Here’s how, why Penn State wrestler Anthony Cassar moved up to heavyweight
Anthony Cassar is a wrestler, an eater and a weightlifter.
But, at 197 pounds last year, Cassar couldn’t check off those last two boxes. It was the first time in his career that he was forced to cut weight, so he told those closest to him — even before Penn State’s 2017-18 season — that he was sliding up to heavyweight for this season.
Donning a smile earlier this week, Cassar said he now feels “a lot happier” after the change. And, with his weight currently fluctuating between 233 and 237 pounds, he’s transformed his appearance to less Bruce Banner and more Incredible Hulk.
“I love eating a lot — and eating well — and I love lifting a lot,” he said. “And, now that I’m a heavyweight, I can do them as much as I want. So it checks all my boxes.”
Cassar spent the offseason hitting the weight room and the supermarket. Over the summer, he even teamed up with a nutritionist/training lab — with assistant coach Casey Cunningham acting as the mediator — and made sure to eat between 6,000 and 7,000 calories per day.
That meant eight-10 eggs in the morning, several grilled chicken breasts throughout the day and a pound of ground beef before bedtime. That also eventually meant muscle building upon muscle and an upper-body that makes for an intimidating opponent.
“He looks really powerful and his technique is great,” coach Cael Sanderson added. “We’re really excited about that.”
Sanderson acknowledged he wasn’t exactly begging Cassar to move up. But, if Cassar would’ve stayed at 197, he would’ve had to compete with one of Penn State’s greatest-ever wrestlers in Bo Nickal, a two-time national champ who moved up from 184. Sliding up to heavyweight would see him compete with Nick Nevills, a two-time All-American.
But Nevills swore he didn’t mind the extra competition. After all, Penn State didn’t claim seven of the last eight national championships by just handing out starting spots. The two never had a sit-down conversation about Cassar’s switch, but they never really needed to.
“It’s not like he tried to sneak in here, and I come back one day and he’s huge,” Nevills said with a laugh. “I always knew. My reaction was just that I got to wrestle and get the job done. ... It’s not like I’m shocked and flabbergasted that he’s wrestling heavyweight or anything.”
Nevills, who’s reportedly coming off offseason shoulder surgery, said he’s a “maybe” in this weekend’s Keystone Classic. But if Nevills isn’t ready to go, Cassar sure is. The senior heavyweight with a love for organic food ran through his Kent State opponent in the opener, mixing in an uncanny quickness with his newfound strength and stunning a sold-out crowd with a 17-2 tech fall at the 5:15 mark.
The two friends both arrived in Happy Valley as part of the same recruiting class and, even last season, the two sparred and sometimes ate together. Nothing has really changed — outside of Cassar’s weight gain.
The two drilled together again Tuesday, and Nevills said he’s still going against the same old Cassar. “Just a little bit faster and a little bit stronger,” he added.
Both continue to boast the same expectations, and both Nevills and Penn State’s newest heavyweight have their eyes set on a national championship and All-America status. Only one can meet those dreams — but, whoever it is, the other plans to help him get there.
“We’ve both grown, we’ve both competed, we’ve both gone through similar injuries,” Cassar said. “This isn’t going to change that.”
Added Nevills: “That’s what makes this place so special.”
This story was originally published November 14, 2018 at 4:37 PM.