Articles: Articles

Anthony Ferrari Commits to Iowa

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 22:49:03 +0000

Anthony Ferrari's Instagram post

Today, Anthony Ferrari announced via social media a verbal commitment to the University of Iowa. Ferrari was ranked #23 in the high school Class of 2022. He initially signed with Oklahoma State, like his older brother AJ, but never enrolled at the school.

Ferrari was a 2020 Super 32 finalist and third at UWW Junior Nationals in freestyle. Ferrari projects as a 157 lber in college.

With Anthony’s verbal, it brings up the question of whether AJ will be far behind. The 2021 national champion also stated on social media that he would be returning to college wrestling. AJ was dismissed from the Oklahoma State team last spring and has been embroiled in an ongoing legal fight regarding an accusation of sexual battery.

Another part of this equation is their younger brother Angelo. Just a junior, Angelo is ranked #3 in the nation at 175 lbs and is #6 overall in the Class of 2024. Angelo was a 2023 Texas state champion for Melissa High School.

Results for Committed Recruits at the 2022 Super 32

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 02:18:19 +0000

Purdue recruit Joey Blaze the 160 lb champion (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)

This weekend the Super 32 took place in Greensboro, North Carolina. The tournament has established itself as one of the premier national-level events for high school-aged (and middle school) wrestlers. Earlier last week, we outlined the former Super 32 placewinners that went on and had success at the DI level in 2022. This evening we're focusing on recruiting.

Below are the 2022 Super 32 results for wrestlers that have already committed to wrestle in college. If the wrestler did not place in the top-eight, their record has been noted alongside their name. All wrestlers are from the Class of 2023 unless noted otherwise.

