Jayson Ness pins through Southern Scuffle
Minnesota Gopher Jayson Ness pinned his way to a Southern Scuffle title, Mack Reiter picked one up in less dominate fashion, with a 5-3 win in the finals. Rivera, and the Schlatters have yet to go.
NCAA Wrestling Tournament, College Wrestling Rankings, High School Wrestling Rankings, College/NCAA Wrestling, Freestyle & Greco-Roman Wrestling,MMA, UFC, and more.
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December 30, 2007
2007 Midlands Wrestling Tournament, End of Day One
Iowa State won the Midlands wrestling tournament team title in 2006 and finds itself in a familiar place atop the standings after the first day of the Midlands in 2007. Iowa State is leading Iowa and Central Michigan with a score of 90.5 overall. The Cyclones have a total of six wrestlers left in the semifinals.
Again just behind Iowa State is Iowa with five wrestlers remaining in the finals. Central Michigan, Illinois and Northwestern all have four still fighting for a title. Tennessee-Chattanooga does not have any wrestlers remaining in the championship rounds, but does lead the field with seven wrestlers in the wrestlebacks.
Individually, at 125 lbs., Angel Escobedo of Indiana returns to the semifinals to defend his title, while Michigan State's Nick Simmons dropped down to 125 lbs. and is also in the semis. Simmons won last year's Midlands at 133 lbs.
Alex Tsirtsis of Iowa came into the 141 lb. weight class as the No. 1 seed and fell to Corey Jantzen of Harvard. Both wrestlers took part in the Midlands as high schoolers, but were meeting for the first time at Midlands.
Illinois' Mike Poeta wrestled his way into the semifinals of the 157 lb. weight class as the defending champion. At 184 lbs., Jake Herbert returned to Midlands "45" as a two-time defending champion. The Olympic redshirt did not wrestle at the Championships last year.
Northwestern's defending Midlands champion Mike Tamillow is on a collision course to face No.-1 seeded Josh Glenn (American) with the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds still in play.
Six wrestlers finished the day with three falls, which tied for the most in the tournament after one day. Jesse Linczmaier of Northern Illinois earned the fastest fall, when he downed his 165-lb. opponent in the first round of wrestlebacks in 30 seconds.
Three weight classes remain with all four top seeds still in play for the semifinals: 133, 157 and 197 lbs.
Please continue to check this page for continuous updates on brackets and team standings throughout the tournament.
December 29, 2007
2007 Midlands Wrestling Tournament Final Seeds
2007 Midlands Wrestling Tournament Final Seeds
125 lbs.
1. Nick Simmons, Sunkist
2. Angel Escobedo, Indiana
3. Charlie Falck, Iowa
4. Luke Smith, Central Michigan
5. Brandon Precin, Northwestern
6. Gabe Flores, Illinois 7. Javier Maldonado, Tennessee-Chattanooga
8, Ben VomBauer, Wyoming
133 lbs.
1. Franklin Gomez, Michigan State
2. Jimmy Kennedy, Illinois
3. Joe Slaton, Iowa
4. Nick Fanthorpe, Iowa State
5. Andrae Hernandez, Indiana
6. Pat Castillo, Northern Illinois
7. Eric Metzler, Northwestern
8. Conor Beebe, Central Michigan
141 lbs.
1. Alex Tsirtsis, Iowa
2. Zack Bailey, Oklahoma
3. Carter Downing, Wyoming
4. Eric Kruger, Central Michigan
5. Dan LeClere, Iowa
6. Ryan Prater, Illinois
7. C.J. Ettelson, Northern Iowa
8. Corey Jantzen, Harvard
149 lbs.
1. Ryan Lang, Northwestern
2. Brent Metcalf, Iowa
3. Mitch Mueller, Iowa State
4. Brandon Carter, Central Michigan
5. Jake Patacsil, Purdue
6. Aaron Martin, Chattanooga Takedown Club
7. Josh Wagner, Missouri
8. Don Fisch, Rider
157 lbs.
1. Mike Poeta, Illinois
2. Cyler Sanderson, Iowa State
3. Matt Kocher, Pittsburgh
4. Brian Cobb, Roadrunner Wrestling Club
5. Brandon Becker, Indiana
6. Ryan Morningstar, Iowa
7. Wayne French, Great Falls
8. Joe Ellenberger, Nebraska-Kearney
165 lbs.
1. Matt Lackey, Illini Wrestling Club
2. Mark Perry, Iowa
3. Moza Fay, Northern Iowa
4. Matt Coughlin, Indiana
5. Jonathan Reader, Iowa State
6. Mike Cannon, American
7. Roger Smith-Bergsrud, Illinois
8. Tim Palmer, UW LaCrosse
174 lbs.
1. Keith Gavin, Pittsburgh
2. Brandon Sinnott, Central Michigan
3. Duke Burk, Northern Illinois
4. Nick Hayes, Northwestern
5. John Dergo, Illinois
6. Jay Borschel, Iowa
7. Josh Chelf, UW LaCrosse
8. Lloyd Rogers, Tennessee-Chattanooga
9. Alex Dolly, Northern Iowa
184 lbs.
1. Jake Herbert, New York Athletic Club
2. Jake Varner, Iowa State
3. Christian Sinnott, Central Michigan
4. Louis Caputo, Harvard
5. Vince Jones, Nebraska-Lincoln
6. Doug Umbehauer, Rider
7. Travis Pascoe, Sunkist
8. Marc Bennett, Indiana
197 lbs.
1. Josh Glenn, American
2. Mike Tamillow, Northwestern
3. Wynn Michalak, Central Michigan
4. T.J. Morrison, Rider
5. Matt Koz, Tennessee-Chattanooga
6. David Bertolino, Iowa State
7. Joe Williams, Michigan State
8. Andrew Anderson, Northern Iowa
285 lbs.
1. Dustin Fox, Northwestern
2. Mike Faust, Hawkeye Wrestling Club
3. Bubba Gritter, Central Michigan
4. Matt Fields, Iowa
5. David Zabriskie, Iowa State
6. John Wise, Illinois
7. Zach Sheaffer, Pittsburgh
8. Nic Fekete, Hawkeye Wrestling Club
9. Rashard Goff, Cleveland State
December 27, 2007
2007 Southern Scuffle Information
Live video coverage of the 2007 UNCG Southern Scuffle will be available for viewing on Spartan All Access December 29 and 30.
Coverage will begin both days at 10 am ET on Saturday and 9 am ET on Sunday from the Greensboro Coliseum's Special Events Center. Feature matches will be scheduled on a specific match for video coverage.
In addition, live results for the 28-team tournament will also be available at SouthernScuffle.com.
Twenty-four teams will make their return to Greensboro including Minnesota, the 2007 NCAA team champions and last year’s Southern Scuffle runner-up, along with a total of four teams that finished in the Top 20 at the NCAA Championships last year. Making their Southern Scuffle debut are Bloomsburg, Boston University, Hofstra, and Liberty. Hofstra head coach Tom Shifflet, former UNCG head wrestling coach and one of the original creators of the Southern Scuffle, brings his team to Greensboro for their first Scuffle appearance.
Log on at www.UNCGSpartans.com and click on the Spartan All Access logo to sign up. Single day packages are priced at $9.95 with weekend packages set at $16.95.
Tickets are also still available for the event. Adult tickets are $12, student tickets are $8, and children under the age of 5 are free. Fans can purchase tickets from the Greensboro Coliseum by visiting the box office Monday though Saturday, 11am-6pm or by calling (336) 852-1100. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.
The field is listed below in alphabetical order:
Appalachian State
Binghamton
Bloomsburg
Boise State
Boston University
Cal State - Bakersfield
The Citadel
#17 Cornell
Davidson
Duke
#14 Edinboro
Gardner-Webb
George Mason
#15 Hofstra
Kent State
Liberty
Lock Haven
#22 Maryland
#4 Minnesota
#21 Navy
North Carolina
UNC Greensboro
North Carolina State
Ohio
#24 Old Dominion
Virginia
Virginia Tech
VMI
December 26, 2007
Iowa State standout Jake Varner following in Sanderson's footsteps
Iowa State standout Jake Varner following in Sanderson's footsteps
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
12/25/2007
Jake Varner was a freshman in high school when he read about four-time NCAA champion Cael Sanderson in Sports Illustrated.
When Varner traveled to New York City with his high school team a year later to watch the World Championships, he saw Sanderson capture a silver medal.
Varner loved the way Sanderson wrestled and marveled at how humble an elite athlete of his caliber was.
Like Sanderson, Varner was heavily recruited coming out of high school. The Bakersfield, Calif., native was leaning toward joining high-school teammate Nathan Morgan at Oklahoma State. That’s where he thought he was headed after making his recruiting visit to Stillwater, Okla. Varner had visits lined up to Iowa State and Iowa the following two weekends, but planned on canceling them.
“I was ready to commit after my visit to Oklahoma State,� Varner said. “But my dad said, ‘You need to talk to Cael first.’ �
Talking to Cael, and everyone else involved with the Iowa State program, changed everything for Varner. Sitting next to his parents on the flight home to California, Varner turned to his father and said he was going to become a Cyclone. Sanderson, who had just won an Olympic gold medal, was a big reason why.
“Meeting Cael was really awesome – he made a huge impression on me,� said Varner, a two-time California state champion. “Plus I felt like I really fit in with the guys at Iowa State. Right then, I knew that was where I needed to go to achieve my goals.�
Coming to Iowa State already has paid huge dividends for Varner, who placed second at the 2007 NCAA Championships as a freshman. The ISU sophomore is unbeaten and ranked No. 1 nationally at 184 pounds this season.
