Wrestling Media Availability with Cael Sanderson, Cole Mirasola, & Luke Lilledahl

This afternoon, Head Coach Cael Sanderson Heavyweight starter Cole Mirasola, and 125lb starter Luke Lilledahl spoke to media ahead of ahead of Friday’s dual meet vs. Iowa in Iowa City, IA and Sunday’s dual vs. Northwestern in Evanston, IL.

Cael Sanderson – Head Coach

Does “Iowa Week” feel different or is it business as usual?

Yeah, I mean, same mentality, business like you’re saying. But of course, Iowa is a great opponent—great wrestlers, great coaches, great tradition and history. So, yeah, we got to be ready to roll. (0:12 – 0:25)

Confidence in Marcus [Blaze] heading into a tough match given his experience?

Yeah. I think pretty much all of our guys have had a lot of experience when they come from strong high schools in wrestling and big duals and big matches their whole lives. So, guy like Marcus [Blaze] is going to be at his best. The bigger the match the better he’ll wrestle. And we believe as a program that’s our thing too. The bigger the match, the more excited we are to be there and the better we’ll compete. (0:32 – 0:59)

Environment and atmosphere at Carver-Hawkeye Arena:

I think we’re blessed. I mean, most of the places we go, we get a great crowd and, obviously, we wrestle in front of a great crowd here at Penn State, whether it’s in Rec Hall or the [Bryce] Jordan Center. So yeah, we’re used to having or getting, I should say, to compete in front of enthusiastic fans. That makes what we do more fun and worthwhile. (1:07 – 1:34)

Impact of Iowa’s lineup shakeup at 197 lbs:

No. I think our guys are just going to do what they do. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to make any adjustments. I mean, obviously, you’re aware of your opponents, but at the same time, the long-term plan is just let’s get better at what we do and just keep improving and just go compete to the best of our ability with some fire and enthusiasm. Iowa’s got a lot of good guys at a lot of weights, so they’ll be fun. (1:45 – 2:12)

Braeden Davis and preparation for a quick turnaround against high-level opponents:

Yeah, again it’s just these guys are used to tough opponents, tough teams, tough fun environments and it’s just—got to go wrestle and do what we do and wrestle the matches in our way. So yeah, it’s great preparation for him [Braeden Davis]. Obviously everything’s just preparation for the national tournament and whether it’s at home or away, that’s just the way we look at it. (2:23 – 2:50)

Staying focused on both Iowa and Northwestern during a double-dual weekend:

Yeah, you know, just it’s always just what’s next, one at a time. Of course, we’re prepared. But, you know, we’re used to that. Everyone’s used to it. You wrestle Friday and you turn around, you wrestle Sunday. You got to travel and so a lot of it’s just discipline, weight management. But the national tournament’s a three-day event, so it’s all great preparation for what we’re ultimately getting ready for and that’s in March. (2:59 – 3:30)

Status of Aaron [Nagao]:

No, he’s definitely done for the season. Yeah, I mean, we love Aaron [Nagao]. He’s as good as humans get and will be a great success in whatever he does. Has had some setbacks obviously with that shoulder. And that’s a tough one to come back from, but he’s kind of got to restart that process again. (3:45 – 4:05)

The plan for Nate [Desmond] and weight class flexibility:

Well, Nate [Desmond]‘s just—he’s provided incredible depth. Obviously 125 lbs is a tough would be a tough long-term move for him—multiple weigh-in deal. But he gives us a lot of confidence that we have somebody that can step in at 125 lbs, 133 lbs, or even 141 lbs. But really our plan for him is just keep getting better, keep building his foundation for four years of great college wrestling. (4:17 – 4:44)

Possibility of Masanosuke Ono competing in tournaments this season?

