Cael Sanderson met with the media yesterday, and BSD’s Nat Rasmussen was there to record and inquire:
Coach Cael opened the event with:
Yeah, I don’t really have anything. We’re just like every year, we’re
excited to get going. Have all the confidence in the world in our staff and the student athletes in our program. We’re going to give our best effort and have a lot of fun and see where we’re at and just climb from there.
Likely Redshirts
At the start, Cael began with his usual coyness about lineup specifics:
Yeah, that’s, you know, I mean, I’m not going to give you any, obviously any details. You guys know who’s in there and, you know, we’re just getting started, haven’t even wrestled yet. So, you know, we have had a few wrestle-offs and we’ll have just some planning, you know, when you’re planning now and the way teams are structured now with the, you know, additional scholarships, you know, you’re going to have more depth and more competition. So you got to kind of figure out what’s in the best interest of everybody. But yeah, we have some, a lot of really good guys in those weights.
You said 33? 41, 57, heavyweight. Yeah, so, oh, 41. Yeah, I mean, you have, I think I saw something where we had like 10 guys listed in one weight, but obviously Nagao is at 41 and Davis is bumping up. And then you have, you know, Nasdeo, and I don’t want to start listing names, but yeah, we had to play with, you know, potential red shirts in those different weights and trying to kind of move things around in a way that makes sense for each individual. And then if you don’t have that opportunity, then you just, you wrestle. That’s the beauty of our sport is you, you know, you earn those positions. So, but yeah, 57 has some really, really good options there. And some, you know, we feel like we have some of the best guys in the country, obviously there. And yeah, heavyweight with Cole Mirasola, and also Lucas Cochran. You know, you’ll see him, he’s worked really hard to put on some size and some weight. So two really good guys that we feel very comfortable with that weight also.
I really liked these next two questions, about redshirt decision-making, too: “When you look at redshirts and lineups, is that something you enjoy doing when you have the depth that you do? You can kind of see this is what our team could look like three, four years down the road. And how has your philosophy kind of changed with the transfer portal, maybe some eligibility changes coming down the line? How has your philosophy changed about when to utilize redshirting?”
Cael answered:
I think it’s kind of just an individual-based thing and looking at the team. I don’t know if the philosophy has really changed. It’s kind of up to the individuals also. And then it comes down to if you have to compete for the spot, you do. So I don’t know if anything’s really changed. I mean, you just kind of keep trying to get the kids that fit our program, that have the right attitudes, that love competing. And then those other things have worked out, and they tend to work out for us. So we’ll just continue to do that. We’ll continue to go after and recruit the kids that we feel fit into our program and what we value. And those little things, they’re not little things, but the other things will kind of work it out as we go along. But it’s just not something you have set, really. Everything’s different. Like Levi Haines has another redshirt year, but he’s planning on going, at least unless he changes his mind before Friday, you know.
And this: “And off of that, a little bit, with your fairly sizable incoming class of highly touted wrestlers, how does that make your decision-making more difficult with obviously the start of the season this week, but also in handling them and their redshirts moving forward?”
Cael answered:
Yeah, that’s a good question. And the way they changed the rules so redshirts can’t compete unless they’re part of your (Ed note: this is a recent rule change that true freshman can ony compete in first semester tourneys if they compete ’attached’ (with college team funding & singlets) in a team-scheduled event) – I mean, that’s made things kind of challenging. It’s kind of a strange rule, I think, you know, because there’s open tournaments they could be going to. And in our experience, kids do better when they’re busy and they’re engaged and they have things to do that are constructive. But, yeah, I think it’s the same message. It’s just, hey, just get as good as you can get, right? And those other things are just going to work themselves out, right?
I mean, if you’re a true freshman, for the most part, when we’ve been able to, we’ve redshirted the true freshman and given them a chance to just develop because they’re probably going to be better in a year than they are right now, you know, unless we mess them up somehow. But we try not to do that. But sometimes we feel kids are ready to go. We’ve had a lot of success with true freshmen. So I think it’s just more based on the situation and the individuals and what you have going on there. But I think the message is just, hey, you just get to be the best wrestler you can possibly be, and everything else will work itself out.
But by the end, he admitted that all three of Masanosuke Ono, Braeden Davis & Tyler Kasak were likely to redshirt this year. On Ono, who Cael called “Mas” (rhymes with moss):
And then “Mas” has been an incredible addition, just the energy you see if you’ve seen him on social media or whatever, that’s him every day. Just loves wrestling, loves Penn State, loves being here. He’s done a phenomenal job in class. And just the amount of time he’s had to put in has been just great to see. So he’s a great kid and obviously an unbelievable wrestler.
