11/8/2021 other sports Edit

Roman Bravo-Young prepping for last ride at Penn State

Roman Bravo-Young won an NCAA wrestling championship at 133 pounds in 2021. (Jeff Curry/USA Today)

Clay Sauertieg • Happy Valley Insider

Beat Writer

Clay Sauertieg is a 2015 Penn State graduate with a degree in print journalism and a focus in sports journalism who has covered Penn State wrestling since 2013 and football since 2014.

2021-22 will prove to be the last go around for one of Penn State's most exciting athletes in recent memory.

Roman Bravo-Young reached the top of the college wrestling mountaintop in 2021.

After winning a team national title as a freshman while becoming an All-American in 2019, Bravo-Young had his 2019-2020 season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. He made up for lost time in 2020-21, however, posting a perfect 14-0 record en route to a national championship at 133 pounds, capped by a sudden victory win over world silver medalist Daton FIx of Oklahoma State.

With the NCAA's waiver allowing athletes a free year of eligibility for last season, it was unclear whether Bravo-Young would enter the 2021-22 season with one or two years remaining in his Penn State career. At Monday's Penn State wrestling media day, he settled that discussion.

"Yeah, i think this'll be my last year," Bravo-Young said when asked if he'll be taking the extra year afforded to him.

The answer comes as no real surprise, as Bravo-Young's attitude and flashy style have turned him into one of the more marketable stars in college wrestling and he's spoken openly about his plans in freestyle wrestling and MMA after graduating.

With the knowledge that it's his last season in a Penn State singlet, Bravo-Young said that he's aiming to put on a show and put up more bonus points in his senior season, something that was a common theme throughout the media day proceedings.

Additional News and Notes

-Returning 141-pound national champion Nick Lee said that he and coaches briefly spoke about moving up to 149 pounds, but that the discussion didn't get very far and that he feels like a natural 141-pounder.

-Cael Sanderson said that 197-pound Cornell transfer Max Dean initially reached out through his brother, two-time national champion, Gabe Dean. He added that Dean has been a big asset in the room and that last year's starter and All-American Michael Beard has raised his level since Dean arrived. No starter was named at the weight.

-Beau Bartlett will be the team's starter at 149 pounds, which means that true freshman Shayne Van Ness is likely to redshirt barring injury.

-Robbie Howard, who qualified for the NCAA tournament as a true freshman a year ago, is still recovering from a shoulder surgery he had after the tournament.

-On that note, Sanderson was fairly clear that he wouldn't close the door to adding a transfer at the weight at some point in the season. Former national champion Nick Suriano of Rutgers and Central Michigan All-American Drew Hildebrandt are both currently in the portal.

-On NIL, Sanderson said he likes the concept but that there's been unintended downsides with regards to how it's used as a recruiting tool. Also added that he feels Pennsylvania legislation has lagged behind others in creating opportunities for athletes.

-Penn State and Iowa cannot meet at the College Wrestling Duals in Florida in December as teams will be separated from anyone who they've already scheduled.

-Aaron Brooks, last year's 184-pound national champ, echoed Lee in expressing the importance of bonus points in closing the gap to Iowa.

-Brooks said he's enjoyed having Dean in the room, and that Dean is the team's go-to barbecue host.

-Brooks notes that true freshman 165-pounder Alex Facundo is a quick learner with a high wrestling IQ. Notes that he thinks Facundo could be a four-time champ.

-Defending 174-pound national champion Carter Starocci says that Facundo is confident, but that he also walks the walk. Says that the freshman won't be fazed by his loss at the Clarion Open.

-Starocci talked about the importance of having other things in life that are bigger than wrestling. Says that helps him wrestle free and not worry about losses.

-Starocci was in Tokyo for the Olympics as an assistant coach for Puerto Rico and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club member Franklin Gomez.

-On doing camps and clinics, Starocci said he's had negative experience with athletes in the past not sharing their time and knowledge, said he wants to be sure to give back as much as he can.