PHILADELPHIA – The future is bright for the University of Pennsylvania wrestling team as its 2018 recruiting class has been ranked No. 12 by Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine (W.I.N. Magazine) and No. 13 by TheOpenMat.com. In addition, the class garnered a No. 24 ranking from InterMat and was just outside the Top 20 from Flowrestling with an honorable mention ranking.
"We're delighted our 2018 recruiting class has been recognized nationally by every poll, shining light on the amazing talent this group brings to our community," said head coach
Roger Reina. "However the real work at hand is to aim bigger, and outperform all predictions."
The Red and Blue will add 14 wrestlers this fall, one of its largest classes in recent memory and each will bring many high school and international accolades with them to University City.
- Two InterMat Top-100 Wrestlers
- Three Wrestlers Ranked In Top-20 In Their Weight Class By InterMat
- Two Wrestlers Ranked In Top-20 In Their Weight Class By Flowrestling
- Combined 11 State/National Prep Championships
- Combined 26 State/National Prep Placements
- A U.S. Cadet World Team Member In Greco
- A Three-Time Fargo Freestyle National Champion
- A Two-Time NHSCA National Champion
- A Beast Of The East Champion
The 2018 crop of recruits is well on its way to matching some of Reina's top classes from his first tenure as head coach at Penn from 1986-2005. During that stint, Reina had six recruiting classes ranked in the Top-20 nationally over a 10-year span from 1993-2004.
Penn Wrestling's 2005 Class was ranked #4 nationally, while his 2002 recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the country by W.I.N. Magazine and included eventual two-time NCAA champion and current Associate Athletic Director for Sports Performance and Student Development
Matt Valenti.
Neil Antrassian | 157 Pounds
Temperance, Mich./Temperance Bedford
High School: Four-year letterwinner … Served as team captain … Graduated with 184 career wins … 2018 Michigan State Championships fifth place at 152 pounds … 2017 Michigan USA Wrestling state champion in freestyle … 2018 District champion … 2018 District team champion …. 2016 Monroe County champion … Academic All-State selection … Team MVP … National Honor Society member … Quiz Bowl team member.
Personal: Son of Johanna and Andrew Antrassian … Older brother, Carl, wrestles at Penn … Enrolled in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Grant Aronoff | 141 pounds
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas
High School: Ranked No. 39 overall in the Class of 2018 by InterMat … Ranked No. 2 in the country at 138 pounds by InterMat … Ranked No. 66 overall in the Class of 2018 by FloWrestling … Ranked No. 19 in the country at 145 pounds by FloWrestling … Two-time NHSCA national champion … Won the 132 pound NHSCA Sophomore national championship in 2016 … Two-time Florida 3A state champion at 138 pounds … 2016 Sun-Sentinel Wrestler of the Year … Three-time Regional champion … Four-time County champion … Served as team captain … Honor Roll student.
Personal: Son of Lilia Judge and Keith Aronoff … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Anthony Artalona | 149 pounds
Seffner, Fla./Tampa Prep
High School: Ranked No. 21 overall in the Class of 2018 by InterMat … Ranked No. 32 overall in the Class of 2018 by FloWrestling … Ranked No. 7 in the country at 152 pounds by FloWrestling … Ranked No. 7 in the country at 152 pounds by InterMat … Three-time Fargo Freestyle national champion, going 21-0 at Fargo … 2017 Junior National Greco Roman finalist … Three-time Florida state champion (2014, 2015, 2017) … Competed at FloWrestling's "Who's Number One" event in 2017 … Runner-up at 2017 Walsh Ironman at 152 pounds … Served as team captain.
Personal: Son of Christina and George Artalona … Father played football at Potomac State College … Uncle, Chris, wrestled at Chattanooga … Enrolled in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Greg Bensley | 197 Pounds
Pocono Lake, Pa./Pocono Mountain West
High School: Three-time letterwinner … Served as team captain … 2018 Pennsylvania AAA State Championships third place at 220 pounds … 2017 Pennsylvania AAA State Championships eighth place at 220 pounds … 2018 PIAA District XI champion at 220 pounds … 2018 Northeast Region champion at 220 pounds … Lettered four times in football … Captained football team … 2017 football Scholar-Athlete … Lettered once in track … Distinguished Honor Roll student … National Honor Society member … National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Inductee.
Personal: Son of Kristen Aylward and Adam Bensley … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Carmen Ferrante | 133 pounds
Newton, N.J./Bergen Catholic
High School: Ranked No. 18 in the country at 132 pounds by InterMat … Ranked No. 20 in the country at 132 pounds by FloWrestling … Three-time New Jersey placewinner … Finished third at 126 pounds in 2017 … Finished fifth in 2016 … Finished eighth in 2015 … Finished second at Doc Buchanan in 2018 … Took sixth at Beast of the East in 2018 … Four-time Beast of the East placewinner … Three-time Doc Buchanan placewinner … Fourth at Powerade in 2017 … Finished sixth at Fargo in 2015 … Wrestled on three New Jersey state championship teams … Bergen Catholic is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation by FloWrestling and InterMat … Served as team captain … National Honor Society member … National Social Studies Honor Society member … High Honor Roll student … Model U.N. member.
