New Headline: Penn State's Wrestlers Stand Tall for NCAA Title Chance!
Penn State wrestling heads to the NCAA tournament with seven No. 1 seeds and a chance at a fifth straight title.
For Penn State wrestling, the fact that they are headed into the NCAA tournament with a chance at securing a fifth straight title does not feel as distracting as it should. After all, they are going in with perhaps their best crop of wrestlers yet. With seven No.
1 seeds and six undefeated wrestlers, history almost certainly feels on their side. And yet, there still needs to be some perspective as to how this team got here. Under one of the most decorated wrestling coaches in Cael Sanderson, the wrestling program has run under an ethos of excellence, trusting that at the end of the day, they will emerge victorious no matter what.
Sanderson is the epitome of winning, with a chance at an astonishing 13th title in just 17 years with the program. This also could represent Penn State's most diverse crop of wrestlers, a perfect blend of under- and upperclassmen. The best of the bunch could be sophomore Luke Lilledahl, one of the undefeated one seeds in the 125-pound weight class.
On the other end of the spectrum, senior Levi Haines , in the 174-pound class, is perhaps the most seasoned wrestler headed into the tournament. His fourth time in the NCAAs, he is looking to set the example for not just himself, but his team as a whole. With an immense amount of pressure riding on this tournament, it helps to have an elite mix of talent and know-how.