Penn State Wrestling Could Be Without 2 Injured Starters at Ohio State
The No. 1 Penn State wrestling team could be without two starters, including top-ranked Tyler Kasak, when it visits No. 8 Ohio State on Friday night for the first of two weekend Big Ten matches. Kasak was forced to take an injury default after entering concussion protocol last Sunday against Maryland’s Ethen Miller, and Nittany Lions coach Cael Sanderson was guarded about Kasak’s availability this weekend.
“I think he’s doing better,” Sanderson told reporters Tuesday in State College. “We have time [before the postseason] to kind of help him get back to full speed. But he’s a tough kid. If it were up to him, he’s going. He’ll be good to go here at some point.”
Sanderson also discussed the progress of sophomore Braeden Davis, who missed all three of Penn State’s recent home matches following his 2-1 win over Rutgers’ Dylan Shawver on Jan. 24. Davis, ranked eighth at 133 pounds according to InterMat, did not wrestle against Iowa, Michigan or Maryland. Sanderson said he expects Davis, who won a Big Ten title at 125 pounds last season, to be ready for the postseason and that he could compete this weekend.
“There’s different kinds of injuries,” Sanderson said. “There’s season-ending injuries, there’s things that are going to be a nuisance for him at the nationals like Carter [Starocci] dealt with at nationals last year. But we don’t have what we feel like is anything like that. There’s a good chance he’ll wrestle this week, and there’s a chance he won’t wrestle this week. But if it were the Big Ten Tournament, he would be ready to rip and roll. He’d be good to go.”
Kasak (13-1) became the No. 1 wrestler according to InterMat after defeating Iowa’s Jacori Teemer 5-2 in their Feb. 2 dual at the Bryce Jordan Center. During that bout, Kasak sustained a gash over his right eye but finished the bout impressively. He also took injury time in his 7-2 win over Michigan’s Zack Mattin last Friday but finished that bout as well. Against Miller, Kasak fell to the mat after appearing to hit his head on his opponent’s knee. Kasak was placed in the concussion protocol and could not complete the bout.
The injuries are one of the few stress tests placed this season on Penn State, which has affirmed its No. 1 ranking with dual-match dominance. The Nittany Lions (12-0) have outscored opponents 493-37, have posted five shutouts and haven’t lost more than two bouts in a single dual. Penn State held a 49-0 advantage in takedowns last weekend in wins over Michigan and Maryland. And ultimately, Sanderson said, Penn State is fairly healthy.
“You always look at yourself and it’s easy to feel sorry for yourself, but we don’t feel sorry for ourselves,” Sanderson said. “The reality is, every team and every program at this point in time has bumps and bruises. But we’re actually, I’d say, pretty darn healthy, so we have a lot to be grateful for.”
Penn State brings a 68-match win streak to Columbus on Friday to face the Buckeyes. The match will be broadcast on Big Ten Network at 7 p.m. ET. Penn State then travels to Illinois on Sunday for its last Big Ten match of the season. B1G+ will stream the Penn State-Illinois match beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
