Last time Mark Hall wrestled in a Penn State singlet, he walked off the mat in Cleveland after dropping the NCAA final 8-2 to top-ranked Zahid Valencia of Arizona State.
Now, one summer removed from his second-place finish at the NCAA Championships, Hall has taken some time off from competition, and changed his thoughts on last season’s finale.
“To me, it was just another match,” Hall said. “It took me a few days to realize that, but at the end, it’s all it was. It’s just wrestling.”
While it’s hard for Hall to believe, the 2017 NCAA Champion is now a junior, and finds himself thrust into a new role on the team, one that naturally comes with becoming an upperclassman.