Watching PSU wrestling a top-ranked experience
Bill Hughes head shot
Submitted photo
Conlan (left) and Declan Biddle pose for a photo with Penn State two-time NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist David Taylor during a match against Nebraska at Rec Hall.
Submitted photo
Penn State wrestling fan Conlan Biddle poses with the Nittany Lion during a match against Nebraska at Rec Hall.
STATE COLLEGE 鈥� When it comes to NCAA wrestling, not many programs are in the same rarified air as Penn State蘑菇视频.
Under the lead of head coach Cael Sanderson, Penn State has won eight of the last 10 NCAA Division I wrestling championships and is favored to win it all again this year.
The Nittany Lions have helped the Big Ten dominate the landscape of the sport as the conference has claimed the last 14 national champions.
In fact, the conference has won 25 of the last 30 Division-I titles with Iowa winning 13, Minnesota taking home three and Ohio State getting one to go along with Penn State蘑菇视频 eight.
The other five national titles since 1991? Oklahoma State has won all of them.
To find the most recent NCAA champion that wasn鈥檛 a Big Ten team or Oklahoma State, you would have to go back to 1988 when Arizona State won it.
Last weekend, fans turned out to Happy Valley in droves to watch a pair of top-10 showdowns with neither being as close as the scores may indicate.
Saturday night at a sold-out Bryce Jordan Center (BJC), top-ranked Penn State defeated eighth-ranked Ohio State, 32-7, in front of 15,991 fans.
It was my first collegiate wrestling dual, and the 鈥淲hite Out鈥� atmosphere was special, even with several fans not using their tickets due to weather conditions.
Another first-time attendee was Dr. Katie Kostohryz, an Associate Teaching Professor in the College of Education who was a Division-I athlete.
鈥淚t was incredible to watch my first wrestling match ever at Penn State and it was my first time in the BJC since the basketball team defeated Ohio State in 2020 pre-Covid,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat phenomenal athletes, and I also felt connected to the Penn State community, old and new friends, and that蘑菇视频 what I love about sports!鈥�
For lifelong friends and Fredericktown residents Pete Keruskin and Chuck Gould, it was a chance to catch up with Chris Opall, a Brownsville native who works at Penn State, and watch the action.
鈥淧enn State蘑菇视频 domination over Ohio State was incredible, the sold-out crowd made the event awesome and there was a lot of energy,鈥� said Keruskin. 鈥淪anderson has brought the intensity needed and has had the ability to keep some of Pennsylvania蘑菇视频 elite high school wrestlers in state while recruiting some of the best wrestlers from around the country.
鈥淗aving so many Olympic and NCAA wrestling champions involved in the program, I don鈥檛 know why a star high school wrestler would want to go anywhere else.鈥�
Gould was impressed by what he saw.
鈥淚t was a dominant performance on the mat by our Lions,鈥� he said while smiling. 鈥淭hrough recruiting, attitude and his work-ethic, Cael has created the most dominant dynasty in college sports.
鈥淚 would love to see more matches in BJC as the waiting list for Rec Hall just continues.鈥�
The legendary Rec Hall was where Penn State defeated seventh-ranked Nebraska Sunday, 21-13, in the 60th straight sellout at the venue.
Bob and Amber (Plewniak) Biddle, graduates of Belle Vernon Area who now reside in Lancaster, took their sons Declan and Conlan to the dual on Sunday.
鈥淚t was an incredible experience with a super intimate setting and incredible energy,鈥� said Amber. 鈥淭his building has so much character and history and you can feel it just walking through the doors.
鈥淎ll of the photos in the concourse displaying the history of Penn State wrestling reminds you of the legendary program.鈥�
Declan and Conlan were able to get a picture with David Taylor, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Penn State, a 2020 Olympic gold medalist and a two-time Dan Hodge trophy winner, which is the equivalent of the Heisman trophy in college football.
鈥淭he event itself was very fan-friendly, very affordable and there isn鈥檛 a bad seat in the place,鈥� Amber said. 鈥淚t was well worth the drive, especially if there are young wrestlers in your family.
鈥淲e will definitely be back.鈥�
So will Penn State, in terms of being there for another potential national championship.
It has the top-ranked wrestler in the nation at four of the 10 weight classes, another who is ranked second and two who are ranked fifth.
Is a ninth crown in 11 tournaments a lock?
No, but when the team champion is crowned March 19, don鈥檛 be surprised if there is another piece of hardware headed to Rec Hall.