University Park, PA – (Release courtesy of Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling) Casey Cunningham (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) has been named the winner of the 2018 Terry McCann Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. This is the first time that Cunningham has won this prestigious award. Cunningham has been the Assistant Coach at Penn State...
Lock Haven, PA – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has released the major award winners for the 2018-19 Wrestling season, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon. The awards are determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches. The top three finishers in each event at the PSAC Championships are recognized as all-conference performers. FULL LIST...
University Park, PA – (Portion of release, including quotes, courtesy Bryan Van Kley, WIN Magazine) Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) has won the WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, presented annually to the top collegiate wrestler in the nation by ASICS. The Hodge Trophy has been awarded since 1995. The three-time NCAA...
NCAA Wrestling Championship – Saturday, March 23, 2019 Jason Nolf – 157 pounds THE MODERATOR: Jason Nolf, three-time national champion, how does that sound to you? JASON NOLF: Not as good as four-time national champ, but I’ll take it. Look, coming into college, I think everybody wants to be a four-time national champ. I was...
NCAA Wrestling Championship – Saturday, March 23, 2019 Bo Nickal & Cael Sanderson – 197 pounds THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by head coach Cael Sanderson and senior Bo Nickal. Coach, an opening statement. Three individual national champions tonight, talk about those guys and what they did well tonight to secure the national championship for you...
NCAA Wrestling Championship – Saturday, March 23, 2019 Zahid Valencia – 174 pounds THE MODERATOR: Zahid Valencia, two back-the-back national champions, what does that mean to you and to the program? ZAHID VALENCIA: It wasn’t a fluke, my continued hard work and dedication to wrestling just because so passionate about it, love it. And especially...
NCAA Wrestling Championship – Saturday, March 23, 2019 Mekhi Lewis – 165 pounds THE MODERATOR: Mekhi Lewis, you’re a national champion. What does that mean to you to be a national champion? MEKHI LEWIS: It means a lot. I always wanted to be a national champ. So to have this opportunity and go out there...
NCAA Wrestling Championship – Saturday, March 23, 2019 Anthony Cassar – 285 pounds THE MODERATOR: Anthony Cassar coming to the stage. National champion, how does that sound to you? ANTHONY CASSAR: It sounds right. It sounds really right. THE MODERATOR: Questions? Q. When did you first think that by moving up a weight that you...
NCAA Wrestling Championship Press Conference – Wednesday, March 20, 2019 Cael Sanderson, Tom Ryan, John Smith, Keith Gavin, and Tom Brands THE MODERATOR: We’re joined from left to right by Tom Ryan, head coach at Ohio State; Cael Sanderson, head coach Penn State; Tom Brands, head coach at Iowa; John Smith, head coach at Oklahoma...
NCAA Wrestling Championship – Wednesday, March 20, 2019 Yianni Diakomihalis, Derek White, Myles Martin, Bo Nickal, and Jason Nolf THE MODERATOR: From your left to right, we’re joined by Bo Nickal from Penn State, Jason Nolf from Penn State, Yianni Diakomihalis from Cornell, Myles Martin from Ohio State and Derek White from Oklahoma State. Questions?...