The seven newcomers include Kevin Christensen (Enon, Ohio), Quentin Keyes (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), Antoine Love (Bexley, Ohio), Mike Marrero (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), Seth Morton (Canal Winchester, Ohio), Cody VanBuskirk (Rushsylvania, Ohio) and Michael Wilson (Marion, Ohio).
"First and foremost, these guys fill needs that we have," said Greenlee about the future additions to his roster. "We're pretty thin at the lower weights and the upper middle weights. These guys have a great deal of experience and have the potential to step in right away."
Christensen was a four-time state qualifier for Greenon High School, where he finished his career with a 164-23 record. The team captain and Clark County Wrestler of the Year went 42-5 with 12 pins as a senior and placed fourth in the state at 135 pounds in Division II after taking fourth at 130 pounds the previous year. He also lettered in tennis and holds a 3.1 grade-point average.
Keyes was the Division II state runner-up at 125 pounds with a record of 36-6 in 2006. Overall, he won 156 career matches at Walsh Jesuit High School and placed third in the state at 119 pounds as a junior, second at 112 as a sophomore and fourth at 112 as a freshman. The high school All-American was ranked eighth in the country at his weight by W.I.N. Magazine. Keyes holds a 3.0 GPA and plans on majoring in civil engineering at Ohio.
Love earned All-America honors while placing third at 174 pounds in the Junior College National Championships and helping Iowa Central Community College win the 2006 national title. As a 160-pound senior at Gahanna Lincoln High School, he finished fourth in the state with a 45-10 record. He lettered all four years for the Lions and also won the football team's Most Improved award in 2004. Love, who intends to study art, will have two years of eligibility remaining for the Bobcats.
Marrero finished fourth in the state Division I tournament at 171 pounds. He posted a 31-8 record as a senior at Reynoldsburg High School this past season. He also excels on the baseball diamond for the Raiders. Before moving to Reynoldsburg, Marrero was a state wrestling champ in New Jersey.
Morton placed third in Division II at 119 pounds in 2006 after a fourth-place finish at 112 the previous year. He was named outstanding wrestler at the Watterson Invitational last December after pinning all five of his opponents at the event. Morton completed his senior campaign at Canal Winchester High School with a 48-2 record.
In the Division II 171-pound bracket, VanBuskirk finished fifth in 2006 and sixth in 2005. As a senior, he posted a 43-3 record for Benjamin Logan High School and the sectional and district champion was named to the Greater Miami Valley Wrestling Association's All-Area Second Team. VanBuskirk also was a standout in football and baseball for the Raiders.
Wilson finished third in Division III at 119 pounds in 2006, ending his senior season with a 22-2 record and his prep career with a 121-8 mark. As a four-year letterman, he won four sectional titles and three district championships for Marion Pleasant High School. Wilson also was a Cadet Freestyle All-American in 2003 and a three-year member of the Ohio Junior National Freestyle Team.
The Bobcats inked Anthony Ciraky (Westerville, Ohio), Shane Friery (North Royalton, Ohio) and Ben Llanas (Lucky, Ohio) during the early signing period last November. All three won state titles in 2005 and Ciraky completed his second straight undefeated season for Westerville South High School with another state crown in 2006.
"I think we've got a great group of guys with a great attitude," Greenlee said about next year's squad. "We're still going to be young but we'll be much more mature. I'm excited and our guys are excited because we should have a really good year."
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now