Penn State wrestling commits are cleaning up in the postseason. Here’s how they did
By Lauren Muthler
As the Penn State wrestling team was busy last weekend competing in the Big Ten tournament in East Lansing, Mich., some future Nittany Lions were cleaning up in their respective state tournaments, putting caps on their storied high school careers.
Here’s a look at how Penn State’s 2018 recruiting class did in their high school tournaments:
Aaron Brooks (182 pounds)
The North Hagerstown senior made history Monday night when he pinned his opponent in just 45 seconds to win his fourth Maryland state title, becoming the first Washington County wrestler to do so, and just the seventh in the state’s history.
A broken foot on Jan. 6 put Brooks’ chances for a fourth title into question, but he healed in time for his county tournament, and went on to states to pin his way through his bracket for a second straight year.
Each of Brooks’ state titles have come in a different weight class. As a freshman, he won his first title at 126 pounds, then at 138 as a sophomore and 160 as a junior.
He finished this season 28-0, and 163-2 for his career.
Brooks, who’s a Cadet world champ, a three-time National High School Coaches Association and USA Wrestling national champ, made his verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions in February.
He’s expected to join the Nittany Lions for the 2019-20 season, after spending a year working out at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Seth Nevills (285 pounds)
Nevills, youngest brother of Penn State junior Nick Nevills, also achieved the ultimate high school wrestling goal — a fourth state title — on Saturday with a first-period pin over his opponent in California’s state championship.
The feat makes the Clovis High School senior just the third wrestler in California history to become a four-time state champ, as he finishes his career 169-1.
Like Brooks, Nevills didn’t just win, but pinned his way through the tournament for a second straight year.
Nevills’ lone career loss came in January when he dropped a 3-2 decision to Greco-Roman world champ Cohlton Schultz, of Colorado, in the finals of the Doc Buchanan Invitational.
Nevills, ranked as the No. 12 pound-for-pound wrestler in his class by FloWrestling, verbally committed to the Nittany Lions in April and signed his National Letter of Intent in November. He’s projected to wrestle at heavyweight.
Brody Teske (126)
Adding to the list of incoming Nittany Lions with four state championships under their belts is Teske, of Fort Dodge, Iowa.
And like both Brooks and Nevills, he accomplished the feat with a pin. The first-period fall helped Fort Dodge pull ahead in the team race on its way to its first state championship as a team in 33 years.
Teske, also like Brooks, won his titles at different weight classes: 106, 113, 120 and 126 pounds. He finishes his high school career with a 177-1 record.
To honor his outstanding career, Teske was named a Sob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year and a Dan Gable Wrestler of the Year for Class 3A.
Teske verbally committed to Penn State in October, choosing the Nittany Lions over Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa.
Roman Bravo-Young (132)
After winning his fourth Arizona state championship on Feb. 10, Bravo-Young finished his high school career with an unblemished 182-0 record.
The Sunnyside senior’s 182 consecutive wins are the most in Arizona history.
He was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler for the fourth year in a row, one of only three wrestlers to ever accomplish that feat.
The U.S. Cadet champion at 120 pounds is ranked as the No. 1 prospect at 133 pounds by FloWrestling. He signed his letter of intent to wrestle at Penn State in November.
Gavin Teasdale (126)
Jefferson-Morgan’s Teasdale will have the chance to be Penn State’s fifth incoming four-time state champ this weekend at the PIAA Championships in Hershey.
Teasdale downed Derry’s Shawn Broadway 11-4 in the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional Tournament on Feb. 24, his fourth such title. Teasdale unofficially became the seventh wrestler since the tournament’s inception in 1987 to win four titles. Among the other four-time champs are three others who’ve worn the blue and white singlet — Cary Kolat, Jimmy Gulibon and Jason Nolf.
Teasdale hit another milestone the previous week, when he won his fourth district tournament with a 18-4 major decision over Broadway.
The senior’s regional title win also broke his school’s career victories record with 157.
Teasdale had initially verbally committed to Iowa with friend and training partner Spencer Lee, before flipping his commitment to Penn State in March.
He’s projected to wrestle at 125 or 133 pounds for Nittany Lions.
Michael Beard (195)
Another commit from Pennsylvania who’s seeing success this postseason is Malvern Prep’s Beard.
The senior earned first place in last weekend’s Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association tournament with two pins and a decision, and was named the association’s Wrestler of the Year. Beard finished the year with a 28-0 record, marking his second consecutive undefeated season.
Beard, who had originally committed to Northwestern, is ranked as the No. 11 pound-for-pound wrestler in his class (right ahead of Nevills) by FloWrestling. He is projected to wrestle at 197 pounds for the Nittany Lions, after reportedly planning to take a year off to train.
Joe Lee (152)
After finishing an undefeated season with his second consecutive Indiana state title last February, Lee, like his brother Nick Lee, decided to forgo his senior year of high school eligibility to train with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club in State College while finishing his credits online.
He spent last weekend cheering on his brother from the stands as he took third place at the Big Ten tournament.
Adam Busiello (106)
He might just be a junior, but Eastport-South Manor’s Busiello just captured his fourth New York state title, improving his record to 251-8. With one more year left of eligibility, Busiello is chasing 300 career wins.
The Long Islander verbally committed to the Nittany Lions in 2016 as a freshman after winning the Super 32 and Eastern States.