Air Force

Brian Burburjia (Florida - 195) 6th Place

Josh Cordio (Massachusetts - 182) 2-2

Soren Herzog (Minnesota - 220) 2-2

American

Caleb Beaty (North Carolina - 285) 2-2

Kaden Milheim (Pennsylvania - 145) 2-2

Gage Owen (Maryland - 138) 6-2

Appalachian State

Tomas Booker (North Carolina - 195) 2-2

Arizona State

Nicco Ruiz (California - 160) 2nd Place

Army West Point

Sam Cartella (Ohio - 145) 7th Place

Andrew Christie (Pennsylvania - 160) 6th Place

Jake Dailey (Pennsylvania - 160) 1-2; Class of 2024

Cooper Haase (Florida - 145) 4th Place

Caleb Uhorchuk (Tennessee - 120) 4-2

Bucknell

Aiden Davis (Michigan - 145) 4-2

Ethan Lebin (Pennsylvania - 126) 3-2

Noah Mulvaney (Wisconsin - 170) 8th Place

Cal Baptist

Max Acciardi (New Jersey - 285) 2-2

Jeremy Ginter (Ohio - 138) 5-2; Class of 2024

Cal Poly

Tyler Hodges (California - 182) 3-2

Dasche Lamer (Oregon - 170) 2nd Place

Campbell

Wynton Denkins (Ohio - 145) 8th Place

Chris Earnest (Ohio - 160) 3-2

Noah Lawrence (Virginia - 170) 1-2

Central Michigan

Aidan Fockler (Ohio - 285) 2nd Place; Class of 2024

Clarion

David McClelland (Ohio - 138) 4-2

Cornell

Mason Gibson (Pennsylvania - 126) 2nd Place

Kingsley Menifee (Virginia - 182) 4-2

Gardner-Webb

Charlie Sly (North Carolina - 126) 3-2

Indiana

Anthony Bahl (Indiana - 145) 5-2

Sam Goin (Indiana - 160) 4th Place

Iowa State

Blake Gioimo (Iowa - 120) 2-2

Tate Naaktgeboren (Iowa - 182) 2nd Place

Lehigh

Logan Wadle (New Jersey - 113) 2-2

Lock Haven

Griffin Walizer (Pennsylvania - 145) 1-2

Maryland

Clayton Gabrielson (Maryland - 145) 1-2

Michigan

Cam Catrabone (New York - 138) 6th Place; Class of 2024

Dylan Gilcher (Michigan - 145) 1st Place

Sergio Lemley (Indiana - 132) 1st Place

Brock Mantanona (California - 132) 2nd Place

Hayden Walters (Oregon - 220) 1st Place

Michigan State

Remy Cotton (Michigan - 195) 3-2

Caleb Weiand (Michigan - 120) 3-2

Minnesota

Landon Robideau (Minnesota - 132) 7th Place; Class of 2025

Missouri

David Cross (Missouri - 138) 4-2

Carter McCallister (Missouri - 138) 7th Place

Navy

Jake Crapps (Georgia - 120) 6th Place; Class of 2024

Ryder Rogotzke (Minnesota - 182) Champion

NC State

Koy Buesgens (Minnesota - 145) 3rd Place

Louie Gill (Pennsylvania - 113) 6th Place; Class of 2024

Nebraska

Weston Dalton (Colorado - 145) 2nd Place

Alan Koehler (Minnesota - 120) 5-2

Camden McDanel (Ohio - 195) 4th Place

North Carolina

Matt Hart (Ohio - 132) 4-2; Class of 2024

North Dakota State

Zane Licht (Wisconsin - 160) 4-2

Northern Illinois

Collin Arch (Missouri - 138) 5th Place

Northern Iowa

CJ Walrath (Iowa - 182) 7th Place

Ohio State

Vincent Kilkeary (Pennsylvania - 120) 5th Place

Rocco Welsh (Pennsylvania - 170) Champion

Oklahoma

Zan Fugitt (Missouri - 132) 4th Place

Dylan Newsome (Ohio - 170) 4-2

Dylan Russo (Ohio - 220) 2nd Place

Oklahoma State

AJ Heeg (Oklahoma - 182) 3rd Place

Oregon State

DJ Gillett (Oregon - 138) 4-2

Sergio Montoya (California - 170) 2-2

Justin Rademacher (Oregon - 182) 3-2

Penn

Spencer Barnhart (Pennsylvania - 138) 4-2

Max Gallagher (New York - 126) 5th Place

Cross Wasilewski (New Jersey - 145) 4-2

Penn State

Braeden Davis (Michigan - 126) 3rd Place

Cael Nasdeo (Pennsylvania - 120) 4-2

Pittsburgh

Grant MacKay (Pennsylvania - 170) 4-2

Princeton

Drew Heethuis (Michigan - 126) 6th Place

Eligh Rivera (Florida - 138) 4-2

Zander Silva (New Jersey - 160) 4-2

Purdue

Joey Blaze (Ohio - 160) Champion

Greyson Clark (Wisconsin - 132) 3rd Place

Rider

Brock Zurawski (New Jersey - 182) 4th Place

Rutgers

Alex Nini (New Jersey - 132) 4-2; Class of 2024

SIU Edwardsville

Hayden Whidden (Florida - 138) 2-2

Brock Woodcock (Missouri - 152) 5-2

South Dakota State

Brady Roark (Missouri - 120) 4-2

Stanford

Zach Hanson (Minnesota - 152) 4th Place

Jacob Joyce (Rhode Island - 126) 7th Place

Aden Valencia (California - 126) 4th Place; Class of 2024

Abe Wojcikiewicz (Illinois - 170) 6th Place

Virginia

Michael Murphy (New Jersey - 160) 2-2

Virginia Tech

Mac Church (Pennsylvania - 145) 5th Place

Logan Frazier (Indiana - 126) 2-2

Parker Ferrell (Virginia - 285) Champion; Class of 2024

VMI

Eric Doran (Virginia - 145) 0-2

Toby Schoffstall (Virginia - 195) 1-2

West Virginia

Matthew Dolan (West Virginia - 106) 4-2; Class of 2024

Logan Sallot (Pennsylvania - 113) 4-2

Shawn Taylor (Pennsylvania - 160) 6-2

Ty Watters (Pennsylvania - 152) 2nd Place

Wisconsin

Lucas Condon (California - 170) 7th Place

Julian George (New Jersey - 138) 8th Place

Wyoming

Cole Brooks (Oklahoma - 138) 3-2

Tyson Charmoli (Minnesota - 138) 3-2; Class of 2024

Joey Novak (Minnesota - 195) 5th Place

Brayden Sonnentag (Wisconsin - 132) 5-2

College Choices for Beast of the East Placewinners

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 14:31:09 +0000

2021 Beast of the East Champion TJ Stewart (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Last weekend marked the "official, unofficial" start to the high school wrestling season as the Walsh Ironman took place. This weekend marked another notable mega-event on the high school calendar, the Beast of the East. The Beast returned to the University of Delaware to hold this major tournament for the 28th time. Like most other tournaments nationally, the Beast was not held during the 2019-20 season, because of the Covid pandemic.

As always, there were a lot of great individual performances. Some of the biggest stars on the high school level were in attendance and showed why they are so highly regarded, while other unfamiliar faces solidified star-status of their own.

Below are the wrestlers that placed in the top-eight at the Beast of the East and have already committed to wrestle in college.

Army West Point

Dakota Morris (Kingsway Regional, NJ) 5th Place: 160 lbs

Ben Rogers (Wantagh, NY) 5th Place: 152 lbs

Brown

Nick Olivieri (Delbarton, NJ) 8th Place: 195 lbs

Bucknell

Logan Shephard (Massillon Perry, OH) 3rd Place: 220 lbs

Columbia

Richard Fedalen (McDonogh, MD) 4th Place: 152 lbs

Cornell

Ashton Davis (Cleveland, TN) 4th Place: 285 lbs

Drexel

Gabe Giampietro (Smyrna, DE) 2nd Place: 120 lbs

George Mason

Colton Stoneking (Waynesburg, PA) 8th Place: 138 lbs

Harvard

Dante Frinzi (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) 3rd Place: 126 lbs

Navy

Nick Vafiadis (New Kent, VA) 7th Place: 160 lbs

Danny Wask (Blair Academy, NJ) 1st Place: 170 lbs

Ohio State

Nick Feldman (Malvern Prep, PA) 1st Place: 285 lbs

Penn

Andrew Connelly (Malvern Prep, PA) 3rd Place: 195 lbs

Evan Mougalian (Kinnelon, NJ) 2nd Place: 126 lbs

Andy Troczynski (Delbarton, NJ) 2nd Place: 152 lbs

Cross Wasilewski (Delbarton, NJ) 2nd Place: 145 lbs (Class of 2023)

Princeton

Holden Garcia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, PA) 6th Place: 160 lbs (Class of 2023)

Ty Whalen (Clearview Regional, NJ) 3rd Place: 152 lbs

Rider

Damani Almodovar (St. Augustine, NJ) 8th Place: 126 lbs

Rutgers

Brandan Chletsos (Notre Dame-Green Pond, PA) 6th Place: 132 lbs

Virginia

RJ May (Maggie Walker, VA) 8th Place: 182 lbs

Keyveon Roller (Lakeway Christian Academy, TN) 4th Place: 126 lbs

Cooper Rudolph (Robinson, VA) 5th Place: 285 lbs

Virginia Tech

Hunter Mason (Greeneville, TN) 2nd Place: 138 lbs

TJ Stewart (Blair Academy, NJ) 1st Place: 220 lbs

College Choices for Super 32 Placewinners

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 21:21:00 +0000

The 2021 Super 32 (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)

The 2021 Super 32 is officially in the books. This year's tournament returned to Greensboro, North Carolina and was as good as ever. The entire event was filled with future collegiate stars and coaches roaming around looking for diamonds in the rough. Here are some of the superstars from the Super 32, ones that have already committed to compete at the next level.

