Nick Lee simply hasn’t lost since March 7, 2021.

Penn State wrestling’s fifth-year star could have potentially been a Big Ten champion last season if it weren’t for his 6-5 loss by decision to No. 1 Jayden Eierman of Iowa in a 141-pound semifinal matchup. However, despite not being a Big Ten champion last season, everyone knows what eventually happened. Lee came back to face Eierman in the 141-pound national championship bout in St. Louis to become a national champion.

Penn State wrestling has become a household name for success, and Lee is unsurprisingly no exception. This Sunday, when the Nittany Lions take on Rider, Lee will wrestle his final bout at Rec Hall for the Nittany Lions.

An always honest head coach, Cael Sanderson says he’s sad to see guys like Lee go.

“I heard you say earlier that this is the last time we will see Nick in Rec Hall. I don’t want to hear that,” Sanderson joked.

While Lee still has a lot to try and accomplish at Penn State, the end of his collegiate career is inching closer and closer. An Indiana native, Lee has accomplished a great deal since he was a state champion in high school, and his prep career’s success directly helped him thrive in Happy Valley since arriving in 2017.

“He has a great attitude, and he was someone that stepped in for us as a true freshman and was an all-American when we needed points,” Sanderson said. “He battled back after losing in his first round of nationals to winning nationals last year. There aren’t a lot of ‘Nick Lee’ type of wrestlers out there.”

Sanderson also praised Lee for being consistent in his leadership since his early days as a Nittany Lion.

Nick Lee: still really good pic.twitter.com/3ehiZDdPlj

— Onward State (@OnwardState) January 21, 2022

In Lee’s time at Penn State, the team has sustained dynastic levels of success. The Nittany Lions have won two team national championships in Lee’s time and hope for a third.

“It has been a really good time,” Lee said. “We have had a lot of competitive duals and a couple of national championships definitely successful, but it flew by. It flew by too fast.”

Lee and Penn State will try to bring home more hardware through individual championships in the postseason. As always, though, the ultimate goal is another team title.

The Nittany Lions will host Rider on Saturday, February 20, to wrap up their regular-season slate. The two teams will hit the mat at Rec Hall at 2 p.m.