Jim Beichner

BUFFALO, NY - Junior College All-American Hanif Abdush-Shahid (Uniondale, NY/Ithaca/Nassau CC) has committed to wrestle at the University at Buffalo, head coach Jim Beichner announced Thursday.

Abdush-Shahid, who placed third at the NJCAA Championships to help the Lions to their second straight Division III national title in February, will transfer into UB for the spring semester, although the 174-pounder is expected to redshirt for the remainder of this season. He could also wrestle at 184 at Buffalo during his final two years of eligibility.

"He's very athletic," Beichner said. "We expect him this year to help our heavyweights get better. He's got a tremendous work ethic and he loves the sport of wrestling. He's a good fit here."

Last season, Abdush-Shahid placed second to current UB volunteer assistant Ed Pawlak at the New York State Championships, losing in the finals to Pawlak 12-2, after winning his first two matches. It was the only match in the tournament that Pawlak did not win by pin.

After his junior year of high school, Abdush-Shahid placed third in freestyle and fourth in Greco-Roman at the Empire State Games. After his senior year in which he won a Section V crown at 160 pounds, Abdush-Shahid placed third at the Junior Greco-Roman Nationals to earn All-American status.

Abdush-Shahid will join former teammate at Nassau, Greg Thomas (Baldwin, NY/Uniondale/Nassau CC) on the Bulls next year, one of five wrestlers during Beichner's era who came from Nassau. Nick Rausenberger, Mike Trotta and Shawn Kegel, a two-time NCAA qualifer, also transferred from Paul Schmidt's program.

Abdush-Shahid joins Ricky Scott (Middletown, NY/Valley Central) as part of the 2004-05 recruiting class. Scott has won three Section IX titles and won a New York State High School Championship at 171 pounds last year.

UB is next on the mats on Saturday as it travels to Jamestown Community College to face top-20 ranked Edinboro at 1:00 pm.