3-time state champion wrestler Justin Mejia of Clovis commits to Illinois
Clovis High wrestler Justin Mejia, who this season will attempt to become California’s second four-time state prep champion, committed to the University of Illinois via Twitter on Saturday.
It completes, for now, a shift in gears along his way to a college home after deciding in July to rescind the oral commitment he gave to Iowa in November 2014 ahead of his sophomore season.
“I have finally found a place that fits me,” Mejia tweeted.
I have finally found a place that fits me i would love to announce I will be wrestling for university of Illinois pic.twitter.com/G3iGVyfPjH
— J-izzo (@jmejia106) September 10, 2016
Flo Wrestling had Mejia at No. 18 on its Big Board of recruits and fifth among those who remained uncommitted.
At Illinois, he would team with ex-Lemoore star Isaiah Martinez, who has won the NCAA 157-pound championship in his first two seasons.
The Bee’s two-time Wrestler of the Year, Mejia enters his senior season with the chance to join Bakersfield’s Darrell Vasquez (1999-2002) as the only four-time state high school champions in California history. Mejia won at 106 pounds as a freshman, 113 as a sophomore and 120 as a junior.
Iowa is second to Oklahoma State in all-time NCAA team championships. Illinois has yet to win a national team title, but Martinez’s individual championship was the 24th in the 106-year history of the Fighting Illini program.
This story was originally published September 10, 2016 at 4:11 PM with the headline "3-time state champion wrestler Justin Mejia of Clovis commits to Illinois."