DAVIS, Calif. – Five outstanding high school student-athletes have signed national letters of intent with UC Davis and will join the Aggie wrestling team this fall, it was announced by head coach Lennie Zalesky.
Joining the UC Davis program are Kevin Cunningham from Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, Alex Darkhovsky from Santa Monica High School, Kyle Dubs from Vacaville High School, Erik Nye from Red Bluff High School and Bryan Osuna from Calvary Chapel High School in Santa Ana.
The five wrestlers will become part of an Aggie program which is a member of the Pacific-10 Conference and this past season finished a program-best fourth at the conference championships. UC Davis advanced four wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis, Mo.
“I believe this recruiting class will mature into great Division I wrestlers, “said Zalesky. “We are excited to have them come aboard and we are anxious to see what level these wrestlers can attain.”
Brief bios of each student-athlete are below.
KEVIN CUNNINGHAM (5-8, 141, Cupertino, Calif./Saint Francis HS)
Finished this past season with a 38-9 overall record… Went 3-1 at the West Catholic Athletic League Championships, advancing to the CIF meet… Went 5-0 at Silicon Valley Challenge in December and 5-1 (2nd place) at Sierra Nevada Classic later that month… Had three pins in latter tournament… Also went 4-0 at Root Invitational… Finished 37-13 and won WCAL title as a junior… Was runner-up in league meet as both a freshman and a sophomore… Also participated in football and baseball at Saint Francis HS.
ALEX DARKHOVSKY (5-7, 165, Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica HS)
Won 154-pound title at Central Division CIF Championships, picking up two pins and a pair of technical falls on his way to the title… Helped lead Santa Monica to a sixth-place finish at the divisional meet… Advanced to the state championships, going 2-2… Finished second at Five Counties Tournament of Champions meet… Also accomplished in judo, winning his class at 2003 National Junior Olympic Championships and 2002 USJF Junior Nationals… Was second at 2003 Junior U.S. Open Judo Championships.
KYLE DUBS (5-9, 178, Vacaville, Calif./Vacaville HS)
Finished season with 42-4 record at 160 pounds and a runner-up finish at CIF State Championships at Bakersfield… Won Monticello Empire League and section championships… Helped lead Vacaville to a fourth-place finish at the state meet… Completed junior season with a 45-14 record, an individual leaue title, a third-place at section meet and a seventh-place finish at state championships… Was 30-20 and a section qualifier as a sophomore… Posted career wrestling mark of 127-47… Team captain and MVP… All-tournament at 2005 Clash and also Five Counties Tournament of Champions… Also played linebacker on football team.
ERIK NYE (6-2, 230, Red Bluff, Calif./Red Bluff HS)
Finished third in 215-pound class at 2005 CIF State Championships after winning league, section and division titles… Advanced to semifinals at 2004 state championships and finished third after winning another section title… Placed first in league, section and division in 2003 as ewll… Four-year member of wrestling team which won section title past two seasons… Placed third in his 120kg weight class at 2005 FILA Junior National Wrestling Championships… Won state open championships this year in both Greco and freestyle wrestling… Also played center and middle linebacker on football team, garnering All-Eastern Athletic League, all-section and all-state accolades as a senior… Participated in track this season.
BRYAN OSUNA (5-7, 136, Huntington Beach, Calif./Calvary Chapel HS)
Finished with a record of 40-8, winning Pacific Coast League and CIF section and master’s titles… Placed 6th in 125-pound weight class at CIF State Championships, helping team to 10th-place finish… Was eighth at Reno Tournament of Champions…. Had records of 41-7 a junior, 40-7 as a sophomore and 39-8 as a freshman… Was sixth at 2004 state meet and eighth in 2002… Four-time league champion and placed second at sections three times… Calvary Chapel finished in top five at state during three of his years… National Cadet Freestyle All-American and Cadet National Freestyle Dual Team member… Four-time All-Orange County Wrestling Team honors, and three-time Los Angeles Times CIF Wrestling Team accolades… National Honor Roll.
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