Sports


Top-Ranked Wrestler Commits To UTC

Friday, November 06, 2009 - by B.B. Branton

The top-ranked 160-pound wrestler in the southeast and a Florida state champ, Levi Clemons has verbally committed to attend Tennessee at Chattanooga next fall.

Clemons, a senior at Osceola High School (Kissimmee, Fla.), is fresh from a runner-up finish at the nationally-prestigious Super 32 (Greensboro, N.C.) tournament last month.

Ranked No. 1 in the southeast by the Georgia National Wrestling Alliance (GNWA), Clemons won the Florida 3A state title last season and led Osceola to the state team championship. He was 2-2 at the 2009 UWAW Junior Freestyle Nationals.

Current Moc wrestler Niko Brown also wrestled for Osceola and won a state crown in 2008.

In the Super 32, Clemons finished second to Tristan Warner (Pa.), falling 5-1 in the 171 freestyle competition.

He won five matches in route to the finals, including wins against Ethan Blackstock (Ga.), 11-5, Todd Gaydosh (Ohio, state qualifier), 4-3, and 19-3 against Brandon Phillips (Md.).

Five other wrestlers in the southeast have also verbally committed to the Mocs.

One North Carolina state medalist (third place), Joe DeAngelo (Southern Alamance H.S.) will be at UTC next fall, while Tennessee state medalists are Joe Proctor (Cookeville), Trey Stavrum (Baylor), Cole Hayes (Baylor) and Cullen King (Cordova).

Proctor won a state title in 2009, Stavrum was third 135, and No. 2 ranked Hayes at 130, missed the tournament due to illness after a runner-up finish in 2008. King was fourth at at 119.

The early national signing period is Nov. 11-18.

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net


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