BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State wrestling coach
JohnMark Bentley officially announced the Class of 2018 recruits who are joining the Mountaineers for the 2018-19 season.
App State bolsters its roster as it moves forward from winning a third straight Southern Conference championship in 2017-18. The Mountaineers' 20-1 conference record in the last three seasons ranks fifth nationally.
The 11 wrestlers in the 2018 recruiting class combined for 14 individual state championships and arrive from eight different states.
"We are excited about the talent in this incoming class," Bentley said. "There are several guys who may compete for starting spots right away. The success of the class, as any recruiting class, will depend on their willingness to embrace the work load it takes to compete for championships."
Class of 2018 recruits
Dawson Bates (141 pounds, Jefferson, Ga./Jefferson)
Barrett Blakely (174 pounds, Birmingham, Ala./Oak Mountain)
Michael Burchell (285 pounds, Madison, Conn./Hand)
Mason Fiscella (197 pounds, Poqouson, Va./Poqouson)
William Formato (149 pounds, Acworth, Ga./Allatoona)
Nik Gerard (133 pounds, Fairfax, Va./Robinson)
Rhett Golowenski (125 pounds, Tuttle, Okla./Tuttle)
Josiah McCallum (285 pounds, Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny)
Taylor Philpotts (141 pounds, Sauquoit Valley, N.Y./Holland Patent)
Riley Smucker (165/174 pounds, Smithville, Ohio/Smithville)
Charles Steckline (125 pounds, Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge)
Dawson Bates
High School: Three-time state champion, including state champ at 132 pounds in the 4-A classification as a senior, and a four-time state finalist … Also won the state title at 132 pounds as a junior and the state title at 106 pounds as a freshman. Finished second at 113 pounds as a sophomore … Posted a 198-5 record, including a 42-0 mark as a senior. Had records of 56-1 as a junior, 52-1 as a sophomore and 48-3 as a freshman. Four of his losses came at out-of-state tournaments … Helped Jefferson (where recent App State graduate
Forrest Przybysz and current App State wrestler
Codi Russell attended) extend its streak to 18 consecutive traditional state wrestling championships … Coached by Doug Thurmond at Jefferson … Club team coached by Robert Cline … Also won the "Freak Show" tournament in Las Vegas during his prep career.
Barrett Blakely
High School: Two-time state champion, two-time 7-A state tournament Most Valuable Wrestler, all-state selection and team captain at Oak Mountain High School, where he was coached by Steve Burrough … Went 53-0 as a senior … Wrestling USA Magazine All-America Honorable Mention … Finished career with a 182-20 record and 100 falls … Member of the Warrior Wrestling Club coached by Shad Rissler … Lettered four years in wrestling and one in football. … Has one sibling: John, who wrestled at App State from 2009-13.
Michael Burchell
High School: Three-time All-American and two-time Class L state champion … Concluded career at Daniel Hand High School in Connecticut with a record of 104-15 … As a senior, went 40-0 and achieved the grand slam of postseason crowns with his first-place finishes at the SCC, Class L, State Open and New England championships … Won the New England title with a pin during his final in the 285-pound division … Placed seventh among heavyweights at the 2017 Junior National Championships … Member of the 2017-18 All-Courant (Hartford) High School Wrestling Team … Letterwinner in wrestling and track & field.
Mason Fiscella
High School: Won a Class 2 state championship at 195 pounds and went 39-0 as a senior while helping lead Poqouson to the team state title, giving the Bull Islanders their first championship since 1999 … Claimed the state title in 2018 with a pin in the final match … State runner-up as a junior, when he went 37-4 … Wrestled at Poquoson for his final two years and was coached there by Eric Decker.
William Formato
High School: Named the 2017-18 Marietta Daily Journal/Cobb County Co-Wrestler of the Year after going 40-0 and winning a Class 6-A state title at 145 pounds … Also a county, area and sectional champion … Finished senior season with 22 pins and seven wins by technical fall … Named the most outstanding wrestler at the Cobb County Invitational and the Area 3AAAAAAA tournament … Second place at the GHSA State Championships as a junior and sophomore after placing fifth as a freshman … Named the Cobb County Wrestling Association Wrestler of the Year … Coached by Kyle Norred at Allatoona.
Nik Gerard
High School: Third place at 132 pounds in the 6-A Virginia state championships as a senior at Robinson High School in Fairfax, Va., and second place at 120 pounds as a junior … Region champion as a senior and junior … Moved to Virginia from the Houston area after his freshman season of wrestling.
Rhett Golowenski
High School: Three-time state 4-A champion in Oklahoma and an Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State member at 120 pounds … Mid-America Nationals champion as a freshman in 2014 and a senior in 2017 … State champion as a freshman, sophomore and junior before finishing second as a senior … Had a 165-22 career record with a 42-8 mark as a senior and 42-2 mark as a junior … Coached by Matt Surber at Tuttle High School in Oklahoma.
Josiah McCallum
High School: Named the Florida Times-Union's All-First Coast Wrestler of the Year for 2017-18 after going 48-0 and winning a Class 1-A state championship as a senior … Wasn't on the wrong end of a single takedown during his senior year at Bishop Kenny, where he was coached by Paul Schloth … Became just the second state champion in his school's history … State runner-up as a junior and a two-time all-state honoree … Member of the FWA South FL Lightning club team.
Taylor Philpotts
High School: Went 46-6 with 26 pins and placed third in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division II Championships at 145 pounds as a senior at Holland Patent High School … Went 159-22 with 74 pins in his final four seasons and 227-34 for Holland Patent going back to the start of the seventh grade … First place at the Bulldog Invitational, the SPC Kenneth Haines Memorial Tournament, the Center States League Tournament and the Section III Class C Tournament … Also placed third at the state tournament during a 46-5 season as a junior … Won the Section III Division II title as a junior … Was fifth at the state championships as a sophomore and made the event as a freshman … Coached by John Richard at Holland Patent.
Riley Smucker
High School: Four-time all-state performer and Division III state finalist at 170 pounds as a senior, when he went 19-3 … Fourth-place finisher (152 pounds) at the state championships as a junior and fifth-place finisher (138 pounds) as a sophomore … Coached by Mike Wenger at Smithville High School … County Wrestling MVP … Lettered four years in wrestling and three years in football.
Charles Steckline
High school: Nicknamed "Jett" … Virginia state champion at 120 pounds in the 4A division of the VHSL championships as a senior after placing third at 126 pounds as a junior, when Great Bridge captured a Group 4A state title, and fourth as a sophomore at 113 pounds … A four-time state qualifier, he went 41-2 as a senior, when he was also a Class 4 Regional A champion, and 131-24 over his final three seasons. Was 47-8 as a junior and 43-14 as a sophomore … Named the Chesapeake Sports Club's Most Outstanding Wrestler … As a junior, finished first at both the Interstate 64 Nationals and Virginia Beach Nationals … Coached by Matt Small at Great Bridge.
