Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531683
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5 4 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M C ael Sanderson saw all the signs when he was recruiting wrestler Tyler Kasak out of Bethlehem Catholic High School near Allen- town, Pa., and they weren't stop signs. The Penn State coach, now in his 16th season with the Nittany Lions, saw Ka- sak place fifth in the Pennsylvania state championships as a freshman, win the state tournament as a sophomore by defeating wrestlers now with Lehigh, North Carolina and Arizona State, and place third as a junior before forgoing his senior season to train at the M2 Center near State College. Most collegiate wrestlers are content with taking a step-by-step approach to their careers, but Kasak seemed to be on an escalator, and Sanderson could sense that. He won numerous prestigious high school tournaments, including the Iron- man and Beast of the East, and also ex- celled at the international freestyle level, earning the silver medal at 65 kilograms (143.3 pounds) at the 2022 U-17 Freestyle World Championships. "He was just getting better every year, and when you have kids that are trending in that direction and you can see signifi- cant growth over time, that's obviously a really good sign," Sanderson said about Kasak, now a 157-pound sophomore in the top-ranked Nittany Lions' lineup after placing third nationally at 149 as a true freshman. "He was a tough competitor, really good on the mat, just strong," Sanderson added. "I think the big thing you're look- ing for is, where are they trending? He WRESTLING SPECIAL K SPECIAL K Tyler Kasak has been fulfilling the vast potential he displayed during a celebrated high school career J I M CA R L S O N | B L U E W H I T E C O N T R I B U T O R Since moving up to 157 pounds this season, Kasak has gone 10-0 and risen to third in the national rankings. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS