Wolverines Sign Three to National Letters of Intent
11/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 20, 2009
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan wrestling head coach Joe McFarland announced Friday (Nov. 20) that three student-athletes -- Max Huntley (Emerald Isle, N.C./Blair Academy), Jake Salazar (Midway, Utah/Wasatch HS) and Collin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) -- have signed National Letters of Intent during the early signing period to attend and compete next fall.
"These are all guys that we pinpointed as wrestlers we would love to have in our program," said McFarland, "so we are very excited to get all three. Not only are they outstanding wrestlers, but they are all outstanding individuals as well. They come from great families -- wrestling families. They have similar styles. They are great competitors. They're aggressive, they handfight well and hold position well. They're all just very sound in all areas and have great fundamentals. They come out of outstanding programs in Blair Academy, Wasatch and Hesperia. I think they will be great additions to our team, and I can't wait to get them into our room."
Huntley, who is currently in a post-graduate year at Blair Academy, was ranked as the No. 2 high school 189-pound wrestler in the nation last season by Amateur Wrestling News. A 2009 USA Dream Team selection, Huntley captured the 189-pound national prep title and won the prestigious Beast of the East and Walsh Ironman tournaments in his first season at Blair. He posted a career prep record of 184-22, including a perfect 38-0 mark during his senior campaign. Prior to his arrival at Blair, Huntley captured the 189-pound Virginia state title (2008) and was a two-time state finalist while competing for Colonial Forge High School. In freestyle and Greco-Roman competition, Huntley was a double FILA Cadet Nationals champion at 55 kg/187.25 pounds in 2008 and a 189-pound freestyle finalist at the 2009 Junior National Championships. Huntley is expected to wrestle at 197 pounds for the Wolverines.
"I really like where Max is at with his wrestling," said McFarland. "I like his size. He's just big and physical, and he can scramble well too. I think he's going to be a great college wrestler. He will be a post grad this year at Blair, so he'll have a chance to get into some college tournaments. That will be a good experience for him. Max came into Blair a year ago as a great wrestler, and he's just gotten better and better. I expect him to be even better by the time we get him next fall."
Salazar will join Michigan next fall on the heels of a two-year religious mission in California. A three-time Utah state champion and four-time finalist, Salazar completed his high school career with a 183-10 record, boasting a near-perfect 94-1 record over his final two seasons. He won back-to-back titles at the Reno Tournament of Championships (2006, '07) and placed sixth in the 152-pound division at the 2008 Senior High School Nationals after getting injured in the semifinal round and defaulting out of the tournament. In freestyle and Greco-Roman competition, Salazar is a four-time Fargo Nationals All-American, placing second in Greco-Roman during his two cadet years (2004, '05) and, more recently, claiming third in the 2007 junior freestyle division. Salazar is projected to compete at 157 or 165 at Michigan.
"Jake has obviously been in the back of my mind for a couple years now," said McFarland. "We're pretty excited about him. He's been pretty busy over the last year, but he's working out whenever he can. I think he is excited to get into college wrestling. His build reminds me of Ryan Bertin; he's lean and strong. He's really explosive and has great leg attacks and great high-level attacks. He's hard to score on and holds good position. I think he's going to be a great addition."
Zeerip is a two-time Michigan state champion, capturing the 119-pound title as a junior (2009) after winning the 103-pound crown the previous year (2008). He boasts a 178-11 career prep record, and as a two-time team captain and MVP, he helped guide Hesperia to the 2009 Michigan Division 4 state championship. Outside of wrestling, Zeerip is a two-time NHSCA Academic All-American (2008, '09) and a varsity letterwinner in football, golf and cross country. He is Michigan's fourth Hesperia recruit in four years, joining his brothers -- junior/sophomore Justin Zeerip and freshman Brandon Zeerip -- and former teammate Dan Yates.
"We obviously like those Zeerips," said McFarland. "They all have great work ethics. They're focused, and they come from a great family. Collin has a little different build than his brothers. He's a young senior; as far as the maturity aspect of it his body is just starting to fill out right now. So, we don't really know where he's going to end up. What we do know is that he is a great competitor. And we are excited to add him to the group."
The Wolverines will kick off the dual-meet portion of their 2009-10 schedule on Sunday (Nov. 22) against No. 16-ranked Lehigh. The match is slated for a 2 p.m. start at Cliff Keen Arena.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
