Penn State Wrestling: Jon Gingrich wins National Collegiate Open

Though postseason wrestling doesn’t start for most of the Penn State wrestling team until next weekend, four members kicked off the 2012 post season at the National Collegiate Open in Richmond, Va., on Sunday, and one of them, Jon Gingrich, brought the first gold medal back to State College.

Gingrich, who finished the season at 21-4, beat Rutger’s William Smith by decision, 7-0, to clinch the finals after scoring a fall in his opening bout and a pair of decisions in the quarter and semifinals. 

Three other Nittany Lions competed in the event, including freshman Matt Brown, who returned from dual competitions to the open format to place second, Dirk Cowburn, who finished fifth at 125-pounds, and Andrew Church, who went 2-2 at 174 pounds but finished the season with a winning mark at 22-12. Gingrich, Brown, and Cowburn all received National Collegiate Open All-American honors, as well.

Related coverage

• StateCollege.com’s Penn State wrestling page