Mar 21, 2017 2 min read

Gavin Teasdale had one more reversal left in him this season.

The three-time undefeated state champion from Jefferson-Morgan decommitted from Iowa and will instead attend Penn State University when he graduates in June of 2018.

The 18-year-old junior posted on his Twitter account: “After a long and hard consideration I’m proud to announce I will be attending Penn State University! #Weare.”

Originally, Teasdale and Spencer Lee of Franklin Regional made a joint commit to the Hawkeyes last April. Circumstances changed somewhat when Lee was defeated by Austin DeSanto of Exeter in the state Class AAA 126-pound finals in Hershey March 11. Lee announced after the first loss of his career that he was wrestling with a torn ACL, putting into question whether he would wrestle his freshman season at Iowa.

Penn State is coming off its sixth NCAA team title and had five wrestlers win individual titles in St. Louis. The Nittany Lions are coached by the legendary Cael Sanderson, who made a strong effort to recruit Teasdale.

Teasdale just won his third straight PIAA Class AA championship and capped another undefeated season earlier this month in Hershey.

He joined one of the elite groups in PIAA history and appears a lock to become the next four-time champion.

Teasdale raised his record to 40-0 for the season and 122-0 overall. Teasdale joined the likes of George Custer of Canonsburg, Coleman Scott of Waynesburg and Manuel Pihakis of Canonsburg in the group of three-timers. Teasdale and Custer, who went 76-0, are the only undefeated wrestlers in this group.

Teasdale is tracking the same path another Jefferson-Morgan great, Cary Kolat, took on the way to four undefeated seasons and four state titles. Kolat went 137-0 while compiling his four titles and becoming the seventh four-timer in 1992.

Teasdale, the No. 2 recruit for the class of 2018 has won Fargo titles and made multiple Cadet World teams. The Nittany Lions already have commitments from No. 3 Travis Wittlake and No. 4 Roman Bravo-Young.