Parents: Tami and Gary Verkleeren
Major: HEALTH POLICY ADMINISTRATION
2019-20 / SOPHOMORE SEASON:
Season: Posted a 17-8 overall record as the full-season starter at 149...Had three majors, a tech fall and a pin...Was to be the #19 seed at the 2020 NCAA Championships before the NCAA cancelled the event.
Army West Point Invite (11/17): Season debut at AWP Invite, going 4-0 to win title, including one pin. Arizona State (11/22): Dropped tough 5-4 decision to senior Josh Maruca in road dual. Wilkes Open (12/22): Went 5-0 with two majors and a tech to win the 149-pound title. Illinois (1/10): Posted 6-2 win over Mousa Jodeh. Northwestern (1/12): Notched 8-2 decision over Eric Yang. Rutgers (1/19): Solid 7-3 victory over Nick Santos in Rec Hall dual win. Iowa (1/31): Lost to #3 Pat Lugo of Iowa 6-1 in road dual. Maryland (2/2): Posted 9-0 major over Ryan Garlitz in Rec Hall. Wisconsin (2/7): Notched an impressive 3-2 win over #15 Cole Martin in Madison. Minnesota (2/9): Lost a hard-fought sudden victory decision, 7-5, to #6 Brayton Lee in Minneapolis.Ohio State (2/15): Took #1 Sammy Sasso to overtime before dropping 3-1 (sv) decision in BJC dual. American (2/23): Last second takedown to post 3-1 win over #8 Kizhan Clarke in Rec Hall.
Big Ten Championship (3/7-8): Earned automatic bid to NCAA tournament after 2-2 run at his first Big Ten tourney. Lost first two matches, then downed #19 Yahya Thomas of Northwestern and #18 Graham Rooks of Indiana to place ninth and earn a trip to NCAAs.
2018-19 / REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON:
Season: Collected a 15-6 overall record...Had four pins, two techs and four majors...Split time as the dual starter at 149, posting a 5-2 dual meet record...Went 3-2 in Big Ten dual action.
Kent State (11/11): Superb collegiate debut, pinning Kody Komara at the 1:20 mark in sold out Rec Hall. Keystone Classic (11/18): Went 4-2, including a pin and two majors, to take fourth. Lehigh (12/2): Notched 5-3 win over Jimmy Hoffman in dual victory. Southern Scuffle (1/1-2): Went 2-2, including a major and a tech. Millersville Open (1/12): Won the Millersville Open, going 4-0 with two pins and a tech fall. Purdue (1/25): Won first Big Ten dual with an 8-3 win over Parker Filius. Indiana (1/27): Beat Fernie Silva 6-4. Ohio State (2/8): Dropped hard-fought 10-8 dec. to #3 Micah Jordan in Columbus, falling victim to a last second and challenged stall call. Michigan State (2/15): Majored Jaden Enriquez 13-3.
2017-18 / REDSHIRT SEASON:
Career: Redshirt season...Posted 9-2 record as an unattached competitor...Notched a major and two tech falls...Won the Bearcat Open, going 5-0 with two techs...Placed seventh at the Southern Scuffle with a 4-2 record.
HIGH SCHOOL / PERSONAL:
Was a four-year starter at Hempfield High School. He won the AAA Champion in 2017 at 145 pounds...Amassed a 140-15 career record, including his senior season at Hempfield, when he went 25-1 overall and capped the year off with the state title...Placed fourth as a sophomore in 2015, going 46-7...Has two brothers, Derek and Trevor, and a sister, Alexa...Father and two uncles (Ron and Jeff) both went to Penn State.
