Geneva senior Brandon Thomas on Monday announced his commitment to continue his education and wrestling career at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio.
Thomas plans to major in sports management with a minor in marketing at Otterbein.
“It’s super exciting to have the chance to compete in college,” Thomas said. “I’ve always wanted to wrestle in college and compete at the next level.”
As a senior, Thomas finished 44-7 and qualified for the district tournament for the third time.
Otterbein began recruiting him last spring.
He made several visits to the campus and developed a strong relationship with head coach Brent Rastetter and many of the college’s current wrestlers.
“Otterbein has a lot of great people there,” Thomas said. “Coach Ratty was a big part of my decision. He is a great coach and I really click with him. It’s a great program and the school has a lot of great academic programs.”
Thomas expects to compete at 197 or 285 pounds in college.
“Depending on how I develop with the lifting program,” he said. “I think it’ll be a great fit for me at those weights.”
After accumulating 90 career wins, Thomas hopes his legacy at Geneva will inspire other wrestlers to put in the work to achieve their own goals.
“My goal for college is to be a multiple-time All-American and to leave a mark on the program and make Geneva proud,” Thomas said. “In high school, I’ll never forget how much I’d enjoy being in the room and being around some of my best friends and I’ll never forget all the memories I made. My advice to underclassmen is to always show up and work your hardest and never be scared to go the extra mile and put in the work and never take those four years for granted. Coach (Chris) Stamper has a great program and will always do what’s best for the team.”
