Cael Sanderson of Penn State wrestling isn’t concerned about seasoned wrestlers following surprising upsets.
Cael Sanderson, Penn State wrestling coach, is unconcerned about a pair of Nittany Lion veterans who were stunned by Ohio State on Friday.
Penn State wrestling defeated No. 17 Ohio State 28-9 on Friday night. However, a couple top-five Nittany Lion wrestlers did not have a good night, as Aaron Nagao and Bernie Truax were both surprised by their opponents. What did Cael Sanderson have to say regarding Nagao and Truax’s future plans?
Aaron Nagao has had a difficult previous two weeks. The 133-pounder dropped his third match of the season on Friday night, this time to Ohio State’s No. 12 Nic Bouzakis. It was his second loss in the last three matches. He now has an 8-3 record and will most likely be outside the top five when the latest rankings are released this week.
Nagao has been consistent this year, but he has struggled against stronger opposition. On Friday, he went behind 9-2 in the first period and couldn’t recover, losing 13-7 to Bouzakis.
Despite the challenging stretch, Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson remains confident that Nagao will improve as the season goes. “He is going to
Past Penn State wrestlers have tended to perform at their best in the NCAA Tournament, frequently placing better than their seeded. Aaron Nagao finished fifth in the NCAAs last season. It wouldn’t be unexpected if he made the podium again in March, but a national title may be out of reach.
Cael Sanderson is not concerned with Truax following the surprising pin.
Transfer Bernie Truax has been a consistent force for Penn State wrestling this season, with an 8-2 record. His second loss occurred on Friday, when he fell to Ohio State’s unranked Ryder Rogotzke at 3:59 in the match.
Truax appeared to have perfect control early in the duel, leading 9-4 in the second period. But then the graduate transfer was trapped in a horrible situation and wound himself on his back for the pin.
While Cael Sanderson admits that some technical changes may be required, he isn’t concerned by Truax’s unexpected pin.
“I think Bernie wrestled quite well. Hit a number of beautiful takedowns,” he said. “We probably need to challenge those positions a little more. I believe we were fleeing the position rather than standing firm and relying on the fundamentals. That stuff happens. “It is sports.”
Bernie Truax was looking terrific and performing well offensively this season, as Sanderson said. Getting away from the fundamentals can quickly turn a match upside down, as we saw on Friday. Even if you’re a skilled wrestler, things don’t always go your way.
But Truax has the ability to make an impact in the NCAA Tournament. He has finished fourth in three separate weight classes over the last three seasons, with only three losses apiece. He then switched to Penn State’s wrestling department to try to advance to the next level and win a national championship. Often, losses like Truax’s on Friday can be a beneficial learning experience and aid a wrestler later on.
