No. 1 Penn State clinches sixth straight title at 2016 Southern Scuffle
No. 1 Penn State has this New Years tradition every year to win the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tennessee– and this year was no different. After two days packed with wrestling, Penn State came out on top for the sixth year in a row with a total team score of 183.0.
The following four placing teams didn’t even come close to the Nittany Lion powerhouse: 2. Oklahoma State (158.0), 3. Lehigh (104.5), 4. Cornell (98.5) and 5. North Carolina (97.5).
The Nittany Lions claimed first-place titles in five weight classes and had five additional wrestlers place in the tournament. The team posted a 59-20 record at the end of the tournament and 35 of those wins earned bonus points.
Senior No. 6 Jordan Conaway placed second at 133 with an upset win in the semifinals over Virginia’s No. 4 George DiCamillo, but a big major decision loss in the finals against Cornell’s No. 1 Nashon Garrett.
A familiar name didn’t make the podium this year, Penn State’s No. 6 141-pounder Jimmy Gulibon. After a first round bye, Gulibon fell to a surprising loss to Lehigh’s backup 141-wrestler, Cortland Schuyler and again in the consolation rounds against Michigan’s Zac Hall.
Sophomore No. 1 Zain Retherford finished his 149 weight class finals in style with a pin to take the title. Senior No. 1 Morgan McIntosh also added two pins on his way to a first place title at 197.
But the most exciting upset win of the tournament came in at 174. Penn State redshirt freshman No. 5 Bo Nickal faced Cornell’s No. 1 Brian Realbuto in the semifinals. The previously unbeaten Realbuto couldn’t handle Nickal’s dominant wrestling style and the Nittany Lion advanced to the finals with a 14-7 win.
In Nickal’s 6-0 record at the Scuffle he added two tech falls and a major and was named the 2016 Southern Scuffle Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Penn State prepares for a road trip to Indiana this weekend to face two Big Ten teams. On Friday at 7 p.m. the Nittany Lions face Purdue and then finish the weekend against Indiana on Sunday at 1 p.m.
PLACING BY WEIGHT CLASS:
125
1ST PLACE: #4 Nico Megaludis, 5-0 overall
133
2ND PLACE: #6 Jordan Conaway, 4-1 overall
141
8TH PLACE: Kade Moss, 4-3 overall
149
1ST PLACE: #1 Zain Retherford, 5-0 overall
157
1ST PLACE: #3 Jason Nolf, 5-0 overall
5TH PLACE: Zack Beitz, 6-2 overall
165
5TH PLACE: #18 Geno Morelli, 5-2 overall
7TH PLACE: Garett Hammond, 5-2 overall
174
1ST PLACE: #5 Bo Nickal, 6-0 overall
197
1ST PLACE: #1 Morgan McIntosh, 5-0 overall
The following four placing teams didn’t even come close to the Nittany Lion powerhouse: 2. Oklahoma State (158.0), 3. Lehigh (104.5), 4. Cornell (98.5) and 5. North Carolina (97.5).
The Nittany Lions claimed first-place titles in five weight classes and had five additional wrestlers place in the tournament. The team posted a 59-20 record at the end of the tournament and 35 of those wins earned bonus points.
Senior No. 6 Jordan Conaway placed second at 133 with an upset win in the semifinals over Virginia’s No. 4 George DiCamillo, but a big major decision loss in the finals against Cornell’s No. 1 Nashon Garrett.
A familiar name didn’t make the podium this year, Penn State’s No. 6 141-pounder Jimmy Gulibon. After a first round bye, Gulibon fell to a surprising loss to Lehigh’s backup 141-wrestler, Cortland Schuyler and again in the consolation rounds against Michigan’s Zac Hall.
Sophomore No. 1 Zain Retherford finished his 149 weight class finals in style with a pin to take the title. Senior No. 1 Morgan McIntosh also added two pins on his way to a first place title at 197.
But the most exciting upset win of the tournament came in at 174. Penn State redshirt freshman No. 5 Bo Nickal faced Cornell’s No. 1 Brian Realbuto in the semifinals. The previously unbeaten Realbuto couldn’t handle Nickal’s dominant wrestling style and the Nittany Lion advanced to the finals with a 14-7 win.
In Nickal’s 6-0 record at the Scuffle he added two tech falls and a major and was named the 2016 Southern Scuffle Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Penn State prepares for a road trip to Indiana this weekend to face two Big Ten teams. On Friday at 7 p.m. the Nittany Lions face Purdue and then finish the weekend against Indiana on Sunday at 1 p.m.
PLACING BY WEIGHT CLASS:
125
1ST PLACE: #4 Nico Megaludis, 5-0 overall
133
2ND PLACE: #6 Jordan Conaway, 4-1 overall
141
8TH PLACE: Kade Moss, 4-3 overall
149
1ST PLACE: #1 Zain Retherford, 5-0 overall
157
1ST PLACE: #3 Jason Nolf, 5-0 overall
5TH PLACE: Zack Beitz, 6-2 overall
165
5TH PLACE: #18 Geno Morelli, 5-2 overall
7TH PLACE: Garett Hammond, 5-2 overall
174
1ST PLACE: #5 Bo Nickal, 6-0 overall
197
1ST PLACE: #1 Morgan McIntosh, 5-0 overall
