State College, Pa., Aug. 11, 2003 - Penn State head wrestling coach   Troy Sunderland announced today the addition of Nittany Lion NCAA   champion John Hughes and Iowa All-American Gabe McMahan to the   wrestling program. Hughes will serve as a coaching assistant and   McMahan will be a graduate administrative assistant.    Hughes, a three-time All-American and 1995 NCAA Champion   (142) at Penn State, will fill the position left open by the   departure of Sammie Henson. Hughes, who earned a bachelor's degree in   landscape contracting from Penn State in 2002, has served as the head   coach for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club since 2001 working closely   both with the Penn State team and community wrestlers during that   time. He also has served as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh   Wrestling Club (2000-2001) and worked as an environmental technician   for Groundwater and Environmental Services, Inc.    "We conducted an extensive search for a candidate to fill our   coaching assistant position and found the best man for the job in our   own back yard," Sunderland said.    Hughes ranks among the most successful wrestlers in the long   history of Pennsylvania wrestling and the Penn State program. He won   four PIAA State Championships at Benton High School, becoming at the   time just the seventh wrestler to accomplish the feat in state   history. He went on to become one of 17 men to earn All-America   honors three or more times at Penn State, reaching the NCAA finals   twice during his career. He competed in four NCAA Tournaments helping   to Penn State to four top five team finishes, including third place   finishes in 1992 and 1994.    Hughes won a Big Ten Championship in 1995 and ranks seventh   all-time at Penn State with 121 wins. He also won a gold medal at the   1994 Pan Am Games and was a 1994 University Freestyle National   Champion.    McMahan joins the program as a graduate administrative   assistant. A three-time Alaska state champion, he was a four-year   starter for Iowa helping the Hawkeyes to three NCAA titles and one   runner-up finish. A four-time NCAA qualifier, he earned All-America   honors in 2001 with a sixth place finish at 174 pounds. He posted 92   wins on his career and three, top three finishes at the Big Ten   Championships, including reaching the finals on two occasions.    McMahan earned his bachelor's degree in biology from Iowa in   2001 and a secondary teaching certification from the University of   Alaska Fairbanks from Jan. 2002-May 2003. He taught elementary,   junior high and high school classes at Slana School in Slana, Alaska   from 2002-2003 and was the founder and director of The Alaska Camp, a   premiere camp in the state.