Pictured: Penn State University's Rec Hall. Photo courtesy of Penn State Athletics.
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team was the talk of the 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Detroit, Michigan, after winning its ninth NCAA team title of the Cael Sanderson era, thanks mainly to crowning five of the 10 NCAA individual champions (Roman Bravo-Young, Nick Lee, Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks, and Max Dean).
Well, Penn State has landed a verbal commitment from a promising in-state freshman (Class of 2025) recruit in Dalton Perry (Central Mountain, PA), according to Willie Saylor of InterMat/MatScouts.
https://twitter.com/MatScoutWillie/status/1508250726878826502
While Perry's high school career has been brief – just one season for the Central Mountain Wildcats — his talent is apparent. In his first season for Central Mountain, Perry put together a 41-2 record en route to his first PIAA Class-3A state title. Both losses came at the 2021 Powerade Wrestling Tournament in December. According to PA-Wrestling.com, of his 41 wins, Perry had 22 pins, six technical falls, and four major decisions.
Other noteworthy accomplishments include placements at the Cadet World Team Trials, 16U Fargo freestyle, and the Super 32. He was fourth at Cadet's and the Super 32, and took seventh in Fargo, claiming All-American status. Most impressively, these accolades came before he even began his high school career.
It is too early to project what weight he will wrestle at the next level (he's just a freshman), but he did spend time at 126 and 132 during his rookie season. His title came at 126 pounds.
His commitment is just verbal at this juncture, but don't be surprised if it holds true once Signing Day 2025 rolls around. Perry currently trains at the M2 Training Center in Happy Valley. Perry is coached by former Nittany Lion NCAA (2x), World (1x), and Olympic gold medalist (1x) David Taylor.
Perry is believed to be the first to make a college pledge from the Class of 2025. That said, Perry, currently rated No. 15 nationally by MatScouts, is a quality verbal for the defending NCAA champions.
Back to articles