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said. "That was just awesome being able to be back wrestling there. I really missed it a lot and I didn't take it for granted. I got to wrestle my [former] teammate. We wrestled three times in a row, three weeks in a row, so that was fun." Those three victories contributed to Retherford's undefeated record. His 47-0 finish as a 138-pound senior was even more impressive considering that he was wrestling up a weight class. If needed, he said, he could have wrestled at 132, one weight class below, but he decided to avoid a weight cut and wrestle in the heavier class. Retherford hoped the experience would help him prepare for the larger opponents he anticipates he will see at the collegiate level. At Penn State, he is expected to compete at 141, a weight class that is vacant next season due to the graduation of national qualifier Bryan Pearsall. Retherford is certainly aware of the opportunity that awaits. He said securing a starting spot as a true freshman would "be ideal, but [the coaches] also say that if I'm not big enough, not prepared enough to step in right now, then it'll be a redshirt year for me. I'd like to get right in, if I could." For the starting spot, Retherford will compete with redshirt freshman Zack Beitz, a 2012 PIAA champ who completed a 23-11 campaign at open tournaments during his first season with the Nittany Lions. People close to the program believe Retherford is likely to redshirt unless he's able to dominate the competition come preseason. He's certainly working to separate himself. In addition to wrestling at a heavier weight class during the high school season, Retherford is going up a weight in freestyle competition this summer, having most recently competed at 152. He said he weighs about 149 and would like to gain a few more pounds of muscle over the summer before making the cut back to 141 to begin his first season at Penn State. "The coaches keep telling me to eat more calories and keep lifting," Retherford laughed, "so that's what I'm doing." THE GROUNDWORK His recruiting cycle never ends, but what other recruits are set to join Cael Sanderson at Penn State? DEVON BENTLEY Trinity High | Shippensburg, Pa. PROJECTED WEIGHT 125-141 CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 27-10 record and third-place finish in Dstrict 3 as a senior... Career record of 91-25 ALSO CONSIDERED Pitt, Bucknell, Air Force, East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg GARRETT HAMMOND* Chambersburg High | Chambersburg, Pa. PROJECTED WEIGHT 157 CAREER HIGHLIGHTS No. 70 overall recruit as ranked by Intermat... Won the 2012 PIAA championship at 145 and '13 championship at 152… State runner-up in '11 at 135... 125-14 career record. ALSO CONSIDERED Maryland, Drexel and Northwestern CODY LAW Forest Hills High | Sidman, Pa. Tim Owen PROJECTED WEIGHT 165/174 CAREER HIGHLIGHTS No. 14 at 160 by Intermat... Won the 2013 PIAA title at 160 with a 34-0 record… PIAA runner-up in '12 with 36-2 record… Intermat's No. 15 182-pounder… Career record of 115-26 ALSO CONSIDERED Pitt-Johnstown MATT McCUTCHEON* Kiski Area High | Vandergrift, Pa. PROJECTED WEIGHT 184/197 CAREER HIGHLIGHTS No. 49 overall recruit as ranked by Intermat... Won the 2012 PIAA championship at 182 and was a runner-up at 195 in '13... Career record of 157-14 ALSO CONSIDERED Pitt, Virginia, Va. Tech HUGS AND KISKI McCutcheon embraces his coaches after winning the 2012 PIAA 182-pound championship for Kiski Area. P.J. STEINMETZ Council Rock South High | Holland, Pa. PROJECTED WEIGHT 197 CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Third place at PIAA Championships at 195 in 2012 and fifth place in '13.... Career record of 143-24 ALSO CONSIDERED Maryland, Drexel and Northwestern. – T.O. *Signed national letter of intent

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