THE DAILY COLLEGIAN Wrestlers battling for starting spots By Mike Still COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Cael Sanderson has many ques tions to answer before Nov 12. Having lost three of its most decorated mem bers of last sea- WRESTLING son's team to graduation and with plenty of redshirt and true freshmen eager to get on the mat, the No. 6 Penn State wrestling team has numerous starting spots to fill. Before heading to Bloomsburg for its first match of the year. Sanderson is preparing to make the tough decisions of who will be the Lions' top dog at each weight class. "We'll run through the intra squad matches and see where we're at with our team," Sanderson said at Media Day on Thursday. "But we're looking at putting our best team on the mat." The Lions' intra-squad Dual Meet on Nov. 4, in which members of the team will wrestle each other, will be instrumental in deciding who will own each position come Nov. 12. But until then, each member of Second half schedule a new challenge for freshmen By Emily Kaplan COLLEGIAN STAFF NPITFF Deja McClendon's former high team, has five weeks to go in its school, Dupont Manual tKy conference slate and that does wrapped up its girls volleyball sea- n't include a potential run in the sr. Her:ate oeL , l in enior Arielle Wilson (left) and freshman Ariel Scott (1) block a shot. EXAM PACKS available 1 week prior to exam. Call for list. NITTAN y NO TES 238-0623 NittanyNotes.com MI I I IIPw rir()t .: I 7L ‘lir‘i lt4 , tr yv V i cl eel-) r , X\ kV fr \ 4 # ----/- --ft.— , o i , ./ . 7 , .), raVll 1011 ) EXOTIC INDIAN CUISINE A , . A V . Op 1 1 V W ~ y,. • p ee , IMO emit oAstv Carryout food • Groups & Private Parties Welcome Reservations available - All major credit cards accepted ))2 F 1 alder ll'av Lunch 1130 am 2 tOpri Plitme Ft 1 3400 Dinner iuupm It) eeput \\ X 1 11' indiapavilitm net Mused Monday, Mornin Finding Christian Community Living out our Faith on Campus Sponsored by the Episcopal, Lutheran, and Presbyterian Campus Ministries Sanderson's squad is battling it out every day in practice to gain the extra edge on his teammates during the preseason. "Every single weight, we have one or two guys that are really gonna take it to the next level," redshirt sophomore Quentin Wright said. wish everybody could just come in and watch prac tices every day because they would see that at every weight, it's a hard battle." Working with a very young ros ter, the Lions are carrying 23 true or redshirt freshmen this season. How many of those true fresh men will redshirt this year is yet to be determined. Sanderson said. But the coach isn't ruling out hay ing a few of them suit up this sea son. At the 141-pound spot, twin brothers and true freshmen Andrew and Dylan Alton may challenge redshirt senior Adam Lynch. a 13-13 finisher in 2010. If either of the Altons earn a starting spot in the Lions' roster. there's a chance the other brother will redshirt the 2011 season. I'm comfortable with that plan right now" said Andrew Alton, the pre-season No. 13 ranked 141- pounder in the nation. "I think I son a little more than a week ago. McClendon's current squad, the Penn State women's volleyball Don't Forget YOUR Nittany Notes! Prayer ip Service e welcome! unday mornings iwer Chapel at a Spiritual Center Singing e Reflection s p t ) 1. - Z T S can make 141 next year if I have to, so it doesn't matter what the plan is for me." Possibly the biggest hole to fill in Penn State's starting lineup, is the void left by graduated two time All-American Cyler Sanderson at the 157-pound spot. However, with four wrestlers listed on the Lions' roster at 157, coach Sanderson has a handful of options to choose from. The early favorite is redshirt freshman David Taylor, the pre season No. 6 157-pounder in the country and the No. 1 recruit in the 2009 recruiting class. "I feel really confident in him," Sanderson said of Taylor. "He's just one of those guys that I haven't been spending a whole lot of time with lately just because he's ready to go." Despite the individual presea son rankings and what each wrestler has achieved in the past, Sanderson knows that any spot is available for the taking. Determined to find the best man for each class, Sanderson is confident that his team will moti vate itself to be the best they can be. Their goal shouldn't be just to make the team. - Sanderson said. NCAA tournament in December. It's halfway through the Big Ten season, and McClendon and the other eight fresh- men on the Nittany Lions are WOMEN'S entering unchart- VOLLEYBALL ed territory They've never played competitive volleyball for an extended period of time like this. So from here on out, they don't really know what to expect. "The second half is tough on the younger kids because this is the time of year where they're start ing their State Championships in high school," coach Russ Rose said. "They don't realize that they've got a whole other five weekends of conference play, and hopefully the ability to compete at a high level for the tournament." McClendon said she's already starting to feel the wear and tear of a Division I volleyball season. She said her legs are tired. She doesn't really want to walk up that alid at 2020 N. ~.~ alid at 2020 N. Sarah Finnegan Cohag.,, Freshman Jake Kemerer (top) wrestles a teammate during media day. "Their goal should be to be a champion, I'd hope that some national champion. And if we don't body's on their tail." have a guy in the lineup that's really pushing to be a national To e-mail reporter massB6o@psu.edu extra set of stairs if she doesn't have to. sAnd a full academic load is starting to take a toll. "It's obvious, everyone's tired," McClendon said. "I'm just going to keep trying my hardest. - Sophomore setter Kristin Carpenter said she knows what the freshmen are going through right now because she had the same experience. At this point in the season last year, Carpenter said she didn't know if she could go any longer. She was exhausted. "But the freshmen will be fine, just like we were fine, because we prepared so much this summer," Carpenter said. "We're in very, very good shape. And Coach knows us. He's not going to do something that will push us over the edge. He knows what he's doing." Senior co-captain Alyssa D'Errico remembers feeling like that her freshman year, too. CHEESE CURDS w/any purchase cry wst FA r , eiEo( ps.4, . - ` 4 ler 1,1 ;CO - 1 WIT ore' Experes 11131110 FRIDAY, OCT. 29, 2010 I 15 "It's obvious, everyone's tired. I'm just going to keep trying my hardest." Deja McClendon freshman outside hitter She said it was something Rose harped on. and definitely prepareA the players for. D'Errico said freshmen tend to lose a little bit of focus because they're used to being done at thl. point, getting a break. having a chance to "chill out and just relax." "But I think, with our team hav ing as much veteran experience as we do, the freshmen can kind of look to us and push through it." D'Errico said. "It's going to b'_• tough, but we'll try to help then , out as much as possible so they don't fade out." To e-mail re p o rter exkso49@psu.edu Wks) ll 1 tel *ll
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