In recent weeks, members of the Penn State wrestling team have jogged back to the center of the circle and waited for opponents following restarts.
As the season wears on, even the little things like that show that the Nittany Lion wrestlers appear to be gaining strength. Not only have they been beating teams on the scoreboard, several Lion grapplers believe they have been in superior shape.
With the postseason approaching, the Penn State wrestlers are confident they can outlast their opponents because of their conditioning -- something they credit to coach Cael Sanderson.
"You're going to get tired, but you're opponent is going to be more tired," sophomore 197-pounder Dave Crowell said. "Since Cael has gotten here, it's been a complete 180 as far as guys fighting and continuing to press the action."
The No. 10 Lions (13-5-1) have won four-straight dual meets since consecutive road losses to No. 3 Ohio State and No. 1 Iowa.
The average margin of victory during the recent winning streak has been 16.75 points, with the closest dual being a 22-15 victory over then-No. 12 Wisconsin.
A reason for the team coming on strong as the Big Ten and NCAA championships near can be traced back to the start of the season. Sophomore 149-pounder Frank Molinaro said the coaches had each workout of the year planned before the season even began.
"We've been getting a lot of rest and when it's time, we get good workouts in," Molinaro said. "Our training schedule is on point so far. I couldn't see anything that would make it better."
The Lions do less weight training than other programs, but a lack of strength is not a problem. Molinaro said the team focuses on maintaining strength rather than gaining it.
Still, with a weekly lift and other workouts, the Lion 149-pounder said he is getting stronger with each week of the season despite lifting 75 percent less than he used to.
Continual increases in strength and endurance can only help the Lions when they travel to Minnesota for the final dual meet before the postseason.
While the Lions' last three wins came against opponents near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, the No. 5 Golden Gophers will pose a tougher test.
Minnesota assistant coach Joe Russell has noticed the Lions' progression in recent weeks and said Penn State has been wrestling well.
"From Cael's past experience, he knows how to get a team ready for the postseason," Russell said. "There's no doubt that he has those abilities. He's definitely a guy who knows how to get a team ready."
The conditioning of the team has Molinaro confident for the upcoming competitions. He said the Lions have a good dual meet squad and will be a tough tournament team in the postseason.
Crowell said Sanderson has done a good job of preparing the team for March, which was top priority from the season's outset.
"It doesn't matter what we did December or January," Crowell said. "All that matters is March. He's found a way to get all the guys to peak right now."
