Nelson Signs with Gophers
April 24, 2009
The Minnesota wrestling program has added another gem to it 2008-09 recruiting class.
Cambridge-Isanti High School product Tony Nelson, the nation’s
top-ranked prospect at 215 pounds, signed a National Letter of Intent
with the Golden Gophers Friday, head coach J Robinson announced.
The 2009 Minnesota Class AAA state champion, Nelson posted a 47-0
record as a senior, including a staggering 35 wins by fall. He also
captured the 2009 National Wrestling Championship in the 215-pound
class, going 6-0 during the tournament with three pins. In the national
championship match, Nelson pinned his opponent in 30 seconds.
“We are really happy that Tony has decided to stay in state and attend
the University of Minnesota,” head coach Robinson said. “He is
everything you are looking for – a state champion, a national champion
and the valedictorian of his high school class. How could you ask for
anything more?”
Nelson was a state tournament place-winner as a junior and a sophomore,
finishing as the runner-up in 2008 after recording a third-place finish
in 2007. He also won more than 40 bouts in each of the final three
seasons of his prep career, going 44-3 as a junior and 41-6 as a
sophomore.
In all, Nelson concluded his high school career with an impressive
141-18 record as a prep, including 80 victories by fall, and was named
an academic All-American for his success in the classroom.
In addition to his prowess on the mat, Nelson also starred on the
gridiron as a standout defensive end and linebacker. The 2008
Mississippi Eight Conference Linebacker of the Year, Nelson collected
112 tackles, including 20 for losses, as a senior and earned all-metro
and all-conference accolades and received honorable mention all-state
recognition from The Associated Press. He finished his three-year
football career with 259 tackles.
The addition of Nelson, to go along with Thursday’s re-signing of
Olympian Jake Deitchler, could push Robinson’s 2008-09 recruiting class
to the top of the national recruiting rankings.
Heading into the week, the class already included Jake Kettler (Ramsey,
Minn.), Alec Ortiz (Newberg Ore.), Bart Reiter (Gilbertville, Iowa),
Pat Smith (Chaska, Minn.), Kevin Steinhaus (Pennock, Minn.), David
Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) and Danny Zilverberg (Wayzata, Minn.) as
well as Jake Filkins (Prescott, Wis.) and Austin Waliullah (Rockton,
Ill.), who inked Acceptance of Admission forms with the Gophers.
The class was ranked No. 6 in the nation according to W.I.N magazine
prior the addition of Nelson, Deitchler, Filkins and Waliullah.
For more of this year's college signings visit: Where are they going in 2009-10? - MN High School Recruits
