“We have a great group of kids coming in,” said Head Coach J Robinson. “These are very hardnosed student-athletes who love to wrestle, who are hard workers and are dedicated to the sport. We are very excited about this class.”

Brancale is from Eden Prarie, Minn., and recently won the 132 lb. division at the InterMat JJ Classic. He currently holds a career record of 54 wins and 14 losses. Brancale has 23 wins by fall and 12 coming from tech fall.

Donar, who hails from Cuba City, WI is a three-time state champion from the state of Wisconsin and is undefeated. He won the title at 119 lbs. his freshman season and went 49-0, with 28 pins and recorded 78 takedowns. In his sophomore year he won the state title at 125 lbs. and recorded 23 pins after finishing 48-0. This past spring he competed at 135 lbs. and went 46-0.

Kingsley was crowned the 152 lbs. division champion at the InterMat JJ Classic last month. He is a three-time Minnesota state wrestling champion out Apple Valley, Minn. and won the 140-pound Class 3A championship last year as a junior after winning at 135 pounds as a sophomore and 125 as a freshman. Apple Valley High School native is the younger brother of current Minnesota freshman Jordan Kingsley.

Kroells, like Brancale and Kingsley won the InterMat JJ Classic, but at 285 lbs. He won the 215 pound Class 2A state title last March as a junior. He is also a three-time state place winner. He was runner-up at 189 pounds as a sophomore and sixth at 189 pounds as a freshman. Kroells was a USA Wrestling Cadet Folkstyle National Champion in 2010. Kroells was The Guillotine’s top 2011 Academic All-State wrestler with a perfect 47-0 season record, and a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Pfarr, is a three-time Minnesota state tournament finalist. He finished second at 140 lbs. in 2010. Pfarr took fourth at the NHSCA National tournament in Virginia Beach in 2010 in the sophomore division. In 2009 he placed sixth state high school tournament.

Phillps, who is from Liberty, Ind., won state championships his freshman and sophomore seasons, both at 103 pounds. He was third at last year’s state meet at 112 pounds.

Trom is a three-time state champion for Apple Valley. He won the 125-pound Class AAA state championship last season as a junior, the 119 pounds title as a sophomore and the 112 pound title as a freshman. Trom was a USA Wrestling Cadet National freestyle runner-up in 2010.

For Full Article, gophersports.com

Evans, is a projected 197-pound wrestler in college. The Springfield, Ohio native attends Graham High School and is a three-time placewinner at the Walsh Ironman. He placed second at 189 pounds last year, fourth at 171 pounds as a sophomore and seventh at 152 pounds as a freshman. He enters his senior season with a 126-13 record overall, but has just four losses over the past two seasons. He won the Ohio state championship at 171 pounds as a sophomore and placed second as a junior (189 pounds) and second as a freshman (152 pounds).

Mastriani hails from Towaco, N.J., and attends Don Bosco Prep. He wrestles at 145 pounds in high school, but is projected to wrestle at 149/157 at Tech. He placed second at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals at 145 pounds in 2010 and has gone 70-14 the past two seasons, placing fourth at the New Jersey State Tournament.

Peck is the tallest wrestler to ever commit to the Hokies as he stands at 6-9. The Chambersburg, Pa., and Chambersburg High product placed second at the Pennsylvania State Tournament as a junior after going 40-2 with 25 pins and has a 90-24 record in high school. He had “Tommy John” surgery in September and will miss his senior season. Peck won the NHSCA Junior Nationals in folkstyle last year and placed eighth at the Junior Nationals in Greco Roman at 215 pounds. He took third at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals and was a Cadet All-American in 2010.

Walz is the final signee for the Hokies. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and attends St. Edward High. He is another heavyweight who will compete for the job vacated after this year by senior David Marone. Walz placed sixth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in freestyle last year at 215 pounds.

“We are excited to sign these four guys,” Dresser said. “Houston Evans is a guy who comes from a great high school program and could be a difference maker early in his career. Houston is very athletic and could cover a couple of weight classes in his career. Dawson Peck at 6-9 will be one of the most unique big guys in the nation. Along with Dawson, we have another big guy coming in named Ty Walz. Ty, like Houston, comes from a great Ohio high school. We feel like we have a plan to get both big guys in our line up in the near future. Both of these guys could be really great college wrestlers. And finally, Sal Mastriani comes from the same high school as Nick Vetterlein in New Jersey. We had Sal at camp this summer and loved his toughness and his work ethic. His upside is really exciting!”

Several walk-ons will also join the program, but per NCAA Regulations, their names cannot be released at this time.

For Full Article, hokiesports.com

Lots of long road trips with nothing to show for the time and effort. The school wasn’t right for him, he wasn’t right for the school, or things just didn’t work out.

“I was at a point that I remember coming home from Northern Illinois, I was like, ‘I don’t even want to stop at Central Michigan. I’m tired of all these recruiting trips,’ ” the Blue Mountain senior wrestler recalled Monday night. “And my dad was like, ‘No, you at least have to go there. You already scheduled the visit.’

“Sure enough, I went out there and fell in love with it,” Keener added with a laugh.

