Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling
The Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling program is an NCAA Division I Wrestling team competing as members of the Big Ten Conference.
| Penn State Nittany Lions | |
|---|---|
| University | Pennsylvania State University |
| Head Coach | Cael Sanderson (13th season) |
| Assistant Coach | Casey Cunningham Cody Sanderson Jimmy Kennedy |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Location | University Park, PA |
| Arena | Lorenzo Wrestling Complex at Rec Hall (Capacity: 7,000) |
| Nickname | Nittany Lions |
| Colors | Blue and white[1] |
| Fight song | Fight On, State |
| Team national championships | |
| 11 | |
| National championship years | |
| 1953, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 | |
| NCAA individual champions | |
| 55 (by 35 athletes) | |
| All-Americans | |
| 241 | |
| Conference Tournament championships | |
| Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1936, 1937, 1942, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1960, 1971, 1973 Eastern Wrestling League 1976, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 Big Ten Conference 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2023 | |
The team is coached by Olympic Champion Cael Sanderson (Athens 2004) and have maintained status as one of the top collegiate wrestling programs in the country, with a four-year NCAA Team Championship streak from 2011-2014, and an additional four-year NCAA Team Championship streak from 2016-2019. From February 22, 2015 to November 22, 2019, the team achieved a 60 dual meet win streak.
Former wrestlers include Dan Hodge Trophy Winners Kerry McCoy (1997), Zain Retherford (2017, 2018), Bo Nickal (2019), and Olympic Champion David Taylor (2012, 2014).
History
The Penn State wrestling program was established in 1909 and was declared national dual meet champion in 1921.[2][3] In 1925, Penn State won all seven team duals in which they competed, finishing the dual meet season undefeated.[4]
Charlie Spiedel coached the team from 1927-1942 and 1947-1964, taking a four-year break to serve during World War II. He is credited with laying the groundwork for the Nittany Lion wrestling program's standard of excellence. He guided the team to the 1953 national title.[5]
Prior to competing in the Big Ten Conference, the Penn State wrestling program competed as members of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (1918-1974) and the Eastern Wrestling League (1975-1992).
Starting lineup 2022-2023
| Weight (Pounds) | Name | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 125 lbs. | Gary Steen | R-Fr |
| 133 lbs. | Roman Bravo-Young | Gr. |
| 141 lbs. | Beau Bartlett | Jr. |
| 149 lbs. | Shayne Van Ness | R-Fr |
| 157 lbs. | Levi Haines | Fr |
| 165 lbs. | Alex Facundo | R-Fr |
| 174 lbs. | Carter Starocci | Jr. |
| 184 lbs. | Aaron Brooks | Sr. |
| 197 lbs. | Max Dean | Sr. |
| 285 lbs. | Greg Kerkvliet | Jr. |
National championships
Team Championships
In 1921, Penn State defeated Indiana, 32-14, and Iowa Agricultural College, 28-18, in post-season dual meets among conference champions.[2][3][5][6]
In addition, Penn State has won eleven NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as a team.
| Year | Coach | NCAA Meet Points | Duals Record (W-L-T) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | William E. Lewis | Pre-NCAA National Championship | 6-1 |
| 1953 | Charlie Speidel | 21 | 9-0 |
| 2011 | Cael Sanderson | 107.5 | 17-1-1 |
| 2012 | Cael Sanderson | 143.0 | 13-1 |
| 2013 | Cael Sanderson | 123.5 | 13-1 |
| 2014 | Cael Sanderson | 109.5 | 15-1 |
| 2016 | Cael Sanderson | 123.0 | 16-0 |
| 2017 | Cael Sanderson | 146.5 | 14-0 |
| 2018 | Cael Sanderson | 141.5 | 14-0 |
| 2019 | Cael Sanderson | 137.5 | 14-0 |
| 2022 | Cael Sanderson | 131.5 | 17-0 |
| 2023 | Cael Sanderson | 137.5 | 16-0 |
Individual Championships
The program’s record for most NCAA Champions in one season was set in 2017 and repeated in 2022, with 5 NCAA Champions crowned. In 2017, Zain Retherford (149 lbs), Jason Nolf (157 lbs), Vincenzo Joseph (165 lbs), Mark Hall (174 lbs), and Bo Nickal (184 lbs) and in 2022, Roman Bravo-Young (133 lbs), Nick Lee (141 lbs), Carter Starocci (174 lbs), Aaron Brooks (184 lbs), and Max Dean (197 lbs).