Yeah, I’m not sure. Obviously we’ve been discussing that, but I don’t know if we’ll see him this year or not. He’s got to get back and get healthy. (4:53 – 5:04)

Anticipation for the Rocco Welsh & Angelo Ferrari matchup:

Yeah, again, it’s just, you know, we want to be ourselves and do what we do and wrestle in the areas that we’re strong. Obviously tough opponent and very tactical and these are the guys you got to go beat if you want to be a national champion. So that’s what makes it fun and just it’s all preparation. (5:15 – 5:34)

Scouting and coaching for Ferrari’s unorthodox style:

Well, I think everybody’s aware of their opponents and their tendencies and how they defend and how they score points. I think everybody’s got to be prepared for your competition. So, we’ll be prepared and be ready to compete on Friday. (5:42 – 5:58)

Cole [Mirasola] building momentum heading into a test against Ben Kueter:

Yeah, just keep getting better, just keep working in his areas and building confidence. Just like everybody, we don’t put a lot of focus on one match. It’s just we’re trying to get better every week. And if we do that, then we’ll be hard to beat in March. (6:15 – 6:32)

Strategy for the heavyweight matchup with two lighter entries:

Not really. I mean, Cole [Mirasola]‘s pretty darn consistent in the way he wrestles and conditioning is always going to be a factor for him and just his ability to attack and score points. Yeah, just a good test against one of the best heavyweights in the country and a returning All-American. So, yeah, just a great opportunity for Cole [Mirasola] to go to see where he’s at this week. (6:47 – 7:20)

Braeden [Davis]’s readiness to step in after Nagao’s Injury:

Yeah, right on. I mean, the discussions with him redshirting were just the reality of what Aaron [Nagao] was coming back from. It was just an uphill battle—shoulders are really challenging in our sport. It’s complicated, obviously, a joint and in the position it can be put in in wrestling. But if anyone could do it, it was Aaron [Nagao]. So we wanted to give him the best support and opportunity we could give him. But yeah, I think Braeden [Davis], obviously from the beginning, was aware: be ready to go because shoulders are just tough injuries to come back from. (7:28 – 8:07)

Davis’ growth during a redshirt year vs. preparing for specific opponents:

Yeah. I mean, in theory, it’s always up to the individual and how they approach a redshirt or not and making sure they’re getting better. Obviously, there’s a difference in if you’re preparing differently every week for a different opponent, but that’s not really how we do things anyways. I mean, we’re just focused on our guys trying to figure out how we can get better. We don’t adjust our training a whole lot for specific teams—it’s more of an individual “get better each week.” We want the guys to have the time to get better and to play with things as opposed to just trying to get ready to compete sooner rather than later. Even when you’re redshirting, you should ideally get as many matches as you can because doing something in practice is great, but doing it in competition is better. (8:19 – 9:43)

Rematch between Luke [Lilledahl] and [Dean] Peterson?

Well, I mean they wrestle a lot of a lot of great competitors and you’re you’re traveling the world and nation. There’s going to be some ups and downs and just got to learn as you go. But yeah, I mean Luke [Lilledahl]‘s focused on getting better. I mean, he’s not—like same thing for our whole team—we’re not focused on one team or, you know, he’s not focused on winning. Well, obviously [Dean] Peterson‘s a great wrestler and and, yeah, it’s that’s a fun match for Luke [Lilledahl], of course, one of the guys you got to beat if you want to be a national champion. So, it’s more about, you know, just learning from the past and just just continuing to try to get better as I move forward. (9:57 – 10:31)

Evolution of Braeden [Davis] during his redshirt period?

Well, Braeden [Davis], he’s just a tremendous competitor. You know, he’s going to give it everything he has every time he steps on the mat. He’s a tough kid. We watched him the last two years. I don’t know if we really had that much time where we’re going to see much difference. I mean, it was about a month before he was kind of getting say, “Hey, you know, make sure you’re, you know, getting ready to go here again.” But just experience, you know, you can learn a lot through through the experience that he’s had. He’s been our starter the last two years and won a Big Ten championship and was an All-American and has wrestled in a lot of big big matches and been clutch for us as a competitor just because his gives a great effort every time and he represents the program out on the mat a very good way and so he’ll continue to do the same. (10:48 – 11:32)

Braeden [Davis]’s intense personality?

