Penn State Wrestling: Inside the Singlet – Wrestler Profiles for 157 and 165
By Chris Snyder
An on-going series at Victory Bell Rings which details all of the wrestlers on the Penn State roster for 2022-2023
This is now the fourth installment of our “Inside the Singlet” series here at VBR on the Penn State Wrestling squad. So far it has been incredible to get to know who these amazing young men are in and around wrestling as well as away from the sport.
Inside the Singlet – past articles
125/133
141
149
This time we’re taking a look at the Penn State Wrestling Nittany Lions in the 157- and 165-pound group. From brisket smoking specialist, to post-it notes collectors, to survivalists who could rival Bear Grylls, to the most uncommon trait ever seen in a college student, a neat and tidy room. The list goes on and on.
Enjoy!
Levi Haines
Year: Freshman
Weight: 157
Major: Division of Undergraduate Studies
Hometown: Arendtsville, Pa.
Penn State Career
In his young Nittany Lion career, Haines has taken part in 23 total collegiate matches. Even though he is a true freshman this year, Levi did compete unattached in a handful of tournaments his senior year of high school.
Prior to suiting up for Penn State in the 2022 National Collegiate Duals, Levi competed in the David Lehman Open, Edinboro Open, Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open, and Black Knight Invite.
So far in the 2022-2023 season Levi has now seen action in four regular season dual meet matches.
Prior to Penn State
Before committing to the Nittany Lions, Levi was a three year letter winner while wrestling for Biglerville High School. Haines compiled a career record of 100-5 and finished runner up in the states twice and won the state title his junior season.
Haines was the team captain his junior season and he was a member of the 2021 Cadet World Team.
As I previously mentioned, Levi took part in several collegiate levels opens his senior year in high school. This was due to him forgoing his entire senior season to focus on training with the staff at the M2 Training Center in Pleasant Gap, Pa.
Haines comes from an incredibly athletic family.
His father, Ken Haines, both wrestled and played soccer at Lock Haven University, while his mother, Aimee Haines, was a member of both the field hockey and lacrosse teams for the Bald Eagles.
Further adding to the Lock Haven athletics history, Haines’ sister currently plays soccer there and his uncle was a former LHU wrestler.
During an interview with Rokfin, Levi explained his decision to commit to the Nittany Lions and why he broke his family’s long time tradition of attending Lock Haven.
Haines touched on how he was introduced and involved with the Penn State wrestling system from a young age and that wrestling for the Nittany Lions had been a dream of his since childhood. He also leaned towards Penn State as they had the major he really wanted to pursue to set up a future career.
Away from the wrestling mat, Haines also competed in soccer up until around the fourth grade. At this point in his young athletic career he decided to stop playing other sports so he could focus mainly on wrestling.
If you love the outdoors and spending time there, then you will love Levi Haines. He details his main hobbies, in no particular order, as hunting, fishing, and camping.
Levi’s largest ever catch he reeled in was an incredible 32-inch Brown Trout. Keep in mind that Brown Trout are typically anywhere from 14 to 24 inches and they weight anywhere from 5 to 10 lbs. Haines’ fish weighed in around 25 to 30 lbs.
Wow.
His favorite foods are the good ole staple of steak and sweet potatoes and his music playlist is nothing but down home country.
Asking Haines how many days he would survive alone in the wild tells you a lot about him.
"“I would not be surviving, rather I would be thriving due to my background in hunting and knowledge of the woods. I could survive my entire life in the woods.” -Levi Haines"