Wrestling: Mixed results for Penn at NWCA

At yesterday's NWCA All-Star Classic, fans witnessed a tale of two Matts.

The invitational, which hosts nationally top-ranked wrestlers in each weight class annually, featured two Quakers for the first time.

Matt Valenti, last year's NCAA national champion and top-ranked wrestler in the country at 133 pounds, faced Oklahoma State's No. 5 Coleman Scott. Meanwhile, No. 2 Matt Herrington challenged Penn State's No. 3 James Yonushonis at 174 pounds.

In the prestigious All-Star Classic, Valenti looked to record his first victory this season. Bouncing back from a disappointing second-place finish at last week's Michigan State Open, he battled injury and a near-turnover to capture a 6-5 victory over Scott.

Herrington, however, did not look as sharp during his second appearance out on the mat this season. After capturing the Michigan State Open title in his weight class, he fell to Yonushonis by a 5-4 tally.

Penn coach Zeke Jones had mixed feelings about the effort exerted and results yielded by his two grapplers. While he seemed underwhelmed by Herrington's showing, the coach was more than pleased with Valenti's valiant triumph.

"I think Matt [Valenti] wrestled well tonight," he said. "He took command of the bout early and then kept the pace. He really took it to the Oklahoma State wrestler."

Jones credited Valenti's ability to position himself properly with aiding him to victory.

"Riding on top was a big factor," Jones said. "He had two minutes of riding time. . I think that may have made a big difference."

Jones' satisfaction with Valenti, however, was tempered by his reaction to Herrington's loss. The coach was frustrated with his 174-pounder's loss, especially to an opponent he defeated last year in the NCAA Championships.

"You can't finish periods on bottom," Jones said. "You've got to get your escape. I think it's partly effort and partly getting in better shape with conditioning."

Jones understands that prestigious national tournaments help put the Penn program on the map. However, when it comes to his squad's overall success this season, he feels that these events are only one small component of a greater team effort.

"The group is working hard to try to put itself in a position to compete for national championships," he said.

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