Arizona State

Michael Kilic (GA) - 6th at 152 lbs

Kaleb Larkin (AZ) - 7th at 145 lbs

Army West Point

Gunner Filipowicz (GA) - 6th at 160 lbs

Bucknell

Logan Shephard (OH) - 2nd at 220 lbs

Cal Baptist

Mitch Mesenbrink (WI) - 7th at 152 lbs

Cal Poly

Dominic Mendez (CA) - 6th at 113 lbs

Chattanooga

Cole Cochran (GA) - 8th at 160 lbs

Columbia

Richard Fedalen (MD) - 4th at 145 lbs

Illinois

Christian Carroll (IN) - 1st at 220 lbs (Class of 2023)

Kanon Webster (IL) - 3rd at 126 lbs (Class of 2023)

Iowa

Mickey Griffith (IA) - 7th at 182 lbs

Nate Jesuroga (IA) - 1st at 120 lbs (Class of 2023)

Little Rock

Brendon Abdon (FL) - 8th at 152 lbs

Keith Miley (MO) - 2nd at 285 lbs

Michigan

Rylan Rogers (ID) - 1st at 195 lbs

Minnesota

Cody Chittum (TN) - 1st at 145 lbs (Class of 2023)

Missouri

Zeke Seltzer (IN) - 5th at 132 lbs

Clayton Whiting (WI) - 2nd at 182 lbs

NC State

Jackson Arrington (PA) - 2nd at 145 lbs

Chase Horne (GA) - 1st at 285 lbs

Matthew Singleton (GA) - 1st at 170 lbs

North Carolina

Danny Nini (FL) - 3rd at 138 lbs

Northern Iowa

Cory Land (AL) - 2nd at 126 lbs

Ohio State

Gavin Brown (OH) - 6th at 145 lbs

Nic Bouzakis (FL) - 1st at 132 lbs

Rocco Welsh (PA) - 2nd at 170 lbs

Penn

Martin Cosgrove (NJ) - 2nd at 195 lbs

Penn State

Levi Haines (PA) - 2nd at 160 lbs

Princeton

Kole Mulhauser (NY) - 6th at 182 lbs

Ty Whalen (NJ) - 3rd at 145 lbs

Purdue

Joey Blaze (OH) - 8th at 145 lbs (Class of 2023)

Rider

Hunter Mays (NJ) - 3rd at 160 lbs

Rutgers

Brian Soldano (NJ) - 3rd at 182 lbs

South Dakota State

Kail Wynia (MN) - 6th at 195 lbs

Stanford

Jack Darrah (MO) - 4th at 220 lbs

Virginia

Michael Gioffre (CA) - 6th at 138 lbs

Virginia Tech

Mac Church (PA) - 6th at 132 lbs (Class of 2023)

Sage Mortimer Signs with King University

Thu, 13 May 2021 00:53:15 +0000

Sage Mortimer at Who's #1 (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)

Earlier this week, one of the top high school girls in the nation, Sage Mortimer (American Leadership Academy, UT), made her college decision. Mortimer has signed with traditional power King University. She joins an incredible recruiting class with the likes of Tiffani Baublitz, Cheyenne Bowman, Samara Chavez, and Montana Delawder, who are all among the top seniors in the country. Mortimer was a member of the Cadet World team in 2019 and captured a gold medal at the Pan-American Championships at the U15 division in 2016. Sage has amassed a collection of stop signs from Fargo as she won the 16U tournament on two occasions and made two Junior finals, winning one. In March, Mortimer was victorious at the Last Chance Qualifier which netted her a berth in the Olympic Trials. At the Trials, Mortimer was able to claim a win before her elimination.

2020 InterMat Recruiting Class Rankings & Analysis

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 13:46:52 +0000

The point cannot be mentioned enough, but in an individualized team sport such as wrestling, talent matters. While there are clearly factors such as attrition, development, and culture that play integral roles in the success of teams and individuals at the college level -- there is a strong tie between ability level and success.

When looking at the All-American finishes from the last four NCAAs (top eight seeds were used this year due to the tournament being canceled), here is a look at the ratio of All-Americans based on the prospect rankings:

Top-10 recruits: (2017) 19/80 (2018) 23/80 (2019) 25/80 (2020) 18/80
Top-20 recruits: (2017) 33/80 (2018) 32/80 (2019) 35/80 (2020) 34/80
Top-30 recruits: (2107) 40/80 (2018) 38/80 (2019) 45/80 (2020) 45/80
Top-100 recruits: (2017) 60/80 (2018) 63/80 (2019) 67/80 (2020) 68/80

The rosters of the two dominant teams in the 2019-20 season, Iowa and Penn State, personify the "talent matters" premise.

Recruiting class rankings for Iowa's 10 NCAA qualifiers:

125: Spencer Lee -- No. 1 Class of 2017
133: Austin DeSanto -- No. 14 Class of 2017 (was transfer from Drexel)
141: Max Murin -- No. 30 Class of 2017
149: Patricio Lugo -- No. 75 Class of 2015 (was transfer from Edinboro)
157: Kaleb Young -- No. 26 Class of 2016
165: Alex Marinelli -- No. 3 Class of 2016
174: Michael Kemerer -- No. 11 Class of 2015
184: Abe Assad -- No. 26 Class of 2019
197: Jacob Warner -- No. 7 Class of 2017
285: Anthony Cassioppi -- No. 18 Class of 2018

Recruiting class rankings for Penn State's seven NCAA qualifiers:

133: Roman Bravo-Young -- No. 15 Class of 2018
141: Nick Lee -- No. 5 Class of 2017
149: Jarod Verkleeren -- No. 16 Class of 2017
165: Vincenzo Joseph -- No. 7 Class of 2015
174: Mark Hall -- No. 1 Class of 2016
184: Aaron Brooks -- No. 14 Class of 2018
197: Shakur Rasheed -- No. 56 Class of 2014

Below are the top-25 recruiting classes for 2020.

Dustin Plott is one of six InterMat top-100 recruits in Oklahoma State's recruiting class (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

1. Oklahoma State

Top-100 recruits: No. 2 A.J. Ferrari (Allen, Texas), No. 3 Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla.), No. 16 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 36 Jakason Burks (Omaha Burke, Neb.), No. 55 Luke Surber (Tuttle, Okla.), No. 58 Konner Doucet (Comache, Okla.)

Weight class ranked: Daniel Jezik (Coal City, Ill.)

Additional notable: Elise Brown Ton (Allen, Texas)

Commentary: The years in which Oklahoma State has finished outside the top seven at the NCAAs can be counted on one hand, the most recent of those were in 2009 (16th) and 2018 (13th). The InterMat tournament rankings had the Cowboys slotted to finish eighth. This recruiting class is designed to ensure the Cowboys return to finishing within the top four at the NCAAs sooner rather than later. Ferrari, Plott and Mastrogiovanni all had super-elite talent and production during their scholastic careers; Burks, Surber, and Doucet also have strong in-season resumes with national productivity of their own.

