Two-time All-American Mark DiSalvo has returned to the Central Michigan University wrestling program as an assistant coach.

“He is a CMU guy, and that is something that is very important to me,� said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. “He went through our program and was a two-time All-American, and I think it speaks volumes that he wants to be back here. Mark brings tremendous organizational skills and has an excellent academic background, which our staff and team can benefit from.�

DiSalvo spent the 2006-07 season as the director of operations for the wrestling program at Cornell University. The Big Red placed 12th at the 2007 NCAA Championships and produced four All-Americans.

DiSalvo was a two-time Mid-American Conference champion at 149 pounds and was named the MAC Tournament Outstanding Wrestler as a senior in 2006. He placed eighth at the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Championships to earn All-America honors. DiSalvo won CMU’s Harry Richards Coaches Award, which recognizes team leadership and work ethic, and the team’s Most Outstanding Wrestler Award as a senior.

A two-time member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic team, DiSalvo was the recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and the MAC Commissioners Award for sustained academic excellence.

DiSalvo has also been involved at the club level, serving as executive director of Finger Lakes Wrestling Club and co-founder and director of Advantage Wrestling Club.

DiSalvo graduated from CMU with a bachelor’s degree in sport studies in 2005. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sport administration.

CMU opens the 2007-08 season at the Michigan State Open on Nov. 11. The Chippewas have won nine straight MAC championships and six straight MAC Tournament titles.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:45 PM | Permalink

The 42nd edition of the NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps comes to the Pacific Northwest for the first time in 17 years as Eugene, Ore., will host the annual wrestling spectacle.

This year’s lineup features six top-ranked wrestlers in Division I, one top-ranked wrestler in Division II, eight second-ranked wrestlers from Division I along with four #3’s and one #4. In all, 14 different schools will be represented and will comprise athletes from the Big Ten, Big 12, Colonial, EIWA, EWL, Pac 10 and Division II.

“We’re excited to have the event in an area that’s not only known for its wrestling wealth, but an area that is nationally known for putting out some of the top wrestlers in the nation,� said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer.

There is one pivotal focus of this year’s event – save the wrestling program at the University of Oregon. In June, the school announced it was cutting the sport in favor of adding baseball and women’s competitive cheer, and that 2007-08 would be the final season of Duck Wrestling in Eugene.

“This is an important event, not only for the sport of wrestling, but for the health and well-being of wrestling in the state of Oregon and around the country,� said NWCA President Ron Mirikitani.

“There is great tradition at the University of Oregon. National Champions, Olympic Medalists, Olympic Coaches,� continued Mirikitani. “We’re hoping that a great fan presence will show the administration that Oregon needs wrestling and wrestling needs Oregon.�

The lineup that’s going to be taking to the mat at McArthur Court is solid.

At 125 pounds, returning NCAA champion Paul Donahoe of Nebraska comes in ranked No. 1 in the country after his surprise run to the title last season. He’ll take on Jayson Ness, a sophomore from Minnesota ranked fourth in the nation and a fifth-place finisher at the NCAA Championships last March. It is the first appearance for both wrestlers.

At 133 pounds, two of the Big 12’s top wrestlers will square off with three-time All-American and returning NCAA runner-up Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State will take on Missouri’s two-time All-American Tyler McCormick. Scott is 2-1 lifetime against McCormick and is one of two Cowboys to be represented in the event. Scott’s making his second All-Star appearance, losing last year to Penn’s Matt Valenti.

At 141 pounds, it’s the second Cowboy, two-time All-American Nathan Morgan. Morgan, ranked third, will face second-ranked Charles Griffin of Hofstra. Griffin bested Morgan in the third-place match at the 2007 NCAA Division I Championships last March 6-2 and is the first Hofstra wrestler to compete in the main event of the All-Star Classic since Nick Gallo wrestled in the event in 1977, which conversely, took place in Corvallis.

Morgan’s making his second All-Star appearance. He fell last year to top-ranked Ryan Lang of Northwestern.

Hofstra head coach Tom Shifflet will also represent the Pride.

At 149 pounds, a pair of Big Ten opponents will tangle as top-ranked Dustin Schlatter, a two-time All-American and 2006 NCAA champion, will face off with second-ranked Josh Churella, a two-time All-American and 2007 NCAA runner-up. It will be Schlatter’s second All-Star appearance. Last season, he defeated Oklahoma’s Matt Storniolo in Dallas.

At 157 pounds, Wisconsin’s NCAA runner-up Craig Henning, ranked second at the weight, will wrestle Illinois’ Mike Poeta in another All-Big Ten tussle. It’s been six years since Barry Davis has had a wrestler compete in the event – Donny Pritzlaff in 2001.

Davis joins Shifflet, Iowa Central coach Luke Moffitt and Embry-Riddle coach Ken Ramsey as coaches for the event.

Second-ranked Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan, ranked second, will take on third-ranked Patrick Pitsch of Arizona State at 165 pounds. The match could draw some fans from nearby Washington as the two-time Pac-10 champion hails from Spanaway, Wash., a four-hour drive up I-5.

Two Eastern conferences are represented at 174 pounds, with returning NCAA finalist and top-ranked Keith Gavin of Pittsburgh against second-ranked Matt Stolpinski of the United States Naval Academy. Gavin is Pitt’s first representative since J.J. Fasnacht in 1996, while Stolpinski is the Academy’s first since Mark Conley in 2002.

Making his second All-Star Classic is Minnesota’s Roger Kish. Last season, Kish fell to Northwestern’s Jake Herbert, but the Michigan native will have a familiar foe in his opponent in 2007 – Iowa State’s top-ranked sophomore Jake Varner. Varner defeated Kish in overtime in the semifinals of last year’s NCAA championships at 184 pounds.

A pair of Big Ten wrestlers will again meet at 197 pounds, as second-ranked Phil Davis, a three-time All-American from Penn State, will face third-ranked Mike Tamillow of Northwestern. This will be Davis second appearance in the All-Star Classic, but he failed to make weight at last year’s event. Tamillow was seventh at last year’s NCAA championships.

At heavyweight, Division I’s top-ranked heavyweight Dustin Fox of Northwestern will have a large challenge in front of him, the top-ranked heavyweight in Division II, Nebraska-Kearney’s Tervel Dlagnev.

Dlagnev beat Fox in the finals of last year’s Midlands championships and is making his third All-Star appearance but first in the main event. In 2005 in Stillwater, Dlagnev beat Central Oklahoma’s Josh LeadingFox in the event’s only exhibition, while in 2006, the Texan beat Wartburg’s Blake Gillis in one of five exhibition matches.

Dlagnev’s the first non-Division I wrestler to strap on the wrestling shoes since Emmett Willson of Montana State-Northern (NAIA) in 2004 and the first Division II wrestler to compete since Dan Russell of Portland State in 1990 – the last time Oregon hosted the event.

“We feel the All-Star Classic is one of wrestling’s greatest events because it can give you a potential NCAA final right now,� said Moyer. “We’re hoping the momentum of this event in Eugene, with people like Ron Finely among others, leading the charge to keep this valuable and historic sport in the state of Oregon.�

“Countless teachers and coaches have come through the wrestling room at the University of Oregon and it would be a shame if there was no longer a pipeline to Oregon’s youth and high school wrestlers and coaches to and from Eugene.�

“We hope the All-Star Classic not only puts the 20 best wrestlers in the nation on display, but the need for wrestling at Oregon as well,� said Moyer.

The United States Marine Corps is again partnering with the NWCA for the event and has been a win-win situation for the NWCA and the event itself.

“The United States Marine Corps and the NWCA have built a great partnership over the years,� said Moyer. “They present one of our showcase events – the All-Star Classic – and also are a key player in our leadership awards. We’re pleased to continue our relationship with them on every level.�

The event is slated for a 7 p.m. start, and tickets are available by calling the Duck ticket office at 1-800-WEB-FOOT (or 541.346.4461 locally) during weekday normal business hours.

Prices are $15 for reserved, $10 for Adult General Admission and $5 for Children General Admission (ages 2-18) and UO Students (with a valid UO student ID).

For teams of 15 or more, reserved tickets are available for $10 for each ticket if arranged in advance through the UO Athletic Department Ticket Office.

Other general ticket information is available at the online at www.GoDucks.com website.

November 19, Eugene, OR

125: #1 Paul Donahoe (Nebraska) vs. #4 Jayson Ness (Minnesota)

133: #1 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State) vs. #2 Tyler McCormick (Missouri)

141: #2 Charles Griffin (Hofstra) vs. #3 Nathan Morgan (Oklahoma State)

149: #1 Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) vs. #2 Josh Churella (Michigan)

157: #2 Craig Henning (Wisconsin) vs. #3 Mike Poeta (Illinois)

165: #2 Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) vs. #3 Patrick Pitsch (Arizona State)

174: #1 Keith Gavin (Pittsburgh) vs. #2 Matt Stolpinski (Navy)

184: #1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) vs. #2 Roger Kish (Minnesota)

197: #2 Phil Davis (Penn State) vs. #3 Mike Tamillow (Northwestern)

285: #1 (D2) Tervel Dlagnev (Neb.-Kearney) vs. #1 (D1) Dustin Fox (Northwestern)

EXHIBITIONS (2)

174: Ron Lee (Oregon) vs. Luke Feist (Stanford)

Second Exhibition is yet to be decided.

COACHES

Tom Shifflet (Hofstra), Barry Davis (Wisconsin), Luke Moffitt (Iowa Central), Ken Ramsey (Embry-Riddle)

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:48 PM | Permalink

It’s been a long and winding road for the men of Tom Brands’ heralded 2005 recruiting class, but not one of them has forgotten why they took the trip from Blacksburg to Iowa City after just one year. Despite losing a year of eligibility, Joe Slaton, Jay Borschel, and Brent Metcalf are set and ready to put in work as they prepare for their first season in the Hawkeye starting lineup. All three men prepare to approach the season with the mentality that Tom Brands and the Hawkeye program have carried and instilled in their wrestlers for years.

That mentality is the idea of no frills wrestling and utter dominance that has come to be a trademark of Iowa wrestling. “When you walk out there you have to be the meanest and toughest guy and believe it. That state of mind is turning around the program and nothing is acceptable here but pure dominance,� says Metcalf, currently ranked 6th at 149 pounds by Intermat.

“If you’re not going out to be a national champ then you’re not asking enough out of yourself,� explains Borschel, the projected starter at 174 pounds. The Hawkeyes all seem to have bought in to this message as they expect nothing less than a national title as a team but also individually throughout the lineup. The Iowa program is looking to return to its familiar position atop the podium but onlookers speculate on the performance of the new starters. “We all have something to prove to everybody. People don’t understand what we can do and it is our job to go out there and show them,� Slaton claims confidently.

Nobody in the wrestling room doubts the potential of this team and what it can accomplish as Borschel states, “Everybody in this program has all the talent in the world but the difference now is that all those guys believe they can beat anyone at their weight class.� Excitement builds everyday for the Hawkeyes as a clear change in perspective is seen by everyone within the program.

“For so many guys college wrestling was a hobby but for all of us here it’s a lifestyle,� proclaims Metcalf. Borschel, Metcalf, and Slaton now begin the journey to establishing their own legacy but for the Hawkeye program as a whole the opportunity to rebuild a dynasty is right before them.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:06 PM | Permalink

You've got a couple hours left to register for this one, and if you're subscribed to my blog, you should be just in time!

The registration deadline is fast approaching for the historic first event in the new USA Wrestling Folkstyle Tour of America, the Carolina Classic slated for November 3rd at the Cabarrus Arena in Concord, N.C.

All participants must register online by Monday, October 29 at 10:00 p.m. Central time:
http://www.usafolkstyle.com/registration.html

THE 1st ANNUAL CAROLINA CLASSIC
Age Divisions: Bantam thru High School (A Pee-Wee festival will be held at all Series events)
Tournament Location: Concord, North Carolina (just outside of Charlotte)
Competition Venue: Cabarrus Arena and Events Center
Competition: Saturday, November 3rd
Weigh-in and Registration Site: Holiday Inn University (Headquarters Hotel)
Weigh-in Card Pick-up and Medical Check/Weigh-ins: 6:00-8:00 pm Friday, November 2nd
Event Website: www.usafolkstyle.com

Entry is limited to the first 800 registrants
Pre-registration is mandatory and no exceptions will be made for on site tournament entry.

***IMPORTANT NOTE: Weigh-ins will be held at the Holiday Inn University (Headquarters Hotel). The hotel address is available on the Series website.

A complete schedule of the Carolina Classic can be downloaded at:
http://www.usafolkstyle.com/documents/ncshedule.pdf

Athletes of all ages, from high school and below, are included in the Carolina Classic. This will be a tremendous early season tournament for all talented and motivated wrestlers from around the nation.

The Folkstyle Tour of America is a new youth wrestling series designed to provide wrestlers a chance to compete against the best in the country in America's most popular style of wrestling.

This is a four-event tour series, with the other three events strategically located around the United States. The rest of the Folkstyle Tour of America includes:
- The Salt Lake Slam in Salt Lake City, Utah, December 28-29, 2007
- The Battle on the Mat in Battle Creek, Mich., February 1-2, 2008
- The Texas Takedown in Fort Worth, Texas, March 14-15

All of these events will have spectacular awards. There will be outstanding trophies for the top three placewinners in each weight class, and attractive medals for the athletes who place fourth through sixth in each weight class. In addition, there are awards for the top team in each division as well as the Most Outstanding Wrestler in each division. For more information on the awards, visit:
http://www.usafolkstyle.com/awards.html

All four of the Folkstyle Tour of America events are included in the popular USA Wrestling Ultimate Challenge Series, which leads to the awarding of the Ultimate Dominator awards for the season.

USA Wrestling has combined the successful practices of other folkstyle series and tournaments, the resources of its internal staff, and the efforts of a promoter to develop a series of folkstyle wrestling that will further propel the organization into the forefront of youth wrestling.

What does the Folkstyle Tour of America offer?
- Dedicated website (www.usafolkstyle.com) that includes tournament information, event registration and hotel registration.
- Unique awards for the top six place winners in the Bantam thru High School divisions.
- Special awards and recognition for wrestlers who win multiple Folkstyle Tour of America series tournaments.
- Full-size mats and digital clocks at every tournament.
- Consistent age groups and weight divisions at all series tournaments.
- Certified officials for all age divisions.
- Tournament registration, bracketing, and immediate event results provided by TrackWrestling.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 1:54 AM | Permalink

55 kg/121 lbs.

Danny Felix (Sunkist Kids) vs. Grant Nakamura (Sunkist Kids)
Sam Hazewinkel (Gator WC) vs. Rollie Peterkin (Sunkist Kids)

60 kg/132 lbs.

