The following is a press release courtesy of Iowa State athletics communications.
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State wrestling head coach Kevin Jackson announced the signing of two of the top high school wrestlers in the country today, in Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer and Marcus Harrington. Each signed their National Letter of Intent Wednesday for the 2014-15 wrestling season.
InterMat has Rodriguez-Spencer pegged as the No. 37 overall recruit and the No. 8 138-pounder in the 2014 class. The Cheektowaga, N.Y. native, was the 2013 NHSCA Junior Nationals champion at 138 pounds and earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler Award.
Rodriguez-Spencer trailed 3-2 in the finals to fifth-ranked Alfred Bannister of Maryland when he decided to go airborne, pulling off a flying squirrel to get the takedown and the win. The victory earned him the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award in the Junior Division. His move went viral on the web gaining over 900,000 views on YouTube. You can watch the highlight by clicking here.
“Renaldo is a very talented kid,” Jackson said. “He’s a kid that has won at every single level. I’m very excited about him competing at Hilton Coliseum and showcasing his skills. He’s a competitor at heart and will be a huge asset to our program.”
Rodriguez-Spencer is also a two-time state tournament place winner in New York. As a sophomore he took second-place at 132 pounds and as a junior he took home the state title at 138 pounds. The talented high school senior projects to be a 141-pounder for the Cyclones.
Harrington, a senior at Waterloo West High School, took home the Class 3-A state title last year at 195 pounds. Harrington lost his first match of the season, then rattled off 50-straight wins en route to his state championship. The Waterloo, Iowa native, was a Fargo All-American and FILA Cadet All-American in 2013. He recently took home the 220-pound title at the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals in the Junior Folkstyle Division.
“Marcus is an Iowa product who is full of potential,” Jackson said. “He’s a state champion and I think he wants to follow in Kyven Gadson’s footsteps being from Waterloo. We have a rich and storied tradition of wrestlers who have come from Waterloo to wrestle at Iowa State. He’s going to add to that rich tradition.”
Harrington projects to wrestle at 197 pounds for the Cyclones.
