Kerkvliet: NLWC ‘killers’ push entire Penn State wrestling room

Cael Sanderson had turned Penn State wrestling into one of the top programs in college sports. A central piece to this success is the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, both for its role in preparing the Penn State wrestlers on the mat during the collegiate season and for representing the program on the international stage. This summer, the NLWC, and subsequently, the Nittany Lions program, will be on display for the world to see at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

The success of the NLWC is evident in the makeup of Team USA. Four of the six representatives on the United States Men’s Freestyle National Team for the upcoming Paris Games train in Happy Valley.

In a recent interview with Justin Basch of the Baschamania podcast, Penn State wrestling heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet highlighted the benefit of filling the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex with Olympians and other highly accomplished international competitors.

“I mean, yeah, these guys are killers. I mean, you can’t, really; you’re going to get pushed every day if you go with these guys,” said Kerkvliet, who won his first NCAA Championship at 285 pounds in March. “So, I mean, there’s no really need to go anywhere else or, and plus we have such great coaches.

“They know exactly how to train us, peak us for the right time. So, I mean, it’s just a great setup.”

Kerkvliet qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at the Bryce Jordan Center this past April, where he took fourth place at 125 kg.

Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, Penn State wrestlers look to make a statement at the 2024 Olympics

Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

The NLWC will look to take over Paris next month for the 2024 Olympics. In total, the club is sending five athletes to the Games. Penn State wrestling alumni and first-time Olympians Zain Retherford and Aaron Brooks will join Kyle Dake and Kyle Snyder on Team USA.

Former Nittany Lion Roman Bravo-Young will represent Mexico.

Bravo-Young (57 kg) and Retherford (65 kg) enter the Olympics unseeded and unranked in their respective weight brackets. The ex-Nittany Lions will certainly have an uphill battle. Both wrestlers are unproven but have the talent to make a deep run if the brackets break their way and they wrestle to their potential.

Dake is the No. 1 overall seed at 74 kg and will look to win his sixth international medal in Paris. Dake enters as the No. 2 freestyle wrestler in the world at the weight class. He will be a heavy favorite to at least make the podium, but he should be one of the top contenders to bring home a Gold Medal for the NLWC.

Brooks will enter his first senior freestyle competition ranked No. 1 in the world per FloWrestling but will be unseeded for the Olympics. In March, the former Nittany Lion became the second wrestler in school history to win four National Championships alongside teammate Carter Starocci. After upsetting David Taylor in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, he will now be one of the heavy favorites to bring home Gold at 86 kg.

Snyder will look to win his 10th international medal and add his name to an exclusive list of American wrestlers to medal at three separate Olympic Games. He is currently seeded third and ranked No. 4 in the world. Snyder and Dake are the two non-Penn State wrestlers to compete for the NLWC.

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