University Park, Pa. — The regular season may be over, but the Nittany Lions' journey to the top of the podium has only just begun.
With the Big Ten Championships tomorrow, the Nittany Lions' look to spearhead the beginning of their postseason campaign with the goal of qualifying for the NCAAs – but not without the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson.
"We try to do our best and historically our guys have wrestled at their best, especially at nationals," Sanderson said. "Every year's different. It's their choice, but I think they're ready to go. I'm excited for them and really just excited to see what they do with the opportunity."
With Sanderson's expertise, Penn State has secured eight of the last nine NCAA titles and six Big Ten titles.
Though this prior success provides the Nittany Lions with a solid foundation of tradition, Sanderson expects to face some adversity with half their lineup making their Big Ten tournament debuts. Going into one of the biggest tournaments of the year with no prior experience will prove to be a tall task.
But Penn State is not unfamiliar with a challenge.
The team is coming off a 12-2 dual meet run that was plagued with season-ending injuries – ultimately forcing the Nittany Lions to deviate from their initial lineup. With all of the uncertainty, Sanderson led his squad to victory by encouraging stability in training and performance.
"Consistency and being the best all the time is a great tool because then we know what we can work on," Sanderson said. "Having a great consistency is the best long-term solution to improvement. It's just drip-by-drip and it's a slow and steady approach that works."
Despite Sanderson's own lengthy repertoire of Big Ten wins, the coach said once regular season is over, he can only play a small role in the athlete's journey.
"They're the ones who step out there on the mat. It's their career," Sanderson said. "We try to guide them and help them and invite them to think a certain way or do things a certain way, but the fun part is seeing what they choose to do with that."
Though this tournament will mark the beginning of many younger athlete's postseason careers, for the seniors, it is a final goodbye to their Nittany Lion legacies.
And for Shakur Rasheed, it is the six years of experience in a Penn State singlet that makes him a household name. Though his journey to the podium isn't the most conventional – riddled with injuries and redshirts – Sanderson predicts the 197-pounder may have the chance to advance past his previous best as a two-time Big Ten runner-up.
"He's feeling better. He feels, I think, as good as he ever has physically," Sanderson said. "We need his leadership. We need him to look at it in a playful way and a competitive way and a challenging way where he's challenging himself."
Rounding out their senior season next to Rasheed are 165-pounder Vincenzo Joseph and 174-pounder Mark Hall. The trio's combined years of experience makes for a leadership dynamic the team so dearly needs headed into postseason.
"I think the best thing if you're a leader in a leadership position is to set the example," Sanderson said. "I'm not worried about the rankings because you don't know what's in your best interest and what's not in your best interest. If you get worried and caught up in your bracket, I think that's just a distraction. It always has been."
At a school like Penn State that thrives off tradition, the core coaching techniques may come as a shock to the most loyal fans. Sanderson said he prefers to let the athlete's performances speak for themselves as a learning experience, rather than pushing only a winning agenda.
"Hype fades quickly. It's good for the first 15 seconds or so, but a match is seven minutes and a tournament is three days," Sanderson said. "So, they have to be clear on what they want to accomplish and be willing to fight for."
Through all the ups and downs of the regular season, one thing remains clear: the Nittany Lions always persevere. And at the hands of collegiate wrestling legend Cael Sanderson, the team heads into the Big Ten National tournament by drawing on the past experiences that ultimately shape the future.
"It seems like every week we're trying to figure out what our lineup's going to look like and who we're going to have or not have. But this is our team and this team can do really well," Sanderson said. "Can we win? I don't know, we'll find out."
