Nick Suriano battles Lehigh's Darian Cruz (Photo/Juan Garcia)Nick Suriano is now officially enrolled at Rutgers University, eligible to wrestle for three full seasons beginning this fall.
The New Jersey-based university issued a statement Wednesday afternoon, announcing the former Penn State wrestler had enrolled as a transfer student.
Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale is pleased to have one of the all-time greats of New Jersey high school wrestling on the Scarlet Knights roster.
"We are excited that Nick has decided to come back home and join our program," said Goodale. "This is a young man with an incredible work ethic and drive that doesn't come around all that often. We are beyond excited that Nick is eligible to compete right away. This is a student-athlete that deserves the opportunity to chase his dream of becoming a national champion in his home state."
Suriano is happy to be back in his home state, wrestling for its Big Ten school.
"New Jersey is my home and it's what I want to represent," said Suriano. "I want to make history and bring New Jersey and Rutgers with me. I have all the support and coaching I need right here at this university. This was my decision, and I'm confident in it and the support of the team I have around me."
Suriano's name has already been added to the roster at the official team website. He is expected to start practice with the team this Monday, according to NJ.com.
On Sunday, Suriano had been granted an immediate eligibility waiver by the Big Ten, clearing the former New Jersey high school mat star to transfer from Penn State -- where he wrestled for one season at 125 pounds -- to Rutgers without being required to sit out a season before wrestling for the Scarlet Knights, thus retaining three full seasons of eligibility beginning this fall.
As a Nittany Lion, Suriano finished 16-3 as a true freshman in 2016-17, which included a 12-2 mark in dual action and an 8-1 record in Big Ten duals. Suriano was seeded third at the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis at 125 pounds, but was unable to compete in the tournament due to injury.
Suriano is arguably one of the all-time great wrestlers to come out of New Jersey. Wrestling for Bergen Catholic High School, Suriano compiled a perfect 159-0 record, racking up four NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) titles. He also won numerous individual championships at national tournaments such as Super 32 and Beast of the East.
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