NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion wrestling head coach Steve Martin announced the signing of seven student-athletes to National Letters of Intent this week. Overall, the seven future Monarchs span five different states and have collectively captured six state titles and six national All-American honors.
"We are very excited about this year's incoming recruiting class," Martin said. "Each one of these guys has a strong work ethic, and they all have goals to win NCAA titles. They are not only very good wrestlers, but they are good students and citizens as well, which is exactly what we want for our program."
Joining the Monarchs for the 2017-18 season will be: Michael McGee (Bolingbrook, Ill.), Trevon Majette (Chesapeake, Va.), George Walton III (Somerset, N.J.), Noah Bushman (Bent Mountain, Va.), Mason Wohltman (Orlando, Fla.), Cade Hepner (Avon, Ohio) and Killian Cardinale (Bristow, Va.).
COMPLETE ODU WRESTLING FALL RECRUITING CLASS
Killian Cardinale, Bristow, Va. (Brentsville District) - 125
- Ranked No. 17 nationally by The Open Mat and WIN Magazine
- Virginia state champion
- Two-time state finalist
- Super32 placewinner
- Beast of the East and Escape the Rock placewinner
- Junior National All-American at Fargo
Martin on Cardinale: "Killian has placed at all the major national tournaments and is a Virginia state champion. He has a strong motor and competes very hard, which is something you need to be successful at the college level. We are expecting big things from him."
Michael McGee, Bolingbrook, Ill. (Plainfield East) - 125/133
- Ranked No. 13 in the nation by InterMat
- Illinois state champion
- Two-time state finalist
- Illinois Freestyle state champion
- Dvorak champion
- Three-time regional and two-time sectional champion
Martin on McGee: "Michael has wrestled at the national level his whole life. He comes from the very good wrestling state of Illinois. It has been one of our goals to get as many kids from Illinois as possible. If you're making it to the state finals in that state, you are going to do very well in college."
Trevon Majette, Chesapeake, Va. (Oscar Smith) -125/133
- Two-time Virginia state placewinner
- Two-time NHSCA National All-American
- Three-time state qualifier
- Career record of 109-21
Martin on Majette: "Trevon comes from the same high school as Seldon Wright. He is very athletic and has a tremendous upside. He could wrestle anywhere from 125 to 141 depending on how much he grows. He has goals to become a multiple-time All-American and national champion."
Mason Wohltman, Orlando, Fla. (Lake Highland Prep) - 141/149
- Two-time Florida state champion
- 2015 Super32 fifth place finisher
- 2015 NHSCA Sophomore National All-American
Martin on Wohltman: "Mason comes from Lake Highland Prep, the No. 3 high school team in the nation. He has a very strong work ethic and has goals to become a national champion. His high school wrestles very good competition, and he has performed very well. He will be well-prepared for college after going through their grind."
Cade Hepner, Avon, Ohio (St. Edward) - 149/157
- Ohio freestyle and greco state third-place finisher
- Cheesehead Invitational placewinner
- Career record of 72-32
- Helped guide St. Edward to three Ohio state team titles and a No. 2 national ranking
Martin on Hepner: "Cade comes from the powerhouse St. Edward program in Ohio. One of his college coaches wrestled with me at Iowa, so I know him very well. Cade is a very hard worker, so we expect him to do great things for us in college."
George Walton III, Somerset, N.J. (Bound Brook) - 174/184
- 2016 New Jersey fourth-place finisher
- NHSCA Junior National fifth-place finisher
- Seventh place at 2016 Powerade
- County, section and region champion
- Career record of 71-25
Martin on Walton: "George is a very athletic kid and it is always great when you can get talented upper weights. He comes from one of the toughest wrestling states in the country, New Jersey, and placed fourth at the state tournament as well as many other national events. He projects at 174 or 184 for us."
Noah Bushman, Bent Mountain, Va. (Cave Spring) - 184/197
- Ranked No. 12 in the nation by InterMat
- Two-time Virginia state champion and three-time placewinner
- NHSCA All-American
- Three-time district champion and two-time regional champion
- Career record of 124-15 with 82 pins
Martin on Bushman: "Noah is an upperweight that will project at 184 or 197 for us. He is ranked nationally and has proved himself on the national scene his whole life. Big guys are a huge need for any collegiate wrestling program, so we like the fact that he will be joining us."