This afternoon, Head Coach Cael Sanderson and 157lb starter PJ Duke spoke to media ahead of Saturday’s dual vs. Rutgers in Rec Hall. Huge hat-tip to BSD Photographer Extraordinaire, Scott Pilutik for filming these!
Cael Sanderson – Head Coach
Are you pleased with the overall depth of the lineup this year?
Yeah. We have a lot of a lot of great wrestlers, right? I mean, it’s just part of being in this program. Obviously, kids know if they come here, they’re going to get as good as they can get, and that’s part of the fun. Yeah, we’re happy. I think guys got a lot of good matches in. A lot of them
got five or six matches, so that’s what we want. (0:00 – 0:29)
Is Josh Barr back to 100%?
He looked pretty good. He looked really good in Tennessee. His movement, hustle, and effort were there. Just because he wrestled hard, he’s just going to keep getting better. But yeah, I think he’s looking pretty good. (0:30 – 0:44)
How were you able to keep Josh Barr in shape while he dealt with the rib injury?
Well, we just have complete confidence in our trainer Dan [Monthley] and our medical staff. They push him and know what kind of condition he needs to be in to compete, but at the same time, give him a chance to heal and get healthy. He took the time he needed to get back to full speed. Obviously, the last thing you want to do is come back early and just kind of be dealing with something longer than you need to, but his conditioning looks great and he’s wrestling well. (0:45 – 1:30)
What is the current status of Aaron Nagao?
Yeah, I mean, he just wanted to get back on the mat and see how he would feel, and that was kind of the idea. Obviously, things didn’t go as we kind of hoped for him. Aaron Nagao is a best-of-class kind of human being, but we’re not 100% sure there yet. We should know shortly. (1:31 – 2:04)
What are Aaron Nagao’s spirits like after facing another setback?
He’s just a really good human being. I remember [Ivan] Looper once described in one of his talks, he talked about “jacks are better” type people that he looks for to partner with, and they have to be capable, committed, ethical, and honest. That’s something I’ve tried to look at and think about and kind of inspire your kids to be like that because those are the guys that you know are going to be as successful as you can be in your life. Aaron Nagao is a “jacks are better” all day long. Just kind of a kid, a hard worker, very disciplined. But yeah, he just unfortunately, even the year he wrestled, he dealt with sickness throughout the year and some injuries. But he just has a very positive mindset and he’s best-in-class type of human being. He’ll rebound and just keep plugging away and give his best effort, and that’s what he does and that’s who he is. He’s got a great future ahead of him. (2:05 – 3:25)
If Aaron Nagao is sidelined, will you re-explore bringing Braeden Davis off redshirt?
Possibly. Yeah, possibly. I mean, obviously, Braeden Davis has kind of been on standby. He competed last week just trying to see, so that’s definitely an option. We have a lot of options there. Nate Desmond did a great job filling in when he moved up to 141 lbs, even having wrestled 125 lbs this year and being a true freshman. We have some kids in there that we believe in, and so that’s a decision we have to make here moving forward. (3:26 – 4:02)
What are the pros and cons of keeping Nate Desmond in the lineup versus redshirting him?
I think he’s made a lot of progress. Obviously, he’s been one of the best of the best wrestlers since he was a little kid. But he’s just been doing a really good job, really good mindset, attitude, getting better in all regards. Generally speaking, if we can redshirt somebody, we want to redshirt them. That’s just kind of been our history. Obviously, we’ve wrestled true freshmen; usually, it was kind of planned in advance. But yeah, I think he’s done a great job. We love the progress he’s making and we know he’s ready to go and wouldn’t hesitate to jump in there and compete, as we’ve obviously already seen. (4:03 – 4:51)
Is there an accelerated timeline to make a decision with Braeden Davis so he can get matches in?
Yeah, for sure. I don’t know how many—I should know this—but how many of the matches he just wrestled would count. But yeah, that’s just something you hope for. That’s what they put into place to bring a spot to your conference. But if you don’t get to that number, you don’t get to it. You just have to go compete and earn a spot on your own. Ideally, you want to help your conference and take as many qualifying spots as you can. That’s something we would try to do moving forward. (4:52 – 5:31)
How excited are you to get the Big Ten conference slate underway this Saturday against Rutgers?
