Christiansburg wrestlers commit to next level

Left to right: Gabe Lumpp, Jacob Bonds and J.R. Wert, alongside CHS wrestling coach Daryl Weber, all signed letters of intent to wrestle in college Tuesday at Christianburg High School. Photo by Travis Williams/The Burgs

CHRISTIANSBURG — Three more Blue Demon wrestlers signed letters of intent to take their careers on the mat to the next level Tuesday at Christiansburg High School.

J.R. Wert accepted a full scholarship to Rider University in New Jersey, while teammates Gabe Lumpp and Jacob Bonds both committed to be members of Ferrum College’s first varsity wrestling class in nearly 25 years.

Both future Panthers said their familiarity with Ferrum head coach Nate Yetzer played a key role in their decisions.

“He’s just a really cool guy. When we went down to visit he was really personable and friendly,” Lumpp said.

Prior to coming to Ferrum, Yetzer served as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech for six years, and in a previous interview, he pinpointed Christiansburg as one of the wrestling hotbeds in which he planned to heavily recruit.

Along with looking forward to wrestling under Yetzer, the wrestlers also agreed they were excited to take on the challenge of being the first class of the program’s reboot.

“It’s pretty exciting. We can go out there and set the tone for Ferrum,” Bonds said.

While Lumpp and Bonds plan to stay relatively close to home, the three-time state champion Wert said he was really looking forward to the benefits of his new location.

“It’s 50 miles from the beach, 50 miles from New York City, and seven miles from Princeton University, where one of my good friends goes to school,” Wert said.

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