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think a lot of personalities show up in the way you compete, which is one of the maybe the fun things about this sport. But yeah, I’d say Braeden [Davis]‘s—I mean, he’s he’s an intense guy. I mean, he’s passionate about life and what he does and when he gets into something, he gets into it. I mean, he’s a big he’s a big hunter and fisherman and so, you know, I feel sorry for the fish and whatever he’s hunting. You can get him to smile. You can get him to smile. It’s just you got to work at a little bit. (11:46 – 12:20)

Breaking the NCAA winning streak record and returning to last loss at Iowa?

Yeah. Obviously anytime you wrestle, you know, one of the top programs, it’s something you’re thinking about and trying to get ready for. If you’re worried about winning and losing, it just doesn’t work too well. It’s just more performance-based and being ready to go and just being grateful for the opportunities that we have. I mean, we’re very blessed obviously to be here at Penn State and with the awesome people we get to work with every day and this team and the kids that get to be on the team with and, you know, if the pressure and stress that we have is is a wrestling match and we’re pretty darn blessed. So, so yeah, we’re just excited to compete. We’re not too not too fearful anything. (12:34 – 13:08)

Origin and motivation behind Cael’s Cookies?

Well, if you if you followed along, which you know, it’s something that we had almost probably 20 years ago. I don’t know the year. And it just didn’t really take off and we were partaking them for our team basically. And I really like them and then it kind of went away and then I was just able to order them for my my family and myself. And then the last year and a half I just had the opportunity to kind of take it and run with it a little bit and it took obviously a while and obviously the last thing you want it to look like is you’re trying to sell cookies as opposed to like coaching a wrestling team. So, you know, I have a very small part in it. But it was just something that it’s kind of fun and something I I really like them. And so selfishly, I just wanted to see if we could basically just got a group of killers to kind of take it and run with it and and that’s what they’re doing. And I’m hoping to have them for our team. That that’s was the whole point of it. And then obviously to do that, you have to you have to have a way to get them. And that’s where you have to have a business that’s actually selling enough cookies to, you know, pay the rent or whatever the bills might be. So yeah, it’s just more for fun, but it’s just a product that I I really liked. And you know, when they first came out, it was before there were cookies, like healthy cookies, and it was and we didn’t I didn’t really have any kind of connections or network or anything. And it was just like, you know, fighting pushing a rock uphill. And now it’s just a little different time. And it’s a really a great product. So, you know, things have been tweaked a little bit over the years as far as like nutrition and different ideas have evolved and you learn a little bit more. So, yeah, we’ll see. It’s it’s more for fun, but a lot of it was just I get tired of watching some of the stuff our guys eat. And I’m like, man, I got to get those cookies back cuz I don’t I just don’t like seeing what our guys are eating. So, that’s that’s a big part of it. (13:21 – 15:13)

Potential for Creamery ice cream flavor?

Uh yeah, I think maybe somebody approached us about that and we just—I mean that’s just not really my thing, you know? I mean, I love ice cream, don’t get me wrong, but that’s the last thing I need is the flavor. Yeah. Or cookie. Yeah. And the whole idea with putting my name on the cookie, it was obviously embarrassing, but then I don’t have to do anything. Just, you know, this is something I’m endorsing and obviously my name’s on it, so I don’t have to be on social media and messing around and worried about selling cookies cuz that’s, you know, best wrestling program we can be. (15:34 – 16:07)

Muppets on the screen during media availability?

Yeah, Coach Cody [Sanderson] runs the screen, so he usually comes up with some some epic stuff. I mean, he’s the guy that, you know, when you see Santa over there, and and he sees something for the holidays and stuff. So, Cody [Sanderson]’s the thoughtful one. Uh you know, he’s thinking about those kinds of things and does a really good job. But yeah, I don’t I don’t even know how to work those TVs to be honest with you. I’d be like, “Hey, Cody [Sanderson], you think we could do this or that?” I don’t know. We have—the technology in this room is—was state-of-the-art in 2007 when they put it in here, but it’s like it’s beyond my ability to manage any of it. (16:23 – 16:57)

Feedback on the cookies and the “meal replacement” target?

