Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1220211
so as a freshman and sophomore in memorable matches against Isaiah Martinez of Illinois before being overpowered as a junior by Virginia Tech freshman Mekhi Lewis. The chances of a Big Ten wrestler not winning here are slim, and Joseph wants to be that guy, even though he is now 1-3 vs. Iowa's Alex Marinelli. CHIEF CHALLENGERS Joseph, Marinelli, Evan Wick (Wisconsin), Isaiah White (Nebraska), Shane Griffith (Stanford) 174 MARK HALL (23-1) PSU PERSPECTIVE This weight class features a solid but not star-studded cast – except at the very top with Michael Kemerer (Iowa) and Hall. Kemerer won Round 1, while Hall won Round 2 to claim the Big Ten title. If there's a Round 3, it will be for the ultimate collegiate prize. Everyone expected Hall, who is No. 1 in the most dominant wrestler ratings, to bounce back at Big Tens. He did just that with an 8-5 victory. CHIEF CHALLENGERS Hall, Kemerer, Jordan Kutler (Lehigh), Dylan Lydy (Purdue), Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa) 184 AARON BROOKS (15-1) PSU PERSPECTIVE This weight class burst wide open when Arizona State suspended two-time NCAA cham- pion Zahid Valencia after he failed a drug test on the in- ternational circuit. It's so open that only one wrestler among the top eight is a senior, while the rest are fresh- men and sophomores. It's one of only three weighs in which the Big Ten doesn't dominate nationally. What that means for Brooks is that the polished frosh will have to be on his game. By becoming Penn State's first true freshman to win a Big Ten title, he effectively proved that he will be. CHIEF CHALLENGERS Brooks, Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech), Trent Hidlay (North Carolina State), Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa), Taylor Venz (Nebraska), Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) 197 SHAKUR RASHEED (8-6) PSU PERSPECTIVE Rasheed carried an 18-0 record into the NCAA meet last season but also packed a torn ACL and did not come close to placing; he was seventh at 184 the year prior. This season, he didn't wrestle until Janu- ary and didn't start showing the real Rasheed until re- cently. He performed well early in the Big Ten tourney, making the semifinals, but in the process he aggravated a knee problem and placed fourth. If Penn State wants to make a run at another NCAA title, it will need plenty of points from everyone, and that includes Rasheed. CHIEF CHALLENGERS Rasheed, Kollin Moore (Ohio State), Eric Schultz (Nebraska), Ben Darmstadt (Cor- nell), Patrick Brucki (Princeton), Jacob Warner (Iowa) ■ E xactly what does it take to rattle Penn State coach Cael Sander- son? His 10-man squad got team points from only six wrestlers at the Big Ten championship meet March 7-8 at Rutgers. The Nit- tany Lions placed fourth, marking the first time since 2015 that they haven't been first or second. His heavyweight and his 197-pounder have bum knees. His 157-pound starter broke his hand. And three of his five Big Ten finalists lost their title bouts. Still, Sanderson wants to take a positive attitude to Minnesota, site of the NCAA tournament March 19-21, where Penn State will look to defend its title with a smaller-than-usual seven-man con- tingent. Lions eager to regroup after 4th-place finish at Big Ten tourney | TITLE HOPEFUL Lee was one of five PSU finalists at Big Tens. Photo by Steve Manuel