How State College wrestler — and Penn State commit — Asher Cunningham won his 1st PIAA title

The final seconds ticked off the clock Saturday evening and Ryan Cummins and Asher Cunningham shared a similar expression. Cunningham looked on stoically — the same look he had when his arm was raised — with Cummins clapping while looking on behind him.

The State College wrestler had just won the 160-pound PIAA Class 3A Individual Wrestling Championship — the first state title of his career.

Yet, he did not immediately crack a smile.

“I just knew I was going to win anyway,” Cunningham said in a phone interview. “There’s no need to celebrate if you already know you’re gonna win. I knew I was gonna win, and once I won, it wasn’t a surprise so I got my hand raised and walked off.”

The junior’s confidence in his ability stemmed from his preparation, and has him on track to continue making an impact with State High wrestling.

State College head coach Ryan Cummins said the accomplishment can set the tone for other wrestlers who are coming up through the program.

“Anytime you have a guy win states, it’s a huge accomplishment,” Cummins said in a phone interview. “It’s certainly a testament to the time the kid has put in. ... It’s great all the way around. Especially for the younger kids coming up through the program. It’s something to shoot for. You see these guys coming up ahead of you, accomplishing these things. And they know they can do the same thing.”

Cunningham, who is committed to Penn State and is the son of the program’s head assistant coach Casey Cunningham, defeated Central Dauphin’s Ryan Garvick by decision, 2-0, in a tightly contested bout that went into the third period tied.

The Little Lion was then able to break the scoreless tie by doing what his opponent couldn’t and completing a reversal, earning his two points and ultimately his state title.

The Little Lion rode out Garvick in the period prior to keep him scoreless, but there were tenuous moments — like when Garvick nearly reversed Cunningham. But the junior knew once he completed the rideout that he had the bout in the bag.

“I knew if he was gonna try to ride me, then I was gonna win that match,” Cunningham said. “... After that rideout I felt confident I was gonna win that match.”

Cunningham’s first state title came in his third appearance at states and at his third different weight class. He wrestled at 120 pounds as a freshman when he finished eighth and at 145 pounds last year when he finished fourth.

His trajectory as a wrestler has aligned with his growth, continually moving upward as he continues to get bigger and stronger.

“We knew when he was coming in that he was a special kid and that he would be successful,” Cummins said. “He just had to get there on his own terms. ... We figured eventually he would be a kid that could be a state champ. And it’s great to see him do it now as a junior. And be able to come back senior year and go for it again.”

His work ethic and natural growth have pushed the Little Lion forward to this moment. He’s had to adapt to new wrestlers at new classes every year of high school. On some level, that can be difficult because of everything that comes with growing — the weight change and the body change — but it can also prove to be helpful.

“It definitely changed a lot in my wrestling,” Cunningham said. “It also takes a lot of time to adjust to the weight, but I feel like my strength is there, my speed and everything was there.”

Cunningham’s improvement has led him to the mountaintop for a Pennsylvania high school wrestler. He’s won a state title and proven he’s the best in arguably the best wrestling state in the country.

But that doesn’t mean that he’s done. The junior is on the lookout for more challenges. That could end up meaning taking his next shot at a title at an even heavier weight.

“I’m thinking about moving up again, another weight class, so we’ll see what happens next year,” Cunningham said. “... I’ve just got to go win another state title and just do better than I did this year. That’s all I’m focused on — getting better.”