Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/94528
LEAP FROM PREVIOUS PAGE that he will be able to fine-tune his game in time for the postsea- son. Meanwhile, he's tested in the practice room almost every day by head coach Cael Sanderson, assistant Casey Cunningham and resident Jake Varner, who won an Olympic gold medal at the 211.5-pound weight class in Au- gust. He said those battles are helping him prepare for heavier opponents. "I have to get in the flow, see how people wrestle, how they react [at 197]," said Wright, a graduate of Bald Eagle High in Wingate, Pa. "They're not going to react the same way as the guys [did] down at 84, but I've been wrestling with bigger guys in the practice room so I've kind of adjusted to it as much as I can. I just have to go out there and wrestle my match and push the pace." While the jump in weight can present new challenges, it also af- fords the wrestlers more flexibility for weigh-ins, meaning the last- minute weight-cuts won't be nearly as draining. Ruth said he already noticed that he has more energy at the new weight class, which is a scary thought for the rest of the Big Ten. "Usually when you go up a weight class, your body is more willing to let go of water weight," Ruth ex- plained. "When you're down [in weight], your body just holds on to every drop of water that you have in your body, and it's so hard to get those last couple of ounces off, especially when you're [weighing] in right before the match." But he said that should no longer be the case at 184. Ruth wrestled his first match at 184 in June, an exhibition against Lehigh's two-time All-American Robert Hamlin at the 2012 Adam Frey Classic. Ruth used three takedowns, an escape and a rid- ing-time point to claim an 8-2 vic- tory. PSU nabs two in-state recruits Penn State continues its strong re- cruiting haul for the Class of 2013, having recently gained commitments from two more of Pennsylvania's top high school wrestlers. Cody Law of Forest Hills in Sidman selected Penn State in late October after visiting campus for the football game against Ohio State. Just a few days later, Chambersburg's Garrett Hammond followed suit, verbally com- mitting to the Nittany Lions. Law is ranked 14th nationally at 160 pounds by FloWrestling.com and finished as a runner-up in Class AA a year ago. Hammond was a Class AAA state champion at 145 pounds in 2012, and he's considered the No. 58-ranked senior in this year's recruiting cycle by IntermatWrestle.com. "It's like a dream come true, honest- ly," Law told The (Johnstown) Trib- une-Democrat. "A year or two ago, I never would have thought I'd be wrestling for Penn State." Law chose Penn State over Pitt-John- stown, a powerhouse Division II wrestling program, and he also received interest from Clarion, Old Dominion and Lehigh. Hammond reportedly had offers from Maryland, Northwestern and Drexel. Law and Hammond join two other recruits who have committed to Penn State in this recruiting cycle: Kiski Area's Matt McCutcheon (184) and Benton's Zain Retherford (141), the seventh-best overall recruit in the country. All four of coach Cael Sander- son's recruits hail from Pennsylvania.