Cael Sanderson Gives Update on Injured NLWC Star Following Disappointing Absence at Olympic Trials Qualifiers

It seems like forever since the Nittany Lions have delivered remarkable performances on the wrestling mat. The last time Nittany Lions showed up on the world stage was Dec 16-17 at US Senior Nationals in Men’s freestyle wrestling. While eight of the wrestlers competed at Fort Worth, Texas, the rest were either seen in the Hofstra dual or Lehigh dual in November. 

In short, Penn State wrestling stars are not visible wrestling much this season. The major reason behind this is that for the past few years, the Penn State Wrestling team has been trying to figure out who will be starting at which weight class. Recently, the team has stormed social media by revealing an update about one of its core teammates. 

Greg Kerkvliet’s update

At Fort Worth, Texas, Penn State Wrestling ended the anticipation of one of its remarkable wrestlers by revealing the names on the bracket. While most of the Nittany Lions were on the list, Greg Kerkvliet was not seen. However, Greg was supposed to compete in Olympic trials at the 2023 US Senior Nationals. 

 In a recent interview with Central Daily Times, Coach Cael Sanderson said, “Lingering from his injury against Lehigh, it just didn’t make sense to jump into a big tournament. It was kind of like last-day-kind-of-decision,” Sanderson said. “He’s doing well, and ready to rock ‘n’ roll this weekend.“

The major shock for spectators was the No. 2 seed of the wrestlers. Despite garnering a seed, the wrestler was not available when the tournament got underway. However, Greg was exempted from the tournaments due to his injuries. Therefore, Penn State Wrestling coach Cael decided to withdraw Greg’s name from the tournament. But Who will replace Grey at the upcoming Paris Olympics?

Penn State Wrestling update about multiple weight classes

For the past couple of years, the Penn State Wrestling team has been trying to figure out wrestlers for multiple weight classes, especially 125 pounds and 149 pounds. Unfortunately, not only Grey but also Shayne Van Ness is out of the season. Therefore, the worries about taking up the spot extend. 

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After measuring the performance graphs of Evans and Kasak, Penn State Wrestling has decided that both of them will be more competent for 149 pounds. Both the wrestlers have locked horns in a dual while collecting a 19-4 tech fall over Hofstra’s Alex Turley at a smaller weight class. While Evans performed well at the US Senior Nationals, Kasak did not get a chance to hit the wrestling mat at the tournament. But the question is still the same: Who will replace Grey at the Olympics?

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