Anthony Salupo and Nick Sulzer
That day came Saturday.
Sulzer gave his verbal commitment to the University of Virginia, while Salupo gave his verbal commitment to Lehigh University.
"Nick and I are really close, "said Salupo, who was hanging out with Sulzer on Saturday. "I'm excited because we're not going to be too far away from each other. Lehigh University and the University of Virginia are only a few hours apart. We'll compete in a lot of the same events, so we'll be able to see each other during college."
Sulzer, who is ranked as the No. 36 recruit in the country by InterMat, is an NHSCA Junior Nationals champion, Junior Nationals All-American in freestyle, and three-time Ohio state placewinner. He has been a state runner-up twice, losing in the state finals as a freshman and last season as junior. His No. 1 goal heading into his senior season is finish on top of the podium at the state tournament.
"I still have not won a state title yet," said Sulzer. "That's what I want the most. Other than that, I would like to be ranked No. 1 in the country and try to lead my team back to the top of the rankings."
Nick Sulzer
Sulzer has two older brothers, Aaron and Keith, who wrestle at the Division I level. Aaron went 15-6 last season as a true freshman at Eastern Michigan. Keith, a redshirt junior at Northwestern, is a two-time NCAA qualifier.
"My brothers are always helping me to improve to the next level," said Sulzer. "When they come back to visit home they beat me up pretty good, basically teaching me that this is what I can expect in college. I always talk to them about how I can get better, and they always have something to say to improve my ability."
Sulzer, who projects collegiately at 174 pounds, will be reunited with two former St. Edward wrestlers at the University of Virginia, Danny Gonsor and Shawn Harris.
"I chose the University of Virginia because I felt really comfortable with the coaches and the team � almost as if I was still at St. Ed's," said Sulzer. "Ultimately, it was the best choice for me because I felt comfortable in the environment, and the wrestling with the top academics is really hard to pass up."
He is also excited about the opportunity to train with Chris Henrich, who posted a 40-3 record last season as a sophomore and earned All-American honors by placing seventh at 174 pounds.
"Chris was a really big factor in my decision," said Sulzer. "He loves to wrestle and is always trying to get better. I really admired that. He's really tough in certain areas where I lack, so I am looking forward to trying to learn as much as possible from him."
Anthony Salupo (Photo/The Guillotine)
Salupo is a two-time Ohio state placewinner and a two-time NHSCA Nationals All-American. This past season, Salupo compiled a 43-4 record and placed third at the state tournament in Ohio. He was fifth as a sophomore. He chose Lehigh over Iowa State.
"I really liked the location," said Salupo of Lehigh. "I like the fact that it's a small school, but there are still a lot of things to do in the area. I really like the coaches a lot. I felt like I connected with the coaches really well. They have a great integrated business and engineering program there that I really want to get into."
Salupo, who projects at 149 pounds in college, is relieved the recruiting process is over.
"It was stressful, but at the same time, it was exciting to get calls from different colleges and different people who were interested in me," said Salupo. "So it was exciting, but also stressful. I'm a little relieved to have it done and over with so that I can focus on the season."
Salupo, like Sulzer, says his No. 1 goal this season is to win a state title. After that, he will set his sights on accomplishing his college goals.
"I'm most likely going to redshirt my first year," said Salupo. "After that, I'm hoping to be a conference champion, All-American, and an NCAA champion at Lehigh."
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