Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 47 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M and becoming comfortable and just going out there doing my thing." Also sitting at 141 are Brown transfer Timothy Levine, sophomore Sean Wang, senior Imran Heard and freshmen Karl Shindledecker and Connor Pierce. Pierce recently posted a picture on Twitter of himself with Sanderson that was taken at a tour- nament five years ago when the aspiring college wrestler was a junior high lightweight in the Harbor- creek School District just outside of Erie. 149: Fans are awaiting the debut of a healthy Shayne Van Ness, a two-time na- tional prep champion from Blair Academy in New Jersey who medically defaulted out of the Clarion Open last November and didn't return all season. Sanderson, too, is eager to see the redshirt freshman in action. "He's just a goer," Sanderson said. "He's going to press forward. … Conditioning isn't a factor for him." Redshirt sophomore Matt Lee and se- nior Paul Feite offer depth here. 157: This is the first true question mark in PSU's lineup, but it has plenty of op- tions. The first is Terrell Barraclough, a redshirt junior who was 7-8 while in and out of the lineup last season. The second option is the most intrigu- ing. Levi Haines, a freshman from Big- lerville, Pa., who gave up his senior year of high school wrestling to train at David Taylor's M2 Training Center, is a highly touted recruit. Sanderson said Barraclough has been "in the room long enough that it's time for him to make things happen." He added that Haines is planning on going at 157 but is a "young kid who's still growing." Junior Joe Lee and redshirt sophomore Aurelius Dunbar also provide depth at 157. 165: Like Van Ness, people want to see how redshirt freshman Alex Facundo, a four-time Michigan state champion, per- forms on the folkstyle level. "He's one of those guys who didn't have as much success as he wanted to as a redshirt," Sanderson said. "He's a hard worker and wants to be really good, and he's super talented." Depth here is sophomore Brian Borden and senior Konner Kraeszig. 174: Last year alone, not counting falls, Starocci gave up 55 points; he scored 205, and 13 of his 23 wins earned bonus points. He suffered a broken hand in January of last season and was temporarily sidelined. Supremely confident, Starocci has Olympic aspirations for 2024. It would behoove Penn State to ensure that he stays healthy throughout the season, because overall team depth at the upper weights is not good. 184: Brooks is 50-2 in his career. Both of those losses were avenged with con- viction when it counted most, the most recent being a 5-3 win over Michigan's Myles Amine in the NCAA final last March. Two weeks earlier, Brooks had lost to Amine in the final of the Big Ten Tournament. Brooks is incredibly talented. His mat presence, strength, agility and overall de- meanor make him a wrestling-room gem and a fan favorite. Junior Donovon Ball has wrestled a few matches in Brooks' stead. 197: Dean, the Cornell transfer, is as steady as they come. He can score, he can defend, he can ride, and he wins the close, clutch bouts. An early-season highlight should pit him against a former Penn State team- mate, All-American Michael Beard, when the Nittany Lions visit Lehigh on Dec. 4. Like Bravo-Young, Starocci and Brooks, Dean carries a preseason No. 1 ranking into the upcoming campaign. 285: An injury kept Greg Kerkvliet f ro m co m p e t i n g until the 2020-21 p os tsea so n , a n d he wasn't in wres- tling shape when he returned to ac- tion. That changed last season, when few heavyweights could match the 235-pound Kerkvliet on his feet. He's ranked second this year behind Arizona State's Cohlton Schultz but ahead of Iowa's Tony Cassioppi, who defeated him three times last season. Kerkvliet is scheduled to meet Cassioppi in the Nov. 22 all-star match in Austin, Texas, and the two are destined to see each other in the dual-meet season and tournaments once again. Senior Seth Nevills and junior Eddie Smith provide heavyweight depth. Even with all the success they've en- joyed already, Sanderson sees continued potential for growth among the wrestlers at Penn State's last four weight classes. "It's a great group, and I think they're continuing to get better," he said. "That's something we value in our program — are we getting better and making progress? That's a pretty good little group of guys right there." ■ "He's just getting better and better, and he's becoming a better leader for us. Plus, he's as fun as anyone has ever been to watch wrestle." H E A D C O A C H C A E L S A N D E R S O N O N R O M A N B R A V O - Y O U N G Like teammates Roman Bravo-Young and Carter Starocci, senior 184-pounder Aaron Brooks will be going for his third national championship this season. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL