Patricio Lugo was a runner-up at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The Fighting Scot will be a Hawkeye.
After weeks of speculation, Edinboro's Patricio Lugo has announced he is transferring to the University of Iowa to wrestle.
The rising junior 149-pounder and two-time NCAA qualifier shared his news over the Fourth of July holiday on Twitter with this simple two-word message -- "Iowa bound…" -- accompanied by two images: a digitally-altered photo of himself in a black-and-gold singlet, and a picture of Iowa's Herky mascot.
Iowa bound... pic.twitter.com/Nxi0XyerEP
�" Pat lugo (@MasterP_145) July 4, 2017
Edinboro coach Tim Flynn confirmed Lugo's departure in a text message Tuesday evening to GoErie.com wrestling writer John Dudley. Flynn also confirmed that Lugo's brother, Ozzy, a true freshman last season, has also left the program.
Meanwhile, Pat Lugo is already anticipating his move from Pennsylvania to Iowa.
"I am more than excited to work with the Brands Bros. and the rest of the staff," Lugo told K.J. Pilcher of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. "Can't wait to get the train rolling."
In expressing his eagerness to wrestle for the Hawkeyes, Lugo also disclosed some frustration with delays in getting released from his scholarship, telling The Gazette that Edinboro had denied his request twice. "I love and respect what Edinboro had done for me in the past two years," Lugo said in a text to the Cedar Rapids paper, "but I just don't understand why I wasn't granted a full release."
Lugo must sit out the entire 2017-18 season, and will do so as a redshirt, with two years' eligibility remaining. Once his redshirt season is complete, the Florida native is expected to remain at 149 pounds, stepping into the opening created when NCAA finalist and All-American Brandon Sorensen completes his Hawkeye career in 2018.
In the past two seasons at Edinboro, Lugo compiled 63-18 record, the second-highest number of wins of an active Fighting Scot wrestler. Lugo won the EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) championships this past season, and has qualified for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships the past two years, just missing All-American status by one win as a true freshman. Just last month, Lugo was a runner-up at the USA Wrestling Junior World Team Trials in Lincoln, Neb.
Prior to college, Lugo was a two-time Florida state champion at South Dade High School in Homestead, finishing his career with 132 consecutive victories. He was ranked as the nation's No. 75 recruit in the Class of 2015 by InterMat.
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