After winning his third straight state title and graduating from Southern in 2007, Molinaro joined the Nittany Lions and was redshirted for the 2007-08 season. In 2008-09, Molinaro made his collegiate debut and finished 23-19 overall while taking eighth at 141 pounds during the NCAA Tournament. But despite finishing as Penn State's 163rd All-American, Molinaro's focus wasn't entirely on wrestling. "My first season, I wasn't wrestling for the right reasons," he said. "I wasn't taking care of myself on and off the mat. I was just trying to survive at 141. That entire season wasn't about getting better. I made some stupid decisions early on. My attitude and discipline weren't very good, and wrestling wasn't really a high priority."
Just after Molinaro's first season in the lineup, Penn State made a big move by hiring former Iowa State star Cael Sanderson, who went 159-0 and won four NCAA titles before finishing his career with an Olympic gold medal during the Athens Summer Games in 2004. At that point, Molinaro's collegiate career shifted gears a bit. "Cael came in and got me on his plan," Molinaro said. "I was trying to take some short cuts my first season, and Cael changed that with me. I have a high respect for Cael. He's been on top and knows what it takes to win, so, of course, I had to listen to him. "Having Cael in the room is like having Michael Jordan as your basketball coach in college. If he told me walking to class backwards was going to make me better, I'd believe him. He really has made a positive difference in the way I do things. "Now, I love training and wrestling again." And the difference was noticeable last season, as Molinaro went 33-7 at 149 pounds and finished fifth in the nation at the NCAA Tournament.
One of the turning points for Molinaro came a few days before Christmas at the Reno Tournament of Champions, when he fell behind 8-0 in his first match, before Sanderson fired him up. "I was losing 8-0 after the second period, and I went back to my corner between periods feeling sorry for myself, complaining about my elbow," Molinaro said. "Cael was at another match and just got to my mat. He said some words to me, and he'd kill me if I repeated them. But that totally set me straight. "I got refocused, went out there in the third period and ended up winning the match, 10-9." As the season went on, Molinaro racked up a team-leading 12 major decisions, scored 54 dual-meet takedowns and tallied 62 dual-meet points. "Frank has improved in all areas," Sanderson said. "He's strong, explosive, quick and smart. And the energy he brings to the room is increasing as he gets better and gains confidence. Not only does he want to win, he wants to dominate. He's doing a great job providing an example for the rest of our wrestlers."
When the Nittany Lions open up Nov. 12 against Bloomsburg, Molinaro will be confident about the season ahead. "My first couple of years, I was trying to make a name for myself," he said. "But I have a lot of confidence now. My attitude is that I shouldn't be losing. I've gotten better on my feet. I'm doing more hand-fighting and staying in better position, saving energy. I've developed a really good high-crotch takedown. "I really feel like I can win a title this year." But it isn't going to be easy. Going into the season, Molinaro is ranked third at 149 on several polls. The two wrestlers ahead of him are North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell, a former Rahway wrestler who also won three state titles and during his career with the Wolfpack has gone 94-12 while capturing the 149-pound national title in 2009, and Cornell's Kyle Dake, who won last year's 141-pound national title as a freshman. "When he wrestles better guys, Frank has to wrestle where he wants to be. He'll have to dictate the pace," Sanderson said. "But he's right up there with the best 149-pounders in the country. He absolutely can win a national title this year."
Thanks to David Biggy and njpressmedia.com for the aticle