BATTLE CREEK - The fourth-ranked Penn State wrestling team dominated Michigan State in picking up a 36-6 Big Ten road win Sunday afternoon.
The dual, wrestled in front of a packed house at Kellog Arena in Battle Creek, Mich., saw Penn State win nine of 10 bouts, losing only once on an illegal throw disqualification.
The dual began at heavyweight, where Nittany Lion senior Cameron Wade, ranked No. 6 nationally, gave Penn State a 3-0 lead with an 8-3 decision over Steve Andrus. Nittany Lion freshman Nico Megaludis, ranked No. 10 at 125, was crushing Eric Olanowski, 8-3, early in the second period before being called for an illegal hold.
When Olanowski could not continue, Megaludis lost the match on a disqualification, giving MSU a 6-3 lead. Lion sophomore Frank Martellotti made his 133-pound dual debut with a 7-5 win over Brandon Fifield to tie the dual and then Bryan Pearsall put Penn State on top for good by pinning Brian Gibbs at the 4:21 mark.
No. 1 Frank Molinaro handled No. 18 Dan Osterman, 9-3, at 149 to put Penn State up, 15-6.
With the win, Molinaro moved into 18th place on Penn State's all-time victories list (105) and into 17th on Penn State's all-time dual meet victory list (47).
Freshman Dylan Alton, ranked No. 9 at 157, then downed No. 14 Anthony Jones 1-0 to put the Nittany Lions up 18-6. Top-ranked David Taylor then majored David Cheza, 13-5, at 165.
Second-ranked Ed Ruth bested Michigan State's Curran Jacobs, posting a second-period technical fall at the 6:33 mark, getting the 17-2 win. Third-ranked Quentin Wright then fought off early struggles to pin Michigan State's John Rizqallah at the 5:52 mark to put Penn State up 33-6.
True freshman Morgan McIntosh, ranked No. 13 at 197, closed out the performance with a 7-5 win to give Penn State the 36-6 victory.
The Nittany Lions held a 24-5 edge in takedowns and picked up five riding-time points. Penn State picked up nine bonus points off two pins, a technical fall and a major. The Nittany Lions improved to 5-1, 1-1 in the Big Ten. Michigan State fell to 2-3, 0-2 in the league.
Penn State is at Northwestern on Friday.
285 - Wade, PSU, dec. Andrus, 8-3. 125 -Olanowski, MSU, won by disqualification over, Megaludis, 3:45. 133 - Martellotti, PSU, dec. Fifield, 7-5. 141 - Pearsall, PSU, pinned Gibbs, 4:21. 149 - Molinaro, PSU, dec. Osterman, 9-3. 157 -Alton, PSU, dec. Jones, 1-0. 165 - Taylor, PSU, maj. dec. Cheza, 13-5. 174 - Ruth, PSU tech. fall Jacobs, 17-2 (6:33). 184 - Wright, PSU, pinned Rizqallah, 5:52. 197 - McIntosh, PSU, dec. McDiarmid, 7-5.
Records: Penn State (5-1, 1-1 Big Ten), Michigan State (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