2. Missouri

Top-100 recruits: No. 5 Keegan O'Toole (Arrowhead, Wis.), No. 13 Rocky Elam (Staley, Mo.), No. 19 Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.)

Weight class ranked: Steven Kolcheff (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.)

Additional notable: Trey Crawford (Holt, Mo.), Colton Hawks (Holt, Mo.)

Impact transfer: Matthew Schmitt (West Viginia)

Commentary: The canceled 2020 NCAAs might have marked an end to the Tigers' run of five consecutive top-10 NCAA finishes. The three top-end wrestlers that Brian Smith and staff brought into Columbia are designed to ensure that "Tiger Style" returns to its position as a top-10 program sooner rather than later; O'Toole and Elam ended the season ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes, while Edmond was ranked No. 2. Two-time NCAA qualifier Schmitt has two remaining years of eligibility, and immediately upgrades the lineup at 133/141.

3. Penn State

Top-100 recruits: No. 6 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 14 Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 28 Austin Boone (Lowell, Mich.), No. 80 Matthew Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind./NLWC)

Additional notable: Aurelius Dunbar (Mercersburg Academy, Pa.)

Commentary: This type of recruiting class is one of the obvious reasons why Penn State has been the national power for the last ten years, and is well-positioned to extend that into the next decade. Bartlett and Howard were both the No. 1 overall recruit at various points in time during the Class of 2020 evaluation cycle. Unless Howard is an immediate solution at 125 pounds in terms of size, both him and Bartlett should get the luxury of a redshirt year to develop behind clear national title contenders. Boone was a relatively late commitment, though he comes from a perennially strong high school program, one that produced Gabe and Max Dean; while Matthew Lee is the youngest brother of Nick (and Joe) Lee, and has already been acclimating in Happy Valley for one year.

4. Cornell

Top-100 recruits: No. 10 Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo./USOTC), No. 17 Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), No. 44 Ethan Hatcher (Brecksville, Ohio), No. 81 Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.)

Weight class ranked: Gage McClenahan (Bald Eagle Area, Pa.)

Additional notable: Chayse LaJoie (Gaylord, Mich.), Najee Lockett (Shaker Hts, Ohio)

Commentary: The Big Red were sitting on a stretch of 12 straight top-10 finishes at the NCAAs before this year's cancellation. Though ranked to finish outside that position in the team standings, it was due to three returning All-American wrestlers with eligibility remaining choosing to take Olympic redshirts. Strong recruiting will be the backbone of next year's roster (No. 12 in 2016, No,. 2 in 2017, and No. 3 in 2019). In terms of this class, Saunders and Diakomihalis are the most obvious stars; Saunders has competed in multiple age-group freestyle world championships, while Greg Diakomihalis has not lost a scholastic match since eighth grade and is the younger brother of a two-time NCAA champion.

5. North Carolina

Top-100 recruits: No. 8 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 24 Julian Tagg (Brecksville, Ohio/USOTC), No. 40 Sonny Santiago (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 49 Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.), No. 57 Clay Lautt (St. Thomas Aquinas, Kansas)

Additional notable: Curtis Ruff (Seminole, Fla.)

Commentary: This is a third top-10 recruiting class in four years (No. 10 in 2017, No. 9 in 2018). This past season, the Tar Heels were a top-10 dual meet team in a highly competitive ACC. The talent in this class provides further foundation to stabilize as a top-10 (+/-) dual meet program and emerge into that in tournament strength. McNeil had arguably the greatest leap of any Class of 2020 wrestler in the last calendar year, and should only continue to grow with Austin O'Connor as a drill partner. The other four top-100 recruits provide this class very broad coverage throughout the lineup with legitimate talent.

6. Iowa

Top-100 recruits: No. 4 Patrick Kennedy (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), No. 25 Jesse Ybarra (Sunnyside, Ariz.), No. 45 Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.), No. 53 Cullan Schriever (Mason City, Iowa), No. 92 Gabe Christenson (Southeast Polk, Iowa)

Commentary: Iowa currently has a roster that is as loaded as any in the country, probably the most loaded headed into the 2020-21 season. The Hawkeyes add to that in this class with the superlative Kennedy, who fits in as a candidate at 174 pounds after a redshirt year behind Kemerer; Ybarra and Schriever adding to an already strong Hawkeye stable; while Reyna comes from the same high school as Pat Lugo, and Christenson is a talented in-state upper-weight.

7. Nebraska

Top-100 recruits: No. 15 Dominick Serrano (Windsor, Colo.), No. 43 Silas Allred (Shenandoah, Ind.), No. 61 Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.), No. 82 Nathan Haas (St. John Bosco, Calif.)

Impact transfer: Liam Cronin (Indiana University)

Commentary: A program whose hallmark has been consistent production and success epitomized that in 2019-20. The Cornhuskers were ranked No. 4 in both the dual meet and tournament rankings at the end of the season, while finishing second in the standings at the Big Ten Tournament and winning the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Cronin provides a potential one-year solution at 125 pounds, while Reno could be the long-term answer after a redshirt year in which he should add strength to his excellent ability level. Serrano is a high-end potential replacement to Chad Red at 141 pounds after a redshirt, while Haas and Allred are excellent upper-weight options.

8. North Carolina State

Top-100 recruits: No. 39 Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.), No. 46 Isaac Trumble (Millard South, Neb.), No. 47 Ryan Jack (Danbury, Ct.), No. 94 A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.)

Weight class ranked: Anthony Noto (Honeoye Falls/Lima, N.Y.), Dylan Reinert (Gettysburg, Pa.)

Additional notable: Joe Roberts (Montini Catholic, Ill.)

Commentary: The talent development and procurement train continued with the results of the 2019-20 season in which the Wolfpack went undefeated in dual meet competition, and were champions of the ACC Championships. It further continues with the haul that Pat Popolizio and staff have brought in with this class. Two of the four top-100 recruits come from areas where NC State has mined success in the past -- Jack is the younger brother of multiple-time All-American Kevin Jack, while Kovacs is also a Connecticut resident though he attended high school in Long Island. The anchors of this class are middle-weight talent Scott and projected heavyweight Trumble, whose improvement in the last calendar year is second to none (some similarities to Gwiazdowski in that you're talking about a rangy athlete who will be competing at heavyweight after being lighter for much of his high school career).

