Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/233832
He redshirted his freshman year, picking up 13 wins in five open tournaments. He wasn't sure what to expect this season, especially when he landed on his left wrist funny in practice, then discovered the next morning that it was broken. He was told he'd be in a cast for eight weeks, but he said he "got lucky" and the cast was removed after four. He kept himself busy with leg workouts, and whenever his teammates were in the wrestling room, he spent the same amount of time doing sprints on the stationary bike or the treadmill. When the cast came off, Phipps was surprised to see how much his wrist had shrunk, and he immediately set out doing as many range-of-motion and strengthening exercises as he could. "I was so paranoid about coming back in bad shape, he said. " Three days after he was cleared to wrestle, Phipps competed against Lock Haven. He lost, but stayed in the lineup. Against Boston University, he won 9-1 over Aaron Conrad, and against Pitt he won 13-3 against Aaron Rothwell, gaining loud cheers from the record crowd when he picked up Rothwell on a high-crotch takedown, his signature move. "I've not always been the best techniquewise, but I've kind of got the country-boy, farm-working kind of strength, he said, adding that coach " Cael Sanderson has called him "freakishly strong. " Said Sanderson, "When you pick a guy up off the ground, that's fun to watch. " Phipps said his next goal is beginning to take opponents directly to their back on that move. And, of course, getting as many varsity matches as he can. "It's kind of a blessing for Phipps to be able to jump in there and get some experience, Sanderson said. "And that " kind of experience, too. It's one thing to get some experience. It's another thing get experience in Rec Hall or [the Jordan Center] – that's just like the national tournament. " I Ruth returns; Retherford upsets No. 1 After serving a one-month suspension stemming from a DUI charge on Nov. 13, Ed Ruth made his return to the mat vs. Ohio State Dec. 15. At 184 pounds, Ruth topped Kenny Courts with a 14-3 major decision. Overall, the Nittany Lions manhandled the Buckeyes, winning eight of the 10 bouts en route to a 31-6 victory. The match of the afternoon, however, came at 141 pounds. Penn State freshman Zain Retherford topped Logan Stieber, 4-2, in overtime. Prior to the match, Stieber was ranked by FloWrestling.com as the No. 1 pound-for-pound wrestler in the country. – T.O.