Philadelphia “The University of Pennsylvania wrestling team announced that it will welcome 14 members of the class of 2009 to the mats next season. Six of the student-athletes are ranked among the top-20 high school seniors in the nation in their respective weightclasses. <\/p>\n
“This class is absolutely outstanding by any measure,”\u009d Head Coach Roger Reina said. “We’re bringing in terrific talent, terrific attitudes, many of the very best from our home state and a full range of weight classes. The excitement level is extremely high regarding the unlimited potential these student-athletes bring to our program.”\u009d<\/p>\n
At 125 lbs., the Quakers have brought in Rick Rappo (Holland, Pa.\/Council Rock) and Andrew Valenti (Newton, N.J.\/Kittatinny). Rappo, ranked as the seventh-best senior at 112 lbs., was 42-1 as a senior and closed his career at Council Rock with a 121-22 record. His only loss last season came in the state championship finals. He also captured the 2004 state championship as a junior. Nationally, he is a two-time Junior National All-American. Valenti will join his older brother Matt, an All-American for the Red and Blue, on the mat next season. As a senior, Valenti posted 26-7 mark, finished seventh in the New Jersey State Championships and was named first-team All-West Jersey. In the classroom, Valenti was ranked first in his class and was named a Bloustein Distinguished Scholar.<\/p>\n
Seeing time at 133 lbs. will be Brett McCurdy (Lansdale, Pa.\/Germantown Academy). McCurdy, ranked 18th at 130 lbs., went 171-17 at Germantown Academy, including a 45-3 mark as a senior. He is a four-time Pennsylvania Prep State Champion and is a four-time placewinner at the National Prep Wrestling Tournament, placing second in each of the last three seasons.<\/p>\n
Caesar Grajales (Brandon, Fla.\/Brandon) will see time at 133 and 141 lbs. Grajales, ranked fifth at 135 lbs., is a four-time Florida State Champion. He went undefeated at Brandon his first two seasons and finished his career with a 181-2 record in four different weight classes. Nationally, he placed fifth at the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Senior Nationals, is a Junior FILA Freestyle National Champion, a Cadet Greco Roman National Champion, a Cadet Freestyle All-American and qualified for the Junior World Team Games. In the classroom, Grajales is ranked third in his class and was a Wendy’s High School Heisman State Finalist.<\/p>\n
Dan Burkholder (Washington, Pa.\/Trinity) will see action at either 141 or 149 lbs. for the Quakers. Burkholder, ranked sixth at 140 lbs., captured the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) State Championship and posted a 24-1 mark as a senior. He finished his career at Trinity with a 130-27 record. On the national level, Burkholder placed third at Junior Nationals”\u201cGreco Roman and fifth in Junior Nationals-Freestyle.<\/p>\n
Projected at 149\/157 and 165 are Matt Dragon (Dallas, Pa.\/Lake Lehman) and Andrew Coles (Voorhees, N.J.\/Blair Academy). Dragon, ranked sixth-best high school senior by Wrestling USA, had an outstanding senior campaign finishing the season a perfect, 45-0, and picking up state, regional and district championships along the way. He posted a 166-11 mark during his career with three regional and four district titles and is an eight-time Cadet and Junior National All-American. At Blair, Cole posted a 27-11 record and placed second at NCWA Nationals in Dallas, Texas. At Eastern Regional High School he was 102-25 and was a four-time varsity scholar-athlete.<\/p>\n
Seeing time at 165 and 174 lbs. will be Matthew Deluca (East Meadow, N.Y.\/East Meadow) and Colin Hitschler (Glenside, Pa.\/Penn Charter). As a senior at East Meadow, Deluca went 38-2 to bring his career record to 154-29. He placed sixth and fourth, respectively, in the state his final two seasons. Nationally, Deluca placed first at the NWCA Brute Nationals. Hitschler will be joining his older brother, Rob, in a Red and Blue uniform next season. Hitschler, a four-time Pennsylvania Prep champion, went 44-1 as a senior and won his third team MVP award. He was the 2005 National Prep Champion placing at the championships for the third time.<\/p>\n
In the upperweights (184-197lbs.), Penn will be joined by Daniel Zander (National Park, N.J.\/Gateway Regional), Neil Cisper (Lenexa, Kan.\/St. Thomas Aquinas) and John Sullivan (Huntington, N.Y.\/Huntington). Zander was 31-5 as a senior at Gateway Regional and placed sixth at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Wrestling Tournament. He finished his career with a 104-23 record. Cisper is a two-time state champion and three-time first-team all-county pick. As a senior, he posted a 43-1 record with 34 pins and captured the 189 lbs. state championship. As a junior, he won the 171 lbs. championship and went 39-1 on the year. The Cadet and Junior freestyle champion leaves St. Thomas Aquinas with a 131-17 record. In the classroom, Cisper was named to the 2005 Kansas All-Academic Wrestling Team. Sullivan finished his career at Huntington High School with a 134-32 record. He is a two-time Section 11 champion and a two-time state runner-up. Sullivan also excels in the classroom as he was named the top scholar-athlete in Suffolk County.<\/p>\n
At heavyweight, the Quakers will welcome Jayson Bowlsby (Eden Prarie, Minn.\/Eden Prarie) and Benjamin Reiter (Smithtown, N.Y.\/Smithtown). Bowlsby is a three-time all-conference selection and a section champion. He also holds Eden Prairie’s record for most wins, points, and near falls in a season. As a member of the Minnesota National Freestyle team, he won four region championships and posted two undefeated seasons. Reiter, a Suffolk County and AP scholar-athlete, captured a league championship. He also earned Suffolk County and Long Island freestyle championships.<\/p>\n
The Quakers finished the 2004-05 season ranked 24th in the nation with a 9-5 dual record and a 4-1 mark in the Ivy League. The Red and Blue sent four grapplers to the 2005 NCAA Championships and recorded its ninth-consecutive season in which it has produced at least one All-American.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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