Sanderson was an assistant coach to Bobby Douglas at Iowa State when Varner chose ISU. Sanderson then became the Cyclone head coach following Varner’s redshirt season in Ames.
“I work out with Cael as much as I can,� Varner said. “He’s helped me so much with everything – on my feet, down on the mat. He’s a great coach and he’s so knowledgeable. I have improved so much since I came here. Cael’s had a huge impact on me. He’s been the best wrestler in the World – he obviously knows what he is talking about.�
Varner entered the 2007 NCAA Championships in Auburn Hills, Mich., as the No. 6 seed at 184 after placing second at the Big 12 tournament.
But Varner, who entered the tournament with seven losses, knocked off No. 2 seed and returning NCAA runner-up Roger Kish of Minnesota in the semifinals. Varner won 4-2 in overtime. Kish had defeated Varner twice during the season.
“I just had it in my head that there was no way I was going to lose to Kish again,� Varner said. “I didn’t really change my game plan a whole lot. I just had the mindset that, ‘There is no way I am going to lose this match.’ �
Varner fell to No. 1 seed Jake Herbert of Northwestern in the NCAA finals. Varner helped lead ISU to a second-place finish in the team race and became the first Cyclone freshman since Sanderson in 1999 to reach the NCAA finals.
“Jake did an incredible job at NCAAs and executed what he had been working on,� Sanderson said. “He wasn’t worried about being a freshman. He went out there to compete and went out there to win. Every time he steps on the mat he expects to win.�
Varner already owns a pair of wins over the No. 2 Kish this season. He beat Kish in the all-star dual and in a dual meet at Minnesota.
“That was great for Jake,� Sanderson said. “Anytime you wrestle top competition you get better. I know he was real excited for that opportunity.�
Varner’s second win over Kish this season led ISU to a dual win over then-No. 1 Minnesota. The Gophers are the returning NCAA tournament champions.
The Cyclones followed by dropping a home dual to Iowa, despite a win by Varner. Iowa is now ranked No. 1 in a season where parity has been a recurring theme.
“We’ve put that loss to Iowa behind us already,� Varner said. “We’ve changed some things and improved since then. We’re constantly working to get better. We hate losing to them, but we’re looking at the big picture at NCAAs.�
The 6-foot-1 Varner, a tough, physical, hard-nosed wrestler, is difficult to score on. Putting more points on the board has been an area of emphasis for Varner.
“Jake’s been working real hard on his offense,� Sanderson said. “He has some great shots and you will see more leg attacks from him.�
Similar to Sanderson during his college days, Varner leads largely by example.
“I would say I’m shy and I’m quiet for the most part,� Varner said. “Once you get to know me, I will open up and talk a little bit more. But I’m pretty laid back for the most part.�
Varner said he patterns much of the way he carries himself after Sanderson.
“I love how humble Cael is,� Varner said. “If anyone comes up to him, he will always sign an autograph for them. He never talks about his wins or all that he’s accomplished in his career. You don’t have to be cocky about what you do. I’m pretty much the same way. I don’t like to talk about what I’ve accomplished.�
Varner is part of a star-studded sophomore class at ISU that also includes sophomore national qualifiers Nick Fanthorpe (133), Nick Gallick (141), Mitch Mueller (149), Cyler Sanderson (157) and David Zabriskie (heavyweight).
“We’re all real close to each other,� Varner said. “We all help each other and push each other in the room. I give a lot of credit to those guys for helping me. They all work really hard. It’s a great group of guys.�
The influence of ISU assistant coach Tim Hartung, a two-time NCAA champion for Minnesota and a past U.S. World Team member, also has paid off for Varner.
Hartung recruited Varner when Hartung was as an assistant coach at Iowa. Sanderson hired Hartung at Iowa State prior to the 2006-07 season.
“It has all worked out the best for me with Hartung being here now,� Varner said. “I like wrestling with Hartung – you really have to earn your takedowns with him. He’s taught me a lot. He has a great personality. I love working with him.�
Another aspect of the Iowa State program Varner likes is that Sanderson keeps the team loose off the mat.
It’s a side of Sanderson a lot of people don’t see.
“Cael jokes around with us a lot,� Varner said. “He has that real dry sense of humor where he is sarcastic and keeps you off guard. He loves video games and we’ve played them at his house. It’s a fun release away from wrestling.�
Varner said he plans to jump right into freestyle wrestling once the current college season ends. He made the U.S. Junior World Team the summer after he finished high school.
“I will wrestle in Las Vegas (at April’s U.S. Nationals) and try to make the Olympic Team this year,� he said. “One of my goals is to win the Olympics.�
For now, a more immediate goal is capturing his first NCAA title this March in St. Louis.
“I just have to keep working to get better in all three positions,� Varner said. “I’ve been working on my feet and on my shots. I’m working to get better on top. And I’ve improved in the down position – I had a hard time getting away from people last year. That’s where I got beat.�
The memory of the 2007 NCAA finals loss to Herbert, who is taking an Olympic redshirt this season, is motivation enough.
“My goal last year was to win the NCAA title,� Varner said. “I hate losing and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I learned from that loss. I’m a much better wrestler now.�
Ben Askren Blog Post on Flo
Hello again everyone, it has been quite a while since you have heard from me. So I thought maybe as my present to you I would give you a little insight into whats going on in my life. I have had a great fall, it has been both productive and entertaining. I have gotten to compete a lot, travel and make many new friends. Right now as I write this blog I am sitting in Keith Gavin's living room. I have been in Pittsburgh the last six days training with Keith and Jake Herbert. I have gotten in a lot of training, learned some new things and even got to play some disc golf yesterday with Matt Storniolo, Sam Hazewinkel, Mark MckNight, Joe Campoli, Andrew Sherry Drew Headlee and Keith. It really amazes me how many good wrestlers can some from such a small area of the country. I have also spent a lot of time this fall in Colorado Springs refining my freestyle skills. I have made a lot of new friends out there too and that is great because I really hated sitting in a dorm room for 10 hours a day. Being out in the Springs has also given me the opportunity to see Coach Horton a lot and watch his baby boy Max grow up. Tomorrow I leave for Wisconsin so I get to be home for the holidays, who wouldn't love that. I am most excited to see Coach Mesenbrink, who I think is one of the best HS coaches around, and check out how the Arrowhead warhawks are doing. My plans going into 2008 look really solid. I will wrestle the world cup in February, US Open in April, Olympic Trials in June and the Olympics in August. If everything goes as planned I can run the table through those four events and think about hanging up the shoes for a while. I hope everyone has happy holidays and feel free to holla at ya boy any time you feel the need.
Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum displays 'amazing commitment' as model student-athlete
Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum displays 'amazing commitment' as model student-athlete
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
12/19/2007
The news arrived via text message early Tuesday night.
And Michigan wrestling coach Joe McFarland couldn’t have been happier when the words flashed across the screen of his cell phone.
Wolverines senior Eric Tannenbaum notified his coach that he had been accepted to Rush Medical School in Chicago.
Five years ago, McFarland sat in Tannenbaum’s house on a recruiting visit and listened as the multi-talented young athlete outlined his goals.
“Eric told me he wanted to be a doctor,� McFarland said. “He always had this goal beyond wrestling and never wavered from that. And now just look at his resume, wow, it’s really something. Everything he does, he does it the best way he possibly can. Look at the time commitment it takes just to compete in wrestling. And then look at the time commitment it takes to compete in the classroom. What he’s done is pretty amazing.�
The neuroscience major who carries a 3.84 grade-point average also can mix it up on the mat. Tannenbaum is off to a 10-0 start and is ranked No. 1 in the country at 165 pounds this season.
Anybody on the Michigan wrestling team who needs a tip on how to manage their time know exactly where to turn.
When you’re aspiring to not only become an NCAA champion, but also looking to become a doctor, squeezing the most out of every minute of every day becomes a huge priority.
Just consider a typical day during the college wrestling career for Tannenbaum, an All-American on the mat and an Academic All-American off it:
His alarm rings before sunrise, so Tannenbaum can start the day with an early-morning workout on the Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mich.
He follows with a busy day in the classroom, which includes challenging courses like organic chemistry, biochemistry and genetics.
A full-scale wrestling practice with the entire Michigan team follows late in the afternoon.
After grabbing something to eat, he’s headed to the library to study around 7 p.m. Most nights he’s there until around midnight.
Welcome to the world of your model student-athlete. The 22-year-old Tannenbaum is a three-time All-American for the Wolverines after placing fourth, sixth and fourth in the NCAA tournament.
His feats in the classroom are equally as impressive. The lowest grade he’s received in college was a B-plus.
Talk with Tannebaum for a few minutes and you can sense the drive he has to be the best athletically and academically.
That first B-plus he received in college, in a philosophy class, still gnaws at him a little bit.
“I wasn’t very happy about it,� he said. “I needed an 85 on my final, which was an essay, and they gave me an 84.�
A three-time Illinois state champion and two-time Junior Nationals champion, Tannenbaum could have wrestled virtually anywhere he wanted after also posting a 4.3 GPA (with honors classes) in high school.
He chose Michigan, a place he calls “a perfect match.�
“I almost went to Harvard because it was Harvard – but I didn’t really feel like I fit in there,� he said. “The best advice I got was you have to trust your gut instinct and see where you might fit in. I wanted a school with the best combination of academics and a strong wrestling team, and Michigan was by far the best choice for me. It’s an awesome school.�
Tannenbaum has been busy this fall interviewing with a number of medical schools that are considering him. He hopes to eventually work in orthopedics or plastics.
