Future Looks Bright as Rob Eiter’s Quakers Add Nine, He Talks to Takedown

Posted on | October 19, 2011 | No Comments

PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania had plenty of memorable moments during the 2010-11 season, including Zack Kemmerer‘s run to All-American honors at 141 pounds while winning 39 matches during the season to set a new Penn record for wins in a season and four wrestlers taking the mat in the Round of 12 at the NCAA Championships in their own backyard of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. One more memorable moment will close out the 2011 season for head coach Rob Eiter and his coaching staff – the announcement of a nine-wrestler recruiting class ready to create its own legacy in University City starting this fall.

Eiter welcomes the nine grapplers from six different states and they project to compete up and down the roster as the Quakers look to build upon back-to-back All-American finishes by Penn wrestlers at the NCAA Championships.

“This is a great group of young men that we are excited to add to our program,” said Eiter. “They are accomplished wrestlers on the mat and dedicated students off the mat. Those attributes will combine to make this class a very positive addition to the tradition of Penn Wrestling.”

The Class of 2015 was highly touted by many national wrestling publications, with InterMat ranking Penn’s class No. 11 in the country while W.I.N. Magazine had the group No. 12, D1CollegeWrestling.net has the Red and Blue at No. 13 and TheOpenMat.com slotted the Penn recruiting class at No. 15.

Individually, four of Penn’s recruits were ranked inside InterMat’s Top 100. Only eight other schools had four or more wrestlers from the Top 100 included in their recruiting classes and none had more than five. The four Top 100 wrestlers heading to West Philly this fall include No. 62 Steve Robertson (149/157 pounds), No. 67 Charlie Lynch (149), No. 73 C.J. Cobb (141/149) and No. 83 Jeff Canfora (133/141). They will be joined by Kyle Taylor (125), Mark Pinero (141), Lorenzo Thomas (157/165), Ian Korb (174/184) and Anthony DiLonardo (285) when the season begins.

Meet the Class of 2015

Jeff Canfora – 133/141 – Delbarton High School/East Hanover, N.J. – Video
Ranked No. 83 overall by InterMat … Ranked No. 12 at 135 pounds … Four-time letterwinner who served as team captain … Posted career high school record of 148-21, the second-most wins in Delbarton histoy … 2010 Beast of the East runner-up at 135 pounds … Twice New Jersey State Championships third-place finisher, doing so in 2010 and 2011 … 2011 District Champion … Four-time Morris County champion (2008-11) … 2009 Beast of the East seventh-place finisher … Team won 2011 Parochial A state championship … Named 2010 Morris County Wrestler of the Year by both the New Jersey Star-Ledger and Daily Record … Four-time first-team All-Conference (2008-11) … Four-time Delbarton Outstanding Wrestler (2008-11) … Fellowship of Christian Athletes member … Active in the community, participating in Thanksgiving Food Drive, Christmas Toy Drive and Delbarton’s Blood Drive.

C.J. Cobb – 141/149 – Williamstown High School/Williamstown, N.J. – Video
Ranked No. 73 overall by InterMat … Ranked No. 11 at 145 pounds … Team captain … 2010 Beast of the East Third Place at 145 pounds … Fifth place at 2011 New Jersey State Championships at 145 pounds … Third place at 2010 New Jersey State Championships … Sixth Place at 2009 New Jersey State Championships … Four-time District 30 champion … Two-time Region 8 champion … Most Outstanding Wrestler at District 30, Region 8, Egg Harbor and Tri-County Conference tournaments in senior season … Gloucester County Times Wrestler of the Year (2011) … Graduated as Williamstown’s all-time wins leader … Third at 2011 FILA Junior Nationals … 2009 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals fourth place … Three-time New Jersey Fargo Team member … Two-time New Jersey Junior Duals Team member … National Merit Commended Student … Honor Roll student … Principal’s List.

Anthony DiLonardo – 285 – Plum Senior High School/New Kensington, Pa. – Video
Four-year letterwinner and three-time team captain … Team won 2010 and 2011 county and section team championships … Individually, went 35-3 in senior season … Southwest Regional runner-up in 2011, pinning his way to the final before suffering first loss of the season … 2011 PIAA State Tournament qualifier … 2011 Section 1-AAA champion at heavyweight … Eighth-place finisher at 2011 Flo-Nationals … 2010 and 2011 PA Junior National team member … Section 1-AAA champion at 215 pounds in 2010 … Second-team PWCA All-Academic in 2010 and 2011 … 2009 USA Wrestling Fargo All-American with a sixth-place finish at 215 pounds … 2009 PA Cadet National Team member … Also competed in freestyle and Greco-Roman, winning 2010 PAWF state in both … Runner-up in freestyle in 2009 and 2011 … Greco runner-up in 2009 and third place in 2011 … Also lettered three times in football while serving as team captain his senior season … Named All-Section as an offensive tackle in 2010 … Plum High School’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2011 … National Honor Society member … Four-time Scholar-Athlete … KDKA Extra Effort Award recipient.