Saeed Azarbayjani (Canada) vs. Dugarsuren Lkhagvadorj (Mongolia)
Michael Lightner (Sunkist Kids) vs. Alex Tsirtsis (Hawkeye WC)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Joe Johnston (Hawkeye WC) vs. Eric Larkin (Sunkist Kids)
Cary Kolat (Sunkist Kids) vs. Angel Cejudo (Sunkist Kids)

74 kg/163 lbs.

Ben Askren (Sunkist Kids) vs. Travis Paulson (Sunkist Kids)
Tyrone Lewis (Gator WC) vs. Trent Paulson (Sunkist Kids)

84 kg/185 lbs.

Andy Hrovat (New York AC) vs. Jake Herbert (New York AC)
Ben Wissel (River City WC) vs. Chris Pendleton (Gator WC)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Khetag Pliev (Team Impact) vs. Kurt Backes (Sunkist Kids)
Joel Flaggert (Underdog WC) vs. Israel Silva (Sunkist Kids)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Cole Konrad (Minnesota Storm) vs. Les Sigman (Sunkist Kids)
Tervel Dlagnev (Loper WC) vs. Michael Irving (Gator WC)

*

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 10:21 PM | Permalink

Inside a packed Hilton Short Hills Ballroom, the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Sport of Wrestling co-mingled to provide an unforgettable experience at the New Jersey Night of Champions on Saturday, October 20.

The overall theme of this special evening was celebrating the Olympic relationship between America and China.

After a boisterous cocktail party, an authentic Olympic torch from the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games was the focus of a back and forth auction between wrestling supporters David and Kathy Welch and National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Stan Dziedzic. In the end it was Welch, the former Indiana University wrestler, who prevailed in the auction.

Soon after, the heart and soul of the evening began. With seven members of his historic 1972 Munich U.S. Olympic Freestyle Team gathered on the stage as witnesses, Head Coach Bill Farrell was presented with a USA Wrestling Lifetime Achievement Award.

Once the team was seated on the stage, a video highlighting Farrell’s athletic career and his business and personal achievements was shown. Clips from the 1972 Olympic television broadcast appeared with Ken Kraft and Frank Gifford doing the commentary. Concluding the video was Farrell’s appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in which Carson and Farrell discussed the Olympic freestyle wrestling team’s incredible performance in Munich. They displayed hilarious physical comedy as Farrell taught Carson the finer points of the sport.

After accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award from USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender, Farrell took the podium and delivered a stirring and emotional acceptance speech.

First he related his wife Lorraine’s fears about flying in the helicopter provided to bring the Farrell family to NJ from his home in Long Island. Accompanying the Farrell’s were daughter Leigh and son Kyle. Then he recognized his friends and business partners in attendance before focusing on the team he will be forever linked with.

The 1972 Olympic Freestyle team had a remarkable performance. The United States had mot won wrestling gold medals since the 1960 Rome Olympics. Under Farrell’s guidance, Dan Gable, Wayne Wells and Ben Peterson won Gold Medals, John Peterson and the late Rick Sanders won silver medals and the late Chris Taylor won a bronze medal. This team captured the attention of the Olympic family with its success and personality.

Members of this historic team in attendance were Sergio Gonzalez, Dan Gable, Wayne Wells, John Peterson and Wayne Baughman (Greco-Roman), plus coaches Bill Weick and Jim Peckham and official Vince Zuaro.

There were many other special moments during this evening of celebration.,

According to Peter Ueberroth, the U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman and former Los Angeles Olympic Games Organizing Committee Chairman , when China refused to join the 1984 Olympic Games boycott it was a pivotal moment for the LA Games and for the survival of the Olympic movement.

The organizers of the NJ Night of Champions felt a good way to celebrate the Olympic relationship between the USA and China was to bring back 1984 Olympians from the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Representing the Peoples Republic of China at the event was “Jenny� Lang Ping, a member of the 1984 Gold Medal Olympic Volleyball Team.

Representing the 1984 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Teams were athletes Mark Fuller, Bobby Weaver, Randy Lewis, Andy Rein, Steve Fraser, Dan Chandler, Ed Banach and Bruce Baumgartner. Representing the late Dave Schultz was his wife Nancy Schultz. The head coach of the freestyle team, Dan Gable, and the assistant coach of the Greco-Roman team, Floyd Winter, also joined the team. Hall of Fame Official Vince Zuaro, who worked the 1984 Games, was also on hand to join the celebration.

Ambassador Bin Ho, from the Peoples Republic of China’s New York Consulate, received an award commemorating China’s decision to join the 1984 Olympic Games.

Olympisim can help create understanding in the world. A great example of this is the Far Hills Country Day School, a local elementary school that has pioneered the study of Mandarin in its early childhood international language studies. This school was selected as a local benefactor from the event.

The Far Hills Country Day begins the study of Mandarin culture in pre-school and continues through the sixth grade. The school is also celebrating Physical Education during this Olympic year and will apply the funds received from the Night of Champions to support the construction its new Physical Education facility.

Far Hills Country Day School’s Head of School Jayne Geiger addressed the audience and spoke about the origination of the Mandarin program. She explained how special it was for the school to be touched by the Olympic Movement in this way, especially with the Beijing Olympic Games imminent. Several tables at the event were filled with teachers, parents and supporters from the school, and the whole ballroom erupted with applause as Geiger and the Chinese Ambassador unveiled a plaque that will be permanently attached to the new physical education facility commemorating the event.

California HS, New York HS, Florida HS

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:58 PM | Permalink

Joe Betterman took a couple of weeks off after competing at last month’s World Championships.

But then he went right back to work.

With two-time Olympian Jim Gruenwald coming out of retirement, Betterman is fully aware there is one more top opponent he needs to keep an eye on in his Greco-Roman weight class at 60 kg/132 lbs.

Betterman responded to the challenge Saturday, twice using an explosive reverse lift to launch Gruenwald en route to a convincing 7-1, 5-0 finals win at the Sunkist Kids International Open.

Gruenwald is one of Betterman’s coaches at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University.

“It was very weird having to wrestle him at a competition because you keep thinking he is going to coach you and then you have to compete against him,� said Betterman, named Outstanding Wrestler in Greco-Roman. “He’s really pushing me, and I’ve been doing extra training before and after practices. I have to protect my No. 1 spot right now.�

Also winning Greco-Roman titles Saturday at the Rawhide Arena were Sam Hazewinkel of the Gator Wrestling Club at 55 kg/121 lbs., Oscar Wood of the U.S. Army at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Cheney Haight of the New York AC at 74 kg/163 lbs., Aaron Sieracki of the U.S. Army at 84 kg/185 lbs., Adam Wheeler of the Gator WC at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Dremiel Byers of the U.S. Army at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

The U.S. Army won the team title with 24 points with the Sunkist Kids second with 23 and the Gator Wrestling Club third with 21.

Betterman executed a spectacular five-point move on his first reverse lift as he planted Gruenwald on his back. Betterman then followed with a three-point reverse lift in the second period.

“That’s one of my techniques and it is kind of my bread and butter,� Betterman said. “This was a huge win for me.�

Betterman was a late replacement for 2006 World champion Joe Warren on the 2007 U.S. World Team. He lost in the first round at the World Championships and did not place last month in Baku, Azerbaijan.

“I benefited 100 percent from being on the World Team,� Betterman said. “I trained in Colorado Springs for a month before I went to the Worlds. I had great coaching out there at the Olympic Training Center and I learned a lot. Being on the World Team was a huge experience for me, especially since we won the team title. I had great teammates and those guys on the World Team helped me a lot. Getting a taste of that event boosted my confidence so much. It makes me want to get back there and win a medal next time.�

Hazewinkel outlasted Spenser Mango in a lengthy, three-period battle where a number of sequences in the match were reviewed. Hazewinkel won the final period 4-1 to prevail.

Wood finally put a halt to the surprise run by Minnesota high school senior Jake Deitchler. Wood downed Deitchler 6-0, 4-2 in the finals. Deitchler earlier knocked off past U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Brandon McNab en route to the finals.

Byers, a 2002 World champion and 2007 World bronze medalist, steamrolled through the heavyweight class. He overpowered Canadian World Team member Ari Taub 6-0, 7-1 in the finals.

FINAL ROUND RESULTS

55 kg/121 lbs. – Sam Hazewinkel (Gator WC) dec. Spenser Mango (Gator WC) 0-4, 5-0, 4-1

60 kg/132 lbs. – Joe Betterman (USOEC/New York AC) dec. Jim Gruenwald (Sunkist Kids) 7-1, 5-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Oscar Wood (U.S. Army) dec. Jake Deitchler (Minnesota Storm) 6-0, 4-2

74 kg/163 lbs. – Cheney Haight (New York AC) dec. Jake Fisher (New York AC) 1-1, 1-1, 3-1

84 kg/185 lbs. – Aaron Sieracki (U.S. Army) dec. Chas Betts (Minnesota Storm) 1-1, 1-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Adam Wheeler (Gator WC) dec. R.C. Johnson (Sunkist Kids) 1-1, 1-1

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers (U.S. Army) dec. Ari Taub (Canada) 6-0, 7-1

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:20 AM | Permalink

Here we go again.

Well the trip to Belarus was great. I wrestled alright for the first tournament of the season, but I came up short in the finals against a wrestler from Russia. I just want to say that I am getting sick and tired of placing 2nd this year. I was second in Belarus, the Pan Am Games, the World Team Trials, and Ukraine. Second place is not all that bad because it means I am doing some things right I guess, but I need to start winning everything. Right now I am on the verge of figuring out how to win in the finals, once I do that I am going to be hard to beat.

Overall Minsk Belarus was a beautiful city! When I say beautiful I mean the women. After the tournament was over I went to TGI Fridays with some of the guys and as we were just sitting there a beautiful blond girl sat down with us and in her broken English she said that she wanted to take us out dancing at the local Disco Tech. Well being a single guy and more importantly a great dancer I talked some of the guys to come with me and check out the city. The next part of this story gets a little crazy. So there I am at a dance club in Belarus
and I had beautiful girls coming up and talking to me telling me that they watched me on television earlier that day and to prove it they all lifted up my shirt sleeve to look at my tattoo in person. Well just to some up the night every girl was or is a model and they watch wrestling on tv. I am really thinking about moving over there just for fun.

Well next up for me is Sunkist this weekend and right now I am down here early visiting my brother. If anybody goes to this tournament my brother looks just like me but he is 5 inches taller and 50 lbs heavier so dont start any rumors about me moving up to heavyweight.

Silent H

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Five athletes earned new #1 rankings on the USA Judo Senior Elite National Roster following their medal wins over the weekend at the U.S. Open Championships in Duluth, Ga.

U.S. athletes competing at the Open were fighting not only for gold, but also for valuable points toward berths at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Judo, June 13-14 in Las Vegas.

Although athletes will not be announced for the Trials until April 13, the U.S. Open was a large enough point tournament that players who reached the podium could virtually guarantee themselves trips to the Trials.

Also at stake was jockeying for the #1 position on the roster. While seeding at events is always important, whomever is the top seed in each division at the Trials will have a significant advantage over his or her opponents as if the #1 athlete wins the Trials, he or she is nominated to the Team. If that athlete loses a match, he or she then earns the right to a best-of-three fight-off with the winner of the Trials.

Taylor Takata (Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) won a silver medal at the Open which moved him from #2 up to #1 in the 66kg division, overtaking Justin Flores (Glenville, N.Y./USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) who moved down to #2. Flores, the 2006 U.S. Open silver medalist, did not compete at the Open over the weekend, but is expected to be back in action this coming weekend at the Rendez-Vous Canada in Montreal .

Travis Stevens (Glenville, N.Y./USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) and Aaron Cohen (Buffalo Grove, Ill./ NYAC / Cohen’s Judo) were ranked first and second going into the weekend in the 81kg division. Just like at the 2006 U.S. Open, both athletes went undefeated on their respective sides of the draw to advance to the final where Cohen beat Stevens to win his first U.S. Open title, avenging his loss in last year’s final. The win moved Cohen ahead of Stevens who moved down to #2.

Rick Hawn (Wakefield, Mass./USA Judo National Team FORCE) may have been the third highest ranking American in the 90kg division at the Open, but after consistent placings at tournaments throughout the year, his bronze medal was all Hawn needed to advance to the #1 ranking in the division, moving one point ahead of Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y./NYAC/Starrett Judo) who moved down to #2.

Katie Mocco (Glenville, N.Y./NYAC/USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) advanced to the finals in her new 78kg division after being a former National Champion and Pan Am medalist at 70kg. Coming into the event as the third-ranked player in the United States, Mocco’s silver medal win moved her into the #1 ranking in the division. Former #1 Marina Lambert (Chesapeake, Va./ Washington Judo), a 2006 U.S. Open medalist, did not compete this weekend and, consequently, lost her B-Level status and fell to the #4 ranking in the division.

Heidi Moore (Englewood, Colo./Denver Judo) entered the Open as the #2 seed in the +78kg division and advanced to the final where she fought 18-year-old top seed Brittni Bradford (Live Oak, Texas / Universal Judo). Moore won the match giving her the gold and the #1 ranking.

Other athletes making significant moves on the roster include:

* Brian Olson (Boulder, Colo./NYAC/USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) moved up to #3 in the 90kg division after winning gold at the U.S. Open. Olson, who retired after the 2004 Olympic Games, is attempting to qualify for his fourth consecutive Olympic Team, and was competing in his first tournament out of retirement.

* Thirty-four-year-old James “Brewster� Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./San Jose State University Alumni) placed fifth in the +100kg division – a finish high enough to move him into the #6 ranking in the United States. Thompson, a member of the 1975 World Team and six-time Senior Nationals medalist, is a professional entertainer and ventriloquist who is often billed as “the world’s strongest jump roper.�

* Natalie Lafon (Harlingen, Texas/USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen) just moved down from 52kg to 48kg over the summer and placed fifth in her new division, moving her into the #4 ranking.

* Anna Palmer (Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) moved from #4 to #2 in the 52kg division when she won a silver medal – her first at the U.S. Open. Although only ranked #2, Palmer is the highest actively competing athlete in the division just behind Franchesca Durand (Coral Springs, Fla.) who is not presently competing.

* Carrie Chandler (Glenville, N.Y./NYAC/USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) competed in her first point tournament since moving up to 57kg after fighting in the 52kg division at the World Championship in September. A 2004 Olympic Team alternate in the heavier division, Chandler won bronze and instantly moved up to #2 behind Pan Am Champion Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas /USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen).

