Hempstead, NY – Hofstra Head Wrestling Coach Dennis Papadatos today announced his five recruits for the 2015-16 season. The recruiting class includes student-athletes from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania with four who are state championship place winners.

"I am excited about this class because we addressed some of the needs the program currently has," Papadatos says. "Those needs include weight classes and, more importantly, the academic prowess and ambition it takes to succeed at this level as a student athlete. I am happy we brought in athletes from the three states that have brought Hofstra Wrestling success in the past." 

Papadatos, who will be entering his second year as the Pride's head wrestling coach in 2015-16, recruited athletes who fit the moniker of student-athlete. "I made a big push for finding student-athletes who had a strong academic background and I believe we found that in this fine group of wrestlers," Papadatos commented. "I personally like hard-working, driven, no-quit athletes, and in many situations all five of these kids showed that to us in some way." 
 
After accepting the job of rebuilding the Hofstra Wrestling program last August, Papadatos looks to his first recruiting class to be the cornerstone of that process. "I expect these student-athletes to come in and help lead the Hofstra Wrestling resurgence along with a group of veterans who have bought in on the new culture. To say I am excited to start working with these guys is an understatement."

Here is the 2015 Hofstra Wrestling recruiting class.

Connor Burkert
Freshman, 5-8, 133/141
Cranford, NJ/St. Peter's Prep H.S.

Wrestled for four years at St. Peter's Preparatory High School in Jersey City, NJ…Three-time New Jersey State Championship place-winner including finishing second in 2015 and fourth in 2014…Posted a 35-8 record as a senior…Four-time District 16 champion…Also captured a regional championship…Placed sixth at the 2014-15 Beast of the East tournament…Recorded a career high school record of 130-30…Member of four Hudson County and District 16 championship teams at St. Peter's Prep as well as the Region 4 Team of the Year…Personal: Born June 20, 1996…Has one brother and one sister…His twin brother Ryan is also coming to Hofstra in 2015-16…Enjoys golfing in his free time...Undecided major.
 
Papadatos on Connor Burkert: "Connor Burkert has placed in NJ states multiple times as well as both being in the coveted State Finals match.  He brings the intensity and hardnosed attitude we want to be known for at Hofstra Wrestling.  He comes from a family first background and a very solid high school program.  We expect him to be able to contribute immediately."
 
Ryan Burkert
Freshman, 5-8, 141/149
Cranford, NJ/St. Peter's Prep H.S.

Wrestled for four years at St. Peter's Preparatory High School in Jersey City, NJ…Two-time New Jersey State Championship place-winner including second in 2014…Posted a 35-5 record as a senior and was ranked number one at 145 lbs. after a state tournament team match…Captured three District 16 championships and three Region 4 championships…Member of four Hudson County and District 16 championship teams as well as the Region 4 Team of the Year…Personal: Born June 20, 1996…Has one brother and one sister…His twin brother Connor is also coming to Hofstra…Enjoys golfing in his free time...Undecided major.

Papadatos on Ryan Burkert: "Ryan Burkert also has placed in NJ states multiple times as well as both being in the coveted State Finals match, just like his brother. Ryan leads and is known for intensity and hard-nosed attitude which is what I hope to make a theme at Hofstra Wrestling. Ryan is very close with his brother and has a supportive family and a very solid high school program.  We expect him to also contribute immediately."
 
Alec Guevara
Freshman, 6-0, 165
Modena, NY/Wallkill Senior H.S.

Wrestled for four year and played football for three years at Wallkill Senior High School in Wallkill, New York…Tallied a 107-55 record in high school…Posted a 38-7 record and captured the Clarkstown championship…New York State Championship qualifier as a senior…Was 29-8 and placed fourth in Section IX and was Mid-Hudson and Clarkstown South champion as a junior…Posted a 29-14 record, placed third in Section IX in 2012-13…Member of the Most Improved Team in Section IX in 2013 and 2014…Two-time NYPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team member and two-time All-MHAL Academic Team member…Personal: Born August 11, 1997…Has two sisters…Enjoys lifting weights, being with family and friends and going to church in his free time…Lists Chris Weidman as one of his favorite athletes…Aspires to be a civil engineer…Engineering science major.
 
Papadatos on Alec Guevara:  "Alec is a local upstate New York student-athlete with those same academic qualities we were looking for. He is at a weight class we need competitors at, and I believe he hasn't scratched the surface of his potential yet. He has had great high school coaching, and I believe he will develop as he is around the rest of our team.

Omar Haddad
Freshman, 6-2, 197/285
Orefield, PA/Parkland H.S.

Wrestled for four years and played football for three years at Parkland High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania…Three-time Pennsylvania State Championship qualifier including a third-place finish as a senior and a seventh-place finish as a junior…District and regional champion as a senior…Placed second in the district and third in the region as a junior…Was the district and regional runner-up as a sophomore…Member of four district finalist teams in wrestling with Parkland ranked in the top six in the state all four years…Played on three district and regional football championship squads at Parkland…Three-time Parkland Honor Roll member…Personal: Born July 13, 1996…Has three brothers and one sister…His brother Ziad was a two-time national champion at Kutztown, brother Tarik played two years of football at East Stroudsburg and brother Nezar is a wrestler at Drexel…Enjoys sports in his free time…Undecided major.

Papadatos on Haddad: "He comes from a great high school program, a family that has had a ton of success on the mat, and he had the academic record I was looking for. He recorded a stellar high school career in Pennsylvania and he really will help anchor down our upper weights. He is expected to be able to contribute immediately." 
 
Jake Kaminsky
Freshman, 6-1, 165
Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan H.S.
 
Wrestled for four years at Manalapan (NJ) High School…Recorded a 35-3 record and placed seventh in the New Jersey State Championships as a senior…Three-time District 21 finalist including twice winning the title…Three-time All-Monmouth County selection…Posted a 36-5 record in 2013-14 as a junior and a 27-10 slate as a sophomore…Personal: Born July 4, 1997…Has two sisters…Enjoys reading, running and working out in his free time…Aspires to a career in business or law…Coordinated the Table-to-Table Food Donation program in the summers for his family's wholesale produce business…Business major.
 
Papadatos on Kaminsky: "Jake is hungry and believes he has a lot to prove here at Hofstra.  I love his tenacity and will to work hard. His academic resume is superb, and he finished his senior season as a New Jersey State Championship place winner, which is an accomplishment in itself. I am excited to help in his development here at Hofstra."