Jan. 22, 2015
By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - At the beginning of the 2014-'15 season, Penn State wrestler Garett Hammond had quite the task on his hands.
As if stepping into a starting role for the four-time defending national champion Nittany Lions wasn't difficult enough, the redshirt freshman was also replacing four-time All-American and two-time individual national champion David Taylor in the lineup.
Now just past the halfway point in his first year as a starter, Hammond has responded to the challenge well. Though he is not undefeated as Taylor was during his first regular season, the 165-pounder is second on the team with 18 wins and is 6-3 in duals after winning twice this past weekend.
"I've had some great experiences so far," Hammond said. "I think I'm doing a lot better than I was at the beginning of the season. I can tell a big difference, I'm getting more comfortable out there and a lot of it is my mentality and my confidence in myself. Working with the coaches and working with other teammates to get better."
Hammond knows the comparisons to his predecessor are inevitable, but it's not something he's really focused on. After all, he was well aware of the situation he was entering when he enrolled at Penn State prior to last season.
Like every wrestler who joins head coach Cael Sanderson's program, Hammond was excited about the chance to compete at a school with sky-high expectations every year. With his weight having been in the 150s in high school, the former Chambersburg High star knew there was a strong possibility he would be the next 165-pound starter once Taylor graduated.
"With a team like this, you're going to have good guys at every single weight," Hammond said. "[Three-time national champion] Ed Ruth graduated last year, he's also very good. We won four national titles the past four seasons so there's obviously going to be a lot of good guys coming through the program."
Like most first-year starters, Hammond has had his fair share of learning to do now that he's facing Big Ten competition for the first time.
Although he dropped his first two duals in January against Indiana and Ohio State, he battled back with an impressive showing last weekend, majoring Nick Visicaro of Rutgers 13-4 and beating Pat Robinson of Purdue 16-11 in a match that turned the momentum for the Nittany Lions in a 26-9 win.
For Hammond, improving his confidence has been just as key as strengthening his technique. While he went 29-7 in open tournaments last year as a redshirt, he still had to adjust to being someone the team relied on in key situations.
"Last year, I just made a decision where I could make a slow adjustment," Hammond said. "I had a whole year to focus on wrestling open tournaments, I didn't have as much pressure on myself. Time is limited now, I don't give myself a year to get better, I focus on the next week and making sure I make the big improvements."
Luckily, the new starter has had plenty of experienced sparring partners to help him with his development. Among that group is Taylor, who still frequently trains in Rec Hall as a member of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, and Matt Brown, the team's senior captain and two-time All-American at the 174-pound weight.
"Yeah, it's a complete turnaround from last year," Brown said of Hammond. "He's was fresh, new coming out of high school. Now he's a competitive partner. We go probably once a week and I can see that growth in him."
Growing up just two hours away from State College, the Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, native competed in tournaments at Penn State as a kid and always wanted to be a part of the school's wrestling tradition.
He knows that expectations of him will only grow from here, and he's perfectly fine with that. Although his career is just beginning, Hammond hopes to leave a legacy that the next Penn State 165-pounder will want to live up to.
"You just kind of realize, they're (Taylor and Ruth) just people too, just like everyone on the team," Hammond said. "I mean, you work hard and make that decision to win, and big part of it is mentality and confidence in yourself and it's starting to rub off a little bit."
Nittany Lions Gearing Up For Match Against Gophers Since Cael Sanderson took over as head coach in 2009, the Nittany Lions have had their share of challenging matches on their way to four straight national titles.
This Sunday, they'll have perhaps their toughest test of the season, when No. 2 Minnesota comes to Rec Hall.
The Gophers, who are led by three-time national championship coach J Robinson, boast a lineup that features eight ranked wrestlers, not to mention three (133-pounder Chris Dardanes, 157-pounder Dylan Ness and 197-Pounder Scott Schiller) ranked first at their weight.
While the Nittany Lions haven't beaten the Gophers in a dual meet during Sanderson's tenure (going 0-3-1), they have gotten the best of them at both the conference and national tournaments the past four years. Still, Sanderson remains focused on the present task at hand.
"They've just been real strong," Sanderson said. "They're a good dual meet team, a lot of depth, solid, a tough group of kids, a tough staff, just tough people. We like our chances with any team, but again it comes down to, you've gotta choose to be tough, choose to score those points and keep wrestling and do all those things that bring success."
One match that will be especially intriguing is the 174-pound contest, where Penn State's Matt Brown (No. 4, two-time All-American) will take on Minnesota's Logan Storley (No.3, three-time All-American) for the eighth time in their respective careers.
The two faced off four times last season, with Brown winning at the Southern Scuffle and the Big Ten Championships and Storley taking the bouts at the dual meet and the NCAA Tournament. Overall, Brown is 4-3 against the Gopher grappler.
"Has it really been that many times?" Brown said with a smile. "I think we're pretty familiar with each other, but every time the whistle blows it's a new match. I'm gonna try to wrestle my match regardless of what he's trying to do."