Hayden Cunningham grew up in State College, Pennsylvania, surrounded by Penn State wrestling.

In this interview, Hayden talks about growing up around the Penn State wrestling room, watching the dynasty develop, learning from the way the coaches adapted to every athlete, and fighting through years of injuries in high school and college.

After missing key recruiting years and not having the flashiest high school career, Hayden kept believing in himself. Then, after the Pennsylvania state tournament, Cael Sanderson sent him a message that gave him hope: Penn State believed in him.

Now healthy and ready to compete at 141, Hayden Cunningham shares his path to Penn State, what it meant to grow up around the program, and why he’s excited to finally get more opportunities on the mat.

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Hayden Cunningham

0:07 Growing Up in a Big Sports Family

0:30 How Hayden First Got Into Wrestling

0:52 Watching Penn State’s Dynasty Grow

1:12 Earliest Memories in the Wrestling Room

1:30 Battling Injuries in High School and College

1:56 Always Dreaming of Penn State

2:12 Finally Getting Healthy Senior Year

2:50 The Text From Cael Sanderson

3:58 Healthy and Ready

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