In addition to Rush Medical School, Tannenbaum said he also has interviewed with medical schools at Missouri, Georgetown, Boston and Indiana.
When Tannenbaum arrived back in Detroit earlier this season after winning the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, he stayed in the airport while his teammates headed back to nearby Ann Arbor. Tannenbaum had to catch a flight to Chicago for an interview at Rush Medical School.
He has an interview scheduled with the University of Michigan’s medical school on Friday. He said around 7,000 people applied for medical school at Michigan, 500 people are interviewed and 150 are accepted.
As you can imagine, education was a big priority in the Tannenbaum home. His father, Mitchell, is a physical therapist, and his mother, Michele, is a speech and language pathologist.
“Education has always come first,� Tannenbaum said. “Wrestling was important too, but my dad told me if my grades ever started slipping he would pull me out of wrestling.�
Even with all his success in wrestling and being known around the country, the Eric Tannenbaum who wrestles for Michigan may not be the most famous person named Eric Tannenbaum.
The executive producer for the CBS sitcom “Two and a half Men� is named Eric Tannenbaum.
“Yeah, my parents pointed that out to me,� the Tannenbaum who wrestles said. “He’s not related, but I wish he was.�
The man who will be Tannenbaum’s toughest challenger on the mat is expected to be returning NCAA champion and second-ranked Mark Perry of Iowa. Tannenbaum beat Perry in a dual meet last season before Perry downed Tannenbaum in the Big Ten finals.
Perry knocked off two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State in the 2007 NCAA finals while Tannenbaum placed fourth.
“Perry relies on being able to outfunk people,� Tannenbaum said. “He will wait for you to shoot and put on a cradle like he did to (Northern Iowa’s) Moza Fay. In the Big Tens, I was a little hesitant against him and forced a shot. You need to be aggressive against Perry, but you also have to be patient and selective as far as when you shoot. You have to finish strong against him.�
Tannenbaum competed at 149 pounds his first two seasons at Michigan, but the grind of managing his weight coupled with his demanding academic schedule put a strain on him.
“Trying to wrestle and taking all these hard classes, it was really rough at times,� he said. “I essentially didn’t have much of a social life for 2½ to 3 years. It was pretty intense. If you utilize your time efficiently it was manageable. But it was pretty crazy at times.�
Tannenbaum’s performance on the mat actually dropped off from his freshman to his sophomore season. He went 36-5 as a freshman, won the Big Ten title and placed fourth in the country. As a sophomore, he slipped to 26-11, took fifth at Big Tens and was sixth at the NCAA meet.
During the summer between his sophomore and junior seasons, Tannenbaum talked about bumping up a weight class. He ended up moving up two, as did teammate Steve Luke.
“The last year I wrestled 149 I didn’t feel good at all,� he said. “I was losing to people I shouldn’t be losing to and I felt like crap out there. It affected me negatively in school as well.�
Tannenbaum moved from 149 to 165 for the 2006-07 season while Luke jumped from 157 to 174. Both were All-Americans last season.
“I figured I would probably move up to 157,� Tannenbaum said. “But in the summer, I started weighing more and started leaning toward going 165. I talked to Steve Luke and our coaches about it, and it’s worked out great. I eat pretty much whatever I want now. I feel great.�
Tannenbaum went 28-3 as a junior at 165 before piecing together his 10-match winning streak to start his final season.
It would appear Tannenbaum’s wrestling career will end after March’s NCAA Championships in St. Louis. But Tannenbaum, a past member of the U.S. Junior World Team in freestyle, hasn’t ruled out taking a shot at making the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.
“You are allowed to defer a year after you get accepted to medical school,� he said. “I may take a look at wrestling after the NCAAs and see if I have the drive after that. I may consider making a run at the (2008) Olympics after the college season is over.�
Tannenbaum, from Naperville, Ill., also has benefited from his association with Coach Sean Bormet and the highly successful Overtime School of Wrestling in suburban Chicago. Bormet was an All-American for Michigan.
“I spent a lot of time there my last two years of high school and I’ve worked out there in the summers,� he said. “That’s been a huge asset for me. Sean’s a great coach – he’s so knowledgeable.�
McFarland said Tannenbaum, who always has been very skilled on his feet, has addressed some areas where he needed to improve.
“Eric’s mat skills have really improved,� McFarland said. “His down wrestling is getting better, and he’s also better on top. He really stepped back after last season and looked at what he needed to do better to win nationals this year.�
Tannenbaum is not the only Michigan wrestler who excels on and off the mat. McFarland said the Wolverines are the only team in the country to finish in the top 10 nationally on the mat and in the classroom the past two seasons.
“We have a lot of good students and Eric’s been leading the charge,� McFarland said. “What he’s done has been great for our younger guys to see.�
Just when Tannenbaum’s story seems almost too inspiring to be true, McFarland offers another tidbit about his prized pupil.
“Did Eric tell you about the work he’s done in our community program?� McFarland asked. “He goes up and visits kids at the Children’s Hospital at the U of M. It’s a program called ‘From the Heart’ where the student-athletes at Michigan go and visit the kids. It’s a big deal for these young, sick kids to see the football players, wrestlers and other athletes come in and spend time with them. It’s a pretty neat program and Eric’s spent a lot of time doing it.�
McFarland said that involvement provides a glimpse of what lies ahead for Tannenbaum.
“Eric will make a terrific doctor someday,� McFarland said.
While he continues to weigh his options for medical school, Tannenbaum is looking forward to his last semester of college.
He’s only taking one class. And he may actually have an opportunity to sleep in for once.
“Every other year I’ve had enormous distractions with difficult classes or something else going on,� he said. “This is the only semester I’ve had where I can basically just focus 100 percent on wrestling. It’s going to make a tremendous difference. All I’m going to do is train and compete. I hope it gives me the edge this year.�
>> I don't think he will be doing any MMA after college..
December 22, 2007
Amateur Wrestling Video selection
Here are a couple samples of the new wrestling video library on TheWrestlingTalk.com.
December 21, 2007
University of Iowa Standout Mark Perry Jr Arrested
Hawkeye college wrestler Mark Perry, Jr., was arrested on Thursday for driving while suspended.
According to police documents, Perry, a senior from Stillwater, Okla., was arrested at 4:22 p.m. at 1421 Coral Ridge Ave. in Coralville.
Online records show that Perry, who was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Wednesday, was ticketed and fined for an insurance violation in 2006, speeding in 2004, and failure to display his vehicle registration in 2003.
Perry, who wrestles at 165 pounds, is ranked second nationally. Last season, Perry was both NCAA and Big Ten champion. He named an All-American in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons.
December 18, 2007
Reno Tournament of Champions Wrestling Tournament
I haven't seen much information out there for the Reno Tournament of Champions, however, there is chatter on the two wrestling forums. You can view the brackets and discuss the event at the Reno Tournament of Champions thread.
Registration is going on today for both High School and College, and College competition begins tomorrow. The High School portion begins the day after tomorrow (DEC 20th) and runs two days.
College (NCAA) Wrestling Videos
TheWrestlingTalk has released an amateur wrestling videos section that can be used by all members. There are college wrestling videos, high school wrestling videos, and much more. Currently all YouTube videos are included in the section, with plans of adding all flowrestling.
TheWrestlingTalk NCAA Wrestling Rankings
TheWrestlingTalk.com has released their December community rankings. This set of NCAA Wrestling Rankings include user opinions up through December 12th. Minnesota, even having lost a dual meet to Iowa State retained the #1 ranking. Iowa and ISU fans, keep in mind that these rankings are voted on by the users of the community and in do not necessarily reflect the views of the moderators.
Check out all of the College Wrestling Rankings.
December 12, 2007
InterMat/NWMA/NWCA Division I Individual Wrestling Rankings DEC 11th
D1 NCAA Wrestling Rankings
Rank Team (First) Record Points Previous
1 Iowa (12) 5-0 480 4
2 Iowa State 6-1 462 1
3 Penn State 4-0 457 5
4 Minnesota 6-1 449 2
5 Oklahoma State 5-1 431 3
6 Central Michigan 5-0 419 6
7 Michigan 4-1 407 7
8 Missouri 2-0 397 8
9 Northwestern 2-1 380 9
10 UT-Chattanooga 5-0 365 11
11 Nebraska 3-1 356 12
12 Ohio State 5-1 340 13
13 Wisconsin 4-1-1 334 10
14 Edinboro 3-0 325 15
15 Hofstra 3-3 323 14
16 Indiana 6-0 298 17
17 Cornell 0-1 294 16
18 Illinois 2-0 273 18
19 Oklahoma 4-1 262 20
20 Pittsburgh 2-0 260 19
21 Navy 0-0 238 21
22 Penn 1-0 223 22
23 Maryland 7-3 221 23
24 Old Dominion 3-1 187 24
25 Northern Iowa 0-0-1 138 NR
Dropped out: #25 Harvard
Others receiving votes: Harvard, Stanford.
The USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Coaches Poll is voted on by a representative member of each Division I wrestling conference and one wild card.
The InterMat/NWCA/NWMA Individual Rankings are voted on by members of the National Wrestling Media Association.
