UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Four members of head coach Cael Sanderson's 2022 NCAA Championship team have earned first team national All-Academic honors. The four Nittany Lions, three of whom won NCAA individual titles and the fourth an NCAA qualifier, were named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) First Team All-Academic Team.
Sophomore Beau Bartlett (Tempe, Ariz..), senior Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), junior Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.) and senior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.) all earned the recognition.
Bartlett went 15-10 up at 149 this season and became an NCAA qualifier for the first time. Bartlett earned his first NWCA All-Academic nod and is a psychology major.
Bravo-Young went 22-0 this season, won his second straight NCAA title at 133 and is now a four-time All-American. Bravo-Young is a recreation, park, and tourism major. This is the third time Bravo-Young has been named a First Team NWCA All-Academic honoree.
Dean rolled to a 23-1 record this season and won his first NCAA individual title, claiming the 197-pound crown and becoming a three-time All-American. Dean is an economics major. This is the second time Dean has been named an NWCA All-Academic Team member and his first as a Nittany Lion.
Lee posted a 22-0 record this season, won his second straight NCAA championship at 141 and became Penn State's first-ever five-time All-American. Lee is a health policy and administration major. For Lee, this marks the fourth time he has been named to the NWCA All-Academic squad.
Nittany Lion wrestlers have now earned 72 NWCA All-Academic awards, including 41 under Sanderson. Penn State has placed in the top 25 nationally in 26 of the last 31 years, including 9 of 13 under Sanderson.
The Nittany Lions have won ten NCAA titles overall, after winning this year's crown in Detroit (Penn State won its first in 1953). The Nittany Lions won four-straight titles in 2011, '12, '13 and '14 and again in 2016, '17, '18 and '19. Penn State has won nine of the last 11 contested NCAA Championships (all since Sanderson's arrival at Penn State and he is in his 13th season this year). Sanderson's 13-year head coaching ledger for team finishes at NCAAs since arriving at Penn State is as follows: 2010 (9th), 2011 (1st), 2012 (1st), 2013 (1st), 2014 (1st), 2015 (6th), 2016 (1st), 2017 (1st), 2018 (1st), 2019 (1st), 2020 (no tourn.), 2021 (2nd), 2022 (1st).
The 2021-22 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
