Penn State Wrestling News: Cael Sanderson Discusses Injuries, Big Ten Duals Title
Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson met the local media Tuesday, two days after the Nittany Lions clinched their fifth consecutive unbeaten Big Ten season. No. 1 Penn State beat Ohio State and Illinois during a road-trip weekend to extend their duals win streak to 70 consecutive matches, a Big Ten record. Along the way, Penn State wrestled without two starters and introduced two true freshmen to the conference.
Penn State closes the regular season at home Friday night against American. Here’s what we learned from Sanderson’s weeky media availability.
Penn State wrestling injury updates
Tyler Kasak, the nation’s top-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds, missed both matches of the road trip after getting hit in the head Feb. 9 vs. Maryland’s Ethen Miller and taking an injury default. During the Penn State-Illinois radio broadcast, Penn State wrestling analyst Jeff Byers said that Kasak (13-1) will be ready for the Big Ten Championships on March 8-9. Sanderson said that Kasak is improving.
‘He’s doing really well,” Sanderson told reporters in State College. “He’s a tough kid, kind of a physical specimen. He’s bouncing back really fast. We’re trying to hold him back kind of thing.”
Sanderson also said that senior Greg Kerkvliet, the nation’s second-ranked heavyweight, did not make the trip due to an illness. Kerkvliet (14-0) could wrestle in the team’s Senior Day match against American on Friday. He’s also readying for a potential meeting with Minnesota’s top-ranked Gable Steveson at the Big Ten Championships.
Two Penn State freshmen debut
Without Kasak and Kerkvliet, Penn State sent two true freshmen onto the mat for their Big Ten debuts. Both Joe Sealey (157) and Cole Mirasola (285) lost their bouts, but Sanderson was pleased with how they wrestled, especially considering the circumstances.
Sanderson said that Sealey had not wrestled all season after recovering from an injury. Sealey fell 10-1 to Ohio State’s 10th-ranked Brandon Cannon and 2-1 to Illinois’ Jason Kraisser. The Illinois bout proved controversial, as Sealey was awarded a takedown late in the third period, which would have given him a 4-2 lead. However, Illinois challenged the call, and the takedown was overturned.
Of the ruling, Sanderson said that, “Wrestling is a tough sport to call. Sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don’t.” The Penn State coach also said that Sealey learned from the experience.
“Sealey hasn’t wrestled all year,” Sanderson said. “He was out, had a small surgery, something that kept him off the mat for most of his time here. So I thought that experience wasn’t easy for him, but he didn’t hesitate, and we were happy to give him that opportunity.”
Mirasola lost a pair of decisions while wrestling much lighter than his two opponents. Against Illinois’ 10th-ranked Luke Luffman, Mirasola weighed in at about 220 pounds. Luffman, who weighed 260, won 4-1.
“Those are tough matches to throw them out there in their first dual,” Sanderson said. “Two obviously really good teams in tough environments, but I thought the experience would be good for them.”
Beau Bartlett readies for the postseason
Bartlett is the nation’s new No. 1 wrestler at 141 pounds, according to InterMat, after scoring Penn State’s biggest win of the weekend. Bartlett defeated Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez 4-2, ending a three-bout losing streak to the Buckeye. Two of those losses were in last season’s Big Ten and NCAA finals, and Sanderson expects the two to meet again this postseason.
“There were some differences [in Bartlett’s strategy], but obviously in a match like that we’re looking at it as, we’re going to meet again in two weeks [at the Big Ten Championships] and again at nationals potentially, so we just have to keep getting better and figure out what Beau can do. There are going to be small adjustments, and they’re going to make adjustments obviously, and that’s what makes it fun.”
Sanderson on winning the Big Ten regular-season title
Penn State clinched its fifth consecutive unbeaten Big Ten regular season and ninth in the last 10 years. The Nittany Lions have dominated the Big Ten over the past decade, generating an 82-1 record in conference duals. Though he’s always pointed toward the postseason, Sanderson said that those results matter.
“We love dual meets, and you want to compete well as a team,” Sanderson said. “That’s kind of really what it’s all about. As we put the team first, individual success will come as well. We really value doing well in those big dual meets, obviously especially in the conference. Those are a big deal to us. We’re happy. We’re excited.”
Up Next
Penn State (14-0) hosts American on Friday night at Rec Hall in its final match of the season. With a win, Penn State will complete its fifth consecutive undefeated regular season. The match begins at 7 p.m. ET and will be streamed on B1G+.
