North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Wrestling Signs High School All-American Jeff Breese
11/27/2001 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 27, 2001
RALEIGH, N.C. - Jeff Breese, a high school All-American and a two-time state champion from McGuffey High School in Claysville, Pa., has signed a national letter of intent to wrestle collegiately at NC State. Breese, who wrestled at 112 pounds last season, will compete as a 125-pounder for the Wolfpack, beginning in the fall of 2002.
Breese enters his senior year at McGuffey looking to become a three-time state champion in a state where winning the state championship once is considered a remarkable accomplishment. As a freshman 103-pounder in 1999, he had a perfect season, posting a 40-0 record and breezing to the Pennsylvania state championship.
He missed his sophomore season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament while playing soccer in the fall of 1999, but recovered in time to wrestle at 112 pounds as a junior last year, going 35-2 and winning the Pennsylvania state title for the second time in three years. Following the season, he was named a third-team Asics Tiger High School All-American.
"Jeff Breese is an outstanding wrestler and an outstanding young man," NC State wrestling coach Bob Guzzo said. "He's a two-time state champion in Pennsylvania and will be favored to win the state title a third time this spring, which is almost unheard of. He's also a 4.0 student and president of the student council. He's just a terrific kid and exactly the kind of person we want for our program."
A year ago, Guzzo signed a stellar group of recruits that wound up ranked as one of the top five recruiting classes in the country. This season, the Wolfpack signed only Breese, but he is one of the top wrestlers in the country. Breese, combined with last year's outstanding recruiting class, should give NC State a sound foundation for the immediate and long-term future.
"We have a very young team this year, but a very talented team," Guzzo said. "Obviously we think the future is very bright, and adding a Jeff Breese only bolsters the young nucleus we've put together. We're looking to elevate our program and compete for national honors in the very near future. Having wrestlers like Jeff Breese on our team will make that goal much more attainable."
