Frank Perrelli battles Nathan Tomasello at the World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh head wrestling coach Pat Santoro and Jeff Buxton, head coach of the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club, are pleased to announce the signing of Frank Perrelli, one of the East's top lightweight freestyle veterans to the club's post-graduate resident athlete staff. Perrelli, a member of the Cornell University Class of 2012, brings both character and a persistent battling mentality to Bethlehem.
The native of Hackettstown, N.J., Perrelli was an unranked but talented Cornell recruit out of Delbarton School in 2006, a two-time team captain for them who placed third, first and fifth at New Jersey States (142-20), NHSCA fourth, fifth and third at the Beast of the East. A three-year back-up to Cornell's Troy Nickerson, Perrelli was 16-13 in his first season before finishing 95-28 over the next four years including two EIWA titles at 125 and an NCAA fourth-place medal as a senior. His NCAA championship round loss came in overtime of the semifinals to Nico Megaludis of Penn State; the other for third place came against Zach Sanders of Minnesota.
Perrelli finished second at the 2013 U.S. Open to Obe Blanc, who placed ninth at the 2010 World Championships. Frank finished ahead of Megaludis, Sanders, NCAA third-place finisher Brandon Precin of Northwestern and Mark McKnight of Penn State.
Perrelli added a fourth at the prestigious 2016 Mark Schultz International tournament, before losing a 9-8 semifinal decision the next January there against runner-up Nodin Safarov of Uzbekistan. At this June's 2017 U.S. World Team Trials at 125, Perrelli finished fourth by beating two NCAA champions, Megaludis and Lehigh's Darian Cruz, while losing late in bouts against former World Team member Tony Ramos and to Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello.
The talented lightweight knows where to find out top workouts. During his time at Delbarton he trained at nearby Blair Academy. At Cornell he was sandwiched between two four-time All-Americans: Troy Nickerson and Nahshon Garrett. He competed at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club, spent two years at Oklahoma State and arrives in Bethlehem from the University of Virginia's Cavalier WC.
The LVWC is pleased to land Frank Perrelli over the interest shown from regional training centers at Cornell, Rutgers and Charlottesville, Va. His presence will provide mutual benefits between him, NCAA champ Darian Cruz (125), All-American Scott Parker (133) and other lightweights. The club staff now consists of Perrelli, Darrius Little, Mario Mason, Santiago Martinez, Nestor Taffur, Robert Hamlin, Nate Brown and Zack Rey.
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