He gave his verbal commitment to CMU in September and recently signed his Division I letter of intent to make it official.

Funny how things work out sometimes.

Everything fit for Keener at Central Michigan: He loved the Mount Pleasant, Mich., campus; he’s excited about CMU’s sports medicine/physical therapy program; he already knew a few guys on the team; and he described coach Tom Borrelli as a “down-to-Earth guy who’s pretty straight forward with you.”

Nazareth’s Zach Horan, Parkland’s Mike Ottinger and Wyomissing’s Nick Hodgkins – all state champions like Keener – are on the Chippewas roster.

“So it was kind of cool to see all three of those guys out there,” Keener said. “I knew them, and I felt comfortable out there with those guys. The campus … that was by far the nicest I’ve seen.

“They have a real good sports medicine program out there,” he added. “I’ll probably graduate in 6 and a half years with my doctorate in physical therapy. That’ll work out real nice, hopefully.”

Maryland and Rutgers were also on Keener’s short list, but once he saw Central Michigan, he made his decision.

“Real relieved, just to get it done,” he said.

About the only bad thing that’s happened to Keener lately is an injury he suffered in September training for the Super 32 tournament.

Trying a throw, he dislocated his kneecap and damaged some cartilage. The original diagnosis was rest and rehab, but he reached a point where the knee wasn’t getting any better. So on Nov. 4 he said he had arthroscopic surgery to repair the problem.

“I’m feeling better already,” Keener said.

With his college choice settled, the focus now is to get healthy again for wrestling season. Keener said he’ll probably miss the opening weekend at the Solanco Mule Classic but is aiming to return for Blue Mountain’s Gauntlet Wrestling Tournament on Dec. 16.

His goals for the season are clear: Become a four-time District 11 champion, become a four-time Northeast Regional champion, become a two-time state champion and become the all-time winningest wrestler in District 11 history.

Keener enters the season with a 143-15 career record, within reach of the 175-5 standard set by 2008 Easton graduate and national champion for Oklahoma State Jordan Oliver.

By signing, Keener joins a long list of recent Blue Mountain graduates who have wrestled at the Division I level. That group includes Josh Kindig, Cort and Brandon Choate, Tyler Rauenzahn and Brook Gosch.

“I know Josh (Kindig), his senior year he got hurt and missed Ironman. It was no big deal,” Keener said. “He came back and was state champ at the end of the season. All that matters is the end of the season.

“There’s no pressure now,” he added. “There was pressure because I had to perform for colleges to notice me, but now there’s no pressure. I still want to represent my college and my high school well, but just go out there and wrestle, have fun. I think this year might be some of my best wrestling with no pressure, just having fun and doing my thing out there.”

To Continue Reading Article by Bob Lipsky, republicanherald.com

The four student-athletes come from four states. They include: Joey Delgado (Hermiston, Ore.), Joey Palmer (Covington, Wash.), Patrick Downey (Baltimore, Md.) and Jack Hathaway (Iowa City, Iowa).

“It’s a good group that has accomplished a lot,” Zalesky said. “They’ve gotten a lot of titles so far and have done very well nationally. As a coach, you not only look to see how they’ve done in their state or regionally, but against national competition.”

Considered the top wrestler in the state of Oregon, Delgado, who attends Hermiston High School, has wrestled at 130 pounds and most recently won the Reser’s Tournament of Champions, for the second consecutive year. With the win in the final, he concluded his junior year with a perfect 36-0 record. He is expected to wrestle at either 138 or 145 pounds this season.

“Joey is an in-state kid who is going for his fourth title,” Zalesky said. “He’s one of those kids who has always wanted to come to Oregon State. It was good to get to know his family and see what he brings to the table.”

Palmer is considered the nation’s No. 88 wrestling recruit nationally by The Open Mat. He is projected to wrestle at 125 or 133 pounds in college, and last season, defeated five state champions during his junior campaign. He has won one state championship and appeared in the finals twice. He has also appeared in the finals at the Fargo Junior Freestyle.

“Sometimes you recruit guys and another wrestler catches your attention,” Zalesky said. “We were looking at Taylor Meeks. I remember going to watch Taylor practice and then seeing Joey Palmer there as a younger guy. He caught my eye and we’ve been watching him ever since. He won state last year. I don’t think he was on too many people’s national radar lists until this summer but we knew about him a couple years ago.”

Downey, originally from Baltimore, was ranked No. 1 at 189 pounds in Florida’s 2A level while at Oviedo High School. He won the NHSCA Senior Nationals at 189 pounds and the USA Junior National Freestyle title at 171. He’s also an honorable mention at 189 pounds by hswrestling.net.

“Patrick is a guy who came on last year,” Zalesky said. “He won the junior nationals and has done well nationally. He’s a bigger guy and any time you can find a good big guy, you have to go get him.”

Hathaway is ranked 19th nationally at 126 pounds according to Wrestling Insider News Magazine. Through three years at the high school level, he owns a record of 146-12 while competing at Iowa City West High School. Most recently, he won the 3A state title at 125 pounds and has been a runner-up at FILA Junior Nationals, qualifying for the U.S. FILA Junior World Cup team.