9. Virginia Tech

Top-100 recruits: No. 27 Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.), No. 31 Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.), No. 56 Eddie Ventresca (Pope John XXIII, N.J.), No. 93 Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.)

Additional notable: Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.), Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.)

Commentary: Tony Robie and his Hokies staff continues to recruit at a level that will enable Virginia Tech to contend for top-10 type finishes at the NCAAs, and to compete for titles in the ever-improving ACC environment. Catka has the potential to be a high-end heavyweight, Ventresca and Hillegas should help in the lighter weights, while Ulrey is a talented middle-weight. Fisher and Warden are solid in-state talents that should bolster the overall competitiveness of the Virginia Tech practice room.

10. Northern Iowa

Top-100 recruits: No. 23 Cael Happel (Lisbon, Iowa), No. 35 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont, Ohio)

Weight class ranked: Ethan Basile (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.)

Additional notable: Adam Allard (West Sioux, Iowa), Julian Farber (Veterans, Ga.)

Impact transfer: Brody Teske (Penn State)

Commentary: For Doug Schwab and staff, this is a fifth recruiting class in six years that is ranked within the top 25, a run that started with the No. 4 Class of 2015. That is important for the Panthers if they are to compete directly with Iowa State and Oklahoma State for supremacy within the Big 12. Now the challenge is to build upon the accomplishments of Taylor Lujan, Bryce Steiert, Max Thomsen, Jacob Holschlag, and Jay Schwarm from that 2015 group. This class is one with clear potential, as Happel and Snodgrass both placed third in robust Junior freestyle weight classes last summer; while Teske returns home with three years of eligibility, even though things did not work out for the four-time high school state champ as a 133 pounds at Penn State. Basile and Farber continue Northern Iowa's connection with the Southeastern United States.

11. Lehigh

Top-100 recruits: No. 26 Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.), No. 37 Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio), No. 67 Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)

Weight class ranked: Sheldon Seymour (Athens, Pa.)

Additional notable: Chris Barnabae (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.), J.T. Davis (Smyrna, Del.), Connor Herceg (Nazareth, Pa.)

Commentary: Lehigh was ranked inside the top 10 in both the tournament strength and dual team rankings from InterMat at season's end. Bringing in a recruiting class such as this with capable high-end talent will enable the trend to continue for the Mountain Hawks. Seymour and Munch are projected to help out the lower-weights, while Bryant and Lawrence fit as middle-weights.

12. Michigan

Top-100 recruits: No. 20 Gaige Garcia (Southern Columbia, Pa.), No. 30 Dylan Ragusin (Montini Catholic, Ill.)

Weight class ranked: Fidel Mayora (Montini Catholic, Ill.), Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.)

Additional notable: Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.), Brendin Yatooma (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.)

Commentary: Last year's Wolverines recruiting class was ranked No. 11 overall with two basically top-20 recruits and not too much depth behind it, though it ended up being that Cole Mattin had a positive true freshman season despite missing out on NCAA tournament qualification. Yet again two excellent talents anchor; Ragusin as a clear lower-weight (125/133) and Garcia as a clear upper-weight (197/285), though Garcia is likely going to be shared with the football program in Ann Arbor. Garcia has multiple state records in the Keystone State as a running back, though he projects more to fullback in college. In terms of the complimentary pieces, Mayora joins classmate Ragusin and fellow Montini alum Lewan on the roster; Bullock and Walker possess upside in the middle-to-upper weights; while Yatooma was a football/wrestling athlete at national power Detroit Catholic Central.

13. Rutgers

Top-100 recruits: No. 21 John Poznanaski (Colonia, N.J.), No. 63 Connor O'Neil (DePaul Catholic, N.J.), No. 68 Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio)

Additional notable: Andrew Clark (Collingswood, N.J.)

Impact transfer: Boone McDermott (Iowa Central)

Commentary: Though the on-mat momentum of the pair of national champions from 2019 did not continue in the 2020 season, the Scarlet Knights' fan base is emerging to be among the most passionate and strong within the sport; that manifested itself in a most excellently attended Big Ten Championships hosted by Rutgers in early March. Enthusiasm and passion have demonstrated itself as Scott Goodale and staff bring in yet another strong class, which is anchored by in-state wrestlers Poznanski and O'Neil. JUCO national champion McDermott has the potential to be an impact heavyweight for the next three years, Shawver should help in the lighter-weights, while Clark is a third New Jersey state champion in this class.

14. West Virginia

Top-100 recruits: No. 29 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), No. 60 Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), No. 76 Carter Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), No. 86 Anthony D'Alesio (Canfield, Ohio)

Additional notable: Joey Blumer (Kiski Area, Pa.), Colton Drousias (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.)

Commentary: This is Tim Flynn's second recruiting class of his own as head wrestling coach at West Virginia after leaving Edinboro to take the job in April of 2018. This is by far the best Mountaineers class since the 2015 group that was ranked No. 3 overall; however, that one was marred by attrition and underachievement, part of why there was a coaching transition in Morgantown. This class happens to be very heavy on middle-weight types, with four that competed at either 152 pounds or 160 pounds as high school seniors, and all within a three-hour drive from West Virginia University. Getting high-end in-state wrestlers such as Hall and Roberts to combine with Noah Adams is a crucial statement for the program.

15. Michigan State

Top-100 recruits: No. 7 Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.), No. 73 Tristan Lujan (Selma, Calif.)

Weight class ranked: Caleb Fish (Eaton Rapids, Mich.)

Additional notable: Andrew Chambal (Davison, Mich.), Skyler Crespo (Mendon, Mich.), Eddie Homrock (Brighton, Mich.)

Commentary: The building blocks for Roger Chandler as head wrestling coach at Michigan State have been rather slow, but they are present. The 2016 recruiting class was ranked No. 25, the next two classes were not ranked, with last year's as honorable mention. From the 2019-20 season, a dual meet victory over Wisconsin and finishing 10th at the conference tournament were the probable highlights. Getting two-time state champion Lujan and national No. 1 Saldate from California can only help build on that momentum. MSU also brings in three in-state wrestlers that have won multiple state titles, which ultimately will help build that lineup depth and roster quality needed to compete in the Big Ten.

16. Wisconsin

Top-100 recruit: No. 1 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.)

Weight class ranked: Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.)

