Cael Sanderson Siblings: All About Cyler, Cody and Cole Sanderson

Cael Norman Sanderson, born on June 20, 1979, in Salt Lake City, Utah, stands as one of the most legendary figures in American wrestling history.

Raised in Heber City by his parents, Steve and Debbie Sanderson, Cael grew up in a family deeply immersed in the sport, with his father serving as a former wrestler at Brigham Young University and later as his high school coach.

From an early age, Sanderson displayed an extraordinary talent and composure on the mat, qualities that would define his unparalleled career.

A devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he balanced intense athletic pursuits with a grounded personal life, marrying Kelly Sanderson in 2002 and raising two sons, Tate and Teag.

Today, at 46 years old, Sanderson continues to shape the sport as the head coach of Penn State’s Nittany Lions wrestling team.

Siblings

As the third-oldest, Cael followed in the footsteps of his older brothers Cody and Cole, while his younger brother Cyler carried the family legacy forward.

Cody Sanderson, the eldest, was a standout at Iowa State University, where he wrestled from 1996 to 2000, compiling 116 career wins and reaching the NCAA finals twice at 133 pounds as a two-time All-American.

After his competitive days, Cody transitioned into coaching, serving as associate head coach at Iowa State during Cael’s tenure there and later joining him at Penn State, where he has been instrumental in securing multiple national titles.

Cole Sanderson, the second-oldest, also competed for Iowa State, qualifying for the NCAA Championships four times and earning a third-place finish in 2000, showcasing the family’s depth of talent.

The youngest, Cyler Sanderson, born in 1986, wrestled at Iowa State before transferring to Penn State in 2009 to train under Cael; he became a two-time All-American, winning the Big Ten title at 157 pounds in 2010.

Career

Sanderson’s wrestling career began under his father’s guidance at Wasatch High School, where he dominated with a 127-3 record and secured four consecutive Utah state championships from 1994 to 1997.

Choosing to follow his brothers to Iowa State University, he redshirted his first year but quickly ascended to stardom, embarking on a historic undefeated streak that spanned his entire collegiate tenure from 1998 to 2002.

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Wrestling primarily at 184 pounds before moving to 197 in his senior year, Sanderson posted perfect seasons of 39-0, 40-0, 40-0, and 40-0, becoming the only wrestler in NCAA Division I history to go undefeated over 100 matches with a final tally of 159-0.

His college dominance extended to the international stage, where he earned bronze at the 1994 Cadet World Championships, gold at the 2000 University World Championships, silver at the 2003 World Championships, and bronze at the 2003 Pan American Games.

The pinnacle came in 2004 at the Athens Olympics, where he captured gold in the 84 kg freestyle division, defeating South Korea’s Moon Eui-jae 3-1 in the final after navigating a tough bracket that included a semifinal win over Cuba’s Yoel Romero.

Retiring from competition after the Olympics, Sanderson pivoted to coaching, starting as a special assistant at Iowa State in 2004 and rising to head coach by 2006.

In three seasons, he led the Cyclones to three Big 12 titles and top-five NCAA finishes, including a runner-up in 2007.

In 2009, he took the helm at Penn State, revitalizing the program with a family-oriented approach—bringing brothers Cody and Cyler along.

Under his leadership, the Nittany Lions have amassed a 203-16-2 dual meet record, claimed 12 NCAA team titles (including four straight from 2011-2014), nine Big Ten championships, and coached 40 individual NCAA champions and 101 All-Americans.

Accolades

At Iowa State, Sanderson claimed four NCAA Division I individual championships from 1999 to 2002, earning the Most Outstanding Wrestler award each time—the first freshman to do so in history and the only four-time recipient.

His undefeated 159-0 record earned him three Dan Hodge Trophies, the sport’s equivalent to the Heisman, making him the first and only three-time winner.

Additional honors included the 2002 Wade Schalles Award for top collegiate pinner, Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year, and an ESPY for Best Male College Athlete, with Sports Illustrated ranking his career as the second-most impressive feat in college sports history.

Internationally, his 2004 Olympic gold cemented his status, complemented by four U.S. World or Olympic Team berths.

As a coach, Sanderson has been named Coach of the Year in both the Big 12 and Big Ten—the first to achieve that dual honor—and guided Penn State to unprecedented dominance, including undefeated dual seasons in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

His contributions earned induction into the Iowa State Hall of Fame in 2017 and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.