He’s set to join the Nittany Lions for their 2019-20 season.
http://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/psu-wrestling/article203835249.html
By Lauren Muthler
As the Penn State wrestling team was busy last weekend competing in the Big Ten tournament in East Lansing, Mich., some future Nittany Lions were cleaning up in their respective state tournaments, putting caps on their storied high school careers.
Here’s a look at how Penn State’s 2018 recruiting class did in their high school tournaments:
Aaron Brooks (182 pounds)
The North Hagerstown senior made history Monday night when he pinned his opponent in just 45 seconds to win his fourth Maryland state title, becoming the first Washington County wrestler to do so, and just the seventh in the state’s history.
A broken foot on Jan. 6 put Brooks’ chances for a fourth title into question, but he healed in time for his county tournament, and went on to states to pin his way through his bracket for a second straight year.
Each of Brooks’ state titles have come in a different weight class. As a freshman, he won his first title at 126 pounds, then at 138 as a sophomore and 160 as a junior.
He finished this season 28-0, and 163-2 for his career.
Brooks, who’s a Cadet world champ, a three-time National High School Coaches Association and USA Wrestling national champ, made his verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions in February.
He’s expected to join the Nittany Lions for the 2019-20 season, after spending a year working out at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Seth Nevills (285 pounds)
Nevills, youngest brother of Penn State junior Nick Nevills, also achieved the ultimate high school wrestling goal — a fourth state title — on Saturday with a first-period pin over his opponent in California’s state championship.
The feat makes the Clovis High School senior just the third wrestler in California history to become a four-time state champ, as he finishes his career 169-1.
Like Brooks, Nevills didn’t just win, but pinned his way through the tournament for a second straight year.
Nevills’ lone career loss came in January when he dropped a 3-2 decision to Greco-Roman world champ Cohlton Schultz, of Colorado, in the finals of the Doc Buchanan Invitational.
Nevills, ranked as the No. 12 pound-for-pound wrestler in his class by FloWrestling, verbally committed to the Nittany Lions in April and signed his National Letter of Intent in November. He’s projected to wrestle at heavyweight.
Brody Teske (126)
Adding to the list of incoming Nittany Lions with four state championships under their belts is Teske, of Fort Dodge, Iowa.
And like both Brooks and Nevills, he accomplished the feat with a pin. The first-period fall helped Fort Dodge pull ahead in the team race on its way to its first state championship as a team in 33 years.
Teske, also like Brooks, won his titles at different weight classes: 106, 113, 120 and 126 pounds. He finishes his high school career with a 177-1 record.
To honor his outstanding career, Teske was named a Sob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year and a Dan Gable Wrestler of the Year for Class 3A.
Teske verbally committed to Penn State in October, choosing the Nittany Lions over Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa.
Roman Bravo-Young (132)
After winning his fourth Arizona state championship on Feb. 10, Bravo-Young finished his high school career with an unblemished 182-0 record.
The Sunnyside senior’s 182 consecutive wins are the most in Arizona history.
He was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler for the fourth year in a row, one of only three wrestlers to ever accomplish that feat.
The U.S. Cadet champion at 120 pounds is ranked as the No. 1 prospect at 133 pounds by FloWrestling. He signed his letter of intent to wrestle at Penn State in November.
Gavin Teasdale (126)
Jefferson-Morgan’s Teasdale will have the chance to be Penn State’s fifth incoming four-time state champ this weekend at the PIAA Championships in Hershey.
Teasdale downed Derry’s Shawn Broadway 11-4 in the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional Tournament on Feb. 24, his fourth such title. Teasdale unofficially became the seventh wrestler since the tournament’s inception in 1987 to win four titles. Among the other four-time champs are three others who’ve worn the blue and white singlet — Cary Kolat, Jimmy Gulibon and Jason Nolf.
Teasdale hit another milestone the previous week, when he won his fourth district tournament with a 18-4 major decision over Broadway.
The senior’s regional title win also broke his school’s career victories record with 157.
Teasdale had initially verbally committed to Iowa with friend and training partner Spencer Lee, before flipping his commitment to Penn State in March.
He’s projected to wrestle at 125 or 133 pounds for Nittany Lions.
Michael Beard (195)
Another commit from Pennsylvania who’s seeing success this postseason is Malvern Prep’s Beard.
The senior earned first place in last weekend’s Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association tournament with two pins and a decision, and was named the association’s Wrestler of the Year. Beard finished the year with a 28-0 record, marking his second consecutive undefeated season.
Beard, who had originally committed to Northwestern, is ranked as the No. 11 pound-for-pound wrestler in his class (right ahead of Nevills) by FloWrestling. He is projected to wrestle at 197 pounds for the Nittany Lions, after reportedly planning to take a year off to train.
Joe Lee (152)
After finishing an undefeated season with his second consecutive Indiana state title last February, Lee, like his brother Nick Lee, decided to forgo his senior year of high school eligibility to train with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club in State College while finishing his credits online.
He spent last weekend cheering on his brother from the stands as he took third place at the Big Ten tournament.
Adam Busiello (106)
He might just be a junior, but Eastport-South Manor’s Busiello just captured his fourth New York state title, improving his record to 251-8. With one more year left of eligibility, Busiello is chasing 300 career wins.
The Long Islander verbally committed to the Nittany Lions in 2016 as a freshman after winning the Super 32 and Eastern States.
He’s set to join the Nittany Lions for their 2019-20 season.
http://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/psu-wrestling/article203835249.html
