Norwin junior Landon Sidun said his dream while growing up was to wrestle for Penn State.

Now, one of the top high school wrestlers in the nation will realize that dream.

Sidun, who is ranked first nationally at 120 pounds, pledged his commitment to Penn State, widely regarded as the No. 1 wrestling program in the country.

"It means a lot to me," Sidun said of committing to the Nittany Lions program. "I put a lot of work in all my life. To me, it feels like such a blessing now. I can't believe I'm going to be the guy wrestling at Penn State. I had to work for the dream but I wouldn't want it any other way."

"The recruitment process was very fun getting to meet with everyone. But I am happy that it is over and excited to see where I’m going.”

Sidun acclimated himself to the program early on in the process at Penn State. Once he went on his visit, he got to see the full experience in Happy Valley, from the dining halls to the attention that comes with being a Division I student-athlete.

“They love wrestling up there,” he added. “Riding around on the golf cart, we couldn’t stop at a stop sign without people taking pictures of the wrestling team.”

Although he is enjoying the rock star attention, he doesn’t forget how he got to this point. The talent level in the Western PA area for wrestling is ultra-high, and Sidun feels that has helped him grow his skills from an early age.

One person he's leaned on as a mentor is former Norwin wrestler Kurtis Phipps who recently wrapped up his collegiate career at Bucknell.

“I love when Kurt comes home in the summer,” he noted. “He’s helped me grow over the summers. He’s a great human being.”

After joining Phipps as the only two Norwin wrestlers to claim state championships, Sidun is focused getting back on top in Hershey. To do so, he must rebound from a hand injury he suffered last year which kept him out of postseason individual competition.

“I’d be lying to you if it didn’t sting,” he divulged. “But I was very happy with how my season went. I really wanted that state title, but things happen for a reason.”

With recovery behind him, he will begin his journey to capturing another state crown in the coming months. In the meantime, he will be making his return to the mat in the upcoming Who’s Number One Tournament in Iowa.

“I’m not nervous,” he shared. “It’s more excitement. I love competing, I love the sport and I’m excited that it’ll be game time again soon.”

With the baton passed from Phipps to Sidun, he wants to make sure he can continue to carry the torch in the coming seasons for the Knights before he heads to Happy Valley.

“I hope I give a good example to the younger kids of what it takes to put the work in,” he discussed. “You have to be a good person off the mat to be a good person on the mat.”