Additional notable: Aidan Medora (Brookfield Academy, Wis.), Joseph Zargo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.)

Impact transfer: Chris Weiler (Lehigh)

Commentary: The 2019 class that was basically Chris Bono's first class as head coach was ranked No. 4 overall. While this class is ranked lower, getting the services of No. 1 overall recruit Braxton Amos is a clear tone setter that things are continuing to be on the up in Madison; Amos projects to be a high-end NCAA heavyweight. Weiler comes in from Lehigh after qualifying for the NCAAs as the No. 13 seed, and will be the starter in his senior season at 184 pounds for the Badgers.

17. Ohio State

Weight class ranked: Bryce Hepner (St. Edward, Ohio)

Delayed enrollee: Anthony Echemandia (Sunnyside, Ariz./USOTC)

Impact transfer: Tate Orndorff (Utah Valley)

Commentary: The previous two classes for the Buckeyes were absolutely loaded with projected talent; in fact the 2019 group was ranked No. 1 overall (it should be noted that Kerkvliet has since left Columbus, and is on the Penn State roster). This class is different in structure, though Echemandia comes in with super blue-chip potential; he defected from Cuba and won a Junior National freestyle champion in 2018 after winning a state title for Sunnyside in Arizona, but will not matriculate to college until this fall. Orndorff is the most notable of a couple incoming transfers for Ohio State, as he was seeded No. 8 at 285 pounds for the NCAAs this year and has two years of eligibility remaining.

18. Princeton

Top-100 recruits: No. 32 Luke Stout (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.), No. 62 Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.)

Weight class ranked: Nick Masters (Woodward Academy, Ga.)

Additional notable: Nick Kayal (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), Jonathon Miers (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)

Commentary: Four of the last five recruiting classes for head coach Chris Ayres have been extremely positive for a Princeton program that ended the Cornell monopoly on the Ivy League title this past season. It's a pair of top-100 recruits as anchors this season; in 2018 there were four top-100 recruits including Patrick Glory and Quincy Monday; 2017 featured a pair of top-30 recruits in Travis Stefanik and Patrick Brucki; while three top-100 wrestlers committed in 2016. Clark comes from the same high school program as Patrick Glory, while Stout is the younger brother of multi-time NCAA qualifier Kellan Stout from Pitt.

19. Minnesota

Top-100 recruits: No. 18 Anthony Nagao (Esperanza, Calif.), No. 54 Isaiah Salazar (Windsor, Colo.), No. 84 Andrew Sparks (Calvary Chapel, Calif.)

Commentary: As things stand, the Golden Gophers are squarely in the mid-tier of Big Ten wrestling, with a clear gap between them and the Iowa/Penn State/Ohio State tier; which if one looked at where collegiate wrestling was 15 years ago would come as a shock (you had the Iowa/Oklahoma State/Minnesota trio at the top of the whole sport). Getting back very close to the top is going to be hard in an increasingly competitive landscape, though it's possible if they hit on the vast majority of recruits they bring in and can get that development piece right. The three key wrestlers in this class, all out of state, each have potential to be legitimate at the college level; which would serve Minnesota very well.

20. Purdue

Top-100 recruits: No. 12 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), No. 38 Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.)

Additional notable: Dorian Keys (Brownsburg, Ind.), Trey Kruse (Stillwater, Minn.)

Commentary: The Boilermakers have seen incremental progress over the six seasons that Tony Ersland has served as head wrestling coach. After finishes of 40th or lower in the first three years at the NCAAs, Purdue finished inside the top 30 in 2018 and 2019 with a tournament strength ranking at the end of 2019-20 right around 20th. The fifth-place finish at this year's Big Ten tournament was a high-water mark for Purdue in that event for a relatively long time. Getting a pair of top-40 wrestlers to commit to Lafayette, especially one from Western Pennsylvania, is a clear feather in the cap for Ersland and staff.

21. Campbell

Top-100 recruits: No. 59 Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), No. 89 Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.)

Weight class ranked: Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.)

Additional notable: B.J. Bailey (Thornton Fractional North, Ill.), Chase Warden (Dripping Springs, Texas)

Commentary: Cary Kolat built something very positive in his time as head coach at Campbell, as the Camels have won SoCon titles in three of the last four years; while their six NCAA qualifiers this past season tied a school record. Though Kolat moves on to Navy, lead assistant Scotti Sentes was promoted to head coach; while Darryl Thomas will bring his recruiting wizardry from the disbanded Old Dominion program to help Sentes and the Camels. This class is anchored by three wrestlers from Sentes' home state of Florida, including the Rivera twins from national power Lake Highland Prep; while Nix has excellent potential as a 197/285. Warden has potential in the middle-weights, as does Bailey who came along with Thomas when Old Dominion's program sadly went belly-up.

22. Navy

Top-100 recruits: No. 22 Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.)
Weight class ranked: Grady Griess (Northwest, Neb.)

Additional notable: Gavin Bell (Beavercreek, Ohio), Matthew Rogers (Wantagh, N.Y.), A.J. Tamburrino (Hatboro Horsham, Pa.)

Commentary: Navy underwent a head coaching transition after the just completed season, as former Campbell head coach Cary Kolat takes the helm in Annapolis. In six seasons under Joel Sharratt, the Midshipmen only had one All-American, and only finished inside the top 25 at the NCAAs one time. This was the second top-25 recruiting class produced by Sharratt, his first class in 2015 was ranked 21st, which means that Kolat will come in with some young building blocks. Anchoring this class -- no pun intended -- is two-time Pennsylvania state champion Cerniglia. Griess could also be an asset as a heavyweight, while Super 32 placer Bell moved up three weight classes for his senior season and was undefeated at 182 pounds before his scholastic state tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus.

23. Arizona State

Top-100 recruit: No. 9 Jesse Vasquez (Excelsior Charter, Calif.)

Impact transfer: Michael McGee (Old Dominion)

Commentary: The last chunk of years, the Sun Devils have operated on a every other year basis in terms of big class, not so big class. The 2015 (anchored by Zahid Valencia and Anthony Valencia) was ranked No. 1 overall, 2017 was a top-10 class, while last year's haul was ranked No. 2 overall. Headlining the group this year is four-time California state champion Vasquez, who should be a high-end middle-weight. McGee qualified for the NCAAs as a true freshman (1-2) and sophomore (3-2/round of 12) before redshirting this past year at Old Dominion; he has two years of eligibility remaining after transferring when the Monarchs' program was discontinued.

