UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — After watching the abrupt ending to a fragmented 2020 season, wrestling fanatics eagerly look to the approaching 2021 debut for the Penn State Nittany Lions. And while each passing day signifies one step closer to the much-anticipated matchups, redshirt freshman Joe Lee feels prepared – as he knows a thing or two about waiting.
Landing a coveted spot in the 2018 Penn State wrestling recruiting class, Lee was eager to join the elite wave of freshman contenders, as they made a name for themselves under many Penn State greats. But after an extensive three year wait, the 165-pounder is finally ready to expand past the notoriety of being the brother of three-time All-American Nick Lee.
And he's ready to cinch a national title, himself.
"I've been anticipating wrestling for Penn State for many years now," Lee said. "It's been a while since I've competed in a team element, so I'm looking forward to debuting this year especially."
Looking up to Nick from a young age, Lee has the opportunity to capitalize on the advice and experience of his oldest brother. And while many sibling duos face the challenge of distinguishing themselves individually, Lee sees the friendly competition as a positive thing.
"I've been with Nick my entire life, so I'm kind of used to him being the man. I use the pressure as motivation just because we're brothers and we both want each other to succeed," Lee said. "We both want the best for each other and luckily don't see anything as a rivalry."
But the uniqueness of Joe Lee stems from his experience being both the younger brother to Nick and the older brother for freshman wrestler Matt. And the 165-pounder plans to craft the rest of his Penn State experience around those family ties.
"When Nick eventually leaves, I have to be the Nick Lee to Joe Lee to Matt Lee," Lee said. "I want to do what Nick did for me to Matthew and fill those shoes, so we all can be successful."
Lee rounded out the past season with a 14-2 record in open tournaments with 10 bonus point wins. But the road to success has only just begun for the Nittany Lion, as he prepares to lace up his shoes to face his highly competitive national competition.
"Being a redshirt, I think it's just so exciting. Last year, it was a waiting game because I knew I probably wasn't going to compete for Penn State at that point," the redshirt freshman said. "And now this year, its go time. I'm super excited, but anxious to wrestle. I'm just happy the wait is finally over."
Lee is stepping into a team with no returning national champions for the first time since the 2015-16 season – leaving plenty of opportunity for incoming wrestlers to potentially establish their own national title streaks.
"I think we have a really exciting team because our individual styles will be interesting to watch. I'm not looking to fill the shoes of the past wrestlers, but instead use it as leverage and an opportunity," Lee said. "Our opponents are used to wrestling Vincenzo Joseph or Mark Hall, so they're not going to want to wrestle us knowing that's who we've been training with the last couple years."
And even with a significant delay to the season's initial start and the loss of many key athletes, not much else has changed in terms of the team's overall attitude.
"We still have the same team dynamic as every year. We're all wanting to win, and we're all expected to win – that's just our job," Lee said. "We have no returning national champions this year, but that's okay because it doesn't change our attitude or objectives. Our dynamic is great, so we are just ready to go."
As fans patiently await the new group of Nittany Lions to resolve their unfinished business on the mat, the redshirt freshman hopes to add a fresh perspective and years of experience upon his much-anticipated debut.
"Obviously, I want to win a national championship. But aside from that, my goal for the season is to have fun without worrying about every little result," Lee said. "There's no denying that there will definitely be a different atmosphere in Rec Hall. But the anticipation is there, and as for the team, nothing has changed since we left off in October."