InterMat/NWMA/NWCA Division I Individual Rankings
125
1 Paul Donahoe Jr. Nebraska
2 Angel Escobedo So. Indiana
3 Jayson Ness So. Minnesota
4 Tanner Gardner Sr. Stanford
5 Charlie Falck Jr. Iowa
6 Mark McKnight Sr. Penn State
7 Brandon Precin So. Northwestern
8 Rollie Peterkin So. Penn
9 Dave Tom asette Sr. Hofstra
10 Javier Maldanado Sr. UT-Chattanooga
11 Tony Pescaglia Fr. Missouri
12 Gabe Flores Sr. Illinois
13 Mike Sees Sr. Bloomsburg
14 Luke Smith Sr. Central Michigan
15 Fernando Martinez Sr. Army
16 Boris Novachkov Fr. Cal Poly
17 Brandon Kinney Sr. Columbia
18 Collin Cudd Sr. Wisconsin
19 Anthony Robles. Fr. Arizona State
20 Nic Bedelyon Fr. Kent State
133
1 Coleman Scott Sr. Oklahoma State
2 Lou Ruggirello So. Hofstra
3 Tyler McCormick Sr. Missouri
4 Franklin Gomez So. Michigan State
5 Joey Slaton So. Iowa
6 Nick Fanthorpe So. Iowa State
7 Mack Reiter Sr. Minnesota
8 Jimmy Kennedy So. Illinois
9 Andrae Hernandez So. Indiana
10 Eric Albright Jr. Virginia
11 Pat Castillo Sr. Northern Illinois
12 Dan Mitcheff So. Kent State
13 Kenny Jordan Jr. Nebraska
14 Mike Grey Fr. Cornell
15 T.J. Dillashaw Jr. Cal State Fullerton
16 Reece Humphrey So. Ohio State
17 Filip Novachkov So. Cal Poly
18 Zach Tanelli Jr. Wisconsin
19 Jeff Hedges Sr. UNC Greensboro
20 Conor Beebe So. Central Michigan
141
1 Ryan Lang Sr. Northwestern
2 Kellen Russell Fr. Michigan
3 Jake Strayer Jr. Penn State
4 Charles Griffin Sr. Hofstra
5 Nathan Morgan Sr. Oklahoma State
6 Chad Mendes Sr. Cal Poly
7 Manuel Rivera Sr. Minnesota
8 Joe Caramanica Jr. N.C. State
9 Kyle Ruschell So. Wisconsin
10 J Jaggers Jr. Ohio State
11 Zack Bailey So. Oklahoma
12 C.J. Ettelson Sr. Northern Iowa
13 Ryan Williams Jr. Old Dominion
14 Drew Lashaway Jr. Kent State
15 Carter Downing Sr. Wyoming
16 Steve Adamscik Sr. Rutgers
17 Eric Kruger Jr. Central Michigan
18 Dan LeClere So. Iowa
19 Levi Jones So. Boise State
20 Matt Kyler So. Army
149
1 Dustin Schlatter Jr. Minnesota
2 Darrion Caldwell So. N.C. State
3 J.P. O'Connor So. Harvard
4 Bubba Jenkins So. Penn State
5 Brent Metcalf So. Iowa
6 Jordan Burroughs So. Nebraska
7 Josh Churella Sr. Michigan
8 Lance Palmer So. Ohio State
9 Will Rowe Jr. Oklahoma
10 Morgan Atkinson Sr. Cal State- Fullerton
11 Brandon Carter Sr. Central Michigan
12 Eric Medina Fr. Maryland
13 Scott Ervin Sr. Appalachian State
14 Mitch Mueller So. Iowa State
15 Kyle Fried Sr. Binghamton
16 Josh Wagner Jr. Missouri
17 Adam Hall Fr. Boise State
18 Don Fisch Sr. Rider
19 Kaylen Baxter So. Old Dominion
20 Cesar Grajales So. Penn
157
1 Mike Poeta Jr. Illinois
2 Gregor Gillespie Jr. Edinboro
3 Craig Henning Sr. Wisconsin
4 Cyler Sanderson So. Iowa State
5 Jordan Leen Sr. Cornell
6 Matt Kocher Sr. Pittsburgh
7 Ryan Hluschak Sr. Drexel
8 Brandon Becker Sr. Indiana
9 Chase Pami So. Cal Poly
10 C.P. Schlatter Sr. Minnesota
11 Dan Vallimont So. Penn State
12 Tyler Sherfey Jr. Boise State
13 Michael Chandler Jr. Missouri
14 Josh Zupancic Sr. Stanford
15 Matt Moley So. Bloomsburg
16 Zac Fryling Sr. West Virginia
17 Chris Oliver Jr. Nebraska
18 Jeff Marsh Sr. Michigan
19 Newly McSpadden So. Oklahoma State
20 Ryan Morningstar So. Iowa
165
1 Eric Tannenbaum Sr. Michigan
2 Mark Perry Sr. Iowa
3 Matt Coughlin So. Indiana
4 Pat Pitsch Sr. Arizona State
5 Moza Fay Jr. Northern Iowa
6 Jon Reader Fr. Iowa State
7 Nick Marable So. Missouri
8 Stephen Dwyer So. Nebraska
9 Jake Dieffenbach Sr. Oklahoma State
10 Mike Cannon So. American
11 Roger Smith-Bergsrud Jr. Illinois
12 Trevor Stewart Jr. Central Michigan
13 Max Dean Sr. Oklahoma
14 Mack Lewnes Fr. Cornell
15 Scott Glasser So. Minnesota
16 Keegan Mueller Sr. North Carolina
17 Chris Brown So. Old Dominion
18 Jarrod King Jr. Edinboro
19 Andy Rendos So. Bucknell
20 Marcus Effner Sr. Cleveland State
174
1 Keith Gavin Sr. Pittsburgh
2 Steve Luke Jr. Michigan
3 Brandon Sinnott Sr. Central Michigan
4 Brandon Mason Jr. Oklahoma State
5 Brandon Browne So. Nebraska
6 Matt Stolpinski Sr. Navy
7 Gabe Dretsch Sr. Minnesota
8 Mike Letts So. Maryland
9 Duke Burk So. Northern Illinois
10 Nick Hayes Sr. Northwestern
11 Steve Anceravage Jr. Cornell
12 Phil Moricone Jr. Edinboro
13 John Dergo So. Illinois
14 Alton Lucas Jr. Hofstra
15 Josh Patterson So. Binghamton
16 Alex Dolly Sr. Northern Iowa
17 Jay Borschel So. Iowa
18 Eric Decker So. Virginia Tech
19 Lloyd Rogers So. UT-Chattanooga
20 Tyler Bernacchi Jr. UC Davis
184
1 Jake Varner So. Iowa State
2 Roger Kish Sr. Minnesota
3 Christian Sinnott Sr. Central Michigan
4 Tyrel Todd Jr. Michigan
5 Mike Pucillo So. Ohio State
6 Raymond Jordan Jr. Missouri
7 Rocco Caponi Jr. Virginia
8 Louis Caputo Jr. Harvard
9 Josh Weitzel Sr. Oklahoma
10 Vince Jones Jr. Nebraska
11 Doug Umbehauer Jr. Rider
12 Trevor Brandvold So. Wisconsin
13 Lior Zamir Jr. Penn
14 Ian Murphy Sr. Cal State- Fullerton
15 Phil Bomberger Jr. Penn State
16 Marc Bennett Sr. Indiana
17 David Craig So. Lehigh.
18 Josh Haines Jr. Maryland
19 Brent Chriswell Fr. Arizona State
20 Ryan Goodman Jr. N.C. State
197
1 Josh Glenn Sr. American
2 Phil Davis Sr. Penn State
3 Mike Tamillow Sr. Northwestern
4 Craig Brester So. Nebraska
5 Joel Flaggert Sr. Oklahoma
6 Wynn Michalak Sr. Central Michigan
7 Dallas Herbst Jr. Wisconsin
8 Joe Rovelli Sr. Hofstra
9 Max Askren So. Missouri
10 Matt Koz Sr. UT-Chattanooga
11 Hudson Taylor So. Maryland
12 Daren Burns Sr. UNC Greensboro
13 Patrick Bond So. Illinois
14 Jared Villers Sr. West Virginia
15 Pat Bradshaw So. Edinboro
16 Joe Williams Sr. Michigan State
17 David Bertolino Sr. Iowa State
18 Jason Trulson Sr. Arizona State
19 Anthony Biondo Fr. Michigan
20 Andrew Anderson Jr. Northern Iowa
285
1 Dustin Fox Sr. Northwestern
2 Bubba Gritter Sr. Central Michigan
3 J.D. Bergman Sr. Ohio State
4 Wade Sauer Jr. Cal State-Fullerton
5 Matt Fields Sr. Iowa
6 David Zabriskie So. Iowa State
7 Jared Rosholt So. Oklahoma State
8 Dustin Rogers Sr. West Virginia
9 Zach Hammond Jr. Cornell
10 Kyle Massey Jr. Wisconsin
11 John Wise Jr. Illinois
12 Mark Ellis So. Missouri
13 Jon May Sr. Nebraska
14 Ed Prendergast Sr. Navy
15 Zach Sheaffer Jr. Pittsburgh
16 Mike Spaid Sr. Bloomsburg
17 Joe Fendone Jr. Edinboro
18 Nathan Fernandez Fr. Oklahoma
19 Jermail Porter Sr. Kent State
20 Reece Hopkin Sr. Northern Colorado
December 10, 2007
University of Iowa upsets #1 Iowa State
The University of Iowa wrestling team knocked off top-ranked Iowa State, 20-13, Sunday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. A sold-out crowd of 8,988 saw Iowa improve to 5-0 and hand Iowa State (6-1) its first loss of the season. Iowa scored two points in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series with the win to make the series score 16-5. Iowa State clinched the 2007-08 series title earlier this week.
