Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Wrestling Announces Signing of 19 Recruits
1/24/2006 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 24, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell head wrestling coach Dan Wirnsberger announced on Tuesday the signing of 19 student-athletes who will compete for the Bison in 2006-07. This is Wirnsberger's first recruiting class as coach of the Orange and Blue and also marks the first recruiting class since the program's reinstatement.
"I am extremely excited about our inaugural recruiting class for our reborn Bison wrestling program," said Wirnsberger. "There is a lot of talent in this group and I look forward to the development process of each individual. This group is making history and each individual has an opportunity to make an immediate impact in the second-toughest wrestling conference in the country. This recruiting class exemplifies the model of the true scholar-athlete that Bucknell prides itself on."
The class is comprised of six wrestlers from Pennsylvania, four each from New York and New Jersey, three from Connecticut, one from Ohio and one from South Carolina.
Wirnsberger welcomes two nationally-ranked student-athletes to the Bucknell wrestling program. Mike Powers, a native of Enfield, Conn., who will wrestle at 149/157 for the Bison, is a three time prep All-American and is ranked fourth nationally in his weight class. Powers was also named the Prep Nationals Most Outstanding Wrestler and earned All-American honors at the Cadet National Championships. Andy Rendos from Brockway, Pa., had a record of 35-0 as a junior to capture the 140 state title. This year as a senior he entered the season ranked first in the state and 10th in the country.
Bucknell's five other wrestlers from the Keystone State include Tom Barger, Ricky Brooman, Luke Chohany, David Cunningham and George Hingson. Barger, a 133-pounder from Clearfield, is currently ranked second in the state. He was a regional champion in 2005, finished fifth at the PIAA state tournament and was a runner-up at last season's Eastern National Championships. Brooman enters his senior campaign as a three-time state finalist in the Pennsylvania prep tournament. The Ardmore, Pa., native will wrestle at 141 for Bucknell. Chohany hails from Duncannon, Pa., and entered his senior campaign at Susqenita High School ranked ninth in the state. He will wrestle at the college weight of 133. Cunningham is a three-time WPIAL place-winner and 2005 WPIAL sectional champion from Pittsburgh and will wrestle in the 133 weight class as well. Hingson, of Coraopolis, Pa., rounds out the group. He was a state qualifier last year at the 215-pound weight class out of Moon Township High School. Hingson entered his senior year ranked sixth in the state and will wrestle at heavyweight for the Bison. Hingson is currently ranked No. 1 in the state at 215.
In addition to Powers, Connecticut natives David Bernstein and Jack Conroy, both hailing from Fairfield, will compete for Bucknell next season. Bernstein finished last year as a state open runner-up and was a fifth-place finisher at New Englands. Bernstein, who will wrestle at 197 in college, received a congressional nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy last year, but chose to complete a post-graduate year. Conroy held a 29-2 record with 21 wins coming by pin as a junior and won the 2005 New England Prep Championships. As a sophomore, he went 29-8 with 18 pins and a third-place finish in the prep championships. Conroy will compete for the Orange and Blue in the 141-pound weight class.
The 2006-07 Bucknell wrestling squad's four student-athletes from New Jersey are Anthony Deleo, Greg Hart, Shane Riccio and Drew Scannell. Deleo, of Marboro, N.J., entered his senior season ranked fourth in the state with a career record of 79-13. A two-time state qualifier who will wrestle at 149 for the Bison, Deleo took third at last year's Reno Tournament of Champions in Nevada. Hart is a district champion and a two-time state qualifier from Bedmenster, N.J. He will compete at 125/133 for Bucknell. Riccio hails from Warren, N.J., and will wrestle at 165/174 next season. He compiled a record of 31-4 for a trip to the state tournament as a junior and has been ranked as high as 10th nationally. Scannell just narrowly missed qualifying for the New Jersey State Tournament twice and the Haddonfield, N.J., native will wrestle at 133 for the Bison.
Eric Azersky, Dave Marble, Zac Galligan and Sean Locurto all come to Bucknell out of New York State. Azersky is a 2005 Section IV runner-up from Binghamton. The 125-pounder placed fifth in the state last year in both Freestyle and Greco while also adding a third-place finish in the Mohawk Valley International held in Puerto Rico. Marble, of Harpersville, N.Y., placed third at last season's state tournament out of Section IV. He will wrestle at 125/133 for the Bison. Galligan, the first recruit to commit to Bucknell's reborn program, will wrestle at 141 pounds next season. The Boonville, N.Y., native took sixth at last year's state tournament. Locurto posted a successful junior season, posting a 32-5 record. He hails from Garden City, N.Y., and will compete for the Bison in the 197-pound weight class.
One of the squad's two wrestlers from outside the northeast, Brantley Hooks from Greer, S.C., is a two-time state champion with a record of 157-5. He placed fourth in the Junior National Championships and won the preseason nationals this year. Hooks will wrestle in the 165 weight class at Bucknell. The second signee in this group, George Mann, hails from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, where he is the team MVP, four-year letterwinner and team captain at Orange High School. At the conclusion of the 2004-05 season, Mann held a record of 36-5 with a conference crown, sectional championship and was a state qualifier.
Founded in 1947, the Bucknell wrestling program was designated for club-varsity status following the 2001-02 season, but largely through former Bison wrestler Bill Graham's generous donation that also helped fund Bison women's athletics programs, it was announced in May 2004 that wrestling would return as Bucknell's 27th varsity sport in 2005-06. The wrestling program will make its return to varsity competition for the 2006-07 season.
