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do well in duals. A lot of duals are sub- ject to matchups, and these guys did a great job because it seems like the last eight weeks it was tough team [after] tough team. It takes a lot of strength and character to be able to continue to step up and wrestle well and not to have a bad match here or a bad match there, so it's really a testament to these guys." The dual meet victory against a storied Cowboy program didn't just add to Sanderson's lengthy resume; it also served as the home send-off to those three senior starters. For the first time since they arrived at Penn State, due to alternating redshirt years, Megaludis, Conaway and McIntosh were in the starting lineup for a full regular season. And for the first time under Sanderson, PSU finished unbeaten. Coincidence? Unlikely. For Sanderson, it was a unique way to fulfill the plan he discussed during his first days on the job. At last, with the pieces in place, he accomplished anoth- er feat that had previously eluded him, and he did it with Megaludis, Conaway and McIntosh personifying the three athletic tiers upon which his program has been built. A three-time state champ from Franklin Regional, Megaludis could have gone anywhere he wanted but commit- ted to Penn State about as early as possi- ble. Now in his fifth year at PSU, just a few hours from home, three All-America citations, two national final appearances and a redshirt later, Megaludis capped his days in Rec Hall by pinning Oklaho- ma State's Eddie Klimara during a neu- tral scramble at 125 pounds. Then he lifted his hands to the crowd, pumped his fists, flexed his biceps, savoring the final few moments of his stay. Conaway, an Abbottstown, Pa., native and state champ at New Oxford who had signed to wrestle for Liberty University before it cut its program, earned an 8-4 win over Gary Wayne Harding of Okla- homa State at 133. Afterward he re- counted the path that he's traveled, one that so many of his fellow walk-ons hope to one day emulate. "It's been awesome," he said. "I was going to Liberty and then they dropped the program, and I decided I was going to come here. I'm just grateful for the opportunity to wrestle here. … I wasn't a huge recruit, I guess. I walked on. It's definitely cool to be a part of this pro- gram." And then there's McIntosh, who flew across the country nearly five years ago from Acton, Calif., as the unanimous No. 1 recruit in the country, carving the path for other national recruits, like Bo Nickal and Nick Nevills, to travel a long distance for their college careers. Against Oklahoma State, McIntosh pinned Andrew Mardsen at 197 in the first period. The match lasted less than two minutes, but that was long enough to wave goodbye to the sold-out audi- ence. Another curtain is set to be drawn on three storybook PSU careers, but as McIntosh was quick to point out after the win against the Cowboys, now isn't the time to nostalgically reflect on the past five years. There are still goals to be accomplished. All three already own All- America citations. For them, only an in- dividual NCAA championship has been left unrealized. If they help lift the top-ranked Nittany Lions to another team title while reach- ing the highest step of the podium, their success will further symbolize the effec- tiveness of the three-pillar system that Sanderson put into action soon after ar- riving at Penn State. Like a proud father, or perhaps older sibling, or even the architect of a master plan gone right, Sanderson sat at the table in the front of Rec Hall's media room following his team's win over Oklahoma State. Megaludis sat to his right, Conaway and McIntosh to his left. More than halfway through the post- match press conference, Sanderson was asked to encapsulate the careers of the three student-athletes seated next to him, and what they have meant to his program. Sanderson grinned, looked at his wrestlers and then out into the room of reporters before asking, "Well, how much time have we got?" ■ 111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S

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