“Jack is one of those guys who has really gotten better every year,” Zalesky said. “I watched him a couple years ago at junior nationals and then last year on tape. He’s improved a lot. I know he comes from a pretty good wrestling program. His coach, Mark Reiland, I coached at Iowa, so I know he comes from a good coaching background. We’re excited to get him out here.”

To Continue Reading Article by osubeavers.com

The senior signed a national letter of intent on Wednesday to attend the University of Minnesota.

Athletic director Erich Frombach said that Zeman is the first Avon High athlete to get an athletic scholarship to a Big Ten school.

He’s also the first Avon wrestler to get a Division I scholarship, coach Mark Porter said.

“Minnesota recognized a lot of things in Zane we’ve seen,” Porter said. “He’s improved every year. He’s focused and extremely hard-working. But he’s not an egomaniac. Wrestling is an individual sport, but he cares a lot about the team and his teammates.”

Zeman is 119-16 in his career heading into his senior season. He reached the championship match at the state wrestling meet last year, but was pinned by Bo Jordan of St. Paris Graham Local.

Zeman plans to study bioengineering.

To Continue Reading Article by Melissa Hebert, avon-oh.patch.com

From struggling to win to becoming a multiple state champion in high school, Phillips kept working hard at wrestling.

That hard work led him to back-to-back Indiana state titles — and leads him next to the Big Ten as part of a prestigious University of Minnesota program that is a national power.

Phillips is officially a Golden Gopher as the Union County senior had his National Letter of Intent signing ceremony on Tuesday.

“If you’d have asked me when I was in middle school, I’d have never thought in a million years I’d be where I am today,” said Phillips, who verbally committed to Minnesota last month. “When I was in elementary, I hardly won a match. I just stayed at it and it started coming together.”

Phillips won state championships his freshman and sophomore seasons, both at 103 pounds. He was third at last year’s state meet at 112 pounds. Phillips said he plans to wrestle this year at 126, which means a less arduous process of cutting weight.

Minnesota’s style of wrestling is similar to Phillips’ aggressive approach.

“As a wrestler, he has everything he needs,” said Union County coach Dan Briggs. “He’s fast. He’s aggressive. He’s physical. He’s smart. He’s got it all and he can use it.

“It’s a great day for him, for his family, for our program — to have a top-tier wrestler go to a top-tier program.”

Minnesota has won three NCAA team championships with the most recent in 2007. Sixteen Golden Gophers have won individual titles.

Minnesota was seventh at last year’s NCAA Championships and returned four All-American competitors this season.

“Everybody is such a family up there. I think I’ll fit in great,” Phillips said. “My style of wrestling is their style of wrestling — hard work and that’s what I like to do.”

To Continue Reading Article by Josh Chapin, pal-item.com

“Nick and Jordan are both very successful high school wrestlers and are really committed to Michigan State,” said Minkel. “They’re really excited about wrestling here. We’re definitely looking forward to having them as a part of our program.

“Both Nick and Jordan are somewhat similar: they both have a great work ethic, they’re both very good athletes, and on top of that, they’re both very good students. We really feel it’s important to get good athletes and good students, and both Nick and Jordan bring great credentials on the mat and in the classroom.”

Below is a look at the accomplishments of each signee:

Nick Trimble – Sparta, Mich. – Sparta High School
Won the 2011 Michigan Division 2 state title at 130 pounds with a 9-5 victory over previously unbeaten Jeff Jenkins of Tecumseh . . . finished his junior season in 2010-11 with a 51-1 record . . . ranked the No. 10 overall senior in the state of Michigan by MichiganGrappler.com . . . enters his senior season with a 146-12 career high school record . . . currently ranked No. 1 in the state of Michigan at 135 pounds in Division 2 by MichiganGrappler.com . . . went a perfect 10-0 to earn a gold medal at the 2011 AAU Scholastic Disney Duals . . . named to the 2011 MichiganGrappler.com Dream Team (second team) . . . as a sophomore, placed fourth in Division 2 at 125 pounds at the 2010 Michigan state championships . . . finished his sophomore season in 2009-10 with a 51-3 record . . . as a freshman, took fourth place in Division 2 at 119 pounds . . . compiled a 44-8 record as a freshman in 2008-09 . . . projected to wrestle at 141 pounds for the Spartans.

Minkel on Trimble: “Nick has been wrestling since he was a kid and really has had a stellar career. His family is very involved in his wrestling. One thing that makes him unique is he’s a very athletic young man. He has exceptional athletic gifts, above and beyond wrestling. I think he could be successful in almost any sport that he participates in. I think Nick is going to add a lot to our program, and on top of that, he’s just a great kid.”

