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Penn State Wrestling: Ranking all 10 NCAA Championship Teams

By Chris Snyder

Mar 19, 2022; Detroit, MI, USA; Penn State wrestler Aaron Brooks helps hold up the trophy after the team takes first place at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Little Cesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2022; Detroit, MI, USA; Penn State wrestler Aaron Brooks helps hold up the trophy after the team takes first place at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Little Cesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Penn State Wrestling
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team poses for a photo (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

No. 2 – 2018

Dual Record: 14-0

Conference Champions: 3
149 Zain Retherford
174 Mark Hall
184 Bo Nickal

All-Americans: 8
141 Nick Lee
149 Zain Retherford
157 Jason Nolf
165 Vincenzo Joseph
174 Mark Hall
184 Bo Nickal
197 Shakur Rasheed
285 Nick Nevills

NCAA Champions: 4
149 Zain Retherford
157 Jason Nolf
165 Vincenzo Joseph
184 Bo Nickal

NCAA Final Team Standings
1. Penn State 141.5
2. Ohio State 134.5
3. Iowa 97.0

Dan Hodge Trophy
Zain Retherford – winner
Bo Nickal – finalist

And now we’re onto the final two teams in our rankings.

In the entire history of Penn State Wrestling, which dates back to 1909, only one other team had as many All-Americans (8) as the 2017-2018 team. And that was the promising 1986-1987 Nittany Lion squad which could only finish third in the 1987 NCAA Championships and wasn’t able to crown a single individual title.

Between the experienced group of Zain Retherford, Jason Nolf, and Bo Nickal, the 2018 team didn’t just beat their opponents, they lifted them off the mat and sucked their souls directly out of their bodies.

Add in a healthy Shakur Rasheed, rising sophomores Mark Hall and Vincenzo Joseph, and freshman Nick Lee and this team was absolutely scary.

But during the season this loaded Nittany Lion team had some heavy competition between themselves and Ohio State. The Buckeyes gave Penn State everything they could handle in the now-famous dual meet dubbed the “Dual of the Century“. And Ohio State took home the 2018 Big Ten title to boot.

But when it came time for the real wrestling tournament to start in the Quicken Loans Arena, Cael Sanderson and his group of talented grapplers went to work in winning four individual titles, a runner-up, and three more top-seven finishes.

The Buckeyes were a formidable opponent but they were no match for this team.

Now onto the best of the very best.

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