Good news, Quakers fans: the next Matt Valenti may be just around the corner.
Zack Kemmerer has built a name for himself in his own right and will likely continue to do so. However, it is difficult not to compare him with Valenti, Penn's winningest wrestler of all-time and a two-time national champion at 133 pounds.
And for good reason. Kemmerer, who was announced with the rest of the program's incoming freshmen in late June, will arrive at Penn this fall as the most heralded recruit thus far in coach Zeke Jones' two-year tenure with the Red and Blue. The East Greenville, Pa., native was counted among the top 141-pounders in the nation for all of his junior and senior seasons at Upper Perkiomen High and, according to Jones, was considered by most recruiting services as a top-5 recruit, regardless of weightclass.
And while Jones cites the inexact nature of the recruiting process and cautions against letting expectations run rampant, tidings of Kemmerer's arrival come just in time, on the heels of the graduation of Penn's best wrestler in over 50 years.
"We're really fortunate to have him," Jones said of Kemmerer. "I think he truly epitomizes what we are trying to achieve at Penn, where we are trying to have kids achieve on the wrestling mat and in the classroom. I think he can make an immediate impact on the team and really provide some production on the wrestling mat."
Kemmerer's decision to move an hour down the road and wrestle in West Philadelphia was one that many might have seen coming - namely, Zack Kemmerer himself.
"I've always wanted to go to Penn; I sort of decided that when I was in sixth grade," said the two-time Pennsylvania state champion. "It just seemed like an obvious choice."
Kemmerer mentioned the academic prestige of an institution like Penn, coupled with its solid standing in the top ranks of collegiate wrestling, as factors that led him to choose the Quakers over Ohio State, Penn State and Ivy nemesis Cornell. These reasons were always present for Kemmerer growing up, but another one developed more recently.
When Jones arrived to coach the Quakers in 2005, many saw his involvement in USA Wrestling, both through the Olympic program and the Sunkist Kids development club, as major recruiting draws. If Kemmerer's case is anything to judge by, they were justified in their expectations.
"Initially, it was his experience in the Olympics and those competitions" that drew me to Penn, Kemmerer said. "But it was also his willingness to include me in Sunkist and the national team."
While Kemmerer's name might stand out most in the class of 2011, it is certainly not the only name. The 141-pounder joins Marty Borowsky (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./125 pounds), Jacob Hunter (Harrisonville, Mo./149, Zachary Klinvex (Allison Park, Pa./165), Bryan Ortenzio (Camp Hill, Pa./133) and Tom Timothy (Brandon, Fla./157) as incoming freshmen.
Also joining the Quakers will be Scott Giffin, a transfer from Michigan with sophomore eligibility, and Gabriel Burak, a member of last year's recruiting class who deferred admission to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Co., rather than sit behind Valenti at 133 pounds.
According to Jones, the potential for an immediate impact does not stop at Kemmerer. Three other newcomers - Ortenzio, Burak and Giffin - will all vie for spots on the starting lineup come late October. Burak, especially, is a wrestler that Jones expects will only have gotten better during his time back home in Colorado.
"Anytime you're training at the Olympic Training Center at that age - he really could make a difference," he said.
If four out of six recruits this year coming out of Pennsylvania looks like a coincidence, it isn't. With four of the nation's top-20 wrestling high schools located within an hour and a half of Philadelphia - including Kemmerer's school, Upper Perkiomen, at No. 4, as well as No. 1 Fuller Academy - Jones need look no farther than Penn's own backyard. And oftentimes, it is as easy a decision for the recruit in question as it is for Jones.
"It's an honor to represent PA going into college," Kemmerer said. "A lot of guys go out of state, but it feels good, it feels better, when you're in your own community, especially because it's so close to home. A lot of my friends, a lot of my family can all come down and get to see me whenever."
If Kemmerer makes as much noise as he is projected to, they'll have plenty to come down for.
