If a team is trying to gauge its role in the national picture, then facing the No. 12 squad in the nation can help in finding an answer. When the team also takes on the No. 1 in the nation on the same day, the question changes from 'where do we fit in?' to 'how can we fit in?'
Saturday at the Journeyman/Brute Northeast Collegiate Duals, the Penn wrestling team fought to a 2-2 record. The
No. 14 Quakers handily defeated Binghamton and Bloomsburg, but fell to its final opponents, No. 1 Minnesota and No. 12 Central Michigan.
Early in the season, Penn learned what it needs to focus on in order to stick with the top teams in the nation.
"From a technical and strategic standpoint, we learned a lot about ourselves this weekend," Penn coach Zeke Jones said. "We need to increase our attack rate. . We've got to wrestle at a stronger pace. We took too many plays off during our matches."
In its first appearance at the Northeast Duals, the Quakers defeated Binghamton 45-0 and Bloomsburg 24-9, before heading into their matchup with Central Michigan.
The Quakers gained the early lead in the dual by taking three of the first five matches. No. 1 Matt Valenti won by forfeit at 133 pounds, and No. 19 Cesar Grajales (141) and No. 4 Matt Dragon (157) each earned 3-2 victories with a takedown and an escape in the second period.
Dragon's victory was the last that Penn would see, as the Chippewas strung together five straight wins, three coming by way of a fall, to earn a 30-12 win.
"There's a lot of learning that takes place when you wrestle the best teams in the nation," Jones said. "It gives the guys confidence that they can compete at the highest level, but at the same time we're not as good as they are yet."
The final meet of the duals against Minnesota featured three matches with returning national champions: Valenti and Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter (149) and Cole Konrad (285). Minnesota's champs won by fall and technical fall, while Valenti built a commanding lead with takedowns in the first two periods en route to a 6-2 win.
Dragon once again delivered a win for the Quakers, as he took on No. 6 C.P. Slatter. The sophomore was able to make up a 4-1 deficit in the second period with a near fall, but in the third period with 33 second remaining, Slatter had to forfeit for medical reasons with the score tied. The forfeit created an anti-climactic finish to a very even bout, but Slatter would have a shot at redemption in a matchup that might be seen again in the NCAA tournament.
No. 2 Matt Herrington delivered the final victory for the Quakers in a high-scoring bout against No. 12 Gabriel Dretsch at 174 pounds. Herrington took Dretsch down twice in the first period to build a lead that he never relinquished and earned a 10-7 win.
The final three bouts were decisively won by the Golden Gophers (18-7, 8-1 Big 10) and by fall, as the Red and Blue was defeated, 28-12.
"I think the guys are committed to make up the ground to catch a team like" Minnesota, Jones said. "Anytime you compete, it gives you information. Minnesota has two returning national champions. You get the feel of what the very best are like to wrestle and what their tendencies are."
With much of the season remaining, Penn will use that information to bring the national picture into focus.
