From Renovo to Penn State: Dalton Perry Fulfills Lifelong Wrestling Dream
By Kevin Rauch
FARWELL-Very few people carry the same dream around from the time that they were 6 years old, even fewer pull off 13 years of hard work to achieve that life goal.
Living just an hour’s drive from Penn State University, many student athletes from Bucktail dream of one day playing for the Nittany Lions, it’s almost as it’s the holy grail of sports for central Pennsylvania’s youth, with its attraction far exceeding the boundaries of PA but throughout the United States.
It’s believed that until today, only Rick Petersen in 1980 was actively recruited by Penn State as a student athlete, but Petersen opted for Lock Haven University.
Thanks to Dalton Perry, Renovo can now lay claim to having their very own Nittany Lion, as Dalton officially signed his letter of intent to head to State College as the freshman class of 2025.
The moment was celebrated by Dalton’s family, including his parents DJ and Carrie Perry, former and current coaches and even the entire junior high wrestling team at the Bucktail Area High School Library.
The moment was spectacular in every sense of the word as Dalton’s success has certainly at least played an inspirational part as Bucktail even having a junior high wrestling team. The program was lost following the 2012-2013 season due to lack of participation, but is back as Perry has helped to reignite the interest in the school, some junior high kids even grabbed autographs from their local hero.
Dalton’s family tossed around words like ‘proud’, ‘hard working’,’ committed’ and ‘emotional’ often, but one adjective that nobody said was surprised. His family has had a front row seat to the immeasurable dedication that he has shown since he was 6 years old, they passed surprised many years ago.
“Dalt was 6 when he first mentioned Penn State” his mom Carrie said at the signing. “We’d joked for years, anyone that knows Dalton, knows that he mentally committed to Penn State when he was 8, that’s when it was no longer a dream, but a goal” his mom recalls.
The early years, well before his hit his teens, Dalton’s dedication was obvious to his inner circle. Without being prompted, he’d roll out of bed and hit hundreds of pushups and sit us just to start his day, which almost has always included some type of wrestling orientated training.
The Perry family has travelled the country, never turning down an opportunity to spend time on a mat.
“This has been his dream since he was 6, its never changed” said his dad DJ. “To see a kid have a dream and to watch him live it out and make it come true is emotional for sure”.
Dalton’s Central Mountain wrestling coach and himself a former Nittany Lion wrestler Biff Walizer has had a front row seat watching Dalton grow not just as a grappler but as a young man, and could not be happier for his student.
“It was nice, I was teaching here at Bucktail when Dalton was in junior high so I got to know him early on, it’s been great to see the maturity grow from Renovo Elementary and now to Penn State” Walizer said.
Coach Walizer was also able to provide some unique insight for Perry, who until recently was not going to wrestle his senior year for Central Mountain, instead preparing for his years at Penn State. With a PIAA career of 119 wins, 12 losses and a State Championship under his belt, the Bucktail senior was welcomed with opened arms back on the Wildcats squad.
“I didn’t try to dissuade him” Walizer joked on Perry’s decision to wrestle his final year in high school. “No, I was honest with him, this is completely his decision and I love to have him back”.
Even in Dalton’s decision to wrestle this season for Central Mountain, it’s obvious that there is something special and uncommon in the young man’s thinking. When asked why he ultimately decided to return, he doesn’t hesitate in offering “I want to win another state title”.
As far as his goal of going to Penn State now being official, Perry enjoyed the moment, but is focused well beyond today.
“I wanted to do sign at Bucktail, this is home and I’ve had so much support here” Dalton explained of his decision to make his commitment official in Farwell. “This is just really cool to know that this is going to happen and I’m going to be part of it”.
In addition to aiming for a PA State title this year in high school, Perry’s dreams are even loftier beyond Central Mountain.
Getting a starting spot on the Nittany Lions is far from a given. Cael Sanderson’s Lions have claimed 11 national championships since 2011 and are currently three-time defending champs. “It’s a tough room” is a phrase that was said often today, a reference that typically the weight classes are three to four deep with recruits.
There was talk, not from Dalton of course, about possibly going elsewhere where he could sign on as a starter, but that didn’t interest his son at all DJ explained.
“He wants the competition, he want to earn a spot on the Penn State team, he wants to be a national champion” DJ said of his son.
Dalton Perry’s future is certainly bright, wide open like very few other 19 year olds across the country. However, no matter where he goes from here, living in the shadow of Penn State now suddenly has an entire community feeling like ‘We are, Penn State’.
