‘It’s just electric.’ Penn State wrestling ‘grateful’ for return of fans to Rec Hall vs. Army
When Aaron Brooks took the mat Saturday at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Manheim for Penn State wrestling’s season opener at the Journeymen Duals, he didn’t really take notice of his surroundings.
He was “in the zone,” preparing for his opponent.
But as he started piling on the points, early in his match against Sacred Heart, it hit him — people were cheering.
“I’m not going to lie, I was wrestling in the middle of the match and I looked around and was like, ‘There’s people watching! There’s a crowd!’ I kind of noticed it mid-match,” he said after the duals. “Usually before the match I get in the zone, but that first match I caught myself looking at the fans. I was really excited to go out there and perform for the fans, get the oohs and ahhs and put on a show.”
Fans are back, and for the first time since Feb. 23, 2020, they’ll be back to pack Rec Hall to cheer on the Penn State wrestlers, who take on Army West Point at 7 p.m. Thursday in their home opener. The Nittany Lions had only one home dual last season — against Maryland on Feb. 22 — and attendance was restricted to family members due to COVID-19 mitigation efforts. The Big Ten championships were even held at the Bryce Jordan Center, but again, fans were limited.
Now that the fans are back in full force, Penn State isn’t taking that support for granted.
“We are just excited for this week and we are grateful,” associate head coach Cody Sanderson said. “We’re always grateful for the support we have at Penn State and going out in front of that crowd at Rec Hall or the Bryce Jordan Center, wherever it might be. It feels great. But we had a full year of not feeling that. Sometimes I think you take things for granted and that’s something that we’re not going to do. We’re going to cherish this time that we have back with our fans. And hopefully we can put on a show. We want our guys to wrestle hard, we want them to go score points and make sure this is a memorable experience.”
The fan effect in Rec Hall — 6,500-some screaming people packed in together, seemingly right on top of the mat — has been well-documented, by opponents, fans, media, current and former wrestlers alike.
But to Allen Smith, assistant treasurer of the Penn State Wrestling Club and past president, who’s been attending Penn State wrestling meets since 1974, the atmosphere is hard to explain to someone who’s never experienced it.
“You’ve got a 125-pounder who goes out on the mat and does his thing and creates that energy. Then 133, you’ve got Roman Bravo-Young, then 141 Nick Lee. And as the weight classes go up, the energy builds,” Smith said. “The energy that’s created with every takedown, every near-fall point, every win is exciting to true wrestling fans.”
It’s not just the fans who feel the energy building throughout the meet.
“I remember going back to the Maryland dual last year, when there was just family there, it was weird,” junior Creighton Edsell said. “(I’m) just really excited to get underway, especially the energy. It just brings every little things, mat returns, takedowns, you can feel the fans behind you, which is amazing. It gives you just a little more energy and focus in the match.”
The return of fans isn’t limited to Rec Hall. They’ll be back at other teams’ venues, at Penn State’s Feb. 4 dual with Ohio State at the BJC, and at the Big Ten and national tournaments.
Smith said the wrestling club’s bus trips are back, about 50 members bought tickets through the club and drove themselves to Manheim for the Journeymen duals, and he already has his travel plans made for the Big Ten championships in Nebraska.
Fellow Penn State Wrestling Club members Monty and Connie Christiansen, who had been to every NCAA championships since 1969 — until last season — are also anxious to be back at their familiar stomping ground. While they were able to watch the Nittany Lions on TV and via livstreaming last season, they missed the in-person interaction with the wrestlers during the bouts.
“Very knowledgeable fans can anticipate a move,” Monty Christiansen said. “And when the move comes across, everybody acknowledges the fact that ‘I called this I knew this was going to happen.’ And you can see it in the eyes of the wrestlers, ‘everybody was waiting for me to do this.’ It’s really neat.”
For the Christiansens, the most important part of being affiliated with the program is the connections they formed over the years with wrestlers, coaches and fellow fans. The couple hosted an end-of-the-season picnic at their house for the team and affiliate club members for more than 30 years.
To Lee, a senior, fans having the ability to travel to events and support the team throughout the season has a benefit beyond the result on the mat.
“I just think that’s one of the fun parts of the sport,” he said. “I think that’s one of the reasons people get into the sport, because wrestling’s a hard sport. So, I think if we’re going to continue to grow the sport and create excitement around it and publicity, you’ve got to have fans in the venues cheering. It’s just not the same. I think that’s just important for everybody’s program, including ours.”
Thursday will mark the first time several of Lee’s younger teammates will experience the crowd atmosphere at Rec Hall. While they all wrestled last season, Beau Bartlett, Carter Starocci and Greg Kerkvliet have yet to compete in front of a full Rec Hall — same with 197-pounders Max Dean and Michael Beard.
But once they’ve experienced it, Sanderson says it’s hard to forget.
“It’s just electric,” he said. “We come in there. It’s dark, coming out through the hallway. You come in then there’s the crowd and there’s the screams. It’s an enthusiasm that’s hard to replicate. It’s really just that feeling of gratitude. We have people there who care and appreciate these guys and what they do, and we’re able to channel some of that energy when we step out on the mat.”
Army West Point (0-0) at No. 2 Penn State (2-0)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Rec Hall
Radio: WRSC (93.3 FM) or WQWK (103.7 FM)
Online: Radio, Lionvision at GoPSUsports.com, Video, Big Ten+ (paid subscription)
Twitter: @lmuth1259, @pennstatewrest
| Nittany Lions | vs. | Black Knights |
| 125: Baylor Shunk (1-1) OR Brandon Meredith (0-0) | vs. | Ryan Chauvin (1-2) |
| 133: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young (2-0) | vs. | Mark Montgomery (1-2) |
| 141: No. 2 Nick Lee (2-0) | vs. | No. 29 Corey Shie (2-1) |
| 149: No. 27 Beau Bartlett (2-0) | vs. | No. 20 P.J. Ogunsanya (3-0) |
| 157: Joe Lee (0-0) OR Terrell Barraclough (0-0) | vs. | No. 32 Markus Hartman (0-3) |
| 165: No. 32 Creighton Edsell (2-0) | vs. | Clayton Fielden (2-1) |
| 174: No. 1 Carter Starocci (2-0) | vs. | No. 21 Ben Pasiuk (1-2) |
| 184: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (2-0) | vs. | No. 28 Brad Laughlin (3-0) |
| 197: No. 4 Max Dean (2-0) OR Michael Beard (3-0) | vs. | No. 21 J.T. Brown (2-1) |
| 285: No. 5 Greg Kerkvliet (2-0) | vs. | Ben Sullivan (0-0) |
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 5:08 PM.
