Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1454229
6 2 M A R C H 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State coach Cael Sanderson said in February that he doesn't want to even consider the idea that Nick Lee has wrestled his final match at Rec Hall. It's a fact that must be acknowledged, however, as the senior from Evansville, Ind., prepares for his latest trip to the postseason. Lee enters the Big Ten Tournament as the top seed at 141 pounds. He will face a bracket that includes seven other wrestlers ranked in InterMat's top 20 as he looks to do something he has never done in a blue-and-white singlet: win a Big Ten championship. You read that right. The four-time All-American and defending 141-pound national champion has yet to win a con- ference title. He's twice been the run- ner-up, in addition to fifth- and third- place finishes earlier in his career. To emerge on top this year, Lee will almost certainly need to topple Iowa's Jaydin Eierman again. He beat Eier- man, 6-4 in sudden victory, during a Jan. 28 dual meet in Iowa City. Previ- ously, though, Eierman got the better of the Penn State wrestler, capturing a 6-5 decision in the 2021 Big Ten Tourna- ment final. It's the kind of opportunity Lee came back for. He could have left after last season and gone out on top. Instead, he opted to return to Penn State with the goal of cementing his already well- decorated legacy with another NCAA championship. Lots of hard work has already gone into this season. Even more is on the horizon. And Lee knows ex- actly what it will take. "Having that experience and knowing what to expect is big," he said. "What Coach Cael has said about older guys be- ing able to get a little more excited is true, right? There's less uncertainty, and less nervousness. You kind of know what's coming, and you're excited about it be- cause not a lot of people get to do it." Sanderson is certainly glad Lee came back. For as much as he has accomplished as a wrestler, Lee has done even more off the mat for his teammates as a veteran presence inside the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex. "He's grown a lot," Sanderson said. "He's going to continue to improve and get better. He's just been consistent, I would say, in his leadership and just being a great human being and somebody who just has a great attitude. He's a guy who stepped in as a true freshman for us and was an All-American when we needed his points and battled back after losing the first round of the nationals [in 2018] to where he won the nationals last year. "There just aren't a lot of Nick Lee- type of people out there. So, it's about more than just his ability as a wrestler — obviously he's an unbelievable wres- tler — but he's just a good dude and great leader." It's a mindset that has helped Lee thrive so far in his college wrestling ca- reer. Now, he's in position to put it all together again to try and go out on top, first at Big Tens and then at nationals. ■ 2 0 2 1 - 2 2 W R E S T L I N G S C H E D U L E Date Opponent Result/Time (ET) Nov. 13 Oregon State* W, 32-7 Nov. 13 Sacred Heart* W, 47-3 Nov. 18 Army W, 32-7 Dec. 3 at Penn W, 20-16 Dec. 5 Lehigh W, 23-16 Dec. 20-21 Northern Iowa^ W, 29-9 Dec. 20 Cornell^ W, 21-16 Dec. 21 Arizona State^ W, 29-10 Jan. 7 at Maryland W, 46-0 Jan. 9 Indiana W, 29-11 Jan. 16 Rutgers W, 27-11 Jan. 21 at Michigan W, 29-6 Jan. 23 at Michigan State W, 28-9 Jan. 28 at Iowa W, 19-13 Feb. 4 Ohio State# W, 32-7 Feb. 6 Nebraska W, 21-13 Feb. 20 Rider W, 45-0 Mar. 5-6 Big Ten Tournament TBA Mar. 17-19 NCAA Tournament TBA * Journeyman Duals at Manheim, Pa.; ^ Collegiate Wrestling Duals at Nice-ville, Fla.; # at Bryce Jordan Center Nick Lee Eager To Chase Big Ten, National Titles G R E G P I C K E L | G P I C 9 2 @ G M A I L . C O M Lee will most likely need to get past Iowa's second-ranked Jaydin Eierman if he's to claim his first Big Ten championship at 141 pounds. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL