Every sporting event's game program lists various pieces of information about the athletes involved such as height and weight. Shaquille O'Neal is conservatively listed at 338 pounds in the Los Angeles Lakers' media guide. O'Neal more than likely tips the scales at 350. That is where wrestling is different.

Because wrestlers compete in preselected weight classes, they have to keep their actual weights consistent with their listed numbers. Sometimes that job can be a struggle. "It's not fun," Penn State freshman wrestler Matt Storniolo said. "It's never fun cutting weight."

The moment that wrestlers have to worry about most is weigh-ins. Wrestlers must weigh in an hour before a match. If a wrestler does not weigh in at his preselected weight class he is not allowed to wrestle.

Storniolo admits that one hour does not give wrestlers a lot of time to work with. However, wrestlers should know their weight before weigh-ins.

"You show up early and check in," Storniolo said. "If you need to lose weight you go and do it."

After the weigh-in, wrestlers can drink or eat in the time remaining before the match. Storniolo warns that wrestlers have to watch what they eat.

Wrestlers don't want to eat anything that will hinder their performances.

The wrestlers often concentrate on their water weight. To work around the weight requirements wrestlers will often try to sweat off their water weight before weigh-ins and try to replenish their fluids after they tip the scales. During the week, wrestlers also work on keeping their weight right.

To lose water weight, the wrestlers will often hop on exercise bikes and treadmills, Storniolo said.

"After practice you put on the sweats to lose the extra pounds," senior Doc Vecchio said. "Once you get your sweat going, it's easy to keep it going."

Wrestlers will often begin the season overweight because their workouts cause them to lose so much water weight. However they choose to, the wrestlers must keep their weight or they cannot wrestle.

The Nittany Lions understand that.

"It's just part of the sport and it's something you got to do," Galloway said.

"The things I try and do is," said freshman Nate Galloway. "Start out the season at a high weight and with good diets and workouts I'll be able to get cut and keep my weight."The weight work starts at the beginning of the year and lasts through the last meet.