As another week in the 2021 Big Ten wrestling season goes by, Penn State wrestling has yet to hit the mat.
The program’s first handful of duals were postponed following a number of positive COVID-19 tests among top personnel. Then, the Nittany Lions’ dual with Michigan State got postponed out of precaution.
Although the match was postponed, head coach Cael Sanderson believed that the team was ready to roll for its season opener.
“We were in the green on Sunday, but both teams have to want to compete,” Sanderson said Wednesday.
Sanderson is confident that his squad will finally get the chance to compete on Saturday in its tri-meet against Indiana and Northwestern. After missing out on two important matches the past two weeks, the Nittany Lions are eager to get back on the mat and wrestle someone other than their own teammates.
“We still have plenty of opportunities to compete and prepare for the conference meet,” Sanderson said. “I feel like our guys have been ready to wrestle and they are excited to wrestle.”
The team hasn’t gotten any competition against other teams yet, but the practice room remains as competitive as ever. The team weighed in last Sunday and wrestled in an intrasquad dual meet to mimic the feel of a regular match.
For veterans like Jarod Verkleeren, the practice room is the best way to improve while missing out on actual match time.
“When I step into practice, I am gonna give it my best every time and I’ll continue to get better from there,” Verkleeren said. “I guess we just have to be ready for when our first competition does finally arrive and we are able to wrestle.”
In a shortened Big Ten season, every match is more important than ever. The Big Ten has some of the best teams and individual wrestlers in the country each year, so Penn State will certainly have its work cut out for it week in and week out.
One of the biggest keys for Sanderson is for the team to look forward to their upcoming schedule rather than dwell on the mat time they have missed.
“These matches are coming up quickly,” Sanderson said. “We’ve got some great competition just weeks away and the Big Ten tournament just a couple more weeks away, so I think everyone kinda understands and they know that it’s go-time.”
Missing matches early in a shortened season like this can mess with a team’s weight control, conditioning and technique improvements throughout the year. Penn State may be behind on mat time, but Sanderson is confident that the Nittany Lions will be at their best by postseason time.
“We’re not going to overthink it. We know we’ll be ready by the postseason,” Sanderson said.
If all things go as planned, the Nittany Lions will take the mat on Saturday in Evanston, Illinois, for a tri-meet against Indiana and Northwestern on Saturday. Penn State is scheduled to face the Hoosiers at noon and the Wildcats at 4 p.m.