* Kayla Harrison (Wakefield , Mass./ NYAC/USA Judo National Team FORCE) moved up to #2 in the 63kg division after winning her first U.S. Open title. Harrison, a silver medalist in the 70kg division last year, is ranked behind Ronda Rousey (Wakefield , Mass./ NYAC/ USA Judo National Team FORCE); however Rousey is no longer competing in the division, having moved up to 70kg earlier this year.

* Thirty-year-old Christian Aarona (Waimanalo, Hawaii/Makiki Seidokan Judo Club) competed in the 100kg division, winning a bronze medal after a sabbatical of several years and moving into the division’s #2 slot. Aarona was the highest placing American in the division and defeated 2004 U.S. Olympic Team alternate Mark Fletcher (Atlanta, Ga./ Ultimate Challenge Judo) before throwing top-ranked Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla./USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami) for one of the day’s largest ippons.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:34 PM | Permalink

Can the Minnesota Golden Gophers repeat? Will Iowa State make another run at the team title?

Will returning NCAA champions Paul Donahoe of Nebraska, Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro, Mark Perry of Iowa and Josh Glenn of American win it all again?

Can Minnesota’s Dustin Schlatter, a 2006 NCAA champion, return to his gold-medal form this season?

Who will the new Hodge Trophy award winner be?

How will talented newcomers Brent Metcalf of Iowa and Corey Jantzen of Harvard fare this season?

These are among the many storylines that fans will be following when the 2007-08 college wrestling season kicks off in early November. The final answers will come at the NCAA Championships on March 20-22 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

Minnesota starts the season as the consensus No. 1 pick in college wrestling. The Golden Gophers lost two-time NCAA champion heavyweight Cole Konrad, but everybody else is back for Coach J Robinson’s squad.

Dustin Schlatter is back for his junior season at 149. An NCAA champion as a freshman in 2006, Schlatter slipped to third last season as he battled injuries late in the year. Minnesota also returns All-Americans in Jayson Ness (125), Mack Reiter (133), C.P. Schlatter (157) and Roger Kish (184).

Gophers senior Manuel Rivera (141) likely would have been an All-American last season, but suffered an injury late in the season.

“The outlook and the attitude on our team is really good right now,� Minnesota coach J Robinson said. “Our guys are really excited about coming back as the defending national champions and there is a lot of anticipation about this season.�

The Gophers - fresh off a recent trip to the White House where President Bush honored them for winning the 2007 NCAAs - are led by a strong senior class. The Gopher seniors include Reiter, Kish, C.P. Schlatter, Rivera and national qualifier Gabe Dretsch (174).

“We have a great group of seniors who are giving us a lot of leadership and direction,� Robinson said. “This is their last chance to get what they want and there is a sense of urgency for these guys.�

Robinson said he has a “great group� to work with.

“These are veteran guys who know how to focus on the task at hand,� he said. “They really pull for each other and really support each other, and that makes a big difference.�

Minnesota’s top challengers appear to be 2007 NCAA runner-up Iowa State and Big Ten rival Iowa.

Iowa State lost three top wrestlers in NCAA champion Trent Paulson, NCAA runner-up Kurt Backes and All-American Travis Paulson, but second-year Cyclone coach Cael Sanderson has one of the top young teams in the country.

ISU is led by sophomore Jake Varner (184), who placed second to Northwestern’s Jake Herbert last year. Herbert is taking an Olympic redshirt this season, so Varner, Kish and Michigan’s Tyrel Todd are expected to battle it out for the title this year.

Iowa State also returns national qualifiers in sophomores Nick Fanthorpe (133), Nick Gallick (141), Mitch Mueller (149), Cyler Sanderson (157) and David Zabriskie (heavyweight). The Cyclones won the Big 12 title in 2007.

Fanthorpe, Gallick, Mueller and Cyler Sanderson each are expected to bump up one weight class for their sophomore seasons.

“We did lose three outstanding student-athletes in the Paulsons and Backes, but we are returning six incredible and motivated NCAA qualifiers,� Coach Sanderson said. “Our sophomores have made a great deal of progress. They are leaps ahead of where they finished the season last year. We also return three seniors with varsity experience and have some freshmen ready to make an impact. The key for our team this year is to stick to the plan, maintain the great attitude and attack with everything we’ve got.�

ISU also welcomes redshirt freshman Jon Reader, one of the nation’s top recruits coming out of high school, into the lineup at 165.

“We are not concerned with the rankings,� Sanderson said. “We are focused on becoming the best team we can be. I expect the national team race to be really exciting and we plan to be right in the middle of it.�

Hawkeye coach Tom Brands begins his second season in Iowa City with a team picked in the top three in the preseason.

“We’re ranked No. 3 and we plan on being higher than that by the end of the year,� Brands said. “If we’re fired up every day we go in the practice room we’re going to be where we want to be. We need an upgrade in toughness and an upgrade in consistency. We have a lot of work to do.�

Perry, the senior who upset two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State in the 2007 NCAA finals, leads the way for the Hawkeyes.

“That’s what Perry has trained his whole life for,� Brands said of his NCAA title. “Now he has to get hungry again to win another one.�

Metcalf makes his much-anticipated collegiate debut for Iowa this season at 149 pounds. He redshirted at Virginia Tech two years ago before following Brands to Iowa prior to last season. Metcalf was unable to compete last season after Virginia Tech refused to release him from his scholarship.

Metcalf was undefeated in open tournaments last season and also fared well while competing internationally in freestyle at the Senior level. Metcalf jumps into a loaded 149 class that includes Schlatter and NCAA runner-up Josh Churella of Michigan. Junior World freestyle champion Bubba Jenkins of Penn State also drops down to 149 after qualifying for nationals at 157 last season. The Big Ten also has a returning All-American at 149 in Ohio State’s Lance Palmer (fourth).

Metcalf is one of five transfers from Virginia Tech who are now eligible for Iowa. Fellow transfers Joe Slaton (133), Dan LeClere (141) and Jay Borschel (174) also are expected to challenge for starting spots for the Hawkeyes.

“It’s huge having those guys on the mat now,� Brands said. “They’re ready for the next level of their career. They will add depth and I’m excited to see how they perform.�

Iowa also has All-Americans in its lineup in Charlie Falck (125) and Alex Tsirtsis (141) along with national qualifiers in Ryan Morningstar (157), Dan Erekson (197) and Matt Fields (heavyweight). Fields had a strong offseason, winning University Nationals and faring well on an overseas trip to Europe.

“We’re another year into our program and we’re starting to see some good things,� Brands said. “Guys are more comfortable with the coaching staff and they’re buying into what we’re trying to do.�

Oklahoma State is another team that should be firmly in contention this year. The Cowboys return NCAA runner-up Coleman Scott (133) along with All-Americans Nathan Morgan (141) and Brandon Mason (174).

Oklahoma State also has top competitors returning in national qualifiers Tyler Shinn (125), Newly McSpadden (157), Jack Jensen (184) and Jared Rosholt (heavyweight).

Ohio State has four All-Americans back this year with Palmer, J Jaggers (141), Mike Pucillo (184) and J.D. Bergman (heavyweight) returning to the lineup. Bergman, who has placed third and fourth nationally at 197, may bump up to heavyweight for his senior season. The Buckeyes also brought in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class.

“We have great leadership in the four returning All-Americans. They will lead the way,� Ohio State coach Tom Ryan said. “In addition, we have several upperclassmen who will battle at 133, 157 and 174. The key in our dual-meet season will be the consistency of our returning wrestlers and the development of our young guys. Bringing in the No. 1 class in the nation certainly gave us some great talent to develop in key weight classes. Having success at 125, 165 and 197 will be extremely important for our program as well. Our emphasis as always is about consistent hard work and self-improvement.�

Michigan returns a strong quartet of All-Americans with Churella, Todd, Eric Tannenbaum (165) and Steve Luke (174) all back this season.

Donahoe is Nebraska’s only returning All-American, but the Cornhuskers are a preseason Top 10 team with national qualifiers back in Jordan Burroughs (149), Chris Oliver (157), Stephen Dwyer (165), Vince Jones (184), Craig Brester (197) and Jon May (heavyweight). Kenny Jordan (133), a Junior College national champion, also is expected to make a key contribution for Nebraska. Newcomer Brandon Browne (174) is another Husker who is ranked in the preseason top 20.

“We have a lot of guys besides Donahoe who haven’t proven themselves yet,� Nebraska coach Mark Manning said. “We’re real excited about this season, but we’re still in the process of putting it all together. We just have to take each week and continue to get better. The attitude and commitment level of our team is excellent.�

133-pounder Tyler McCormick is Missouri’s only returning All-American, but look for Tigers Max Askren (197) and Raymond Jordan (184) to rebound after disappointing finishes at the 2007 NCAAs. Askren was the No. 1 seed at the NCAA meet, but went 0-2 in Auburn Hills, Mich., to end his freshman season.

Northwestern also could be very strong despite losing Herbert to the Olympic redshirt. The Wildcats return NCAA runner-up Ryan Lang (141) along with All-Americans Mike Tamillow (197) and Dustin Fox (heavyweight). Fox is the top returning finisher at heavyweight after placing third at the 2007 NCAA meet.

Cornell is led by two-time All-American Troy Nickerson (125) and All-American Jordan Leen (157). Leen is expected to move up from 149. National qualifiers Adam Frey (141), Steve Anceravage (165), Joey Hooker (174), Josh Arnone (184) and Zach Hammond (heavyweight) also are back. Anceravage may move up to 174. Newcomers Mike Grey (133) and Mack Lewnes (165) may contribute right away.

Central Michigan and Indiana each return three All-Americans. The Chippewas bring back placewinners in Mike Miller (165), Brandon Sinnott (174) and Bubba Gritter (heavyweight). Past All-American Wynn Michalak (197) also is back. Indiana returns All-Americans Angel Escobedo (125), Andrae Hernandez (133) and Matt Coughlin (165) along with a past All-American in Brandon Becker (157). Coughlin is bumping up two weights after placing seventh at 149 this past season.

Penn State also looks strong with Jenkins back along with All-Americans Phil Davis (197) and Jake Strayer (133). Davis placed second at the 2006 NCAAs before slipping to fifth last season.

Gillespie, who upset Dustin Schlatter in the 149 semifinals last season en route to the title, is expected to bump up to 157 this season.

Glenn, a senior, is the favorite to win a strong 197 class that also includes Davis, Tamillow, Michalak, Askren and Brester.

Jantzen, younger brother of past NCAA champion Jesse Jantzen of Harvard, was ranked No. 1 at his weight class coming out of high school. He won his final 86 matches in high school and was a two-time New York state champion.

Jantzen finished seventh as a prep senior at last season’s Midlands Championships, beating a number of top college wrestlers. He also wrestled freestyle in the 2006 New York AC Holiday International Open. Among the wrestlers he beat in that tournament was past NCAA runner-up Chris Fleeger, who placed fourth at the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC) hosted athletes from China in an exhibition of three Olympic sports Tuesday (Oct. 23). Athletes competed in women’s freestyle wrestling and men’s Greco-Roman wrestling, and boxing.

The Greco-Roman competition saw the Chinese wrestlers take five of the eight matches from the USOEC. Song Jidong at 264.5 pounds defeated Mike Rossetti. The Chinese won the second match of the night at 211.5 when Chen Xiaofei decisioned Peter Gounaridis.

“I was happy that I did a pretty good job. The team performance overall was very good,� said Chen. “These types of competition are great preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games. Our opponents were very strong so by training and competing against them it was a good learning experience.�

USOEC wrestlers Jake Plamann and Jake Curby took the next two matches. Plamann won a decision at 185 over Liu Ming. At 145.5, Curby won by decision over Xu Shuo.

Three of the next four weight classes went to the Chinese. Wang Chao defeated Peter Kowalczuk at 185. Shen Zhixue and Wang Hui picked up wins for the Chinese in the next two matches. Shen at 211.5 won his match over Chas Betts. At 145.5 Wang won over Kerry Regner. The final match of the night saw Jim Gruenwald win a decision over Wang.

The Chinese women took all six freestyle wrestling matches against the USOEC. Liang Yue won the first match of the night at 158.5 pounds over Katie Crouch by fall. Schuyler Brown lost to Ge Zhen at 138.5. The next match was at 130.5 as Wang Lie defeated Shyla Iokia.

Liang Yue downed Lindsey Brooks. Ge won against Iokia at 130. The final match of the freestyle event saw Wang down Amy Borgnini at 121.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:02 PM | Permalink

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Arno Niemand and Dan Gable.

Niemand is the owner and chairman of Body Bar Systems. This organization has been a major supporter of wrestling and a leader in promoting women's wrestling.

Niemand is also a wrestling historian who has done considerable research on the 1947 NCAA championship won by tiny Cornell College. He recently gave presentations at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater as well as a homecoming presentation in Mount Vernon.

Gable was the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa from 1977-1997. During his tenure he established a record of domination that has become legendary in sport. In 21 years as head coach, Gable led his teams to 15 NCAA titles, 21 Big Ten titles, and a 355-21-5 record.

As a wrestler, Gable won two NCAA titles for Iowa State and compiled a 183-1 record throughout high school and college. At the 1972 Olympics he won a gold medal at 149.5 pounds without surrendering a single point.

"On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show.

"On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:53 AM | Permalink

Schlottke.org Internet Marketing is developing of a torrent tracker search that uses the Google search API. The Torrent Search engine is an excellent blend of Google and technology! This tracker will be used in every day activities on TheWrestlingTalk.com such as downloading DVD matches and Podcasts.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:53 AM | Permalink

The battles at each of the 10 weight classes in college wrestling always seem to offer plenty of interest and intrigue.

This year is no exception.

Four of the 10 NCAA champions from 2007 return this season.

The returning champions include Paul Donahoe of Nebraska at 125 pounds, Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro at 149, Mark Perry of Iowa at 165 and Josh Glenn of American at 197. Gillespie reportedly is planning to move up to 157 this season.

2006 national champion Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota also is back for his junior season at 149.

The 2008 NCAA Championships are scheduled for March 20-22 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

Here is TheMat.com’s preseason weight-by-weight breakdown of how the 2007-08 college wrestling season is expected to shape up:

125 POUNDS

Donahoe is the returning champion, but he will need another strong performance to repeat in a weight class that once again is very deep and very talented.

Seven of the eight All-Americans from 2007 are back for this season.

Donahoe’s strongest challenger likely will be Cornell junior Troy Nickerson, whom Donahoe beat in the semifinals last year. Nickerson was an NCAA runner-up as a freshman in 2006 before placing third last year.

The weight class also includes three returning All-Americans from the Big Ten Conference. Indiana’s Angel Escobedo placed fourth at the 2007 NCAAs with Big Ten champion Jayson Ness of Minnesota fifth and Iowa’s Charlie Falck eighth.

