Hempfield grad Verkleeran jokes he's leaving Penn State's wrestling program
On April 1, Penn State redshirt freshman Jarod Verkleeren announced on Twitter that he was leaving the wrestling program to pursue a World/Olympic dream.
Well, before Penn State fans get worried, Verkleeren isn’t going anywhere.
It was an April Fool’s joke.
After much thought and talking it over with my coaches I decided to withdraw from college and pursue my dreams of winning a World/Olympic title. My coaches think Greco is the the best route for me to take. Thanks to all the Penn State fans for the support over the past two years.
— JarodVerkleeren (@verkleeren_j) April 1, 2019
Verkleeren finished his first season with a 15-6 record at 149 pounds. He was beaten out by redshirt Brady Berge at the end of the season for the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Division I tournament.
Verkleeren, a Hempfield graduate who won a state title his senior season in 2017, does plan to compete in the Greco-Roman tournament at the U.S. Open.
Verkleeren was a 2015 Cadet World Champion.
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
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