Right now it looks like he’s going to redshirt, but if eligibility changes, then things might change. But as for now, that’s kind of what they gave us. I think that’s out there that he has a redshirt year and one year of eligibility right now. But the way things are changing in the NCAA, who knows what might be the case.
Cael was also asked about how it came to be that the Japanese World Champion is studying and training for Penn State:
Yeah, I think he really likes it here. But I can’t speak for him. But, yeah, it was just one of those deals where he was scheduled that he was coming in here to train. And then it kind of, it looked like, I think he went to maybe our first match, or it wasn’t our first match, but when he was here, he went to a match and kind of wanted to see if there was any way he could wrestle, and it just kind of went from there.
And, you know, it was a lot of work, a lot of work on his part to make it happen. But yeah, he loves folkstyle, right? He’s spending that time trying to get better on the mat, which he’s doing very well. That’s just him. Just being a competitor and just loving the sport. So yeah, he’s a great wrestler, great energy, just a good person. And we’re grateful that he’s on our team.
On Kasak, Cael was given a good question about the presumed battle with true freshman elite recruit PJ Duke: “Cael, how is it for a coaching staff when you guys have what you have at 57? How difficult is it for you guys to maybe decide who’s going to be your guy there?”
He replied:
I think it’s just communication and just, you know, transparency. I mean, there’s reality of, you know, sometimes guys have to wrestle off. But, you know, people are coming to Penn State because this is the best place in the world to wrestle and the best place to see how good you can get in wrestling. And other people want the same opportunity. So, and that’s just the way it’s going to be. And, you know, everybody historically, you know, when we think back, the guys that go win world titles and Olympic medals, I mean, they are usually guys that are surrounded by a lot of really good peers and training partners. You feed off each other. The best thing you can do for your teammate is kick their butt in practice, right? And force them to get better and vice versa. But yeah, it’s just communication, transparency. Our kids know that we’re honest. They know that we’re, you know, sport is sport. So at the end of the day, best guy goes.
But, you know, also when you have the flexibility that you have in college sports now with redshirts and different opportunities, you know, we can be flexible. And you want guys that are team guys, right? You want guys that are willing to, I mean, you know, Tyler Kasak is a good example of that. I mean, he’s one of the best wrestlers in the country. Absolutely love watching him wrestle. There’s a good chance he’s going to redshirt this year, right? So, I mean, I don’t think that’s a secret. He wrestled freestyle last week.
That’s a tough guy to redshirt, you know, because he is a beast and he’s a gamer. Figure the match is better. He wrestles. But, you know, for the team, probably makes sense. Love to have him in three years too, right? So, you know, just kind of thinking through it and planning.
Soon after, he added about Braeden Davis:
And, you know, there’s a good chance Davis redshirts too. Now I’m just giving you the lineup, so, all right. So I don’t think that that’s, I think that’s probably well known. And the kids probably want, probably don’t, you know, if it’s, they don’t want it to look like they lost a wrestle off either, right? I mean, so we just didn’t wrestle some of those weights off. It just doesn’t make sense.
So, yeah, yeah. So, you know, the team, kids that are looking at the team that put the team first are the kids that are probably going to be more successful in their lives. And, you know, those values haven’t changed, even though maybe, you know, winning and, you know, getting something now, maybe that’s always been part of a challenge of life, I guess. But, you know, it’s just put the team first. I always think, you know, you’re going to find your greatest self. And that’s something that, you know, we believe. And I think the kids that come to this program believe that also.
True Freshman Likely to Start
Longtime wrestling writer, Jim Carlson put this question to Cael about youthful readiness: “You know, you said for a number of years that more and more high school kids are ready to step in collegially when they come out. When you watch these guys, you know, Blaze, Duke, a number of other guys around the country have went elsewhere. When you see how they handle themselves internationally, whether they win or they lose, does that make the recruiting process any easier when you see how they conduct themselves?” To which, Cael answered:
Yeah, I think, you know, wrestling’s unique in that you can kind of look at and you can see certain kids that they’re winning at a certain level, that they’re probably going to win at the next level. You know, there’s some sports where there might be 50 kids in a position and you’re trying to pick and see if you can get where wrestling, it might be, you know, a smaller pool. So I think a lot of that is something that our coaches, Coach Casey and Cody and Nick Lee, like the coaches, they’re here for those kids. You know, the kids know that our staff is here for them. It’s not about us, right? You know, it’s just not the way it is and our kids know that.