The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 13-0 lead with wins at the first four weights. Hawkeye junior Charlie Falck scored an 8-4 decision over Cyclone redshirt freshman Mark Kist at 125 to open the dual. Iowa sophomore Joe Slaton handed Iowa State's Nick Fanthorpe his first loss of the season with a 6-5 win at 133. Sophomore Dan LeClere followed with a 3-1 win over Nick Gallick at 141 to give Iowa a 9-0 advantage, and sophomore Brent Metcalf scored the first bonus points of the dual with a 14-4 major decision over Iowa City native Mitch Mueller at 149. Iowa State put its first team points on the board when sophomore Cyler Sanderson scored a 10-5 major decision over sophomore Ryan Morningstar at 157. Sanderson took Morningstar to his back with over one minute remaining in the third period, but the Morningstar held on to avoid the pin.
Iowa State struck first after the intermission when redshirt freshman Jon Reader scored a 7-3 decision over Iowa redshirt freshman Jake Kerr at 165. Kerr was wrestling for Hawkeye starter Mark Perry, who was serving a one-meet suspension after being disqualified for misconduct during Iowa's Nov. 24 dual with Old Dominion. Hawkeye sophomore Jay Borschel scored crucial team points with an 18-7 win over Aron Scott at 174.
The Cyclones rallied with wins at 184 and 197 to make the score 17-13. Iowa State sophomore Jake Varner improved his undefeated mark to 6-0 with a 4-1 win over Hawkeye sophomore Phillip Keddy at 184, and senior David Bertolino scored a 16-5 major decision over sophomore Chad Beatty at 197. Hawkeye senior Matt Fields sealed the team win with a 6-3 decision over sophomore David Zabriskie at heavyweight.
Iowa (5-0) will host its first duals of the 2007-08 season Thursday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes will face Northern Iowa (0-0-1) at 6:30 p.m. and Cornell (3-1) at 8:00 p.m.
December 9, 2007
Gophers Bounce back against Nebraska
It's not about how you start, but how you finish. The Golden Gopher college wrestling team (4-1, 0-0) proved this to be true Thursday night as they dropped the first two matches only to come back and win six of the remaining eight matches to defeat Nebraska (2-1, 0-0) 25-13 at the Sports Pavilion.
This marks to second season in a row where Minnesota has dropped its first dual of the year, only to bounce back and win the next. Minnesota has not lost back-to-back home duals since January 28-30, 2005.
In a dual where many matches were decided in the last 30 seconds, Minnesota found a way to prevail out a match-up of two nationally-ranked squads. The turning point of the dual was fifth-ranked Mack Reiter's last-second win over Nebraska's No. 12 Kenny Jordan, giving Minnesota its first lead of the night at the 133 pound match (the meet began at 197 pounds). After losing two matches early, including an early heartbreaker for redshirt freshman heavyweight Ben Berhow, Minnesota pulled away for the comfortable victory. Minnesota is now 46-17-0 against the Cornhuskers all-time.
After Craig Brester defeated Justin Bronson 11-1 at 197 pounds to open the meet, Minnesota found themselves in an early 4-0 hole. Unfortunately, Berhow was turned away in the final seconds to fall by one point to the No. 14 Jon May, a Minnesota high school standout, to put Nebraska ahead 7-0.
The night's most highly-anticipated match never took place. Defending national champion and top-ranked Paul Donahue did not make the trip north for Nebraska due to an injury suffered last week. Minnesota's No. 3 Jayson Ness earned six team points for the victory by forfeit.
At 133 pounds, Jordan started things off quick for Nebraska, taking down Reiter within the first nine seconds. Despite being shaken up by the initial impact, both wrestlers continued their aggressive style as Reiter struggled to escape from the ride of Nebraska's Jordan. For all but the first nine seconds of the first period, Reiter found himself failing to break out of Jordan's grasp as the Cornhusker accumulated 2:51 riding time.
While Reiter was able to wipe out a minute of riding time in the second period, the gap increased as Jordan earned an escape to push the score to 3-0. This didn't last in the third, however, as Reiter was able to take down Jordan 15 seconds into the period, bringing the score to 3-2 and eating away at Jordan's riding time.
After a Jordan escape, the two locked up again, continuing to struggle for position, but it was a stalling call against Jordan that swung momentum in Reiter's favor. A Reiter takedown with just three seconds remaining in the match brought the crowd to its feet, giving Reiter the edge 5-4 and Minnesota the lead in the dual at 9-7.
Other highlights on the night for Minnesota were the performances of No. 2 Manny Rivera and top-ranked Dustin Schlatter, as each picked up wins to add to their undefeated seasons. Rivera's performance was an offensive showcase, as he came out fighting with a takedown on Nebraska's Robert Sanders halfway through the first period to give him the early lead. A late escape for Sanders cut into Rivera's advantage, but that wouldn't last as Rivera reversed the Nebraska ride and gained another three points on a nearfall that he would sustain through the final 30 seconds of the period. The third period belonged to Rivera, as he thwarted Jordan's escape attempt with a quick takedown and proceeded to cruise from there, with another takedown and nearfall to ultimately give him the 15-3 major decision.
Schlatter's match, on the other hand, was a gritty battle with No. 6 Jordan Burroughs. Despite a lockup to start the match, Schlatter found himself in control from the beginning. After an early second period escape gave him a 1-0 lead, Schlatter came out in the third period looking to pull ahead. As the stalemate continued, Burroughs finally put a point on the board with an escape with slightly over a minute left in the third. Despite a last-minute effort by Burroughs to take down the elusive Schlatter, riding time advantage gave Minnesota the win, 2-1, and make the final score 25-13 in favor of the Gophers.
Minnesota travels to the West Coast Saturday for two dual meets. They will take on Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo beginning at 7 p.m. CST (5 p.m. Pacific). After several weeks off for the holiday break, Minnesota will return to action at the National Duals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Jan 12-13. The Gophers come back home on January 20 when they host South Dakota State at 2:00 pm in the Sport Pavilion.
December 7, 2007
College Wrestling Recap for November
Jason Bryant (InterMat) released a roundup of College Wrestling's November!
The Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational shook up the national rankings something fierce this week and with the semester break coming up, some teams are thriving, some teams are banged up and some teams are ready for the rest.
Here’s how we break down the first month of the season.
1. Iowa State: The Cyclones are #1 heading into their much-anticipated match with cross-state rival Iowa. The win over Minnesota thrust Iowa State into the top spot, keyed by wins from Nick Fanthorpe and Cyler Sanderson.
2. Minnesota: The Gophers dropped a spot after the 18-13 loss to ISU on Sunday and still have a question mark at 197 with the revolving door of Brent Eidenschink, Yura Malamura and Justin Bronson. Jayson Ness, Manny Rivera and C.P. Schlatter have been very strong and the only thing that’s stopped Roger Kish so far this year has been Jake Varner.
3. Oklahoma State: Ranked third, the Cowboys, for some reason, don’t strike fear into the hearts of the fans residing outside of Stillwater. The youngsters are progressing well and will be All-American contenders later in the year. Ben Ashmore, Quinten Fuentes, Cody Hill and now Clayton Foster are first-time starters and have done modestly well in the early going. Jake Dieffenbach could be the real x-factor if he continues his solid transition to Division I wrestling.
4. Iowa: Without Mark Perry on Sunday, the Hawkeyes will be at a noted disadvantage, but they do match-up well with Iowa State. Losing Dan Dennis early has hurt, but Joey Slaton’s filled in and is ranked. Hawkeye fans don’t feel any drop-off with either wrestler. 197 is still a question mark, but as we saw last year, anything can happen when it’s Iowa and Iowa State.
5. Penn State: Started off with two solid wins, but will be really tested when they travel to Stillwater this weekend. The Nittany Lions don’t match-up well with the Cowboys, but Mark McKnight seems to be regaining his form, Jake Strayer had the big win over Charles Griffin, but the odd loss to teammate Garrett Scott. The rest of the Nittany Lion lineup is solid and hard to beat. Bubba Jenkins hasn’t had the competition the rest of the field at 149 has as yet, but PSU needs him to live up to his billing.
6. Central Michigan: Five duals wrestled and only five individual losses. Tom Borrelli’s team is just strong top to bottom. The Chippewas don’t have the tournament points (on paper) that some of the big guns above them have, but they are a real problem matchup because their kids don’t make mistakes and they are ready to wrestle each and every time. They’re impressive.
7. Michigan: Save the loss to Maryland early in the season, the Wolverines moved up after a victory at the Las Vegas Invitational. Joe McFarland’s team is ranked seventh, the highest team ranked that competed in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Kellen Russell has been a big plus early on.
8. Missouri: It wasn’t the best of performances from the Tigers, failing to win any titles in Las Vegas despite having more than its share of Top 10 wrestlers. Tony Pescaglia had a rough start to the season, but finished a strong second in Vegas. Nick Marable’s becoming a go-to guy and Raymond Jordan’s ready to carry the torch. Max Askren has been beaten twice already this year, something that didn’t happen until March last season.
9. Northwestern: Without a bucket of starters, the Wildcats dropped a loss to Northern Illinois. Brandon Precin’s been real solid at 125, Eric Metzler’s been nursing an injury, as have a few other starters. Ryan Lang still hasn’t decided which weight he’ll be wrestling. He’s certified at 141 and won the Missouri Open at 149 a few weeks ago.
10. Wisconsin: The Badgers are tough, but didn’t wrestle well overall in Vegas. Collin Cudd, a two-time NCAA qualifier, didn’t place; Zach Tanelli and Kyle Ruschell placed lower than expected, but Dallas Herbst was dominant in his title at 197 pounds. Craig Henning dropped to #3 after his loss to Mike Poeta of Illinois.
Teams 11-15
UT-Chattanooga’s ranked 11th, the highest in its history. Matt Koz was named SoCon Wrestler of the Month and the Mocs are a problem dual team to face … Nebraska has seen the benefits of having Kenny Jordan and Vince Jones back in the lineup. The Huskers could have been a threat to win Vegas had Paul Donahoe not defaulted. … Ohio State finished third in Vegas and has seen noticeable progress from Nikko Triggas at 125. Mike Pucillo and J.D. Bergman’s titles in Vegas give the Buckeyes two very troublesome upper weights during the dual season. … Hofstra left a few starters at home before heading to Vegas and didn’t get the expected performances from Charles Griffin and Lou Ruggirello, both top-seeded in the tournament. The Pride have wrestled an aggressive early-season schedule and could need a short rest. … Edinboro has only lost one dual in the past three years. The tiny PSAC school finished eighth in Vegas and saw defending national champion Gregor Gillespie fall in the finals. Jarrod King, while starting a tad slow this season, wrestled well, picking up a win over Patrick Pitsch. When Joe Fendone’s back in the line-up, the Fighting Scots will be that much stronger.
Teams 16-20
Cornell’s got some issues, but still remain a very solid team. Troy Nickerson’s done for the year, Adam Frey’s performance so far has been a complete 180 from the way he started out last season – although that was in late December. … Indiana has some good depth in some weights, while some question marks in others. Down low, the Hoosiers have a great 1-2 punch and in the middle with Brandon Becker and Matt Coughlin, who is adjusting well after moving up two weights. … Illinois, at 18, has a #1 at 157 with the exciting Mike Poeta, but the rest of the squad performed modestly well, but picked off few wrestlers that were seeded ahead of them. … Pitt, to many, is an unknown quantity. The Panthers were pushed earlier this year by Bloomsburg but do have Keith Gavin at 174, the top-ranked wrestler and CKLV champion. The Panthers seem like a better tournament team, and will be much better off when Drew Headlee regains his form. … People have also been sleeping on Oklahoma, but the Sooners have a formidable dual lineup but it’s devoid of the superstar names you’re used to seeing in the Sooner singlet. Max Dean, Josh Weitzel and Joel Flaggert are tough to tangle with, while Zack Bailey is coming on.
Teams 21-25
Navy’s in at 21, but the biggest question has been who’s going heavy. Ed Prendergast was the man in Vegas for the Mids, but Scott Steele’s picked up more than one win over Prendergast. Matt Stolpinski finished fifth in Vegas. … Penn, ranked 22nd, finished 14th in Vegas and opened its year with a dual win over Virginia Tech. Rollie Peterkin’s thriving under Zeke Jones and Rob Eiter, while the rest of the Quakers are solid, but don’t have that “superstar� feel, which makes them that much more dangerous. … 23rd ranked Maryland is rolling and fresh off a big win over Lehigh, Pat Santoro’s former digs. The Terps took a huge step with the win over Michigan at the Northeast Duals and Santoro likes the dual meet track to built his team’s confidence. … Old Dominion jumped into the rankings for the first time in 16 years two weeks ago and the Monarchs have four wrestlers ranked for the first time in school history. Steve Martin’s team has a solid line-up, but has hit four tournaments in the opening month and need some rest before heading to the Scuffle. … Harvard finished 20th in Vegas and hung on to their spot in the Top 25, but when the Crimson hit the second semester, they’ll be bolstered by the return of Rob Preston and Andrew Flanagan, making them a threat in the EIWA.
December 4, 2007
Viva Las Vegas
Two weeks since the last post...and a lot of wrestling later, it definitely feels like my guys are making some big strides.
The Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational has become THE premier early season tournament. It is great for the sport, as teams from all over the country and all divisions that wouldn't normally see each other get to compete against one another. The caliber of the tournament is phenomenal. If you have some time go watch the finals matches. There was some really exciting wrestling from 125 through Heavyweight. I especially recommend the Poeta vs. Gillespie bout. Both of those guys are tremendous wrestlers and it was a true battle of the best in the finals.
Competing in college wrestling is undoubtedly a physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding task. I realize now, however, that the most difficult aspect of the wrestling season is staying healthy. Injuries are so frequent that those who compete the best are those who manage to stay injury-free, or learn how to wrestle through injuries. Very few guys head into the NCAA tournament without a few minor nicks and dings.
Which leads me into Columbia's weekend at Las Vegas. We essentially headed into the tournament with about half of our starting line-up. Due to injury our starting 184, 197, and HWT did not compete. We didn't even enter a wrestler at HWT because both of our guys are currently banged up. So the weekend began with an entry of only 9 wrestlers. By the time the tournament started, our 157 lber Derek Sickles, was added to the injury list, having sprained his ankle in warm-up, and our 174 lber Andy Geving had re-irritated a shoulder injury. So Friday morning first round saw Columbia wrestling with only 5 truly healthy starters.
Yet the guys battled as hard as any other team in the tournament. We had a couple of rough draws right off the bat, with Jerome Greco (133) and Mike Bossetta (197) facing ranked opponents. Bossetta, who wrestled Patrick Bond of Illinois the first round, had to wrestle the number three seed, Darren Burns of UNC Greensboro, in the first round of wrestle-backs. Despite the losses he showed a lot of heart in almost taking down both opponents. At 174, Geving was clearly bothered by his shoulder, and did not seem himself in going 0-2.
At 184 lbs, Kenji Porter showed the team's depth in winning quite a few matches. He stepped up and proved himself to be a true competitor, nearly placing in the tournament. Victor Mocco (165) was wrestling really well until he walked into a vicious headlock early in the wrestle-backs. I give a ton of credit to Vic, because that hold was so tight he was literally purple in the face but he fought it off for almost the whole first period.
The rest of the guys who competed this weekend had a very good showing. At 149 Anthony Constantino had a few very good wins, one of which over a very tough wrestler from Buffalo. Derek Sickles, battling through two sprained ankles, lost a barn-burner to Zupancic of Stanford and another crazy match to Jeff Marsh of Michigan. At 141 Sal Tirico earned the first takedown against Charles Griffin of Hofstra. I'll have to try to post that takedown, because it was easily one of the slickest I have ever seen. He eventually lost the match but proved that he is ready to compete at the next level.
Our lone place winner of the tournament was Brandon Kinney at 125lbs. He made the quarterfinals against a very impressive looking Tanner Gardner of Stanford. Despite the loss he bounced back to beat a tough UC Davis wrestler before losing in 6 OTs to Tomassette of Hofstra. In the 7/8th match he came out a bit flat against Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly, and was never quite able to close the gap.
Ending the tournament on a bunch of losses kind of dampened an otherwise good showing, but it is never good to dwell on the negative. We made some vast improvements from the beginning of the season, and we have a handful of wrestlers who are about to break through to the next level.
These breakthroughs are something that coaching alone can't cause. This is where a wrestler's personal desire and confidence comes into play. There is a line, albeit a very fine line, between being amongst the elite wrestlers in the country and simply being a very good wrestler. Perhaps the best analogy is being an All-American versus being in the Round of 12. The Round of 12 is the do-or-die match of every wrestler's season. Lose and you end up as an "almost All-American," defined simply as a National Qualifier. Win and you are among the nation's elite, defined as an All-American. Yet at this point it comes down to more than the just the physical part of wrestling. Every wrestler at that level is in great shape, is strong, has great technique, and is very athletic. From a physical and technical standpoint each wrestler is about equal.
What a win in that match comes down to is the mental aspect of the sport. The winner in the Round of 12 is the wrestler who wants to win more than his opponent, who believes that he is better, and refuses to lose. The wrestler that is willing to fight for every point, that defends every attack with everything he has, and who will do everything it takes to win at any cost (within the rules) is guy who becomes the victor.
A few of my guys this weekend were at a point that I would equate to the Round of 12. I can help with some of the technique, conditioning, and physical strength but what it ultimately boils down to is the desire to win. That is what it takes to get to the next level. I can explain and pitch this to my guys for hours on end but it takes each individual buying into those beliefs by himself. This is the point where the coaching ends and the wrestler is forced to go on his own. I could yell, scream and force them to train harder but in the end each wrestler has to make that decision on his own. The desire to win doesn't come from the coaches, it comes from deep inside the wrestler. The season will allow us to see who has that desire and who doesn't quite have it.
Which brings up the question...how much of wrestling is mental?? And what does your answer say about where you are mentally?? Perhaps this is where the best guys differ from the rest....
December 3, 2007
TheWrestlingTalk.com Newsletter
Hey Everybody!
This message could get a little long winded, so if you don't want to read our rambling, skip to the bottom for the links to the good stuff!
The returning national champion Minnesota Golden Gophers were downed today by Cael Sanderson's Iowa State Cyclones 18-13. The Gophers started strong with wins at three of the first four weights, but were out gunned in the upper weights. In the marquee match of the evening, 184 pounder Jake Varner added a 3-0 decision over Minnesota's Roger Kish.
Say goodbye to your wrestling bookmarks. TheWrestlingTalk.com released a wrestling toolbar about a month ago that includes links to the major sub-sections on TheWrestlingTalk, InterMat, TheMat, RevWrestling, and FloWrestling. Another major feature is the RSS feed reader; which pulls in news from BigBookOfWrestling.com, RevWrestling, ChicksHEARTFights, and a full feed of College Wrestling Results. You can download the toolbar here:
TheWrestlingTalk.com's Division 1 college wrestling rankings survey is now active. You can jump over to the survey and vote for you're top picks at each weight class. Our innovative ranking method allows each user of the forum to carry weight in TheWrestlingTalk.com polls. The last set of rankings were seen by over 14,000 different people- so don't make TWT look bad! ;) You can vote!
