Buckeyes Score National Coup with Commitment of Stieber

By Kevin Schlosser (The-OZone.net) –
The Buckeye wrestling team has accomplished a lot in the short time that head coach Tom Ryan has called Columbus home. With back-to-back top ten finishes at the NCAA Tournament, the top recruiting class in 2007, and a title contending team returning; the vision he brought to program is becoming a reality. Even though wrestling season ended in March with a second place finish at the NCAA Tournament, Ohio State is still writing headlines.

Nikko Triggas, Reece Humphrey, and Tommy Rowlands each won freestyle national championships buying prescription drugs online without a prescription in March. Humphrey followed by winning his weight class last weekend at the University Team Trials and will represent the United States in Greece this summer. On the biggest stage, Tommy Rowlands has qualified for the finals of the Olympic Trials in June and has the chance to wrestle for the United States at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

The future already looked bright for OSU; but it got a lot brighter when Monroeville HS sophomore Logan Stieber shocked the wrestling world with his early verbal commitment to Ohio State last week. One of the top high school wrestlers in the country, Stieber would have had his choice of colleges.
“You could say I was born to be a Buckeye,” responded Logan Stieber when speaking about his early commitment. “I want to help Ohio State become a national championship team.”

“Everything fit; the right coaches, the right wrestlers, the right attitude,” offered Stieber. “They are all passionate about the sport; wrestling is a lifestyle for them. To have the opportunity to be a part of that is something special.”

As the top ranked wrestler at any weight in the current sophomore class, Stieber’s verbal is the wrestling equivalent of getting Terrell Pryor or Beanie Wells to commit two years early. There are no guarantees in recruiting or wrestling; but other wrestlers are going to have to get a lot better before Stieber gets any worse.

“I have always been a fan of the Buckeyes in every sport. I love watching OSU football,” said Stieber. “There have been some great teams in the last few years.”

“If I can commit early and encourage some others to commit too that would be great,” stated Stieber. “Hopefully all of the talented wrestlers in Ohio want to come to Ohio State.”

Like Thad Matta, Tom Ryan is bringing in some of the best talent in the country. As a lightweight wrestler Logan Stieber casts a shadow on the wrestling mat as far as Greg Oden, Kosta Koufos, and B.J. Mullens do on a basketball court. Looking at the group of recruits that came in with each center, wrestling fans are hoping Stieber helps attract a similar class.

“I think Logan always wanted to be a Buckeye. The way he looked at things they weren’t going to change whether he let them know now or he let them no later. He represents everything you want to see in a student athlete,” said Monroeville coach Scott Bauer. “We knew what we were getting when he was a freshman and so does Ohio State. He is a tremendous wrestler and a great student, that doesn’t happen by accident. He is a leader in the classroom and on the mat. That’s what makes them a good fit.”