Mountain Hawks to open 2009 with two road duals
12/31/2008 6:00:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh opens up the 2009 portion of its schedule and puts its unbeaten dual record on the line as the Mountain Hawks head west for a pair of duals this weekend. At 10-0 the Mountain Hawks are off to their best dual start in 42 years and Lehigh will open the New Year on Friday against West Virginia, before heading to State College to face No. 16 Penn State on Sunday in the 97th edition of one of Eastern college wrestling’s oldest and most intense rivalries. The ninth-ranked Mountain Hawks have been off since winning duals at Rutgers and Rider on December 20. Lehigh will wrestle West Virginia for the first time in 88 years, and if the Mountain Hawks can get past the Mountaineers, they will look to knock off their rivals, the Nittany Lions for the first time since 2005.
The Mountain Hawks are off to their best dual meet start since the 1966-67 season, when they opened with ten consecutive dual wins. With two wins this weekend Lehigh can match the 1961-62 team which won its first 12 duals.
West Virginia returns to the mats for the first time since December 14 for Friday’s dual with Lehigh. The Mountaineers are 2-1 on the dual season with wins over Columbia and North Carolina and a loss to Penn State last time out. Craig Turnbull has been the coach at WVU for 30 seasons, and his current squad is led by ranked upperweights Kurt Brenner (174) and Dustin Rogers (285). The Mountaineers are also looking to get several key wrestlers back from injury, including Brandon Rader (141), David Jauregui (149) and Donnie Jones (165). Friday’s match marks the 2008-09 home opener for the Mountaineers.
Penn State ushers in 2009 with two duals on Sunday, beginning with a 1 p.m. match against Lehigh. The Nittany Lions finished third in the nation last season and enter the weekend ranked 16th in the nation. Penn State dropped its first two duals of the season, against Hofstra and Cornell, but the Nittany Lions have rebounded with four straight wins, including a 27-10 triumph over West Virginia in their last match on December 14. The Nittany Lions boast four nationally ranked grapplers, led by junior Bubba Jenkins, who is the reigning national finalist and is currently ranked second at 149. Junior All-American Dan Vallimont (157), redshirt freshman Frank Molinaro (141) and true freshman Quentin Wright (174) round out the group of ranked Nittany Lions. Troy Sunderland is in his 11th season in State College, and his coaching staff features former Lehigh national champion Troy Letters, who serves as the Director of Wrestling Operations.
The Lehigh and Penn State matchup is regarded as one of Eastern Wrestling’s oldest and greatest rivalries. Lehigh and Penn State have met 96 times going back to 1911, with the Nittany Lions holding a 61-32-3 edge. Lehigh has wrestled Penn State more often than any other school. This year marks the 76th straight season that Lehigh and Penn State will meet in a dual. The Nittany Lions have won the last four meetings in the series. Lehigh has faced West Virginia just once before, a 17-6 Brown and White triumph in Bethlehem on January 22, 1921.
Action gets underway on Friday, when Lehigh and West Virginia square off at 7 p.m. from the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. The match can be heard on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at Lehighsports.com.
Sunday’s Lehigh-Penn State tilt gets underway at 1 p.m. from Rec Hall. Fans who can’t make it out to State College can watch the match live on Service Electric 2 Sports, Fox College Sports Pacific, or online at Lehighsports.com.
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Date: |
January 2, 2009 |
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Opponent: |
West Virginia Mountaineers |
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First match: |
7:00 p.m. |
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Arena: |
WVU Coliseum (14,000) |
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Location: |
Morgantown, W. Va. |
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Lehigh’s record: |
10-0 overall, 2-0 EIWA |
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West Virginia’s record |
2-1 overall, 0-0 EWL |
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Series: |
Lehigh leads 1-0 |
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Streak: |
Lehigh won the only meeting, back in 1921 |
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Television: |
None |
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Radio: |
ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 with Steve Lomangino beginning at 6:45 |
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Internet broadcast: |
Live audio at Lehighsports.com |
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Behind enemy lines: |
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Date: |
January 4, 2009 |
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Opponent: |
No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions |
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First match: |
1:03 p.m. |
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Arena: |
Rec Hall (6,846) |
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Location: |
University Park, Pa. |
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Penn State’s Record: |
4-2 overall, 0-0 Big Ten |
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Series: |
Penn State leads 61-32-3 |
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Streak: |
Penn State has won the last four duals |
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Television: |
Service Electric 2 Sports Live Fox College Sports Pacific Live |
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Radio: |
None |
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Internet broadcast: |
Live video at Lehighsports.com |
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Behind enemy lines: |
