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Freshman phenom: Former YAIAA state champion wrestler turning heads at Penn State

matt allibone, york daily record
·4 min read
3

Levi Haines hasn't faced much of a learning curve so far.

The Biglerville graduate entered his freshman season at Penn State with high expectations ... for the future. He was a heralded recruit, but not many true freshmen make the Nittany Lions' starting lineup. Many of Penn State's legendary wrestlers during its dynastic decade-plus run have redshirted their first season.

But Haines has proved he isn't a typical freshman.

Haines ended any debate over whether he would be part of Penn State's lineup moving forward this past Friday night. Facing No. 2 Iowa in a packed Bryce Jordan Center, the top-ranked Nittany Lions sent out Haines to wrestle at 157 pounds. The freshman beat the Hawkeyes Cobe Siebrecht, 3-2, to help Penn State clinch an important 23-14 victory.

It was Haines' sixth start of the season. That means he's no longer eligible to redshirt this season and can now wrestle for Penn State in the postseason. NCAA wrestlers are granted five "free" matches before a decision on their redshirt status must be made.

More on Haines:How Adams County's state champion wrestler became a Penn State commit

Penn State's Levi Haines, top, wrestles Iowa's Cobe Siebrecht at 157 pounds on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in State College, Pa. Haines is 6-0 as a starter this season.
Penn State's Levi Haines, top, wrestles Iowa's Cobe Siebrecht at 157 pounds on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in State College, Pa. Haines is 6-0 as a starter this season.

Since Haines hadn't been in the lineup during Penn State's previous match against Michigan State on Jan. 22, there was some anticipation in the wrestling community over whether legendary Nittany Lions coach Cael Sanderson would use the freshman against Iowa. Haines had competed in five straight dual meets from Dec. 19 to Jan. 20.

"He's the guy we're going with," Sanderson said about Haines after the match. "You want to be able to compete well after that (Iowa match). He's always been part of the team but now he's the guy (at that weight)."

And Haines could be primed for a deep postseason run. He's now 6-0 in his starts this season and has beaten three opponents ranked in the top 20. That includes an impressive 3-1 win in extra time over Michigan's reigning All-American Will Lewan on Jan. 20.

Haines is now ranked No. 9 in the country at 157 pounds by Intermat. The top eight finishers at the NCAA Championships earn All-American status, but Haines has five more dual meets this season to hone his skills and gain experience. He will also have the chance to compete against some of the top 157-pounders in the country at the Big Ten Championships in early March.

Penn State is undefeated and hoping to earn its 10th NCAA team title in the past 12 seasons.

"It's exciting. It's like he's been anointed," Penn State two-time individual national champion Aaron Brooks said about Haines after the Iowa match. "Just how young he is, how calm he is. I was talking to him after his match and he has composure. He's chilling, he smiles about it. He's had two big matches in the BJC. This guy wasn't as worthy of an opponent (as Lewan), but he's tough, he's an Iowa wrestler. You've gotta go out there and hold position.

"I think it's great for him to go out and get this experience because the more he wrestles, the better he gets."

More YAIAA wrestling:He sacks quarterbacks. He pins heavyweights. But this athlete lets his play do the talking

Biglerville's Levi Haines gets picked up by his dad and head coach, Ken Haines, after winning the 145-pound championship bout at the PIAA Class 2A wrestling championship at the Giant Center in Hershey on Friday, March 12, 2021. Haines won by fall at 2:19.
Biglerville's Levi Haines gets picked up by his dad and head coach, Ken Haines, after winning the 145-pound championship bout at the PIAA Class 2A wrestling championship at the Giant Center in Hershey on Friday, March 12, 2021. Haines won by fall at 2:19.

The son of former Gettysburg High School state champion Ken Haines, Levi went 100-5 over three seasons while wrestling for his father at Biglerville. He lost in the state title match his first two seasons, but went 30-0 and won the Class 2A title at 145 pounds his junior season. He also competed for the U.S. national team at the Cadet World Championships in Budapest while in high school.

His 100th win came in the 2021 state final and it ended up being his final high school match. Haines elected not to compete his senior season and instead competed in open college tournaments to prepare for his Penn State career — even winning tournaments at Edinboro and Franklin & Marshall.

Haines, who was still 17 when he graduated high school, is the only true freshman in Penn State's starting lineup. While many of Penn State's top wrestlers over the past decade redshirted their first year of college, there have been exceptions. Mark Hall won a national title at 174 pounds as a true freshman in 2017. Zain Retherford was an All-American at 141 pounds as a freshman in 2014, redshirted the following season, then won three straight national titles.

Haines is part of a small list of YAIAA wrestlers to compete for Penn State during its dynasty. Central York's James English and New Oxford's Jordan Conaway both overcame obstacles to become NCAA All-Americans. Bermudian Springs' Austin Clabaugh was a preferred walk-on for the Lions but did not start.

Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, mallibone@ydr.com or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Biglerville's Levi Haines off to hot start for Penn State wrestling