Jerome Ward, a two-time Illinois state champion and Junior National freestyle champion, has signed a letter of intent to join the ISU wrestling team this fall.

Ward is ranked the No. 3 189-pound prep prospect by Amateur Wrestling News. He was 156-13 in four years at St. Rita High School in Chicago, including a 44-1 record as a senior, culminating in a Class AA championship.

ISU coach Cael Sanderson has also received commitments from Kyle Simonson, a 215-pound state champion from Algona, Dallas O’Malley, a 215-pound state champion from Stoughton, Wisc, 125-pounder Dalton Jensen, a two-time state champion from Missouri Valley, and Andrew Sorenson, a 152-pound state champion from Forest City.

Also joining the team next season are Justin Wren, a heavyweight from Bishop Lynch, Texas, and Tyler Clark and Billy Lewis, both of Bettendorf.

Wren was Junior National Champion in 2005. He trained at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University before moving to Ames.