24. Iowa State

Top-100 recruit: No. 52 Kysen Terukina (Kamehameha-Kapalama, Hawaii), No. 70 Zach Redding (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.), No. 78 Cameron Robinson (Council Rock South, Pa.)

Weight class ranked: Cody Fisher (Woodward-Granger, Iowa)

Commentary: On-the-mat performance in Year 3 under Kevin Dresser was similar to that of Year 2, which was clear improvement from Year 1. The Cyclones have yet to make that aspirational leap into the top 10/upper echelon, which is an increasingly high standard, but stabilization and competence have been achieved. Bringing in three top-100 recruits is very positive from the standpoint of building the roster, but the lack of a true high-end talent shifts the ranking downward. Terukina and Redding fit in as lower-weights, Robinson is a middle-weight, while Fisher is likely a 197/285.

25. Edinboro

Top-100 recruit: No. 97 Gabe Willochell (Greater Latrobe, Pa.)

Weight class ranked: Ryan Burgos (Hilton, N.Y.), Jacob Lagoa (Ashtabula Lakeside, Ohio), Max Millin (Massillon Perry)

Additional notable: Ethan Ducca (Ashtabula St. John, Ohio)

Commentary: Much has been said about the state and vitality of Edinboro wrestling since Tim Flynn left as head coach after the 2017-18 season. A transition at the head wrestling coach position and exit via transfer of multiple NCAA qualifiers have created some struggles for the Fighting Scots program. Matt Hill took over as head coach at his alma mater, and just finished his second season. Said season saw incremental improvement, the dual meet record went from 2-9 to 10-10 and the NCAA qualifiers went up from one to two. Getting commitments from a group of talented wrestlers within the footprint of Edinboro University is key to the stability and success of the program. Willochell and Burgos fit in the lower-weights, Lagoa and Ducca are middle-to-upper weights, while Millin is a heavyweight after being a multi-sport athlete in high school.

Honorable mention (alphabetical): Columbia, Lock Haven, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Pitt

Recruiting class rankings released, Iowa No. 1

Wed, 10 May 2017 11:40:41 +0000

In the current landscape, success in college wrestling is defined by success at the NCAA tournament, which is an individual bracket event. One half of this season's All-Americans (40 out of 80) were ranked within the top 30 of their high school graduating class, which is a pretty exclusive subset of all participants within Division I collegiate wrestling.

Looking more narrowly, 19 out of 80 (almost one-quarter) were within the top 10 of their respective graduating class; while more broadly, three quarters of the All-Americans (60) were ranked within the top 100. Of the remaining 20, seven were weight class ranked, while the others were not ranked at all.

With that premise laid out there, one can see the importance for programs to land elite talent in recruiting, while it goes without saying that recognizing which have the true goods in all aspects to perform in college as well as developing said talent once on campus is also vital. The importance of elite talent is made abundantly clear when looking at the lineups that Penn State and Ohio State put on the mat during this past season.

All five of Penn State's NCAA champions were can't-miss recruits coming out of high school, the lowest ranking for any in their graduating class was a pair in the No. 7 position, Jason Nolf and Vincenzo Joseph. When looking at Penn State's nine national qualifiers, all were top 100 recruits, while injury to a 10th top 100 recruit (Jered Cortez) left a hole in the lineup at 133 pounds (the lone weight class not to qualify for the national tournament).

From an Ohio State perspective, Olympic, World and NCAA champion Kyle Snyder was the No. 1 recruit in his graduating class. Also No. 1 in his graduating class was third-place finisher Bo Jordan, fellow third-place finishers Nathan Tomasello and Kollin Moore were ranked 15th and 32nd respectively; while additional All-Americans Micah Jordan and Myles Martin were ranked fourth and sixth. Two of Ohio State's three other qualifiers were top 100 recruits as well, Jose Rodriguez and Luke Pletcher.

Below is a listing with commentary of the top 25 recruiting class for 2017, as well as the recruits that encompass each class.

Spencer Lee is the prized recruit in Iowa's top-ranked recruiting class (Photo/Tom Elling)

1. Iowa

Top 100 recruits: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 7 Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.), No. 30 Max Murin (Central Cambria, Pa.), and No. 75 Aaron Costello (Western Dubuque, Iowa)

Other ranked recruit: Myles Wilson (Glenwood Springs, Colo.)

Additional notables: Zach Axmear (North English, Iowa)

Commentary: Since Iowa last won the national title in 2010, they have finished second just once (2015), third twice (2011/2012), fourth three times (2013/2014/2017), and outside the trophies once (fifth-2016). For almost every other program, this would be exceptional, but the standard at Iowa is different. It should be noted that the last No. 1 recruiting class for Iowa was fifth-year seniors this past season. The Hawkeyes had three recruiting classes outside the top 10 between 2012 and the fourth rated class in 2016. There is an obvious injection of impact talent in this class, most notable in the form of super-studs Lee and Warner; while Murin is a very solid talent as a lower-to-middle weight with Costello a more than solid heavyweight.

2. Cornell

Top 100 recruits: No. 2 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), No. 3 Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), and No. 58 Jake Brindley (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.)

Other ranked recruits: Andrew Berreyesa (Reno, Nev.), Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), and Seth Janney (Malvern Prep, Pa.)

Additional notables: Sammy Cokeley (St. James Academy, Kansas), Dom LaJoie (Gaylord, Mich.), and Hunter Richard (Holland Patent, N.Y.)

Commentary: 2017 marked a 10th straight top-10 finish at the national tournament for the Big Red, while the quartet of All-Americans made it 15 consecutive seasons with three-plus on the podium. Three of those All-Americans graduate, which means it's time for kind of a reboot, and that's coming with in-state stars Diakomihalis and Arujau who were each four-time state champions; Diakomihalis was a three-time Super 32 champion and two-time Cadet World champion, while Arujau was a Cadet World silver medalist and a Super 32 champion this past fall. It's also a very deep class when looking at the plethora of proven wrestlers that have produced in national level competitions.

Read analysis for all 25 teams. Not an InterMat Platinum subscriber? Subscribe now!

