Penn State wrestling notebook: Lions have top spot in Coaches poll; Anthony Cassar to make MMA debut
Penn State wrestling opens its 2022-2023 on Friday night opposite Lock Haven at Rec Hall. Head coach Cael Sanderson’s team returns five All-Americans and four national champions as it begins yet another NCAA title defense.
Before the match, which starts at 7 p.m. ET (BTN+), we rounded up the latest news and notes on the Lions.
Penn State has the top spot in latest Coaches Poll
To the surprise of no one, Penn State is No. 1 in the latest NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll. The Lions received 12 of 14 first-place votes. Iowa received the other two.
Two Nittany Lions will be making their Rec Hall debut on Friday as the Lions look to retain the top spot with a win. Redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness will be in the lineup at 149 pounds while classmate Alex Facundo will start at 165.
“Oh, it’s been super, super exciting,” Facundo said this week. “This whole summer and this whole preseason, I’ve just been thinking about my Rec Hall debut. We’re finally going to get into it, and so I’m just excited.”
Two other Big Ten teams make the NWCA top five. Ohio State checks in at No. 4 and Michigan at No. 5. Minnesota (No. 12), Wisconsin (No. 13), Northwestern (No. 15), Nebraska (No. 17), and Rutgers (No. 21) round out the conference teams in the top-25.
Cassar set for MMA debut; Nickal will have to wait for first UFC fight
Former Penn State heavyweight Anthony Cassar is set to make his mixed martial arts debut next month. He’ll fight on the Dec. 2 iKon FC6 card in Orlando, Fla. His opponent is not yet known. But, the 2019 NCAA champion is ready to enter the octagon, and hopes are high that he will perform well.
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“I’m more excited for Anthony’s MMA debut than my own,” Bo Nickal said on The David Van Auken show.
“I have no doubt this will be the beginning of a Championship Career for him. There is no one out there more dedicated or prepared for these moments and I’m happy to be a part of the ride.”
Speaking of Nickal, it sounds like his UFC debut will be pushed back a few months. Multiple media outlets have now reported that Nickal will no longer fight Jamie Pickett at UFC 282 on Dec. 12. ESPN reports that his first UFC fight is likely to be pushed back into 2023.
Lions in the latest rankings
InterMat released its latest rankings this week. It has plenty of Penn State flavor.
Roman Bravo-Young (133 pounds), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184), and Max Dean (197) are all No. 1 in their respective weight classes. Heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet is No. 2, however, behind Arizona State’s Cohlton Schultz.
Gary Steen is not ranked at 125 pounds. At 141, Beau Bartlett checks in at No. 13. Shayne Van Ness, then, is 25th at 149, while Terrell Barraclough is unranked at 157. Finally, Alex Facundo is No. 18 at 165 pounds.