Personal: Son of Alicia and Carmen Ferrante … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Ben Goldin | 285 Pounds
Orlando, Fla./Lake Highland Prep
High School: Ranked No. 8 in the country at 220 pounds by FloWrestling and InterMat … Lake Highland is currently ranked No. 7 in the country by FloWrestling and InterMat … Two-time NHSCA national champion … Two-time Florida state champion … 2017 Beast of the East champion … Runner-up at 2017 Walsh Ironman … Runner-up at 2017 Powerade … National Honor Society member … Chinese Honor Society member … Presidents Honor Roll.
Personal: Son of Jennifer and Mark Goldin … Enrolled in Wharton.
Jake Hendricks | 165 pounds
New Ringgold, Pa./Wyoming Seminary
High School: 2017 U.S. Greco Roman Cadet World Team member at 76kg/167 lbs. … Ranked No. 93 in the Class of 2018 by FloWrestling … Wyoming Seminary is currently ranked No. 3 in the country by FloWrestling and InterMat … Third at the 2017 Walsh Ironman … Gold medalist at the 2016 UWW Cadet Pan-American games in freestyle … Silver medalist at 2016 UWW Cadet Pan-American games in Greco Roman … Placed sixth in freestyle and seventh in Greco at 2016 UWW Nationals … 2016 Fargo All-American in Greco Roman and freestyle … Member of three Powerade team championships (2015, 2016, 2017) … member of one Walsh Ironman championships team (2015) … Served as team captain … High Honor Roll student.
Personal: Son of Glen Hendricks … Enrolled in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Willy Kaiser | 157 Pounds
Stroudsburg, Pa./Blair Academy
High School: Four-time letterwinner … Served as team captain … 2018 National Preps champion at 152 pounds … 2017 National Preps sixth place at 152 pounds … Two-time NY/NJ Preps champion … 2018 Geary Invitational champion … Three-time letterwinner in football … Served as team captain … Two-time All-MAPL defensive back … Two-time MAPL All-Academic … Senior Class Council member … Played trombone in Chamber and Wind Ensemble.
Personal: Son of Annette and Donald Kaiser … Older brother, Robby, played basketball at Lynchburg … Older brother, Nick, wrestled at East Stroudsburg … Older brother, Timmy, played basketball at Waynesburg … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Jason Montgomery | 165-174 pounds
Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park
High School: Seventh place at 2017 Pennsylvania AAA state championships at 160 pounds … Finished fourth at 2017 Powerade at 170 pounds … 2018 Allegheny County champion … Second at King of the Mountain in 2017 … Served as team captain … 2017 South Hills Almanac All-Star … Student Government member.
Personal: Son of Renee and David Montgomery … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Blair Orr | 125 Pounds
Aston, Pa./Episcopal Academy
High School: Four-year letterwinner … Served as team captain … Two-time National Preps placewinner … 2018 National Preps fourth place … 2017 National Preps sixth place … Two-time Prep Slam champion … Three-time All-Delco … Graduated with 157 career wins … PAWF freestyle state champion … PAWF Greco-Roman state placewinner … Congressional Scholar-Athlete Award recipient … Aston Sports Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.
Personal: Son of Gina and Sean Orr … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Jesse Quatse | 174-184 pounds
Crabtree, Pa./Greensburg Salem
High School: Four-year letterwinner … Served as team captain … 2018 Pennsylvania State Championships fourth place at 170 pounds … Two-time PIAA Sectional Champion … 2018 Tribune-Review All-Star.
Personal: Son of Kimla and Darryl Quatse … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Jeremy Ridge | 149-157 pounds
Lafayette, Calif./Acalanes
High School: 2017 Pat Lovell Holiday Classic champion … 2016 and 2017 Lou Bronzan Invitational champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler … 2016 and 2018 Diablo Athletic League champion … 2017 King of the Mat champion … 2016 and 2017 California National Team member … Round of 12 at California state championships … Three-time CIF Distinguished Scholastic Team selection … Three-time team captain … Traveled to Japan in 2017 as part of cultural and competition exchange program … 2017 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Pursuing Victory With Honor Award recipient … National Merit Commended Scholar … AP Scholar With Honor … Played percussion in school band.
Personal: Son of Cheri and David Ridge … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Josh Swanson | 157-165 pounds
Lawton, Okla./Cache
High School: Two-time placewinner at Oklahoma state championships … Finished fourth at 152 pounds in 2017 … 31-0 with 20 pins this season … 2018 Western Conference champion … Twice team captain … Also captained football team … 2017 Oklahoma All-Star at linebacker … 2017 Cache High School Athlete of the Year … Class president … Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Delegate … National Honor Society member … Beta Club … Fellowship of Christian Athletes … Helped found wrestling team at Cache High School.
Personal: Son of Ashley and Chris Swanson … Enrolled in Wharton.
Doug Zapf | 125 lbs
Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West
High School: 2017 Pennsylvania AAA state champion at 106 pounds … Fifth at Powerade in 2017-18 season … Finished 2016-17 season with a 45-2 record … Won PIAA Sectional, District and Regional titles on his way to state championship … 2016 PIAA Sectional and District champion … Two-time Chesmont champion (2016, 2017) … PA Junior National Freestyle Team member … Served as team captain … National Honor Society member … Distinguished Honor Roll student.
Personal: Son of Maureen and Joe Zapf … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
