University Park, Pa. — Six members of head coach Cael Sanderson’s Penn State wrestling team are ranked by Wrestling Insider Magazine’s pre-season individual rankings. The Nittany Lions also received a No. 7 nod in the publication’s pre-season Tournament Power Index (TPI), which differs from dual meet rankings.
Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) heads into the new year with a No. 3 ranking at 149 after his fifth place finish a year ago. Molinaro went 33-7 as a sophomore. 2009 All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) moves up a weight to 184 and is ranked No. 8 in the early season listing. Wright, who red-shirted last year, was a seventh-place finisher at 174 two years ago with a 33-13 mark.
Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) sports a No. 7 ranking at 125 after his second straight trip to the "round of 12." The two-time national qualifier went 28-10 last season. Classmate Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) is ranked No. 8 at heavyweight. Wade was a 2010 national qualifier and was 22-11 year ago.
Red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) is ranked No. 7 early on at 157 while fellow red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) is ranked No. 14 at 174. Both Taylor and Ruth are part of one of two top-ranked recruiting classes that Sanderson will draw from in 2010-11. WIN Magazine does not list true freshmen in its pre-season rankings.
Penn State’s No. 7 nod in the TPI (which WIN uses to predict where teams will finish in the NCAA tournament based on the pre-season individual rankings) has it in the top 10 with four other Big Ten schools (Minnesota at No. 4, Wisconsin at No. 5, Ohio State at No. 6 and Illinois at No. 10). Iowa (No. 11), Michigan (No. 13), Northwestern (No. 15) and Purdue (No. 18) give the Big Ten nine teams in the top 20.
Penn State will begin its season on Friday, Nov. 12, at Bloomsburg in a 7 p.m. dual. The Nittany Lions open up home action two days later on Sunday, Nov. 14, when rival Lehigh comes to Rec Hall for a 2 p.m. dual. The 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline.
