JACKSON TWP — With NCAA programs on the decline, wrestling scholarships can be hard to come by.

Just don't tell Seneca Valley wrestlers such a thing. They are bucking those odds rather soundly.

Four Raider senior matmen have accepted Division 1 scholarships already with a fifth weighing his collegiate options.

Alejandro Herrera-Rondon is heading to Oklahoma University. Dylan Chappell and Antonio Amelio will be joining Bucknell while Chanz Shearer has selected Clarion.

Hunter Swedish is deciding between Gannon, Waynesburg, Mercyhurst and Millersville.

“We've got the best senior class in the state, that I know of,” Shearer said.

Current Seneca Valley graduates wrestling in college include Patrick Johnson (Millersville), Nick Funovits and Nick Montalbano (Washington & Jefferson), Drew Vlasnik (Chicago State) and Louis Newell (Pitt).

“I remember years when we never got a kid into college wrestling. Most kids didn't want to continue the sport after high school,” SV coach Kevin Wildrick, in his 10th year, said. “Louis going to Pitt was kind of the start for us.

“Most of these current seniors have been wrestling together since they were 8 years old. They've pushed each other and put themselves in position to make this happen.”

Herrera-Rondon agreed.

“We've developed quite a bond over the years,” he said. “We've been pushing each other in the room every day since we were 9 or 10.

“These last four years, we've just made each other better.”

Three of the five have already reached 100 wins at Seneca Valley. Herrera-Rondon is 136-14 in his career while Chappell is 127-23, Amelio 100-50.

Shearer is 71-24 — winning 37 matches last year — while Swedish is 51-21 and coming off a 31-win season.

Herrera-Rondon also considered Pitt, Ohio State, Rutgers and Virginia Tech before choosing Oklahoma.

“I was leaning toward Pitt, all set to go there,” Herrera-Rondon admitted. “I wrestled club there for a long time and know all the coaches.

“But when I visited Oklahoma, I absolutely loved it. Everything about the place was the right fit.”

USA Wrestling listed Herrera-Rondon as one of the top prospects in the country at 119 pounds last year. He made USA Today's boys wrestling all-star team.

His roommate at Oklahoma will be Oklahoma resident Tate Picklo, the nation's top recruit at 195 pounds.

“I feel like the atmosphere and competitiveness there is conducive to what I want to accomplish,” Herrera-Rondon said. “I know I'm going out there having to prove myself, show what I can do.

“I want to be an Olympic champion, a world champion. The competition I'll get at Oklahoma will make me better, just like the wrestlers here in high school have.”

Oklahoma has produced seven national team championships, but none since 1974. The program has churned out 276 All-Americans, 185 conference champions and 67 national champions.

The Sooners produced five NCAA national qualifiers last year and had nine wrestlers nationally ranked.

“It's a young team, a bunch of freshmen and sophomores, but the talent level there is impressive,” Herrera-Rondon said. “That program is coming back and I want to be part of it.”

Bucknell has sent 19 wrestlers to NCAA Nationals under coach Dan Wirnsberger, now in his 16th year. The Bison were 10-6 in dual matches last year and have 130 wins under Wirnsberger.

“The wrestling program is turning the corner there,” Chappell said. “There's a strong work ethic on that team right now.”

Planning to major in engineering, Chappell also considered West Virginia, Stanford, Lehigh and Pitt before deciding on Bucknell. Amelio, also pursuing an engineering degree, considered Columbia, Brown, Chicago State, Davidson and Lehigh.

Chappell and Amelio do not figure to be roommates in college.

“It's unlikely. The coaches are going to want to mix things up that way,” Amelio said. “I love the competitive nature on that team.“My goal is to do well at nationals, get on the podium. That can happen for me there.”Clarion has had 13 national qualifiers in the past six years. The Golden Eagles were 10-6 in duals — their third straight winning season — and had 17 scholar-athletes last year.Shearer considered Army and Bucknell before opting for Clarion. He plans to major in economics.“I wanted to go to a smaller school and it's close to home,” Shearer said. “I hope to be a four-year starter there. I'm going to pursue freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, too.”While Swedish has yet to make his college choice, he wants to study computer science.“I'm just looking for a good atmosphere and a program that's going to push me to get better every day, like I have here (at Seneca Valley),” Swedish said.“My goal is to be a state placer this season. Our team motto, though, is 'anything is better than nothing.' Whatever we get in this year, we'll be happy.”All of the wrestlers appreciate what it took to attain college scholarships.“I'm proud to be part of this group,” Amelio said.“It's all about work ethic, the battles in the room,” Chappell said. “That's what I learned at Seneca Valley. That's what I'll be taking with me when I leave.”