Jordan Wohlfert – St. Johns, Mich. – St. Johns High School
Ranked No. 9 in the nation at 160 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News and No. 16 by InterMat . . . won the 2011 Michigan Division 2 state title at 152 pounds with a 14-6 win over Dan Fleet of Lowell . . . finished his junior season in 2010-11 with a perfect 60-0 record and helped St. Johns win the Division 2 state championship for the second straight year . . . ranked the No. 8 senior overall in the state of Michigan by MichiganGrappler.com . . . enters his senior season with a 173-11 career high school record . . . currently ranked No. 1 in the state of Michigan at 160 pounds in Division 2 by MichiganGrappler.com . . . named to the 2011 MichiganGrappler.com Dream Team (first team) . . . two-time Lansing State Journal Dream Team selection (2010 and 2011) . . . compiled a 52-5 record his sophomore season in 2009-10 while placing third at the 2010 Michigan Division 2 state championships at 145 pounds . . . honorable mention selection to the 2010 MichiganGrappler.com Dream Team . . . finished runner-up at the 2010 FloNationals . . . took runner-up honors at the 2009 Michigan Division 2 state championships at 135 pounds, losing to current Spartan and former St. Johns teammate Dan Osterman in the championship match, 3-1 in overtime . . . finished his freshman season with a 61-6 record and was a MichiganGrappler.com Dream Team pick (second team) . . . 2009 Cadet Freestyle National Champion . . . named to the 2008 Cadet Freestyle Duals all-tournament team . . . projected to wrestle at 165 pounds for the Spartans.

Minkel on Wohlfert: “Jordan comes from an outstanding program in St. Johns and will bring a strong following from there. He has a great work ethic and is a great kid. I have no doubt that he’s going to have a very successful career here. I’m really looking forward to coaching him once he gets on campus.”

For Full Article, msuspartans.com

He is a two-time state champion and was the highest ranked Junior in last seasons 171 lbs. HSWrestling.net final rankings, and he is headed to Stillwater, Okla.

Jordan Rogers, from Mead High School, signed his Letter of Intent Monday morning to wrestle for the prestigious Oklahoma State Cowboys. A senior this year and wrestling at 182 pounds, Rogers is the favorite to win a third state title for the Panthers.

“They have phenomenal wrestlers,” said Rogers of OSU. “Every year they have produced phenomenal wrestlers and I really want to go be part of something great there. Their technique fits my style of wrestling well and you can’t go wrong with Coach Smith. There’s great coaching there and I’m just excited to learn some techniques from them.”

Several other schools pursued Rogers, including Cornell, Iowa, Stanford and Penn State.

For Full Article, swxrightnow.com

The three-time state champion chose the Wildcats over Oklahoma State, having also visited Michigan and Wisconsin. Attending Northwestern will allow Tsirtsis to more easily continue to train with his brother and mentor, Alex, a four-time undefeated state champion at Griffith who went on to become an All-American at Iowa.

“Both (Northwestern and Oklahoma State) are great programs, and what helped me decide on Northwestern was being close to home, having my family close, especially Alex. That was huge,” Jason said. “It was a really tough decision — I don’t think I could’ve made a a bad decision. It’s been a long process, and I feel confident with my choice.

“The Big Ten is the best wrestling conference in the country, so that’s another plus. The academics, either way I would’ve gotten a great degree, but Northwestern is second to none with academics. It was really hard to find a factor that really separated one school from the other. It was just neck-and-neck in different areas — it was a really tough choice, but a good one.”

Tsirtsis, planning to wrestle at 145 pounds for CP this season, is a lock — barring something extremely unforeseen — to become the eighth four-time champion in state history. The only two losses of his high school career came as a freshman; he avenged one in the state semifinals, and he defeated the other opponent three other times that season.

In July, he added a prestigious line to his impeccable resume — freestyle junior national title in Fargo, N.D., at 140 pounds.

“Northwestern’s not known to have the top program around, but they have a lot of great guys around my weight, and the coach is really dedicated to me,” said Tsirtsis, anticipating wrestling at 141 as a freshman, and considering studying biology, with an eye on becoming a dentist.

To Continue Reading Article by Michael Osipoff, posttrib.suntimes.com

“It is a great feeling to be an Ohio State Buckeye,” stated Roberts when asked about his commitment. “I really don’t know what to say other than I am really excited and happy to see what is ahead in the years to come.”

A nationally respected wrestler, Roberts jumped on the OSU recruiting radar this summer after he competed at the 2011 Junior World Championships in Bucharest, Romania and roomed with current Ohio State sophomore Logan Stieber.

“I was looking at several colleges before I went overseas with Logan to the Worlds. We talked about a lot of things and I got a chance to pick his brains about the wrestling in college, going to school at OSU, training and competing internationally, and a lot of different things,” said Nick when asked about his recruitment.

“When we got back I reached out to the coaches and started to build a relationship, I got to come in for a football game and got a chance to see a lot of stuff, and I think I made a great decision in choosing to wrestle at Ohio State.”

Roberts selected the Buckeyes over Penn State, Iowa, and Michigan.

“Growing up I knew that I wanted to wrestle in college and I knew I wanted to compete in the Big Ten,” offered Nick when asked about his decision. “There wasn’t anything wrong with the other schools; it just seemed that for me, everything was right about Ohio State from the school, to the team and the coaches, to the opportunity to train with the Ohio RTC.”

Wrestling since he was three years old, Roberts has fourteen years of experience and a track record of success. A two-time state champion for the Cougars, Nick has built a 103-9 career record in high school going 32-6 as freshman and 39-1 as a sophomore at 103 pounds, and 31-2 as a junior at 112 while placing first, third, first at state. He is planning on moving up to 120 or 126 pounds as a senior.

