Lincoln-The Nebraska wrestling team signed one additional student-athlete to a National Letter of Intent, Head Coach Mark Manning announced Thursday. C.J. Napier of Columbus, Kan., has signed and will wrestle for the Huskers.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
“When I took my official visit I felt like I fit in really well,” Napier said. “Coach Manning and his whole staff are great people. Everybody was so nice. I was treated real well, and it is an awesome program.”
Napier will join five other Huskers that signed during the early signing period. Napier, along with Kyle Waldo, David Klingsheim, Cody Compton, Michael Klinginsmith and Caleb Kolb, will join the team in the 2009-10 academic year.
C.J. Napier ? Columbus, Kan.
Wrestling for his father, Todd Napier, at Columbus High School, C.J. Napier has claimed the last two Class 4A state titles. He posted a 34-5 record to place third his freshman year at 130 pounds, before notching 37-3 and 37-1 marks his last two seasons at 135 pounds. Napier owns a 108-9 career record heading into his senior campaign.
Napier is also a three-time All-American at the Cadet/Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D. He won the cadet freestyle title in 2006 at 135 pounds, and has finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the junior freestyle division at 135 pounds the last two summers. He is the No. 65 wrestler in the InterMat’s top 100 recruits of 2009.
Napier’s hometown of Columbus is just 25 miles from Pittsburg, Kan., the hometown of current Husker freshman Tyler Koehn. Napier chose Nebraska over Oklahoma State, and is projected to wrestle at 133 pounds for the Huskers.
Manning on Napier: “C.J. is really a smart wrestler. He is very dedicated and wants to be the best. He has the right mentality. We are just extremely happy to have C.J. because he fits into the type of young man we want on our team and the type of competitor to help us win at the highest level.”