“It’s a Little Different This Year”: NLWC HC Cael Sanderson Reflects on Challenges During the Olympic Year

Penn State’s NLWC is among the most revered spots for wrestling stars of the country and for a reason. Over the years, the Nittany Lions have given rise to a long list of the world’s best wrestlers. With 12 athletes from the prestigious institute once again qualifying for the Olympics Team Trials this year, head coach Cael Sanderson is convinced that they have something extra on their plates this time. In a recent interview, Sanderson mentioned why this year feels different and how the Lions are looking forward to taking on the Oregon Beavers this Friday.

Cael Sanderson has had an illustrious career, coaching the likes of David Taylor and Zain Retherford over the years. And yet, he believes that 2024 has more challenges for Penn State athletes and isn’t shying away from speaking his mind about it.

Cael Sanderson talks about how the Olympics impacts the wrestlers

In the latest interview with On3, Sanderson shed light on the Nittany Lions’ mindset, going into the second half of the 2023/24 wrestling season. So far, Penn State wrestlers have had a good year, and with the 2024 Paris Olympics inching closer, things are getting intense. To kick off 2024, Sanderson and his players will be taking on the 16th-ranked Oregon State tomorrow in their first away dual of the second half of the season.

Talking about the challenges, Sanderson said, “…it’s a little different this year, just being an Olympic year“. The NLWC recently revealed that 12 wrestlers of the club are going to compete to secure their spot on the national team, and Sanderson thinks this will make things more interesting than usual.

With so many comrades eyeing the same spot, the Nittany Lions coach believes some impromptu decisions had to be taken. “We had to factor that in and try to give our guys had best chance to be successful, ” mentioned Sanderson in the interview. Along with taking on the Beavers in the year’s first dual, Cael believes setting their eyes on the Big Ten will also come naturally with the Olympic dream looming ahead. And the NLWC isn’t willing to take any chances either.

Penn State to visit Oregon with all guns blazing

The Penn State line-up for Friday’s dual includes several nationally ranked wrestlers. Braeden Davis, Aaron Naggao, Beau Bartlett, David Evans, and Aaron Brooks all have received the call for tomorrow’s Big 10 matchup in Corvallis, Ore.

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With the NLWC sparing no quarters as they begin their long and tedious journey to represent the country in Paris later this year, Oregon State will also meet the top-ranked team of the country with full might and look to retain their unblemished home run of the season.

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