CLEVELAND, Ohio - Head coach Josh Moore of the Cleveland State University wrestling team announced Friday that 11 student-athletes have formally committed to continue their careers with the Vikings.
Daniel Adams (Louisville High School), Ben Aranda (DeKalb High School), Mason Cover (Bay High School), Dylan Dodson (Licking Valley High School), Rager Els (Massillon High School), Shane Heil (Berea-Midpark High School), Joey Lyons (Wooster High School), Hunter Olson (St. Vincent St. Mary's), Austin Shepard (Norwayne High School), Douglas Terry (Granville High School) and Canyon Wells (Copley High School) have all committed to the program this spring and will join CSU for the 2021-22 academic year.
Adams capped off a successful high school career with a third place showing at the 2021 OHSAA championships, notching his top-three finish at 133 pounds. He was also part of the Louisville high school team that captured the 2021 Division II Dual Meet State Championship. He owns 124 career wins and projects at 125/133 pounds for the Vikings.
Aranda placed fourth at the 2020 Illinois state championships – his most recent state championship performance. This season, he will be competing for a state championship on June 26 through IWCOA. He is currently ranked 10th nationally at 113 pounds by Flo Wrestling, and has had a number of impressive performances on the national stage. Most recently he was the 2021 Northern Plains Regional champion, while he was a two-time place winner at Fargo, including a second-place showing in 2019. He took third in FloNationals and fourth in USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals. Aranda owns over 100 career high school wins and projects at 125 pounds for the Vikings.
Cover went 48-4 on the season and placed eighth at the OHSAA championships at 220 pounds, while he won the NHSCA Senior National Championships at the same weight. He qualified for the 2019 OHSAA tournament after having won his sectional tournament earlier in the postseason. Cover, who was also an Academic All-Ohio honoree, is a three-time Great Lakes Conference champion. Cover owns 153 career high school wins and projects at 285 pounds for the Vikings.
Dodson posted a 24-2 record on the season, capturing the 2021 state title at 160 pounds. He placed fifth in the state as a sophomore and also placed at the top-eight in nationals the same year. He was an All-Ohio selection in football as his team qualified for the state playoffs in each of his four seasons. Dodson owns 150 career high school wins and projects at 165 pounds for the Vikings.
Els finished a successful high school career during the 2020-21 campaign, in which he qualified for the state tournament. He projects at 285 pounds for the Vikings.
Heil posted a near perfect record this season, qualifying for the 2021 state tournament after placing at the 2019 OHSAA Championships. He owns 144 career wins and projects at 141/149 pounds for the Vikings.
Lyons is a two-time state qualifier, competing at 195 pounds last season and 182 pounds during the 2019-20 campaign. He is a recipient of the CSU President's Academic Scholarship Award, and owns 124 career wins and projects at 184 pounds for the Vikings.
Olson will join the Vikings as a transfer from Campbell. During his high school career he was a 2019 OHSAA placewinner at St. Vincent St. Mary's, and projects at 141 pounds for the Vikings.
Shepard was a three-time state tournament qualifier during his high school career, led by a runner-up finish at 145 pounds last season. He also recorded a sixth place finish at 132 pounds during 2019 and qualified at 138 pounds during 2020. He owns 130 career wins and projects at 149 pounds for the Vikings.
Terry is a two-time OHSAA state runner-up, placing second at 152 pounds in 2021 and finishing runner-up at 145 pounds in 2019. He is a two-time sectional and district champion, winning titles at both 145 and 152 pounds. He qualified for the state tournament in 2020, before it was canceled, marking the third straight year that he qualified. Terry posted 163 career high school wins and projects at 157 pounds for the Vikings.
Wells capped off a successful high school career with a fifth place showing at the 2021 OHSAA championships, notching his top-five finish at 126 pounds. He owns 134 career wins and projects at 133 pounds for the Vikings.