So, and the point I’m trying to make is, you know, at a school like Penn State or in the world we live in today, I think managing expectations, pressure, stress is one of the bigger challenges to continue to jump levels and perform at the highest level and just being the best you can possibly be. So that’s something that, you know, Coach Cody and Casey and just do an unbelievable job at. And they’re the perfect example of a team player because they could both be head coaches wherever they want, right? And they’re here because they believe in what we’re doing and believe in being a part of something bigger than an individual.
And so you don’t have to look far to look at our coaching staff, Coach Cody, Coach Casey, obviously Coach Nick Lee, Jake Varner could be coaching wherever he wanted. He’s still coaching the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and, you know, and the whole club, like these guys could be anywhere they want to be if it was about them. But if it’s about something being bigger than yourself, you know, that’s what I think really is what it takes. Those are the roots for long-term lasting success.
And I think that’s something like when you’re recruiting, kids see that and they know, you know, there’s no accidents. You know, you don’t get to the top, you know, fall and land on top of the mountain kind of a thing.
Cael didn’t address PJ Duke specifically, but he did for true freshman Marcus Blaze:
And obviously, Marcus Blaze is just one of those guys. He’s as good of a wrestler as there’s ever been. Just he’s a great kid, great person, tremendous competitor. And we have all the confidence in the world in Marcus. So he’s one of those guys we’re going to say a lot. I think I say a lot throughout the years that we’re glad this guy’s on our team. One of those deals.
I think we’ve heard similar remarks from Cael in the past, about future greats. I recall something like “you’re gonna like watching him wrestle” in regards to then-incoming starter Jason Nolf, who became a 4x Finalist & 3x National Champ. What is Marcus Blaze’s ceiling?
Veteran Leadership
Asked about team leadership this season, Cael offered the following:
Yeah, I think, I mean, Levi Haines comes to mind. He’s a great leader for us just because he’s a great competitor, one, but he treats everybody with love and respect. He’s a great kid, and, you know, he makes good decisions, obviously, in the room, outside of the room. He’s just a leader of men, you know. That’s just, he’s a great person. And he’s one of those guys that you are kind of thinking like, oh, man, you know, we only have Levi one more year kind of a deal. So, yeah, I think he’s a great leader for us. Obviously, different people lead in different ways.
And we have a lot of experience on the team. And the way Shane leads, he’s a great competitor, and he’s going to give a great effort every time. Mitchell’s, you know, he’s a guy that’s been here for a few years. But even a guy like Lucas Cochran, who is a – he’s just a special guy. He could have gone somewhere else. You know, I’m sure he was getting recruited just like half the other guys on our team. And, you know, trying to – getting him to enter the portal and go to another program. He could have gone somewhere and probably gotten a lot of money, but he chose to, you know, I think take the higher path, I’d say the more excellent way, and stick with the program and give it his best effort.
And so I think that’s that leadership. I mean, that’s what we value. I mean, that’s what we pride ourselves in as a program is kind of trying to be different than everybody else, you know, or not everybody else, but be different than kind of the worldly approach. And, like, Lucas is a great leader for us that way. You know, he’s a fifth-year or maybe sixth-year kid. I don’t even remember with the COVID and this and that. It’s been a weird couple years. So Lucas has been a great leader for us as well. But, yeah, so that’s a few. And I’m probably leaving some guys out. But, you know, you don’t come to Penn State for the most part if that’s not your mentality, if you’re not a good dude.
Additionally, on Levi Haines:
Well, I mean, he’s just a very grounded person, right? And his self-worth doesn’t come from his wins and losses. So that really gives him a lot of freedom to go out there and compete hard. And he’s gotten bigger and stronger. And last year he wasn’t big for the weight class. Now he’s full size, 174. And you saw him just win the U23 World Championships at that weight class and took second in the seniors, which is really amazing.
But yeah, he’s just little things. It’s not, hey, this is different or that’s different. His consistency has always been the same. I mean, he’s always going to give a great effort. But when you have kind of that growth, get better every day mindset, then you’re just going to see. So I don’t think you’re going to look at him and say, like, wow, he’s just this thing or that thing improved. It’s just the whole picture, just his hand fighting, his finishes, his strength, his size, everything’s just continuing to improve.
