BWI intern @David Eckert-BWI Staff made his way through the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex Tuesday to get the weekly report from head coach Cael Sanderson.
Penn State is set to welcome for the first time in the schools’ history Binghamton to Rec Hall on Sunday for a 2 p.m. dual meet. The only previous meeting between the two teams was in 2009 during the Sprawl and Brawl Duals when the Nittany Lions prevailed over the Bearcats, 36-8, in New York’s Southern Tier.
Now Matt Dernlan is in charge of the Binghamton program, as he enters his fifth season as head coach. Prior to that, Dernlan spent one season at Clarion, but before that he was one of the mainstays inside the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex. Working under Sanderson as director of operations from 2009-11, Dernlan helped the Nittany Lions to their first NCAA championship since 1953. Dernlan also served as head coach of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, and prior to Sanderson’s arrival, Dernlan was already there as head assistant and director of recruiting starting in 2005 under Troy Sunderland.
In all Dernlan, a native of Ohio, spent seven years with the Nittany Lions, and his close connections to the program and the coaching staff are a large reason why this nonconference meeting was scheduled in the first place.
“He did a great job and we stay in touch with him,” Sanderson said. “That's how this dual meet was set up.”
Penn State welcomes another Olympic gold medalist into the room
After helping to lead USA Wrestling’s National Freestyle Program since 2009, 2000 Olympic gold medalist Brandon Slay is now in charge of the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center. On Tuesday he was inside the LWC working closely with members of the NLWC.
“Coach Slay is here,” Sanderson said. “He’s head coach of the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center which is (based on the campuses of Drexel) and UPenn. He’s the Olympic coach for the last eight cycles. A great guy, a good friend of ours and we're taking full advantage of it. He brought his guys down here. He's got five guys here who train with him full time. So three hours away you'd be crazy not to be training with each other.”
Some of Penn State’s eligible student-athletes were working alongside Slay as media were welcomed into the practice room. 157-pound starter Jason Nolf, for instance, was drilling one-on-one against Penn State great and 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro.
Back-and-forth continues at 174
Penn State 174-pounders Geno Morelli (6-1) and Shakur Rasheed (5-1) will have to wait at least a couple more weeks, or likely even longer, before the coaches settle on a starter at their weight class.
After closely winning a wrestle-off, Morelli gained an inside track early in the season, but when it came time to clinch the starting spot by earning a second win, he wasn’t able to capitalize. Facing his teammate in the final of the Keystone Classic (Nov. 20), Rasheed prevailed over Morelli this time, 2-1, in tie-breaking overtime.
Rasheed was rewarded for his championship effort, as the coaches plugged him in as starter against Lehigh in the Bryce Jordan Center. After taking a two-takedown lead, but having one wiped away after replay review, Rasheed was unable to hold on and fell by a score of 6-3 to Ryan Priesch, who is ranked in the Top 20.
With varying results from both wrestlers, it’s unclear who will get the nod against Binghamton on Sunday. No matter who is sent out to wrestle, however, a full-time starter won’t be settled upon until after the Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 18), in which Rasheed and Morelli again will be in the same bracket.
“Eventually here well go with somebody and make that decision,” Sanderson said. “I don't think we’re at that point yet. They both have had chances to go out there and really take advantage of an opportunity. If Geno goes out and beats Shakur convincingly at the Keystone Classic, he probably gets the nod, right? If Shakur goes out there and has a great performance against Lehigh – (Priesch) is a tough kid – maybe you start leaning toward him, so they're both back and forth and All-American candidates with potential. They'll wrestle again at the Reno tournament. They have to get to each other (first), but we’re not in any way set at that weight class yet.”
Penn State is set to welcome for the first time in the schools’ history Binghamton to Rec Hall on Sunday for a 2 p.m. dual meet. The only previous meeting between the two teams was in 2009 during the Sprawl and Brawl Duals when the Nittany Lions prevailed over the Bearcats, 36-8, in New York’s Southern Tier.
Now Matt Dernlan is in charge of the Binghamton program, as he enters his fifth season as head coach. Prior to that, Dernlan spent one season at Clarion, but before that he was one of the mainstays inside the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex. Working under Sanderson as director of operations from 2009-11, Dernlan helped the Nittany Lions to their first NCAA championship since 1953. Dernlan also served as head coach of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, and prior to Sanderson’s arrival, Dernlan was already there as head assistant and director of recruiting starting in 2005 under Troy Sunderland.
In all Dernlan, a native of Ohio, spent seven years with the Nittany Lions, and his close connections to the program and the coaching staff are a large reason why this nonconference meeting was scheduled in the first place.
“He did a great job and we stay in touch with him,” Sanderson said. “That's how this dual meet was set up.”
Penn State welcomes another Olympic gold medalist into the room
After helping to lead USA Wrestling’s National Freestyle Program since 2009, 2000 Olympic gold medalist Brandon Slay is now in charge of the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center. On Tuesday he was inside the LWC working closely with members of the NLWC.
“Coach Slay is here,” Sanderson said. “He’s head coach of the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center which is (based on the campuses of Drexel) and UPenn. He’s the Olympic coach for the last eight cycles. A great guy, a good friend of ours and we're taking full advantage of it. He brought his guys down here. He's got five guys here who train with him full time. So three hours away you'd be crazy not to be training with each other.”
Some of Penn State’s eligible student-athletes were working alongside Slay as media were welcomed into the practice room. 157-pound starter Jason Nolf, for instance, was drilling one-on-one against Penn State great and 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro.
Back-and-forth continues at 174
Penn State 174-pounders Geno Morelli (6-1) and Shakur Rasheed (5-1) will have to wait at least a couple more weeks, or likely even longer, before the coaches settle on a starter at their weight class.
After closely winning a wrestle-off, Morelli gained an inside track early in the season, but when it came time to clinch the starting spot by earning a second win, he wasn’t able to capitalize. Facing his teammate in the final of the Keystone Classic (Nov. 20), Rasheed prevailed over Morelli this time, 2-1, in tie-breaking overtime.
Rasheed was rewarded for his championship effort, as the coaches plugged him in as starter against Lehigh in the Bryce Jordan Center. After taking a two-takedown lead, but having one wiped away after replay review, Rasheed was unable to hold on and fell by a score of 6-3 to Ryan Priesch, who is ranked in the Top 20.
With varying results from both wrestlers, it’s unclear who will get the nod against Binghamton on Sunday. No matter who is sent out to wrestle, however, a full-time starter won’t be settled upon until after the Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 18), in which Rasheed and Morelli again will be in the same bracket.
“Eventually here well go with somebody and make that decision,” Sanderson said. “I don't think we’re at that point yet. They both have had chances to go out there and really take advantage of an opportunity. If Geno goes out and beats Shakur convincingly at the Keystone Classic, he probably gets the nod, right? If Shakur goes out there and has a great performance against Lehigh – (Priesch) is a tough kid – maybe you start leaning toward him, so they're both back and forth and All-American candidates with potential. They'll wrestle again at the Reno tournament. They have to get to each other (first), but we’re not in any way set at that weight class yet.”
