Blue White Illustrated

I n the aftermath of Penn State's latest national championship, somewhat lost in the excitement over Bo Nickal's Hodge Trophy victory, another bit of news trickled out of the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex this spring that shouldn't be overlooked. It was a decision by redshirt freshman Jarod Verkleeren that could foreshadow future moves while also exemplifying the ways in which Penn State can provide opportunities for more than NCAA ti- tles and All-America ci- tations. In early April, Ver- kleeren tweeted that he would be withdrawing from school. He had just concluded his first season of eligibility with the Nittany Lions, starting seven dual meets and win- ning five before conceding the 149- pound starting spot to classmate Brady Berge. Overall, Verkleeren went 15-6 for Penn State. It was a strong start, and his decision to leave the team was not moti- vated by his roster placement; it had to do with his ultimate aspirations in the sport. "After much thought and talking it over with my coaches I decided to withdraw from college and pursue my dreams of winning a World/Olympic title," Ver- kleeren wrote. "My coaches think Greco is the best route for me to take. Thanks to all the Penn State fans for the support over the past two years." Not a bad consolation, and a fallback route that future prospects might be monitoring. Unable to crack the starting lineup of the defending champs? Well, the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club is still there to help further any international ambitions they might have. In head coach Cael Sanderson's latest recruiting haul, which is comprised of two different high school graduating classes, most wrestlers have freestyle or Greco-Roman experience. One or two have competed overseas extensively, and with the 2020 Summer Games just over a year away, international competition is weighing heavily on the minds of coaches and wrestlers alike. A handful of the newcomers have de- layed their enrollment into college while training freestyle or Greco with the NLWC or elsewhere. A high school grad- uate in 2018, Aaron Brooks has spent the past year at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. His sights have been set on securing a spot on the Senior World team. "I want to make the Olympic team in 2020, and this is a step towards doing that," Brooks told FloWrestling.org in 2017. "Let's be honest. Winning World and Olympic titles are the end goal in our sport so why not set myself up to do that? Even if I don't make the team, getting to have the experience against these guys is huge." Brooks, who competes at 79 kilograms was one of three incoming freshmen who took part in the Junior U.S. Open in Las Vegas in late April. He was joined by Joe Lee (74 kg) and Seth Nevills (125 kg). All three spent the 2018-19 season sidelined with "grayshirts," as did prep national champion Michael Beard. So the possibil- ity exists for any of them to use a redshirt during their first year on campus, espe- cially considering that it's an Olympic year. Starting spots are perennially at a premium at Penn State, so it's unclear who might be able to break into the lineup in November, but all the new arrivals will be giving it their shot – whether that's in freestyle, Greco or folkstyle. As more and more blue-chip prospects find their careers overlapping, it's be- W R E S T L I N G REBUILDING BOOM Graduation losses may sting, but the Nittany Lions have been stockpiling young talent | BROOKS Penn State's Bo Nickal was named the winner last month of the WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation's top college wrestler. The three-time NCAA champ

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