Penn State wrestling: Cael Sanderson talks Lions' plan at 149 pounds moving forward

Penn State wrestling has just five dual meet matches to go before it embarks on the postseason. The No. 1 Nittany Lions are 7-0 ahead of a showdown with Ohio State on Friday night at Rec Hall. Over the last few months, longtime and legendary head coach Cael Sanderson has been working to finalize his team’s lineup ahead of the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. It checked off one box earlier this month when it made freshman Braeden Davis the full-time starter at 125 pounds. Nine of its other 10 spots were locked in by the end of November. But, a season-ending injury for 149-pound returning All-American Shayne van Ness has had that spot in flux since December.

Now, as January winds to a close, Penn State is still not yet ready to cement how it will fill the 149-pound spot moving forward. The team has sent freshman Tyler Kasak and junior David Evans out for two dual meets each at 149 pounds after both started the year at 141. Kasak scored a pair of top-15 victories but missed the Michigan and Michigan State matches due to illness. That allowed Evans to go out and score two wins of his own earlier this month. The Lions then sent both to the Mat Town Open II at Lock Haven last weekend to try and finalize things. Kasak beat Evans 4-2 in the 149-pound final two months after he beat him in the Army Black Knight Invitational final at 141.

What’s the plan as of Tuesday?

Wrestlers must have at least eight matches at the weight class they want to qualify in to be eligible to earn one of the Big Ten’s pre-allocated spots for the NCAA Tournament. Kasak and Evans picked up four matches each at Lock Haven at 149, which will help possibly them reach that threshold. Each now sits at six matches at 148, or two shy of the eight needed, with five dual meets to go.

“I think they both had three or four matches, which kind of helps their match count, and gives us a little bit of flexibility and takes a little bit of the urgency off of that decision,” Sanderson said. “But obviously head-to-head, and being in the same event, plays a big role in where we’ll go with it.

“This Sunday, obviously, was an important part of the process. But, now that they both were able to pick up some more matches, we have a little bit more flexibility in timing. It’s not something that we have to decide by Friday night. We could let it play out a week or two.”

So, in other words, Penn State may make a final decision on Friday night. But, it doesn’t have to.

Penn State wrestling is set for the second half

Penn State has yet to come anywhere close to losing a dual meet this season. It has won 51 in a row heading into the matchup with the Buckeyes. The Lions have been forced to use backups in some January matches due to illness and/or injury. But, it has not slowed the team down. And, it is expected to be back at full strength on Friday for the conference clash on Big Ten Network. After meeting head coach Tom Ryan’s team, Sanderson’s side will face Iowa on Fri., Feb. 9 in Iowa City. It will then return home to battle Rutgers in the annual Bryce Jordan Center match on Mon., Feb. 12. Nebraska visits Rec Hall on Sun., Feb. 18 to close out the Big Ten portion of the dual meet schedule. And, Edinboro closes out the regular season by visiting Rec Hall on Sun., Feb. 25.

From there, it will be individual tournament time. Penn State will be at the Big Ten Championships March 9-10 in College Park, Md. It will then take a to-be-determined contingent to the NCAA Tournament March 21-23 in Kansas City, Mo.

“We’re training for the postseason every week,” Sanderson said Tuesday. “I think we are pushing our guys. We want to make sure they’re in good shape. And we can’t wait until the end to do that. I mean, this is the time to do it. There’s not really an ideal time to get tired and have your guys maybe shot during a dual. But we’re thinking about the end, always.”