Ithaca College Athletics

2003-04: Israel was a wild-card selection to the NCAA Championships after taking third at the ECWC meet. He earned all-state honors with a fourth-place performance at the New York State Championships. Israel opened the season by winning a title at the Ithaca Invitational. He won his third career championship at the RIT Invitational, becoming the first Bomber to win three titles at that event. Israel was also a place-winner at two tournaments where Ithaca was the only Division III school entered (Cortland Open and Cornell Invitational). Israel earned second-team academic all-America honors and earned his second straight NWCA Scholar All-American recognition. He was also named to the Empire 8 Presidents’ List both semesters. For the second year in a row Israel won Ithaca’s Clyde “Whitey” Cole Student-Athlete Award. He led the team in wins (only two Bombers ever won more matches in a season than his 37 victories), dual-match wins, takedowns and points.

2002-03: Israel recorded Ithaca’s best winning percentages in both dual-match (.875) and overall (.846) competition. He won a pair of tournament titles during the season, placing first at the season-opening Ithaca Invitational and at the RIT Invitational. He was the first Bomber sophomore to win a title at the Ithaca Invitational in five years. Israel was named a Scholar All-American by the NWCA and received Ithaca’s Clyde “Whitey” Cole Student-Athlete Award.

2001-02: Israel became the first Ithaca freshman since Chris Matteotti to earn all-American honors, placing eighth at nationals. Israel earned his trip to the NCAA Championships by winning the ECWC title, beating the tournament’s top seed in sudden death in the finals. He won his first career title at the RIT Invitational three weeks after placing second at the Ithaca Invitational in his collegiate debut. He placed fifth at Millersville’s tournament and ranked second on the team in wins, falls, takedowns and team points.

High School: At Liberty High School, Israel was coached by Jody Karam.

Personal: A sports information and communication major, he is the son of Richard and Sherry Israel.