Penn State wrestling notes: Change does not seem imminent at 157; latest on where Lions are in the rankings

Penn State wrestling will be back on the mat this weekend for a pair of road dual meets. It heads to Rider on Friday night for its first match of December then invades Lehigh on Sunday for a meeting that is already sold out.

Before the action begins, head coach Cael Sanderson met with reporters on Tuesday outside the team’s practice facility in Rec Hall. BWI’s Thomas Frank Carr was on hand to capture video of the event. Below, we share what we learned and also have an update on the latest InterMat rankings.

No change seems imminent at 157

Penn State dominated the Black Knight Invitational at Army West Point a couple of weekends ago. The Lions had numerous matches where teammates competed against each other in the finals. That was true at 157 pounds, where backup and freshman phenom Levi Haines topped starter Terrell Barraclough 2-1 in the finals. It quickly led to conversations among fans and those in the media about whether the two should switch roles.

Sanderson did not rule out that happening down the road. But, he didn’t suggest that a change would happen immediately based on simply that one result. Haines is still in line to redshirt. Whether or not he will depends on how things play out moving forward.

“We knew those guys are close,” Sanderson said. “Levi’s a great competitor. He’s tough kid, [and] he’s gonna wrestle great in big matches. And, being young, he should continue to improve. He’s got the right mindset. But, Terrell’s wrestling really well also. And, I think he’s a different wrestler than he was a year ago.

“We’re just hoping to see him just believe in himself enough that he can make a jump and kind of get over the edge there. I think that’s something we’ll just kind of let play out over the year.”

Penn State is ready to push forward

November was a terrific month for Sanderson’s team. It dominated the first dual of the year at Rec Hall when it beat Lock Haven 44-3. Then, it had placers and champions at both the Binghamton Open and the tournament at West Point while also seeing Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks, and Greg Kerkvliet win marquee bouts at the NWCA All-Star exhibition event. But, anyone who has followed the leader of the Lions and his program knows that the focus is always forward and never backward, and that is true again this year. But, that doesn’t mean past experiences won’t make a difference down the road, and that’s what Sanderson hopes his wrestlers got out of both all of those events during the first month of the season.

“Those are potential NCAA final matchups,” Sanderson said. “You got to win every match to get there. That’s easier said than done. What happened in November won’t really mean anything the next go-round.

“I don’t think that counts on the record or anything along those lines. So, it was just for fun. But as a competitor, you’re always looking back, and I think our guys are looking back and just trying to figure out how they can improve upon that as we move forward. Wrestling great competition like that will definitely show you your areas of focus.”

Rankings rundown

Here’s where Penn State wrestlers stand in the latest InterMat rankings, which were updated on Monday. The number is parathesis is where the wrestler was slotted last week:

133: Roman Bravo-Young: 1 (1)

141: Beau Bartlett: 9 (10)

149: Shayne Van Ness: 20 (20)

157: Terrell Barraclough: 30 (30)

165: Alex Facundo: 17 (17)

174: Carter Starocci: 1 (1)

184: Aaron Brooks 1 (1)

197: Max Dean 1 (1)

285: Greg Kerkvliet 2 (2)