December 2008

Enjoy the look back!

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:14 AM | Permalink

Taking a step back from wrestling for a day, TheWrestlingTalk.com has a Live Electoral Map of the election as it happens. Join into the discussion!

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:10 AM | Permalink

Takedown Wrestling Radio to launch "TDR's Wrestling Round Table" on Oct. 15
Scott Casber Takedown Radio
10/01/2008

DES MOINES, Iowa - TakeDown Wrestling Radio (TDR) announced a new interactive feature and program designed to connect all members of the wrestling community. TDR's Wrestling Round Table is a weekly Internet radio program with a concurrent chat room feature. The premier two hour TDR Wrestling Round Table event begins Wednesday, October 15 at 7 PM CST. Subsequent programs will alternate between Wednesdays and Thursdays based on wrestling schedules that week and announced through normal channels.

Anyone with a computer can join in discussions with top journalists from the wrestling world at takedownradio.com. These guys are going to take off the gloves and discuss wrestling! Concurrent audio streaming and chat room functions allow instantaneous communication between all participants. Scott Casber, co-founder and host of TDR, serves as moderator and is joined each week by a top flight of wrestling reporters, experts, and statisticians.

"We've divided the country into five regions and have selected leading authorities representing each of those regions to participate in the audio portion of the program" Casber described. "Our listeners can now become participants themselves by providing questions, perspectives, opinions, and advise in the chat room feature at Takedownradio.com. Listeners logged into the program will be able to view on their computer screen all comments being made by everyone participating."

Inaugural guest hosts will represent specific geographic regions and include:

Jeff Breese - Intermatwrestle.com Chief Pennsylvania Region 1

Pat Costilow - Co-founder of Ohiowrestling.net Mid- East Region 2

Andrew Hipps - Founder RevWrestling.com Southeast and West Region 3

Matt Krumrie - TheWrestlingmall.com Southeast and West Region 4

Britt Milinsky - Well-known pundit and statistician Midwest and Northwest Region 5

Earl Smith - Founder of D1collegewrestling.net Mid- Atlantic Region 6

Confirmed future expert contributors include Dan Cosimi from ohiowrestling.net, long time Oklahoma State University voice J. Carl Guyman, Wisconsin wrestling pundit Koy Kosek, W.I.N. Magazine's Bryan Van Kley and Mike Finn, TDR's Steve Foster among others.

"For the past 11 years, the Saturday morning TDR program has been primarily interview driven. You could go down a list and basically check off every luminary in the wrestling world that's been on the show" stated Casber. "TDR's Wrestling Round Table allows us to maintain the Saturday format, benefit from the relationships we built there, and expand our coverage to include the entire wrestling community. Now, youth wrestlers in small communities who want to connect with their heroes can realize their dream. It's a brave new world, and this is our way to embrace it."

This is your opportunity to have your voice heard! Each week, Every week of the year! You make the call, ask the questions and participate in your show. Takedown Wrestling Radio's NEW TDR Wrestling Round Table. Wednesday Oct. 15, 7 PM CST at Takedownradio.com. Jump in to the chat room and participate.

TDR focuses on Wrestling and MMA gear and discussion. Our thanks to our partners who make this program possible.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:10 AM | Permalink

Having served it's purpose by helping to bring back wrestling to Arizona State University (in just over a week), SaveASUWrestling.com will get a new home as an archive on TheWrestlingTalk.com.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:47 AM | Permalink

Gene Mills and Ed Banach to go 'On the Mat' this week
Kent Sesker Dan Gable Museum
09/24/2008

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature wrestling legends Gene Mills and Ed Banach.

Mills was one of the most dominant wrestlers to ever take the mat. After winning a high school state championship in New Jersey as a senior in 1976, Mills blossomed at Syracuse University where he was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA Wrestling champion at 118 pounds. He pinned 107 opponents while compiling a college record of 144-5-1. Mills was a three-time World Cup Champion, 1980 Olympian and 1985 World team member.

Banach still holds the career pin mark at the University of Iowa with 73. He was a three-time NCAA champion, a four-time finalist and a key member of four consecutive NCAA team championships from 1980-1983. A native of Port Jervis, NY, Banach was an Olympic freestyle champion in 1984 at 198 pounds.

"On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:27 PM | Permalink

Olympian Andy Hrovat determined to come back strong in 2009
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
09/24/2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – There is not a day that goes by when freestyle wrestler Andy Hrovat isn’t reminded about what happened at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Hrovat suffered a heartbreaking, last-second loss to Cuba’s Reineris Salas in his first and only bout of the Olympics last month in Beijing, China.