Um, a little bit. I mean, the guy that’s running it, his name is Zack Sto [ambiguous?], um and he’s kind of kept um just in line with what’s going on. He said, “Hey, it’s all positive.” So, I don’t know. I don’t want to hear it if they’re not. But but that’s the thing, too. You’re like, “Hey, these aren’t like Granny B cookies”—or that was actually a company out west—but they’re not they’re not a dessert cookie. This is like something you would eat as a meal replacement. You eat it after weighing. You eat it during competition. something that’s light that you don’t feel it and you feel uh it’s just just something you can go wrestle after you eat and you feel feel great. So So uh some people don’t—you know if you don’t eat healthy food, which I don’t eat a lot of healthy food, um then they probably don’t taste good to you. So if you do, you’ll love them. But so I don’t know. It’s like anything else. Some people will like them, some people won’t like them. (17:06 – 17:58)

Cole Mirasola – Redshirt Freshman, 285 lbs

Looking forward to the weekend trip?

Yeah, my first time wrestling there so I think it’ll be a pretty cool environment like all the fans and stuff so looking forward to it. (0:00 – 0:11)

What makes a good wrestling environment? What do you look for?

I think just like Rec Hall, Carver’s got a lot of intense fans who love wrestling, so it’ll be cool to have our guys there and wrestle there. (0:11 – 0:25)

Do you like being the “bad guy” per se, walking in as a visitor and maybe preparing to hear some stuff?

I think enemy territory is pretty fun, being like no one really wants you to win except for our guys and our staff and stuff. I think that’s funner maybe than the whole match. (0:25 – 0:45)

Outside of the atmosphere, how much are you looking forward to getting your hands on a top guy?

Yeah, he’s obviously a top whatever guy, but I’m not really focused on that. I’m trying to just focus on getting better every match and just doing my system and just wrestling. (0:45 – 1:03)

Have you ever wrestled him before?

I’ve never wrestled him before. I think he took silver at the U20 Worlds the year before I did, he made the team at that weight obviously. So yeah, I look forward to it, having never wrestled him before. (1:03 – 1:19)

Do you feel like you’re building momentum? Does it feel differently when you string a few wins together, and do you feel like you need to protect the streak?

No, I don’t feel like I’m trying to protect a streak or anything. I’m just trying to get better every match and just kind of get ready for Big Tens and Nationals. (1:19 – 1:37)

How often do you get to spar with Josh [Barr], your brother [Connor Mirasola], and everyone else, given you’re the heavyweight now and there’s some weight that separates you guys?

I wrestle with Connor [Mirasola] a good amount. Me and Josh [Barr] haven’t really wrestled that much, but obviously both are really good. I try to wrestle with those guys as much as possible. (1:37 – 1:53)

Josh [Barr] mentioned he’s essentially scared of you and that you have a “mean streak” he respects. What does that mean to you?

I’ve just been focused on being more mean when I’m wrestling, just kind of not giving up any points easily. I think trying to be mean is something I’m trying to work on. (1:53 – 2:20)

Is that what you want to show in a foreign environment?

It doesn’t really matter where we wrestle, I’m just trying to be mean wherever we go and it’ll be cool to do it there. (2:20 – 2:33)

Would you say that’s a new characteristic for you and not something that’s always been ingrained?

In the past I haven’t really been super mean when I wrestle, just kind of tactical and slick. But talking to Cael [Sanderson], it doesn’t have to be clean. You can win dirty—not being dirty obviously—but winning off a go-behind or pulling guys down. I’m just focusing on being mean. (2:33 – 3:02)

How does a weekend like this where you’re wrestling twice help prepare you for March as Cael [Sanderson] often talks about?

I always like wrestling tournaments because you can string a bunch of matches together. It’ll be a fun, longer trip for us this year. Getting multiple matches in will be a lot of fun. (3:02 – 3:21)

Conditioning looked really good on Saturday. Can you go through your regimen and how you maintain a full tank late into the third period?

