Heavyweight Kerry McCoy and 142-pounder John Hughes each won individual wrestling titles and Clint Musser placed eighth at the Midlands Tournament held at Northwestern University Dec. 29-30. The event attracted the nation's top amateur wrestlers.

In a rematch of the NCAA heavyweight title match last year, McCoy wrestled Northern Iowa's Justin Greenlee for the Midlands title. And just like the confrontation last year, Penn State's junior heavyweight left the mat with his hand raised.

"I think I wrestled well," McCoy said. "I moved really well and felt really comfortable. I'm right where I need to be. It was nice to win."

McCoy, who hasn't lost a match since his freshman year, won five matches during the two-day event.

"Kerry had a real good tournament," Coach John Fritz said.

As did Hughes.

The redshirt junior from Benton, who finished seventh at 142 pounds during last year's NCAA Championships, had an excellent tournament.

"John wrestled real intense," Fritz said.

Musser, a freshman, was the third Nittany Lion wrestler to place.

"I was happy with placing," he said. "The first day I was happy with the way I wrestled, but the second day I was flat.

"It was great competition -- the best I could hope to face," Musser added.

And nothing drives him more than his own teammates. Each day Musser sees the likes of McCoy and Hughes during practice.

"It's great to have those guys in the (wrestling) room," the freshman said. "I wrestle John everyday, and Kerry is probably the best wrestler in the country right now."