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Penn State Wrestling: 5 keys to winning the National Championship

By Chris Snyder

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 23: Members and staff of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team pose for a team photo after winning the team title of the NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 23, 2019 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 23: Members and staff of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team pose for a team photo after winning the team title of the NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 23, 2019 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /
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Penn State Wrestling
Penn State’s Seth Nevills (Image via HawkCentral) /

Key No. 3

Penn State will need four out of the following five wrestlers to qualify for the NCAA tournament:
Robbie Howard 125
Terrell Barraclough or Beau Bartlett 149
Joe Lee 165
Michael Beard 197
Seth Nevills Hwt

Here is how a wrestler can qualify for the NCAA tournament according to the NCAA’s website:

"“In the current model of the NCAA wrestling tournament, 33 athletes from each weight class earn the right to compete on the national stage. Each conference has an allocated number of spots per weight class that are awarded based on finishes at the conference tournaments. The remaining spots are considered at-large bids and assigned to wrestlers in any weight class by the committee.”"

I feel we can fairly easily slot Lee, Beard, and Nevills in. Howard and the jumbled mix at 149? This is where it gets a little murky.

With a tune-up against Maryland this evening (2/22) at 6pm and a good matchup (ie: easy) early in the B1G’s, Howard can hopefully gain more experience and confidence. I believe of the two weight classes (125 and 149), he has the best chance to qualify.

You might be asking “Why do we need all of these wrestlers to qualify?”. Good question and the easy answer is opportunity.

The more Cael Sanderson coached wrestlers the Lions can throw into the mix, the better Penn State’s chances of gaining points.

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