TheWrestlingTalk.com's Fantasy college wrestling league ended week three- the first full week for many of the fantasy lineups. The current leader, Wiltz- 179, saw his massive lead cut considerably as GripsNHips posted a lofty 111 and pulled into the #2 spot with a 168. Trusty dropped to #3 with 165. Stiffy- 123, ISU2008-122, and Eazee-116 continue their battle for the top four spots which ultimately lead to the Fantasy Champion. Follow all of the action in the Fantasy League threads here:
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We put up another new (major) addition since the last email and wanted to show that off as well. The Photo Gallery, crawls wrestling sites and indexes images. This section currently is home to over 600 images and growing daily. The galleries currently indexed include the 2007 Sunkist International, a Stanford vs. San Fran. State, and the 2007 NWCA All-Star Classic.
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Thanks again for being part of TheWrestlingTalk.com, we appreciate the time we have spent getting to know everyone and look forward to a great season of wrestling!
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December 2, 2007
Big Ten Network to Televise Minnesota-Iowa State Wrestling Meet Live in HD
Big Ten Network to Televise Minnesota-Iowa State Wrestling Meet Live in HD
Sunday's dual matchup features nation's top-ranked teams
CHICAGO – The Big Ten Network will televise the dual wrestling meet between No. 1 Minnesota and No. 2 Iowa State live at 2 PM CT Sunday from Minneapolis. The meet will be televised in high definition.
"It doesn't get any bigger than No. 1 vs. No. 2," Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman said, "and we're honored to bring a live national telecast of this event to more than 30 million homes."
The Golden Gophers, last year's NCAA champions, have won 23 consecutive dual meets, dating back to Nov. 25, 2006. They are ranked first in every national wrestling poll.
Minnesota (3-0) enters the match with a perfect dual record following convincing victories against Northern Illinois, Northern Colorado and North Dakota State, a shutout. Iowa State (5-0) was last year's NCAA runner-up.
The two teams met twice last season in dual competition. The Gophers were victorious both times, winning 19-13 in Ames and 24-11 in Minneapolis.
The Gophers are the two-time defending Big Ten champions while the Cyclones are the defending Big 12 champions.
This event marks the first of 10 wrestling meets to air on the Big Ten Network this season. The full schedule will be announced once dates and times are finalized.
Earlier this fall, the Big Ten Network became the first new network in cable or satellite television history to reach 30 million homes in its first 30 days. The network is available through DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-Verse, Insight Communications, WideOpenWest, RCN, Service Electric and more than 160 other cable operators.
About the Big Ten Network:
The Big Ten Network is dedicated to covering the Big Ten Conference and its 11 member institutions. The Big Ten Network provides unprecedented access to an extensive schedule of conference sports events and shows; original programs in academics, the arts and sciences; campus activities; and associated personalities. Sports programming includes live coverage of more major men's and women's events than ever before, along with news, highlights and analysis, all complemented by hours of university-produced campus programming. The network is available to all cable and satellite carriers and television distributors nationwide, with most programs offered in stunning high-definition television (HDTV). The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks.
Lee Roy Smith to be recognized with Oklahoma State wrestling’s Gallagher Award
Lee Roy Smith to be recognized with Oklahoma State wrestling’s Gallagher Award
Gavin Lang OSU Media Relations
11/30/2007
STILLWATER, Okla. – Lee Roy Smith is this year’s recipient of Oklahoma State wrestling’s Gallagher Award and will be presented with the award Sunday as part of the Cowboys’ Bedlam Series dual with Oklahoma, set to begin at 2 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Gallagher Award is presented annually to an OSU wrestling alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions.
Currently serving as the Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Smith wrestled at Oklahoma State from 1977-80, compiling a 114-13-4 overall record. A four-time conference champion, Smith won an NCAA individual championship wrestling at 142 pounds in 1980. He helped the Cowboys to a team conference championship in 1978 and remains to this day ranked among the top 50 Oklahoma State wrestlers of all time in terms of winning percentage at 88.55 pct. His 38 wins in 1980 places
On the international stage, Smith brought a silver medal home from the 1983 world championships.
“It’s an honor to just be considered for this award named after one of the greatest ambassadors this sport has ever had,� Smith said. “In 1939, the media said that Ed Gallagher is a man without peer in sports. His knowledge, passion and vision for the sport of wrestling have been passed down from every coach and every student-athlete who has ever wrestled for Oklahoma State. I’ve had the honor and privilege to live out what this program has meant to me through being at the Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum and I never would have developed the passion and knowledge for the sport of wrestling if not for my time at OSU.�
From 1992-2001, the Del City, Okla., native served as head wrestling coach at Arizona State, where he was recognized four times over as the Pac-10 Coach of the Year during his time with the Sun Devils. He also served as National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling from 1989-1992, and had coached in Martigny, Switzerland and at Oklahoma State.
In receiving the Gallagher Award, Smith becomes the third member of his family to be presented with the honor, as younger brothers John (1997) and Pat (2000) have both been recognized for their contributions. As a trio, the Smith brothers combined for seven NCAA individual championships and 14 All-America honors, with Lee Roy serving as the initial spark of the Smith family wrestling dynasty.
Smith lives in Stillwater with his wife Lisa and daughters LeAnne and Shannon.
Gallagher Award Recipients
1986 – Rex Peery
1987 – Frank Lewis
1988 – Myron Roderick
1989 – Tommy Chesbro
1990 – Joe McDaniel
1991 – John W. Divine
1996 – Ray Murphy
1997 – John Smith
1998 – Grady Peninger
1999 – Kenny Monday
2000 – Pat Smith
2001 – Kendall Cross
2002 – Mike Sheets
2003 – Doug Blubaugh
2004 – Grover Rains
2005 – Bobby Douglas
2006 – Charles Hetrick
2007 – Fred Davis
2008 – Lee Roy Smith
December 1, 2007
U.S. freestyle team set to compete in dual-meet event in Russia
The United States - and the rest of the World for that matter – have a long way to go to catch the powerful freestyle team from Russia.
The Russians turned in one of the most dominating performances in the history of the World Championships by crowning six champions at the 2007 World meet in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Members of the 2007 U.S. World Team will try to narrow the gap with the Russians when they compete in the CSKA Freestyle Open Team Cup dual matches on Dec. 1 in Moscow, Russia.
Teams from the U.S., Russia, Turkey, Cuba, Ukraine and Iran have been invited to take part in the dual-meet event.
“We’re looking to go over there and wrestle the way we’re capable of wrestling,� USA Wrestling National Coach Kevin Jackson said. “This will be a part of the piece of the puzzle for determining who is on our World Cup team. I’m expecting Russia to put their No. 1 team on the mat. It should be a great competition for our team.�
The U.S. finished fourth in the team race at the 2007 World Championships. Bronze medalist Daniel Cormier was the lone medalist for the U.S. team at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. American teammates 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.) each lost their bronze-medal matches and each placed fifth. Williams is a past two-time World bronze medalist.
Heskett retired from wrestling last month after undergoing surgery for a heart condition that was discovered shortly after he returned home from the Worlds. Heskett will be replaced in the U.S. lineup in Russia by 2007 World Team Trials runner-up Casey Cunningham and 2006 World bronze medalist Donny Pritzlaff at 74 kilos.
2006 World silver medalist Mike Zadick (60 kg/132 lbs.) and 2007 Pan American Games gold medalist Henry Cejudo (55 kg/121 lbs.) complete the U.S. squad.
Russia boasts six reigning World champions in the seven freestyle weight classes. They include Besik Kudukhov at 55 kg/121 lbs., Mavlet Batirov at 60 kg/132 lbs., Makhach Murtazaliev at 74 kg/163 lbs., Georgy Ketoev at 84 kg/185 lbs., Khadshimourad Gatsalov at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Beylal Makhov at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Turkey’s Ramazan Shahin won the 2007 World title at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Numerous World and Olympic medalists from the six nations are expected in this outstanding field.
U.S. men’s freestyle lineup
55 kg/121 lbs. – Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Mike Zadick, Solon, Iowa (Gator WC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Donny Pritzlaff, Madison, Wis. (New York AC)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Casey Cunningham, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Joe Williams, Belvidere, Ill. (Sunkist Kids)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
Coaches – Kevin Jackson, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Terry Brands, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Two-sport twinbill should be sweet for fans
Maybe basketball is the chocolate, and college wrestling is the peanut butter. Thought to be an unusual combination for sure, but once the Reese’s candy company poured one into an edible cup of the other, they had a pretty tasty treat.
On Wednesday, the Minnesota State athletic department will attempt to mix basketball’s chocolate with wrestling’s peanut butter in what could be an unprecedented doubleheader at Bresnan Arena. The Mavericks wrestling team will host Northern State at 5 p.m., followed by a men’s basketball game against Bethany Lutheran at 7 p.m.
Neither wrestling coach Jim Makovsky or men’s basketball coach Matt Margenthaler have heard of another school trying this kind of doubleheader, but “I’m not afraid to try new things,� Makovsky said. Margenthaler agreed: “A lot of times, the basketball coach and the wrestling coach aren’t friends, but we’re best of friends. It’s a nice opportunity to show off two successful programs.�
The men’s basketball team is 76-20 over the last three seasons, with two North Central Conference championships and three appearances in the national tournament. The wrestling squad is 46-8 in duals and has finished in the top five at the national tournament the last three seasons.
The doubleheader is the result of an error. When he set up the dual, and other promotional events involving local wrestling clubs, Makovsky misread to arena schedule. By the time he realized his mistake, it was easier to come up with an alternate match time than switch the date.
