The jigsaw puzzle that is the Penn State wrestling team will start to take form at 11 a.m. on Sunday in Rec Hall as it unofficially kicks off its 2000-2001 season with the Varsity Wrestle-offs.

Though every wrestling program in the nation has kinks to work out at this point in the season, the Nittany Lions have more questions to answer than a contestant on "Who wants to be a Millionaire?"

Not only are the Lions coming off their worst season since 1995 with a 6-11 season, they have to replace three-time All-American, 2000 National Champion, and program cornerstone Jeremy Hunter. Also leaving holes in the lineup are the departures of All-American Ross Thatcher and 2000 NCAA qualifier Mark Janus.

Penn State coach Troy Sunderland declined that there were any locks to get the start at any of the weight classes. He does acknowledge a few favorites, like captain Jeff Knupp at 184, Mark Becks at 174 and Scott Moore at 133, that could have big seasons and pick up the productivity that was lost with graduation.

One of the toughest competitions is going to come in the 141-pound division where Nate Parker and Marat Tomaev come back from missing last season to state their claim to a starting spot.

Following a stellar freshman campaign with a 15-12 record, a 6th place finish in the Big Ten Championships, and an NCAA berth, Parker, a redshirt sophomore from Chesapeake, Va., was charged, along with teammate Jean Celestin, with the rape of an 18-year-old woman in the summer of 1999. As a result of the charges, which were later dropped, Parker was suspended for the season, which he was able to take a redshirt for.

Sunderland remains confident that Parker will have a strong season and he is excited to see what he can do.

"He's one of the most talented kids in the room. He's a very good athlete, probably the best athlete in the room," Sunderland said. "I've wrestled with him quite a bit recently but I'm interested to see how he does with wrestlers his size in competition."

Tomaev, a redshirt freshman from Vladikavkaz, Russia, returns from a knee injury he sustained in last year's wrestle-offs.

The 141 pound grappler was a two-time National Champion at Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ and went 5-0 winning the Edinboro Open in his only action last season. Despite the wrestle-offs marking the start of their season, having to compete against teammates for a starting spot isn't something that Sunderland or his players look forward to.

"This weekend is a difficult weekend where they are competing with their teammate for the varsity spot," the third year coach said. "I'm really looking forward to East Stroudsburg Open, Mat-Town and to get some competition to see how good these kids are."

"It's (the wrestle-offs) something that we accept," said 197-pound redshirt junior Pete Mielnik.

"We go out on the mat on Sunday and we're trying to work as hard as anyone else. When we get off the mat we're friends again."