Teasdale to transfer from Penn State
Marc Billett/ For the Observer-Reporter
Former Jefferson-Morgan standout Gavin Teasdale
Observer-Reporter
Gavin Teasdale, a four-time PIAA champion from Jefferson-Morgan High School, will transfer from Penn State.
Gavin Teasdale is on the move again.
The four-time PIAA Class AA champion from Jefferson-Morgan High School is transferring from Penn State.
Nittany Lions head coach Cael Sanderson made the announcement during his weekly media conference Tuesday afternoon.
“Gavin is not going to be on our team; he’s being removed from the roster right now,” Sanderson told Pennlive. “Don’t expect to see Gavin. We obviously wish him well and expect him to transfer.”
Sanderson said the decision was made over the last two days. Teasdale’s name was removed from the Penn State roster.
“Those are just decisions and different things that we’ll have to look at moving forward,” Sanderson said of the 125-pound freshman. “But we have some good kids in the program and we have some good kids coming in.
“We care a lot about Gavin and wish him all the best. We’ll try to help him land somewhere, whatever we can do for him. There are a lot of changes and moving parts in college athletics and this is just another example of that.”
Teasdale was unavailable for comment.
Sophomore Devin Schnupp (5-9) has been the starter at 125 pounds for Penn State but Sanderson has another four-time champion, Brody Teske, available. Sanderson hoped to red-shirt Teske. Penn State has a commitment from another top 125-pounder, Robert Howard of Bergen County, ranked No. 1 in the country by FloWrestling.
Teasdale and his good friend Spencer Lee committed to the University of Iowa last March. Teasdale changed his mind a few weeks later and picked Penn State. Teasdale never took the mat as a Nittany Lion.
He tweeted in November that he was leaving Penn State to deal with some health issues but planned to return in January. It was the second time in five months Teasdale dealt with a health problem. Over the summer, Teasdale was struggling with his weight while preparing to wrestle in an open event in Las Vegas. His weight-loss activities caused dehydration and he needed a short hospital stay to recover.
Teasdale was reinstated in December and was supposed to compete in the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn., in early January but scratched. He was entered in the Shorty Hitchcock Memorial Open at Millersville University Saturday, Jan. 12 but scratched from that event, too.
Teasdale was not in the starting lineup for the Nittany Lions in their season-opening victory over Kent State, leading to speculation that he might be red-shirted.
If Teasdale prefers to stay closer to home then Pitt and West Virginia are possible landing spots.
Teasdale became the 13th wrestler in PIAA history to win four titles when he won a 2-0 decision over Josh Jones of Saucon Valley at the Giant Center in March.
The other four-time champions are James Conklin of Waynesburg (70-0-1, 1940-43), Jerry Maurey of Clearfield (67-0, 1947-50), Mike Johnson of Lock Haven (84-0, 1958-610, Matt Gerhard of Catasaqua (127-3, 1981-84), Ty Moore of North Allegheny (146-1, 1987-90), John Hughes of Benton (142-2-1, 1988-91), Cary Kolat of Jefferson-Morgan (137-0, 1989-92), Bob Crawford of Milton (138-2, 1990-93), Jeremy Hunter of McGuffey (172-2, 1993-96), Jim Gulibon of Derry (136-4, 2009-13), Chance Marsteller of Kennard Dale (166-0, 2011-14) and Thomas Haines of Solanco (174-5, 2011-14).