Penn State freshman Mark Hall wins Junior World title

Macon, France, is nearly 4,000 miles from State College, but a few “We are …” chants were ringing around Le Spot arena on Saturday evening.

That’s because one of the newest members of the Nittany Lions wrestling team had just won a Junior World freestyle title in dominating fashion.

Mark Hall needed just 30 seconds to score a tech fall over Ahmad Yousef Bazrighaleh of Iran in the gold medal match.

Hall, who was the top recruit in the country coming out of Apple Valley High School in Minnesota last season, had beaten Bazrighaleh 8-5 in the Beat the Streets competition in New York City earlier this year, but no one saw this quick ending coming.

“I knew I could get to his legs and I knew I could finish on him,” Hall said.

He only needed to do it once. Hall actually fell to his hip on an ankle-pick attempt, but recovered quickly to take down Bazrighaleh, then kept the legs laced and turned the Iranian four times for the stunningly quick path to the gold.

“That’s my go-to shot,” Hall said. “If I can get that, I can get that lace. I was just really excited.”

So was the rest of the U.S. contingent in France, as Hall joined Spencer Lee as a gold medalist, meaning that half of the Americans competing on Saturday won titles.

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Hall won a Cadet gold in 2014, but didn’t place last year in the Junior tournament. U.S. coach Brandon Slay was thrilled to see Hall capture gold again.

“I’ve had a really tight relationship with him for many years,” Slay said. “To see him win this Junior World title tonight after walking away with so much pain and without a medal last year, it’s priceless.”

Hall said his victory helps to erase some of that pain.

“After last year, that feeling’s been in my heart for a while. This just takes it and crushes that feeling I had last year,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve ever had tears of joy.”

Penn State fans likely will have plenty of joy in the years ahead watching Hall, who was a six-time state champion in high school. Though he’s expected to redshirt this season, Hall will be counted on to produce more NCAA medals for the Nittany Lions and perhaps Olympic ones down the road.

“It helps me know that I have a step that I’m on now and I just have to keep climbing,” Hall said. “This is big. There’s bigger and better things I can get to.”

Penn State coach Cale Sanderson was on hand in France to help Hall, and the Nittany Lions freshman is looking forward to more time with the wrestling legend.

“This is like the first of many, I’m hoping, with Coach Cael,” Hall said. “It’s kind of like the passing of the torch from Coach Slay. Coach Cael is going to be my guy from here on out. Coach Slay is still going to help me, obviously, but as far as coaching-wise, it’s probably one of the last times Coach Slay will be my main coach.”

Hall went 5-0 on the day, including a pair of very tight matches. He beat Japan’s Yajuro Yamasaki 3-2 in the qualification round, then teched Ukraine’s Roman Zinchanko (10-0) and Georgia’s Tariel Gaphrindashvili (12-1).

The American needed a big rally against Azerbaijan’s Murad Suleymanov for a 5-5 victory in the semifinals.

Hall trailed 5-2 with less a minute remaining, but he scored a takedown off a cartwheel and was awarded a passivity point when Suleymanov refused to open up.

The match was a contentious one, with both coaches upset with how it played out. Suleymanov appeared to grab Hall’s singlet, and both wrestlers were warned about their actions. After Hall won, he flexed his muscles toward his opponent and screamed in celebration.

Suleymanov, who tried to lure Hall into a false sense of security by offering to shake hands with 30 seconds remaining in the bout, shouted and gestured at Slay – who was still complaining about the singlet-grabbing – after the match.

Hall, who faced Suleymanov last year, said nothing the Azerbaijani did surprised him.

“He’ll result to, like, cheating and pulling my singlet and stuff,” Hall said. “In my head, I just knew I was way tougher than him. I knew I could break him. He was getting tired.”[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]