| Year | NCAA Champion | Weight Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Howard Johnston | 165 lbs |
| 1952 | Joe Lemyre | 167 lbs |
| 1953 | Hud Samson | 191 lbs |
| 1955 | Larry Fornicola | 137 lbs |
| 1955 | Bill Oberly | Heavyweight |
| 1957 | Jon Johnston | 130 lbs |
| 1971 | Andy Matter | 167 lbs |
| 1972 | Andy Matter | 167 lbs |
| 1975 | John Fritz | 126 lbs |
| 1984 | Carl Destefanis | 118 lbs |
| 1984 | Scott Lynch | 134 lbs |
| 1988 | Jim Martin | 126 lbs |
| 1991 | Jeff Prescott | 118 lbs |
| 1992 | Jeff Prescott | 118 lbs |
| 1994 | Kerry McCoy | 275 lbs |
| 1995 | John Hughes | 142 lbs |
| 1996 | Sanshiro Abe | 126 lbs |
| 1997 | Kerry McCoy | 275 lbs |
| 1999 | Glen Pritzlaff | 174 lbs |
| 2000 | Jeremy Hunter | 125 lbs |
| 2008 | Phil Davis | 197 lbs |
| 2011 | Quentin Wright | 184 lbs |
| 2012 | Frank Molinaro | 149 lbs |
| 2012 | David Taylor | 165 lbs |
| 2012 | Ed Ruth | 174 lbs |
| 2013 | Ed Ruth | 184 lbs |
| 2013 | Quentin Wright | 197 lbs |
| 2014 | David Taylor | 165 lbs |
| 2014 | Ed Ruth | 184 lbs |
| 2015 | Matt Brown | 174 lbs |
| 2016 | Nico Megaludis | 125 lbs |
| 2016 | Zain Retherford | 149 lbs |
| 2017 | Zain Retherford | 149 lbs |
| 2017 | Jason Nolf | 157 lbs |
| 2017 | Vincenzo Joseph | 165 lbs |
| 2017 | Mark Hall | 174 lbs |
| 2017 | Bo Nickal | 184 lbs |
| 2018 | Zain Retherford | 149 lbs |
| 2018 | Jason Nolf | 157 lbs |
| 2018 | Vincenzo Joseph | 165 lbs |
| 2018 | Bo Nickal | 184 lbs |
| 2019 | Jason Nolf | 157 lbs |
| 2019 | Bo Nickal | 197 lbs |
| 2019 | Anthony Cassar | 285 lbs |
| 2021 | Roman Bravo-Young | 133 lbs |
| 2021 | Nick Lee | 141 lbs |
| 2021 | Carter Starocci | 174 lbs |
| 2021 | Aaron Brooks | 184 lbs |
| 2022 | Roman Bravo-Young | 133 lbs |
| 2022 | Nick Lee | 141 lbs |
| 2022 | Carter Starocci | 174 lbs |
| 2022 | Aaron Brooks | 184 lbs |
| 2022 | Max Dean | 197 lbs |
| 2023 | Carter Starocci | 174 lbs |
| 2023 | Aaron Brooks | 184 lbs |
The following table counts the achievements of Nittany Lion wrestlers by name as opposed to year.
| Wrestler | NCAA Championships | NCAA Runners-up | Hodge Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Brooks | 3 | 0 | |
| Bo Nickal | 3 | 1 | 2019 |
| Jason Nolf | 3 | 1 | |
| Zain Retherford | 3 | 0 | 2017 & 2018 |
| Ed Ruth | 3 | 0 | |
| Carter Starocci | 3 | 0 | |
| David Taylor | 2 | 2 | 2012 & 2014 |
| Quentin Wright | 2 | 1 | |
| Vincenzo Joseph | 2 | 1 | |
| Andy Matter | 2 | 0 | |
| Jeff Prescott | 2 | 0 | |
| Kerry McCoy | 2 | 0 | 1997 |
| Nick Lee | 2 | 0 | |
| Roman Bravo-Young | 2 | 1 | |
| Mark Hall | 1 | 2 | |
| Nico Megaludis | 1 | 2 | |
| Frank Molinaro | 1 | 1 | |
| Jeremy Hunter | 1 | 1 | |
| Jim Martin | 1 | 1 | |
| John Hughes | 1 | 1 | |
| Matt Brown | 1 | 1 | |
| Phil Davis | 1 | 1 | |
| Sanshiro Abe | 1 | 1 | |
| Anthony Cassar | 1 | 0 | |
| Bill Oberly | 1 | 0 | |
| Carl Destefanis | 1 | 0 | |
| Glen Pritzlaff | 1 | 0 | |
| Howard Johnston | 1 | 0 | |
| Hud Samson | 1 | 0 | |
| Joe Lemyre | 1 | 0 | |
| John Fritz | 1 | 0 | |
| Jon Johnston | 1 | 0 | |
| Larry Fornicola | 1 | 0 | |
| Scott Lynch | 1 | 0 | |
| Max Dean | 1 | 0 | |
| Troy Sunderland | 0 | 2 | |
| Aaron Anspach | 0 | 1 | |
| Bubba Jenkins | 0 | 1 | |
| Cary Kolat | 0 | 1 | |
| Clint Musser | 0 | 1 | |
| Dan Mayo | 0 | 1 | |
| Dan Vallimont | 0 | 1 | |
| Greg Elinsky | 0 | 1 | |
| Greg Haladay | 0 | 1 | |
| Josh Moore | 0 | 1 | |
| Morgan McIntosh | 0 | 1 | |
| Pat Cummins | 0 | 1 | |
| Levi Haines | 0 | 1 | |
| Greg Kerkvilet | 0 | 1 | |
| TOTALS | 55 | 33 | 6 |
Olympics and post-graduate careers
Penn State wrestlers have gone on to have success beyond their NCAA achievements. Wrestlers have had career success in the Olympics and in professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
| Wrestler | Competition | Notable Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| Katsutoshi Naito | Olympics (1924) for Japan | Bronze Medal (1924) |
| Ken Chertow | Olympics (1988) for USA | |
| Sanshiro Abe | Olympics (1996) for Japan | 9th place (1996) |
| Kerry McCoy | Olympics (2000) for USA Olympics (2004) for USA World Championships (2003) for USA | 5th place (2000) 7th place (2004) Silver Medal (2003) |
| Phil Davis | Bellator (2008-) | Light Heavyweight World Champion (2016) |
| Patrick Cummins | UFC (2010-) | |
