2008 Recruiting Rankings

[Earl]

They are finally done and posted. I realize that there will most likely be some transfers, very late signings or changes of heart in the coming weeks/months, but we have to cut it off somewhere. I don't think that top team is too big of a suprise, but have at them....

www.d1collegewrestling.net/Recruiting_Rankings2008.html

[broncowilly]

Rankings look good Earl.

Question... is there a reason you left off Cuthbertson off of the list for Boise State?

[Earl]

Ummm....yes and no. I really don't know what kind of impact he will have on the team after the time off his mission. I think we'll be able to judge that better early in the season. But, he is a 5X state champ, so he probably does deserve to be listed.

[ncwrestler52]

Great job Earl. Any plans to possibly add HM teams? I as an NC native, was kind of hoping GWU would vie for at least an HM slot. I thought they had a class close to the last three.

[stovepipe]

^^^NCWrestler52, In that regard, here is a copy of the Gardner-Webb 5/29 Release on their incoming class –Stove Pipe

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Second-year head coach Scott Shipman, in conjunction with the Gardner-Webb Athletics Department, has announced that seven student-athletes will join the wrestling team in the fall of 2008.

Shipman has confirmed that Antoine Brown, Justin Guthrie, Alex Medved, Ryan Medved, Travis Porter, Blake Salyer and Richie Spicel will participate for the Bulldogs next season.

“This is arguably the best class that has been signed since I’ve been here,” Shipman said. “We have multiple student-athletes that have won state championships. This class exemplifies the type of student-athletes that we are trying to get on the Gardner-Webb campus.”

Brown won 147 matches in his high school career at nearby Shelby H.S. He won the state championship his senior campaign while sporting an impressive 44-1 mark. A three-time state and regional qualifier, he was a two-time all-conference selection. Three times during his career, he was named team MVP. Brown was also a scholar athlete.

“Antoine is one of the best wrestlers in western North Carolina,” Shipman said. “We add depth at 125 lbs with his arrival. He’s a tremendous athlete that is explosive. We are looking good at his weight class the next few seasons.”

Guthrie posted an astounding 196 victories against 41 losses at Enka H.S., in Asheville, N.C. He won three conference titles while winning the regional championships his junior and senior seasons. In his last two years, Guthrie placed third in the state. During his four-year career, Guthrie tallied 85 pins. The team’s MVP his senior season, Guthrie also lettered in cross country and baseball.

“He is one of the top under the radar student-athletes in the state,” Shipman said. “He lost to arguably the best wrestler in the state twice in the state semifinals. Justin is a dynamic wrestler who is also a good, smart person. We’re real excited to have him.”

Alex Medved, a native of Marietta, Ga., posted an impressive 189-36 record at Harrison H.S. He, like Brown, also won the state championship his senior season. A four-time state qualifier and three-time region champion, Medved was the Atlanta Journal and Marietta Daily Journal Wrestler of the Year in 2008. Medved placed at the Powerade Tournament, which is widely regarded as one of the top high school tournaments in the country. He was also the Marietta Daily Journal Wrestler of the Year in 2006.

Ryan Medved won 184 matches versus 38 losses at Harrison H.S. A four-time state qualifier, Medved won two region championships and was the Cobb County champion his senior season. During his solid senior campaign, Medved placed fourth at the state championship after finishing third his junior year. He won an astounding 62 matches during his senior campaign and was a two-time team captain. Like his brother Alex, Ryan placed at the prestigious Powerade Tournament his senior season. A member of the Atlanta Journal all-star team, Medved also earned the academic achievement award from high school. Medved was also a three-time Team Georgia member.

“Both Alex and Ryan add to what we’re doing with the program,” Shipman said. “Everyone thinks that they have more upside than anyone else from the state of Georgia. They are both tall and rangy and are hard working. They are committed to becoming All-Americans.”

Porter, a native of Burton, Ohio, was a three-time NHSAA All-American at Berkshire H.S. He won the state championship with a 42-0 mark during his senior season at 215 lbs. Porter placed seventh his junior year and eighth during his sophomore season in the state. A two-time medal winner at AAU Nationals, Porter recorded an impressive 143-36 career. Fifty-four of his wins came via a pin. During his senior season, he won three invitational tournaments along with being the sectional and district champion.

“Travis was a huge pickup for us,” Shipman said. “He, along with Richie Spicel, were undefeated state champions in Ohio. Travis, whose brother Dustin is a two-time NCAA Qualifier for us, will allow us to move Dustin to heavyweight while he fits in and will start immediately at 197.”

Salyer comes to Gardner-Webb from Alexander H.S., in Taylorsville, N.C. During his four-year career, Salyer compiled a 155-34 record. Salyer was third in the state his senior season, picking up honorable mention all-state honors. All four years he won the Tar Heel Classic. A three-year all-conference selection, Salyer totaled 111 pins and 138 takedowns.

“Blake is a big, rangy student-athlete,” Shipman said. “He was a place-winner his senior year and has wrestled nationally. Blake has been competitive at the state and national level. He has a strong work ethic and is a great student. Blake is a good athlete who will make an impact.”

Spicel, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, competed at Brunswick H.S. He is a top-50 overall recruit nationally and was tabbed the No. 1 wrestler in the state at 140 lbs. A four-time state qualifier, he won 157 matches during his career while only losing 12. He won two state championships during his time at Brunswick H.S., including his senior season in which he went 43-0. A four-time competitor in the Junior Olympics and a three-time competitor in the Disney Duals, he was a two-time AAU Folkstyle champion. Along with shattering every Brunswick H.S. record, Spicel won the Northeast Ohio Lee Kemp award his senior season.

“Richie is one of the top 50 wrestlers in the country,” Shipman said. “He is in an important weight class that we needed to fill after the 2007-08 season. He is expected to come in and start right away. Richie will make an immediate contribution to the team.”

[Earl]

NCWrestler52....It is hard for me to put them into the best overall classes, but I will say that their class will have as much impact on their team as most of these top 25 classes. That is something that is important too, the impact it has on the team/program rather than just "who has the most talent". Without putting a whole lot of thought into it I've come up with a few teams that I think really have improved themselves this recruiting season, while maybe not getting a top 20 class. Call it honorable mention if you'd like.....

We'll start with Gardner-Webb. Obviously Richie Spicel is a huge recruit, top 50 in the nation and will start immediately and win lots of matches. Porter, is another guy whose won HS All-American honors and is penciled in to the lineup. I like the fact that Coach Shipman has gotten some of the Ohio talent. Not a bad state to start a pipeline from.

Princeton. Like GW, they have a top recruit who is an Ohio stud, Dan Kolodzik. Like Spicel, I'm sure Kolodzik is in the Tiger lineup from day one. Also you have Brian Peace, from KY who's had some success at the national level. Winning at Princeton will be hard for Coach Ayers, because of the strict admissions, but he's on the right track and was in a similar situation at Lehigh. Another guy I like that they just added is Kurt Brendel, a PA placewinner.

UC Davis. There biggest recruit is Kody Klaus. Klaus was a CA State Champ at 125 and moved up to around #5 in national rankings. Also at 125 is Sr. Nat AA Markjay Acosta. Another CA state champ at 133 Justin Arrendondo. Trevor Machado-Ching was a state champ a few years ago, but I'm not sure how big of a prospect he is. Overall, it look like since Derek Moore's national title they are able to get more talent. Also, Alex Tirapelle was just added to the coaching staff.

Pittsburgh. I don't see one huge standout stud for the Panthers, but a lot of talent overall. Alex Munoz looks like the best of the bunch to me. The Albright brothers are a great pickup. Chris, never won a PA state title, but is very accomplished. Eric won a few matches in 2007 at NCAAs.

George Mason. Stove Pipe did a breakdown of the recently and they are starting to get a lot of depth and competition throughout the lineup. Benton, Fleming, and Tovuujav are all very good recruits.

North Dakota State. Two top notch recruits and a bunch of solid prospects. Tyler Johnson was kind of an unknown to me, but ended up as Sr. National runner-up. Justin Solberg finished 3rd and 2nd the last two years at Nationals.

[cwgvmi]

Generally success breeds success. The way the NCAA tournament is set up it insures that the Big 8 and Big 12 will be hugely represented and therefore have more bragging rights when they go out on the recruiting trail. Everyone else gets to fight over the morsels which purpetuates the inequities. At present there is almost no way that the ACC and the Southern Conference, for instance, can become competitive since if you don't have the number of people going to the nationals then you can't get more slots which means you will have a difficult time convincing the best recruits that they will have a chance at nationals if they come to your school. The governing powers should look at better ways to alot the spots in the nationals to give all schools a better chance and therefore achieve something more akin to parity.

[jfs]

I have said this numerous times. It takes a regional system leading to a true national championships. The regional will include D1, D2, D3, and NAIA schools. This is simple! The problem is control of territory. All the divisions hold their little fiefdoms. Everyone of these regionals will produce as much income to the host cities and the governing bodies that the D1 nationals themselves. It`s not rocket science boys! What happened to right thinking. America rescue yourself.