Kraisser, McDonald added to Clarion coaching staff

CLARION, Pa. -- Clarion head wrestling coach Keith Ferraro today announced his coaching staff for the upcoming 2019-20 season. The Golden Eagles welcome a pair of new coaches -- Nathan Kraisser and Malik McDonald -- to fill positions formerly held by Kyle Kiss and TJ Ruschell, respectively. In addition, Nick Deloia returns as a volunteer assistant for the Golden Eagles.

"I'm extremely pleased to welcome Nathan and Malik to the staff," Ferraro said. "Both of them enjoyed great success as competitors and I'm confident that they will not only push the guys currently on the roster, but will assist us in bringing more high-level athletes to Clarion. In addition to those two, Nick has been a huge asset for our program working behind the scenes over the last several years, and I'm excited that he will continue to be here to help us moving forward."

Nathan Kraisser

Kraisser was a four-time NCAA qualifier and took eighth place at 125 pounds during the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, defeating SIU-Edwardsville's Freddie Rodriguez in a 4-1 decision to clinch his All-American status. He finished that senior season with a 30-10 overall record including an 11-4 mark in duals and a runner-up finish at the Southern Conference (SoCon) Championships. He was the 133-pound champion at the SoCon Championships as a junior in 2016, earning a spot at the NCAA Championships with a 34-9 overall record. That year he claimed the eighth spot in the top-10 NCAA leaders in the Fall category with 10 wins over Division I opponents. Kraisser transferred to Campbell after a short stint at North Carolina, where he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year in 2012-13 and tallied a 33-7 record at 125 pounds. Also an accomplished student, he was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic Individual list in 2017.

A graduate of Centennial High School in Ellicott City, Md., Kraiser posted a 152-6 overall high school record, including a 42-0 mark as a junior. He was the fifth Maryland wrestler to win four state championships, and set a school record for career wins during his tenure there.

Kraisser graduated from Campbell in 2017 with a degree in Sport Management.

Malik McDonald

McDonald was a two-time NCAA qualifier at North Carolina State, and helped the Wolfpack claim the 2019 ACC Tournament championship with his first career individual title. He defeated a pair of top-11 wrestlers en route to the 197-pound championship, including a 13-6 decision over Virginia's Jay Aiello, who ranked seventh in the nation. McDonald finished his senior season with a 19-11 overall record and a trip to NCAA's, reaching the second round after defeating West Virginia's Noah Adams by decision. He punched his ticket to the championships in 2017 thanks to a 20-9 regular season record and an at-large bid, including an 8-4 mark in duals and a three wins over nationally-ranked opponents. McDonald took third at the ACC Championships as a sophomore, and as junior in 2017-18 he split time as the Wolfpack's starter at heavyweight. He went 20-4 that year, including a 9-2 mark in duals and a 5-0 record at the National Collegiate Open. McDonald earned All-American honors at the U23 World Team Trials that year with a fourth-place finish at 97 kg. He was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll in 2017-18.

A graduate of South View High School in Hope Mills, N.C., McDonald was the North Carolina 4A state champion at 182 pounds as a senior and was the third-place finisher as a junior the year before. He took second place at the 2013 NHSCA Junior national tournament.

McDonald graduated from North Carolina State in 2019 with a degree in Social Work.

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