Choosing which university to attend— whether it’s Penn State or anywhere else— is perhaps the most stressful decision a high school wrestling senior has to make.
When it comes to high-profile recruits, the decision becomes a little more complicated. Many of Penn State’s backups could move on to other schools and be a starter. But some choose to be with the PSU and remain a backup.
Why is that?
PSU coach Cael Sanderson’s response is maybe the best recruiting pitch he could sell to student-athletes.
“We have a special thing going here,” Sanderson said. “It’s bigger than just winning or being a starter or being the man. If you can make the lineup at Penn State, you can win the national tournament. These kids want to win the national tournament. Some kids want to be four-year starters. Some kids want to be national champions. It just depends on the kids. It depends on what their ultimate goals are.
“History has shown that this is a really good place to attack your goals on the international scene. Our kids get better. They enjoy what they’re doing, and I think that’s a big part of them getting better. There’s very few cases of kids that aren’t coming in and improving each year. They’re better as seniors than they are as freshmen. That’s not always the case. Kids that come here want to be the best version of themselves they can be, and they feel like this is the best place for them.”
How do they keep churning out talent year after year? Just ask Joshua Barr.
“I get to wrestle the best guys in the world in here every single day,” he said.
It’s a classic case of ‘iron sharpens iron’ in the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex.
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Photo by Penn State Athletics: Levi Haines
In the last action right before the holiday break, Penn State wrestling beat Binghamton, Arkansas-Little Rock and Missouri in the Journeymen Duals in Nashville. Penn State only dropped one match in the three dual meets.
That lone loss came from Levi Haines, ranked second at 174, against top-ranked Keegan O’Toole of the Tigers in a match between two national champions last season. O’Toole beat Haines in sudden victory, 4-1. It was Haines’ first loss since the national championship bout against North Carolina’s Austin O’Connor his freshman season in 2023.
“Levi is such a solid human being,” Sanderson said. “He’s fine. He does not like to lose obviously. That’s one of the reasons he’s as tough as he is, and he works as hard as he does, and as disciplined as he is. It’s a tough match. He was right there. He has time to make small adjustments.”
PSU SOLID AT SOUTHERN SCUFFLE, EDINBORO
Penn State sent plenty of wrestlers over the weekend to either the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn. or the Edinboro Open.
Three true freshmen in Zack Ryder (184), Connor Mirasola (197), and Cole Mirasola (285) all won titles at the Southern Scuffle, while Cael Nasdeo won the championship at 141 at Edinboro.
“I think it’s awesome to see all my teammates succeed,” Barr said. “It brings a lot of joy knowing those are my partners. They kick butt all over the country. I’m happy for those guys. Everyone in our room works so freaking hard. It’s good to see them get their shot. The Southern Scuffle is a very tough tournament. Having three true freshmen win is pretty impressive.”
