junior Phil Davis was the first Nittany Lion to win a championship. Fellow captain, senior James Yonushonis, ranked No. 2 also came away victorious in his 174-pound weight class.
Junior, Bryan Heller also finished first in the 141-pound weight class.
Junior Mark McKnight capped off the Penn State victories with an exciting final match for the 125-pound weight class. Ranked No. 7 in the nation, McKnight upset Michigan State's No. 5 Franklin Gomez with a 5-3 decision in sudden death.
"Being in a big match like that, I think that's gonna help me get ready for this atmosphere here at Rec [Hall]," McKnight said. "I've never wrestled in front of a big crowd here at Rec, and it's a little intense. That crowd's really on our side, so I think that will really help with that."
McKnight went 5-0 on the day with two major decisions, earning him "Outstanding Wrestler" of the tournament. With this victory, he was able to repeat as the Open's champion in the 125-pound weight class.
With the large turnout and amount of support at yesterday's tournament, the victories and experience will give Penn State added confidence for this weekend's matches against Lehigh and at No. 5 Hofstra.
Much of the excitement yesterday had to do with the new Lorenzo Wrestling Complex, where some matches were held throughout the day. The official dedication of the facility will take place before Friday's dual match.
"I got a lot of feedback [regarding the complex]," Sunderland said. "A lot of folks are just very impressed with what we've done and what Penn State's done and what our wrestling community here at Penn State has shown and the new facilities."
