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Gophers add California State Champion Andrew Sparks
4/23/2020 7:58:00 AM | Wrestling
The Gophers Wrestling program is pleased to announce the addition of 2020 California State Champion Andrew Sparks to the 2024 recruiting class.
Sparks underwent a meteoric rise in the wrestling community as he went from a nonplacing competitor to the state champion in 2020 as he knocked off then-No.2 Cael Valencia. Plus, the middleweight prospect also took home the title at "Battle for the Belt" and took bronze at the "Doc B."
Sparks' stock saw a similar rise and he finished his senior season ranked top-15 nationally at 160-pounds.
"I am extremely excited for what lies ahead of me and couldn't be more grateful for the opportunities this sport has brought me," Sparks posted alongside his commitment. "GO GOPHERS!
Sparks, a Huntington Beach native, joins Esperanza's Aaron Nagao at the top of the Gophers incoming recruiting class.
The newest Gopher wrestler's high school was former Oklahoma Sooner wrestler Dane Valdez, a two-time All-American and former resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center.
The 160-pound prospect announced his commitment on Instagram earlier in April.
Sparks underwent a meteoric rise in the wrestling community as he went from a nonplacing competitor to the state champion in 2020 as he knocked off then-No.2 Cael Valencia. Plus, the middleweight prospect also took home the title at "Battle for the Belt" and took bronze at the "Doc B."
Sparks' stock saw a similar rise and he finished his senior season ranked top-15 nationally at 160-pounds.
"I am extremely excited for what lies ahead of me and couldn't be more grateful for the opportunities this sport has brought me," Sparks posted alongside his commitment. "GO GOPHERS!
Sparks, a Huntington Beach native, joins Esperanza's Aaron Nagao at the top of the Gophers incoming recruiting class.
The newest Gopher wrestler's high school was former Oklahoma Sooner wrestler Dane Valdez, a two-time All-American and former resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center.
The 160-pound prospect announced his commitment on Instagram earlier in April.
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