By Jason Bryant
jbryant@intermatwrestle.com

With the trends in recruiting of late being the smaller programs adding bundles of new athletes, the two top Division I wrestling programs in the state of Oregon got commitments from two of the state's best prep wrestlers.

It was reported on Thursday that InterMat's second-ranked senior heavyweight, Charlie Alexander, had verbally committed to wrestle for the University of Oregon, while Eagle Point's Chris Platt, the NHSCA senior national runner-up at 171 pounds signed with Oregon State and new coach Jim Zalesky after verbally committing in early May to North Carolina.

Platt's change of heart, according to sources at North Carolina, was the distance. At just under 3,000 miles from Eagle Point, Platt elected to keep his trips home on break to just over 200 miles.

Both Oregon and Oregon State have signed fairly solid classes, with the Ducks picking up Alexander, along with Jacob McCoy of Eagle Point and J.D. Goodrich of Stevenson, Wash. Both have spent time nationally ranked during their respective high school careers.

Oregon State's gems are Platt, Junior National Greco-Roman champion Marty Eng from Newberg, and state champion Keegan Davis of Sprague.

Both programs are recruiting solidly from the Pacific Northwest.

Other notable signings

The week didn't see many big guns commit, but notable signings and commitments include Phillipsburg, N.J.'s Jon Gregory with Division III Ithaca. Gregory's ranked #12 at 112 pounds among seniors by InterMat. …
Wyoming picked up a pair of state champions, including Montana four-timer Cole Dallasera. Jacob West of Boise, Idaho also signed with Steve Suder's Cowboys. …

Central Oklahoma picked up 2006 Brute/Adidas Nationals outstanding wrestler Jarrett Edison of Wichita, Kan. The Bronchos also added NJCAA champion Paul Mayfield of Neosho Community College. …

Lock Haven has been diligent in bringing in new talent, and the Bald Eagles picked up a pair of quality heavyweights in the past week, New York's John Almy and Florida's Brent Parsons. …

The Citadel's Nick Orio will transfer to Pittsburgh … Delaware State added a baker's dozen of recruits, including Arturo Holmes II, a three-timer from Georgia and son of the fashionable Arturo Holmes, one of the top club coaches in the south. Wheeling Park, W.Va., state champion Ronald Green also committed. …

Maryland added another heavyweight to its stable, picking up former New Jersey state champion John Price of Washington Township. 
… 
And Tom Brands picked up his first two recruits as the new coach at Iowa, keeping Jake Kerr of Oskaloosa and Aaron Janssen of Emmetsburg in state. …

And the winner of the name of the week goes to Neosho CC's commitment from Oklahoma heavyweight Wallace Warrior. 

Reclassifying

Second-year NAIA wrestling program Newman University of Kansas won't be spending too much time in the division, as the University announced it was in the process of reclassifying from the NAIA to NCAA Division II.

The entire sports program will be in a provisional period, similar to those seen in Division I by North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Colorado and Utah Valley State.

This past season, Curtis Chenoweth was the school's first national champion, winning the 174-pound NAIA crown.