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Penn State Wrestling’s top 25 dual meets in the Cael Sanderson era

By Chris Snyder

STATE COLLEGE, PA - JANUARY 31: A view of the sell out crowd during a match between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan Wolverines on January 31, 2016 at Recreation Hall on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State won 35-7. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - JANUARY 31: A view of the sell out crowd during a match between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan Wolverines on January 31, 2016 at Recreation Hall on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State won 35-7. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /
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Jimmy Lawson of the Penn State Nittany Lions  (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

No. 21

December 19, 2014
University Park, PA
No. 9 Virginia Tech 15, No. 5 Penn State 20

On the heels of winning four straight NCAA titles between 2011 and 2014, the 2014-2015 Penn State Wrestling squad was certainly the definition of “a rebuilding year” as they struggled to maintain the level of excellence Sanderson had instilled in State College in his short tenure.

But hey, not having Zain Retherford, Ed Ruth, and David Taylor on your roster might have had something to do with that.

The No. 5 ranked Nittany Lions had already dispatched of Lehigh, Pittsburgh, Clarion, and Maryland on the young 2014-2015 season as the No. 9 ranked Hokies came to town.

The dual meet featured 11 ranked wrestlers, three ranked matchups, and several lead changes throughout the course of the match.

Things got started at 125 where No. 10 Jordan Conaway (PSU) upset No. 5 Joey Dance (VT) in a back and forth 7-5 decision to put Penn State Wrestling on the board early 3-0.

No. 5 Jimmy Gulibon (PSU) then added to the lead by crusing to a 9-4 decision over No. 19 Kevin Norstrem (VT) and Penn State build a 6-0 lead over Virginia Tech.

This was short lived as No. 3 Devin Carter (VT) pinned Michael Waters (PSU) and Sal Mastriani (VT) upset No. 13 Jack Beitz (PSU) in a decision to give Virginia Tech the lead 9-6.

At 157, Cody Law (PSU) won a hard fought decision over David Wesley (VT) and in the following match at 165, Garett Hammond (PSU) won a tech fall over Chris Moon (VT) to give the Nittany Lions back the lead at 14-9.

But Virginia Tech wasn’t finished. Earning back-to-back upset decisions, they again took the lead 15-14 going into the final two matches of the evening.

At 197, No. 4 Morgan McIntosh (PSU) won a 5-0 decision over Jared Haught (VT) and again, Penn State took the lead 17-15 with one match remaining.

In an incredible match at 285, Jimmy Lawson (PSU) stunned No. 5 Ty Walz (VT) in a 5-3 SV win, clinching the dual meet for Penn State 20-15.

The 2014-2015 Penn State squad went on to finish 5th in the B1G Championship and 6th in the NCAA Championships, but their dual meet against Virginia Tech was certainly one to remember.

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