Davey Tunon considers Indiana University and Big Ten wrestling “the best of the best.”
“You are not going to get a school for wrestling better than Indiana,” the Clinton-Massie senior said. “The team is awesome, the school is awesome. IU is the best of the best. Big 10 wrestling … that’s as good as it gets.”
Tunon has given a verbal commitment to Indiana and said he expects to sign during next week’s early signing period.
“Like every other verbal (commitment) it’s not set in stone … (but) I plan on signing in this early signing period,“ he said.
A two-time state qualifier, Tunon was third in the Div. III 152-pound weight class at last season’s state tournament. He has a 108-25 career record at Clinton-Massie, including 36-4 last season.
Tunon said he began researching potential college matches on his own.
“I had a few schools send me letters, but no one really major,” he said. “I had to do most of the reaching out.”
So he made contact with programs he was interested in, among them Indiana, Ohio University and Appalachian State. He also got in touch with Maryland and Brown University.
Brown was the first school Tunon visited.
“Brown was an amazing school,” he said. “Their academic standards are off the charts.”
Tunon also visited the University of Mount Union and hopes still visit Appalachian State. Tunon visited Indiana University on Monday.
“Like every other kid who takes a college visit, you have to do your research,” he said. “There are some things you can’t get from research, like how beautiful the campus is.”
During his visit, Tunon said he talked with academic advisors at IU about his major.
“My intended major going in to college was nursing or emergency medicine,” he said. “Not a doctor but a step below that.”
Tunon said the academic advisors indicated a nursing or emergency medicine options may be a little hectic for someone in an extra-curricular activity, and discussed with Tunon a possible sports medicine major instead. So, he’s undecided on his major.
Tunon said he knew some of the Indiana wrestlers and coupled with his visit to Bloomington made IU the right choice. And even though he has the option of signing in April, Tunon said signing in the early period is the right move.
“All the stress and different things that come with signing (early), I want to get all that over with,” he said. “It takes the weight off my shoulders, relieves me.”
