Aug. 30, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern head coach Tim Cysewski announced the addition of eight incoming student-athletes to the Wildcats wrestling program. The group will matriculate to NU this fall and be eligible for competition during the upcoming 2005-06 season.
Vincent Colletti (Naperville, Ill./Montini Catholic), Martin Gould (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West), Mark Graves (Evansville, Ind./Evansville Memorial Catholic), Carl Howe Jr. (Three Rivers, Mich./Three Rivers), Dominic Marella (Roselle, Ill./Conant), Eric Metzler (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco), James Smith (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling) and William Durkee (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy/University of Virginia) comprise the incoming class.
Colletti was a two-time Illinois state champion with a career record of 112-14 in just three seasons of competition. He missed his senior year with an injury. His junior year, however, Colletti won the Illinois Class A State Championship at 140 lbs. He posted a record of 46-4, won the Wisconsin Cheesehead Invitational and took second at the Al Dvorak Tournament. Colletti won his first state championship his freshman year at 135 lbs.
Colletti was named to the AAU All-American Team his following his freshman and sophomore seasons, and his AAU squad won the national championships both years. Colletti is a National Honor Society member and was nominated for the Wendy's High School Heisman.
Gould twice placed at the Illinois state meet, with his best finish coming in 2005 (third place). He compiled a 127-17 career record with a 32-3 mark his senior year. He was named by Wrestling USA as the nation's 30th best senior wrestler for the 2004-05 season.
Graves was a 2004 sectional champion as well as an all-conference selection, while he led his team to three sectional championships. He took sixth in his weight class at the 2002 Indiana State Freestyle Championships and participated in the 2003 FILA Cadet Nationals freestyle competition. He was named to the Southern Indiana Wrestling Honor Roll at 189 lbs. Graves garnered academic all-city and academic all-state honors in wrestling and football, is a member of the National Honor Society and a National Merit Commended Scholar.
Howe Jr. was 2005 Michigan state meet qualifier. He was named captain his senior year and won the team captain award. He also won the Hubert Wagner Classic Sportsmanship Award. Howe, Jr. was a MHSAA Scholar-Athlete finalist and made the Glen Oaks Community College President's List. He was class president, academic letterwinner, student council member and is a member of the National Honor Society. He graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
Marella was a 2005 Illinois state runner-up with a record of 38-3. He put together a 152-30 career record. He participated in the 2003 FILA Cadet Nationals Greco Roman competition and was a special mention to Wrestling USA's Best 2005 High School Seniors list. Marella is an Illinois State Scholar and a member of the National Honor Society.
Metzler twice won Wisconsin state titles, and was a perfect 39-0 as a senior. For his career, Metzler went 172-5. He was an Academic All-State selection all four years of high school and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Smith completed his four-year career as the most successful wrestler in Wheeling High School history. His record from 2002-05 was 153-30, including 92 falls. During his high school career, Wheeling won four MSL East Division and three IHSA Regional Championships.
Smith qualified for the Illinois State Tournament three times, placing sixth in 2004 and taking second in 2005. He posted a record of 44-4 his senior year, and also won his weight class at the MSL Conference Tournament. Smith was named MSL Wrestler of the Year and Wheeling High School Athlete of the Year. Smith is an Illinois State Scholar, two-year member of the National Honor Society and graduated with honors.
Durkee is a graduate transfer student from the University of Virginia. Durkee finished his junior season at Virginia 18-4 overall, with three falls and two major decisions. While competing for the Cavaliers, he took first place at the Cleveland State Open and the Edinboro Open, finishing undefeated in both tournaments. Durkee posted an overall record of 27-14 during the 2002-03 season, going 10-5 in dual matches, with two pins, four major decision victories and two technical falls. Durkee placed first at the Virginia Intercollegiate State Wrestling Championship, going undefeated in his three matches.
While at Shady Side Academy, Durkee was a PIAA AA state champion and a two-time district champion, boasting a senior record of 46-0.
"These are eight good wrestlers that will give us quality as well as a lot of depth," Cysewski said.