Lock Haven senior Obenson Blanc was sixth in the country last season and Stanford’s Tanner Gardner placed seventh.

Look for Oklahoma State’s Tyler Shinn and Illinois’ Gabe Flores to be among the other top wrestlers in this division.

PRESEASON TOP 4 AT 125: Donahoe, Nickerson, Escobedo, Ness.

133 POUNDS

Oklahoma State senior Coleman Scott is the top returning finisher here after placing second to Penn’s Matt Valenti last year.

Scott likely will be pushed by Big 12 rival Tyler McCormick of Missouri, two-time All-American Mack Reiter of Minnesota and Indiana All-American Andrae Hernandez.

McCormick placed sixth at nationals last year while Hernandez was eighth. Reiter missed nearly all of last season with a knee injury, but is back healthy this year and is a legitimate threat to win it.

Penn State’s Jake Strayer, who placed seventh at the 2007 NCAAs, is another wrestler to keep an eye on.

Iowa State's Nick Fanthorpe is expected to move up to 133 after qualifying for nationals at 125 as a freshman. Fanthorpe was 27-11 this past season.

Michigan State’s Franklin Gomez, who bumps up a class from 125, also could be a factor in this division. Freshman Corey Jantzen of Harvard is the top newcomer at 133.

Nebraska sophomore Kenny Jordan was a Junior College national champion this past season. Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois is another top wrestler in this class.

PRESEASON TOP 4 AT 133: Scott, Reiter, McCormick, Hernandez.

141 POUNDS

Northwestern’s Ryan Lang won his first 29 matches last year before falling in the NCAA finals to Derek Moore of UC-Davis.

With Moore’s eligibility finished, Lang is the favorite to move up to the No. 1 spot this season.

Hofstra’s Charles Griffin placed third in this division last year with Oklahoma State’s Nathan Morgan fourth, Rider’s Don Fisch fifth, West Virginia’s Brandon Rader sixth and Ohio State’s J Jaggers seventh. All those guys are back.

Minnesota’s Manuel Rivera, who finished 38-4 last year, is back healthy again after suffering a late-season injury in 2007. Rivera was a contender to win it last year before being injured.

Iowa’s Alex Tsirtsis was an All-American at 141 in 2006. He will face tough competition in his own room at 141 as he battles Virginia Tech transfer Dan LeClere for the No. 1 spot on the Hawkeye team.

Wisconsin sophomore Kyle Ruschell finished one win shy of being an All-American last season.

Iowa State sophomore Nick Gallick, younger brother of past NCAA champion Nate Gallick, is expected to move up to 141. Nick Gallick is hoping to build on a 28-10 freshman season. Gallick went 2-2 in his first NCAA meet at 133.

PRESEASON TOP 4 AT 141: Lang, Morgan, Griffin, Fisch.

149 POUNDS

Dustin Schlatter, who was hurt late in the 2006-07 season, is the frontrunner here with Gillespie moving up to 157. Schlatter placed third at the 2007 NCAAs after winning the title the year before as a freshman.

Michigan senior Josh Churella returns after placing second in the country last year. Ohio State sophomore Lance Palmer was fourth nationally as a freshman last season.

The Big Ten is stacked at this class with talented sophomore Brent Metcalf of Iowa set to make his collegiate debut here. Metcalf fared well in numerous Senior-level freestyle events this past season while waiting to gain his eligibility after transferring from Virginia Tech to Iowa.

Penn State’s Bubba Jenkins, a 2007 Junior World champion in freestyle, also drops down to 149 after qualifying for the NCAAs at 157 as a freshman in 2007.

Harvard’s J.P. O’Connor is back after placing fifth in the nation.

Another wrestler to watch is Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska. Burroughs placed second at University Nationals in 2007.

PRESEASON TOP 4 AT 149: Schlatter, Metcalf, Churella, O'Connor.

157 POUNDS

Gillespie may be the favorite here, even though he is moving up a class. He will have a tough battle on his hands with Wisconsin's Craig Henning back after placing second last season.

The Big Ten is loaded here as well with third-place NCAA finisher Mike Poeta of Illinois and sixth-place finisher C.P. Schlatter of Minnesota back this season. Past All-American Brandon Becker of Indiana, who did not place at the 2007 NCAAs, also returns.

Other returning All-Americans include Pittsburgh’s Matt Kocher (fifth), Stanford’s Josh Zupancic (seventh) and Drexel’s Ryan Hluschak (eighth). Cornell's Jordan Leen, eighth nationally at 149 last season, is expected to move up to 157.

ISU's Cyler Sanderson, one win shy of All-American status as a freshman at 149, likely will bump up to 157 this year.

Among the wrestlers contending for All-American honors here could be Missouri’s Michael Chandler, Iowa’s Ryan Morningstar, Nebraska’s Chris Oliver, Oklahoma’s Will Rowe and Penn’s Matt Dragon.

PRESEASON TOP 4 AT 157: Gillespie, Henning, Poeta, Schlatter.

165 POUNDS

Perry is the clear-cut favorite in this division after he knocked off two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State in the 2007 finals.

Perry’s toughest challenger appears to be Big Ten runner-up and NCAA fourth-place finisher Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan.

Central Michigan’s Mike Miller, eighth in the country last year, is the only other returning All-American at 165.

Indiana’s Matt Coughlin, seventh at 149 last season, is reportedly bumping up two classes to 165 this year.

Arizona State’s Pat Pitsch is another wrestler to watch in this class. Among the other wrestlers who are in the running for All-American honors include Northern Iowa's Moza Fay, Minnesota's Tyler Safratowich, Illinois' Roger Smith-Bergsrud, American's Mike Cannon and Nebraska's Stephen Dwyer. Fay is expected to bump up after going 35-10 at 157 last season.

Top newcomers at 165 include Iowa State freshman Jonathan Reader, a past Junior Nationals champion, and Cornell's Mack Lewnes.

PRESEASON TOP 4 AT 165: Perry, Tannenbaum, Miller, Coughlin.

174 POUNDS

This weight class has a different look with the departure of two-time NCAA champion and two-time Hodge Trophy winner Ben Askren of Missouri.

Pittsburgh’s Keith Gavin, second to Askren at the 2007 NCAAs, is now the man to beat at 174.

Navy’s Matt Stolpinski returns after placing fourth at nationals last year.

Other returning All-Americans include Oklahoma State’s Brandon Mason (fifth), Michigan’s Steve Luke (sixth) and Central Michigan’s Brandon Sinnott (seventh).

Minnesota senior Gabe Dretsch and Cornell's Steve Anceravage, a national qualifier at 165 last season, also are wrestlers to watch at 174. Nebraska’s Brandon Browne is a newcomer to keep an eye on in this division.

PRESEASON TOP 4 AT 174: Gavin, Stolpinski, Mason, Luke.

184 POUNDS

Northwestern’s Jake Herbert won the 2007 NCAA title as a junior, but won’t be back to defend his title in 2008.

Herbert is taking an Olympic redshirt to concentrate on freestyle wrestling. Herbert plans to return to Northwestern for the 2008-09 season.

Look for 2007 NCAA runner-up Jake Varner of Iowa State and 2006 NCAA runner-up Roger Kish of Minnesota to battle it out for the national title in 2008. Varner beat Kish in the 2007 NCAA semifinals.

Michigan’s Tyrel Todd also should be in the hunt after placing fifth last year. Todd placed fifth in freestyle at the 2007 U.S. Nationals.

Ohio State’s Mike Pucillo is back after finishing sixth nationally. Harvard’s Louis Caputo returns after placing seventh in the country. Caputo wrestled on the U.S. Junior World Team in freestyle.

Missouri’s Raymond Jordan also should be in contention here along with Nebraska’s Vince Jones, who is back on the mat after being an NCAA qualifier in 2006.

PRESEASON TOP 4 AT 184: Varner, Kish, Todd, Pucillo.

197 POUNDS

Glenn is the returning champion and favorite in this class, but 197 once again is one of the deepest divisions in the country.

2006 NCAA runner-up Phil Davis of Penn State may be the leading candidate to knock Glenn off this season. Davis placed fifth at the NCAAs last season.

Past All-Americans Mike Tamillow of Northwestern and Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan also have designs on winning a title in their senior seasons.

Big 12 champion Max Askren of Missouri and Big 12 runner-up Craig Brester of Nebraska, a pair of talented sophomores, also figure to be contenders at 197. Askren was the No. 1 seed at the 2007 NCAAs before going 0-2. Brester was seeded seventh and finished one win shy of being an All-American. Brester’s losses at the NCAA meet came to Glenn and fourth-place finisher J.D. Bergman of Ohio State.

Another wrestler from the Big 12, Oklahoma’s Joel Flaggert, is a past All-American. Another wrestler to watch is Wisconsin’s Dallas Herbst, who was 31-8 last season.

Tennessee-Chattanooga’s Matt Koz, who missed All-American honors by one victory at heavyweight last March, is expected to drop down to 197 this season.

PRESEASON TOP 4 AT 197: Glenn, Askren, Davis, Brester.

HEAVYWEIGHT

This may be the weakest, and most wide-open, weight class in the country this year.

Northwestern’s Dustin Fox appears to be the favorite. He’s the highest returning NCAA finisher after taking third last year.

Other returning All-Americans include Central Michigan’s Bubba Gritter (fifth), Cal State Fullerton’s Wade Sauer (sixth) and Bloomsburg’s Mike Spaid (eighth).

Bergman, a two-time All-American at 197, reportedly is moving up to battle the big boys at heavyweight this year.

Iowa is still waiting for senior Matt Fields to become a factor in this division. Fields was 28-12 last year and seeded seventh at the NCAAs, but fell short of placing. Fields had a strong offseason, winning University Nationals in freestyle and faring well on a trip to Europe.

Iowa State has an exciting young heavyweight in David Zabriskie, who went 27-8 last year. Zabriskie is a bit undersized in this class, but he makes up for it with a strong gas tank. He missed being an All-American by one win last season.

Navy’s Ed Prendergast is another top wrestler in this weight class. He was seeded sixth at the 2007 NCAAs before failing to place.

Oklahoma State’s Jared Rosholt and Nebraska’s Jon May, who is coming back from an injury, also should be in the mix for All-American honors.

PRESEASON TOP 4 AT HEAVYWEIGHT: Fox, Gritter, Bergman, Fields.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:26 PM | Permalink

Defending national champion Central Oklahoma and Nebraska-Kearney will enter the 2007-08 NCAA Division II wrestling season as co-No. 1s, according to the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches’ Association preseason poll released Tuesday.

The Bronchos captured their seventh Division II title last season by 16 points over the runner-up Antelopes and each team finished with four first-place votes and 155 points in balloting of coaches from around the country to share the No. 1 ranking.

Minnesota State-Mankato was a solid third-place choice with 143 points while Adams State (Colo.) was fourth with 134 and Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) fifth with 122. Rounding out the top 10 is Upper Iowa, Nebraska-Omaha, Western State (Colo.), Wisconsin-Parkside and Chadron State (Neb.).

UCO has four All-Americans back from last year’s team, paced by undefeated national champion Kyle Evans. He enters the season ranked No. 1 at 141 pounds along with teammate Tyler Zukerman at 125.

UNK has seven national placers returning, with defending champion and top-rated Tervel Dlagnev (285) leading the way along with 2006 champion and No. 1-ranked Brett Allgood (133).

Chadron State also has two top-ranked individuals in Brett Hunter (165) and Josh Majerus (197).

The 2008 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships will be hosted by Upper Iowa on March 14-15 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Individual Rankings

125 Pounds
1. Tyler Zukerman, Central Oklahoma
2. Arsenia Barksdale, Adams State (Colo.)
3. Eddie Lopez, Western State (Colo.)
4. Chris Neidermeier, Belmont-Abbey (N.C.)
5. Derrek Bosso, Pittburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
6. Tyler Mumbulo, Upper Iowa
7. Nick Smith, Minnesota State-Mankato
8. Devlon Webb, Chadron State (Neb.)

133 Pounds
1. Brett Allgood, Nebraska-Kearney
2. Shane Perkey, Indianapolis (Ind.)
3. Brandon Reasy, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
4. Marques Bravo, Western State (Colo.)
5. Craig DeGreef, Wisconsin-Parkside
6. Matt Mossor, West Liberty State (W. Va.)
7. Raymond Dunning, Adams State (Colo.)
8. Andrew Young, Newberry (S.C.)

141 Pounds
1. Kyle Evans, Central Oklahoma
2. Steven Fittery, Shippensburg (Pa.)
3. Doug Surra, West Liberty State (W. Va.)
4. Jeff Rutledge, Nebraska-Kearney
5. Joey Deaguero, Adams State (Colo.)
6. Yasiim Bribieseca, Nebraska-Omaha
7. Shane Valko, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
8. Ross Mountour, New Mexico Highlands

149 Pounds
1. Mike Rogers, Carson-Newman (Tenn.)
2. Jason Rhoten, Minnesota State-Mankato
3. Don Cummings, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
4. Camille DuPont, Western State (Colo.)
5. Chris Chambers, Kutztown (Pa.)
6. Tee Adams, Upper Iowa
7. Latra Collick, Newberry (S.C.)
8. Marcus Gordon, Ashland (Ohio)

157 Pounds
1. Tony Guerra, Findlay (Ohio)
2. Jason Leavitt, Central Oklahoma
3. Joe Ellenberger, Nebraska-Kearney
4. Andy Lamancusa, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
5. Travis Eggers, Upper Iowa
6. Danny Grater, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
7. Michael Horton, Indianapolis (Ind.)
8. Michael Gallegos, Adams State (Colo.)

165 Pounds
1. Brett Hunter, Chadron State (Neb.)
2. Andy Pickar, Minnesota State-Mankato
3. Blake Peterson, Truman State (Mo.)
4. Zach Lee, Western State (Colo.)
5. Evan Copeland, Adams State (Colo.)
6. Taylor May, Nebraska-Kearney
7. Ross Taplin, Nebraska-Omaha
8. Mitch Norton, Upper Iowa

174 Pounds
1. Larry Wilbanks, Western State (Colo.)
2. Chris Gibbs, West Liberty State (W. Va.)
3. Andy Sinclair, Northern State (S.D.)
4. Tim Matheson, Minnesota State-Mankato
5. Tommy McCarty, Central Oklahoma
6. Jarrett Hall, Minnesota State-Moorhead
7. Albert Miles, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
8. Brady Hakeman, Upper Iowa

184 Pounds
1. Jared Deaguero, Adams State (Colo.)
2. Austin Boehm, Nebraska-Omaha
3. Mike Corcetti, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
4. Matt Farrell, Nebraska-Kearney
5. Heath Jolley, Central Oklahoma
6. Charlie Pipher, Western State (Colo.)
7. Pino Scavella, Gannon (Pa.)
8. Jeremy Hudson, Central Missouri

197 Pounds
1. Josh Majerus, Chadron State (Neb.)
2. Kelsey Empting, Nebraska-Kearney
3. Jon Treml, Wisconsin-Parkside
4. Tyler Gonzales, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
5. Kelly Anundson, Newberry (S.C)
6. Jacob Marrs, Nebraska-Omaha
7. Josh Ohl, Ashland (Ohio)
8. Todd Naasz, Northern State (S.D.)

285 Pounds
1. Tervel Dlagnev, Nebraska-Kearney
2. Travis Clark, Findlay (Ohio)
3. Brady Wilson, Minnesota State-Mankato
4. Dan Goodson, Upper Iowa
5. Chris Dempsey, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
6. Trey Moss, Limestone (S.C.)
7. Cy Wainwright, Newberry (S.C.)
8. Jesse Laber, Mary (N.D.)

The NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches’ Association Top 20 poll, with points and last year’s national tournament finish:

Rank School Points Last Year’s Finish
T1. Central Oklahoma 155 1st
T1. Nebraska-Kearney 155 2nd
3. Minnesota State-Mankato 143 4th
4. Adams State (Colo.) 134 5th
5. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 122 7th
6. Upper Iowa 119 8th
7. Nebraska-Omaha 112 3rd
8. Western State (Colo.) 109 10th
9. Wisconsin-Parkside 88 20th
10. Chadron State (Neb.) 80 6th
11. Indianapolis (Ind.) 77 11th
12. Ashland (Ohio) 74 19th
13. Newberry (S.C.) 62 25th
14. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 43 15th
15. Minnesota State-Moorhead 38 18th
16. Findlay (Ohio) 37 12th
17. Limestone (S.C.) 33 T28th
18. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 24 14th
19. Northern State (S.D.) 23 T28th
20. Truman State (Mo.) 17 22nd
Others receiving votes: Augustana (S.D.), Carson-Newman (Tenn.), Central Missouri, Gannon (Pa.), Shippensburg (Pa.), West Liberty State (W. Va.).

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Minneapolis Professional Photography will be providing TheWrestlingTalk.com with photographs of Minnesota area wrestling events, as well as the NCAA Wrestling Tournament, The Big Ten conference Tournament, and many Gophers dual meets. Minneapolis Professional Photography provides elite photographers for corporate events, weddings, senior photos, sporting events, and much more.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 8:47 PM | Permalink

Dan Gable does not believe in luck. The two-time NCAA wrestling champion and Olympics gold medal winning wrestler likened luck to having your name drawn out of a barrel with 1,000 other names in it.

Gable, who was in Cleveland on Friday to speak to and inspire wrestlers from across the area, said preparation and a bit of fanaticism is the key to success not only in wrestling but also in life.

“There is no method in being successful and winning by chance. I don’t believe in ‘by chance.’ I don’t believe in luck,� Gable told the crowd. “When I analyze my 35 years of wrestling before and after I use the term luck to mean I was blessed to have a positive environment around me that gave me a lot of opportunities that were very healthy that a lot of people wouldn’t have at every level. That usually means good people around you.�
During Gable’s 35-year career he won the Iowa state wrestling title three times and two NCAA championships. He holds a combined 182-1 prep and college record. Gable did not surrender a single point in the 1972 Olympics and won the gold medal. He is in the top 100 Olympians of all time and named Wrestler of the Century by Gannett Co.
As a coach, Gable led the Iowa Hawkeyes to 15 NCAA titles, 21 Big Ten team titles and won nine consecutive NCAA titles. He has coached 45 national champions, 152 All-Americans and 106 Big Ten champions. The former Olympian was named NCAA Coach of the Year three times and coached 12 Hawkeye Olympians. Gable was named Sports Figure of the Century in Iowa by Sports Illustrated.
The former Olympian credits good coaching and a willingness to buy into what he was being told as a key to his success
“I listened, I believed and I applied what was being told to me. Where I believe luck played a part is, I was being told great things,� he said.
Gable also told the crowd problems are no excuse not to succeed. “You can either use them for good or you can use them for an excuse and go back,� he said. “As you grow up, you need to become your own person. You must be able to stand, conquer and take on whatever is there.�
He also explained self motivation is a major resource that is under utilized by athletes, students and people in all professions.
“A lot of people are searching for motivation. You should not have to go any farther than your family or your profession to be doing what you really want to do,� he said. “If you’re not doing what you really want to do, then you’ve got to figure out how to develop that passion.�
The best team, according to Gable, is the team of independent young men who have minds of their own and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, coach or no coach. Young men who are willing to go on their own to be the best.
Bradley Central athletic director Turner Jackson knows exactly what Gable was talking about.
As a young wrestler at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Jackson faced Gable in his first match at the Southern Open wrestling tournament in 1971.
“I was just lucky enough, out of 40-something wrestlers, to draw him the first match. I was an 18-year old freshman. I was scared to death and just glad I didn’t get hurt,� Jackson laughed. “He was a two-time NCAA champion and already a world champion at that time. He was a legend and I was scared to death. He pinned everybody in the tournament.�
Now, when Jackson looks back on his first match with the former world champion, it brings a smile to his face knowing he survived a match with the best in the world and his own wrestling career made it past one of the toughest hurdles.
“If you start your college career out that way, it’s pretty much all down hill. If you start with Gable, it doesn’t get much tougher than that,� Jackson said. “I wrestled some pretty tough guys, but I can’t say any of them were any tougher than Dan Gable.�
Jackson said he is glad for the experience and glad for the memory. Not every wrestler can say they faced a world champion. But, on the other hand, those who did will never forget.
“Now, when I look back on it, it was pretty neat. At the time I don’t know how neat it was,� Jackson chuckled. “I’ve talked to him once or twice since then. He is a legend. You go to Iowa or anywhere and mention Dan Gable and they know who he is.�

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:33 PM | Permalink

TheWrestlingTalk released three more high school wrestling forums. Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan are now also in Beta testing for the beginning of the season. Pennsylvania will be released soon.

The forums are designed to talk about regional topics, not topics from the national level. These forums are meant to cover News, Rankings, Results, and other regional topics.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:06 AM | Permalink

TheWrestlingTalk.com has released a College, Freestyle, Greco-Roman Amateur Wrestling Video Clips (Films) section. The database currently includes all videos about amateur wrestling on YouTube. There are default members, and a search function.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:04 AM | Permalink

The Arizona State University wrestling team will conduct a coaches and wrestlers clinic inside the Riches Wrestling Complex on the ASU campus Saturday, November 3, Head Coach Thom Ortiz announced Monday. The two-hour session inside the Sun Devils' training center will be followed by wrestle-offs to determine the starting 10 for the 2007-08 ASU season.

The clinic, which will cost $20, will start at 9 a.m. and will feature instruction from Ortiz, a three-time All-American and three-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year and his assistant coaches, Eric Larkin, a four-time All-American and 2004 NCAA Champion, and Brian Stith, a two-time All-American and 2006 NCAA runner-up. All three instructors are former Sun Devil student-athletes.

Following the clinic, participants as well as fans are invited to attend the team's annual wrestle-offs. Free of charge, the wrestle-offs will begin at 11 a.m. More information on the bouts and the designated teams will be available later this week.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 1:38 AM | Permalink

TheWrestlingTalk.com started releasing sub forums within their High School Wrestling section. Currently, there are three test sections that have yet to begin adding content. The current sub categories are: Minnesota High School Wrestling, Ohio High School Wrestling, and Oregon High School Wrestling. The main focus of these sections will be to drive users to each specific location to discuss their particular state, and to the National forum to discuss national news.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:43 AM | Permalink

Damion Hahn when it mattered most was able be mentally calm and come through in the NCAA Finals, but he also remembers when his mind hurt when he was going for his first state title in New Jersey.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:12 AM | Permalink

University of Michigan wrestling head coach Joe McFarland announced Monday (Oct. 8) the addition of Mark Churella Sr. to the coaching staff.

Churella, a three-time NCAA champion and National Wrestling Hall of Fame member, will serve at the Wolverines' volunteer coach during the 2007-08 season.

"Everybody affiliated with Michigan wrestling is excited to have Mark back in the program," said McFarland. "I think Mark will able to help us in certain areas where we have recently been deficient. He understands the technical aspect of wrestling and the mental preparation it requires better than anyone I know. He was one of my coaches during my senior year at Michigan, so I personally know what a benefit he will be to our current guys."

It will be Churella's second stint with the Wolverine wrestling staff after previously serving three seasons as a U-M graduate assistant coach (1985-87). Churella also was head coach at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (1979-84) before the Rebels dropped their wrestling program. While at UNLV, he inaugurated the Las Vegas Collegiate Invitational Tournament (now the Cliff Keen Invitational), which remains one of wrestling's most prestigious regular-season events.

Considered among the greatest wrestlers in Michigan program history, Churella reigns as the Wolverines' lone three-time NCAA champion, capturing the 150-pound crown in back-to-back seasons (1977, '78) before moving up two weight classes to win at 167 pounds as a senior (1979).

Churella is one of five Wolverine wrestlers to earn four All-America citations and was named the most outstanding wrestler at the 1978 national tournament after boasting a technical fall and two pins, including a second-period fall over Iowa's Bruce Kinseth in the final.

A two-time Big Ten Conference champion (1977, '78), Churella was awarded the 1979 Big Ten Medal of Honor, given annually to the graduating student-athlete at each conference school who has demonstrated the highest proficiency in scholarship, athletics and service to the community.

At one time the U-M school record holder in career wins (132), career falls (41) and single-season wins (44), Churella still ranks among the Wolverines' leaders in all three categories. His career winning percentage of .910 (132-13) lists second in Michigan program history, while his streaks of five straight pins -- a feat he accomplished twice in his career -- rank fourth on U-M's list of consecutive falls.

In recognition of his competitive and coaching successes as well as his efforts in promoting wrestling on the local, state and national levels, Churella was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999. He is also a member of the Michigan Athletics Department's Hall of Honor and is a charter member of the state of Michigan Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Originally from Farmington, Mich., Churella earned his bachelor's degree from Michigan in 1979. He is the president and CEO of FDI Group, an insurance services company based in Novi, Mich. His elder sons, Mark and Ryan, both wrestled at Michigan, while his youngest, Josh, is a current member of the Wolverine team.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:47 AM | Permalink

This week’s edition of “On the Mat� will feature Harry Lester and Joe Heskett.

Lester recently won a bronze medal at the 2007 Greco-Roman World Championships. He was also part of the United States’ first-place team finish. It was the first time in the history of the World Championships that the United States won the Greco-Roman team title.

This past summer, Lester won both the freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions at the University Nationals. A four-time state champion from the state of Ohio, Lester was a part of the United States Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan and was the first wrestler from the USOEC to make a U.S. World Team.

Heskett recently participated at the Freestyle World Championships and placed fifth. It was his first World Team appearance. While wrestling for Iowa State, Heskett was four-time All-American and an NCAA champion in 2002. His 143-10 record is one of the finest in Cyclone wrestling history.

Recently, Heskett – a volunteer assistant coach at Ohio State University – was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and ventricular tachycardia and underwent surgery at Ohio State University Medical Center’s Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital to have a cardiac defibrillator implanted. Due to the severity of the condition, Heskett will no longer be able to compete. He will discuss his future in wrestling and how this condition will affect his life.

“On the Mat� is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week’s broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show.

“On the Mat� can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:38 AM | Permalink

Three-time all-American and former Hawkeye wrestler Doug Schwab has been named interim assistant wrestling coach at the University of Iowa. Schwab replaces Assistant Coach Dan Gable, who returned to his role as special assistant to the director of athletics earlier this month.

“We got the best young coach in the country whose role will now expand into off campus recruiting,� said Head Coach Tom Brands. “He has been very valuable to the structure of this program. He kows how to make our student-athletes better people and better wrestlers.�

Schwab served as Iowa’s volunteer assistant coach last season and spent two seasons (2005-06) as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech University under Brands. During his tenure with the Hokies, the team won the 2005 regular season Atlantic Coast Conference title, set a school record for dual meet wins (16) and had a school-record five wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships. Virginia Tech also had five conference champions and two all-Americans, and senior heavyweight Mike Faust was named 2006 ACC Wrestler of the Year.

The Osage, IA, native was a three-time all-American and Big Ten champion for the Hawkeyes, lettering from 1998-2001. He won the 1999 NCAA title at 141 pounds and finished his collegiate career with 130 wins, which ranks 10th-best in school history.

Schwab has remained active in international competition. He won the 2007 U.S. Senior Freestyle World Team Trials title, earned a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and placed fifth at the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Schwab’s other post-college national wrestling accomplishments include winning the 145.5-pound title at the 2003 Sunkist Kids International Open and earning Outstanding Wrestler honors in the freestyle event. In 2005, Schwab won the 145-pound division of Real Pro Wrestling, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors as part of the champion Iowa Stalkers team.

Schwab was born August 3, 1977. He earned a B.S. in communication studies from the University of Iowa in 2001, and is working toward a master’s degree in kinesiology/sport management.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:36 AM | Permalink

One of the most rewarding parts of the 2007 season was having the opportunity to get to know Joe Heskett on a personal level.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to tell his inspirational story when I wrote a feature about Joe for our magazine, USA Wrestler, earlier this year.

Joe was raised in Ohio by his grandmother, Evelyn Nye, and they have developed a very close relationship. She had an excellent influence on a kid who could have easily followed the wrong path with his parents not around to raise him.

But Joe Heskett became a model young man. He excelled in school, he never missed curfew, he didn’t smoke and he didn’t drink. He poured himself into athletics and academics, and became one of the top young wrestlers in the country. He was a three-time Ohio state champion, a four-time NCAA All-American at Iowa State and placed fifth at his first World Championships a couple weeks ago in Baku, Azerbaijan.

That’s why the phone call I received Tuesday afternoon seemed so unfair. It was Joe Heskett on the other end of the line. At first, it seemed like a typical conversation where he was upbeat and friendly as we made small talk. But then he gave me the stunning and jolting news that his wrestling career was over because of a heart condition that almost took his life. How could this happen to someone just 29 years old who was in peak physical condition?

Joe called to talk with me about helping with the release that Danielle Warner of the Ohio State sports information office was putting together. Joe is an assistant coach for the Buckeyes. He was preparing to have surgery later that day, and amazingly, he was trying to make sure the story of what was happening with him would clearly explain what had transpired. It did as Danielle did a great job detailing what happened in her story.

As Joe was talking to me Tuesday about nearly losing his life, he asked me how I was doing and how my trip home from Baku went. He told me he had great respect for my ability as a writer. That’s the kind of person he is. Very selfless. It was unbelievable how well he was handling a very difficult and very scary situation.

I told Joe just to focus on getting better and not worry about anything else. But Joe’s a person who does everything the right way and he laughed as he said he wanted his “wrestling eulogy� done the right way.

As an Iowa native and a wrestling journalist, I followed Joe’s career closely at Iowa State. He became one of the best Cyclones in history by finishing third, second, second and first at the NCAA Championships from 1999-2002. Joe’s great accomplishments often were overshadowed by the best wrestler in NCAA history. Joe competed at ISU during the same four years Cael Sanderson made history by winning four NCAA titles and compiling a 159-0 record. The dynamic duo of Sanderson and Heskett was a joy for fans to watch. Both wrestlers conducted themselves with class.

I also saw Joe continually wrestle well when he started to compete internationally, but he was stuck behind a very good wrestler at 74 kg/163 lbs. in two-time World bronze medalist Joe Williams.

Joe Heskett kept working, and finally this year, he broke through. He won the U.S. Nationals for the first time and followed by winning the U.S. World Team Trials to earn his first trip to the World Championships. It was a memorable and emotional scene this past June in Las Vegas when Joe walked over to hug his family after he filled a big void in his career by making a World Team.

I started to get to know Joe as we worked together on stories after he won U.S. Nationals this year. I marveled at how well he conducted himself, and how smooth, polished and articulate he was with the media. And I remember having to Google some of the big words he used from his vast vocabulary to make sure I had quoted him correctly. The words always fit perfectly in the context he was using them.

Whenever I would run into Joe at practice at the U.S. Olympic Training Center or anywhere else, he was quick to come over, flash a smile, say hello and shake my hand. Being around people like that makes my job enjoyable. Joe is a very bright, intelligent, charismatic, driven young man with an outgoing, infectious personality.

One of my funnier stories from this year’s Pan American Games came after the event when we were sitting around in the airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and waiting to catch our flight. Joe and Tommy Rowlands came up to me and asked me if I had any Brazilian currency – called Real – left on me because they were hungry and they ran out of Brazilian money. I was out of Real as well, and we shared a good laugh about that. They eventually figured out a way to get something to eat. Hungry wrestlers are not much fun to be around.

Joe also was quick to shake his head and give me a hard time about wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes polo shirt on the way home from Rio. I guess you have to expect that from a Cyclone.

Joe introduced me to his wife, Tara, following the Pan American Games when I ran into them at a restaurant near Copacabana Beach. I met Joe’s grandmother when I ran into her and Joe’s wife in the lobby of our hotel at the World Championships. It’s easy to see that family means everything to them and they are a very close-knit group. And they’re very proud of Joe.

I have no doubt that Joe will continue to succeed in life as his competitive wrestling career ends. He has his master’s degree in educational leadership with an emphasis in athletic administration. He was a four-time Academic All-American at Iowa State. That’s something his grandmother is quick to point out - she is more proud of his work in the classroom than what he did on the mat during his Cyclone career.

One of the most impressive moments I’ve ever seen in nearly 20 years as a journalist came at the end of an interview I did with Joe after he placed fifth at the World Championships last month in Azerbaijan.

Joe had the lead late in the third period of his semifinal match against eventual World champion Makhach Murtazaliev of Russia. Joe was 20 seconds away from a spot in the finals before he was unable to hold off Murtazaliev and lost the match.

Joe followed by dropping his bronze-medal match to place fifth, and simply did not look like himself. He looked uncharacteristically sluggish and now it is easy to see why with his medical issues. Joe gave it everything he had, like he always did. Nobody could fault his effort.

What impressed me most about Joe was when we were wrapping up an interview a few minutes after he lost his final match. He was very upfront and candid about his performance, and made no excuses. I told him he was a class act for the way he handled a tough finish to the biggest tournament of his life.

Joe then called to me as I was walking away and said, “I didn’t win a gold medal here, but I have two gold medals waiting for me at home.�

Joe was referring to his two young daughters, Olivia and Ava, who were back in Columbus, Ohio, waiting for their daddy to come home.

With the surgical procedure Joe had done Tuesday, it appears that he will be able to go on and live a normal life and watch his daughters grow up. He’s done wrestling, but he has so much more to live for and so much to offer. And knowing Joe, he will continue to make a big impact in numerous other areas and facets of his life. He wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s a man of great character - a model for how our athletes should carry themselves and represent our country.

It is unfortunate that Joe won’t have a chance to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. He had the inside track on making the U.S. team after the strong season he just put together. But he did fill a big void in his career by making a U.S. World Team. He also qualified the U.S. for the Olympics in freestyle at 74 kilos with his top-five performance at the Worlds. By qualifying the weight class, Joe paved the way for a guy like Casey Cunningham, Ramico Blackmon or Donny Pritzlaff to win an Olympic medal for the U.S. next year at 74 kilos.

Joe didn’t win the gold medal he had worked so hard for. But Joe Heskett definitely is a champion in my book.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:44 AM | Permalink

One of the most rewarding parts of the 2007 season was having the opportunity to get to know Joe Heskett on a personal level.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to tell his inspirational story when I wrote a feature about Joe for our magazine, USA Wrestler, earlier this year.

Joe was raised in Ohio by his grandmother, Evelyn Nye, and they have developed a very close relationship. She had an excellent influence on a kid who could have easily followed the wrong path with his parents not around to raise him.

But Joe Heskett became a model young man. He excelled in school, he never missed curfew, he didn’t smoke and he didn’t drink. He poured himself into athletics and academics, and became one of the top young wrestlers in the country. He was a three-time Ohio state champion, a four-time NCAA All-American at Iowa State and placed fifth at his first World Championships a couple weeks ago in Baku, Azerbaijan.

That’s why the phone call I received Tuesday afternoon seemed so unfair. It was Joe Heskett on the other end of the line. At first, it seemed like a typical conversation where he was upbeat and friendly as we made small talk. But then he gave me the stunning and jolting news that his wrestling career was over because of a heart condition that almost took his life. How could this happen to someone just 29 years old who was in peak physical condition?

Joe called to talk with me about helping with the release that Danielle Warner of the Ohio State sports information office was putting together. Joe is an assistant coach for the Buckeyes. He was preparing to have surgery later that day, and amazingly, he was trying to make sure the story of what was happening with him would clearly explain what had transpired. It did as Danielle did a great job detailing what happened in her story.

As Joe was talking to me Tuesday about nearly losing his life, he asked me how I was doing and how my trip home from Baku went. He told me he had great respect for my ability as a writer. That’s the kind of person he is. Very selfless. It was unbelievable how well he was handling a very difficult and very scary situation.

I told Joe just to focus on getting better and not worry about anything else. But Joe’s a person who does everything the right way and he laughed as he said he wanted his “wrestling eulogy� done the right way.

As an Iowa native and a wrestling journalist, I followed Joe’s career closely at Iowa State. He became one of the best Cyclones in history by finishing third, second, second and first at the NCAA Championships from 1999-2002. Joe’s great accomplishments often were overshadowed by the best wrestler in NCAA history. Joe competed at ISU during the same four years Cael Sanderson made history by winning four NCAA titles and compiling a 159-0 record. The dynamic duo of Sanderson and Heskett was a joy for fans to watch. Both wrestlers conducted themselves with class.

I also saw Joe continually wrestle well when he started to compete internationally, but he was stuck behind a very good wrestler at 74 kg/163 lbs. in two-time World bronze medalist Joe Williams.

Joe Heskett kept working, and finally this year, he broke through. He won the U.S. Nationals for the first time and followed by winning the U.S. World Team Trials to earn his first trip to the World Championships. It was a memorable and emotional scene this past June in Las Vegas when Joe walked over to hug his family after he filled a big void in his career by making a World Team.

I started to get to know Joe as we worked together on stories after he won U.S. Nationals this year. I marveled at how well he conducted himself, and how smooth, polished and articulate he was with the media. And I remember having to Google some of the big words he used from his vast vocabulary to make sure I had quoted him correctly. The words always fit perfectly in the context he was using them.

Whenever I would run into Joe at practice at the U.S. Olympic Training Center or anywhere else, he was quick to come over, flash a smile, say hello and shake my hand. Being around people like that makes my job enjoyable. Joe is a very bright, intelligent, charismatic, driven young man with an outgoing, infectious personality.

One of my funnier stories from this year’s Pan American Games came after the event when we were sitting around in the airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and waiting to catch our flight. Joe and Tommy Rowlands came up to me and asked me if I had any Brazilian currency – called Real – left on me because they were hungry and they ran out of Brazilian money. I was out of Real as well, and we shared a good laugh about that. They eventually figured out a way to get something to eat. Hungry wrestlers are not much fun to be around.

Joe also was quick to shake his head and give me a hard time about wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes polo shirt on the way home from Rio. I guess you have to expect that from a Cyclone.

Joe introduced me to his wife, Tara, following the Pan American Games when I ran into them at a restaurant near Copacabana Beach. I met Joe’s grandmother when I ran into her and Joe’s wife in the lobby of our hotel at the World Championships. It’s easy to see that family means everything to them and they are a very close-knit group. And they’re very proud of Joe.

I have no doubt that Joe will continue to succeed in life as his competitive wrestling career ends. He has his master’s degree in educational leadership with an emphasis in athletic administration. He was a four-time Academic All-American at Iowa State. That’s something his grandmother is quick to point out - she is more proud of his work in the classroom than what he did on the mat during his Cyclone career.

One of the most impressive moments I’ve ever seen in nearly 20 years as a journalist came at the end of an interview I did with Joe after he placed fifth at the World Championships last month in Azerbaijan.

Joe had the lead late in the third period of his semifinal match against eventual World champion Makhach Murtazaliev of Russia. Joe was 20 seconds away from a spot in the finals before he was unable to hold off Murtazaliev and lost the match.

Joe followed by dropping his bronze-medal match to place fifth, and simply did not look like himself. He looked uncharacteristically sluggish and now it is easy to see why with his medical issues. Joe gave it everything he had, like he always did. Nobody could fault his effort.

What impressed me most about Joe was when we were wrapping up an interview a few minutes after he lost his final match. He was very upfront and candid about his performance, and made no excuses. I told him he was a class act for the way he handled a tough finish to the biggest tournament of his life.

Joe then called to me as I was walking away and said, “I didn’t win a gold medal here, but I have two gold medals waiting for me at home.�

Joe was referring to his two young daughters, Olivia and Ava, who were back in Columbus, Ohio, waiting for their daddy to come home.

With the surgical procedure Joe had done Tuesday, it appears that he will be able to go on and live a normal life and watch his daughters grow up. He’s done wrestling, but he has so much more to live for and so much to offer. And knowing Joe, he will continue to make a big impact in numerous other areas and facets of his life. He wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s a man of great character - a model for how our athletes should carry themselves and represent our country.

It is unfortunate that Joe won’t have a chance to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. He had the inside track on making the U.S. team after the strong season he just put together. But he did fill a big void in his career by making a U.S. World Team. He also qualified the U.S. for the Olympics in freestyle at 74 kilos with his top-five performance at the Worlds. By qualifying the weight class, Joe paved the way for a guy like Casey Cunningham, Ramico Blackmon or Donny Pritzlaff to win an Olympic medal for the U.S. next year at 74 kilos.

Joe didn’t win the gold medal he had worked so hard for. But Joe Heskett definitely is a champion in my book.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:44 AM | Permalink

When Rulon Gardner pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history at the 2000 Sydney Games, Greco-Roman wrestling was thrust into the spotlight for a few heady days before slipping back into its usual niche as a small sport with a passionate following.

And when the U.S. Greco-Roman team won a gold medal in the team competition at the world championships two weeks ago, hardly anyone else noticed. But within the Greco-Roman scene, the unprecedented feat was considered even bigger than Gardner's historic victory over Alexander Karelin, which ended the Russian's 13-year unbeaten streak.

"This is the greatest day in the history of U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling," USA Wrestling executive director Rich Bender said of the gold medal his Greco team won Sept. 19 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Heavyweight Dremiel Byers of Colorado Springs clinched the team gold with a bronze medal. Other U.S. medalists included Brad Vering, also based at the Olympic Training Center, who took silver in the 84-kilogram weight class and Harry Lester of Akron, Ohio, who took bronze in the 120-kilogram class.

The U.S. also won four medals in freestyle at worlds, three by women. The Greco-Roman team gold was the first for the U.S. The team finished third in 2001 and 2006.

"I was ecstatic," said Gardner, a former training partner of Byers' who retired after winning a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. "I received a text from Byers that he took third, and I was so happy for him. It just shows the hard work and dedication of the Greco national team, and how they continue to strive to be the best in the world."

Head coach Steve Fraser, who won the first U.S. Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman at the 1984 Olympics, has built the U.S. into a force since taking the job 12 years ago this month.

"It's been a struggle, but it means so much to us," Fraser said. "I've gotten hundreds and hundreds of phone calls and e-mails from people congratulating us. It's a great, great feeling for us."

The U.S. program had a long way to go when Fraser took over, but much like U.S. Skiing chief executive Bill Marolt setting a "Best in the World" goal, or former University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney circling Nebraska on the schedule, Fraser declared his goal was nothing less than world championships.

"I wanted to get people believing we could do this," Fraser said. "The way we did it, we just started talking about it. We started putting that out there and being public about our goals. Once you become public, and you start putting it out there, now you've got to put your money where your mouth is."

In the U.S., freestyle wrestling attracts greater numbers because Greco-Roman requires a more difficult adjustment from the "folkstyle" practiced at the high school and collegiate level. Fraser made his wrestlers believe.

"He's had this vision, 'We're going to do this someday, we're going to win the worlds as a team,"' Vering said. "A lot of people were like, 'We're too far behind because the folkstyle competition, it's just so different from Greco-Roman.' These (international opponents) grow up wrestling Greco their whole life."

Byers spent much of his career in the shadow of Gardner, although he won a world championships gold medal in 2002 when Gardner was recovering from the frostbite he suffered when stranded in the Wyoming wilderness.

Byers wasn't satisfied with his bronze medal in Azerbaijan, even if it did clinch the team title.

"It's like getting a small plate at a feast that you've been waiting for all day, just a small plate," Byers said. "It's not as sweet as it should be. Maybe a Splenda. Sweet tea with Splenda, that's what it is."

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:21 AM | Permalink

Team Takedown, an Arlington, Texas-based management company, has announced the official signing of former Oklahoma State University NCAA wrestling champions Jake Rosholt and Johny Hendricks to long-term Mixed-Martial Arts (MMA) performance contracts.

Both athletes are relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada where they will train with Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) world heavyweight champion Randy Couture at his facility Xtreme Couture MMA.

Ted Ehrhardt, managing partner of Team Takedown said, “We wanted to sign the very best college wrestlers we could. Jake and Johny were it, no question,� he stated, adding, “we want to win MMA world titles so we’re starting with the best athletes anywhere.�

Echoing Ehrhardt’s sentiments was industry expert Dave Meltzer, publisher of Wrestling Observer. In regard to Jake Rosholt Meltzer stated, “Rosholt is a class above both Brock Lesnar and Josh Koscheck, who would be considered the best-credentialed wrestlers on the current U.S. MMA scene.�

And Jason Bryant, editor-in-chief of InterMatWrestle.com, said this about Hendricks: “College wrestling fans are well aware of Johny and his on-the-mat persona. He’s either revered or reviled, but the guy is a warrior. He’s got that cocky confidence that’s going to translate well into the MMA realm and I don’t doubt that his desire to win and his ability and predator-like sense of attack will give him a solid base.�

ABOUT THE FIGHTERS
Jake Rosholt was born on September 2, 1982. In high school, he won three state championship wrestling titles as a member of the Sandpoint (Idaho) High School Bulldogs. He also won the 189-pound junior national freestyle title. Jake’s national championship run was nothing short of fantastic. He scored a record 11 straight technical falls on his way to that victory.

Rosholt won the 184-pound Division I wrestling championship in 2003, placed third at 184 in 2004, and then won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 at 197 pounds. He is only the 15th three-time NCAA Champion in Oklahoma State history and the college’s tenth four-time All-American. His hobbies include hunting and fishing.

Johny Hendricks was born on September 12, 1983. Hendricks won three state titles for his team at Edmond (OK) Memorial High School. He also won the 160-pound high school national championship. Competing for Oklahoma State University, Johny was a four-time All-American, placing fifth as a feshman in the NCAA championships, then winning the 2005 and 2006 165-pound NCAA titles. Hendricks came in a heartbreaking second place in the 2007 NCAA National championships, narrowly losing a controversial decision to Iowa’s Mark Perry, whom Hendricks had beaten seven times previously. Johny’s hobbies include archery, hunting and fishing.

ABOUT TEAM TAKEDOWN
True to their motto, “Turning great wrestlers into ultimate fighters,� Team Takedown differentiates itself from other management groups by finding the very best NCAA-champion wrestlers, signing them to multi-year performance contracts, and providing them with everything they need to be successful. This includes salaries and extensive world-class MMA training.

Team Takedown then goes much farther: the company has assembled an elite group of marketing, publicity and design professionals so that each athlete will have their own media coverage, major appearances and events, clothing line and fan club. No other MMA management company offers its fighters this type of complete support package.

According to Scott Casber, host of the nationally-syndicated radio show, “Takedown Wrestling Radio� and a leading MMA promoter and authority, "What Team Takedown is doing makes great sense. I believe they will be very successful."

To learn more about Team Takedown, visit www.teamtakedownfighters.com. To schedule an interview, please contact Ted Ehrhardt at mon1000@aol.com or 817-821-1790, or John Rizzuti at john@rizzuti.com or 214-476-1324.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:18 AM | Permalink

At the concession stand under Section 550 of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Converse College athletes have the job of telling the fans beer cannot be sold after the third quarter of Carolina Panthers football games.

"People get really mad about it," said Kariann Hill, a freshman basketball player from Fox Lake, Ill. "They don't believe you. But, they've probably had a few by that point."

For many collegiate athletes around the area, getting funding for their sports often requires a little bit of hard work. While Converse soccer players and cross-country runners are heating up the nacho cheese in Charlotte, Limestone College wrestlers are selling T-shirts and the Spartanburg Methodist College dance team is waiting tables at a local restaurant.

Particularly for athletes at non-Division I programs, reaching the level of collegiate athletics does not guarantee a cushy lifestyle - in fact, it often requires a lot of hard work. All of the area athletic programs have the traditional fundraising sources - alumni giving, homecoming weekends and letter campaigns, for example - but many of the smaller ones, which cannot easily get big sponsorships from corporations, need an extra boost from more creative sources.

"That's a misconception," SMC athletic director and golf coach MarkPerdue said. "We're not all Clemson and South Carolina. We don't have Under Armour sponsoring the whole entire football team, we don't have Nike sponsoring the entire athletic department. Smaller schools will have to do certain types of things to raise extra money."

At Wofford College and the University of South Carolina Upstate, the area's only Division I programs, athletes seldom have to do hands-on fundraising for their own sports. Terri Lewitt, associate athletic director for development at Wofford, said she often takes athlete volunteers to some fundraising events, but there is no requirement. Jules Bryant, the assistant athletic director for development at USC Upstate, said athletes participate in an auction every April, which can raise money for a particular sport, but they don't have to do many hands-on projects to ensure the funding of their programs.

Meanwhile, Converse athletics, which competes in Division II, is one of many nonprofit groups using the Panthers' concession stands as an opportunity to raise money for its programs. At every home game this season, a group of about 30 Converse athletes will descend on concession stand 550, where they prepare the food and then serve it to fans. The Panthers, in return, give Converse a percentage of the sales.

Joy Couch, the school's new athletic director, said that when she came to the school, she was looking for fundraising opportunities and thought of the Panthers' program.

"It's hard work, but it brings everyone together," Couch said. "We feel like it's a good way to build a team atmosphere, and it gives everyone the chance to participate."

At SMC, a private, two-year college with 14 sports teams as well as cheerleading and dance squads, Perdue said that fundraising has to be creative to make the grade. The Pioneers' dance team has been as active and creative as any team, with a car wash raising about $300 in Boiling Springs recently. And there's more money to be raised at Mutt's BBQ next week, where the dancers will work as waitresses and donate their tips to the program.

"Especially in a town like Spartanburg ... you're competing in a pretty small area for dollars," Perdue said. "We still do a lot of fundraising the old-fashioned way - letter-writing campaigns, donors, sponsorships, athletic magazine sponsorships. But we do a lot of other things."

Limestone, a private Division II school, also has athletes helping at Panthers games, working for the team's security department. Others will run a concession stand at a few Charlotte Bobcats basketball games this winter, said Will Goode, the Gaffney school's associate athletics director for marketing and development.

"A school of our size, being private, it's just mandatory," Goode said. "In my three years here, I haven't seen a team not do some kind of fundraising one way or another."

The Limestone wrestling team sponsors a T-shirt sale in which each athlete must sell at least 10 shirts. They sponsor a youth wrestling tournament as well as a summer camp. The wrestlers also serve as valets at donor events and at chamber of commerce meetings, combining their tips to give back to the program.

The wrestling funding problem is acute at Limestone because the team competes in a region that mainly includes teams from Pennsylvania, said Coach Ben Stehura. Stehura, who wrestled collegiately at a Division I school, said such extensive team fundraising, even at the biggest schools, is not particularly rare.

"If you're a non-revenue sport, a lot of times that's the way it works," Stehura said. "I think the guys are used to it. They don't even question it. We want to compete at a tournament, so this is what we've got to do."

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:45 AM | Permalink

Army wrestling head coach Chuck Barbee and his staff will host the eighth annual Army Wrestling Fall Clinic for both wrestlers and coaches on Saturday Oct. 27 The clinic will take place in the wrestling room located in Arvin Gymnasium, with registration running between 8 a.m. until 9 a.m.

The day will consist of five sessions (9:10 and 10:15 a.m., and 1, 2, and 3 p.m.) that focus on technique, peaking, strength, nutrition, mental skills and drilling. The cost of the clinic is $35 per coach or wrestler.

Barbee, who enters his eighth season at Army, was a three-time All-American at perennial power Oklahoma State. The Black Knight’s mentor has led the program back onto the national scene cracking the NCAA Top 25 polls last season, and will serve as the primary instructor throughout the day.

Barbee will be joined by Army head assistant coach Ryan Willman, a two-time NCAA qualifier and three-time all-conference selection at West Virginia, as well as the entire Black Knight squad.

Participants are invited to stay after the clinic to watch Army’s Black vs. Gold intra-squad dual meet following the clinic. Admission is free with matches starting at 4 p.m.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:41 AM | Permalink

University of Oklahoma wrestling welcomed one of the largest classes ever to the program this season. Ten new Sooners have started practice and will quickly challenge for starting spots on the squad.

"Our recruiting classes aren't usually this large, and there is a good possibility that several of these guys will wind up in the starting line-up," Head Coach Jack Spates said. "We have signed guys that are extremely capable of contributing right away and put us in a position for a bright future."

The Sooner recruiting effort went coast-to-coast, signing state champions from California to Pennsylvania. The 10 member class combined for 15 state championships.

The class is comprised of eight freshmen, one sophomore and a senior. The group has two previous NCAA qualifiers in transfers Max Dean (Indiana) and Eric Lapotsky (Bucknell).

There will be holes to fill with several key Sooners departing from last year's team. But holes in the line-up present opportunities for new faces to make their way onto the mat to start for the Sooners.

"We have a chance to have six, maybe seven freshmen and sophomores in the line-up this year," Spates said. "It is going to be a really fun group to coach."

The coaches are excited about the youth, and the competition makes them excited about what's in store for this year's team.

"The young guys and transfers we brought in have exceptional drive and determination," Spates said. "It is going to be an extremely fun year because although these guys are young, they are going to be an aggressive group on the mat."

Practice for the Sooner team begins Tuesday, September 18.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:10 PM | Permalink

Northwestern finished the 2006-07 season a program-best fourth in the NCAAs and had a national champion wrestler in Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny).

While that is a difficult act to follow, coach Tim Cysewski believes the 2007-08 team cannot only match last year's squad, but improve on the strong finish, as well.

"Our team has the potential to become NCAA champions this year. We have a good complement of All-Americans and NCAA qualifiers coming back," Cysewski said. "At Northwestern, we know that we will be in the hunt for an NCAA title year-in and year-out and believe our recent recruiting is indicative of that."

Returning to this year's team are nine of the Wildcats' 10 starters, which includes three All-Americans in Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion), Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/Lakewood St. Edward) and Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick). While on the way to garnering All-American status, Lang and Tamillow also collected Big Ten titles last season. Add in Herbert's Big Ten title and the 'Cats three conference crowns became the most individual champions NU has had since 1931. It is also the first time Northwestern has had more than one since 1990.

Lang returns to the team after his best year as a wrestler at Northwestern. The senior finished second at last year's NCAA Championships and scored two pins in his five matches while there. Lang also won the Big Ten Championship at 141 lbs by beating sixth-ranked Alex Tsirtsis in the semifinals and 15th-ranked Kyle Ruschell in the finals. Overall at the Big Ten Championships, Lang put up a 4-0 record. The 141-lb. wrestler also won at the 44th Midlands, the NWCA All-Star Classic and the Eastern Michigan Open.

A 22-match winning streak to start the season helped Tamillow to a finish with a team-high 37 wins, including a 16-3 dual mark. The senior posted three wins at the NCAA Championships riding the victories to a seventh-place finish. At the Big Ten Championships, Tamillow won his first career Big Ten title, posting a 4-0 record with wins over ninth-ranked Patrick Bond in the semifinals and 10th-ranked J.D. Bergman in the finals. Wins in the Eastern Michigan Open, the Reno Tournament of Champions and the Midlands Championship helped Tamillow earn his first ever All-American honors.

Starting the season with a 14-match winning streak, Fox garnered a career-best 33-5 record that included going 13-2 in duals and 6-1 in the Big Ten. In the postseason, Fox won four of five matches in the Big Ten Championships for a third-place finish, which he then matched at the NCAA Championships. Following the 2006-07 season, Fox joined Lang, Herbert and Tamillow on the list of Northwestern All-Americans.

Also returning to the team are starters Brandon Precin (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), Eric Metzler (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco), Dominic Marella (Roselle, Ill./Conant) and Nick Hayes (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central). Precin started every Big Ten dual for the 'Cats as a freshman and finished 2-2 in his first-ever NCAA Championships. Metzler also started each Big Ten dual for NU and finished sixth at the Midlands Championships defeating then-sixth-ranked and third-seeded Mario Galanakis of Iowa in the quarterfinals. Marella finished the year 6-17 overall and went undefeated in two matches at the NU duals. Hayes wrestled to a mark of 22-14 overall and made an appearance the NCAA Championships finishing seventh. Hayes was named BigElevenWrestling.net Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Dec. 13 after notching wins in each of Northwestern's duals against Northern Illinois and Eastern Illinois.

Pursuing an Olympic redshirt this year is National Champion, Jake Herbert. Herbert still has a year of eligibility left, but will not wrestle for the team this season.

"The Olympic redshirt is an opportunity that is rare for collegiate athletes. Most of our current US Olympic hopefuls in the sport of wrestling are post-graduates," Cysewski said.

"Jake is very fortunate to be considered for this program and we know that he will be a more seasoned wrestler upon his return to the NU team in 2008-09. He has already competed overseas at the University World Championships and we are hoping that he will once again have this opportunity in the coming months."

In addition to its nine returning starters, Cysewski has brought in an all-star crop of freshmen, who look to have an immediate impact on the program.

"I couldn't be happier with our freshmen class," Cysewski said. "Some of these guys are going to experience what Big Ten wrestling is all about this year."

Frank Battaglia (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) finished high school with a career record of 141-27 and finished first at the IHSA Regionals and Sectionals in 2007 and was an all-state selection his senior year.

Coming to NU as the No. 1 heavyweight prospect in the nation, big things are expected of Ben Kuhar (Concord Township, Ohio/St. Edward) as well. Kuhar ended his high school career with a record of 50-13 and was a two-time Cadet Freestyle national champion on the No. 1 high school program in America, according to Amateur Wrestling News.

John Schoen (Homer Glen, Ill./Marist) was a two-time ESCC Champion and wrestled to top-three finishes in the state finals in 2006. Schoen also set school records for both takedowns and escapes, while taking the top position at the IHSA Regionals as a senior when he was named and ESCC Outstanding Wrestler. Schoen was ranked 11th nationally in his weight class by W.I.N. Magazine.

Perhaps the most highly touted recruit to join the Wildcats squad since Jake Herbert's arrival in Evanston is Mike Benefiel (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic). Benefiel overwhelmed his high school competition to the tune of a 195-4 record, won four-straight high school championships and holds the Illinois record for most career wins. His four titles put him in elite company with just eight other Illinois wrestlers to accomplish the feat in his four years. Additionally, Benefiel won the Cadet National Freestyle Championship, was an Ironman Champion in 2004 and was rated as the top high school prospect at his weight class by Intermatwrestle.com.

This season's schedule offers plenty of opportunity to return to the glory NU has experienced in the past with a familiar twist to it in the 45th annual Midlands Championships as a tune-up before the conference duals schedule starts.

