Penn State wrestling sets first dual date of 2024-25 season, per reports

While the 2024 Paris Olympics are in full swing and multiple former Nittany Lions are set to step on the mat in the coming days, Cael Sanderson and the Penn State wrestling program reportedly have their first dual date set for the 2024-25 season. According to reports on Wednesday, the Nittany Lions will be taking on the American Eagles on Friday, February 21, at 7 p.m. ET inside Rec Hall.

The matchup between the two programs was originally confirmed back in June. Greg Pickel of Blue White Illustrated was the first to report the February 21 date on Wednesday morning, citing the release of American’s 2024-25 schedule. However, the Eagles have since removed the schedule from their website.

“Excited to have [American wrestling] and coach [Jason Borrelli] coming to Happy Valley this coming season,” the official Penn State wrestling social media account wrote on X in June.

The two programs have faced each other once before, on February 23, 2020. Mark Hall, Vincenzo Joseph, and Shakur Rasheed all recorded Senior Day pins as the Nittany Lions rolled 40-3.

As it was in 2020, the late February non-conference dual would likely serve as the season finale for Cael Sanderson and Penn State. Sanderson typically schedules smaller local programs at the end of the year to aid recovery between the conference dual season and the Big Ten Championships.

Last year, the Nittany Lions defeated Edinboro 55-0 to cap off an undefeated 2023-24 season.

Former Penn State wrestling stars chasing Olympic glory

Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

The NCAA wrestling season is quickly approaching, but Penn State will have three former wrestlers competing this week in Paris at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Roman Bravo-Young will represent Mexico at 57 kg. Zain Retherford and Aaron Brooks will represent the United States at 65 kg and 86 kg, respectively. Bravo-Young and Brooks begin their preliminary rounds Thursday morning at 5:30 a.m. ET, while Retherford will start his quest for Gold Saturday morning at the same time.

Brooks and Retherford are both favorites to win medals in their weight classes, but Bravo-Young is a longer shot in what should be a stacked 57 kg field.

Additionally, both Kyle Dake (74 kg) and Kyle Snyder (97 kg) are also heavy favorites to medal and bring home more hardware for the NLWC.

All five wrestlers play a part in Penn State continuing its run of dominance. Winning Olympic medals, and the money that comes with it, is a strong incentive for young wrestlers to choose Penn State wrestling. This week, the Nittany Lions have a chance to show that Happy Valley produces some of the best wrestlers in the world.

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