A year-round wrestler, Roberts has also excelled in the international styles as a four-time national champion. Nick was a 2009 Cadet double national champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman, a 2010 and 2011 FILA Junior national champion in freestyle, and he placed fifth at the 2010 Junior World Championships.

“The focus this year is to win state, to make it back on the Junior World Team again, and to bring a medal back to the United States,” stated Roberts.

To Continue Reading Article by Kevin Schlosser, www.buckeyewrestling.com

For the second year in a row, Ohio State has reached into Northeast Ohio to kick off what it hopes will be another stellar wrestling recruiting class. Two-time state champion Nick Tavanello, a Wadsworth senior heavyweight, has made an oral commitment to OSU.

“I’ve always wanted to be a Buckeye. It’s been one of my dreams,” Tavanello said. “They offered me about three weeks ago and I waited a little bit to verbal. I wanted to see what other places had to offer, as well.”

Tavanello also considered Kent State, Ohio University, North Carolina and Pittsburgh.

OSU’s 2011 recruiting class was rated No. 1 by several publications, and it included Walsh Jesuit’s Johnni DiJulius.

Tavanello (6-0, 248) is considered a small heavyweight, but still is regarded among the nation’s top recruits. He wrestled the last three seasons at 215 pounds, placing third at state as a freshman and winning the last two years in Division I. He has a chance to become the third wrestler in Ohio history to win three state titles at 215 or above. His career record is 137-9.

He said he’ll move up to heavyweight instead of wrestling at the new high school weight of 220 pounds because OSU coaches want him to get a year of experience against bigger opponents.

“I don’t think it’s the size of the heavyweight, I think it’s the heart. I’ve always been small for my weight and I’ve had the will and the ability, and things paid off,” he said.

Tavanello will play football this fall as a defensive tackle and offensive guard.

For Complete Article by Tim Warsinskey, Plain Dealer Reporter

The Union High School seniors will be able to continue their standout careers being on the same team in college.

The Crutchmer brothers each gave a verbal commitment to wrestle at Oklahoma State. The two told OSU coach John Smith of their decision late Friday night.

“We didn’t really think this would happen,” Brian Crutchmer said. “But it made it a lot easier for both of us when (Smith) told us that he wanted both of us.”

Said Kyle Crutchmer: “It is very exciting that it happened to work out this way for us.”

The Crutchmer brothers did not view themselves as a “package deal” to college recruiters. Both were prepared to attend separate schools.

Kyle Crutchmer developed into a national recruit after going 39-1 last season as a junior. The reigning Tulsa World All-Metro wrestler of the year won the Class 6A 160-pound state title and also won the NHSCA Junior national championship in April. Brian Crutchmer has placed second in the 6A 125-pound weight division the past two years.

Old Dominion and Wyoming were two schools that offered scholarships to both Crutchmer brothers. But Smith and the OSU staff “were genuine in their recruitment and ideas they had for the boys,” said Kevin Crutchmer, father of Kyle and Brian and Union’s head coach.

“We knew it was possible that they could split up going to college. But OSU made it easier for all of us.”

Article by Matt Doyle, Tulsa World Sports

“I just committed two hours ago,” Kraisser said by phone. “It’s a relief, a big relief. Now I can just go wrestle and enjoy my senior year.”

North Carolina is in the midst of building its wrestling program, and Kraisser said that aspect was appealing, as well as the belief that he could grow as a wrestler there.

“I liked the coaching staff,” he said. “I felt I’d have good teammates and I just felt comfortable there.”

Kraisser went 41-0 last season and has won 63 straight high school matches. He’s a three-time 4A-3A state, East Regional and Howard County champion.

For Full Article by Sandra McKee of the Baltimoresun.com

“We are excited to welcome all our incoming cadet wrestlers in the class of 2015,” said Sharratt. “These guys bring in a wealth of talent and accolades that together combine for 27 state placing honors and nine athletes who have more than 100 high school victories in their prep career.”

“I am very proud of the effort put forth by the Academy, my staff and these athletes to close out our 2015 recruiting class,” continued Sharratt. “The Air Force Academy application process takes a lot of time and effort and so many people play a part of the successful completion of each cadet’s application. It is exciting for me to see the way our admissions office worked hand in hand to close out the appointment offers for each of our young men, as well as the yeoman’s effort by Trapper Carpenter and Sam Barber to get it done.”

“In our effort to add depth at strategic weights we also focused on recruiting the right guys with the right work ethic in our 2015 class,” said Sharratt. “In 2011-12 we are looking to raise the level of intensity in all aspects of the program and these young men will have to be ready to battle when we kick things off. They have the talent and we expect them to be ready to meet the challenges ahead of them in our training and competition.”

