Grand Canyon University Athletics
Wrestling Program Announces New Recruits
4/24/2010 6:02:23 PM | Wrestling
Grand Canyon University wrestling Head Coach R.C. LaHaye announced his 2010-2011 recruiting class earlier today.
Those signing letters of intent this spring include two freshmen and five transfer student-athletes who join a group of four student-athletes who signed in the fall.
Leading the way for the transfers are four standout athletes hailing from Santa Ana College in Santa Ana, Calif.: California junior-college champions Bobby Scofield (141 pounds) and Jose Navarro (149), and third-place finishers Teddy Bristol (157) and Jimmy Botheras (197).
Another impact transfer looking to make a name for himself at the NCAA Division-II level is national junior college runner-up and two-time All-American Celic Bell (184) from North Idaho College. Bell was third as a freshman at the NJCAA national meet and second this past season.
Freshmen signees this spring include three-time Arizona state champion Ryan Miller (157) from Corona Del Sol High School in Tempe and California Masters Place winner A.J. Chavez from Martin Luther King High School in San Bernardino.
They will join four fall signees, including four-time Arizona state champion Ricky Ryan (125) from Show Low High School, two-time Arizona state champion David Wilbur (157) from Mingus High School in Cottonwood, two-time Alaska state champion Eric Fan (197) from Colony High School in Palmer, and California state champion and outstanding Wrestler Nick Sierra (149) from Lemoore High School in the Fresno area.
Sierra will join an Antelopes roster that features another Fresno-area product, former Clovis High School standout Madison Gambrell, a 125-pound freshman this past season. GCU’s third-year wrestling program finished 12-8 overall, 6-3 (tied for fourth place) in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and ranked No. 18 in the final NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll of the season. Four wrestlers qualified for NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Omaha, Neb. – junior Todd Wilcox (38-5), ranked No. 6 at 133 pounds; senior Stephen Towne (32-10) at 157 pounds; redshirt sophomore Victor Carazo (38-6), ranked No. 5 at 165 pounds; and junior Ryan Becerra (20-12) at 184 pounds – and Carazo and Becerra became GCU's first wrestling All-Americans. Towne named to the 2009-10 Division II All-Academic Wrestling team, becoming first GCU wrestler to do so.
"We are very happy with our incoming recruits," LaHaye said. "Many of these guys have the potential to make an immediate impact on the national level. They represent the future for GCU wrestling."
To view a complete list of GCU recruits and their accomplishments, please click here.
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