Lastly, I’ll put Nat’s question about Luke Lilledahl in here, even though he has but one year in the room so far. Nat: “Just a name I don’t know if it’s come up yet is Luke. Seems like he obviously has all the talent in the world. He’s won, what, three age level championships now? Yeah. What have you seen him do in the off season or in the freestyle season to take things to the next level for the college season?”
Cael:
Yeah, well, Lightning Luke is, he competes and he just keeps getting better. He loves to compete. As you saw, he wrestled in a ranking series tournament overseas in July and he won, which is the senior level guys. Obviously he jumped, took second in the U.S. at the senior level. Just had a great U.S. Open, just won a world title, obviously, a couple weeks ago. But just, again, one of those just awesome, awesome people, great competitor, a guy that we’re very, very excited to have lead us off.
And yeah, I mean, I don’t even know what to say because I can’t really do justice to just the kind of competitor and person Luke is. But he just loves wrestling, loves competing, and he’s a student of the game. So he just keeps improving and he loves to compete. I mean, he just put those things together and that’s what you get, right? Very athletic, very fast. But yeah, he’s a special one.
Transfer Portal Challenges
Cael was asked about the arrival of Rocco Welsh, a Pennsylvania kid who had made the Natiional Finals at Ohio State in 2024, before transferring to Penn State, and his answer began somberly:
Yeah,very difficult couple days and you just have to make a decision. And, you know, he’s a PA kid and he had a lot of interest in Penn State. Wrestles a style that we wrestle. He wrestles hard. He’s tough, obviously. And so we made a decision to get him. And he’s been a great blessing. I mean, he fits right in with our mentality. He’s a very humble kid, just very motivated, hardworking, obviously extremely talented, great competitor. So, yeah, it was tough, you know, but it was a great decision. You know, we love him. He’s great.
I thought that was an honest and deft answer, to acknowledge the difficulty of the decision, support the guy (Welsh) they ultimately went with, and to avoid mentioning outgoing transfer Zach Ryder by name.
Another question related to the transfer portal followed up on Cael noting that Coach Cody & Coach Casey could “both be head coaches wherever they want, right?”: “Q: Cael, you mentioned your assistants, and they’ve been around, obviously, for quite a while. Why do you think you’ve been able – or how have you been able to keep the band together, so to speak, all these years? And why do you think maybe Casey or Varner haven’t been drawn to other gigs, maybe head coaching jobs?”
Cael answered:
Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t really want to bring that up because maybe they haven’t thought about it. But, I mean, I know they get recruited, you know, pretty much every year. People are calling, and some of the best jobs in the country have basically said, you know, what’s it going to take to get you here? And they’ve been really loyal to – so I don’t know. I don’t know. I just think we work well together, and they have a lot of flexibility.
And I’ve heard Clay Steadman, who’s our general manager, who’s been an incredible hire. He’s done a phenomenal job, couldn’t be any better at his job in building relationships with the kids and going out and helping build, you know, relationships with different businesses and trying to provide opportunities for our kids. Does an awesome job. But I’ve heard him say that we have the three best Head Coaches in the country. And I think I would not argue that. If one of them isn’t, it’s definitely me, you know. So, you know, I – I think you meant Nick. Yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, so I’m the fourth, which is fine.
You know, we just want to take care of our guys. And, you know, obviously our administration has helped us to take care of our staff, you know, to let them know that they’re valued and that we care about them. Pat Kraft and Rick Kaluza (Senior Associate AD for Finance and Business Operations – Wrestling Administrator) helped a lot in that regard, especially recently, and it’s been pretty cool.
But yeah, I’m just grateful they’re here and they love it. And obviously the kids love them. And I mean, they’re the perfect example of why do you come here? Well, I mean, why haven’t they left? There’s something special. I mean, we’re a very blessed program. We know that. And we think we know why, but it’s not something that we’re going to talk about or something other people probably overlook. But it’s those little things, just doing your best, being honest, treating people the right way. And it’s about them, not about our coaches and help kids reach their goals and everything works out.
Upper Weight Adjustments
Cael was asked about the decision to bump Lucas Cochran up from 197 to 285 and about Josh Barr’s injury at U23’s:
Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it’s, you know, we’ve never really told somebody, hey, go this way, do this, do that. I mean, Lucas was a guy who, you know, had a lot of opportunities. He graduated and we were very grateful to see him come back. And it just, you know, made sense for him to move up to heavyweight just because of the depth that we have at 97 with Barr and then, you know, Connor Mirasola, you know, two of the best guys in the country. So he looks good. He’s tall. He’s had success at heavyweight. If you remember, he’s filled in there a few times, weighing probably around 200 pounds, maybe a little bit more at that time. So we have a lot of confidence in him.
