Cael Sanderson Reflects on Penn State's Latest NCAA Wrestling Title
Penn State's Cael Sanderson on Saturday won his ninth national championship as a head coach, a feat in itself. That it came 20 years after Sanderson capped his college wrestling career with a 159-0 record and a fourth NCAA title made it more remarkable.
Little wonder, then, that Sanderson called the NCAA Wrestling Championships "the most fun wrestling event in the world."
"I love this tournament. I love folkstyle wrestling," Sanderson said at his post-tournament press conference Saturday night. "I think it just represents the things I value. Hard work: you get knocked down, you get back up. You earn your escape. If you lay on your belly, you’re going to be there a long time. Nobody's going to come rescue you.
"I love folkstyle. It’s fun because there’s a lot of passion. The universities are following their programs, and it's a great tournament. I tell our guys, 'This is the most fun wrestling event in the world every year.'"
Penn State dominated the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, going 5-0 in the tournament finals and clinching the team title long before shining on the individual stage. For Sanderson, hardly an effusive personality in media settings, achieving team and individual goals make him smile.
Sanderson has every reason to love this tournament. He won four NCAA wrestling titles at Iowa State, the last in 2002. And he has won nine team titles in 12 NCAA tournaments as Penn State's head coach, a .750 batting average.
Individually, the Lions have won 32 NCAA titles under Sanderson, including five in a single year twice. Penn State has crowned multiple champions at nine tournaments Sanderson has coached. At the past five NCAA tournaments, Penn State has won 42 percent of the individual titles (21 of 50).
Here's a sampling of Sanderson's post-tournament press conference, during which he dropped a compelling note about two-time champion Carter Starocci, who wrestled with an injury for the past two months. Watch the full press conference below.
On the meaning of this victory: "I just want to see our kids be happy and reach their goals when they come to Penn State. Our job is to give them the resources and whatever we can do to help them be the best they can be. When it works out for them, great. It doesn’t most of the time. So when it does, it’s a special thing."
On allowing himself to celebrate: "The way my mind works, I'm always thinking ahead. I’m really happy for these guys, I‘m really at peace. But there are always things we can do better. It's an ongoing challenge."
On Carter Starocci: "I don't know if Carter told you, but he broke his hand at the end of January. It was a deal where he needed surgery, needs surgery, but he decided to just rehab it and let it rip. There’s always adversity, all the way up and down. That’s how life works. Obviously, that usually brings your strength out, sharpens your senses and brings some clarity."
On developing Penn State's culture: "Culture is obviously everything. You always want a stronger culture. But I think these guys care about each other and they compete as individuals, but winning as a team is a lot more fun."
Read more
Penn State turns the NCAA Wrestling Championships broadcast into a 3-hour recruiting pitch
How the Nittany Lions clinched the NCAA team title before the finals
Penn State completes another undefeated regular season under Cael Sanderson
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