May 23, 2003
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State wrestling coach Thom Ortiz announced Friday the signing of Rick Renzi, Jr. (Tempe, Ariz.) and Cameron Dansie (Orem, Utah) to National Letters of Intent. The duo will join the Sun Devils for the 2003-04 season as ASU looks to defend its 2003 Pac-10 Championship.
"Both of these young men add depth to our roster and are great additions to our team both athletically and academically," Ortiz said. "I look for both to redshirt next season to gain experience on the mats and come out the following year to be a force on the mat for our program."
Renzi, the son of U.S. Congressman Rick Renzi, Sr., is currently the second member of his family to join the program, joining his older brother Ron Renzi on team. The 2003 Arizona state champion at 171, Renzi went 29-1 overall as he helped his teammates at Marcos DeNiza High School win their second 5A team title in a row. Renzi also competed at the NHSCA Senior National Championships in March and came away with a 2-2 record against the top individuals in the nation. Viewed as one of the Top 30 seniors in the nation at 171, Renzi is projected to compete at 174 or 184 for ASU.
"Ricky has great skills and the potential to start for us right away," Ortiz said. "His addition to the team will definitely help us build on our recent success and remain in the Top 5 nationally. His work ethic is representative of his family's passion for wrestling and that will help him as he competes. I see him having the potential to become an All-American and a NCAA champion."
Dansie, a two-time state champion in Utah and three-time placewinner, comes to Tempe from Timpanogos High School in Orem, Utah. Prior to his senior campaign, Dansie competed for Carbon High School where he won state individual titles at 135 pounds. After finishing third last year for THS, Dansie came within one match of placing in the high school nationals, posting a 4-2 record. A competitor in Greco-Roman events at the cadet level, Dansie was the 2001 west region champion and helped Team Utah to seventh place at the 2001 national event. Off the mats, Dansie held a perfect record in the classroom with a 4.0 grade point average that has gained him admittance into the ASU Honors College.
"Not only does he add depth at 133 and 141 for our program, he also adds more strength to our academics," Ortiz said. "This past season, we had the 25th-highest GPA in the nation among wrestling teams and a student-athlete like Cameron will only help us."
Renzi and Dansie join Alex Contreras (Phoenix), Patrick Pitsch (Tacoma, Wash.), Cain Velasquez (Yuma, Ariz.), Jason Hackett (Columbus, Ohio) and Patrick Payne (Poway, Calif.) as ASU's recruits for the 2003-04 season.