Yeah, we love competing. Obviously, start with Rutgers this week. It’s always a great match. They obviously have a great staff, a lot of great wrestlers, a lot of talent, and always bring a lot of fight, so we’re excited to get going. The Big Ten schedule is always a lot of fun. We got a lot of Friday-Sunday type events where you get a good couple matches on the weekend. Some of the best programs in the country. So yeah, we’re excited to compete. We’re ready to go. Looking forward to Saturday. (5:32 – 6:15)
Do you like the rivalry and the passion that Rutgers brings?
Yeah, I mean, I think they always, like I said, they always bring fire and passion. Coach [Scott] Goodale is one of the best. He does a really good job. I don’t know the history or whatever, the past is the past, but we always enjoy wrestling with them. They always show up and compete hard. (6:16 – 6:44)
Could you add some perspective on the 157 lbs spot with PJ Duke, Tyler Kasak, and Joe Sealey?
Yeah. I think all three of those guys are just incredible wrestlers with great mindsets. They are team players who see the big picture. You don’t come to Penn State if you’re not a big-picture kind of person. That’s something our guys get asked about more than anything, which people don’t seem to understand. The general mentality might be to go to the easiest place where you’re guaranteed to start, but the kids who come to Penn State are trying to be the best wrestlers in the world. They’re trying to be World and Olympic champions. It’s just a different mindset. Joe Sealey wants to be a World and Olympic champion. PJ Duke wants to be a World and Olympic champion. Tyler Kasak wants to be a World and Olympic champion. Things will work out. They’re all still young and guys are still growing. They’re three kids we have a lot of confidence in, and we really appreciate and love each one of them. (6:45 – 8:12)
If you win on Saturday, you’ll hold the all-time NCAA record for dual meet wins. What would that mean to you and the staff?
Well, I don’t know what the difference is between that and the last one, really. We don’t think about that stuff. We’re trying to be the best we can be in our next match. We don’t put that on our kids. (8:13 – 8:46)
Thoughts on the program potentially reaching a 75-year record?
I think the last time, and I mentioned this somewhere or Jim [Loran?] kind of pointed out, this is a 75-year record which I thought was a pretty cool thing. I’m really excited for Penn State to have that now. I think that’s a cool thing and something that should mean a lot to the program and our alumni and the kids now. It’s not going to be a big deal to them, and it’s not even [yet], but in the future looking back, maybe it’ll stand another 75 years, maybe it’ll stand five years, who knows? That’s what makes sports fun and exciting. Our job is just to show up and be the best we can be on competition day and help each individual do the same thing, and everything else will be fine. (8:47 – 9:33)
What do you do during holiday weeks when there’s nobody around campus?
Wrestling’s one of those sports where we train through the holidays. They don’t get Thanksgiving off or spring break; it’s just part of our season. So we actually like those days around here. The town’s a little quiet. We have the ability to practice around and just for fun and give these guys something new. Going today at 10:00 is nice, and these guys get the afternoon off or we’ll bring them back and run them into the ground. I don’t know, we got to figure that out. We got a lot of options. (9:34 – 10:20)
What are you looking for from Cole Mirasola to set himself apart in the second half of the season?
I think he’s shown that he’s obviously right there. He’s lost a couple matches to some of the top guys—not the top-top guys, but guys right there at the top—and they came down to that point off of his shots. We just got to finish our shots. Just make sure we’re getting the most out of our skills and abilities and what he brings in. But he’s right there. We just got to finish our shots. You know, maybe play with our strategy in those matches a little bit. But the Mirasolas are eternally optimistic, very positive kids, and they’re always going to come away from a win or a loss with something positive to focus on. That’s why if you’ve watched them and followed them throughout their high school career, they just get better every year, step by step. Obviously, that parenting that comes from the [Askren Wrestling Academy] coaches helped them to have that kind of mentality. So we just try to not screw things up for them and just let them continue to do what they do and just keep getting better as they go along. (10:21 – 11:42)
How is Masanosuke Ono doing?
Masanosuke Ono‘s doing well. He returned from Japan over the break, just got back a few days ago. He just had some issues medically that he’s kind of working through. But I think he’s hoping to hit some opens this year. We love him too, obviously, just because he’s fun to watch wrestle, but he’s such a positive kid and obviously an unbelievable wrestler. You just love having his energy and perspective, and it’s a real blessing to have him here as a part of the program. (11:43 – 12:21)
PJ Duke – Freshman, 157 lbs
Since you had a bit of a late start due to the freestyle season, how do you feel you are now going into the second half of the year?
Yeah, I feel great. I think that freestyle season kind of kept me in shape and kind of prepared me for the season. I was just super pumped for folkstyle again. It’s been a little while, and I’m just grateful to be here, so every opportunity I get to compete is awesome. (0:06 – 0:28)
Is there anything you do to ease that transition, or is it just a matter of flipping a switch?
