Princeton University Athletics
Wrestling Squad Announces Seven-Member Class Of 2011
May 18, 2007 | Wrestling
Princeton wrestling head coach Chris Ayres announced his first full recruiting class Friday morning, and it included seven wrestlers from seven different states. A variety of state champions, All-Americas and team captains will be joining the Tiger program next winter as Princeton continues to build into an elite Ivy League and EIWA squad.
"I am very pleased with this years recruiting class," Ayres said. "Overall, their accomplishments speak for themselves. Collectively, the individuals in this class have placed in the state tournament 12 times, won multiple state titles, placed in some of the toughest national tournaments in the country and amassed over 800 wins. Individually we addressed the immediate needs in the lower and upper weights, while adding strength to the middle weights. I expect a lot out of my first recruiting class for Princeton, and feel they will deliver. Beyond their wrestling accomplishments these young men were leaders in every aspect of their life and I cannot wait for the opportunity to work with them on a daily basis."
Here are the seven recruits, starting with the lower weights:
At 125 pounds, Anthony Comunale competed for Pius IX High School in Bangor, Pa. He is a two-time district champion who placed in the top three in the regional championships three times, including once as the winner. A three-time placewinner at the loaded Pennsylvania state championships, Comunale peaked at No. 3 and also picked up a fourth-place finish. He left Pius IX with a career mark of 173-21, giving him the all-time win record in his district.
Andy Lowy comes from Sherwood High School in Brookeville, Md., and could wrestle at either 133 or 141 pounds next season. A three-time Maryland state champion and three-time Washington Post first-team selection, Lowy won his final 86 matches and left Sherwood with a career record of 135-7. A 2007 team captain and the All-Met Wrestler of the Year, he is also a three-time member of the Maryland All-Academic Team.
Justin Spain comes in as a 149-pounder from Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tenn. Spain, a two-time team captain, reached three Tennessee state finals and won the 2007 state crown. He also earned high school All-America honors.
Matt Katz, a middleweight who could wrestle at either 149 or 157, was a two-time captain and MVP for Harvard-Westlake High School. An Encino, Calif., native, Katz is a CIF finalist and a two-time undefeated league champion who won more than 40 matches during his senior year.
Another middleweight, Travis Erdman is from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and a graduate of The University School. A potential 157- or 165-pounder, Erdman won 121 career matches and placed seventh in the Ohio state championships. A two-time sectional champion and sixth-place finisher in the Iron Man tournament, he is a member of the Ohio freestyle squad.
Two wrestlers will try to bolster the upperweights, including Oviedo High School graduate Anthony Salerno, who could compete at either 174 or 184. Salerno, who graduated with 141 career victories, placed third in a pair of Florida state championships. He also earned three All-America honors by placing second in the NHSCA championships, fourth in the FILA championships and 6th in the USA Wrestling championships.
Pingry High School graduate and Martinsville, N.J., native Zachary Flowerman will wrestle at either 184 or 197 pounds. He earned a 16-1 record as a senior was a first-team All-Colonial Hills Conference selection. Flowerman was also the Pingry team captain.