Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/672796
enn State had just beaten Ohio State in a midseason dual when Buckeye head coach Tom Ryan dropped the ultimate praise bomb. Having watched his team fall, 24-14, to an opponent that featured a couple of the best freshman wrestlers in the country, Ryan acknowledged that if his Buckeyes were to repeat as national champions, or even to win another title in the foreseeable future, they would be forced to go through the Nittany Lions. That much was obvious. With young talent stockpiled and a long line of blue-chip recruits waiting at the door, Cael Sanderson's team was set up to become a force for years to come, a fact that Ryan acknowledged when he told Jim Carlson of PennLive.com, "I would go on record as saying hiring Cael was the great- est hire of any institution in the history of college sports." Fewer than two months later, Penn State reclaimed the crown from Ohio State and did so with the help of three national 0- nalists who have a combined eight years of remaining eligibility and have shown no signs of slowing down. Looking ahead, Penn State loses three starters to graduation, including national champion Nico Megaludis (125 pounds), All-American Jordan Conaway (133) and 0nalist Morgan McIntosh (197). Their exits will deprive the Lions of leadership and talent, but it appears as though the wrestlers Sanderson will need in order to 0ll the gaps are already in place or are set to arrive this summer. The speci0cs, how- ever, are far from determined and will likely be the subject of message board WRESTLING WEIGHT AND SEE P For talent-laden Lions, position battles loom at several classes TITLE WINNER Retherford will be back in action at 149, but elsewhere the Lions figure to stage some fierce competitions. Photo by Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics |