The Penn State wrestling team avoided major injuries during Cael Sanderson’s first season as head coach. His second season already appears different. Senior 125-pounder Brad Pataky sustained a knee injury during a preseason workout earlier this week, according to multiple sources. Team spokesman Pat Donghia confirmed Friday that Pataky suffered an injury but declined to reveal the specific nature of it. Team doctors have examined Pataky, but the extent of the injury is unknown, Donghia said. Pataky is the second Nittany Lion veteran to suffer an injury this preseason. Junior 149-pounder Frank Molinaro sustained an undisclosed injury during a workout earlier this fall. The injury will force Molinaro, a two-time All-American, to miss a part of the preseason. Donghia said no timeline for Molinaro’s return has been set. The Nittany Lions begin official practices Monday. Their regular season begins Nov. 12 at Bloomsburg.

Losing Pataky, a former PIAA Class AAA champion from Clearfield, for any significant time would be a blow to the team’s dual meet and tournament lineups. Pataky is one of just four seniors on the roster and the only one ensured a spot in the starting lineup. He has compiled a 74-29 record in three seasons as a starter and advanced to the NCAA Round of 12 the past two seasons. Pataky went 31-11 overall and 7-1 in Big Ten meets last season. Pataky is currently ranked seventh at 125 by WIN Magazine. This marks Pataky’s sixth year with the program. Pataky wrestled as a true freshman in 2005-06. He took a traditional redshirt season the following year before missing 2007-08 because of an Olympic redshirt season. The 125-pound weight class is one of the team’s thinnest. Eric Caschera, Cameron Kelley, Frank Martellotti and Nate Morgan are the program’s other 125-pounders. Caschera has appeared in just one dual meet since joining the program in 2006 while Kelley, Martellotti and Morgan are true freshmen the program added during this past spring’s late signing period. Penn State has more flexibility at 149 if Molinaro isn’t ready for an opening stretch that includes five dual meets from Nov. 12-21. Senior Adam Lynch returns at 141, true freshmen and multiple-time PIAA Class AAA champions Dylan and Andrew Alton are talented enough to compete immediately at 141 or 149, and sophomore James English returns at 149.

Thanks to Guy Cipriano and the "Centre Daily Times" (State College, Pa.) for the article