Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/478201
184 | Matt McCutcheon 24-12 R-Fr., Apollo, Pa. PSU OUTLOOK McCutcheon upset top-seeded Sammy Brooks of Iowa en route to a fourth-place 5n- ish at the Big Ten tourna- ment. The odds will be stacked against him at na- tionals, but his 5rst post- season run is o6 to a strong start. FRONT OF THE CLASS Gabe Dean (Cornell), Max Thomusseit (Pitts- burgh), Nate Brown (Lehigh), Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) 197 | Morgan McIntosh 26-2 Jr., Santa Ana, Calif. PSU OUTLOOK McIntosh is in the thick of the title hunt, but he's also struggled in previous matchups against a few of the best at this weight. He closed out the regular sea- son with eight consecutive victories and 5nished 5rst at the Big Ten tour- nament, claiming Penn State's only individual championship with a 4-1 victory over Ohio State's Kyle Snyder in the 5nal. FRONT OF THE CLASS J'Den Cox* (Missouri), Kvyen Gadson (Iowa State), Kyle Snyder (Ohio State), Scott Schiller (Minnesota) 285 | Jimmy Lawson 15-3 Sr., Toms River, N.J. PSU OUTLOOK A7er another back-and-forth year with Jon Gin- grich, it was Lawson who secured the starting spot late in the season for a second career trip to the NCAA tour- ney. Lawson went 1-2 in 2013, but if he opens his o6ensive attacks, All- America status is within reach this time around. FRONT OF THE CLASS Nick Gwiazdowski* (North Carolina State), Bobby Telford (Iowa), Mike McMullan (Northwestern), Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) * Returning NCAA champion COLUMBUS, Ohio – It's no coincidence that the past eight Big Ten tournament champions have gone on to win NCAA titles a couple weeks later. With 86 guaranteed qualifying spots, more than any other conference in the country, the Big Ten is wrestling's reigning superpower. Some liken it to the SEC in football; others say the Southeastern Con- ference can only dream of dominating the gridiron the way the Big Ten dominates wrestling mats. So with Iowa and tournament host Ohio State 5nishing as co-champions earlier this month at St. John Arena, each scoring 120 points, history suggests that either the Hawkeyes or Buckeyes will lay claim to the national championship when the nation's best converge on the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Not so fast. Despite 5nishing third at Big Tens with BIG MAC McIn- tosh won the Lions' only title at Big Tens. Photo by Cameron Hart Fifth at Big Tens, Lions move forward Its showing at the league tourney was a mixed bag, but PSU knows how to prepare for NCAAs