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MI Grappler's 2010 Recruiting Roundup - DIII/JUCO/NCWA Programs
8/3 - Heading into the 2010-2011 season, the state of Michigan will look to continue to show our depth at the collegiate level. In recent years Michigan colleges have not only excelled at the Division 1 level. Smaller schools, filled almost entirely with Michigan recruits, have shared similiar success nationally.
Olivet continues to be one of the elite NCAA Division III programs in the Midwest and the country and Muskegon has been one of the premiere JUCO programs for decades. Grand Valley State, similiarly, has been one of the top 5 NCWA Club programs since the organization was founded. Meanwhile, Oakland University and Mott Community College have begun to emerge as top-tier NCWA programs as well.
Each program made sigificant additions with huge numbers of in-state wrestlers getting the opportunity to compete collegiately. Read below for a list of who these programs will bring in and how these recruits will impact the teams they are joining.
Who They Got:
Matt Gancer (Harper Creek), 125
Henry McKeown (Olivet), 133
Matt Watson (Buffalo/Transfer), 133
Jeremy Ward (Romeo), 133/141
Gage Pederson (Hastings), 141/149
Collin Fuller (Greenville), 149
Chase Baxter (Springport), 149
Connor Sharp (Schoolcraft), 157
Matt Wilming (Anchor Bay), 157
Devin Sheick (St Johns), 165
Alex Davidson (Battle Creek Central), 285
Analysis
Olivet will look to remain as one of the premiere D-III programs in the Midwest with another strong recruiting class of in-state talent. This class features a state champ, state runner-up, and a few other very talented all-staters.
Eve with their incoming group of freshman, Olivet's biggest addition may be University of Buffalo transfer Matt Watson, who was a 2009 Division 2 State Finalist for Hastings High School. Watson brings in NCAA D-I experience that should make him an immediate force near the top of the Comet lineup.
Division 4 State Champ Chase Baxter of Springport could be an immediate impact type of guy for Olivet as well. Baxter placed top 4 in the state in Division 2 his sophomore and junior seasons before winning a state title this year and he is the #43 ranked recruit in Michigan this year, the top recruit for Olivet. Another Top 50 recruit in this class is D2 State Runner-Up Gage Pederson of Hastings, who is rated as the #45 grappler in this year's class. Watson, Pederson, and Baxter all have the potential to be mainstays in the Comet lineup and are all guys who can make noise on the national level.
In addition to their Top 50 recruits, Olivet also nabbed a very talented big man in Devin Scheick of St Johns, who has all the tools to be a contender nationally at 165lbs. He was a D2 state placer this year, but he also has a wealth of national experience at big time events, including the FloNationals this year where he fell a round shy of placing. All-Staters Collin Fuller, Jeremy Ward, and Connor Sharp add depth to this very solid class.
Who They Got:
Mike Dunbar (Hesperia), 125
Jacob Eagen (Olivet/Transfer), 125
Luke Faultersack (Coloma), 133/141
Jake Connell (Reeths Puffer), 141
Adam Wiseman (Hesperia), 141
Steve Burkett (Annapolis), 141
Sean Turner (Washtenaw/Tranfer), 149
Riley Boomer (Carson City), 149/157
Derek Leal (Holland), 157
Kody Oneil (Reed City), 157/165
Alex Edwards (Annapolis), 165
Justin Johnson (Williamston), 165
Rafael Rodriguez (Adrian), 165/174
Jacob Brown (Coopersville), 174
Matt Henry (Owosso), 184
Joe Stark (Onsted), 184/197
Ryan Steverson (Lakewood), 285
Analysis
In the first year after long-time coach Ron Gaffner stepped down at the helm of the Jayhawks, Muskegon Community College could be primed for a return to the top of JUCO ranks with a huge incoming class of in-state talent.
This class is headlined by a pair of top 50 recruits, including #23 Rafael Rodriguez, who is a 4x All-Stater and finished runner-up this yeat at 160lbs. Rodriguez has done well nationally, placing 3rd at the FloNationals this year and his upside is huge as he has the talent and athleticism to compete right away at 165lbs. #44 recruit and Division 3 State Champion Ryan Steverson of Lakewood may have been the top heavyweight recruit coming out of Michigan this year and is a big-time addition for MCC. He and Rodriguez could be instant-impact guys in the Jayhawk lineup.
A couple transfers may also reap immediate benefits for Muskegon as they welcome 2009 Division 1 State Champ Sean Turner of Monroe and former D4 state finalist Jacob Eagen of Springport. Turner is built like a tank and should be very competetive nationally at the NJCAA level. Another former Michigan state champion to keep an eye on in this class is former 2x state champ Riley Boomer (Ewalt) of Carson City. Ewalt was one of the top wrestlers in his class when he graduated in 2008 and if his conditioning and abilities are still there, he will definitely provide some punch for Muskegon.
Rodriguez, Steverson, and Turner are the big time additions in this class, however, the group is rounded out nicely with a solid group of 7 other all-state wrestlers from the 2010 season. D4 State Champ Mike Dunbar of Hesperia as well as D3 State Runners-Up Luke Faultersack of Coloma and Joe Stark of Onsted are all guys with the ability to vy for starting spots right away, while fellow all-staters Jake Connell, Steve Burkett, Derek Leal, and Matt Henry add a ton of depth to this well-rounded class of recruits.
