Wrestling Spotlight: Alex Caruso

As is the case with most wrestlers on the Rutgers team, senior Alex Caruso was born and raised in the Garden State. After a detour to Lehigh University, Caruso returned to New Jersey to finish out his collegiate career as a Scarlet Knight.

Caruso transferred into Rutgers for his final season and is very happy with his decision as RU's top 174-pounder.

"I was at Lehigh during a transitional period when a new staff came in, a lot of recruits came in, there was a lot of excitement out there," said Caruso. "Every match was packed. Now, I come here and all of the sudden it's the same type of atmosphere. We're ranked in the country and there's a lot of excitement here."

Although Caruso is proud to be a Scarlet Knight, it wasn't exactly the future he conjured up as a boy wrestling in the state of New Jersey.

"It's funny because this is the last place I saw myself," Caruso confessed. "I was doing well at Lehigh and then all of the sudden, I hit a bump in the road and went down another path. An opportunity like this popped up and it made sense. It's been great."

One of the reasons there has been such a dramatic change in the program is due to the hire of head coach Scott Goodale who has done a remarkable job of establishing Rutgers on a national level.

Goodale was also one of the reasons Caruso decided to return home.

"One of his best characteristics as a coach is that he keeps it fresh," said Caruso. "He keeps a smile on your face but at the same time, he knows when to kick it into gear and light a fire under you."

Caruso acknowledged a lot of similarities between Rutgers and Lehigh, a program that is perennially ranked in the top 20. He elaborated on one of those similarites that stands out even more in Piscataway.

"There is a lot of camaraderie, it's a very tight-knit team. I, along with a lot of other people, are well on our way to reaching our goals. It's definitely an exciting time and the place to be right now."

Now that Caruso is settled in, he is looking to continue to do his part to lead a 13th ranked Rutgers team to even greater heights this season.

"We're focusing on building off every match, every competition, every week. That's the mindset right now, just keep building and building through the year. I think everyone's really happy with the training and making one big push to the finals."