Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson believes there is never a legitimate reason for getting pinned -- not one.
Over the weekend, two Nittany Lions lost by fall. Lehigh's No. 18-ranked Seth Ciasulli pinned 141-pounder Adam Lynch at Lehigh on Friday, and Bloomsburg's Dan Gaylord pinned 133-pounder Bryan Pearsall on Sunday.
Although Sanderson saw positives in the Pearsall match, the coach said his starter for the 133-pound weight class is not set, and Pearsall needs to improve on finishing matches. Pearsall wrestled at 133 in place of Friday's starter Tyler Saltsman and led 10-4 in the third period before Gaylord caught him off-guard.
The same can be said for the 141-pound class as Colby Pisani received his first go of the season two days after Lynch's loss. Pisani cramped up while wrestling at 141 in his Intrasquad match but made weight in the previous two meets. Sanderson said Sunday Pisani must decide what class best fits him -- 141 or 149.
"I know in the beginning I was having some trouble," Pisani said, "but I'm feeling pretty confident now."
Frank Molinaro, a 149-pounder, wrestled at 141 last year, but Sanderson said it would take weeks for him to lose the weight, and the sophomore said he is comfortable at 149.
Both Sanderson and Pisani said the 141-pound weight class will be decided based on who steps up. Sanderson said Pisani and Lynch will both travel to Binghamton, N.Y., on Sunday as well as Pearsall and Saltsman.
"We're seeing good things out of all four of them -- some areas that need work," Sanderson said.
Sanderson stated he won't base his decision on head-to-head competition between the four. The steady starter will be decided on competition performance. Sanderson also mentioned implementing a rotation to expose all four to competition.
Sanderson said he doesn't prefer going back and forth between starters but wants to give everyone a chance to capture the role.
"In time," Sanderson said, "we'll see who's going to be the man."