By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
If you’re a boy in the Sanderson family of Heber, Utah, this is how the family plan goes: You win a lot of wrestling matches, you sign with Iowa State — and you wrestle in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic.
Cyler Sanderson, a senior at Wasatch High School in Heber, Utah, will be the fourth brother from his family to wrestle in the 31st annual Classic March 26 at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House. Sanderson will wrestle for the U.S. All-Stars against the Pennsylvania All-Stars in the feature match at 7:30 p.m. Western Pennsylvania will meet New York in the first match at 5:30.
“The Dapper Dan is one of the nicest events that we have encountered, “said Sanderson’s father, Steve. “It’s an event you like to be part of.”
Cyler Sanderson was a three-time state champion and won the 140-pound weight class this season. His career record was 163-8.
Sanderson’s older brothers are Cody, Cole and Cael Sanderson, and all wrestled for the U.S. team in the Classic. Cody, 28, is the oldest. Cyler is 18.
You might have heard of Cael. He won an Olympic gold medal last summer. Cael is now an assistant coach at Iowa State and Cyler has signed with the school. Cole and Cody also wrestled at Iowa State.
Sanderson’s father wrestled at Brigham Young: “But what we did back in the mid-70s I don’t think was really considered wrestling.”
Cyler is the last of the Sanderson boys.
“They all have their different styles and Cyler is different than all of them, “Steve Sanderson said. “It’s kind of funny because it’s hard to explain all their styles. Cody had a real technical style. Cole used a little more of a bruiser style. He pounded people. Cael survived between those two styles. Then Cyler got a chance to get a mix of everybody’s style. He has a fun style to
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