Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/847744
It all happened so fast. One moment, Vincenzo Joseph was locked in a tight battle with two-time defending national champion Isaiah Martinez of Illinois. The next, Martinez was on his back, and Joseph was an NCAA champ himself. Joseph's upset of the top-seeded Mar- tinez in the 165-pound final was one of the most unforgettable moments of the year in Penn State sports, and one of the most stunning. Martinez was a senior who had lost only three matches in his entire college career. Joseph was a redshirt freshman who, despite being seeded third at nation- als, was a decided underdog. Only two weeks earlier, he had dropped an 8-5 deci- sion to Martinez in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament. But while Martinez was able to take an early lead on a take- down that Penn State unsuccessfully challenged, Joseph didn't lose faith. "I went back, talked to my coaches," he said. "First thing I said to them was, 'I'm scoring soon.' I could feel it start- ing to open up, and I knew I was going to get to my attack soon." Joseph, a two-time state champion at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, finished his debut season with a 22-4 record, includ- ing two pins and four major decisions. The sheer drama of his season-ending victory is what gives him the nod here over teammate Mark Hall. A true freshman, Hall won a title of his own at nationals and would be a deserv- ing honoree, too. So let's consider them Nos. 1 and 1A. We'll likely be seeing their names in these pages for years to come. HONORABLE MENTION Tony Carr basketball | Became the first Penn State player since 2006 to be named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and was an honorable mention All-Conference choice after averaging 13.2 points per game… Mark Hall wrestling | Eschewed a redshirt year due to injuries elsewhere in the lineup and went on to defeat the No. 1, 3 and 4 seeds at nationals to claim the championship at 174 pounds… Peyton Jones ice hockey | Started 36 games in goal for the Big Ten champs, compiling a 2.60 goals against av- erage and .904 save percentage… Stephen Nedoroscik gymnas- tics | Won the NCAA pommel horse title with a career-high score of 14.900… Denis Smirnov ice hockey | Led all freshmen nation- ally with 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists). –M.H. VINCENZO JOSEPH M A L E F R E S H M A N O F T H E Y E A R Debut season ends in a stunning triumph JOSEPH Danae Rivers didn't come to Penn State this past year with any specific goals or expectations in mind. "I expected to come in, work hard and basically see what happens," Rivers told FloTrack.org at the beginning of the in- door season in January. "Just trust in my training and trust in God and go from there each day." What did happen? At the Penn State In- door Challenge in January, she broke a seven-year-old school record with a time of 1 minute, 29.06 seconds in the 600-meter race. A week later, she bettered the 10-year- old school record in the 800 by more than a second, finishing in 2:04.04. And at the Virginia Challenge in April, she set the out- door mark in the 800 with a time of 2:02.53. Rivers won the Big Ten indoor and outdoor championships in the 800 and finished second in the 1,500 at the outdoor meet. In addition, she was third in the mile at the NCAA indoor championships to claim All-America honors. Named the Big Ten Women's Freshman of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons, Rivers put together one of the better debuts in school history, and it portended good things to come from the Derby, Conn., native. A graduate of Wilbur Cross High, the same school that pro- duced another Penn State middle distance great, Casimir Lox- som, Rivers excelled by disregarding outside expectations and simply competing. "I've got nothing to lose," she told FloTrack. "I'm a freshman, so I just go out and do my best." HONORABLE MENTION Amari Carter basketball | Ranked 13th nationally with 135 assists, the fifth-highest total by a freshman in school history… Amanda Dennis soccer | Went 12-5-4 in goal with a .747 save percentage and .80 goals against average and made the Big Ten All-Freshman team… Tori Gorrell volleyball | Finished with 201 kills and ranked second on the team with 121 blocks from her middle blocker position… Brooke Madsen ice hockey | Finished with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists), the second- highest total by a freshman in the program's history… Kendall White volleyball | Was Penn State's starting libero throughout the season and averaged 4.13 digs per set. –M.H. DANAE RIVERS F E M A L E F R E S H M A N O F T H E Y E A R PSU records tumble in newcomer's first season RIVERS