By Guy Cipriano
Nazareth’s Tim Darling, right, controls Bald Eagle Area’s Quentin Wright during their 145 pound championship match of the 2006 PIAA Wrestling Championships on Friday, March 11, 2006. Darling won 8-5.
Nazareth High School senior 152-pounder Tim Darling spent a weekend in Minnesota with the nation’s top-ranked team and received a four-hour home visit from Iowa State coach and Olympic champion Cael Sanderson.
These are perks attached to Darling’s status as a two-time PIAA Class AAA champion.
Another perk involves being courted by the largest school in Pennsylvania. Consider that the perk that led to a college decision.
Darling orally committed to Penn State after visiting the campus this past weekend. The highlights of the trip included touring the gleaming Lorenzo Wrestling Complex and watching the Penn State-Michigan football game.
Darling selected Penn State over consensus preseason No. 1 Minnesota, Lehigh and Virginia Tech.
“I guess I liked where the program is going, “Darling said Monday night. “I wanted to stay in Pennsylvania and be close to my family and friends. I also want to be a part of a program that brings the national title back to the East Coast.”
Darling will have some help when he begins pursuit of this goal.
The Nittany Lions also received commitments from Blair (N.J.) Academy 215-pounder Jared Platt, St. Peter Channel (Ohio) heavyweight Cameron Wade and Southern (N.J.) 140-pounder Frank Molinaro. Every member of the current recruiting class is ranked second nationally at their respective weights by Amateur Wrestling News. The entire quartet visited the campus this past weekend.
“We had a great visit, “said Bob Darling, Tim’s father. “They treated us very well. The kids that were around were all nice and the facility is top notch. Everybody talks about the search for excellence and that’s the impression that came from the visit.”
One thing that won’t be resolved until later is Darling’s future weight.
Darling earned his second PIAA Class AAA title this past spring when he defeated Bald Eagle Area’s Quentin Wright in the 145-pound final. Darling, who won the 130-pound title as a sophomore, finds himself in a position to become the first three-time state champion in Nazareth history.
The 5-foot-10 Darling will likely compete at 152 pounds this season and he could wrestle anywhere from 149 to 174 pounds for the Nittany Lions. Darling started his high school career at 112 pounds, but he has grown six inches in the past three years. Bob Darling competed at 158 and 167 pounds for then-Division I Wilkes University during the early 1970s.
“I honestly don’t know what weight I’m going to wrestle, “Tim said. “I have a lot of room to grow if that makes sense. It’s hard to predict. I have grown a lot in the past couple of years and with my current body I could make 149. But I would like to redshirt and grow into a 157-pounder or heavier.”
Once he finds a weight, the Nittany Lions should have a college-ready wrestler. Darling enters this season with a 123-10 record.
“Tim is obviously a very talented wrestler, “Nazareth coach Dave Crowell said. “He has an amazing feel for the sport. It’s one of those things that somebody who’s close to wrestling can understand. He does certain things you can’t coach. He has good feel from a lot of positions.
Darling is the main attraction on a Nazareth team that has a chance to be the state’s best this season.
The Blue Eagles finished third in last year’s PIAA Class AAA team tournament where they defeated Bald Eagle Area twice. Nazareth rebounded from its semifinal loss to Upper Perkiomen to win the team scoring portion of the PIAA Class AAA individual championships.
The Blue Eagles return six state placewinners, including potential Division I recruits Thad Frick, David Crowell and Mike Mutch. They are ranked fifth in AWN’s preseason rankings behind St. Edwards (Ohio), Blair Academy, Oak Park (Mo.) and Christiansburg (Va.).
“In a way it’s probably good that Tim committed early, “Dave Crowell said. “There would be a lot of people calling him and contacting him. I think this way he can focus on just his training.”
Notes: Penn State sophomores Brad Pataky and David Erwin recorded winning records during this past weekend’s Sunkist Open in Tempe, Ariz. Pataky went 5-2 to place fourth at 55 kg (121 pounds) and Erwin went 4-2 at 84 kg (185 pounds).
Pataky pinned 2004 NCAA champion Jason Powell in a second-round consolation bout. Pataky and Erwin, starters at 125 and 165 during 2005-06, will likely redshirt this season.
Director of wrestling operations Adam Smith went 3-3 to finish sixth at 55 kg.
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