Penn State wrestling standout Shayne Van Ness out for season with injury

Penn State 149 pounder Shayne Van Ness is out for the season, according to head coach Cael Sanderson. 

The sophomore finished third in the country last season and started out the new campaign 3-0. He would’ve been in the running for a national title in March at the NCAA Championships.

Without Van Ness, Penn State has a bit of a hole in the middle of the lineup.

“It was tough because he came in, had to sit most of his first year with injury,” Sanderson said. “It’s a little setback for him but it stinks for him, stinks for the team.”

Van Ness finished 24-7 last year and made a run to third place at the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships. He was listed at No. 2 at 149 pounds in the most recent InterMat individual rankings.

At the Journeymen Classic in November, Van Ness registered three falls for his only matches of the year. He never had to wrestle past the first period.

His run at least year’s NCAAs gave Penn State another national title contender.

“Weekend checklist: Have fun, score points, and compete with enthusiasm!,” Van Ness wrote on Instagram in March. “Incredibly grateful for the opportunity to compete at the NCAA tournament. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along my journey. The greater the obstacle, the greater the opportunity. #rdgd.”

Van Ness looked pretty darn good earlier this year at the NWCA All-Star Classic. He beat Arizona State’s Kyle Parco, who’s ranked No. 4 at the weight at the moment.

“My philosophy this season is ‘Shayne Van Ness stomps,’” Van Ness said, via Onward State. “You’ll hear me say that a lot, but it’s just a reflection of me wrestling the way I want to wrestle, going out there and being dominant … I just believe that I have the skills and the ability to dominate and be the best.”

As it stands, Penn State is ranked No. 1 in the country as team with a 1-0 dual record. Despite the loss of Van Ness, the team title at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships is the Nittany Lions’ to lose.

Guys like Levi Haines (157), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) are all ranked No. 1 at their respective weights and the favorites to win individual national titles.

Without Van Ness, others might have to pick it up across the lineup. Tyler Kasak, listed at 141 pounds, bumped up to 149 for the first time this season in a win over Lehigh Sunday and earned a 7-5 win.