Top Junior Big Man Pommerenke commits early to CMU
5/21 - The first recruiting news from Michigan's Class of 2011 came in
last night and it was big news in many ways.
Rogers City heavyweight Devin Pommerenke, who is a 2x state
champ and the #4 ranked recruit of the junior class, informed
Michigan Grappler that he has verbally commited to wrestle for coach
Tom Borelli and the MAC champion Central Michigan Chippewas
following his senior season next year.
"I feel that Central is already damn good and I think I can bring
something to the table to hopefully help push them over the edge to
make them great" said Pommerenke in a phone interview. "I dont
mean that in a cocky or errogant way, but I think they are going to
give me the best possible workout situation and I can perform for
them and have a great team and coaching staff around me that will
make things better for me and better for Central."
Pommerenke is one of the first Class of 2011 recruits around the
country to announce his college plans and he says this is something
that he has been planning for a while.
"I knew in my head that I wanted to commit early and get everything
out of the way so I can enjoy my senior year and my last summer
before having to go to college and work out all summer," he said. "I dont have to worry about it now and I want to help Central build a team around me so hopefully if I commit early it will help get others to committ to CMU."
Pommerenke is a 2x Division 4 State champion and has not lost a prep match since his freshman season. In addition, he pinned his way through the FloNationals in Ohio earlier this spring and he won the Northeast Freestyle Regional in Brockport, NY earlier this month, knocking off two nationally ranked heavyweights along the way.
Having a big-name heavyweight in the Chippewa wrestling room will be nothing new. CMU currently features All-American big man Jarod Trice, who was a blue-chip recruit out of Highland Park a few years ago and before him they boasted another All-American in former Grandville state champ Bubba Gritter, who is now an assistant coach for Borelli in Mt Pleasant.
"One of the biggest things that pushed me over the edge is Bubba Gritter signing a two-year contract and he will hopefully stick around until I graduate," said Pommerenke.
The way things will work out, Pommerenke should slide nicely into the Chippewa lineup as Trice has two years of eligibility remaining, which will allow Pommerenke to finish up his senior year then take a redshirt year to prepare before stepping in right behind Trice.
"It seems kind of weird how things worked out," said Pommerenke. "Whenever people argue or talk about the best heavyweights to come out of Michigan obviously Gritter's name comes up and Jarod's (Trice) names comes up and hopefully my name will come up too. I think it ironic that some of the great Michigan big men seem to funnell to Mt Pleasant and I think it be cool to follow them."
Pommerenke has been one of the most talked about
wrestlers in his class since arriving on the scene as a
larger than average freshman two years ago, and his
legend has only grown. He was 6th in the state as a
freshman, then proceeded to emerge as the best big
man in the state and arguably the country over the past
two years.
"I think it started in 8th grade when I started traveling with
Xtreme and Nxt Level and meeting guys like (Joe)
Rendina, (Jordan) Thomas, (Taylor) Massa, and (Alec)
Mooradian. I started getting my name out there and
picking up on stuff by observing and I started to know
that I am not that far away from being great I just need to
work hard to get there and I have done that ever since."
Hailing from the small town of Rogers City in the depths
of Northern Michigan, one would not expect to find a
Division 1 wrestling prospect roaming the halls of a local high school. However, Pommerenke is not your average small school kid, not in terms of his size, his ability, or his drive.
"This area is tough to find great workout partners, but I am blessed with a great high school coaching staff that has a leg up on technique and does anything we can to get better. Now that I have committed I want to see my Rogers City program and teammates find success so I am going to get in there and set an example for other guys like my brother Caleb and my brother Evan Lamb who is not really my brother but like it and show them that they have the potential to be where I am right now. "
"I might be from a D4 small town, but I am going to a D1 school to send a message that people from small places can do big things."
While his college plans are out of the way, there will be no rest for the weary this summer as Pommerenke plans on wrestling coast-to-coast. He will be at the East Coast Duals in Virginia Beach, the Americas Cup Duals in California, the Junior Duals in Oklahoma, and the prestigous Junior Nationals in Fargo, ND.
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Pommerenke vs #7 ranked Lance Moore of NY in the Northeast Regional Finals.... Grappler Video Page...
