Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1464375
4 6 M A Y 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Two of Penn State's three verbally committed wrestlers in the class of 2024 ended their respective high school seasons on the tallest podium in their weight class. Junior Josh Barr won his third consecutive Michigan state title by defeat- ing senior Manny Rojas, 5-2. The 171-pounder led late in the match and cemented his victory over the Iowa State commit with one last takedown in the final 10 seconds. Barr and Rojas have battled often, with the future Nit- tany Lion also winning in the team state championships. Next season, Barr will be looking to finish with one last state title, which would make him a four-timer. "I'm a hungry individual," he told MLive. "I have big goals, and my goal is to be the best wrestler and the best person I can be every single day. I train hard every single day, and I don't believe in days off. I believe that, even though you might not go so hard some days, you're always doing something to better yourself in every position of your life, and it starts again tomorrow. "I'm going to celebrate with my family tonight, have some fun, and go right back to it. There are more fish to fry." Another future Nittany Lion also took home a gold medal at the Michi- gan state championships, with junior Braeden Davis repeating as a state champ. The nation's top-ranked 120 pounder, he wrestled in Michigan's 119-pound weight class and had no problem gliding through it. He de- feated his finals opponent, Clinton's Connor Busz, by technical fall, 21-6, to lock up another title. "I just wanted to go out there and score as many points as I could," Davis told The Monroe News. "A big thing for me is to not overthink. A lot of kids do that, and that's what ends up ruining their mindset. So, don't overthink and good things will happen." Davis finished the season with a 41-2 record. According to The Monroe News, he could become the fifth Michigan wrestler to ever go four for four in state and individual titles. Closer to home, Williamsport's Cael Nasdeo was dealt a tough draw in the 113-pound Class AAA bracket at the PIAA championships. He made it through two rounds but lost to eventual state champion Zachary Jacaruso of Delaware Valley, 4-2, in the semifinals. The Millionaire wrestler then injury defaulted out of the remainder of the tournament to place sixth. He finished the season with a 32-6 record. "It's a little bittersweet. It was great placing, and I thought I wrestled re- ally, really well," Nasdeo told the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. "[But I'm] a little banged up. I didn't think it was worth it to wrestle any matches. I tried wres- tling that last one — just a little too much pain." Penn State also added a commitment in March, picking up a pledge from 2025 recruit Dalton Perry. The Central Mountain standout won a Pennsylvai- nia Class AAA state title at 126 pounds as a freshman and finished his first season of high school wrestling with a 41-2 record. FloWrestling ranks him No. 13 nationally at 126 pounds. — Greg Pickel spots, but there are big questions at others. Let's start with the cer- tainties. Penn State's upper weights are mostly intact, with junior Carter Starocci (174 pounds), senior Aaron Brooks (184), and junior Greg Kerkvliet (285) all coming back. Junior Mi- chael Beard would take over at 197 if Dean doesn't return. At 141 pounds, the con- sensus is that junior Beau Bartlett will drop down from 149 now that Nick Lee has graduated. That leaves holes at 125, possibly 133, 149, 157 and 165. At the first of those undecided weight classes, the Lions added Ohio State transfer Will Betancourt in March to compete with junior Robbie Howard, sophomore Gary Steen and junior Baylor Shunk. At 133, it's not unrealistic to think that Howard could bump up. Senior Brandon Meredith and redshirt sophomore David Evans also are back, but it's a weight that has no clear frontrunner if Bravo-Young doesn't return. With Bartlett likely moving to 141, the path is open for redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness to step in at 149. He was 2-0 on the mat this past year but medically forfeited at the Clarion Open in November and did not wrestle again. His health status remains a question mark. At 157, Penn State re- turns senior Tony Negron and junior Joe Lee. New- comer Levi Haines will push both, however. The former PIAA champ didn't compete at the high school level as a senior and instead performed well in open college tournaments this past season. H a i n e s , w h o m F l o - Wrestling ranks No. 1 at 160 pounds and No. 8 overall in the nation, beat No. 3-ranked 160-pounder Alden Riggens of Iowa, 7-3, at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic in late March. The event matches top senior wrestlers from Pennsylvania against an all-star team from the rest of the country. Finally, at 165, senior Creighton Edsell returns, but many believe redshirt fresh- man Alex Facundo will win that job. The four-time Michigan state champion was 12-3 with three pins in open competition this past year. ■ Junior Beau Bartlett, who posted an 11-6 duals record last year (15-10 overall), will likely move to 141 pounds, down from 149, for the 2022-23 season. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL PSU-Bound Wrestlers Claim State Championships