Wisconsin
wrestling head coach Barry Davis announced Monday that nine wrestlers
signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Badgers for the
2008-09 season. Davis’s 14th recruiting class consists of wrestlers
from Wisconsin, Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota and Illinois.
“I think it’s one of the better recruiting classes that we’ve ever had
but again, you don’t really know until you get the kids in the room,”
Davis said. “We have a lot of depth, we cover nine different weight
classes in this recruiting class. We’re very fortunate to get a couple
kids and we did our homework on them. It’s going to be great because we
graduate six guys next year so it’s what we needed overall. They are a
very physical group, and we’re really excited about that.”
Of the nine recruits, two are ranked No. 1 in the country and five are
ranked within the top 20 in their respective weight classes. The
Badgers welcome Tyler Graff, (Loveland, Colo.), Andrew Howe (Cedar
Lake, Ind.), Ben Jordan (St. Paris, Ohio), Cole Schmitt (New Glarus,
Wis.), Travis Rutt (Jackson County, Minn.), Trey Bertram (Hastings,
Minn.), Tom Kelliner (Apple Valley, Minn.), James Duffey (Naperville,
Ill.) and Brad Nardick (Northbrook, Ill.).
Biographical information on each new signee follows:
Tyler Graff, Loveland Colo./Loveland
Ranked No. 1 in the country at 130 lbs. … ramked No. 6 overall …
three-time Colorado State Champion … 2006 USA Wrestling Junior National
Freestyle Runner-Up … FILA Junior World Team Member … 2005 USA
Wrestling Cadet Freestyle National Champion … 2004 USA Wrestling Cadet
Freestyle National Runner-up … will compete at either 125 lbs. or 133
lbs.
Andrew Howe, Cedar Lake, Ind./Hanover Central
Listed as No. 1 in the country for 152 lbs. … ranked 11th overall …
two-time Indiana State Champion … 2007 champion at 152 lbs. … 2006
state champion at 140 lbs. … 2005 state runner-up at 130 lbs. …
finished third at 2007 Junior Freestyle for 152 lbs. … took 3rd at 2005
Cadet Freestyle at 140 lbs. … projected to compete at 157 lbs.
Ben Jordan, St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham
Ranked fifth in the country for his weight class… listed as No. 48
overall … 2007 Ohio Division II State Runner-up … 2006 Ironman
Runner-up … 2006 Ohio Division II State Champion … son of former Badger
and two-time NCAA Champion, Jim Jordan … will wrestle at 165 lbs.
Cole Schmitt, New Glarus, Wis./New Glarus
Ranked No. 4 in the country at 145 lbs. … rated No. 52 overall …
two-time Wisconsin State Champion … finished sixth at state his
freshman season … overall high school record of 133-6 … Multiple State
Greco Freestyle Champion … 2006 Fargo Cadet Greco Champion … 2007 USA
Junior Folkstyle Champion … 2007 Fila Greco Champ … made all-tournament
team at the 2006 Cadet Duals and at the 2007 Junior Duals … 2006 Cadet
North Plains Freestyle and Greco Champion … also played football and
was a first-team all-conference safety … projected to compete at either
141 lbs. or 149 lbs.
Travis Rutt, Jackson County, Minn./Jackson County Central
Listed as sixth in the country at 171 lbs. … ranked No. 68 overall …
2007 Minnesota State Champion … 2006 Cadet Freestyle All-American
(finished sixth) … finished third at 2006 Minnesota State Championships
… will compete at 174 lbs.
Trey Bertram, Hastings, Minn./Hastings
Ranked 17th in his weight class … has a career record of 119-20 … 2005
Minnesota State Champion … finished fourth at 2006 state championships
and third in 2007 … three-time all-state selection … three-time
conference champion … three-time section champion … went undefeated at
CLASH National Duals in both 2005 and 2006 … 2006 Fargo AA fourth-place
freestyle … three-time State Freestyle Champion … 2006 State Greco
Champion … 2006 Northern Plains Greco Champion, Freestyle runner-up …
two-time member of Minnesota National Duals Team … member of 2006 WIN
Magazine Super Summer Team … 2006 Minnesota/USA Top 10 Cadet … 2007-08
team captain … two-time all-academic team … projected to compete at 133
lbs.
Tom Kelliher, Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley
Ranked No. 10 at 125 lbs. … three-time Minnesota State Runner-Up (2005, 06, 07) … will compete at either 125 lbs. or 133 lbs.
James Duffy, Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley
2007 Illinois State Runner-Up … ranked No. 2 in Illinois at 145 lbs.
during 2006-07 season … three-time state qualifier … finished third at
Naperville North Sectional in 2006 … finished first at 2006 regional …
2006 Up-State Eight Conference Champion … Cadet All-American for
freestyle … finished eighth at USA Wrestling National Championships …
went 9-0 as a member of the Illinois Cadet Dual Team … USA Wrestling
2006 National Cadet Freestyle All-Dual Team … two-time Illinois State
Freestyle Champion … Northern Plains Regional Cadet Freestyle Champion
… will wrestle at 157 lbs.
Brad Nardick, Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North
2007 conference champion at 145 lbs … finished 31-5 at 152 lbs. during
2006-07 season … made all-conference team and team MVP honors …
regional champion at 145 lbs. … finished fourth at sectionals … could
compete at 157 lbs or 165 lbs.