I think if I wrestle the whole time, no one can really wrestle with me for the whole seven minutes. If I use my conditioning as a factor, I think that’ll help for sure, just pulling guys down the whole time and staying really good on my feet. (3:21 – 3:46)

How do you maintain that conditioning? Is it long-distance running?

I actually hate running, I’ve never really ran ever. It’s just doing whatever our coaches tell us with the circuits and stuff. (3:46 – 4:03)

What are your thoughts on the dual meet streak? You’ve only been part of a portion of the 78 wins in a row, but how do you feel about it?

It’s an honor to be on the team when we broke the record. I guess I was the last match before we broke the record which is kind of cool. We don’t really talk about records or anything like that, we just kind of wrestle. (4:03 – 4:29)

Is there a moment of reflection away from the mat about being part of such an elite program?

I saw a video where they put all the teams together that have wrestled here. There have been some unbelievable wrestlers here, so it’s pretty cool to be part of this program and on a record-breaking team. Being on the best team in college sports is pretty cool. (4:29 – 5:00)

Are you still actively trying to put some weight on?

It’s kind of been a struggle putting on weight, but I’m actively trying to get the extra calories I can. Whatever I can do to get extra calories I’m trying to do. (5:00 – 5:19)

Luke Lilledahl – Sophomore, 125 lbs

Friday night’s rematch vs Dean Peterson and wrestling in Carver-Hawkeye Arena?

I would say I’m just looking forward to the environment there. Obviously wrestling a guy that has beat me previously is pretty fun just to be able to wrestle with him again. I don’t want to say get my get back, but that’s kind of a way some people would look at it. I just look at it as another chance to show how much I’ve improved since the last time I wrestled him in certain positions that he’s good in and that I’m good in. Obviously, wrestling there in that arena is going to be pretty awesome, too. (0:09 – 0:54)

Recommendations for what to avoid in a highly contentious rematch?

I would say just avoid dwelling too much on the last time you wrestled that guy. Focus on continuously improving and looking forward. I feel like the more you dwell in the past, the more things don’t change. (1:05 – 1:28)

Lessons learned from the first meeting with [Dean] Peterson?

I mean, I would say there’s definitely a couple things I learned just feeling guys out and wrestling. But most of the time it’s just a clean slate every match. Every match starts 0-0, so it’s just another opportunity. (1:34 – 1:49)

Seeing Braeden Davis return to the lineup and his work behind the scenes?

It kind of shows how we all operate. We’re all part of the team and we’re going to do what’s best for the team. If Coach Cael [Sanderson] wants us to redshirt, we’ll redshirt. If he wants us to hop in the middle of the season and start, we can do that, too. It’s about staying ready and being a team player. A lot of guys are a little selfish, especially in wrestling—it’s more of a selfish sport because it’s you versus your opponent—but at the same time, you’ve got to be a team guy and we’re all part of the team. (2:02 – 2:38)

Managing nerves on a big stage alongside Marcus [Blaze] and PJ [Duke]?

Obviously there’s a little bit of nerves just because of the fans and the environment, but I feel like the better guys feed off of that. I feel like I wrestle better when there’s more people watching and the stages are bigger. I would say I’m a little bit nervous, but more excited than anything. (2:40 – 3:15)

Differences between your performance last season and this season?

I feel like last season was more about showing people my potential because people had high expectations for me. This year, it’s more about going out there and dominating these guys and putting myself at the top of the weight class. A lot of these guys like to keep it close and keep the score tight and maybe score at the end. For myself, I want to go out there and dominate guys every time. If I’m not, then I just go back in the room and figure things out. (3:16 – 4:09)

Handling opponents who scout you and attempt to delay your offense?

I would say that. Obviously, I’ve wrestled all over the world, so there’s probably tons of video on me. But at the same time, I can’t let that affect me. These guys are doing stuff to kind of stop or delay my offense, and it’s just about finding ways to get around that. I think that’s almost part of the fun of the sport—the challenges that this season brings and that these other guys bring. (4:10 – 4:54)