“We’re taking something that was an error and turned it into a positive,� Makovsky said. “I’ve always wanted to compete the same day as Matt’s teams, I have a lot of respect for his program. When we’re not competing, I go to his games, and he does the same.�
For Margenthaler’s squad, there’s not much change in the game-day routine. On many nights, the women’s basketball team plays first, and the starting time of games fluctuates.
Makovsky said that an average wrestling dual takes about 10 minutes per match, which means that if all 10 matches went the distance, the dual would last 1 hour and 40 minutes, which would cause a small logistical problem. But if there are any pins or forfeits in the results, the match would be shorter, and with five minutes to roll up the mats and five minutes to sweep the floor, the basketball game, with about 30 minutes of warmup, should start almost on time.
The most interesting aspect of the doubleheader will be the fans. Basketball and wrestling clearly have a different fan base, but for one ticket, both sets could see both events that night.
“I’m sure some of the wrestling fans will get up and leave when the match is over, and I’m sure some of our fans won’t show up until it’s almost time for our game to start,� Margenthaler said. “But maybe some of the basketball fans will see how exciting a wrestling match is and come back, and vice versa.�
Even though it wasn‘t intended to be this way, it’s an interesting concept. These preseason dates are a tough draw for every program, and any way you can maximize the facility’s use and the fan base’s ticket, it’s a good idea.
Just hope that the basketball team doesn’t get any ideas from watching the wrestling match. In wrestling, you score on takedowns, which isn’t the case in basketball.
Huskers Fourth at Las Vegas Invite
Las Vegas, Nev.-Behind the solid wrestling of several Huskers, Nebraska is in fourth place with 66.5 team points after the first day of competition on Friday at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas.
The nine Huskers competing in the tournament posted a 25-8 record on Friday, including 15 bonus-point victories. Three NU wrestlers still compete in the winner’s bracket with junior Paul Donahoe and sophomores Stephen Dwyer and Kenny Jordan. Brandon Browne, Jon May, Vince Jones and Jordan Burroughs all fell to the consolation bracket, but are still alive in the competition.
Leading the way for NU was Kenny Jordan, who notched four victories on the day. He began the day with a 15-0 technical fall of Columbia’s Jerome Greco, pinned Kyler Hutter of Old Dominion in 3:51 and recorded a 13-2 major decision over Rick Rappo of Penn. He earned a 2-1 decision over Filip Novachkov of Cal Poly to secure his spot in Saturday’s semifinals.
Not to be outdone was Dwyer, who also went 4-0 on the day. Dwyer started with two major decisions over Chris Musser of Brown and Byron Sigmon of UNC-Greensboro, 11-3 and 17-4, respectively. He ended with an 8-1 decision over Bryan Tice of Cal State-Fullerton and beat Old Dominion’s Chris Brown 9-3.
Donahoe, who won this tournament last year, advanced to the semifinals with three straight decisions. He notched 4-1 wins over Mitch Fenton of Rider and Jake Gonzales of Oregon State and concluded the day with an 8-5 victory over Borislav Novachkov of Cal Poly.
Juniors Vince Jones and Brandon Browne both won their first three matches, but lost in the quarterfinals. Jones pinned his first three opponents in 52, 47 and 29 seconds, but lost a 6-4 decision in his final match of the day. Browne notched three straight major decisions, but fell into the same trap as he lost a 5-2 match to end the day.
Junior Robert Sanders went 2-2, picking up wins over Brandon Nice of Missouri Valley and Nexi Delgado of California-Davis. Fellow junior Chris Oliver won his first match, but a minor injury forced him to withdraw from the tournament.
Action kicks off at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday as the Huskers seek their first team championship at the Las Vegas Invite since 2003.
2007 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev.
TEAM SCORES
1.Ohio State – 82
2. Missouri – 77.5
3. Michigan – 71.5
4. Nebraska – 66.5
t5. Illinois – 62.5
t5. Wisconsin – 62.5
7. Edinboro – 60.5
t8. Cal State-Fullerton – 51.5
9. Pittsburgh – 49.5
10. Penn - 44
Match Results
125 Pounds
Paul Donahoe (NU) by dec. over Mitch Fenton (Rider), 4-1
Paul Donahoe (NU) by dec. over Jake Gonzales (Oregon State), 4-1
Paul Donahoe (NU) by dec. over Borislav Novachkov (Cal-Poly), 8-5
133 Pounds
Kenny Jordan (NU) by tech. fall over Jerome Greco (Columbia), 15-0
Kenny Jordan (NU) by fall over Kyler Hutter (Old Dominion), 3:51
Kenny Jordan (NU) by major dec. over Rick Rappo (Penn), 13-2
Kenny Jordan (NU) by dec. over Filip Novachkov (Cal-Poly), 2-1
141 Pounds
Robert Sanders (NU) by major dec. over Brandon Nice (Missouri Valley), 14-2
Sal Tirico (Columbia) by dec. over #9 Robert Sanders (NU), 8-3
Robert Sanders (NU) by dec. over Nexi Delgado (Cal-Davis), 7-3
Torsten Gillespie (Edinboro) by dec. over Robert Sanders (NU), 9-7
149 Pounds
Jordan Burroughs (NU) by major dec. over Cody Chipperfield (Wyoming), 19-7
Jordan Burroughs (NU) by dec. over Adam Hall (Boise State), 7-5
Lance Palmer (NU) by dec. over Jordan Burroughs (NU), 6-5
157 Pounds
Chris Oliver (NU) by tech. fall over Tom Timothy (Penn), 15-0
Ben Fiacco (UNC) by injury default over Chris Oliver (NU)
Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado) by forfeit over Chris Oliver (NU)
165 Pounds
Stephen Dwyer (NU) by major dec. over Chris Musser (Brown), 11-3
Stephen Dwyer (NU) by major dec. over Bryron Sigmon (UNC-Greensboro), 17-4
Stephen Dwyer (NU) by dec. over Bryan Tice (Cal State-Fullerton), 8-1
Stephen Dwyer (NU) by dec. over Chris Brown (Old Dominion), 9-3
174 Pounds
Brandon Browne (NU) by major dec. over Ryan Johnson (Northern Colorado), 15-4
Brandon Browne (NU) by major dec. over Tyler Bernacchi (Cal-Davis), 10-1
Brandon Browne (NU) by major dec. over Bran Crudden (Brown), 24-12
John Dergo (Illinois) by dec. over Brandon Browne (NU), 5-2
184 Pounds
Vince Jones (NU) by fall over Tommy Spellman (Virginia Tech), 0:52
Vince Jones (NU) by fall over Charlie Gibbs (Missouri Valley), 0:47
Vince Jones (NU) by fall over Ryan Goodman (North Carolina State), 0:29
Loius Caputo (Harvard) by dec. over Vince Jones (NU), 6-4
285 Pounds
Jon May (NU) by dec. over Travis Ewart (Missouri Valley), 8-2
Justin Dobies (North Carolina) by fall over Jon May (NU), 2:21
Jon May (NU) by fall over Brady Punt (South Dakota State), 1:10
Jon May (NU) by dec. over Jason Marshall (Ohio), 5-2
Oklahoma State's Nathan Morgan embraces leadership role
Oklahoma State’s Nathan Morgan has enjoyed a good deal of success in his wrestling career. A three-time California high school state champion, Morgan has been a key component on two of the Cowboys’ unprecedented 34 NCAA title teams.
Abstract of Morgan
This year, Morgan looks to etch his name among the list of OSU’s 132 individual NCAA champions. A two-time All-American, Morgan took fourth in the 141-pound weight class at NCAAs last year as the Cowboys finished fifth in the team standings.
“We train all year to win that national title and when you don’t get it at the end, it is disappointing. This is the year. This will be the year,� Morgan said.
As for training, Coach John Smith has pushed his wrestlers farther than any of his teams in the past. A new concept to most wrestlers is the extensive running drills that Smith implemented in the off-season.
“I think the training that Coach Smith has put us through has just been unbelievable this year,� Morgan said. “The way he has motivated us and put us through all these running workouts and drills has really stepped up our wrestling. Conditioning has put us where we need to be for this year.�
Morgan said the training and extra conditioning will drastically help the squad in its performance, especially in the second half of the season and the training puts the Cowboys a step ahead of the competition.
“It gives us more chances for late takedowns. It keeps our legs fresh and we are able to push it the entire time,� Morgan said. “Everything we have done will improve our scoring, especially in the last minutes of the match.�
A three-time Big 12 champion and two-time All-American, Morgan is a legitimate contender for an individual College Wrestling title this year and has already made strides as he sports a 9-1 record with three tech falls and four major decisions.
Getting off to a fast start is exactly what Morgan was looking for heading into the year to help him take a leadership role for the Cowboy newcomers. As a senior, Morgan is well-aware of the expectations placed on him.
“This is my fourth year so I need to be a good example for the new guys. I know the younger guys are looking up to me and I need to step it up and work harder to be that leader,� Morgan said. “I think it is good for me because it makes me step it up to show them what they need to do. The freshmen are doing a great job. I couldn’t ask for anything better.�
Morgan said Smith has prepared he and his teammates and has stressed the fact that they must maintain intensity for a full seven minutes when taking the mat. The Cowboys have one of the toughest schedules in the NCAA, but Morgan welcomes the challenge.
“It is always going to be tough and there are always going to be guys gunning for you, but that is what makes it fun.�
Morgan and the Cowboys host Oklahoma at 2 p.m. Sunday in Gallagher-Iba Arena.