Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519242
M A Y 2 0 2 4 4 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M NCAAs as a true freshman but did not earn All-America status. The question is, can he continue to cut to 125 heading into his sophomore season? Incoming freshman Luke Lilledahl qualified for the Olympic trials at 57 ki- lograms, or 125.5 pounds, and is ranked as the nation's No. 1 overall high school wrestler by FloWrestling. He could fit in here as comfortably and successfully as Davis did this past season if the ris- ing sophomore opts to redshirt to grow into 133 or bumps up to compete for that spot next season. 133: It gets rather interesting here, with 2023 All-American Aaron Nagao having two years of eligibility remain- ing. Hindered by injury and illness, he didn't place as a sophomore this sea- son. Can he beat Davis and/or Lilledahl if they opt to enter the battle at this weight class? 141: This weight should be clear-cut, with NCAA runner-up Beau Bartlett announcing his return on X (Twitter) the day after Penn State's postseason banquet. Bartlett's return will con- tinue his entertaining rivalry with Ohio State's Jesse Mendez, who beat him 4-1 for the NCAA title in March. Bartlett also loves freestyle wrestling, and success at the Olympic trials per- haps could alter his plans. A likely re- placement would be All-American Tyler Kasak. But Kasak, listed at 141 on Penn State's roster, placed third at 149 as a true freshman, and Sanderson last fall described him as a "heavy" 141. While Kasak has made it clear he wants to wrestle, a redshirt might be plausible. 149: Shayne Van Ness, an All-Amer- ican as a redshirt freshman in 2023, should return from a knee injury, but the question is when? If Van Ness isn't healthy until the second half of the sea- son, it would not make sense for Kasak to burn a year of eligibility. Rising se- nior David Evans or redshirt sophomore Connor Pierce could fill in early on, if necessary. Van Ness, if healthy, is an immediate title contender. 157: Levi Haines chose to return to 157 after his freshman runner-up fin- ish, and the result was an NCAA title as a sophomore. Even so, an eight- pound bump-up would seem to make sense in this case. When NCAA finalist Mitchell Mesenbrink entered the Penn State wrestling room last fall, he said he would wrestle at 157 or 165. He does appear to be a light 165. If Mesenbrink can and does make the drop ahead of his redshirt sophomore season, another trip to the finals is highly likely. 165: The conceivable big switch be- tween Haines and Mesenbrink once again would make the Nittany Lions un- touchable through the middleweights. Alex Facundo is back, and although he is making 165, which is 74 kilograms for freestyle, he has geared his return toward 174 pounds heading into his red- shirt junior year. Another twist is incoming freshman Joe Sealey, the nation's No. 2 high school 165-pounder. If Sealey is ready for the collegiate grind and if Haines contem- plates redshirting to jump two weight classes to 174, the freshman from Wyo- ming Seminary, ranked No. 13 overall in the country, could make an appearance. 174: Can the prospect of being the NCAA's only five-time champion lure four-timer Carter Starocci back into the Lions' lineup? That's iffy, at best, but can't be dismissed. If not, Facundo could step in, veteran Terrell Barraclough has a sixth year available and has proven he can com- pete, and Sealey would have an outside shot depending on his growth. Food for thought: What if things don't work out for Starocci on the free- style circuit because of his injured right knee and he opts to have surgery and possibly return to Penn State for the 2025 half of next season? 184: What we know for certain is that this weight is wide open, because Ber- nie Truax will take his four All-America medals and move on. It's likely to be filled by either redshirt freshman Josh Barr, who had a strong debut season competing unattached, or freshman recruit Zack Ryder, who passed on his final season of high school in Minisink, N.Y., to work out at David Taylor's M2 Training Center. Barr would have wres- tled this season if not for Truax, and Ryder, the No. 6 overall wrestler in the country, provides outstanding depth. 197: For the first time in years, Penn State's final two weights are question marks. Aaron Brooks was a five-time Big Ten finalist and won four confer- ence and four NCAA titles, as well as the Hodge Trophy this year. Lucas Cochran, from Perry, Utah, will be a redshirt junior and fared well against starkly heavier athletes while subbing at 285. A.J. Fricchione, who wrestled just four times this past sea- son, could be a contender going into his sophomore year, as could incoming recruit Connor Mirasola, a four-time Wisconsin state champion who earned a spot in the Olympic trials at 86 kg. He appears to be college-ready. 285: The status of Greg Kerkvliet's possible return for a super senior cam- paign is uncertain as he competes in freestyle at 125 kg and weighs an MMA career. Still, the chances of seeing him defend his NCAA title are likely quite a bit greater than seeing Starocci. Kerkvliet's return would practically seal a fourth consecutive NCAA team title for Penn State. If not, Cochran is an option, and Mirasola's twin brother, Cole, also will be in the room, although he would be a light heavyweight in his first season. There's no question that Sander- son will be having conversations with Kerkvliet, as well as Starocci at 174. But regardless of what happens, with their depth, recruiting classes and lineup op- tions, the Nittany Lions unquestionably will be a team-title favorite. ■ "You don't start thinking about next year tomorrow. We were thinking about next year three, four years ago. That's just the way it is." C A E L S A N D E R S O N