2009 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

STATE COLLEGE, PA. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will send at least five wrestlers to the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships, led by Big Ten finalists Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.).

The Big Ten awarded its 61 automatic qualifiers in front of over 12,000 fans over the course of the weekend in the Bryce Jordan Center, with Penn State and the other 10 conference schools awaiting the allocation of 52 wild cards on Wednesday.

Iowa claimed its second straight team title with 141.0 points, followed by Illinois in second with 113.5. Michigan took third with 92.5. The Nittany Lions took 7th in the team race with 79.5 points. The 4th through seventh place teams were all within 9.5 points of each other as Wisconsin (88.0), Minnesota (86.0), Ohio State (80.0) and Penn State (79.5) all battled down to the wire for fourth place.

Penn State went 0-2 in its Big Ten title tilts. In a rematch of last year's national title tilt at 149, Iowa's Brent Metcalf pinned Penn State's Jenkins to end Jenkins' undefeated run and claim his second straight conference crown.