Penn State Wrestling: Nittany Lions to Challenge Effective Michigan State Team

After a successful Nittany Lion Open, Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said his team’s light start to the season was due to schedule conflicts. Those conflicts arose from team’s trip to the Southern Scuffle right at the start of the new year, he said.

Now, after Penn State crowned four individual champions and won the team title at the scuffle, the commitment seems well worth it.

However, Penn State will have to rumble through a heavily back-loaded second half of the season. It starts Sunday with a trip to Battle Creek, Mich., where the fourth-ranked Nittany Lions will grapple with Michigan State at Kellogg Arena at 2 p.m.

While the Spartans sit at just 2-2 on the season, the line-up trotted out by 21-year veteran Tom Minkel is loaded with talent in spots that can take advantage of the Lions.

It starts at heavyweight for the Spartans, with 11-5 and 11th-ranked Michael McClure. He will try to use his strength to force Cameron Wade in to a bad position, which he has done in gaining three previous falls this season. Anthony Jones, a 157-pounder, is 4-0 in dual meets and 12-3 on the season, good for a ranking of 14th, and should be in the match of the day against Penn State’s Dylan Alton.

Rounding out Michigan State’s ranked wrestlers is Tyler Dickinson, who is 16th at 197 pounds, and Dan Osterman, who is 18th at 149 pounds.

The most interesting aspect of the afternoon, though, could be the potential debut of Penn State’s Frank Martellotti, the true sophomore who has finally been able to get his academics under control after a yearlong suspension. He would be a nice addition to Penn State at 133 pounds, where Derek Reber has struggled to gain any consistency thus far. Martellotti did not wrestle in the Southern Scuffle, but wrestled well in his first action back at the Nittany Lion Open.

Bryan Pearsall will also start again for the Lions at 141 pounds, as Sam Sherlock has been removed from the roster for violation of team rules and policies, the Centre Daily Times has reported. Sherlock seemed to be fully healed from an ankle injury that kept him out of the West Virginia match, but Sanderson was unavailable for additional comment.

Penn State leads the all-time series, 15-9, with the last victory for the Spartans coming the whole way back in 2005, and Penn State winning last year at home, 30-9.

Related coverage

• StateCollege.com’s Penn State wrestling page