Everything Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said after the Lions won another NCAA title
Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson spoke to reporters after the Lions won another NCAA Championship. Here's what he said.
Everything Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said after the Lions won another NCAA title
- Thread starter GregPickel
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Winning the team title, and having 8 AA's (!!!) this year, was a mighty impressive performance - by Coach, his staff, and this team. Sure, they had a few disappointments along the way, but such is Life.
This Team makes us mere fans all Penn State Proud!
PS. I discovered wrestling as a frosh, visiting Rec Hall for the first time. Saw Coach Speidel and Team , and became an immediate fan. A fellow named Johnston Oberly at HWT (285#) was one of the nations' best that year. And after a usually quiet first period, The Big O would start his little dance, bouncing from foot to foot - which meant he was ready to go on the offense. The crowd would go wild, and usually the other guy on the mat soon became .... history!
Then I learned to appreciate the quickness and toughness of the lighter weights.
And eventually, because I was slow to react during Registration for Phys Ed, I wound up in the JV's Head Wrestling Coaches' Phys Ed Wrestling Class- - by default. Only the most inexperienced frosh who got locked out of their preferred class, served to fill up Wrestling Class. ie it was usually the last class to fill up. All I remember about that class was: 1. taking turns riding some other guy. As soon as the guy on the bottom escaped, you immediately traded places and went on top. And held on as long as you could. Then you traded places and immediately started all over again....over and over til Coach blew the whistle. There were no pauses or stoppages. You kept going til he stopped you. One particular time, after trading places numerous times, the whistle sounded ( far off to my ears and tired body) I spotted the water fountain and headed over to get a drink - but never made it. When I "came to" I was flat on my back - a few feet away from the cooler - with the entire class gathered in a circle around me, staring down, wondering if I were dead. I felt like it.
The other memory is from the end of semester Wrestle-Off, where coach paired everyone up by weight. The two closest weights. matched up, then the next two closest weights, etc. If you won, you got the coveted "A". and if you lost, a "B". Somehow I wound up paired with what looked like a farm boy who spent his summer tossing bales of hay like they were softballs. To this slightly flabby city kid from Philly, he looked like Adonis. As we took our turn on the mat, I circled him, and he circled me., for what seemed like forever. Then I figured it was "what the hell time" and I shot for his leg, only to be met by a fist to the jaw. I crumbled to the floor....gathering my senses. Coach asked if I was OK. I told him "Sure. Lets go" with all the false bravado I could muster. We circled each other, and .....since he wasnt doing anything, I decided to take another shot. This time he timed it better, fell on top of me, and in short order got the pin. Felt like Beaver Stadium had fallen on top of me. So my PSU wrestling career ended 0-1 with a pin. But I had become more than a fan. I had gotten a little taste of what it took to succeed in wrestling. So I semi-proudly took my "B" and when back to the dorm.
This Team makes us mere fans all Penn State Proud!
PS. I discovered wrestling as a frosh, visiting Rec Hall for the first time. Saw Coach Speidel and Team , and became an immediate fan. A fellow named Johnston Oberly at HWT (285#) was one of the nations' best that year. And after a usually quiet first period, The Big O would start his little dance, bouncing from foot to foot - which meant he was ready to go on the offense. The crowd would go wild, and usually the other guy on the mat soon became .... history!
Then I learned to appreciate the quickness and toughness of the lighter weights.
And eventually, because I was slow to react during Registration for Phys Ed, I wound up in the JV's Head Wrestling Coaches' Phys Ed Wrestling Class- - by default. Only the most inexperienced frosh who got locked out of their preferred class, served to fill up Wrestling Class. ie it was usually the last class to fill up. All I remember about that class was: 1. taking turns riding some other guy. As soon as the guy on the bottom escaped, you immediately traded places and went on top. And held on as long as you could. Then you traded places and immediately started all over again....over and over til Coach blew the whistle. There were no pauses or stoppages. You kept going til he stopped you. One particular time, after trading places numerous times, the whistle sounded ( far off to my ears and tired body) I spotted the water fountain and headed over to get a drink - but never made it. When I "came to" I was flat on my back - a few feet away from the cooler - with the entire class gathered in a circle around me, staring down, wondering if I were dead. I felt like it.
The other memory is from the end of semester Wrestle-Off, where coach paired everyone up by weight. The two closest weights. matched up, then the next two closest weights, etc. If you won, you got the coveted "A". and if you lost, a "B". Somehow I wound up paired with what looked like a farm boy who spent his summer tossing bales of hay like they were softballs. To this slightly flabby city kid from Philly, he looked like Adonis. As we took our turn on the mat, I circled him, and he circled me., for what seemed like forever. Then I figured it was "what the hell time" and I shot for his leg, only to be met by a fist to the jaw. I crumbled to the floor....gathering my senses. Coach asked if I was OK. I told him "Sure. Lets go" with all the false bravado I could muster. We circled each other, and .....since he wasnt doing anything, I decided to take another shot. This time he timed it better, fell on top of me, and in short order got the pin. Felt like Beaver Stadium had fallen on top of me. So my PSU wrestling career ended 0-1 with a pin. But I had become more than a fan. I had gotten a little taste of what it took to succeed in wrestling. So I semi-proudly took my "B" and when back to the dorm.
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