Cal Poly Adds Eight to Wrestling Recruiting Class

— Cal Poly Wrestling —

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly wrestling coaching staff has finalized its recruiting class for the 2015-16 season with the signatures of six wrestlers to the National Letter of Intent and the admission of two others to the university.

The group of recruits during the regular signing period was announced by fifth-year head coach Brendan Buckley and Cal Poly director of athletics Don Oberhelman. The eight additions, all high school seniors, will join three other November signees with the Mustang wrestling program in the fall along with some walk-ons.

“We have a large and solid group of young men coming to San Luis Obispo this fall that hail from five different states,” said Buckley. “These student-athletes possess the type of attitude and approach toward their academic and athletic pursuits that will enable them to excel here at Cal Poly and within the Pac-12.

“Each of these individuals are among the very best in their respective states and stellar in the classroom,” Buckley added. “We believe these guys have what it takes to make a major impact on our program and we can’t wait to begin working with them.”

The latest group, joined by fall signees Kyler Hansen of Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif.; Brandon Staley from Winter Springs High School in Florida; and Tyler Schilling from Brownsville, Oregon, and a Sweet Home High School wrestler, are from as far away as New Jersey and New York.

The eight recruits, listed alphabetically:

Joshua Cortez, 141, Temecula, Calif. (Temecula Valley High School)
Cortez is a two-time California state place winner with an eighth-place finish at 132 pounds in 2014 and a fifth at 138 pounds last spring. Also as a senior at Temecula Valley High School, Cortez placed first in the Riverside County Championship, first in the CIF-Southern Inland Division individual finals, fifth in the Reno Tournament of Champions and fifth in the NHSCA high school nationals in Virginia Beach. Cortez qualified for the 2015 state meet with a first-place finish in the CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet. A four-time state meet qualifier, Cortez led the Golden Bears to a third-place team finish in the 2015 CIF-Southern Section Inland Division Championship and their 27th consecutive league dual meet title — the last 17 in the Southwestern League.

Alec Donovan, 149, Brick, N.J. (Brick Township Memorial High School)
Donovan captured the 2015 New Jersey state championship at 145 pounds in March and was named Shore Conference Wrestler of the Year by NJ.com. Donovan led Brick Memorial to the Shore Conference Tournament, Central Jersey Group 5, Group 5 and District 23 team championships and a No. 2 state ranking. He posted a 128-23 career win-loss record with the Mustangs and was a four-time District 23 champion, three-time Region placer (one title) and three-time New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association qualifier (placing twice). Donovan, a four-time all-academic team member and two-year letter winner in cross country at Brick Memorial, will major in biological sciences at Cal Poly, hoping to become a veterinarian. He also made official visits to Limestone College and Edinboro University, choosing Cal Poly because of its “academics and location.”

Alex Garcia – Christopher HS

Alex Garcia, 165, Gilroy, Calif. (Christopher High School)
Garcia is a three-time state meet qualifier and Christopher High School’s first state medalist, finishing sixth at 152 pounds in 2014 and fifth at 160 pounds in 2015. He earned his first Monterey Bay League title in 2015 and finished first in the CIF-Central Coast Section finals after a second-place section finish a year earlier. Garcia chose to attend Cal Poly because it is “an amazing school where I know I will succeed.” Garcia will major in agriculture communications.

David Gonzalez – San Dimas HS

David Gonzalez, 125, San Dimas, Calif. (San Dimas High School)
Named Inland Valley Daily Bulletin wrestler of the year in March, Gonzalez placed third at 113 pounds in the state finals as a senior, a year after finishing in the top 12 as a junior, one victory shy of medalling. He was 45-6 as a senior at San Dimas High School and led the Saints to a runner-up team finish in the Valle Vista League.

Thomas Lane, 197, Garden City, N.Y. (Garden City High School)
Lane won 77 of his last 86 matches in his final two seasons at Garden City High School, placing third in the 2015 New York state finals at 182 pounds to cap a 42-3 senior campaign. He was a two-time Nassau County League 2 champion. Lane, who also visited Buffalo and Maryland before choosing Cal Poly because of “the mixture between good academics and great wrestling,” will major in business administration. “I visited Cal Poly over Easter break and when I walked on the campus, I knew I wanted to go there,” Lane told New York Wrestling News. “I fell in love with it. The academics are great and I really liked things like the outdoor duals they have there. Plus, it’s 75 degrees every day and 10 minutes from the beach with beautiful scenery.”

Andrew Morgan, 174, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Fountain Valley High School)
Morgan is a two-time California state place winner from Fountain Valley High School, placing third in the 2015 finals at 170 pounds after a seventh-place finish at 152 pounds as a junior. Morgan also is a two-time prep All-American, a two-time Sunset League champion, the 2015 CIF-Southern Section Southern Division individual champion and made the Principal’s Honor Roll. He led the Barons to four Sunset League titles as well as the 2015 CIF-Southern Section Southern Division team title. After also visiting Franklin and Marshall, Morgan, Fountain Valley’s Male Athlete of the Year, chose Cal Poly because it is a “great academic school and a great athletic fit for me.” He will major in business administration.

Liam Sorahan – Poway HS

Liam Sorahan, 285, Poway, Calif. (Poway High School)
Sorahan placed fifth in the California state finals at 220 pounds after claiming CIF-San Diego Section and Master’s Meet championships as a senior at Poway High School. Sorahan posted a 47-2 record in his senior season, including titles at the Reno Tournament of Champions and the Battle for the Belt. He was 35-6 as a junior, claiming another CIF-San Diego Section title and placing fourth in the Master’s Meet, and posted a 32-8 mark as a sophomore with a second-place CIF-San Diego Section finish and a third in the Master’s Meet en route to a spot in the state meet. Sorahan, a county champion as a freshman, was named to the San Diego Union-Tribune All-Academic Team, has served as a peer counselor for two years and was a volunteer for a homeless program. He chose to go to Cal Poly because “it is an excellent school with a quality wrestling program.” He plans to major in political science.

Matt Wilhelm, 157, Manahawkin, N.J. (Southern Regional High School)
A graduate of Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, N.J., Wilhelm placed third in the NJSIAA state finals last March at 152 pounds, capping a 24-3 senior season, after capturing his third district title and second regional championship. He compiled a 59-11 record in four varsity seasons, winning seven matches by fall, eight by technical fall and 12 by major decision. Wilhelm plans to major in business administration at Cal Poly.