Bravo, Coach Cael Sanderson, and his PSU coaches and wrestlers. An important message is associated with PSU’s mat success.
The NCAA D-1 Wrestling Championships (male division) concluded Sunday night in Detroit with a stunning outcome.
Penn State brought nine wrestlers to the tournament to compete in college wrestling’s ten weight classes. By day’s end, six of those wrestlers stood on the podium. All of them earned All-American status, and five won their weight class. The Nittany Lions won the team national championship, scoring 131.5 team points. Michigan was a distant second with 95.
It’s a remarkable accomplishment when one team claims half of the individual championships. Having outstanding wrestlers is one reason it happened. But there is more to this story.
Max Dean, Penn State’s 197-pound national champion: I remember thinking before the season even started, ‘If I don’t start, if I don’t ever win a match, I’m just lucky to be here,’ because of their [the coaches and team] perspective on life. I think that’s why they are so successful. In situations when it’s uncomfortable out here, we’re competing. It’s 1-1, your dreams are on the line, but you’re so focused because you have values. That’s Cael Sanderson.
Coach Sanderson, himself a four-time D-1 wrestling champion, does more with his young charges than teach moves and physical conditioning. He and his staff teach that folkstyle wrestling is a means to something bigger. Let us hope that all coaches teach and require values.