Obviously, you know, Cole Mirasola made the U20 World Team, wrestled great, just very consistent, obviously talented, has a history of success, and won a bronze medal, I believe, at the U20 World Championships. So yeah, two just really good, and they’re just great people. You know, they’re really good friends.
Yeah, Barr, he, as you probably saw, he tweaked his rib in the scramble when he was trying to switch out of that takedown. So yeah, he’ll take him a little while to get back, but he’s a tough dude, and you saw him come back from a pretty nasty injury at the Big Ten to make the finals of the National Tournament. So a lot of that, I think, comes down to just doing things the right way.
And we have the best trainer in the world. I don’t like to compare people. I’m sure there’s other great trainers, but we wouldn’t trade Dan Monthley for anybody in the world. And yeah, so Barr, just taking a little time, like any rib injury. You don’t really know how annoying that is until you actually have one. So I used to give guys a hard time, and then I had a rib injury, and I was like, okay, I understand. Everything’s twisting, you’re trying to breathe. But yeah, it’s a short-term thing. He’ll be good to go soon.
2026 Lineup Preview
Heading into this Friday’s opening dual meet against Oklahoma, with the recent acknowledgements from Coach Cael, the 2026 lineup is shaping up like this:
- 125: True sophomore All-American and 3x age group World Gold Medalist, Luke Lilledahl (eligible for 3 remaining National Tourneys)
- 133: True freshman, 2025 U20 Gold, 2024 U20 Bronze, 2023 U17 Gold, and 4x HS Ohio State Champion Marcus Blaze (eligible for 4 more National Tourneys). Expect some spot starts from sophomore Kyison Garcia.
- 141: 2023 All-American Aaron Nagao (1 or 2, depending on medical waivers)
- 149: 2x All-American Shayne Van Ness ((1 or 2, depending on medical waivers)
- 157: True freshman, 2025 U23 Bronze, 2025 U20 Gold and 2024 U20 Bronze, and 4x HS New York State Champion PJ Duke (4). Expect some spot starts from redshirt freshman Joe Sealey.
- 165: 2x Finalist and National Champion Mitchell Mesenbrink (2)
- 174: 3x All-American, 2x Finalist and National Champion Levi Haines (1)
- 184: Redshirt sophomore and 2024 National Finalist Rocco Welsh (3)
- 197: Redshirt sophomore and 2025 National Finalist Josh Barr (3). Expect some spot starts from redshirt freshman Connor Mirasola.
- 285: Redshirt Senior Lucas Cochran (1) vs true sophomore Cole Mirasola (4)
Looking Back & the Honor in Finishing 3rd
Yesterday, we looked back to prep for looking forward. Nat yesterday asked Cael: “Okay, I just want to pull the focus back to last March real quick. You know, over your career, you’ve put together a lot of really amazing sessions at the NCAA tournament. But to me anyway, the Saturday session really stood out as something kind of special. And I was just wondering if there’s anything you or the staff or the team did in preparation of that session or maybe bounced back from some disappointment on the semis that led to that tremendous success that you had in that session?”
Cael answered:
Yeah, you know, nothing that really stands out. I mean, we have, you know, Coach Cody and Coach Casey and Coach Nick Lee that are just as good as coaches get, you know. And they, you know, the guys just decided to go out there and compete hard and finish strong, like you said. I mean, a lot of those guys were hoping and planning and expecting to win the nationals. But, you know, life doesn’t always turn out the way you expect. So, you know, finishing third, there’s a lot of honor in that, in bouncing back when you get knocked down. And they did a really – an amazing job. And that was fun. That was fun.
It’s hard to coach because there were multiple matches going on at the same time. So you’re here and then you’re watching the mat here and just bonus points and guys. I just think – I mean, that’s one of the great things in sports is, you know, finishing third, right? Because you come back and if you can finish third, you probably could have won. So, you know, you’re dealing with a setback. But also, you know, the integrity and the heart and the fight and just, you know, these things that are more important than winning and losing, right? And that’s one of them is just finishing strong and playing through. You know, if you get knocked down, get back up. So, yeah, that was – you know, we talked about that every once in a while. That was an amazing round and something that, you know, we’ll probably remember for a long time.
