The Alton Careers Appear Over at PSU

UNIVERSITY PARK – The injury-plagued careers of the wrestling Alton twins at Penn State appear to be over.

Both are fifth-year seniors in the Nittany Lion wrestling program but with the Big Ten tournament set for Columbus, Ohio this weekend, neither one is in the PSU lineup. The former Central Mountain standouts have battled shoulder injuries in recent years and Dylan Alton had been in the running for the starting berth at 157 pounds.

But head coach Cael Sanderson confirmed on Tuesday that Dylan Alton had been beaten out in an elimination bout with Montoursville High graduate Luke Frey.

The two wrestled off last Friday, according to Sanderson, and Frey came out on top, Alton’s injury issues doing him in.

Sanderson said Alton tried a takedown “and you could see he just didn’t have it; his arm, his shoulder. His shoulder keeps coming out of place. Dylan, to his credit, finished the match.”

Alton has had a series of shoulder surgeries in recent years, came back this January, but reinjured his shoulder in the Purdue dual meet.

Alton’s twin brother Andrew has not been in the lineup all season, coming off shoulder and knee surgeries. Sanderson said this week that Penn State will inquire about a sixth year of eligibility for him, given that he missed all this season and a portion of a previous year, in addition to one year as a redshirt.

The wrestling twins accumulated five PIAA championships between them at Central Mountain but were hampered by injuries in the Nittany Lion program.