Penn State wrestling learns new dual foe, lands in top non-conference tournament

In a few short months, Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling will kick off their campaign for a fourth consecutive National Championship. This week, we learned more about the Nittany Lions’ path to a potential 12th NCAA title in 14 years. Wednesday, it was revealed that Penn State will face Wyoming and participate in the Journeymen Collegiate Wrestling Duals in mid-December.

Penn State wrestling to host Wyoming for the first time

Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State wrestling will mix it up a little this season, inviting a Big 12 team to Rec Hall. Wyoming will come to Happy Valley to face the Nittany Lions on December 15. The Cowboys finished last season with a 7-7 (5-5) record and sent three wrestlers to the NCAA Championships.

This will be the first recorded meeting between the two programs.

Jore Volk entered the 2024 tournament as the No. 5 seed at 125 pounds. After being upset in the first round, he battled his way back to finish as an All-American in seventh place, including a semifinal win over Braeden Davis in the process. Both No. 22 Gabe Willochell and No. 17 Joey Novak made it to the third round at 149 and 197 pounds, respectively.

“Those are the kinds of opportunities we want for this team,” Wyoming coach Mark Branch said of the dual. “We have several guys who can be All-Americans, so you want to wrestle the best, and Penn State has proven who they are for the last decade.”

Nittany Lions heading to Nashville for Journeymen Collegiate Wrestling Duals

A week after taking on Wyoming, Penn State wrestling makes its return to the Journeymen Collegiate Wrestling Duals. The Nittany Lions are among the top teams that make up a loaded field and will participate in at least three duals in the event. Four of the top 11 finishers in last year’s NCAA Championships will participate in the duals.

Here are all the participants and their 2024 finish out of the 75 teams in NCAA D1 Wrestling:

No. 1 Penn State

No. 4 Iowa State

No. 8 Ohio State

No. 11 Missouri

No. 19 Little Rock

No. 26 Lock Haven

No. 30 North Carolina

No. 40 Binghamton

Penn State will be the favorite heading into the duals, but Ohio State is also projected to be a top-five team this season and would be a tough test if the two programs face off. The Nittany Lions will face the Buckeyes during the Big Ten dual season.

It’s always hard to tell who Cael Sanderson will decide to wrestle in these types of events because he prioritizes mat time and experience for his wrestlers over winning the team event.

The Journeymen Collegiate Wrestling Dual will occur on December 21-22 at the Ensworth Frist Campus in Nashville, Tennessee.

In addition to these two events, we also know the date of the Nittany Lions’ dual season finale with American University, which will be February 21, 2025.

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