Road to Rio: Penn State wrestlers eyeing Olympics

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The day is one Cael Sanderson will never forget and the lessons learned — about persevering and stepping up in the face of adversity — are ones he sometime shares with his Penn State wrestlers when he deems the moment just right.

The year was 2004 and Sanderson, having dropped his U.S. title to former Iowa wrestler Lee Fullhart, had to battle through the mini tournament at the U.S. Olympic Trials to land a spot in the finals. Then, he had to win the best-of-three final to land a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. He won his first match in the finals, “controlled it pretty well,” Sanderson said this week during a phone conversation from in his office in Penn State’s Lorenzo Wrestling Complex. But then, for the four-time NCAA champ with the unblemished collegiate record, it was gut-check time.

“The second one I lost 2-2 on criteria,” he said. “It came down to that third and final match and everything you’ve been planning and dreaming and expecting to do for a long time and working towards it’s all on the line. It was a good opportunity for me as a human being, you know, to kind of have to step up and take care of business in a tough situation.”

Of course Sanderson rebounded with a victory to fulfill a lifelong dream of earning a spot on the Olympic team and then a few months later won the gold medal in Athens at the 2004 Games. The experience of answering back when his dream was on the line is something many former, future and current Penn State wrestlers will try to do this weekend in Iowa City, Iowa where six spots on the freestyle wrestling team are up for grabs during the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.



Sanderson and a contingent of Lions, including reigning NCAA champions Nico Megaludis (57 kg) and Zain Retherford (65 kg), headed to Iowa on Wednesday. They’re joined by Nittany Lion Wrestling Club members Frank Molinaro (65 kg), the former Penn State NCAA champion and current PSU assistant coach, former NCAA champion David Taylor (86 Kg) and fellow Nittany Lion Wrestling Club members like Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner (97 kg) and Eric Thompson (125 kg).

Former Lion Ed Ruth, who trains with Sunkist Wrestling Club, will compete in the 86 kg weight class. Mark Hall, the top-ranked high school wrestler in the 2016 recruiting class and a Penn State signee, punched his ticket to the Trials last weekend at the Last Chance Qualifier.

Mason Manville, a 2016 Penn State commit and Junior World medalist, is a 75 kg qualifier in Greco-Roman.

“He’s pretty special,” Sanderson said of Hall, who will compete in the 74 kg weight class where reigning Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs will be difficult for anyone to knock off. “Winning a senior-level tournament, I wouldn’t say I was shocked or anything [last weekend], but it is pretty impressive. … He’s very good, very polished, has great poise.”

For Retherford and Megaludis, their qualification came after taking home NCAA titles in New York City last month. Sanderson said both have “excellent conditioning” since there’s been no time off after their collegiate season. While they haven’t competed overseas in large freestyle events this past year, Sanderson said both can rely on the experienced wrestlers they face regularly in the wrestling room as part of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.

“They’re training with world-class guys in the room every day, so I think they’re confident,” Sanderson said. “They also have great challenges, too, because it’s very competitive, obviously, but they’re excited for the opportunity and it’ll be a great experience for them moving forward.”

Sanderson said he wanted all the wrestlers to be motivated by the opportunity and to understand that there’s nothing to hold back once they get on the mat. Nobody wins an Olympic gold medal or a spot on the U.S. team wrestling scared, he cautioned. He always speaks to them about wrestling with gratitude, wanting them to understand, but be ready for the big stage they’re embarking on.

With Hall however, Sanderson said the high schooler’s coaches from the Olympic Training Center helped prepare him for the weekend, adding that it’s “not his role just yet” to get Hall going. But, Sanderson — pointing to previous success stories of young wrestlers, notably in Greco-Roman as opposed to freestyle — is open minded about the possibilities for Hall. With a loaded weight class complete with Burroughs and even former Nittany Lion Dan Vallimont, now an assistant coach at Hofstra, Sanderson said Hall’s path is “a tough weight for a tough kid.”

“I don’t think age is as much of a factor, depending on the individual and his approach and the preparation they have up to that point,” Sanderson said of Hall. “He can certainly win and I don’t think he’s going there for experience. He’s going there to win and obviously he’s got a guy named Jordan Burroughs who will be sitting in the finals that’s one of the most successful freestyle wrestlers that we’ve ever had in our country — probably the most dominant wrestler in the world — right now of any weight class.”

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials finals will air live on NBC Sports Network with coverage at 7 p.m. Saturday and on tape delay Sunday at 10:30 p.m. Morning and afternoon matches both days will be available via digital broadcast.