Following is a listing of this year’s newcomers, along with a brief summary of their previous athletic accomplishments:

Jack Carda, Pukwana, S.D. – Two-time state medalist, including a runner-up finish … career record of 108-30.
Daniel Cotton, Phoenix, Ariz. – Three-time state medalist, including two runner-up finishes … career record of 117-10.
Jeremy Delzer, Altus, Okla. – Three-time state medalist, including a runner-up finish.
Cody Hancock, Phelan, Calif. – Attended the Academy Prep School … finished in the top 12 in the state in 2010 … career record of 160-41.
Joshua Hastings, Pleasant Hill, Mo. – Three-time state medalist, including two runner-up finishes … career record of 148-33.
Dalton Henderson, Owatonna, Minn. – Attended the Academy Prep School … three-time state medalist … state champion … career record of 143-29 … All-American at NCWA Nationals in 2011, finishing as runner-up.
Dylan Hyder, Yelm, Wash. – Four-time state medalist … two-time state champion … fifth-place at NHSCA Junior Nationals in 2010 … career record of 124-11.
Roger Jones II, Brandon, Fla. – Attended the Academy Prep School … state qualifier at 135 pounds in 2010 … career record of 103-32.
Elijah Levee, Mandeville, La. – Four-time state champion … career record of 205-31 … 129 career falls.
Carter McElhany, Colorado Springs, Colo. – Four-time state medalist … two-time state champion … 2008 USA Wrestling All-American … career record of 157-8.
Garrett Wells, Corvallis, Ore. – Attended the Academy Prep School … placed fourth in state in 2010 … compiled a season record of 37-5 … two-time conference champion.

Article by USAFA, CO.

These are UNK’s first recruits for the 2011-12 season.

The group includes former Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks Kevin Barrett (Boys Town H.S.), and Mark Fiala (Seward H.S.), Lincoln natives Brett LaBudda (Southeast H.S.) and Chase White (Lincoln H.S.), Ryan Bauer (Kearney H.S.), Michael Bolan (Grand Island H.S.) and Klay Kasik (Schuyler H.S.).

Expected to be at 197 lbs., Barrett came out of Boys Town as one of the nation’s top prep wrestlers. Redshirting at UNO this past season, he finished third in the Kaufman-Brand Open before a minor injury cut the year short.

“Kevin is a tremendous athlete. He was a four-sport athlete in high school and there isn’t much this young man can’t do,” said Bauer. “We’re very fortunate to have him chose to transfer to our program and there is no doubt that he has all the tools to be a national contender as a freshman.”

A three-time Class B state champion, Barrett was a combined 76-0 over his final two years and went 150-3 in his career. Pinning 78 of his opponents, he was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation by Wrestling USA Magazine. Off the mats, he was a two-time all-state pick in football and a state track qualifier in the shot put.

Fiala (174/184 lbs.), a 2011 Academic All-American, will have three years of eligibility remaining after posting a 31-12 record this past season as a redshirt freshman. In 2009-10, Fiala was named UNO’s Outstanding Redshirt as he went 29-14 and picked up the team’s Redshirt Scholar Award thanks to a 3.92 GPA.

For Seward, he went 144-21 over four years, going 44-0 as a junior to win the Class B 152 lbs. state title. Reeling off 88 straight wins at one point, he was a team-captain as a senior and finished 2009 as a state runner up.

“Mark is an outstanding student-athlete and we are very fortunate to have him continue his college career at UNK,” said Bauer. “We recruited Mark heavily out of high school so we know what kind of talent he possesses and look forward to the impact that he will have in our program the next three years.”

LaBudda will be at 141 lbs. for the Lopers and is expected to redshirt this year. In his prep career, he won 93 times, 41 by fall, and placed fifth in Class A (140 lbs.) as a senior.

“Brett was a three-time state qualifier and was coached by for former Loper standout Jeff Rutledge. He is a tremendous student-athlete that is just starting to turn the corner in wrestling,” said Bauer.

White (149/157 lbs.) is also expected to redshirt this upcoming season. Going 152-6 the past four years, he is a two-time state champion who placed fifth at sophomore nationals and sixth at FLO nationals. W

“Chase is one of Nebraska’s top recruits this year. He is brings a lot of national level experience and success to our program. He’s what I would call a franchise player,” said Bauer. “Chase will redshirt his first year to gain valuable experience but look for this young man to be one of the Lopers future standouts.”

Next, Bauer (125/133 lbs.) won 94 matches as a Kearney High Bearcat and was fourth in Class A this past winter.

“The Loper wrestling program has been a huge part of Ryan’s life and he’s looking forward to representing our program as a student-athlete,” said Bauer. “Ryan loves UNK and it has always been a dream of his to take the mats for the Lopers.”

Bolan (149 lbs.) went 99-15 the past four years for the Islanders and was the 2011 Class A state champion at 145 lbs.

“We have had the opportunity to watch Michael compete throughout his youth and high school career. He has been actively involved with our camps and tournaments,” said Bauer. “As a member of the three-time Nebraska Class A state championship team, he has made great strides in his wrestling skills.”

Finally, Klasik (141 lbs.) had three top three finishes at the state tournament while going 148-25 as a prep wrestler. Pinning 70 of his opponents, he left Schuyler with school records for wins in a career, wins in a season (44) and takedowns in a career (300).

“Klay follows his dad’s footsteps to UNK. We’ve had the pleasure of watching Klay grow in the sport of wrestling,” said Bauer. “He brings a wealth of talent to our program and was part of a state runner up team this pas year.

