Nick Simmons, Joe Williams Win Titles at Penn State Open

Dec. 3, 2006

Complete Penn State Open Results

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Senior Nick Simmons and junior Joe Williams won individual titles Sunday at the Penn State Open at 133 and 184 pounds, respectively, and five Spartans placed overall in the prestigious event that featured over 600 wrestlers. Red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez placed second at 125, sophomore Jeff Wimberley took third at 141 and senior Tony Greathouse claimed fourth at 157.

Simmons, ranked No. 1 in the nation at 133, went 6-0 on the day to remain undefeated on the season at 17-0. He pinned Corey Hamabata of Cornell in just 1:54 in his first match of the day, and cruised to the finals from there, recording two major decisions and a technical fall along the way. In the finals, Simmons defeated No. 7 Jake Strayer of Penn State, 4-3, to claim the open championship.

Williams, ranked 13th, won his second career open title by topping Purdue's Brent Chriswell with a 6-4 sudden victory in the 184-pound finals. Williams opened action with a 15-0 technical fall win over Steve Funk of Millersville, then pinned Michael Elshamy of Rutgers in 5:20. The Orange, Calif., native then rattled off three straight victories before beating Chriswell in the championship match. Williams won his first collegiate tournament at the Muskegon Open during the 2004-05 season.

Fifth-ranked Franklin Gomez lost his first match of the year in the 125-pound finals, a 5-3 sudden-victory defeat to No. 7 Mark McKnight of Penn State. Gomez, who is now 17-1 for the year, dominated his five matches en route to the finals - he recorded two technical falls, a major decision and a pin, and he also beat No. 6 Obe Blanc of Lock Haven, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. He cruised past Brad Pataky of Penn State, 17-1, in the semifinals before falling to McKnight.

Wimberley won his first four matches at 141 pounds, reaching the semifinals before bowing to eventual champion Bryan Heller of Penn State, 10-4. Wimberley rebounded with a 6-3 victory over Edinboro's Ricky McLaughlin in the third-place match. This marks the second time this season Wimberley has placed in a tournament, as he took third at the Michigan State Open on Nov. 12.

Greathouse also placed in his second tournament of the season with a strong fourth-place showing in the 157-pound bracket. Greathouse, who won the Eastern Michigan Open earlier this season, cruised to easy victories in his first four matches, recording a 15-4 major decision over Maryland's Clint Stout in the first round, a 7-0 shutout over Clarion's Lucas Christopher in the second round, a fall in 5:13 over David Zeek in the third round, and a 9-0 blanking of Buffalo's Tom Graff in the fourth round. The Mason, Mich., native then beat Christian Snook, 7-4, in the quarterfinals. Greathouse fell to Nathan Galloway of Penn State in the semifinals, 1-0, and John Jarred of Navy in the third-place match, 8-4.

The Michigan State wrestling team returns to action with a dual against No. 2 Missouri next Sunday, Dec. 10 at Jenison Field House at 1 p.m.