VERKLEEREN MATCH-BY-MATCH
2019-20
Date Wt. Result Opponent Place Record
11/17 149 WBF Nick Lombard, Michigan (6:34) AWP 1-0
11/17 149 W, 6-1 Michael Doetsch, Maryland AWP 2-0
11/17 149 W, 6-2 Reece Heller, Hofstra AWP 3-0
11/17 149 W, 3-2 Luke Gardner, Penn State AWP (1st) 4-0
11/22 149 L, 4-5 Josh Maruca, Arizona State dual 4-1
12/6 149 L, 1-3 (sv) Jimmy Hoffman, Lehigh dual 4-2
12/22 149 W, 16-6 JT Colley, Lehigh (major) Wilkes 5-2
12/22 149 W, 16-1 Chris Naegele, Sacred Heart (TF; 2:43) Wilkes 6-2
12/22 149 W, 6-1 Zach McCann, American Wilkes 7-2
12/22 149 W, 16-4 Tyler Gazaway, Roger Williams Wilkes 8-2
12/22 149 W, md. frf. Jimmy Hoffman, Lehigh Wilkes (1st) 9-2
1/10 149 W, 6-2 Mousa Jodeh, Illinois dual 10-2
1/12 149 W, 8-2 Eric Yang, Northwestern dual 11-2
1/19 149 W, 7-3 Nick Santos, Rutgers dual 12-2
1/24 149 LBF #14 Collin Purinton, Nebraska (5:50) dual 12-3
1/31 149 L, 1-6 #3 Pat Lugo, Iowa dual 12-4
2/2 149 W, 9-0 Ryan Garlitz, Maryland (major) dual 13-4
2/7 149 W, 3-2 #15 Cole Martin, Wisconsin dual 14-4
2/9 149 L, 5-7 (sv) #6 Brayton Lee, Minnesota dual 14-5
2/15 149 L, 1-3 (sv) #1 Sammy Sasso, Ohio State dual 14-6
2/23 149 W, 3-1 #8 Kizhan Clarke, American dual 15-6
3/7 149 L, 3-6 #19 Yahya Thomas, Northwestern B1G 15-7
3/7 149 L, 2-5 #16 Collin Purinton, Nebraska B1G 15-8
3/8 149 W, 4-2 #19 Yahya Thomas, Northwestern B1G 16-8
3/8 149 W, 6-4 #18 Graham Rooks, Indiana B1G (9th) 17-8
2018-19
Date Wt. Result Opponent Place Record
11/11 149 WBF Kody Komara, Kent State (1:20) dual 1-0
11/18 149 WBF Jerrod Hunziker, VMI (1:56) KC 2-0
11/18 149 W, 12-4 Vince Foggia, Drexel (major) KC 3-0
11/18 149 W, 14-3 Evan Fidelibus, Rider (major) KC 4-0
11/18 149 L, 2-3 #15 Brady Berge, Penn State KC 4-1
11/18 149 W, 7-4 Jonathan Milner, Appalachia St. KC 5-1
11/18 149 L, 2-4 (sv2) Anthony Artalona, Penn KC (4th) 5-2
12/2 149 W, 5-3 Jimmy Hoffman, Lehigh dual 6-2
1/1 149 W, 24-9 Wyatt Sladek, Campbell (TF; 4:40) Scuff 7-2
1/1 149 W, 17-6 Alec Opsal, Air Force (major) Scuff 8-2
1/1 149 L, 2-3 #12 Kaden Gfeller, Oklahoma State Scuff 8-3
1/2 149 LBF Matt Zovistoski, Appalachian St. (6:59) Scuff 8-4
1/12 149 WBF River Curtis, UA-Navy (1:53) M’ville 9-4
1/12 149 WBF Christian Schoenherr, Cornell (3:59) M’ville 10-4
1/12 149 W, 28-10 Paul Crane, UA-Navy (TF; 6:28) M’ville 11-4
1/12 149 W, med.forf Jimmy Hoffman, Lehigh M’ville (1st) 12-4
1/25 149 W, 8-3 Parker Filius, Purdue dual 13-4
1/27 149 W, 6-4 Fernie Silva, Indiana dual 14-4
2/1 149 L, 5-7 Malik Amine, Michigan dual 14-5
2/8 149 L, 8-10 #3 Micah Jordan, Ohio State dual 14-6
2/15 149 W, 13-3 Jaden Enriquez, Michigan State (major) dual 15-6
Jarod Verkleeren Season 2017-18
ClassFreshman
HometownGreensburg, Pa.
Wrestling
Traveling to the Top
Wrestling
Nittany Lions Dominate Wilkes Open
Wrestling