Wrestling: PSU's influence at Binghamton greater than 40-2 win

VESTAL, N.Y. – At the conclusion of Penn State's 40-2 win at the Binghamton University Events Center Friday evening, before he could leave the competition floor, head coach Cael Sanderson was swarmed by fans of all ages for picture opportunities and autographs.

His Nittany Lions had just won nine of 10 matches against the Bearcats, three of which came by pin; another four by major decision, and even the hometown fans wanted a photo next to the only undefeated athlete college wrestling has known. Now in his ninth year as Penn State's coach, being the face of the sport is a role Sanderson has accepted, especially after dual meets such as this.

On the other side of the gym stood Binghamton head coach Matt Dernlan, who, while not thrilled with his team's performance found, a silver lining in the grander scheme.

Before being hired by Binghamton, Dernlan spent seven years in Happy Valley serving different assistant roles within the wrestling program and the freestyle club. He was one of the only holdovers from former head coach Troy Sunderland and Sanderson's staff. He left after the 2011 national championship, coached one season at Clarion before becoming Binghamton's head coach ahead of 2012-2013. Through it all, Derlan tries to carry many of the same principles under which PSU operates into his own program.

One example: Despite being severely overmatched by the Nittany Lions Friday, his wrestlers came out fighting and didn't back down easily.

"That's what we talked about all week long," said Dernlan. "We know what we're up against from being there and coaching with these guys. That's what Penn State wanted. They didn't want us to come and just lay down. They wanted us to say, hey, come give us your best shot. That's what we wanted. They're trying to get battle-tested and match-tested themselves."

The obstacles, however, go beyond just Friday's dual. About eight years before Dernlan joined the Bearcats, the wrestling program had been nixed by university administration. It did not exist for one season before it was reinstated. Since his hire, Dernlan has been tasked with recovering the program.

Against his former, his new only scored three team points, one of which was deducted due to unsportsmanlike conduct after the 184-pound bout. Nonetheless, this match was a reinforcement of sorts, supporting the notion that his squad is on the right trajectory. Last season, in fact, was Binghamton's most successful season in its history, as it placed eight of 10 wrestlers at its conference tournament. Dernlan doesn't want to rest on that.

For its first dual of this season Friday, a crowd of 3,014 filed into the field house. It was a program record. Scattered through the stands were t-shirts from local high schools in the southern tier of New York and the northern tier of Pennsylvania. Derlan has brought with him different ideas and designs from his time at Penn State, blueprints of how to build a program. He knows the importance of recruiting and with that he values connecting with the community

At PSU, although the recruiting scope has grown nationally as Sanderson has collected more NCAA titles, the core of the roster has been built around Pennsylvania high school wrestlers. At Binghamton, with nine of 10 starters native to New York, Dernlan aims to take a similar model.

"That was our goal when we came in here seven years ago," he said. "I really believe that if we can keep the best New York kids in state, I think we can have one of the better teams in the country that can run with the best teams in the country. It's slowly materializing."

One step further, he attempts to implement similar guidelines that Sanderson upholds with his wrestlers.

While Binghamton is years away from enjoying the type of success that Penn State's had, the Bearcats have slowly improved throughout Dernlan's tenure. Last season was the best yet; he's hoping this season is even stronger.

To get there, he's also aware that what helps grow a program is not only to sharpen the skill sets of his wrestlers against the best in the sport, but to also attract buzz to his program. Nothing replaces winning, but hosting figures like Sanderson, who has a lineup half-full of NCAA champs, doesn't hurt.

"These guys are here to grow wrestling," said Dernlan. "They understand we're an emerging program that just came back into existence over a decade ago. They understand the importance of giving back to the sport, growing programs that are trying to build up. That's really a testament to Penn State. They don't have to focus on anybody else but themselves, but to see what they've done since Cael has been there, every year there is one or two programs that he's taken a vested interest in."

In the past, it's been trips to Cal State-Bakersfield, Rider, Utah Valley, West Point or even to more local programs like Bloomsburg and Lock Haven. Sanderson has been clear prior to each of those away meets that they're as much about getting his team early experience as it is spreading the riches of the sport throughout the United States so more can view.

For that, Dernlan is appreciative that the show came to Binghamton this year. It's just the latest method of how Penn State has helped him develop into a head coach leading the program that he desires for his own.

"When you're talking about Penn State, those were my formative years," Dernlan added. "That's where I cut my teeth in college coaching. The people I was surrounded by and the experiences I had and how I was able to learn and grow and pick everybody's brain – the foundation that I was given there, definitely, it transferred over here. There are so many commonalities and principles and philosophies that they're preaching and they're getting their guys to buy into. We're doing the same thing. It's a testament of being around those guys and learning form them and then having my own opportunity and bringing it up here."

No. 1 Penn State 40, Binghamton 2

November 17, 2017 – Vestal, N.Y.

125: Joe Nelson BU dec. Devin Schnupp PSU, 7-4 0-3

133: No. 15 Corey Keener PSU dec. Jacob Nicholson BU, 10-4 3-3

141: Jered Cortez PSU maj. dec. Joe Russ BU, 12-2 7-3

149: No. 1 Zain Retherford PSU pinned Frankie Garcia BU, WBF (2:37) 13-3

157: No. 1 Jason Nolf PSU pinned Tristan Rifanburg BU, WBF (4:23) 19-3

165: No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU maj. dec. Vincent DePrez BU, 13-2 23-3

174: No. 2 Mark Hall PSU pinned Anthony Lombardo BU, WBF (3:14) 29-3

184: No. 1 Bo Nickal PSU maj. dec. No. 14 Steven Schneider BU, 15-6 33-2*

197: Anthony Cassar PSU dec. Mark Tracy BU, 10-4 36-2

285: No. 3 Nick Nevills PSU maj. dec. Connor Calkins BU, 12-3 40-2

* BU penalized one team point, unsportsmanlike conduct.

Attendance: 3,019

Records: Penn State 3-0, Binghamton 0-1

Up Next for Penn State: at Keystone Classic, The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pa.