WRESTLING
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Former Clearfield Area High School standout Brad Pataky is certain to rise in the national rankings again this week following the Penn State 125-pounder\’s second upset of a top five wrestler in as many weeks.
The Nittany Lion redshirt sophomore, ranked No. 14 by Amateur Wrestling News and Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine and No. 17 by InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association/National Wrestling Media Association last week, avenged one of his five losses in impressive fashion Friday night.
One week after beating defending national champion and No. 4-ranked Angel Esobedo at Indiana, he treated the Rec Hall crowd of 2,711 with a final-bout 14-7 win over No. 5-ranked Zach Sanders that eased some of the disappointment of No. 16 Penn State\’s 20-18 Big Ten Conference loss to No. 10 Minnesota (12-4, 2-0).
Sanders, a redshirt freshman who was a five-time Minnesota high school champion with a 223-5 record, pinned Pataky in 6:42 at the 2009 Cliff Keen National Duals on Jan. 4.
That was Pataky\’s lone defeat in 15 matches, and he was primed for revenge from the outset with an early takedown and two near falls that brought the fans to their feet with the injury-riddled Nittany Lions trailing by five points.
Pataky took a 9-3 lead into the second period, increased his advantage with an escape and takedown before yielding an escape. Sanders, 26-1 with six titles in his redshirt season for the Gophers, opted for neutral in the third period and made it a 12-6 match via a takedown with 48 seconds remaining.
Then, Pataky escaped and added a riding time that would have meant a major a decision, but he was hit with a stalling point after the bout ended.
On Super Bowl Sunday, with 1,688 fans in Rec Hall, Pataky helped get Penn State (7-8-2, 0-2-2) off to a 10-0 start against No. 17 Wisconsin (7-6, 1-3) with a 12-4 major decision over Drew Hammen, but the Badgers came back to win 28-13.
Ahead 2-1 to start the second period, Pataky escaped and caught the Badger in a cement mixer for a takedown and near fall.
Pataky was up 9-1 when Hammen got a takedown with a minute left, but he reversed and increased his time advantage to more than four minutes.
Pataky (23-5 after a 2-3 start) and freshman 174-pounder Quentin Wright (23-7) of Bald Eagle Area High School lead the Nittany Lions in wins and falls (5). Pataky has the most technical falls (4).
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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Lycoming 141-pounder Tom Barger of Clearfield suffered his fifth loss in 16 dual meets Thursday as the 30th-ranked Warriors were defeated 30-9 by visiting Ithaca (N.Y.), the No. 7 team in NCAA Division II rankings.
John Paxos (19-6) majored decisioned the Warrior junior 11-2 in the Empire Collegiate Conference match.
Barger is 13-7 overall for the Warriors, who are 12-7 in duals.
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MEN\’S SWIMMING & DIVING
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Twins Chris and John Bodle of Clearfield each placed in two individual events as Westminster capped a 6-3 dual meet season with a 150-103 win over St. Vincent Saturday.
They finished three-four in the 200-yard butterfly, John in 2:16.39 and Chris in 2:19.92.
Chris also took third in the 200 back in 2:15.43, while John was fifth in the 200 individual medley in 2:18.22.
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HIRAM, Ohio – The dual meet career for Washington & Jefferson diver Ryan Sayers of Frenchville (Clearfield Area High School) ended with him posting the top scores of his senior season Saturday, though they didn\’t count in the Presidents\’ 150-93 victory.
In exhibition competition, Sayers earned 204.55 points for one-meter dives and 190.05 points for three-meter dives.
There was no diving in W & J\’s 116-82 win over St. Vincent at Latrobe on Jan. 28.
The Presidents finished 8-3 to tie a school record for wins.
Sayers had earned seven thirds and five fourths in dual meets.
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MEN\’S BASKETBALL
GREENSBURG, Pa. – After sitting out two games because of match-ups with the opposition, freshman Todd Hryn of Clearfield got back on to the Chambers Hall Gymnasium hardwood last Wednesday and responded with five points and six rebounds in Pitt-Greensburg\’s 71-45 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference loss to Frostburg (Md.) State.
The Bobcats never led and never got closer than two points after Hryn, who played 11 minutes, cut Frostburg\’s lead to 24-22 with a three-pointer at 6:51 of the first half. Four of his six rebounds, which matched his season high, came under the offensive boards.
Hryn had one rebound and one steal in 10 minutes Saturday when the Bobcats (5-14, 4-8 AMCC) were handed their fifth consecutive defeat, 78-64, by Penn State-Behrend (13-6, 9-3).
In 16 games, Hryn is averaging 13.6 minutes with 70 points, 37 rebounds, five assists, three steals and one blocked
