WRST: Pariano Adds Three to 2012 Recruiting Class

WRST: Pariano Adds Three to 2012 Recruiting Class

May 23, 2012 by FloWrestling Staff
WRST: Pariano Adds Three to 2012 Recruiting Class

Release URL: http://www.nusports.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/052312aab.html 

Pariano Adds Three to 2012 Recruiting Class 

May 23, 2012

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern head coach Drew Pariano announced the addition of three more incoming freshmen to his 2012 recruiting class. Jacob Berkowitz (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale), Robert Coukos (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) and Justin Meyers (LeRoy, Ill./LeRoy) will wrestle for the Wildcats beginning with the 2012-13 season.
 
Pariano's group of incoming freshmen is now up to eight as these three join Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point), Dominick Malone (Granby, Conn./Wyoming Seminary), Garrison White (Concord, N.C./Jay M. Robinson), Ben Sullivan (Eagle River, Alaska/Apple Valley) and Matt Greene (Slingerlands, N.Y./Columbia). 

The three new additions  join an already strong recruiting class that was ranked 10th in the nation by WIN Magazine. Tsirtsis is currently the No. 1 ranked recruit in the country according to InterMat while Malone comes in at No. 32.
 
This group joins a young Northwestern squad that returns nine starters, all six NCAA qualifiers and two All-Americans from last year's team that finished ninth at NCAA's.
 
Complete bios on the three latest editions to the 2012 recruiting class can be found below:
 
Jacob Berkowitz
Scarsdale, N.Y. / Scarsdale
Projected College Weight: 184 lbs.
 
High School: 2012 New York state runner-up ... 2011 New York state qualifier ... two-time New York Section I, Division I champion (171 lbs., 182 lbs.) ... Fourth-place finish at the 2012 Eastern States Classic ... Named to the Journal News First Team in 2011 and 2012 (171 lbs., 182 lbs.) ... 2012 All-State, All-League, All-Section ... 2011 All-League and All-Section ... 2010 All-League ... School record for most career wins (135) and single-season wins (51) ... Four-year letterwinner and two-year captain ... Competed in the New York - New Jersey Charity Challenge All-Star Dual Meet ... Member of Iowa Style Wrestling in 2011-2012 ... Also played football for three seasons.
 
Personal: Born Jacob Daniel Berkowitz ... Son of Clive and Leslie Berkowitz ... Chose Northwestern over Binghamton, Maryland, Franklin & Marshall and New York ... Anticipated major is undecided.
 
Robert Coukos
Framingham, Mass. / Framingham
Projected College Weight: 157/165 lbs.
 
High School: Two-time Massachusetts state finalist (2011, 2012) ... Two-time Bay State Conference First-Team All-Star (2011, 2012) ... Career record of 114-27 ... Compiled 63 career pins ... Team won the sectional championship in 2012 ... Three-time letterwinner and one-time captain ... Also was a conference finalist in the javelin during outdoor track ... Captained both cross country and outdoor track teams ... Member of the Summit Wrestling Club from 2009-2011 ... Three-time USA Bio-Olympiad Semifinalist ... 2012 National Merit Scholar ... Level two finalist in the Massachusetts Association of Math Leaguers in 2011 ... Placed in the top five percent of the American Math Competition in both 2011 and 2012 ... Won class awards in physics, math, English and electronics.
 
Personal: Born Robert William Coukos ... Son of William Coukos and Deborah Himelhoch ... Father, William, wrestled at Harvard ... Both parents have ties to Northwestern (Father graduated from medical school and mother graduated from dental school) ... Brother, John, is a current member of the Northwestern wrestling team ... Chose Northwestern over Worcester Polytechnic Institute ... Plans to enroll in Integrated Science Program at Northwestern.
 
Justin Meyers
LeRoy, Ill. / LeRoy
Projected College Weight: 133/141 lbs.
 
High School: Four-time Illinois state qualifier ... Three-time state runner-up ... Pantagraph All-Area Wrestler of the Year in 2012 ... Three-time honoree of the Pantagraph All-Area Wrestling Team ... Set school's career takedown record with 445 and season takedown record with 148 ... Won his match by major decision to clinch the Dual Team State championship in 2012 ... Four-year letterwinner, three-time team MVP, twice named team captain ... Compiled a 143-15 career record ... Class valedictorian ... Earned high honors all four years ... Illinois State Scholar ... IWCOA All-State Academic Team ... Also played football for two seasons.
 
Personal: Born Justin William Meyers ... Son of Howard and Shannon Meyers ... Chose Northwestern over Princeton, Illinois and Columbia ... Plans to major in economics at Northwestern.

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