UNK has had 10 straight top 10 finishes at the NCAA Division II Championships and returns four All-Americans to its lineup in 2012.

Article by UNK Sports Information

Of the 16 incoming wrestlers, six were former Pennsylvania State-Place-winners and four others qualified for the PA State Tournament. In addition, Coach Pecora added 2010 PA State Place-winner Zak Newton (Cresson, Pa./Penn Cambria H.S.), who played football at St. Francis University last season, and Sean O’Connell (Farmington, Conn./Farmington H.S.), a transfer from Anderson (S.C.) University.

“Once again, I believe we have added some young men who will make an immediate impact on our program and some who will make an impact a few years down the road,” Coach Pecora said. “Overall, another great recruiting class.”

Heading this year’s recruiting class are McKillop and Link.
McKillop, whose cousins were former football standouts at the University of Pittsburgh, posted a 52-2 overall record in 2010-11 on his way to winning the PA State title at 160 lbs. McKillop, currently ranked third in the nation in his weight class, finished his high school career with a 163-31 record. He also represented Pennsylvania in the 2011 Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic in Pittsburgh.

Link will join his brothers Nathan and Ryan on the Mountain Cats squad. Link, currently ranked sixth in the nation, is a two-time PA State Runner-up at 112 lbs. He finished with a 42-2 record in 2010-11 and a 138-20 career record.

Coach Pecora is also bringing in four former Pennsylvania State Place-Winners.

Mike Pavasko (Homestead, Pa./Steel Valley H.S.) is coming off of a 36-8 season and a fourth-place PIAA finish at 152 lbs., while Portage Area High School’s David Kephart (Portage, Pa./Portage Area H.S.) had a 36-4 overall record in 2010-11 and placed seventh at 189 lbs. Newton placed fifth at the PIAA Tournament in 2010 at 189 lbs., but chose to play football at St. Francis out of high school. Corey Aungst (Claysburg, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel H.S.) placed eighth at 145 lbs. in 2011.

Four PA State Qualifiers will also continue their collegiate wrestling careers at Pitt-Johnstown. They include: AAA State Qualifiers Nikos Garafola (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield H.S.) (189 lbs., 39-6 record) and Damian Lascoli (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg, H.S.) (160 lbs., 29-9 record) and AA State Qualifiers Brian Gibbons (Buffalo Mills, Pa./Bedford H.S.) (171 lbs., 38-6 record) and Dylan Killian (Annville, Pa./Annville-Cleona H.S.) (152 lbs., 40-6 record).

In addition, several others will join the team in 2011-12. O’Connell will transfer to Pitt-Johnstown from Anderson. True freshmen include: Felipe Arias (135 lbs., Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson H.S.), Christian Bosco (160 lbs., Jeannette, Pa./Penn Trafford H.S.), Jarek Dudek (145. lbs, Kittanning, Pa./Kittanning H.S.), Gio Giorgio (125 lbs. West Lawn, Pa./Wilson H.S.), Zach Leda (HWT. New Kensington, Pa. /Kiski Area H.S.)

For Full List of Recruits @ upj.pitt.edu

Oster also has enjoyed success on the national level, last month winning an Illinois state freestyle championship. In 2009 he was a Cadet Freestyle All-American and FILA Cadet All-American as well as a member of the Illinois team that defeated Minnesota for the Cadet National Duals freestyle championship, winning his match without being scored on in two periods.

He is the last in a line of four brothers who made a significant impact on the Lockport wrestling program, with the oldest Oster, Josh, recent taking over the school’s head coaching position after eight years as an assistant. While at Lockport, Jameson Oster was a teammate of rising Northwestern junior Kevin Bialka.

Oster projects to compete at 133 pounds for Northwestern.

His complete bio can be found below:

Jameson Oster
Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport
5’8″ • 133 pounds

High School: Finished top-four at the IHSA state tournament all four years of his career and won the 2009 state championship at 119 pounds … Four-time regional and sectional champion … Overall career record of 153-12, setting the all-time wins record at Lockport High School … Helped Lockport win first-ever regional championship in 2010 … 2011 Illinois Freestyle state champion at 135 pounds … Cadet Freestyle All-American (fifth place) and FILA Cadet All-American (sixth place) … Member of Illinois team that defeated Minnesota for Cadet National Duals freestyle championship in 2009 … Trained at Overtime School of Wrestling.

Personal: Born Jameson Michael Oster … Son of Martin and Cathy Oster … Three older brothers … Brother Jake was a four-time Division III All-American and a national champion at Elmhurs College … Oldest brother Josh was an assistant coach at Lockport for eight years and took over as head coach following the 2011 season … High school teammate of NU’s Kevin Bialka … Chose Northwestern over Illinois … Anticipated major is undecided.

For Full Article by NUSports.cstv.com

Roadrunner coach Mike Mendoza announced the signings of six wrestlers who bring some impressive credentials into the program.

Aaron “A.C.” Brown, projected to compete at 197 pounds, was a three-time CIF Tournament qualifier for Oakdale High School. He earned two appearances in the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters finals and won an SJS title as a senior. Brown also earned All-State honors in football for Oakdale.

