Cheers rained down as Cyler Sanderson walked onto the mat Friday to be honored during Senior Night before Penn State's dual meet against Michigan State.
Though the senior 157-pounder has only been a member of the Nittany Lion wrestling team for one season, he said the fans have made it feel much longer.
On Friday night, Sanderson made sure to give something to the more than 4,000 Rec Hall fans in return for their enthusiasm.
The senior transfer thanked his supporters with his performance on the mat, notching his fourth-straight pin -- this time against the Spartans' Anthony Jones -- to help the Lions (13-5-1, 5-2 Big Ten) to a 26-12 victory over Michigan State (8-6-1, 2-4).
After his pin put the Lions up 17-6, Sanderson waved in several directions to the crowd as he jogged off the mat. Sanderson said it's just his way of trying to thank the fans for their encouragement.
"I'm never going to be able to meet all of the people that were here and have supported me and personally thank all of them," Sanderson said. "So, I try to thank them in any way that I can. I try to wave and just say thanks for the support and thanks for coming out."
Sanderson built a 6-0 lead in his bout with Jones after securing a takedown and two sets of near fall points. The Lion 157-pounder was then able to get Jones in a cradle to get the pin at the 2:28 mark.
Fellow senior, 141-pounder Adam Lynch has been impressed with Sanderson's recent success.
"He's definitely been getting that cradle," Lynch said. "He's had the last four or five guys in a cradle. It's pretty cool."
Other than the first pin of the streak -- which occurred at 6:49 against Wisconsin's Greg Burke -- Sanderson's pins have come fairly quickly. Each of the last three pins has occurred within the first period of the bouts.
Though he's experiencing the hottest stretch of his career, Sanderson said he's just looking to score as many points as possible.
"Hopefully, I can keep rolling," Sanderson said. "It feels great to get a pin. I know a lot of the crowd likes it, so I want to make them happy."
