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Penn State Wrestling: Josh Barr Gets Positive Injury Update Before NCAAs On the Penn State Coaches Show, Cael Sanderson delivered some good news regarding Barr, who was injured at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. https://www.si.com/college/pennstate/wrestling/penn-state-wrestling-josh-barr-gets-positive-injury-update-before-ncaas-01jp8z95pt4r

Penn State 197-pound starter Josh Barr drew the number four seed for next week’s 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Wednesday night. On Thursday, Nittany Lions head coach Cael Sanderson offered his first update on the status of the redshirt freshman after he suffered an injury at Big Tens. After losing in the quarterfinals in sudden victory to Michigan’s Jacob Cardenas, Barr was forced to medically forfeit his consolation semifinal match with Minnesota’s Isaiah Salazar due to a left leg injury. Following an early scramble in which he appeared to hurt himself, the Nittany Lion was taken down off the restart, asked for the match to be stopped, and was eventually helped off the mat with the help of staff members. He was putting little to no weight on his left leg at the time. Barr also medically defaulted out of his fifth-place match. Speaking on the Penn State Coaches Show with Steve Jones, Sanderson said he will be ready to go for nationals. “We kind of had to carry him off the mat a bit last week. But, he’ll be ready to go and scrapping next week,” Sanderson said. “We’re happy for him.” https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/josh-barr-injury-update-whats-the-latest-on-the-penn-state-wrestling-197-pound-starter-before-nationals/

Wow, Nolan Wertanen of Michigan qualified at 133 with a record of 7-18. That has to be among the worst records for an NCAA qualifier. His photos make me wonder if he is in a boy band.

Aristotle wasn't much interested in hypotheticals. His approach to ethics was virtue and character-based. It was about striving for excellence—aretê, to use the ancient Greek. Also, Plato (Aristotle's teacher) was actually a very good wrestler and would have kicked Aristotle's butt and counseled Keckheisen to strive for the highest goals, even if they were unreachable. On a slightly lighter note, here's an article that might be of interest. Thanks for the banter. I'm looking forward to the beginning of the games. May all the wrestlers rise to the occasion: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2021/08/77088/

Can't believe the length of this thread. Keckheisen earned and deserves the #2 seed. But regardless of what one thinks about the seeding, this is in fact the seed he now has. The original assertion that K. should not have wrestled the All Star classic is absurd. It's what philosophers call a "counterfactual". It's counter to the facts (hence a hypothetical). He chose to wrestle it and he did. Here's also why he should have wrestled it (which he did). He's an outgoing senior. He's an NCAA champion at that very weight. He probably wanted to test himself against one of the best. And, he no doubt learned something about Starocci that he never could have learned by just watching him on videos. He likely figured this experience would help him if and when they meet up (which they likely will at NCAAs). He had (and perhaps has) no reason to fear Plott or MacEnally. Yes, of course, Starocci would also learn something about K. during the All Star match. But these two are both NCAA champions, and guys like this want to step up to challenges. That is what makes greatness great. If you focus on the outcomes (results) rather than the process, you fall prey to one of the most worst traps in life. Act and let go of consequences. You have the right to your actions but not to the fruits of your action. Let go of this counterfactual and enjoy the ensuing competition. It's just a tiny drama in a grand spectacle of the universe playing with itself, appearing and disappearing, generating forms and then transforming them.

Slippery Rock (which doesn't have a D1 Team) ... just because I like the name and I'm a PA guy. Actually, I don't follow them, though apparently the women's team at Slippery Rock is called "The Rockets". More seriously: Dagestan.

Penn State's Average Seed = 2.6. Who has the second, third and fourth best average seeding? I'm also curious if anyone has posted the number of wrestlers each of the top teams has qualified. Seed / # of wrestlers #1 4 #2 2 #3 2 #4 1 #8 1

A possible matchup second round between the Stout brothers at 197. #6 vs. #11. Sibling rivalry action:

Penn State's women's volleyball team won the National Championship this year. En route, they beat Nebraska in the semifinals. They also have the NCAA record for the sport with 107 consecutive match wins from 2007-2010 (36 more straight victories than the PSU wrestling team by comparison). https://gopsusports.com/sports/womens-volleyball

"Nebraska to Win it All ... Well not in wrestling, but I am sure in something" The Good: Nebraska is the leading producer of popcorn in the United States. The Acceptable: Nebraska is the number one producer of Great Northern beans in the U.S. And the Horrible: Nebraska leads the nation in cattle slaughter, killing 6.8 million each year. (As a near life-long vegetarian, I'm horrified.)

It is surprising to see this from Ryan, who was in a bad car accident recently that almost took his life: https://abc6onyourside.com/sports/ohio-state-sports/ohio-state-wrestling-coach-tom-ryan-thankful-to-be-alive-after-significant-car-accident One of the biggest problems in sports and other areas, I think, is when (blind) loyalty and emotional attachment to one's team (family, community, country) override truth, reason, and facts. It's also why some people should never enter journalism, science, or academics (or even referee-ing) which require commitments and obligations to a striving for objectivity (even if complete objectivity is difficult to attain).

If a wrestler plays opossum, shouldn't his opponent get back points or, minimally, stall calls in his favor? Btw: has a wrestler ever actually died on the mat? Any known cases? Thousands, of course, have given up and acted like they were dead. Real opossums are very good to have around. They don't carry rabies and they eat things that could harm us. I have a few living under my porch. They sometimes eat the leftover food at night that I put out for stray cats during the day. I had a baby opossum who would sleep on the porch chair.

3 of the above names will certainly be eliminated from the realm of the undefeated by the end of the season. Either Keck. or CStarr (or as a longshot both) Two from Steveson, Hendrickson and Trephan. In addition, we may conceivably see KOT, Henson, and Ford Pinto fall since they all have serious fellow competitors at the weight. It's like an Agatha Christie novel: And Then Were None ... though I'm pretty sure MM and Steveson will survive the bloodbath.

When you destroy every team in the toughest conference for the last five years, you don't need to go anywhere. When you out-distance the closest (2nd place) team at NCAAs by 100 points, you don't need to go anywhere. When you've won 71 straight duals and 11 out of the last 13 National championships, you need to go anywhere. When you get better matches in your own wrestling room than traveling long distances, you don't need to go anywhere. When you are thriving, smiling, and having fun at home, you don't need to go anywhere. (Feel free to shorten any of these Penn State advertisements for bumper stickers, shirts, and hats)

I can't see any scenario where Keckheisen gets #1 over Starocci. What kind of schedule did Trephen have? Can't imagine his wins are as good as Kerkviliet. I also don't like Ramos over Llilledahl, especially since LL just majored him. Fresh in folks minds. Kharchala at #4 is weak. But there is a big drop off after the first 3

It looks like the seeding will be: 1. KOT 2. Haines 3. Hamiti

Thanks for the write-ups. I thought Hamiti would have him. OKST is 0-3 so far in the finals and will likely go 0-4 after 184.

Can somebody give a play by play (or at least short period summaries) of 174 (Hamiti vs. KOT), which starts now. I'm unable to watch it. Thanks in advance!

Another #1 ranked and/or undefeated guy goes down in this tough as nails tournament: Ramos, Bartlett, McEnally, and Buchannon and one more is about to go down at 285. It's a war of attrition.

Good match. Looks like Kekeisen will get McEnally in the semis.

Caiiendo was in the match until the end. MM's first non-bonus win of the year. Looks like the only chance of a guy bonus-ing his way through the entire season is now Steveson's

Manning with histrionics again. I think he takes lessons from the Mongolian wrestling coaches