Who They Got
Mykel Sumner (CMU/Transfer) - 125
Devin Thomas (Oak Park), 125
Josh Hoffman (Lake Orion), 125
Matt Raysin (Corunna), 125
Jimmy Schroeder (Milford), 125
Cameron Barnes (Hudson), 125/133
Cody Okeefe (Milan), 141
Brian Hittle (Buffalo/Transfer), 149
Jake Jones (Warren DeLasalle), 149
Chad Piotrovsky (Waterford Kettering), 149
David Hill (Yale), 157
Matt Green (Holly), 165
AJ Logan (Oxford), 165
Jacob Creech (Avondale), 174
Jack Barrie (Oxford), 174/184
Anthony Best (Waterford Mott), 197
Ed Niemi (Capac), 197
Forrest Sampson (Belleville), 235
David Knuth (Detroit Catholic Central), 235
Buster Wilson (Southgate Anderson), 285
Analysis
Although Oakland is one of the youngest college programs in the state, they continue to build with another solid recruiting class of Michigan kids. It is awesome to see these talented wrestlers have the opportunity to compete collegiately right here within the state, and Oakland's immediate successs nationally in the NCWA is a testament to the amount of high school talent coming out of our state.
The name that stands out the most in this group is former Durand High School state champ Brian Hittle, who originally signed and attended the University of Buffalo. Hittle is now coming home and he could be a headliner type guy in the Grizzly lineup. Another big-name transfer that could provide immediate punch in Oakland's lineup is former Addison 2x state champ Mykel Sumner, who comes in from Central Michigan and could be their guy right away at 125lbs.
Two Top 100 recruits from the state of Michigan could provide some immediate options in the upper-weights with Division 1 State Placers Forrest Sampson of Belleville and Buster Wilson of Southgate Anderson coming in. Another incoming recruit to keep an eye on is David Hill of Yale. Hill had personal issues that kept him out of action during his senior season this year, however, coming off his breakout junior season last year he was considered one of the top 20 or 30 recruits in this class. If he performs at the level, he could be a standout for Oakland in the middle of their lineup.
Who They Got
Andy Brown (Midland Bullock Creek), 125
Matt Griffioen (Lowell), 125
John Swarcz (Hart), 125/133
Joe Westover (Forest Hills Central), 125/133
Matt Morrill (Three Rivers), 133
Adam Masakowski (DeLaSalle), 133
Jordan Alvarez (Jenison), 141/149
Kyle Horr (Monroe), 141/149
Ryan Wilkinson (Dewitt), 141/149
Jake Fekete (Benzie Central), 149
Donovan Scott (Middleville Thornapple Kellogg), 149/157
Nate Vaught (Lowell/GRCC), 184
Josh Vaught (Lowell/Baptist Bible), 184
Ray Sabourin (Jackson/Jackson CC), 197
Dave Giese (Marshall), 197/235
Analysis
Grand Valley brings in another large group of Michigan kids this year, including four All-State wrestlers from this year. They strenght of this class is probably in the lightweights as the Lakers bring in a handful of very talented wrestlers from 125 through 149, including Division 3 state finalist Matt Morrill of Three Rivers.
Morrill projects at 133, while Andy Brown of Bullock Creek, who finished 4th this year at 119lbs, should be an immediate option at 125 for Grand Valley, and a pair of Division 1 state qualifiers, Kyle Horr and Jordan Alvarez, as well as D2 state placer Ryan Wilkinson, should all be in the mix at 141/149 for Grand Valley. Horr and Alvarez are both very talented wrestlers who were D1 state title contenders who injury defaulted out of the state tournament this year.
Their final all-state recruit is Dave Giese of Marshall, who finished 3rd at 215lbs this year in Division 2. Giese is a big, strong, athletic big man who could make an immediate impact at 197 or 235 for the Lakers.
Mott Community College
Herm Gillium (Notre Dame/Transfer), 125
McKenzie Jones (Caro), 133
Cody Robbins (Davison), 133
Zachary Ruchelwau, 133/141
Brandon Rushlow (Caro), 141
Jeremy Hippensteel (Swan Valley), 141/149
Ronnie Latimer (Heidelburg/Transfer), 149
Tim Hammond (Bacone/Transfer), 149
Richard Kirksey (Davison), 197
Nathan Hayden (Davison), 197
Jordan Decker (Caro), 197
Ty Millerov (Caro), 285
Travis Pettengill (Meramac/Transfer), 285
Antwan Steele (Kalamazoo Loy Norrix)
Jake Schirmer (Swan Valley)
Zach Holmes (Bendle)
Andrew McCarthy (Bendle)
As the young Mott Community College team looks to grow and become more competetive nationally in the NCWA, they should get a boost from this large group of in-state recruits.
Jordan Decker of Caro, who was 3rd in the state this year at 215lbs, is the only Top 120 recruit headed to Mott this year, however, the big story for this year's newcomers is former Michigan standouts who are transferring in after attending school out-of-state.
The biggest addition for Mott should be heavyweight Travis Pettengill, who is transferring from Meramac Community College. Pettengill, a 2008 graduate of Kearsley High School, was one of the top upperweight recruits in the country a couple years ago as a Senior National Runner-Up. If he remains in the same form as he was two years ago, Pettengill could contend for a national title right away.
Other notable transfers include Herm Gillium from Notre Dame College, Tim Hammond from Bacone College and Ronnie Lattimer from Heidelburg College. Gillium was a former multiple time state placer for Clio High School and could be an immediate force atop the Mott lineup at 125lbs.
Former Davison all-stater Richard Kirksey comes in after not competing last year with tremendous upside as well. Kirksey has the athletic ability to be a standout for Mott at the NWCA level.
This class definitely features the talent that Mott needs to be competetive, however, the true test will be if these recruits can turn their talent and athleticism into national success on the NCWA level.
