No. 61 Harger to Northwestern

Pierce Harger has informed InterMat that he has given a verbal commitment to Northwestern.

Harger, who is ranked as InterMat's No. 61 senior recruit in the country, is a three-time Ohio state placewinner, finishing third this past season at 145 pounds in Division I.

This past spring, Harger was part of the Ohio's Junior National Dual championship team in Oklahoma. He also competed in the 2009 Western Regionals in Las Vegas, where he was a champion in Greco-Roman and runner-up in freestyle at 152 pounds.

Harger was also a Cadet National double All-American in 2008, finishing runner-up in Greco-Roman.

Prior to high school, Harger was also an accomplished gymnast, reaching a Level 9 and competing at nationals before deciding to focus strictly on his wrestling career.

As a 4.0 student, Harger also looked closely at Stanford, Missouri, Cornell, Princeton, Columbia, North Carolina, Indiana, and Maryland before selecting Northwestern. He anticipates wrestling at 165 pounds for the Wildcats.