Penn State wrestling All-American Nick Lee says he will ‘probably’ return next season
With Penn State wrestling’s 2020-21 season barely off the ground, it’s hard to imagine wrestlers in the program have made firm decisions on whether or not to take the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility — offered because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
But 141-pound senior Nick Lee didn’t hesitate when asked Wednesday morning which way he was leaning. The three-time All-American said he would “probably” return to school for an additional year.
“I’m definitely gonna keep wrestling as long as my body lets me,” Lee told reporters on a Zoom call. “It’s something that I really enjoy. It’s free exercise, in a sense. So, I’m definitely probably going to take that year — I think I would be crazy not to.”
After placing fifth at the NCAA Wrestling Championships as a freshman in 2018 and as a sophomore in 2019, Lee would’ve been the No. 2 seed at NCAAs last season before the tournament was canceled because of COVID-19. He was named a first-team All-American after the premature conclusion of the 2019-20 season.
Though he hasn’t quite settled on a decision yet, Lee said it is “a huge blessing” just to have another year.
“You can be upset about the way things turned out,” Lee said, “but I think just being grateful for more opportunities is important.”