2017 InterMat Recruiting Class Rankings

1. Iowa
2. Cornell
3. Michigan
4. Virginia Tech
5. Penn State
6. Oklahoma
7. Ohio State
8. Arizona State
9. Nebraska
10. North Carolina
11. Oklahoma State
12. Virginia
13. Wisconsin
14. Missouri
15. Iowa State
16. Binghamton
17. Princeton
18. Purdue
19. Brown
20. Fresno State
21. Army West Point
22. Ohio
23. West Virginia
24. Drexel
25: South Dakota State

Honorable Mention: Lehigh, Minnesota, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, Pittsburgh

Super 32 champion Busiello commits to Penn State for 2019 class

Tue, 28 Jun 2016 03:28:27 +0000

Adam Busiello (Photo/Josh Conklin)

Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.), ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2019, verbally committed to Penn State University on Monday evening. Already a three-time state finalist, as wrestlers can compete in high school varsity competition from seventh grade onward in New York, Busiello had a sensational freshman season. It included a title at the Super 32 Challenge during the fall, a second consecutive state title, and finished with him ranked No. 1 in the country at 106 pounds.

Busiello also placed third last summer in Cadet freestyle at 106 pounds. His commitment to Penn State continues the Nittany Lions' strong momentum in recruiting. That includes the second ranked class in 2016, along with key verbal commitments in each of the next three classes: Nick and Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) for the 2017 and 2018 classes, plus Busiello in 2019. He projects to compete in college at 141 pounds.

Verbally committed to The Penn State University!ðŸ¦
â€” DeLaRosa (@adambusiello) June 28, 2016

Two-time Super 32 champ Pletcher verbals to Ohio State

Sun, 02 Aug 2015 02:39:40 +0000

Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 8 in the Class of 2016, verbally committed to Ohio State on Saturday evening. The rising senior is a two-time Super 32 champion and a two-time state champion, as well as a three-time state finalist. Pletcher projects most likely as a 141 in college, and is the initial verbal commit for Ohio State in the 2016 recruiting class.

Excited to announce that I'll be continuing my academic and athletic career at The Ohio state university. Go bucks pic.twitter.com/CvRV09d72F
ï¿½ï¿½" luke pletcher (@LukePletcher) August 2, 2015

Minnesota announces recruiting class, includes No. 1-ranked Mason of Blair Academy

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 05:03:00 +0000

The defending national champion Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling program announced its fall signing class today, a group that includes six of the nation's top recruits. Jake Deitchler, Atticus Disney, Ryland Geiger, Mario Mason, Matt Mincey and Cody Yohn have all signed National Letters of Intent and will wrestle for the Gophers beginning in the fall of 2008.

Jake Deitchler, a native of Anoka, Minn. is a two-time Minnesota state champion and is the nation's top recruit in his weight class according to Amateur Wrestling News. The 2007 NHSCA Junior National Champion at 145 pounds, Deitchler represented the United States at the 2007 Junior World Championships in Beijing along with current Gopher Brandon Sitch. Deitchler also was named the Junior Greco-Roman "Wrestler of the Year" for 2007. Currently ranked 10th overall amongst recruits nationwide by RevWrestling, Deitchler is expected to wrestle at 157 pounds for the Golden Gophers.

Heavyweight Atticus Disney is another highly-touted recruit that has committed to Minnesota and hails from Topeka, Kan. This two-time state high school champ was a double champion at this year's FILA Cadet Nationals, winning both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman events. Disney was also the runner-up at the '07 NHSCA Junior Nationals and earned Junior National All-American status. He enters his final prep season as a top-five heavyweight recruit nationally according to Amateur Wrestling News.

Ryland Geiger is the 2007 Oregon state high school champion hails from Scappoose, Ore. Expected to compete at 197 pounds when he reaches Minnesota next fall, Geiger was a NHSCA Junior National Champion this past year and was also the '07 Junior National Greco-Roman Champion. He was a double champion (Freestyle and Greco-Roman) at the 2006 Cadet Nationals. Geiger is a top-50 national recruit according to Intermat.

Mario Mason currently attends renowned Blair Academy in Blair, N.J., home to one of the finest prep wrestling programs in the country. A two-time National Prep Champion, Mason is currently the nation's number one high school wrestler in the RevWrestling power rankings. This 2007 USA Wrestling Junior National Champion was also a NHSCA Junior National Champion this past year and figures to wrestle at 149 pounds when he arrives in Minnesota next season.

Matt Mincey is another homegrown Minnesota recruit and attends Apple Valley High School, winners of back-to-back state wrestling championships and 15 overall since 1983. Mincey was a two-time state individual champion at 125 pounds and also took third at the 2007 NHSCA Junior Nationals. Intermat has ranked Mincey as the 34th-best recruit in the nation, and he is expected to compete at 133 pounds for the Gophers.

Cody Yohn is the younger sibling of current Gopher freshman Sonny Yohn (184 pounds) and boasts a list of accomplishments that rivals those of his brother. Cody Yohn hails from Alamosa, Col. and is a two-time Colorado state champion, pairing up with his brother to lead the Mean Moose to back-to-back team titles as well. Yohn is a top-15 national recruit (RevWrestling) and ranks first in his weight class (Amateur Wrestling News). He will compete at 174 pounds for Minnesota next year. Yohn also finished second in the freestyle competition at the 2007 Junior National Championships and was a 2006 Cadet Freestyle All-American.

"We're very excited about this recruiting class," said Minnesota head coach J Robinson. "We believe this group will help us continue the standard of excellence we've established here at Minnesota, and will allow us to remain one of the nation's top programs for years to come."

Pennsylvania standout Flynn commits to Lehigh

Wed, 05 Oct 2005 22:39:00 +0000

Patrick Flynn of Pennsylvania (Quaker Town HS), who is ranked as the 25th best high school senior in the country by RevWrestling.com, has given a verbal commitment to Lehigh University.

Last March, Flynn finished runner-up at the PIAA Championships (AAA) at 189 lbs. In April, he captured a Greco title at the 2005 FILA Cadet Nationals, and earned the Gorrarian Trophy for the most falls in the least amount of time. He was also a 2004 Cadet Nationals champion in freestyle and Greco.

The early signing period begins on Nov. 9 and ends on Nov. 16.