Penn State Sports Magazine
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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 4 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M football stadium. Iowa drew 42,287 fans to Kinnick Stadium for a dual meet against Oklahoma State in 2015, while 16,178 turned out at High Point Solu- tions Stadium the following year to see Rutgers welcome Princeton. Until Starocci's tweet, though, there was no reason to believe Penn State was thinking about following their lead. The potential for bad weather in the late fall and winter months seemed to preclude the possibility of staging an outdoor dual meet in central Pennsylvania. In July, Kraft threw another bucket of cold water on the idea during his appearance at Big Ten Football Media Days. The university has been eager to find new ways of monetizing its largest athletics facility, but as Kraft indicated, the problems associated with an out- door wrestling meet would very likely outweigh the benefits. "We'd love to do it," he said. "I think it would be uber successful, obviously, when you have the best program in the world and some of the greatest athletes in the world. But there's just logistics that you have to figure out. "You're putting on an event in a to- tally different environment in an unpre- dictable [weather environment]. When their season is really getting rolling, we're starting to get into weather that, as we all know, can be quite unpredict- able. There are just different issues that we have to deal with. "But we've looked at everything. There is nothing that is off the table to put into Beaver Stadium. And it's be- coming a lot easier now with the reno- vations and the ease of it all." Penn State is getting set to begin a massive renovation project that will transform large portions of the stadium at a projected cost of $700 million. Work on the 64-year-old facility will continue through the summer of 2027. The improvements are expected to make Beaver Stadium more useful for holding events such as the concert by country music star Luke Combs that drew 73,339 fans in April. However, they won't do anything to alleviate the threat of bad winter weather, and that appears to be the most significant stumbling block when it comes to staging a wres- tling dual meet at the Nittany Lion foot- ball team's iconic home field. Steadman Hired To Helm NIL Efforts Penn State has picked its first name, image and likeness director for wres- tling, hiring former Nittany Lion grap- pler Clay Steadman to fill the role. Steadman came to Penn State as an undergraduate a few years before Sanderson arrived. A graduate of Gen- eral McClane High in Erie, he enrolled ahead of the 2007-08 season and was a one-time Big Ten qualifier during his tenure with the Nittany Lions. His ca- reer ended when an injury caused him to miss the 2010-11 season. Steadman later served as a color com- mentator on Penn State wrestling radio broadcasts and is now returning to the program in a full-time capacity. In his new role, Steadman will help with recruiting, provide "administrative support for NIL fundraising and educa- tional efforts," build relationships with potential donors, track "all incoming NIL gifts, pledges and donations from supporters of Penn State wrestling," and ensure that compliance rules are fol- lowed. Steadman will be tasked with making sure that the Lions continue to stay at the forefront of all the changes that are reshaping college athletics. After leaving Penn State, Steadman worked in numerous finance-related roles. He was at Siemens Healthineers for 10 years and left his role as strategic account director at the health technol- ogy company Philips to rejoin the Nit- tany Lions. "I am thrilled to join the Penn State wrestling staff and help our team achieve their goals," Steadman wrote on LinkedIn. ■ Lions' 2024 Class Rated Nation's Best The Penn State wrestling room is reloading with another top recruiting class. MatScouts and Inter- Mat both recently released their final team rankings for the class of 2024, and the Nittany Lions led the way in each of the two top-25 lists. Penn State has welcomed seven freshmen into the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex this summer. Six of those newcomers made both lists of the nation's top 100 seniors. Lightweight Luke Lilledahl of Wyo- ming Seminary in Kingston, Pa., was the top wrestler in the class of 2024 according to both outlets. Lilledahl is joined in MatScouts' top 100 by No. 6 Zack Ryder of Minisink Valley, N.Y., who is ex- pected to compete at either 174 or 184 pounds; twins Connor (No. 5) and Cole (No. 14) Mirasola of West Bend, Wis., who project at 197 pounds and heavyweight, respectively; and middleweights Joe Sealey (No. 8) of High Point, N.C.; Brock Weiss (No. 91) of Lycoming, Pa., and unranked Ty Watson of Penns Valley, Pa. MatScouts' Willie Saylor noted that there was not a lot of deliberation necessary to put Penn State at No. 1 this year, considering how much talent the team is bringing in. "The Nits' haul this year includes a flabbergasting 5 of the Top 15," Saylor wrote. "Luke Lilledahl, who they need right away at 125, has made four straight World Teams. Zack Ryder has made three. Connor Mirasola — the only opponent to take down Olympian Aaron Brooks at the Trials — made his first World Team after finishing runner up on two previous occasions. Sealey is a Cadet World Champ. And Cole Mirasola has been Top 3 at Trials several times. In other words, their 'eliteness' is all up in your face. "The group largely fits needs, too. While the paths for Sealey and Ryder are less clear and might take some time to figure itself out, there are flashing neon vacancy signs awaiting Lilledahl and Mirasola in the starting lineup. Even for Penn State, who has recruited exceptionally well, getting three to five bona fide starters in one class is rare." Earl Smith of InterMat made the same point in his rankings. "For the most anticlimactic ranking of the bunch, Penn State comes in at number one after signing four top-ten recruits and five of the top 15," Smith wrote. "Three of the wrestlers from this class earned a spot on the U20 World Team in freestyle (Luke Lilledahl, Zack Ryder, and Connor Mirasola). Another two finished third at the Trials (Joseph Sealey and Cole Mirasola). "Obviously, with a stacked lineup and a class of this caliber, there is sure to be some overlap. At the same time, we probably won't remember that issue while reviewing this class in 2029." — Greg Pickel