Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547107
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 6 47 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M energy level," Blaze said. "I just didn't have much energy to go out and wres- tle as hard as I wanted to wrestle. And I wouldn't say it's like an excuse or any- thing; it's just what happened. "I'm not saying that's the reason I lost. I should have wrestled better, but my en- ergy level was definitely not there. I just didn't have the energy, and it's kind of hard to wrestle a 10-minute match when you don't have the energy. But that's not an excuse." Welsh, meanwhile, has had to refocus after ending his sophomore season with a 4-3 loss to Minnesota's Max McEnelly at 184 pounds in the NCAA Tournament final. Two weeks earlier, Welsh had de- feated McEnelly, 2-1, in the Big Ten final. "I don't really see it as a heartbreaking loss, honestly," said Welsh, a two-time NCAA finalist entering his junior season. "That's just God's plan for my life, and Coach Cael [Sanderson] sometimes will talk about losses that will actually change you. There are losses that hurt, but you're going to keep doing the same things, and then there are losses that actually change you — who you are and your habits and stuff. "I feel like that's a loss that has changed me. It really made me rethink everything and change the things I need to change for the better. I really think it's a posi- tive thing, because if I win that match, maybe I stay the same. I lose a one-point match, and now I just jumped major levels all summer because of that loss. So, I see it as a positive thing." Sanderson firmly believes that losses can serve as a springboard to make ath- letes better, if they take the right lessons from the experience. "As painful as adversity can be, or a tough loss, whatever the circumstances may be, that can be the greatest blessing for them," Sanderson said. "It keeps them hungry, keeps a chip on their shoulder. "You don't have to look far into people's wrestling careers to see how some adver- sity actually ends up being a blessing for them. I think it's just [a matter of] having the right mindset. Things don't always go as planned, but I think adversity is always an opportunity to show your strength and to come back stronger." ■ Nittany Lions Still Seeking Clarity On Masa Ono's Status Ever since Japanese world champion Masanosuke Ono joined the Penn State program, fans have wanted to see how he'll adapt from freestyle to folkstyle. If he's part of the Nittany Lions' lineup this season, it could be at 133 pounds, since his Japanese Olympic trials weight will be 57 kilograms (125.7 pounds), or 141, which would be quite a jump. Head coach Cael Sanderson said recently that the NCAA's new age-based rule allowing eligible athletes up to five years of competition will not apply to Ono. Sanderson said Penn State is attempting to get Ono two seasons of competition, but it's been a difficult task. As far as Ono's transition to folkstyle is concerned, it's been a challenging ad- justment that doesn't occur all that often at the international level, but the Nit- tany Lion coaching staff has liked what it's seen so far. "He's really good at folkstyle," Sanderson said. "He's put a lot of time and en- ergy into getting better on the mat. Your finishes are different. Obviously, the edge of the mat is different, so the technique is a lot different. He's been working on folkstyle because it's really important to him." Sanderson also said the Japanese qualifying system is earlier than that of USA Wrestling and that Ono may have to compete overseas at some point during the collegiate season. — Jim Carlson Ono was on hand in Cleveland when the Nittany Lions claimed their latest national championship in March. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS