Senior wrestler Richard DeRick, who headlined the 150 lb and 157 lb weight classes this wrestling season, announced his commitment to Kutztown University on Friday morning.
DeRick became the fourth senior wrestler to announce a commitment to further his wrestling career. DeRick joins teammates Aidan Harper, Ethan Composto and Michael Murphy as committed wrestlers.
For next winter, DeRick will be taking his talents to Berks County, P.A., located in the eastern region of the state. This past winter the Bears, who compete at the Division II level, finished with a team record of 7-5. The Bears also finished in 23rd place at the DII wrestling national championships this past month in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
On his reasoning behind why he chose Kutztown, DeRick said, “I chose Kutztown because the campus was nice and I fit in with a lot of kids on the team as well as the coaches.”
Aside from Kutztown, other schools DeRick was in communication with were Rider, Gettysburg and Sacred Heart.
DeRick wrapped up his senior campaign as he maintained a strong record of 12-3 in the 150 lb weight class. Coincidentally, DeRick had the same record at 157. DeRick also took home fifth place in the regional tournament at 157, which placed him one spot shy of qualifying for the state tournament in Atlantic City.
With his dominant senior-year performance, DeRick says, “I think I can definitely add something to [Kutztown] and hope to crack the lineup as early as freshman year.” DeRick is excited to also compete collegiately and be in contention to potentially win a DII national title.
With a positive mindset and the determination to be an impactful wrestler from the jump, it is safe to say that the Kutztown Bears landed themselves a gem.
