Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1533674
6 6 A P R I L 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M F or Penn State, the first day of the 2025-26 wrestling season was March 24, less than 48 hours after the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. The Nittany Lions had left the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia at around midnight after all the post-tournament celebrations and obligations. Having captured their 12th NCAA team title un- der coach Cael Sanderson, the wrestlers got some sleep then made plans to be back in the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex on Monday morning. For Penn State, the pursuit of perfection never ends. The results of the three-day NCAA Tournament show why that sort of dil- igence is so important. The event's big- gest surprise occurred in the last bout, with Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State scoring a late takedown in the 285-pound final to shock Minnesota's Gable Steveson, a two-time NCAA champ and Olympic gold medalist. Hendrickson is out of eligibility, but he and his Cowboy teammates finished strong in Year 1 of the David Taylor coaching era, placing third at nation- als. They look like they're going to be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come. Meanwhile, Nebraska hadn't won an NCAA individual title since 2014 but captured two this year and fin- ished second in the team race with 117 points. It was the most impressive tournament run of the Mark Manning coaching era. None of which is intended to mini- mize Penn State's success. The Nittany Lions broke their own team points re- cord, which was set just one year ago, with 177. They are only the second team ever to have 10 All-Americans, and they are the first with 10 top-six finishers. Graduate 184-pounder Carter Starocci made history by becoming the first five-time champ in NCAA history. Redshirt sophomore Mitchell Mesen- brink won his first college champion- ship at 165 pounds. Redshirt freshman Josh Barr finished second at 197, and five Nittany Lions placed third. In spite of all those accomplish- ments, some might call this year a disappointment. Penn State wasn't the super team some thought it could be, but it's still among the best the sport has ever produced. Nittany Lion fans should remember that as they balance their disappointment over the team's setbacks in the semifinal round of the tournament against the many successes over the course of the season. Nebraska and Oklahoma State join Ohio State, Iowa, Minnesota, Cornell and the rest of the college wrestling world in starting a new year with the goal of dethroning Sanderson's dy- nasty. Iowa and Oklahoma State have shown they will spare no expense in pursuit of the crown. The transfer portal has helped level the playing field, although it's been good to Penn State, too. And the same can be said for name, image and likeness op- portunities in addition to the upcoming House vs. NCAA legal settlement that will pave the way for revenue sharing. Asked following the tournament how his approach has changed since the last time Penn State won a title in Philadel- phia back in 2011, Sanderson unsurpris- ingly shrugged. That's his M.O., after all — never get too high or too low, and keep everything in perspective. "It doesn't really change for us," Sanderson said. "Our coaching staff will be in the room on Monday and we're working, the way everything's set up. We love it. We just love what we do, and we love the sport. "Everything has changed a lot, but our values haven't changed. What we focus on as coaches and what we offer and bring to the table, that's not going to change. Everything else changes, and maybe it's hard. But it's not hard for us, because we know what's most important to us and what's the most important thing at the end of the day for us. That's just to take care of our guys and help them be happy and reach their goals." The chase to reach the next set of goals is already underway. Freestyle season is right around the corner. Fall will arrive before too long, and then comes winter and the drive for a fifth consecutive NCAA title and new team points record. The landscape will change, but Penn State won't. The work will continue. And so will the program's consistent approach. It might be more important now than ever. This year's NCAA Tour- nament results showed that new chal- lengers are emerging, but those teams aren't close to the nation's leading team just yet. The work that PSU puts in over the coming weeks and months will help keep it that way. "We have a guy who's a sophomore in the NCAA finals, and our other finalist is a freshman," Starrocci said, referring to Mesenbrink and Barr. "That pretty much tells you where the program is going. We have some young guys mak- ing noise. I think our coaches are going to keep leaning in that direction." ■ O P I N I O N GREG PICKEL GREG.PICKEL@ON3.COM A Relentless Work Ethic Elevates Wrestling Program THE LAST WORD Coach Cael Sanderson has guided Penn State to 12 of the past 14 NCAA Tournament championships. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS