CHEYENNE – Blaise Ronnau was dead set on signing when Newman University offered him a scholarship to continue his wrestling career.

The Cheyenne East senior was immediately inclined to join the Newman wrestling program after he visited the school.

“I went down there, met the coach, saw the facilities and the school, and that sold it right there … just seeing the campus and how everything worked,” Ronnau said. “So when I got the scholarship offer (in December), I said, ‘I think I want to go there.’”

Ronnau signed his letter of intent to continue his academic and wrestling career Thursday afternoon.

There were a few other schools that showed interest in Ronnau. Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas, Iowa Wesleyan and Nebraska Wesleyan were among them.

His decision to sign with Newman – which is located in Wichita, Kansas – seemed easy for another reason. Ronnau’s grandparents live just 30 miles south of Wichita in Conway Springs, which has a population of close to 1,500 people.

“It was a great atmosphere (when I visited), and I know that it’s somewhere I can fit in,” the 170-pounder said. “I’m familiar with the area, and the people are genuine.

“Just walking around the campus, everyone was friendly and was saying hello to me.”

He also mentioned that he’ll have the opportunity to live with his grandparents, giving him the option to save a little bit of money.

Newman is a NCAA Division II program and a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Ronnau is anxious to compete with the program, and compete for the coach who showed so much interest him and made him feel welcomed as part of the team.

“Being that the coach was really engaging and taking time out of his job to come and meet with me, that really sealed the deal,” Ronnau said. “Knowing that he was as invested in me as I was invested in going and competing at the next level (was key).”

Ronnau finished third at the Class 4A state wrestling championships as a 170-pounder in both his sophomore and junior year for the Thunderbirds.

He’s hoping for a different and better result at this year’s state tournament, a result that gives him some extra momentum he can carry with him on the next step of his journey.

“I’m feeling excited and ready to move on to that next level,” he said. “But I know I need to finish this season on a strong note and carry it into the next season at the collegiate level.”

Robert Munoz is a writer for WyoSports. He can be reached at rmunoz@wyosports.net. Follow him on Twitter @rmunoz307.