Eight Grapplers Will Join Harvard Wrestling for 2012-13 Season

Harvard wrestling will add eight freshmen to a roster that returns two All-American's and four EIWA placewinners (Gil Talbot).

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Jay Weiss, the David G. Bunning ’88 Head Coach for Harvard Wrestling, has announced that eight incoming freshmen will be added to the Crimson’s roster for 2012-13; Adam Bicak, Nicholas Gajdzik, Devon Gobbo, Michael Mocco, , Jeffery Ott, Todd Preston, Brennan Smith and Nicholas Stager.  The eight member Class of 2016 is made up of two national prep champions, one New England prep champion and three state champions who represent six different states and weight classes.

“What a great group of young men. I am so excited for them all to join our family up here at Harvard,” Jay Weiss, the David G. Bunning '88 Head Coach for Harvard Wrestling stated. “They are such a talented group but even better people. We are already a young team but this now makes us a strong, young team. This group is definitely going to make a big impact.”

Class of 2016

Adam Bicak, 5-10, 174 lbs., Ripley, W. V.
Two-time captain, four-year letterwinner … Ripley High School’s first ever four-time state champion … Won state titles in four different weight classes, including 145 lbs., 152 lbs., 160 lbs. and 170 lbs. … Four-time regional champion … Powerade place-winner as a senior and junior … Earned All-America status at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals … Wendy’s High School Heisman state finalist as a senior … Three-time president of Collegiate Athletics Club … Two-time vice-president of student council … Member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Ripley Main Street Teens, Reading Club, Hi-Y, and Chess Club.

Nicholas Gajdzik, 6-4, HWT, Rochester, Mich.
Three-time captain, four-year letterwinner … Stoney Creek High School’s first ever state champion and first three-time state placewinner … Won the heavyweight state title as a senior, finished as the runner-up as a junior and had a seventh-place finish as a sophomore … Won back-to-back regional championships and finished as the runner-up as a sophomore …   Three-time district and league champion … Was named to the All-Oakland County first team, North Oakland County first team, C&G News All-Westside first team and Power 15-MI Grappler as a junior and senior … All-Oakland County honorable mention as a sophomore … Stoney Creek record holder in career wins, pins, team points, seasonal takedowns, seasonal pins and season wins … Was a member of team Michigan for three straight years and named All-America as a junior … Was a member of the MI Grappler Dream team as a senior and earned team honorable mention as a junior … Was cadet champion at the Tournament of Champions in 2010 … Also earned three varsity letters in football and severed as team captain his junior year … Academic All-State first team and All-OAA White Division first team as a junior … Two-time All-Oakland county honorable mention … Athletic Hall of Fame inductee … Valedictorian of Stoney Creek’s graduating class of 2012 … Member of National Honor Society, Freshman Mentor Council and Student Council … Eight-time Scholar Athlete … Two-time Award of Excellence recipient.

Devon Gobbo, 5-10, 165/174 lbs., Basking Ridge, N.J.
Selected as a captain junior year and earned three varsity letters in wrestling … Led Delbarton School to the New Jersey non-public state championship as a junior … Also led Delbarton to three straight District IX championships, three straight conference championships, three straight Morris County championships, and three straight Newark Academy Tournament championships … Named outstanding wrestler in District IX and Morris County as a junior, as well as at the Iron Horse Invitational as a freshman … Was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for four years, acting as coordinator as a junior … Member of MENSA International High IQ Society and Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth … Volunteered at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, Habitat for Humanity, Neighborhood House, EPOCH and SADD.

Michael Mocco, 5-10, 197 lbs., Bernardsville, N.J.
Four-year letterwinner … Led Blair Academy to a national championship as a senior … Blair finished the 2011-12 season ranked No. 1 in the country … Won national prep championship as a senior … Two-time academic honor roll member.

Jeffery Ott, 5-6, 125 lbs., Chelmsford, Mass.
Two-time captain, four-year letterwinner … Led Belmont High School to three league championships and a New England championship as a sophomore … Four-time New England prep champion, twice as outstanding wrestler … Four-time Prep National All-American, once as champion ... Four-time ILS champion and outstanding wrestler … Named Freestyle Junior National All-American … Three-time Flonationals All-American … Four-year honor roll student … Was a peer leader as a senior and junior … Organized an all-star wrestling dual meet for a children’s hospital.

Todd Preston, 5-7, 141 lbs. , Hampton, N.J.
Selected as captain senior year and earned four varsity letters in wrestling … Blair Academy finished the 2011-12 season ranked No. 1 in the country … Led Blair to a National Championship his senior and freshman year, as well as a runner-up finish as a junior and a third place finish as a sophomore … Three-time national prep champion … As a junior was Beast of the East Champion, POWERADE champion and placed third at Ironman … Three-time Fargo Junior Nationals All-American … Made the Commended list for academics all four years at Blair … Volunteered at Flemington Food Pantry as a junior and sophomore.

Brennan Smith, 5-8, 157 lbs., Peoria, Ariz.
Three-time captain, four-year letterwinner … Won the AIA state championship and named Peoria Invitational and Cactus Classic outstanding wrestler as a senior … Was the Arizona freestyle state Cchampion as a junior … Named Brute-Adidas All-American ... Was the valedictorian at Sunrise Mountain High School, National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar … Coached North Valley Misfits, a youth wrestling club, and volunteered for National Honor Society.

Nicholas Stager, 5-6, 149 lbs., Niwot, Colo.
Two-year captain, four-year letterwinner … Set Niwot High School records in most takedowns in a season and career, most wins in a season (43) and career and most pins in a season … Named team MVP his senior and junior years … Two-time outstanding wrestler at the Boulder Valley Invitational … Two-time all-conference selection and all-conference honorable mention as a sophomore … Also earned  three varsity letters in football and captained the squad as a senior … Named all-conference as a senior … As a junior he received all-state and all-conference honorable mention … Member of the National Honor Society … Earned eight academic letters … Involved with Teens Ending Relationship Abuse his senior year.