Penn State wrestling would love to have Greg Kerkvliet back next season.
After three All-American finishes without a national title, the PSU heavyweight finally reached the top of the mountain Saturday night in Kansas City. He majored Michigan’s Lucas Davison 13-4.
Kerkvliet has been with Penn State wrestling for four seasons. He has another year of eligibility due to COVID-19.
He’s not the only Penn State star with a decision to make. Carter Starocci, who won his fourth national title at the 174-pound weight class Saturday night, has one more year, as does Beau Bartlett at 141, who hasn’t won a title yet and fell to Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez in Saturday’s title match 4-1.
Neither Bartlett or Starocci has made anything official yet, and Kerkvliet didn’t confirm anything when asked after his title win.
“We’ll see,” Kerkvliet told reporters in his post-match presser.
If Kerkvliet comes back to Penn State, he’ll have a chance to be a five-time All-American, a feat Aaron Brooks accomplished this weekend on his way to winning his fourth national title.
Kerkvliet did say he planned on competing in the USA Olympic Trials scheduled for April 19-20 in State College. He’s automatically eligible to do that due to being a national champion.
If Saturday night was the last time Kerkvliet puts on a Penn State singlet, it would be a storybook ending. With Hodge Trophy winners Gable Steveson (Minnesota) and Mason Parris (Michigan) being in the same weight class and same conference, Kerkvliet never won a Big Ten championship, let alone a national title. This March, he got both, and now we’ll see if he tries to repeat.