Ian Korb – 174/184 – Elder High School/Cincinnati, Ohio – Video
Ranked No. 19 at 171 pounds by InterMat … Team captain … 109-13 as a varsity wrestler … 38-1 senior year, finishing second at the Ohio State Championships at 171 pounds … Three-time state placewinner, finishing third in 2010 and eighth in 2009 … Three-time sectional champion … Three-time district champion … Two-time champion at Brecksville (2009-10) … Twice named team MVP (2010-11) … Two-time GCL South Wrestler of the Year (2010-11) … Two-time GCL Champion (2010-11) … Three-time Cincinnati Inquirer First-Team All-City (2009-11) … All-American at Fargo Nationals in 2010, finishing eighth at 189 pounds … Second place at FILA Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals (2010) … Fifth place at FILA Cadet Freestyle Nationals (2010) … Sixth Place at FILA Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals (2009) … 2009 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals runner-up … 2008 NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion … Two-time All-Ohio Academic Team … Also lettered in football … National Honor Society member.

Charlie Lynch – 149 – Archbishop Spaulding High School/Burnie, Md. – Video
Ranked No. 67 overall by InterMat … Ranked No. 10 at 145 pounds … 2011 National Prep champion at 145 pounds, completing an undefeated 60-0 season … Won his National Prep title via a 17-1 technical fall … Named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2011 National Prep Championships … Recorded bonus points in 57 of 60 matches during senior season … Three-year letterwinner and two-time team captain … 2010 and 2011 individual MIAA and MIS champion … 2011 MIAA and MIS team champion with 33-0 record … 2010 Super 32 third place … 2010 NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up … 2009 National Prep Championships sixth place … 2010 and 2011 All-State team … 2011 Honorable Mention Asics All-American … 2011 WrestlingUSA All-American team … Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, and Maryland Gazette Wrestler of the Year (2011) … 2010 AAU Potomac Valley Junior Olympic team member and gold medalist … All-Academic team (2011) …

Mark Pinero – 141 – Archbishop Rummel High School/St. Rose, La. – Video
Four-time letterwinner and two-time captain … Two-time Louisiana state champion … 56-5 in 2010-11 at 140 pounds to win second consecutive state title … 53-2 in 2009-10 at 135 pounds en route to state title … 188-35 over his four-year varsity career … 155-16 over final three seasons … Four-time state tournament placewinner, adding a pair of fourth-place finishes to his two state championships … Finished in eighth place at 140 at the 2010 Beast of the East tournament … Third place at 2011 Clinch Gear Prep Slam at 140 … Second place at Southeatern Prep Slam in 2010 … Three-time Louisiana state champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman … Third place at 2010 USA Wrestling Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman at 135 … Fifth place at 2010 USA Wrestling Junior Nationals in freestyle at 135 … Helped Rummel to first-ever state championship in program history with a 25-0 record in duals in 2011 … Twice captured Most Pins award at Rummel (2010-11) … 2011 Rufus Award winner at Rummel as the Male Athlete of the Year … Two-time All-Metro (2010-11) … 20011 Dave Schultz High School Excellence in Wrestling Award recipient from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame …

Steve Robertson – 149/157 – Montini Catholic High School/Lombard, Ill. – Video
Ranked No. 62 overall by InterMat … Ranked No. 9 at 152 pounds … Four-time state finalist … Two-time state champion … Won back-to-back Illinois state title in 2009 and 2010 … 2010 Walsh Ironman runner-up … 2008 Walsh Ironman eighth place … 2008 Cadet Nationals eighth place.

Kyle Taylor – 125 – Blair Academy/Upper Black Eddy, Pa. – Video
Four-year letterwinner … 2009 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals fifth place … 2009 Junior Freestyle All-American … Pennsylvania National Freestyle and Greco-Roman Team member (2008-10) … Cum Laude Society … Junior and Senior Class Council member … Wrestled at Blair with Penn teammate Harrison Cook.

Lorenzo Thomas – 157/165 – Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School/Pittsburgh, Pa. – Video
Third place at 2011 PIAA AAA state championships … 2010 Beast of the East champion at 152 pounds … 2010 Powerade runner-up … 2010 PIAA AAA state championships runner-up … 2009 Powerade third-place finisher … 2009 PIAA AAA state qualifier.