University Park, Pa. — It's hard to imagine a Penn State starting lineup without Mark Hall.
But in a few short weeks, Rec Hall regulars will release their grip on the three-time All-American as he bids farewell to the Nittany Lion singlet that stood as a testament to his four years of glory. But when he's not dominating the 174-pound weight class, Hall's life off the mat stands as a mystery to even the most loyal of fans.
Being ranked No. 1 in the nation comes with a lot of pressure, but a big part of Hall's lifestyle involves removing himself from the stress.
"There's no one right way to stay stress-free. Wrestling's such a big part of our lives that it finds a way to sneak back in," Hall said. "But for the times that it's not overwhelming our minds and stressing us out, it's a nice break."
The senior has notched a three-time All-America finish at NCAAs, including a national title in 2017, and is looking to bookend his career. Junior year saw a tough second place finish to Arizona State's Zahid Valencia, making Hall's final performance in March a highly anticipated turnaround.
Winning doesn't come easy – not even for a senior as reputable as Hall, who when he's not taking care of his Siberian Husky, Duke, is always finding himself entangled in wrestling both on and off the mat.
"It's really hard to turn it off during wrestling season. The best way I do it is just to focus on things that don't have to do with wrestling, which can be hard," Hall said. "I'll be doing homework and all the sudden I'll find myself on YouTube watching Big Ten matches for the next two hours."
Entering the peak of the season, Hall finds the most relief in bonding with his teammates.
"Hanging out with the guys on the team who are like-minded and have their heads free of wrestling for the time being is really good for me," the senior said. "We're always competing. I think that's what helps me succeed in a lot of things outside wrestling."
As his senior season is rounding itself off, Hall finds himself less focused on individual wins and losses, but instead mentoring the younger student-athletes to ensure a continued Penn State legacy, even after his graduation.
With the loss of the dynamic 174-pound senior, Penn State will seek a student-athlete with the same paralleled potential. For Hall, he sees a similar passion for wrestling in true freshman Carter Starocci.
"Just thinking about how I wrestle and watching him wrestle, I can give him tips I wish I knew when I was his age," Hall said. "I've taken him under my wing wrestling-wise, but as friends and teammates, we are equal."
Despite the years of experience and reputation, Hall doesn't rely on his seniority. He mentors the younger guys, while keeping them out of trouble, but feels that he learns just as much from them.
"You don't have to be a senior to be a leader. We have a lot of guys on the team who aren't upperclassmen, who do a great job of leading by example," Hall said. "For me, just being at the top of the ladder as far as age goes, I thought it would be a good time for me to show the guys the right way to do it."
For a 23-year old who's already established a nation-wide following, moving on from the hallowed halls of Rec Hall doesn't come easy. Luckily, the 174-pounder doesn't think he'll be hanging up the singlet too soon– as he hopes to pursue collegiate coaching upon graduation.
"When I'm graduated and done in the next couple weeks, I still want to see Penn State wrestling doing well," Hall said. "Because of that, I want the new guys to succeed the way all the guys before us did, and the way the guys here do now."
