College Wrestling

Penn State University 30, Rider University 3

STATE COLLEGE, PA—The Broncs lost the final dual meet of the season at #5 Penn State (11-4) Sunday. “It was a tough day,” said Rider head coach Gary Taylor. “Our kids wrestled well, some of them well enough to win. That's the way it goes sometimes.”

Some fans in attendance, even Penn State fans, felt there were some questionable calls that did not go in Rider's favor.

“I don't complain about calls,” said Taylor, who has won 416 times as Rider's head coach.  “But when you have Penn State people agreeing, but I don't want to get into that. Our kids wrestled well and I'm not disappointed. I'm proud that they wrestled hard. Penn State has some awfully tough kids and our kids wrestled them tough. I think we can build off of that.”

For Rider (12-8) senior Chuck Zeisloft (Woodbury Heights, NJ/Gateway) won at 141 to cut the Nittany Lion lead to 6-3. “Chuck did a good job of finishing the match out,” Taylor said.  “He got a nice takedown that he worked hard for.”

The win was the 17^th of the season for Zeisloft and the 73^rd of his career.

Rider freshman B.J. Clagon (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) and junior Conor Brennan (Brick, NJ/Brick Twp.) lost to the 18^th ranked wrestlers in the nation.  “Those two bouts were highly contested,” Taylor said.

Senior Donald McNeil (Plainville, Mass./Wyoming Seminary) lost to the fourth ranked wrestler in the nation.  “Donald got a nice takedown and wrestled better,” Taylor said.

Last year Rider lost 34-8 to the three-time defending National Champions.

Rider will now host the Eastern Wrestling League Championships March 7.  “The EWLs is a bear of a tournament,” Taylor said.  “The good news is we will have all 10 of our starters. Today was the first time we've had all 10 in the lineup in a month. We'll get them ready and make a run at this conference tournament.”  

Penn State 30, Rider 3

125: #8 Jordan Conaway PSU dec. J.R. Wert-R                          8-4                    3-0
133: #5 Jimmy Gulibon PSU dec. Rob Deutsch-R                       4-1                    6-0
141: Chuck Zeisloft-R dec. Kade Moss PSU                               3-2                    6-3
149: #18 Zack Beitz PSU dec. BJ Clagon-R                                6-3                    9-3
157:  Luke Frey PSU dec. Chad Walsh-R                                    10-4                  12-3
165:  #18 Garett Hammond PSU major dec. Conor Brennan-R      13-4 ot              16-3
174: #2 Matt Brown PSU major dec. Ryan Wolfe-R                      14-3                  20-3
184:  #19 Matt McCutcheon PSU dec. Clint Morrison-R                6-4                    23-3
197: #4 Morgan McIntosh PSU dec. Don McNeil-R                      12-5                  26-3
285:  Jimmy Lawson PSU  dec. Greg Velasco-R                         12-4                  30-3

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