Wrestling topples No. 3 Iowa State

The Penn wrestling team was no stranger to top-level competition entering Saturday's match against No. 3 Iowa State.

The Quakers grappled with the nation's best at the Lone Star Duals and Midlands Invitational over winter break, but had yet to pull any major upsets this season.

All that changed at this past weekend's Cliff Keen NWCA National Duals, as Penn defeated the Cyclones, 26-15, in arguably the biggest victory of coach Roger Reina's tenure in Philadelphia.

"It ranks amongst the biggest wins we've had programatically," Reina said. "We've had the opportunity to compete against a lot of the best, and on that day we were the best."

Penn went on to finish in eighth place -- beating Iowa St. and West Virginia, while falling to Penn State, Hofstra and Minnesota in Cleveland.

The No. 18 Quakers started hot against the third-ranked Cyclones. After an Iowa St. forfeit at 125 pounds, sophomore Matt Valenti wrestled up a weight class to defeat Jessie Sundell, 9-3, at 133 pounds.

But the Cyclones refused to give in.

Iowa St.'s 141-pound standout Zach Roberson -- an NCAA qualifier last season -- wrestled up a weight to defeat Penn sophomore Matt Eveleth, 9-2.

The Big 12 school also notched a win at 149 pounds.

Following an 11-3 Penn victory by senior co-captain Brett Vanderveer at 157 pounds, Iowa St. brought the match within one point after the Quakers' Richard Ferguson fell 12-0 at 165 pounds.

Reina was especially impressed by Vanderveer's performance.

"He is really starting to breakthrough," he said. "As a senior captain he was put in a key position to put us in the driver's seat, and he delivered."

After the two teams split the 174- and 184-pound matchups, the Quakers held on to a slim 17-15 lead.

The match would get no closer.

Penn's Marcus Schontube and Matt Feast each won to secure the Quakers' upset.

"I think it was a great breakthrough for our program," Reina said. "I think individually we were well prepared against Iowa State. I think our guys all stepped it up a notch."

The Quakers were not able to make it two upsets in a row, however, as they fell to No. 6 Penn St., 25-15, in the second round.

While the Cyclones were ranked higher than the Nittany Lions, Reina knew that Penn St. was going to be the harder of the two matches.

"We matched up very well with Iowa St.," he said. "Our matchup against Penn State was a little more challenging."

Valenti, Schontube, junior Kyle Bernholz and sophomore Matt Herrington all notched victories against Penn St.

The two Keystone State schools will face-off again on Feb. 15 in State College.

This loss placed Penn in the consolation bracket against West Virginia.

Entering the final matchup, a heavyweight showdown between Feast and the Mountaineers' Landfeer Simpson, the Quakers trailed 18-15.

The Penn co-captain needed a win to tie the match, but a pin or major decision would secure a Penn victory.

The Quakers' junior delivered with a pin in 4:57.

Other Penn wrestlers tallying wins against West Virginia were Valenti, Bernholz, Herrington and Schontube.

That would be the last time the Quakers would win all day, falling to No. 7 Hofstra, 23-15, and then to No. 5 Minnesota, 22-15.

Reina is confident that this experience against the nation's best squads will prove invaluable when the Quakers begin their quest for the Ivy League title in their next dual meet against Cornell. Cornell is the defending Ivy champhion.

"There's techniques and tactics that work against good competition but don't work against the best," he said. "We now know how to compete against the best. That is going to help us through the Ivy League."

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