Nicholas Cano, from Mountain View-St. Francis High School, was named San Jose Mercury News Wrestler of the Year as a senior after going 39-2 and winning five tournaments, including his first Central Coast Section championship, at 140 pounds.

Cano was a runner-up in the state meet at Rabobank Arena. He ended his prep career with 162 wins (second-most in school history) and a school-record 19 tech falls. Cano likely will wrestle at 141 or 149 pounds.

Reuben Franklin, from Vista Murrietta High School, took fourth in the state at 189 pounds in March, and was third at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet.

Fabian Garcia was a four-time state placer while at Turlock High School. Garcia, who is projected to wrestle at 125 or 133 pounds, earned a Senior National Championship at 119 pounds after this past high school season.

Frankie Hurtado stays in Bakersfield after qualifying for the CIF Tournament for Liberty High School. Hurtado went 46-6 and was a Bakersfield Californian All-Area selection at heavyweight.

Another heavyweight signed by the Roadrunners was Steven Wood from Lemoore High, who went 48-7 and placed fourth in the state in March. Wood won a West Yosemite League title, was second at the Yosemite Divsional meet and a third at the Central Section Masters.

These signees, along with Bakersfield High graduates Timmy Box, Adam Fierro, Bryce Hammond and Ian Nickell bring a very deep recruiting class to the Roadrunners.

For Complete Article, Bakersfield.com

Aaron “A.C.” Brown was a three-time CIF Tournament qualifier for Oakdale High School. Brown earned two appearances in the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters finals and earned an SJS title as a senior. Brown also earned All-State honors in football for Oakdale. Brown is projected to compete at 197 pounds.

Nicholas Cano (140) comes to CSUB from St. Francis High School in Mountain View, Calif. where he was named San Jose Mercury News Wrestler of the Year as a senior. As a senior, Cano went 39-2, winning five tournaments, including his first Central Coast Section championship, at 140 pounds. Cano earned runner-up honors at the 2011 CIF Tournament. Cano ended his career with 162 victories (the second most in school history) and 19 tech falls (a school record). Cano is projected to wrestle at either 141 or 149 pounds.

Reuben Franklin graduated from Vista Murrietta High School where he finished fourth in the CIF Tournament at 189 pounds as a senior. He was third at 189 at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet during the 2010-11 season. Franklin is projected to compete at 184 or 197 pounds.

Fabian Garcia (H.M. @ 125) was a four-time CIF Tournament placewinner at Turlock High School. Garcia, who is projected to wrestle at 125 or 133 pounds, earned a Senior National Championship at 119 pounds upon the conclusion of this past high school season.

Frankie Hurtado stays in Bakersfield after qualifying for the CIF Tournament for Liberty High School. Hurtado is projected to wrestle at heavyweight.

Steven Wood arrives in Bakersfield from Lemoore where he finished fourth at the 2011 CIF Tournament as a senior. Other highlights during Wood’s senior season included a West Yosemite League title, a runner-up showing at the Yosemite Divsional meet and a third place showing at the Central Section Masters. He who also finished second at the Reno Tournament of Champions in 2010-11, finished 48-7 as a senior earned a spot on the Sentinel’s All-County wrestling team. Wood is projected to wrestle at heavyweight.

These signings, join Timmy Box (H.M. @ 125), Adam Fierro (152), Bryce Hammond (No. 1 @ 160), and Ian Nickell who singed in the Fall of 2010. This recruiting class has been ranked in the top 20 nationally.

“Our coaching staff is very happy with this years recruiting class,” Mendoza said. “This is a great group of student athletes who excelled both academically and athletically in their high school careers and we look forward to working with them and continuing their success at the Division I level.”

Article Courtesy of CSU Bakersfield Sports Information

“These guys have committed to work hard to achieve their goals as student-athletes at the University of Minnesota. In turn, we have pledged to help them develop the skills to be successful student-athletes,” head assistant coach Joe Russell said. “We are excited to have them join our team.”

A native of Elk, Wash., Beard twice placed at the state tournament while competing for Central Valley High School including taking third-place honors as a senior. The Minnesota newcomer was crowned the Northwest Regional Freestyle champion while also earning all-state academic honors. Beard is expected to wrestle at 141 lbs. for the Gophers.

A two-time captain on the Central Valley High School wrestling team, Daugherty is expected to wrestle at 285 lbs. when he joins the Gophers program. A native of Monaca, Pa., Daugherty was the 2011 MAC Tournament runner-up as well as the runner-up at the 2011 section tournament.

One of three Minnesotans to sign an Acceptance of Admission form, Morrow ended his prep career with a second-place finish in 2011 – his second time placing at the state tournament. A member of the all-state academic team, Morrow was a two-time section champion and was named Kasson-Mantorville High School’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2011. The Kasson, Minn., native is expected to wrestle at 125 lbs. for Minnesota.

A native of Zimmerman, Minn., Stepan finished his prep career with 132 career wins.  The freshman to-be concluded his high school career with a second-place finish at the 2011 state tournament – notching his third appearance at the event. Stepan is expected to compete at 133 lbs. for the Gophers.

For Complete Article at GopherSports.com