It’s bordering on tradition the way Penn State’s coaching staff decorates the hallway leading to the wrestling room entrance this time of year.

Coach Cael Sanderson grinned as he gestured toward flights of metallic silver and blue balloons that awaited the team and other visitors earlier this week.  

“I think it’s somebody’s birthday,” Sanderson said, only to be corrected later by Carter Starocci.

“It’s all our birthdays. It’s Big Tens and Nationals,” the reigning 174-pound national champ said. “This is the fun part. It’s exciting wrestling all the matches all year long, but this is why you train really hard. So this is kind of easy and this is what it’s all about right here.”

The unbeaten Nittany Lions believe they have what they need to recapture the Big Ten championship this weekend and springboard into the NCAA Tournament where they’ll chase their 10th team title in 13 years.

They’ll do so with a loaded lineup featuring four reigning NCAA champs and six others Sanderson believes will provide more than enough firepower to go deep in both brackets.

“We like our team,” Sanderson said. “When you’re kind of in the trenches, part of loving your guys is also seeing their weaknesses and their strengths, so we’ve just got to focus on their strengths and what they do well. But yeah, I think you take a step back, we’ve got a pretty dang good team.”

One that got better seemingly with every dual meet, especially as the lineup came into focus on the backend of the regular season. 

Freshmen Alex Facundo and Shane Van Ness will make their postseason debuts after holding steady at 165 and 149 all year. Freshman Levi Haines seized the 157-pound spot and is unbeaten there since Nov. 13 and his teammates believe he’s primed for a deep run. Even 125-pounder Gary Steen saved some momentum-building moments for the stretch run where he was able to salvage wins after a 1-7 start.

“They’re going to compete,” Sanderson said. “They’re going to give their best effort. I’m not concerned about that at all.”

One But Not The Other

Although Penn State went 5-for-5 in NCAA title bouts last season, the Nittany Lions weren’t as successful at the qualifier two weeks before where they lost the Big Ten tournament to Michigan by a point and a half.

Then, Starocci, Roman Bravo-Young, Max Dean and Nick Lee won Big Ten titles while Aaron Brooks was runner-up to Michigan’s Myles Amine.

“We haven’t really talked about that,” Sanderson said of the close loss. “We don’t talk a lot about winning and losing, right, it’s kind of an expectation these guys have. Do we want to win the Big Ten Conference? Heck yeah. Let’s go.”

Getting Through

The Nittany Lions have won national titles without 10 NCAA qualifiers before, but Sanderson would like to see all 10 punch their tickets this weekend.

Steen, who was just 1-for-5 in Big Ten duals this season, will be the 11 seed at 125 when the Big Ten tournament kicks off in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Saturday. The Big Ten has nine auto-qualifier slots.

“He’s just gotta go wrestle to win,” Sanderson said. “Meaning, go score points and let it loose a little bit. You get what you earn and if you want a takedown, you gotta go get it. A guy like Gary, we’ve seen spurts of really great wrestling and it’s up to him.”

Waiting To Rematch

Facundo and junior Beau Bartlett were nearly perfect in Big Ten matches this season. Both only had one blemish in conference action.

Both Nittany Lions dropped bouts to Iowa Hawkeyes on Jan. 27. Bartlett fell 4-1 to Real Woods while Facundo lost 2-1 to Patrick Kennedy in a tiebreaker. Woods will be the #1 seed at 141 with Bartlett as the # 2. Kennedy and Facundo were seeded third and fourth, respectively by Big Ten coaches earlier this week.

“I’m excited,” Bartlett said. “I think I adjust to people really well. It’s hard to beat me two times. It’s really hard. So let’s go.”

Van Ness, meanwhile, went 5-3 in Big Ten matches with decision losses to Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso, Iowa’s Max Murin and Wisconsin’s Austin Gomez.

The Right Weight

Three years into his career at Penn State, Bartlett is finally in a position where he feels as confident as he ever has.

A three-year starter for the Nittany Lions, the 141-pounder spent his first two years up a weight and had little postseason success to show for it. In the days and weeks leading up to his first two Big Ten Tournament appearances, Bartlett’s mind raced with cluttered thoughts.

As a freshman two years ago, he was thinking of contingencies before the tournament even started. Counting bouts — how many would he need to win to advance? Looking at qualifier allotments for 149 — could he snag an at-large bid if he were to lose?

That thinking didn’t get him very far. He failed to qualify as a freshman then “snuck in” as the seventh and final Big Ten qualifier last season. Now at 141, Bartlett has emerged as one of the strongest pound-for-pound lightweights in Penn State’s room. His offense has come on all season and he leads the team with 19 wins.

“Right now I’m not thinking about qualifying for nationals,” Bartlett said. “I want to win everything and I feel it. Just where I’m at mentally, the confidence, what I would consider a great day is a lot different now.”

He has one of those planned for Thursday. He’s got a workout scheduled with last year’s 141-pound NCAA champ, former teammate Nick Lee, who Bartlett agreed can give him a lot of different looks.

Lee waved at Bartlett as the latter was surrounded by reporters earlier this week. It sounded like he called out to him, “see you later.”

“Great guy to roll around with,” Bartlett said. 

Top Dogs

Penn State had last weekend off, but Starocci couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t stop thinking about wrestling.

“This is probably the best team that I’ve been a part of and just energy wise, everyone’s doing backflips in the room, everyone’s excited,” Starocci said. “It’s kind of like big celebration, it’s taking in these moments and realizing how fast the season goes by smoke sure when those moments of opportunities open, that you’re there to take advantage of them.”

Part of the fun for Starocci has been the show that’s swirled around him at times this season.

Never afraid to speak his mind, the junior was called out by a high schooler earlier this season and recently got into into a post-match scuffle after he beat Indiana’s DJ Washington — one of just two wrestlers to beat him — a few weeks ago.

Starocci, who lost to Washington 10-9 two seasons ago, lapped Washington 11-3 on Feb. 10. The two shoved each other a bit afterward before coaching staffs and officials intervened. Starocci shot a pointed finger toward Washington as the referee raised his hand.

Asked if he’d like to wrestle Washington again for bigger stakes, Starocci deferred, saying he’s moved on.

“Whoever it is, I’ll be ready,” he said.

Starocci is one of four Nittany Lions who are #1 seeds at their weights. Bravo-Young, Brooks and Dean are top seeds at 133, 184 and 197, respectively.