Penn State Sports Magazine
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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 5 4 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M and that's just how we've done things from the beginning," he said. The prospect of adding $200,000 to the coffers didn't move the needle, either. "We don't care about the Tulsa dual meet at all," Sanderson said. "It really wasn't even a thought or a consider- ation for us. "We've seen from the beginning of the National Duals that there are always underlying reasons for why things are being done. And we're more than happy with the schedule that we have and what we're doing, and really couldn't care less." Levi The Leader Sanderson said Penn State doesn't assign captains because the coaches just want the wrestlers to be them- selves and lead naturally. That's what senior Levi Haines does quite well, Sanderson said. Haines, a three-time NCAA finalist and one- time champion who won a World U23 title in Serbia in October and will wres- tle again at 174 pounds this season, is as good a leader as you could have, Sanderson noted. "People lead in different ways, but it's his mentality. He's very kind to ev- erybody, he's a hard worker and obvi- ously is tenacious in the way he com- petes," the coach said. "He's a team guy, and he's a guy that you're already thinking, 'Oh man, we only have two years left for this guy. Oh crap, we only have one year now.' "Levi, being a senior, he definitely would be a guy that [we could lean on]. We're not going to lean on him, but he's awesome," Sanderson added. Twin Talents Re d s h i r t f re s h m e n — a n d tw i n brothers — Connor and Cole Mirasola from Jackson, Wis., are big-time tal- ents, with emphasis on the word big. Connor will vie for the 197-pound spot this season, although he is certified at 184, and Cole has his eye on the heavy- weight position and is putting on the necessary bulk after competing in free- style at 97 kilograms, or 213 pounds. "They're just a huge blessing to our program," Sanderson said. "Just with their love of life and enthusiasm, they make our program much better — not even from a competitive standpoint, just because of who they are and how they conduct themselves." Sanderson said they are very com- petitive with each other. "I think that competitiveness is great for the team, and I think obviously they both want the other one probably to win more than they do," he noted. Both redshirted last season and Sanderson said the twins were showing the staff text messages from athletes and coaches urging them to enter the transfer portal. Connor must compete with sophomore Josh Barr, last sea- son's NCAA Tournament runner-up at 197, while Cole has to square off with senior Lucas Cochran for the heavy- weight spot. "Both knew the situation when they came here," Sanderson said. "They be- lieve in this program, and we believe in them. I think they're a great fit, and things are going to work out for those guys in the long run, for sure." Walking It Back Cochran, a 197-pound reserve who won a few key bouts at heavyweight the past couple of seasons, was on the mat to walk for Senior Day festivities last February. But the Perry, Utah, na- tive opted for another shot and has put on the pounds for a heavyweight spot. "I think he maybe walked because he had a tough decision. He could go to a lot of schools and would have been offered a lot of money, but he made the decision to stay, and he's bumped up to heavyweight to do his thing here," Sanderson explained. "He's a finance business major, and he's done really well. He's going to be really successful in his life. I don't know if you've seen him, but he's big- ger. He's not the same-looking Lucas the last time you saw him. He's a guy you want to keep, just because he's such a good kid and just has meant so much to the program." Here Comes Rocco It had been a given that Zack Ryder would be at 184 pounds this season as the successor to five-time NCAA cham- pion Carter Starocci. But when sopho- more Rocco Welsh transferred from Ohio State, Ryder left for former Penn Stater David Taylor's program at Oklahoma State. Welsh placed second at 174 pounds in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, drop- ping a 2-0 decision to Starocci. The for- mer Pennsylvania state champion from Waynesburg High sat out last season in Columbus and then opted to depart. He recently competed in the U23 World Championships at 86 kg, or 189 pounds, and won his first two matches with ease. He lost in the third round. When his op- ponent didn't make the finals, Welsh was unable to compete in the repechage, or wrestlebacks, for a bronze medal. "He's a tough kid, a competitor, and he's been a great addition to our pro- gram," Sanderson said. "Just a really, re- ally nice kid. Loves wrestling, obviously, and wants to be the best. That's why he made a tough decision to leave a really good program and enter the transfer por- tal. We couldn't be happier with his at- titude and the effort that he's putting in since he got here." ■ 2025-26 WRESTLING SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time/TV Nov. 14 OKLAHOMA* 6 p.m./BTN Nov. 23 Black Knight Invitational** 10 a.m. Dec. 5 at Drexel 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 LEHIGH 1 p.m./B1G+ Dec. 13 at Wyoming 8 p.m. Dec. 20 North Dakota State^ 5 p.m. Dec. 20 Stanford^ 7 p.m. Jan. 10 RUTGERS 4 p.m./BTN Jan. 16 at Iowa 7 p.m./BTN Jan. 18 at Northwestern TBA/B1G+ Jan. 23 INDIANA 7 p.m./B1G+ Jan. 25 at Maryland Noon/BTN Jan. 30 NEBRASKA* 8 p.m./BTN Feb. 6 at Michigan 6 p.m./BTN Feb. 13 OHIO STATE* 7 p.m./BTN Feb. 20 PRINCETON 7 p.m./B1G+ Mar. 7-8 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS* Mar. 19-21 NCAA Championships^^ * at the Bryce Jordan Center ** at West Point, N.Y. ^ Collegiate Duals at Nashville, Tenn. ^^at Rocket Arena, Cleveland