How Penn State wrestling’s Mark Hall, Vincenzo Joseph are approaching their final match in Rec Hall

Penn State seniors Mark Hall and Vincenzo Joseph — who made their respective national title bouts each of the last three seasons — didn’t want to focus on their final match in Rec Hall earlier this week.

After two legendary wrestling careers that combined for three team national titles and three individual national titles, the pair swore to reporters ahead of Sunday’s Senior Day that they didn’t think they’d get emotional for the final home match of their careers. But they also admitted they didn’t want to dwell on the 2 p.m. match against American University, either. And they didn’t want any emotions to get the best of them.

“It’s going to be really special,” Hall said. “This will be one of the first duals my mom makes it to, so I’m pretty excited about that. It’ll be a little different having her here, but I’m going to do my best to keep things in check and just go about my thing like I always do.”

Added Joseph: “We’re not done yet; we still got a month to go (in the season). So I’m really not trying to think about ‘I’m almost done.’ I’m trying to be focused on the rest of the season.”

Sunday’s bout is the final match of the regular season, a warm-up against a struggling program that stands at 4-7 and hasn’t scored more than seven points against three ranked opponents this year. (“I’m thankful it’s not like a ginormous wrestling program,” Hall added.) It’s a tune-up before the Big Ten championships start March 7 and the NCAA championships begin March 19.

But, while Hall and Joseph didn’t want to look ahead too much, they didn’t mind reflecting back on how far they’ve come.

For Joseph, he warned that his most memorable Rec Hall memory was going to sound odd. But it’s one he always comes back to — his first-ever match at Rec Hall, when he fell 18-12 to Stanford’s Keaton Subjeck.

Joseph trailed 12-2 after the first minute of action. And he was down 15-5 after the first period.

“I was just like, dang, welcome to college wrestling,” he remembered. “So that just kind of sticks out because of how far I’ve come. ... I was like, I’m wrestling adults, grown men, now. I’m not wrestling kids anymore.”

Hall could still remember his first matches at Rec Hall, too, despite competing in more than 80 bouts since. His most vivid memory, he retold with a smile, came when he clinched a technical fall against Illinois’ Zac Brunson, despite needing back points in the final period.

But, for Hall, it’s not the wins or falls that make Rec Hall special. It’s that the heralded arena feels comfortable and familiar, like another home. That’s what he’ll miss most.

“I think it’s just how intimate it can get with the fans and how close they are to the mat, and looking around you see the same thing and same people at every match,” Hall said. “There’s always this lady in the front row. Every time I go down, I look up and I see her every time. I really can’t explain it; it’s just really cool.”

Said Joseph: “There’s just something about wrestling in Rec Hall you can’t really describe. You got to it and, yeah, it’s a madhouse — but Rec Hall just has some feeling about it. It’s a special place.”

Joseph and Hall have combined to form a murderers’ row of sorts for the Nittany Lions these last few years. With Joseph at 165 pounds and Hall at 174, Penn State dominated past years with Jason Nolf at 157 pounds and Bo Nickal at 184 and later 197. This season, it added No. 6 Aaron Brooks at 184.

Few programs in the nation can compete with that run of talent. Four times this season Penn State has trailed in a match heading into Joseph’s weight at 165 pounds before the Nittany Lions retook the lead after Joseph and Hall wrestled.

Joseph is ranked No. 1 at 165 pounds, while Hall is No. 2 at 174 after taking a loss to Iowa’s top-ranked Michael Kemerer. Their accolades are numerous: Hall leads the Nittany Lions in pins this season with nine and was ranked fourth nationally in the NCAA’s most recent Most Dominant Wrestler standings released Feb. 12, averaging 4.72 team points. His 40 career pins make him seventh in Penn State’s all-time falls standings. Undefeated, Joseph is still in the hunt for the Hodge Trophy, wrestling’s Heisman, with four pins, a technical fall and three major decisions.

Joseph is eyeing his third national title while Hall is looking for his second.

The two have both earned a spot in the Penn State history books, and Sunday will serve as the final time fans get to see them in the blue-and-while singlets at Rec Hall.

“It’s been a really cool journey,” Hall said, “and I’m excited to get to the next chapter of my life.”

Added Joseph: “It goes by pretty fast.”

American (4-7) at No. 2 Penn State (11-2)

When: 2 p.m., Sunday

Where: Rec Hall

Radio: WRSC 93.3 FM or WQWK 103.7 FM

Online: BTN+ (paid subscription), FloWrestling.com (paid subscription)

This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 3:58 PM.

Josh Moyer

Centre Daily Times

Josh Moyer earned his B.A. in journalism from Penn State and his M.S. from Columbia. He’s been involved in sports and news writing for more than 20 years. He counts the best athlete he’s ever seen as Tecmo Super Bowl’s Bo Jackson.