UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Feb. 5. The honor is the first for Molinaro and Penn State’s fourth of the year.
The Barnegat, N.J., native won the award after a superb weekend that saw him go 2-0 with a major and amassing, amazingly, over 8:00 riding time in two match-ups. Molinaro posted a 14-6 major over Nebraska’s Skylar Galloway on Friday night with 4:53 riding time. His win helped spark Penn State to a 31-6 win at No. 7 Nebraska.
Two days later, Molinaro thrilled a sold-out Rec Hall crowd in a rematch of last year’s Big Ten Championship bout at 149. The Lion senior dominated No. 7 Eric Grajales of Michigan 6-1 with 3:13 in riding time, leading Penn State to a 34-7 win over 12th-ranked Michigan and a share of the 2012 Big Ten Dual Meet crown. Molinaro’s two wins improve him to 23-0 on the year with nine majors, five tech fall and three pins (giving him 17 bonus point victories in 23 bouts). Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) won on Dec. 20, David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) won on Jan. 2 and Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) won on Jan. 16.
The Nittany Lions will trek Orem, Utah, this Saturday for a non-conference dual at Utah Valley. The dual with the Wolverines begins at 9 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Mountain time (local to site). Penn State then closes out the regular season by hosting Pittsburgh on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. The dual meet is already sold out, including standing room only ducats, and will serve as Senior Day for Penn State
.