For me, it was pretty easy. I love wrestling, so anytime I get to compete, I’m thankful. Obviously, sometimes you get a little burned out and your body hurts a little bit, but I think the coaches do a good job of keeping me healthy and feeling good, and I think that’s probably the most important part. (0:29 – 0:50)
What were your expectations coming in—did you think you would be in the lineup or were you intent on redshirting?
Honestly, I kind of didn’t really care. It was more like I have complete trust in the coaches, and whatever they wanted me to do is what I was going to do. I think it was pretty much their decision, and they wanted me to wrestle, so I wrestled. (0:51 – 1:15)
Has anything been more of a challenge than you expected in folkstyle, and how have you adjusted?
I think the college season is definitely a little different than high school stuff. Wrestling every weekend or every other weekend—especially this January—is going to be busy. But honestly, no, it’s kind of exactly what I was expecting. I’ve competed against college guys in the practice room training since I was a sophomore in high school. I know I’m at the college level, but being prepared to wrestle every weekend and make weight for the weekend was the biggest change. (1:16 – 1:54)
Could you imagine coming into this room without having that prior experience of being exposed to college guys?
Yeah, I probably still wouldn’t have [LOW CONFIDENCE AUDIO – 2:06] [scored a takedown?] by now. It’s crazy, the levels for sure, but I was lucky enough to have that opportunity to train with those college guys early. (1:55 – 2:16)
When did you get your first takedown in the room, and what were your emotions getting that one out of the way?
I don’t really remember when, but it was a pretty good feeling. Especially wrestling some of the better guys, and sometimes you get a takedown and you’re like, “Yeah, let’s go.” It’s a good feeling for sure and it helps confidence. (2:17 – 2:36)
How much do you think about that freestyle run?
I try not to think about it too much just because it’s the past and I’m just worried about the future and being in the present. But sometimes I’ll look back and think that was a really good time, especially with my friends and traveling. That was a really cool experience. (2:37 – 2:58)
What did you prove to yourself or learn during that run—did it establish things you already knew?
I think that more of the senior-level stuff established in my mind that I’m at that level. It can be a little bit scary being in high school and you’re wrestling the best guys in the whole country—they’re grown men, they have kids—it’s a little crazy. But that helped me understand that you can compete with these guys. (2:59 – 3:25)
Would you say the Penn State room is like that on a day-to-day basis, going against elite caliber guys?
It might even be harder, honestly. Some days I just get beat up and I’m like, “Dang, this is really hard.” But then I’ll go compete and I’m usually pretty good. It’s pretty humbling to be here for sure. I think the practice here is harder than the college season itself. Obviously, there’s really good college guys out there, but wrestling Cael [Sanderson] or Zane [Retherford], that’ll put you back in your place. (3:26 – 4:08)
Can you speak about the 157 lbs spot with yourself, Tyler Kasak, and Joe [Sealey]? How does that level of competition help you get better?
I think it’s a great thing to have guys like that who can push us. We all push each other and get each other better. It’s pretty cool, especially because none of us really have an ego. Some teams probably have problems if one guy is starting over another, but we’re all really cool with each other and it’s awesome. (4:09 – 4:50)
Can you speak about Joe [Sealey] as a person and practice partner?
Joe [Sealey] is probably the easiest person ever to get along with. He’ll never start an argument. He just goes with the flow and doesn’t really care. He’s a great partner; I wrestle with him a lot and I’m just glad he’s here. (4:51 – 5:13)
How close are you with Marcus Blaze?
Me and Marcus [Blaze] are definitely super close. I lived with him over the summer, so it was pretty cool to get close to him. He’s a really great person. Here, everyone’s a really good wrestler, but they’re just better people. It’s really cool to be around people like that. (5:14 – 5:43)
Do you get to wrestle with Masanosuke Ono often since he is a few weights below you?
I lived with him over the summer too, and seeing him progress with his English has been pretty cool. He’s a really good person too. I’ve wrestled with him two or three times and it was good—we were just drilling. He’s a great partner. He’s a little smaller, so it’s hard to pick up the pace, but it was good. (5:44 – 6:17)
When did it click for you that you were “pretty good” at this sport?
I think my seventh or eighth grade year was when I realized I could take it pretty far. When I won states in seventh grade, I was like, “Yeah, I think I can take it to the next level.” (6:18 – 6:51)
