Wrestling Recruiting Class Ranked Sixth Best in the Nation
Nittany Lions finalize 2005 class with 12 signees in late period
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., May 31, 2005 – Penn State Head Wrestling Coach Troy Sunderland today announced the addition of 12 men to an already strong recruiting class for the 2005-06 season bringing Penn State’s total number of recruits to 17 for the year. Sunderland’s incoming class is ranked sixth in the nation by W.I.N. Magazine, a national wrestling publication, on the strength off the Nittany Lions’ five signees from the early period last fall. Iowa State’s incoming class was ranked the best in the nation.
Among the highlights of Penn State’s class are three wrestlers ranked among the top three recruits at their weight in the nation. Brad Pataky (125/Clearfield, Pa.), Dan Vallimont (141/ Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), and David Erwin (165/Urbana, Ohio) all appear among W.I.N. Magazine’s and Wrestling USA Magazine’s top three recruits at their weight. Pataky is ranked No. 1 by W.I.N. and No. 2 by Wrestling USA at 119 pounds, while Erwin, a two-time Ohio State champion, is ranked No. 1 by Wrestling USA and No. 3 by W.I.N. at 160 pounds. Vallimont is ranked No. 2 at 140 pounds by both publications and won his second New Jersey state title this year. Vallimont also placed highly at the National High School Coaches Association Senior National Championships, finishing third after falling in a close match to highly regarded Cyler Sanderson in the semifinals.
Also part of the early signing period was Mike Ward (174/184/Mayfield, Ohio) and Andrew Haile (184/Crabtree, Pa.). Ward is a two-time Ohio State Champion and three-time finalist and is ranked No. 12 at 189 by both W.I.N. and Wrestling USA. Haile was a fourth place finisher at the 2005 PIAA State Championships.
Penn State added 12 wrestlers in the spring’s late signing period that will join the team next year. Included in that group is local State College High standout Chris Decker (165/State College, Pa.), a fourth place finisher at the PIAA State Championships. Decker also went on to win the AAU Eastern National Championships this past spring. Other additions include Jason Lapham (149/157/West Chazy, N.Y.), a four-time New York State place winner; Tom Wheeler (157/Mt. Airy, Md.), a runner-up at the Maryland State Championships; Ben Mandelbrout (125 / Sharon, Ma.), a Massachusetts State Champion and two-time finalist; Brendan Herlihy (Hwt./Fairfield, Ct.), a Connecticut State Champion and two-time finalist; Jason Brown (149/Greenville, Pa.), a seventh place finisher at the PIAA Championships; Shane Hyman (133, Ephrata, Pa.), a seventh place finisher at the PIAA Championships from Ephrata High School; Chris Robbins (125/Federica, De.), a fifth place finisher at the Delaware State Championships; Eric Goodling (157/Camp Hill, Pa.), a PIAA state qualifier from Cumberland Valley High School; Nate Rapsey (184/ Lisburn, Pa.), a two-time regional qualifier; Bert Strackhouse (197/William Penn Charter School/ Huntingdon Valley, Pa.), a fifth place finisher at the Pennsylvania Prep State Championships; and Odis Johnson (165/Philadelphia, Pa.).
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