Kent State Wrestling Welcomes 10 New Flashes To The Program
8/13/2026 3:49:00 PM | Wrestling
Kent, Ohio– The Kent State Wrestling program adds 10 new student-athletes to the roster heading into the 2026-2027 season. The list includes four college transfers and six high school recruits in the first full high school recruiting class for Head Coach Josh Moore and his staff.Â
The Golden Flashes look to improve on last season in year one of the Golden Era where they produced the most dual wins in eight years as well as sending two to the NCAA Wrestling Championships in 2026. Here are the new names that will put on a Kent State singlet for the first time this fall.
The 197-pound redshirt junior from Powell, Ohio makes his return to the buckeye state as a transfer from the University of Wisconsin. He represented the Badgers in the 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships as a part of his three years in Madison.
In High School at Olentangy Liberty, Russo was one of the best wrestlers in the entire state as he won three state championships in Ohio. He also comes to Kent State as a Fargo All-American, Ironman Place-winner and a two-time NHSCA Champion.
At 184 pounds, Reed last wrestled collegiately for the 2024-2025 Cleveland State Wrestling team under Coach Moore. In his time in Cleveland, he represented the Vikings twice at the Mid-American Conference Championships. He was also an OHSAA placer at the high school level.
As a college transfer for the Naval Academy, Adams will wrestle at 141 for the Flashes this season. He spent his freshman season wrestling for the Naval Academy Prep Wrestling team, and before that he was a Pennsylvania state finalist from York Area High School.
Tommy Reed
Tommy joins his older brother JR as transfers to the Flashes Wrestling program in 2026 from Glenville State. He enters his third season as a college wrestler, and spent his first collegiate season at Cleveland State under Josh Moore and Fred Garcia. In high school he was an OHSAA state alternate right down the road at Stow-Munroe Falls High School.
The 165-pound freshman joins the Flashes as one of the best high school wrestling recruits from the state of Missouri in the Class of 2026. He was also ranked 6th in the nation his senior year at Hickman High School according to Flo Wrestling.Â
That year he was an unbeaten state champion at 40-0, the only wrestler in Missouri's Class Four to do so. Before the season, he was a USA Wrestling Preseason Showcase National Champion. Fincher hails from the same high school as current Kent State senior Ethan Barr.
"I'm most looking forward to helping to build and grow the sport of wrestling, and help build a competitive team, and build all my teammates up to be the best they can," said Fincher.
At 149 pounds, Peterson comes in as a six-year varsity starter for Maple Grove in Minnesota which included six trips to the state tournament. He placed three times in 2023, 2025 and 2026 where he finished as the runner-up last season.Â
In his senior regular season campaign, he finished a perfect 48-0 and was ranked as high as 34th in the nation by TKDWN Media. He was also a USA Folkstyle National All-American.
"At Kent State I am looking forward the most to continuing building my relationship with our amazing coaching staff and team," Peterson says.
Landis will wrestle at 125 or 133 pounds and comes in as a state finalist a year ago at the OHSAA Tournament from Graham High School. He was also a three-time placer in his time in high school and an Ironman Place-winner.
"I'm excited to train with great coaches and teammates and see how far I can take my wrestling," said Landis about what he is most looking forward to with the Kent State Wrestling program.
The New Freeport, Pennsylvania native will wrestle in the heavyweight division for the Golden Flashes and was a two-time state placer from West Greene High School placing third and fourth while winning the WPIAL Tournament twice.Â
He also placed fourth at the Powerade Wrestling Tournament in Western PA. Whyte excelled on the football field and in the classroom in high school as well as a two-time All-State selection and served as the Valedictorian of his class of 2026.
"I am looking forward to bonding with my team and having new experiences and opportunities. I am also excited to start competing at the next level." – Colin Whyte
Kapusta also hails from the Pittsburgh Metro area and will wrestle at 125 pounds for Kent State. He was a three-time Pennsylvania state qualifier and WPIAL Champion for Hempfield Area while recording over 100 victories in his high school career.
Aiden Milam
The 157-pounder comes from Olentangy Liberty in the Columbus area and placed third at the OHSAA Tournament a year ago. He also placed third at the Grappler Fall Classic last year in Sandusky, Ohio.
"I'm looking forward to the growth and progress that I can make with Kent, says Milam."
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