PRINTER'S NO. 1608

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

No.

280

Session of

2024

INTRODUCED BY MARTIN, DUSH, LANGERHOLC, FARRY, CULVER, BREWSTER,

VOGEL, MASTRIANO AND COSTA, MAY 17, 2024

REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, MAY 17, 2024

Championship.

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) wrestling

team won its 11th National Collegiate Athletic Association

(NCAA) Division I Wrestling Championship in the past 13

Championship Tournaments, its third consecutive championship and

12th team title overall; and

WHEREAS, PSU has the third-most team titles in history behind

Oklahoma State University with 34 and the University of Iowa

with 24; and

WHEREAS, PSU scored 172.5 points, setting a record for most

WHEREAS, The PSU wrestling team tied its previous school

record of eight All-Americans in a single season, bringing PSU's

total to 254 individuals who have earned the distinction, of

which 91 have wrestled under PSU Wrestling Head Coach Cael

Sanderson; and

WHEREAS, At 38 individual first-place finishes, the PSU

wrestling team has won the most individual titles in the nation

since 2011, nearly tripling the wins of the next closest

competitor; and

WHEREAS, PSU has a total of 59 NCAA titles in school history

spread among 37 individuals; and

under any coach in NCAA wrestling history, alongside Oklahoma

State University's Ed Gallagher and behind the University of

Iowa's Dan Gable at 15; and

WHEREAS, The Nittany Lion wrestling team coaching staff has

been instrumental in the team's multiple successes; and

WHEREAS, Coach Sanderson's championship wrestlers have a 38-

18 record in the NCAA Wrestling Tournament Finals; and

WHEREAS, PSU is the only team since Coach Sanderson's arrival

in 2011 with at least one victor from each individual weight

class in the NCAA Championship Tournament; and

WHEREAS, For the first time in NCAA history, PSU featured two

four-time NCAA champions on its season roster; and

WHEREAS, Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks joined an elite

group of five other four-time NCAA champions, including Coach

Sanderson; and

WHEREAS, In his third appearance at the NCAA Championship

Tournament, PSU wrestler Beau Bartlett placed second in the 141-

pound division, earning the All-American distinction for the

second time; and

WHEREAS, In his first appearance at the NCAA Championship

Tournament, true freshman PSU wrestler Tyler Kasak placed third

second time; and

WHEREAS, In his first appearance at the NCAA Championship

Tournament, PSU Wrestler Mitchell Mesenbrink placed second in

the 165-pound division, earning the All-American distinction for

the first time; and

WHEREAS, In his fourth appearance at the NCAA Championship

Tournament, PSU wrestler Carter Starocci placed first in the

174-pound division, defeating Pennsylvania native Rocco Welsh,

making him PSU's first four-time NCAA Champion, and earning the

All-American distinction for the fourth time; and

fourth time; and

WHEREAS, In his fourth appearance at the NCAA Championship

Tournament, PSU wrestler Aaron Brooks placed first in the 197-

pound division, defeating Pennsylvania native Trent Hidlay,

making him PSU's second four-time NCAA Champion; and

WHEREAS, PSU wrestler Aaron Brooks earned the All-American

distinction for the fifth time, was awarded both the 2024 NCAA

Most Dominant Wrestler and 2024 NCAA Championship Outstanding

Wrestler and was named recipient of the 2024 Dan Hodge Trophy,

the seventh PSU wrestler ever to earn the distinction with 48 of

59 votes, three of which went to two other PSU wrestlers; and

All-American distinction; and

WHEREAS, The Ohio State University wrestler Rocco Welsh of

Waynesburg placed second in the 174-pound division, earning the

All-American distinction; and

WHEREAS, North Carolina State wrestler Trent Hidlay of

Lewistown placed second in the 197-pound division, earning the

All-American distinction; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate congratulate The Pennsylvania State

University wrestling team on its 12th National Collegiate

Athletic Association Division I Wrestling Championship and

RESOLVED, That the Senate congratulate Levi Haines, Carter

Starocci, Aaron Brooks and Greg Kerkvliet on their individual

wins at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship and their

individual awards; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Senate wish The Pennsylvania State

University wrestling team, all Pennsylvania native wrestlers and

all wrestlers of Pennsylvania universities continued success

both athletically and academically in the future.