Penn State Sports Magazine
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J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 3 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M have also been racking up victories in the talent-acquisition department, landing three wrestlers via the transfer portal since the end of the 2022-23 campaign. Three-time Cal Poly All-American Bernie Truax IV was the first to join, committing to Penn State on April 19. "It has been a dream of mine to wrestle for this program since I was a little kid," Truax tweeted in announcing his com- mitment. The super senior holds an 82-28 ca- reer record and also has won two Pac-12 titles. How he fits in at Penn State will likely depend on what happens with de- fending NCAA 184-pound champ Aaron Brooks. If Brooks opts against taking an Olym- pic redshirt and remains at 184, Truax will likely wrestle at 197, where he fin- ished fourth at NCAAs this past season. If Brooks moves up to 197, then Truax could compete at 184. That decision has not yet been made. Two days after Truax committed, red- shirt freshman middleweight wrestler Mitchell Mesenbrink picked the Lions. The former Wisconsin prep star won his only two matches at Cal Baptist last sea- son before deciding to move on. He told WI Wrestle that he plans to compete at either the 157- or 165-pound spot, de- pending on what the Penn State coaches want him to do. An Olympic redshirt isn't out of the question, either. "One of the biggest things is the trust I had in them," Mesenbrink told WI Wres- tle. "I really wanted to go there since I was a little kid, and I feel like the trust I have in them even before I step in the room is important. I feel like they can take me to levels that only they can take me to." On April 25, Penn State secured an- other key addition to its 2023-24 roster when Minnesota All-American Aaron Nagao picked the Lions over Iowa and Cornell. The redshirt sophomore is set to join PSU's lineup at 133 pounds, fill- ing the spot vacated by two-time NCAA champ Roman Bravo-Young. "I know that at the spot I chose, I'm going to be given what I need to glorify God and to wrestle to the best of my ability," Nagao told the "Baschmania" podcast. "I believe I'm best fit to wrestle for Penn State University in an environment where I'm around people who have the same goals as me and live the same life- style as I do and are God-fearing men and want to wrestle and be the best they can be. "I can be very, very dangerous there. I know that's where I need to be to accom- plish my goals." Meanwhile, two wrestlers are leaving Penn State via the portal. Senior heavy- weight Seth Nevills is headed to Mary- land, while lightweight Will Betancourt has departed without ever suiting up for PSU. Betancourt transferred to Penn State in March 2022 after previously spend- ing time at Lock Haven and Ohio State. He was back in the portal this April after sitting out the 2022-23 season for undis- closed reasons. Lions Land Two In-State Recruits Penn State picked up a pair of 2024 verbal commitments in recent weeks, landing Pennsylvania standouts Luke Lilledahl and Brock Weiss. A 120-pounder at Wyoming Semi- nary, Lilledahl announced for Penn State on April 10. The recently crowned U.S. Open U20 champ is the No. 2 recruit na- tionally in the 2024 class according to Flo Wrestling. The outlet also calls him the top-ranked 120-pounder in the nation. On May 1, Weiss joined Lilledahl in Penn State's class. The rising senior from Jersey Shore High has a career mark of 102-11 with 57 falls. After finishing sec- ond at the PIAA Tournament as a sopho- more at 120 pounds, he was ranked as one of the state's best 127-pound grapplers as a junior. However, he didn't make weight at his district tournament, bringing a premature end to his season. Penn State's 2024 class continues to rank No. 1 nationally according to Flo Wrestling. ■ U.S. Olympic Trials Coming To BJC In 2024 After missing out on its chance to host the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in 2020, Penn State will get a do-over next year. The trials for the 2024 Paris Games will take place April 19-20 at the Bryce Jordan Center. USA Wrestling had previously selected State College as the site of the trials ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. However, the games were delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the trials were belatedly rescheduled for Fort Worth, Texas. Now, Penn State will get its shot to welcome the nation's best wrestlers to town. Eighteen weight classes will be contested at the BJC across the men's and women's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman divisions. Penn State and the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club are expected to be well represented at the event. How- ever, it will not be known for some time which past and present Penn Staters will be competing for spots on the Team USA roster. — Greg Pickel The Bryce Jordan Center has played host to many big wrestling events over the years. Nine of the 10 largest dual meet crowds in NCAA wrestling history have been for matches at the BJC. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL