April 30, 2014
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — The University of Michigan wrestling program has landed its third straight top-10 recruiting class, earning the No. 10 spot among InterMat’s NCAA Division I recruiting class rankings, the website announced Wednesday (April 30). The Wolverines’ six-member class, all of whom signed National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, combined for 12 state titles and eight Fargo All-America honors.
The Wolverines 2014-15 freshman class will include Malik Amine (Brighton, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central HS), Zac Hall (St. Johns, Mich./St. Johns HS), Davonte Mahomes (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park and River Forest HS), Alec Pantaleo (Canton, Mich./Canton HS), Zehlin Storr (Mason, Mich./Leslie HS) and Garrett Sutton (Richmond, Ill./Burton HS).
Michigan earned the consensus No. 1 recruiting class last season, while its 2012-13 incoming class — its current sophomores — was ranked No. 7 by InterMat.
The nation’s No. 20-ranked 145-pound wrestler, Amine captured two Michigan state titles, winning at 140 pounds (2013) and 145 pounds (2014) for state powerhouse Detroit Catholic Central. He was a four-time Michigan state placewinner, claiming second place at 135 pounds (2012) and fifth place at 112 pounds (2011), and claimed a career prep record of 159-29. His father, Mike, and uncle, Sam, both wrestled at Michigan in the late 1980s, while cousin, Jordan Amine, is currently on the Wolverine team. Amine is projected to wrestle at 149 or 157 pounds at Michigan.
Ranked No. 2 nationally at 138 pounds and as the No. 15 overall recruit, Hall was a four-time Michigan state champion at powerhouse St. Johns High School, winning at 103 pounds (2011), 112 pounds (2012), 125 pounds (2013) and 140 pounds (2014). He boasts a career prep record of 198-2, including a perfect 100-0 mark over his last two seasons. Hall is a five-time Fargo All-American in freestyle, earning 2012 freestyle runner-up honors at 120 pounds. He is projected to wrestle at 141 pounds at Michigan.
Listed as the nation’s No. 11-ranked 170-pound wrestler and No. 41 overall recruit, Mahomes captured an Illinois state title at 170 pounds this season and is a three-time Illinois state placewinner, claiming third place at 160 pounds (2013) and 152 pounds (2012). He is 161-17 in his prep career, posting a 44-2 mark as a senior. Mahomes is a three-time Fargo All-American. He fell just short of the USA Wrestling Junior triple crown in 2013, capturing folkstyle and Greco-Roman titles while claiming second in freestyle. He will likely wrestle at 165 pounds at Michigan.
Pantaleo captured a Michigan state title at 135 pounds as a sophomore (2012) and was a two-time finalist, claiming runner-up honors at 145 pounds this season (2014). He owns a career prep record of 177-9, including a near-perfect 51-1 mark as a senior. His uncle, Joe, was a two-time NCAA finalist for Michigan in the late 1980s. Pantaleo is projected to wrestle at 149 pounds at Michigan.
The nation’s No. 14-ranked 138-pound wrestler and No. 97 overall recruit, Storr captured two Michigan state titles, winning at 135 pounds as a junior (2013) and 140 pounds as a senior (2014) and is a four-time Michigan state placewinner. He previously claimed runner-up honors at 135 pounds (2012) and took third at 130 pounds as a sophomore (2011). Storr owns a 221-12 career prep record, including an unbeaten 121-0 mark over his last two seasons. He is likely to wrestle at 141 pounds at Michigan.
Listed as the nation’s No. 11-ranked 160-pound wrestler and No. 100 overall recruit, Sutton closed his career with back-to-back Illinois state titles, winning at 160 pounds (2014) and 152 pounds (2013) after taking third place at 138 pounds as a sophomore in 2012. Sutton boasted a 162-8 career prep record, including a perfect 82-0 mark over his final two seasons. In freestyle competition, he was a 2011 FILA Cadet All-American. His cousin, Cameron Kennedy, is a current member of the Wolverine team. Sutton is projected to wrestle at 165 or 174 pounds at Michigan.
Michigan is still in the process of filling out its incoming class.