Derek Garcia won a Junior Nationals title (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)In a press conference at Sedro-Woolley High School this afternoon he let everyone know that he was going to be a Buckeye.
"After speaking with the coaches and visiting Columbus, I decided that Ohio State was the best choice for me,"said Garcia in a phone interview. "Some people are going to be surprised, but I am confident it is the best place for me to develop as a wrestler, a student, and as a person."
The tenth-ranked high school senior in the InterMat Top 100, most were expecting Garcia to spend a year of residency at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs before choosing a college. It was where he spent last summer and where he will be training next year before moving on to Ohio State for classes in the fall of 2010.
The Road to Ohio State
As a high school junior, Garcia completed all of his high school credits and began taking advanced placement courses. After wrestling season, he was able to move to the OTC and trained with 2006 World champion Bill Zadick as a developmental athlete until July. Leaving Colorado to win his first national championship in Fargo, he returned to Washington in August for his senior year of high school.
"Training in Colorado was one of the best experiences I have ever had,"said Garcia. " I got to wrestle with all the World Team Members and a number of former Olympians. Being in the room with guys like that every day - it was get better or die! I was forced to improve every day just to survive. I really owe a lot to Bill Zadick and Brandon Slay. They took me under their wings and helped me get better every day."
A two-sport athlete, Garcia is a standout in football and wrestling. Derek proved to be a leader in the classroom and in competition as a team captain in both sports. Turning down an opportunity to train at the Olympic Training Center to finish school with his classmates was a sacrifice he made for them but also for himself.
Derek Garcia is ranked as the No. 10 recruit (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)"He has been a leader by not just what he says but what he does and how he lives his life. He takes his work ethic and puts it into everything he does and that is what has made him successful in sports, in the classroom, and in life."
Garcia was humble when speaking of the decision to return for his senior year.
"It means a lot to be a part of a team whether it is in football or wrestling. It was important for me to come back and help both teams achieve our goals."
Although a knee injury has put some doubt on how his football career will end, Garcia is confident that he will conclude his wrestling career as the sixth four-time state champion in Washington.
"The goal this season is to win my fourth state title,"he said. "I probably won’t be able to make all of the tournaments, so getting the title at the end of the year is a big thing for me and my team. It is important for me to be there because we have a really good chance of winning the team state title."
When read back the comments of Garcia, his high school head coach Jay Breckenridge stated, "That is what Derek Garcia is all about. As much as Derek wants personal accomplishments, the success of the team is just as important. He thinks of the whole picture, not just himself. After finishing in the top four the last few years we are going to be in the running this year for a team title and it is important for Derek to put us back on top before he leaves."
For a coach that won six straight titles before Garcia stepped in the high school wrestling room, Derek has proven that you can teach an old dog new some news tricks.
"Derek brought so much to our program it is hard to put into words. As a wrestler he has helped our coaching staff tremendously. Working with Bill Zadick, John Smith, and Eric Guerrero and coaches from across the country he is always bringing something back,"said Breckenridge.
Asked to describe Garcia as a wrestler, Breckenridge was quick to respond.
"On the mat Garcia is ferocious. He could care less who you put in front of him. When it comes to competition he is a machine. He is focused and an animal on the mat. He is one of, if not, the hardest working wrestlers I have ever coached. The qualities that make him a great wrestler make him an even better person. His grades are outstanding and in the community you could ask for anything more. He makes you feel proud of whatever he does."
Becoming a Buckeye
Garcia's decision to attend Ohio State was a compilation of factors. Originally planning on returning to the Olympic Training Center, his recruitment began this summer after Fargo and started to heat up once school began. Taking an official visit to Columbus two weeks ago, he was on campus for the OSU-Illinois game, able to tour the school, and got to watch the Buckeyes first wrestling practice of the year.
"My long term plans really changed after talking with and getting to know Coach Ryan,"said Garcia. "He had me thinking a lot about myself and what I needed as a person. Ohio State is great opportunity for me to grow athletically, academically, and socially. I am not that social of a person, so the college experience is important to help me become the best person I can be outside of wrestling."
Garcia chose OSU over Iowa, Iowa State, Boise State, and Cornell.
"Academically, Ohio State is great school. The facilities were amazing compared to those that I have seen before. The coaches are great people and the wrestlers I met seemed like a bunch of guys I could really get along with. Overall I just felt really comfortable in Columbus and it made a tough decision easy to make,"he said.
The presence of the Ohio Regional Training Center also played a large role in choosing Ohio State according to Garcia.
"They have the Ohio RTC and it is a great organization. JD Bergman, Shawn Bunch, and Tervel Dlagnev -- with what they have accomplished, I know it is a good situation for me as a college wrestler and in freestyle,"said Garcia. "Coach Rosselli is one of the best around so I will be in a situation where I have to get better every day."
Derek Garcia is a three-time state champion (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)"This year I will probably wrestle 171 and college-wise I will probably be a 165 pounder unless I get a lot bigger."
Academically advanced, Garcia plans on majoring in sports medicine and working on a minor in sports management. As far as wrestling or redshirting his freshman year, Garcia is planning on deferring to the coaches.
"When I get to Ohio State I will do whatever the coaches think is best for me. Everyone would like to wrestle right away. But I trust they will do what is best for my development and for the team,"he said.
High School coach Jay Breckenridge has high expectations for Garcia in Columbus.
"With the coaching staff and talent in the room at Ohio State there is no ceiling for what Derek Garcia can achieve,"said Breckenridge. "He has the potential to be a NCAA champion and with the Ohio Regional Training Center on campus I believe that one day you will see him on the Olympic or World Teams. With his work ethic and talent, even the loftiest of goals are attainable. We will miss him tremendously here but we wish him all the best."
Derek Garcia is the third member of the 2010 Ohio State recruiting class. He joins Logan Stieber and Josh Demas to give the Buckeyes three recruits ranked inside the InterMat Top 50. Rated amongst their senior class; Stieber is the nation’s top recruit, Garcia is No. 10, and Demas is No. 42. In college Stieber is projected as a 125/133, Garcia a 165/174, and Demas a 174/184. All three are expected to submit their NLI’s during the early signing period in November.
InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com.
http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/25823
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now