| Frank Molinaro | Olympics (2016) for USA | 5th place (2016) |
| Zain Retherford | World Championships (2017, 2019) for USA | |
| David Taylor | World Championships (2018) for USA Olympics (2020) for USA World Championships (2021) for USA | Gold Medal (2018), UWW Wrestler of the Year (2018) Gold (2020) Silver Medal (2021) |
| Bo Nickal | U23 World Championships (2019) for USA | Gold Medal (2019) |
Coaching
Current coaching staff
| Position[7] | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Cael Sanderson |
| Associate Head Coach | Cody Sanderson |
| Head Assistant Coach | Casey Cunningham |
| Assistant coach | Jimmy Kennedy |
| Director of Operations | Adam Lynch |
Head coach history
| Years | Name |
|---|---|
| 1927–1942, 1947–1964 | Charlie Spiedel |
| 1965–1978 | Bill Koll |
| 1979–1992 | Rich Lorenzo |
| 1993–1998 | John Fritz |
| 1999–2009 | Troy Sunderland |
| 2010–present | Cael Sanderson |
Facilities
The Lorenzo Wrestling Complex, widely considered among the best in the nation, gives Penn State athletes a world-class facility for training. The facility encompasses over 24,000 square feet and includes the practice room, weight room, locker room, and academic support space. Home dual meets are held in the main gym at Rec Hall and on occasion at the Bryce Jordan Center.
(The Lorenzo Wrestling Complex also serves as the training facility for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, a designated U.S. Olympic Regional Training Center.)
Notable Nittany Lion wrestlers
- Sanshiro Abe – represented Japan at 1996 Summer Olympics in freestyle wrestling, NCAA National Champion and four-time All-American
- Roman Bravo-Young – two-time NCAA National Champion
- Aaron Brooks – three-time NCAA National Champion, Cadet World Champion and Junior World silver medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Anthony Cassar – NCAA National Champion
- Ken Chertow – Olympian in freestyle wrestling at 1988 Summer Olympics, three-time NCAA All-American
- Patrick Cummins – former UFC fighter, NCAA runner-up and two-time All-American
- Phil Davis – former UFC fighter and Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion, NCAA National Champion and four-time All-American
- Mark Hall – 2021 US Open National Champion, one-time Cadet and two-time Junior World Champion in freestyle wrestling, NCAA National Champion and three-time finalist
- Kerry McCoy – two-time Olympian in freestyle wrestling at 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, World silver medalist in 2003, two-time NCAA National Champion and three-time All-American
- Frank Molinaro – Olympian at 2016 Summer Olympics in freestyle wrestling, NCAA National Champion, two-time finalist and four-time All-American
- Bo Nickal – UFC fighter, gold medalist at U23 World Wrestling Championships in freestyle wrestling, three-time NCAA National Champion and four-time finalist
- Jason Nolf – gold medalist at 2020 Pan American Wrestling Championships, three-time NCAA National Champion and four-time finalist
- Zain Retherford – two-time US World Team member in freestyle wrestling, Cadet World Champion, three-time NCAA National Champion and four-time All-American
- Ed Ruth – MMA fighter, three-time NCAA National Champion and four-time All-American
- David Taylor – Olympic gold medalist at 2020 Summer Olympics in freestyle wrestling, two-time World Champion, two-time NCAA National Champion and four-time finalist
See also
- Iowa-Penn State rivalry
- Penn State Wrestling Club
- Nittany Lion Wrestling Club
References
- ^ Penn State Artwork (PDF). November 6, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ a b "Athletics". Indiana University Alumni Quarterly. Indiana University Alumni Association. IX: 210. 1922. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
- ^ a b The Penn State Wrestling Club (2008). A Century of Penn State Wrestling. pp. 18–21. ISBN 978-0-615-19200-0.
- ^ "Penn State University Wrestling".
- ^ a b Palmer, Mark (June 3, 2008). "Intermat Rewind: 1953 Penn State". Intermat. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 2009-03-24. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ "Coaches". Penn State University. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
External links
- Official website