May 25, 2011
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford head wrestling coach Jason Borrelli is pleased to announce the seven freshmen that will join the Cardinal team this fall. The class has been rated No. 24 in the nation by both wrestling insider newsmagazine and theopenmat.com.
The class is comprised of Dahlton Brown (Jackson, Calif./Argonaut), Josh Lauderdale (Nine Mile Falls, Wash./Lakeside), Alex Manley (Chattanooga, Tenn./The Baylor School), Alex Paraschuk (Fort Myers, Fla./Riverdale), Evan Silver (Chevy Chase, Md./Blair Academy), Michael Sojka (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) and Brendan Ter Wee (Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon).
"This class brings a long list of accolades from all across the country and I would argue that it is as good of a class as any in division one wrestling," said Borrelli. "This class adds much needed depth at many weight classes which will certainly help us build upon our program best 11th-place NCAA finish."
The seven-man class is led by Silver, the No. 25 overall recruit in 2011, and Sojka, ranked No. 5 at 215 pounds. The group has combined to win 10 state championships, as well as, two runner-up finishes and five third-place marks. Bringing home state titles were Silver (4), Sojka (2), Manley (2), Lauderdale (1) and Paraschuk (1).
"I really look forward to getting this group on campus in the fall," said Borrelli. "There is a good chance that some of them will be called upon to step right in as true freshmen and I am very confident that each could handle the challenge. We strongly believe that each has tremendous upside for the collegiate level and that their best wrestling is ahead of them."
Silver will likely compete at 125 pounds for the Cardinal. He is a four-time state champion and held the No. 1 ranking in the nation for two seasons during his prep career. He posted a 130-10 record at Blair Academy, where he was tabbed the 2011 National Prep Wrestler of the Year.
Sojka comes to The Farm as a two-time Illinois state champion and a four-time state placer. He will compete for the 197 pounds spot in the Cardinal lineup next season. Sojka posted an 82-0 record over his final two seasons at Winnebago High School, setting a new career wins record for the school (160-7). He was named to the 2011 USA Wrestling All-America Team and was twice nominated by IWCOA as Illinois Class 1A wrestler of the year.
Paraschuk is a five-time state placer from Florida, capturing the state title in 2011. The five-time conference champion holds the Riverdale High School career record for reversals. He will vie for time in the Cardinal lineup at 141 pounds in 2011-12.
Manley is a two-time state champion and five-time state finalist out of Tennessee. He secured state titles as a junior and senior, while becoming the all-time career wins leader in Tennessee state history (229-14). A two-time high school academic All-American, Manley will be listed at 133/141 pounds for the Cardinal next season.
Lauderdale is a four-time state placer, winning the Washington state title as a senior in 2011. He posted a 129-22 prep record, recording 74 pins in the process. The four-time regional champion will push for the 149 pounds spot in the Cardinal lineup this fall.
Ter Wee is a two-time state placer out of Iowa, finishing third and sixth in his final two seasons at West Lyon High School. He posted a career prep record of 117-24 with 54 pins and will look to take over the heavyweight slot in the Cardinal lineup next season.
Brown, who will be listed at 197/285 pounds next year, compiled a 139-44 career prep record with 89 pins at Argonaut High School. He set a school and county record by becoming the first ever four-time league champion. As a senior in 2011, he went 35-5 with 27 pins and was voted the team's MVP.
The Cardinal is coming off arguably the best season in school history. Borrelli, who was in his third year with the program in 2010-11, led Stanford to a school-best 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, Pa. The team posted a 9-9-1 dual record and sent four wrestlers to nationals. Junior Nick Amuchastegui (174 pounds) became just the second Cardinal wrestler to reach the NCAA finals, while senior Zack Giesen and sophomore Ryan Mango finished sixth at 197 pounds and 125 pounds, respectively. The trio earned All-America honors, the most ever in a season for Stanford.