The Penn State wrestling team is nearly postseason ready. With their victory over Nebraska on Sunday, the No. 1 Nittany Lions secured the Big Ten regular season title. With one game remaining, Edinboro (Sunday, 2 p.m.), the Big Ten individual tournament will begin in March. So far, we’ve discovered a lot about the squad led by head coach Cael Sanderson. With one week left in the regular season, what questions remain? Below, we’ve chosen the best three.
Earlier this year, Davis, weighing 125 pounds, was chosen to start. However, the rookie has recently displayed signs of exhaustion. The first-year Penn State wrestler appeared worn out after losing to Nebraska’s Caleb Smith via major decision on Sunday.
A week ago, he needed an unexpected victory to win his match against Rutgers. This in no way implies that Davis will have less of a chance to succeed in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. The native of Michigan has a great chance of winning his first All-American title.
To make sure he’s ready for the postseason, though, it might be best to give him a break against Edinboro before that happens. In a weight class that is expected to be quite open in March, Davis is expected to start as the third seed at Big Tens.
With Beau Bartlett weighing 141 pounds, Penn State will start as the top seed in the Big Tens. Levi Haines at 157, Carter Starocci at 174, Aaron Brooks at 197, and Greg Kerkvliet at heavyweight all share the same sentiments. Was there anyone else it may have been? That doesn’t seem plausible. The Lions’ hopes of taking first place at 184 were dashed on Saturday by Lenny Pinto’s victory over Bernie Traux. At 133 pounds, Aaron Nagao will not win the title; instead, Dylan Ragusin of Michigan is most likely to capture it, and Ridge Lovett of Nebraska will win at 149 pounds.
Thus, it is very likely that five will be the ultimate response to this query. Or, half of the starting lineup, with Michell Mesenbrink and Deam Hamiti of Wisconsin having a chance to start at the top slot at 165.
We see it clearly: Redshirt freshman and first-year Penn State wrestler Mitchell Mesenbrink is the most logical and straightforward pick. In his first year, he is dominating the Big Ten, has a good chance of taking home the conference title in the 165-pound division, and is sure to draw attention at the nationals.