I remember at different times in the past, Coach Cael was pretty obstinate about not talking about past teams. Here at the beginning of this season, he has seemed fairly open to it.
Well, I think last year’s team was pretty dang good, right? Yeah, it’s just one of those years where as a coaching staff, all you can do is screw things up. So you just try not to mess things up. You know, and I think there’s a different challenge in whatever your team is and, you know, whatever your strengths and different… I think we have a great mix this year of some young up-and-comers and some veterans. So, you know, I mean, obviously that’s a key to, you know, long-term success as a program. But last year obviously was last year. We had a – we loved it and had a great time and was really, really happy to see the team, you know, reach the team goals. And then I guess set a scoring record, you know, that’s a cool thing.
Those aren’t things you think about or worry about, you know, as a coaching staff. You’re just thinking about each individual and, you know, how do you help them. You know, just make sure they’re smiling when it’s all said and done. That’s kind of what it’s all about. But, yeah, you know, we’re excited about this team. But we’ll find out where we’re at Friday and we’ll go from there.
On Slippery Rock Re-Adding Its Program
I think it’s great any time they’re adding a program, right? I mean, when you hear there are programs being over – since I’ve been involved in college wrestling, you’ve heard different programs being dropped for different reasons. That’s one of the worst things that you can hear. I mean, it’s just the loss of opportunity, obviously, as a sport. You know, you want – it just affects the whole area. Because you go wrestle beyond high school, you know, you’re more experienced, you’re going to be a better coach, you’re going to be more locked into the sport. And a lot of different reasons. But, yeah, I think it’s awesome.
You know, I think we need to probably do whatever we need to do to protect our sport too, right? Because with all the rules changing and, you know, we need to protect the programs that are just going to get beat up by other teams and coaches taking their guys, right? So there’s just a lot going on. So you’re kind of thinking about those things at the same time. But, yeah, I think it’s great news. Anytime you hear that a program is being added, that’s awesome. We love it. And I’m sure anybody involved in the sport loves to hear that.
On Central Pennyslvania Local Talent & Coaching
This was an interesting question: “Cael, can you talk a little bit about what Penn State does for the Centre County community as far as you’ve got probably the most local kids that will be on the roster in the 10 years that I’ve been covering the team now. So, you know, it makes two from the local school here in State College and one from Penns Valley area. Can you just touch about, you know, how maybe Penn State’s helping maybe these kids have dreams of going Division I, whether it be here at Penn State or, you know, other Division I schools?”
Cael’s answer:
Yeah, you know, I haven’t thought a whole lot about that. Obviously, it is kind of cool to see when we – and we’re not taking credit in any way, but when our kids were younger, we started this fitness and balance and we had the Wrestling Club youth wrestling that was kind of a non-competitive, just a more recreational. And so we saw a lot of these guys when they were little kids and they were in the wrestling room and now a lot of them are wrestling in different places around the country, which is pretty cool. You know, a guy like Nick Pavletchko is at Indiana. His dad, you know, is part of our staff. But it’s just cool to see these guys have success. Obviously, the local guys, I mean, Asher Cunningham is, you know, the son of Casey and Hayden. They’re great kids, but they’re really good wrestlers too and they’re getting better. And so, luckily for them, their mom was a great athlete, you know, Olympic champion, if you don’t know. So pretty awesome.
But, yeah, we want wrestling to grow in the area and even just, you know, people see the value of wrestling. It’s a great sport to put your kids in for a lot of different reasons. But it’s, you know, we have a – you know, my son’s starting high school this year and he’s going to be wrestling on the (State College HS) team. They have a great program. And Coach Nickal (Jason, Bo’s father) is putting a lot of effort in. He’s, you know, really grateful for that. I don’t know if I can talk about high school coaches and stuff. So if I’m not, then I’ll get in trouble or whatever. But even M2, you know, Mark McKnight does an awesome job over there. And so, you know, really grateful for that. And you want everyone to kind of grow together. You know, obviously we benefit from that, but you also want to benefit the community that you’re in. That’s kind of the name of the game, I guess. But yeah, it’s cool to see all these guys have success. Even if they’re not coming to Penn State, like you said, there’s a lot of kids that are going to really strong programs. So Central PA wrestling has always been great. It’s always been strong. So we just want to keep that going as best we can and help in whatever way we can that’s legal.