Probable starters by weight class:

Brandon Precin, 125 lbs.: Posted 2-2 record at first NCAA Championships ... Finished seventh at Big Ten Championships by pinning Ohio State's Will Livingston ... Started every dual for the Wildcats at 125 lbs. in freshman season ... Entered season-opening Eastern Michigan Open unseeded and placed sixth ... Defeated top-seeded Mark Moos of Michigan in first collegiate match ... Captured third place at the Reno Tournament of Champions with wins over Oklahoma State's then-18th-ranked Tyler Schinn and Central Michigan's then-13th ranked Luke Smith ... Eighth at the 2006 Midlands Championships ... Scored a technical fall against Cornell's Luis Salinas at NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals (1/13) ... First win against a Big Ten opponent came in a triple overtime win over Collin Cudd of Wisconsin (1/26) ... Upset Penn State's then-seventh-ranked Mark McKnight in dual match (2/2) ... Topped Michigan's Mike Watts in last Big Ten dual (2/18).

Eric Metzler, 133 lbs.: Started every Big Ten dual at 133 lbs. ... Earned a major decision over Chicago's Ben Hart at the NU Duals (11/12) ... Took fifth place at the 2006 Midlands Championships, defeating then-sixth-ranked and third-seeded Mario Galanakis of Iowa in the quarterfinals ... Pinned West Virginia's Mark Anderson at NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals (1/13) ... Won first career Big Ten dual match against Wisconsin's Zach Tanelli on 1/26 ... Defeated Michigan's Chris Diehl by 4-0 decision to seal NU's 20-14 win in dual finale.

Ryan Lang, 141 lbs.: Finished second at NCAA Championships ... Earned second career All-America honor ... Score two pins in five matches at NCAA Championships ... Won Big Ten Championship at 141 lbs. ... Downed sixth-ranked Alex Tsirtsis in the semifinals and 15th-ranked Kyle Ruschell in the finals ... Went 4-0 overall at Big Ten Championships ... Won Eastern Michigan Open by going 5-0, scoring two major decisions and not allowing a point scored against him ... Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for week of 11/8 ... Won NWCA All-Star Classic by beating then-fifth-ranked Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State ... Won 2006 Midlands Championships with wins over fifth-seeded Max Metzler of Harvard and second-seeded Alex Tsirtis of Iowa ... Missed NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals and first five Big Ten duals due to injury ... Returned to action with three-straight Big Ten wins ... Finished Big Ten season with a pin against Purdue (2/16) and technical fall against Michigan (2/18).

Keith Sulzer, 149 lbs.: Redshirted ... Went 7-5 while wrestling unattached ... 3-2 record at Wisconsin Open ... Went 3-1 at Edinboro Open.

Kyle Bertin, 157 lbs.: Redshirted ... Posted 7-3 record while wrestling unattached ... 4-1 at Edinboro Open.

Dominic Marella, 165 lbs.: Went 6-17 overall with a 4-13 record in duals and a 0-8 record in the Big Ten... Posted a 2-2 record at the Eastern Michigan Open and was undefeated in two matches at the NU Duals.

Nick Hayes, 174 lbs.: Posted 22-14 overall record ... Went 1-2 at NCAA Championships ... Posted 2-2 record at Big Ten Championships to finish seventh ... Won matches over Michigan State's John Murphy and Illinois' Matt Winterhalter ...Went 3-0 at ACC/Big Ten Clash with wins over Virginia, North Carolina and NC State ... Named BigElevenWrestling.net Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on 12/13 after notching wins in each of Northwestern's duals against Northern Illinois and Eastern Illinois ... Sixth place at Reno Tournament of Champions.

Mike Tamillow, 197 lbs.: Moved up to 197 lbs. and enjoyed the best season of his career ... Had team-high 37 wins with only five losses ... Posted 16-3 dual mark ... Second on the team with eight falls ... Went 3-2 and finished seventh at NCAA Championships to earn first career All-America honor ... Won 197 lbs. Big Ten Championship for first career Big Ten title ... Posted 4-0 record at the championships with wins over ninth-ranked Patrick Bond in the semifinals and 10th-ranked J.D. Bergman in the finals ... Won final match by an 11-5 decision ... Started season with 22-match winning streak ... First loss came to Missouri's then-top-ranked Max Askren ... Won Eastern Michigan Open by beating then-ninth-ranked Nathan Moore of Purdue ... Won Reno Tournament of Champions with win over then-eighth-ranked Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan in the finals ... Named BigElevenWrestling.net Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on 12/25 ... Won 2006 Midlands Championship by notching a win over Iowa State's fifth-seeded Kurt Backes in the finals ... Defeated Wisconsin's 12th-ranked Dallas Herbst in NU's 19-18 win ... Topped Purdue's 14th-ranked Nathan Moore by 8-0 major decision in dual match (2/16).

Dustin Fox, Hwt.: Posted career-best 33-5 record, 13-2 dual mark and went 6-1 in the Big Ten ... Finished third at NCAA Championships to earn first career All-American honor ... Used wins over third-seeded Bubba Gritter of Central Michigan and fifth-seeded Ty Watterson of Oregon State to earn third place ... Posted 4-1 record for third-place finish at Big Ten Championships ... Topped sixth-ranked Matt Fields in third-place match ... Started season with 14-match winning streak ... Won Eastern Michigan Open with a perfect 5-0 record for his first tournament win ... Knocked off UNC's then-third-ranked Spencer Nadolsky at ACC/Big Ten Clash ... Won second place at the 2006 Midlands Championships defeating Wartburg's eighth-seeded Blake Gillis and Central Michigan's fifth-seeded Bubba Gritter ... Defeated Wisconsin's Kyle Massey 3-2 to secure a 19-18 win against ninth-ranked Wisconsin (1/27) ... Closed Big Ten season with four-match winning streak ... Earned second fall of the season against Purdue's David Pisarcik (2/16).

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:07 PM | Permalink

Registration: 8:00-8:30 am

Clinic Topics

* 2007-08 Rules Interpretation
* Discussion of New Certification Levels
* Level I Basic Training
* Level II/III Advanced Training
* Skin Condition Guidelines
* Edge of Mat Control
* Role of Assistant Referee
* Stalling
* Dealing with coaches, fans, and athletes
* Illegal Holds
* Judgment and Consistency
* Situations on the mat
* Officiating mechanics

The cost of this clinic is $10, must pre register, otherwise $15 at the door. Included in this charge is a continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday plus all the materials from the Sessions.

The cost of the clinic and all related expenses are Tax Deductible.

This clinic is a must for all Wrestling Officials.

Based on the success of previous clinics, we are again having this years’ clinic in conjunction with the annual Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Clinic at Coon Rapids High School.

There will be a joint session on the 2007-08 Rules with the coaches. It will count towards your requirement to attend a MSHSL Rules Meeting.

This year the MSHSL is initiating a new system for developing promotional levels of officials. Wrestling is one of the first to participate.

This clinic will provide Level I basic training and Level II/III advanced training. These training sessions will meet your MSHSL requirement for advancement and maintenance of your classification.

On Saturday in addition to the joint sessions with the Coaches, will be a series of clinics presented by many of the known officials within the state. They have valuable experience in officiating key matches and in knowledge of the rules.

Clinic Goals

This is a clinic to improve the officiating for wrestling in Minnesota. This clinic will allow officials throughout the state to receive training that will help them be better officials and will lead to consistency in officiating.

Newer officials will learn the basics and mechanics to perform at a higher level. What can be learned in this clinic would take you years of experience to learn on your own.

This clinic will meet the MSHSL training requirements for your classification.

The clinic also provides an excellent opportunity to meet and discuss wrestling officiating with officials throughout the state.

In addition to the discussions and video presentations, there will be on the mat demonstrations to show particular holds or situations and what the proper positioning by the official should be.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:34 PM | Permalink

Columbia University, The nations oldest wrestling program is unique
Divison I wrestling program because it is located in the heart of New
York City. Brendan Buckley takes us through a tour of Columbia, The New"
York Subway and Shea Stadium.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:15 PM | Permalink

The United States returned home from the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the gold trophy after winning its first World team title in Greco-Roman wrestling.

The U.S. also qualified 12 of the 18 combined weight classes in men’s and women’s freestyle, and Greco-Roman for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The top eight finishers in each weight class at the 2007 World Championships qualified their country for the Olympics.

The U.S. qualified five of the seven weight classes for the Olympics in men’s freestyle, three of the four classes in women’s freestyle and four of the seven divisions in Greco-Roman. Each style has three more qualifiers apiece where it can qualify the remaining weight classes for the Olympics.

The U.S. Greco-Roman team gained Olympic qualifications from World silver medalist Brad Vering (84 kg/185 lbs.), World bronze medalists Harry Lester (66 kg/145.5 lbs.) and Dremiel Byers (120 kg/264.5 lbs.), and World fifth-place finisher Lindsey Durlacher (55 kg/121 lbs.). The U.S. has three remaining qualifiers – including the Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs - to try and gain Olympic qualification at 60 kg/132 lbs., 74 kg/163 lbs. and 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

The U.S. edged Russia 31-30 to win the World team title in Greco-Roman. The previous best finish by an American team in the World Championships was third-place finishes in 2001 and 2006.

The U.S. men’s freestyle team gained Olympic qualifications from World bronze medalist Daniel Cormier (96 kg/211.5 lbs.) along with World fifth-place finishers Doug Schwab (66 kg/145.5 lbs.), Joe Heskett (74 kg/163 lbs.), Joe Williams (84 kg/185 lbs.) and Tommy Rowlands (120 kg/264.5 lbs.). The U.S. will have three qualifiers to try and gain Olympic qualification at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 60 kg/132 lbs.

The American men’s freestyle team placed fourth in the team standings at the 2007 Worlds.

The U.S. women’s freestyle team gained qualifications from World silver medalist Kristie Marano (72 kg/158.5 lbs.), World bronze medalist Sara McMann (63 kg/138.75 lbs.) and World fifth-place finisher Stephanie Murata (48 kg/105.5 lbs.). The U.S. has three more events to try and gain Olympic qualification at 55 kg/121 lbs. The women compete in four weight classes in the Olympics.

The U.S. women placed fifth in the team standings at the World Championships. Marano tied Bruce Baumgartner’s U.S. record by winning her ninth World medal. Marano now owns two golds, five silvers and two bronzes in World competition.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:14 PM | Permalink

This is a link list to every college wrestling team's (as far as I know) schedule on TheWrestlingTalk.

Air Force Academy Wrestling Schedule
Arizona State University Wrestling Schedule
Army Wrestling Schedule
Binghampton Wrestling Schedule
Bloomsburg Wrestling Schedule
Boise State Wrestling Schedule
Bucknell Wrestling Schedule
Buffalo Wrestling Schedule
Cal-state Fullerton Wrestling Schedule
Clarion Wrestling Schedule
Cleveland State Wrestling Schedule
Columbia Wrestling Schedule
Cornell Wrestling Schedule
Eastern Michigan Wrestling Schedule
Edinboro Wrestling Schedule
Gardner-Webb Wrestling Schedule
Geroge Mason Wrestling Schedule
Harvard Wrestling Schedule
Hofstra Wrestling Schedule
Illinois Wrestling Schedule
Indiana Wrestling Schedule
Iowa Wrestling Schedule
Iowa State Wrestling Schedule
Lehigh Wrestling Schedule
Liberty Wrestling Schedule
Lock Haven Wrestling Schedule
Maryland Wrestling Schedule
Michigan Wrestling Schedule
Michigan State Wrestling Schedule
Minnesota Wrestling Schedule
Navy Wrestling Schedule
Nebraska Wrestling Schedule
North Carolina Wrestling Schedule
UNC-Greensboro Wrestling Schedule
North Dakota State Wrestling Schedule
Northern Illinois Wrestling Schedule
Northern Iowa Wrestling Schedule
Ohio State Wrestling Schedule
Old Dominion Wrestling Schedule
Oregon Wrestling Schedule
Oregon Sate Wrestling Schedule
Penn Sate Wrestling Schedule
Pennsylvania Wrestling Schedule
Pittsburgh Wrestling Schedule
Purdue Wrestling Schedule
Rider Wrestling Schedule
Rutgers Wrestling Schedule
Stanford Wrestling Schedule
Tennessee- Chattanooga Wrestling Schedule
Virginia Wrestling Schedule
Virginia Tech Wrestling Schedule
VMI Wrestling Schedule
West Virginia Wrestling Schedule
Wisconsin Wrestling Schedule
Air Force Academy Wrestling Schedule
Arizona State University Wrestling Schedule
Army Wrestling Schedule
Binghampton Wrestling Schedule
Bloomsburg Wrestling Schedule
Boise State Wrestling Schedule
Bucknell Wrestling Schedule
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Posted by Wrestling Fan at 10:58 PM | Permalink

The defending national champion University of Minnesota wrestling program will hold its annual Fall Coaches’ Clinic on Friday, Oct. 26, 2007 at the Bierman Athletic Building on the University of Minnesota campus. Highlighting the clinic will be Minnesota head coach J Robinson, Minnesota head assistant coach Marty Morgan, Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) head coach Jeff Buxton and Concordia-Moorhead head coach Clay Nagel. The Golden Gopher wrestling team will also give demonstrations during a live practice.

Open to college, high school and club coaches, the clinic and workshop features Golden Gopher coaches and former student-athletes. This year’s clinic and workshop will cover topics such as improving positioning, team building, pin/tilt technique and much more.

J Robinson has compiled 318-103-3 (.750) record over his 21 seasons as the head coach for the Golden Gophers. He has coached a total of 39 Big Ten individual champions and 85 All-Americans during his time at Minnesota. Last season, Robinson led the Gophers to the National Duals Team title, the Big Ten Championship and the third national championship in program history.

Morgan has been the head assistant coach at Minnesota for 15 seasons and is a former NCAA Head Assistant Coach of the Year. In addition to an impressive coaching resume that includes the Gophers’ three national and six Big Ten titles, Morgan was a three-time All-American at Minnesota a former member of Team USA.

The clinic will also include workshops taught by Buxton, who has coached Blair Academy to 25 national prep team titles and 11 undefeated seasons. He has put together the top high school team in the country eight times, including six in a row.

The head coach for the Concordia-Moorhead Cobbers the past four seasons, Nagel is the former head coach at Frazee (Minn.) High School and guided the Hornets to three state championships. He was named the 1999 High School Coach of the Year in Minnesota and compiled a 314-69 record in 17 seasons at the prep level.

Advance registration will be $100 (for $135 coaches will receive a USAW card as well), and a $15 fee applies to all registrations after Oct. 22.

For additional information and registration, please download the following form and return to the University of Minnesota Wrestling office at the address listed on the form.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:09 AM | Permalink