“Every day you run into somebody and they find out you’re an Olympian. They ask ‘How did you do?’ and I have to tell them I lost with three seconds left,� Hrovat said. “It’s something that is with me and something that will push me to hopefully win that title next year. It’s something that I will definitely use for motivation.�

The 28-year-old Hrovat is back on the mat training and looking for something big at 84 kg/185 lbs. during the 2008-09 season.

Hrovat, who lives and trains in Ann Arbor, Mich., was working out this week at the U.S. Olympic Training Center during a brief visit to Colorado Springs.

“I came out here for my Olympic evaluation, and it went as I expected,� Hrovat said. “Kevin (Jackson, U.S. National Coach) said I did everything I was told. He said if someone wasn’t living out here he would want them on my schedule with the way I train and go places to compete and wrestle the toughest competition. I go to the Overtime club to train with (Coach) Sean Bormet and I come out here for training camps. I’m going to continue to follow the same schedule for the upcoming season.�

Hrovat had the lead late in his opening match at the Olympics before the Cuban scored in the closing seconds of the third period to pull out a 3-0, 1-3, 2-2 victory.

“The Olympics is a big stage, but I felt real comfortable out there and I felt stronger than the guy I was wrestling,� Hrovat said. “I wasn’t pushing the pace hard enough where the guy would’ve folded. He was somebody I should be able to tech-fall two periods in a row. There’s no excuse for me losing. The way I see it, I was three seconds away from being in the finals. That’s realistic, because I could beat everybody else that was on my side (of the bracket). That’s the hardest part, knowing I had a mental lapse. That’s the difference between having a chance to win a gold medal and not getting a chance to wrestle back.�

A 2006 U.S. World Team member, Hrovat hopes to finish the upcoming season at the 2009 World Championships. That event is scheduled for Sept. 21-27, 2009 in Herning, Denmark.

“I need to change some things around mentally so I can get past those big matches internationally and start winning like I can,� Hrovat said. “I’m looking forward to getting back into it and competing again.�

Hrovat never left his wrestling shoes on the mat and would like to keep wrestling through the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

“I’m just taking it year-by-year right now,� he said. “By the time 2012 rolls around I will be 32. You never know how healthy your body will be. The goal is four years, but I don’t want to be holding on if I get injured or something. I’ve been fortunate with the way I wrestle where I don’t put myself in those positions to hurt my knees or anything.�

The U.S. freestyle team won just one medal, the gold won by Henry Cejudo, at the 2008 Olympics.

“Everybody needs to buy into our system and push each other,� Hrovat said. “Some people in the U.S. refuse to wrestle overseas and they’re not going to get any better if they don’t. The best guys in each weight class need to train with each other and make each other better. Some guys won’t do that because they don’t want to show the other guy what they have. I was training today with Bryce Hasseman, and we’re two of the top guys in our weight class. We pushed each other and made each other better. We also had guys who didn’t come to training camps. You can’t do that if you expect to win.�

Hrovat said the 21-year-old Cejudo had a razor-sharp focus while he geared up his preparations for the Olympics.

“Henry was a huge bright spot for us,� Hrovat said. “He’s a professional and that’s why he won. He trained every day as a professional and lived his life as a professional. He did everything the coaches asked him to do and he bought into the plan we had. He’s a 21-year-old kid, but he was the leader of this team. He pushed the pace and set an example by how hard he worked.�

Hrovat said he expects to be back competing in November.

“I’m real excited about this season,� he said. “The thing that excites me – even though I may have had a failure in the Olympics – is I have improved every year and I’m developing more. I’m gaining more and more confidence, and I keep getting better. I’m ready to get back out there and see what I can do.�

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:23 PM | Permalink

Barry, Douglas, Goldstein, Thompson and Giffin are new leaders for Beat the Streets wrestling program
Beat The Streets Wrestling, Inc.
09/05/2008

At the Bi-Annual Board meeting of Beat the Streets Wrestling Inc., Michael Novogratz - Chairman, announced a reorganization of the program administration and an expansion of the Board of Trustees. He recommended the following new Board Members that were approved with overwhelming support by the Board.

Dave Barry, Donald Douglas, Eric Goldstein, and Noel Thompson will join the Board on September 1, 2008. Brian Giffin will become the new full-time Executive Director - President who will report directly to the Board through Chairman, Michael Novogratz. A copy of their individual biographies will be posted on the www.beat-the-streets.org.

Novogratz stated "the organization has grown quickly and that requires a full time Executive Director and President working day to day managing the expanded staff while fulfilling the mission of expanding wrestling mats from Youth through the Olympics".

The Beat the Streets Wrestling Program began in 2005 with one middle school and 23 PSAL High School Teams. As the 2008-2009 season unfolds, there will be 54 Middle Schools and 58 PSAL High School teams participating in wrestling.

Past President and Founder Al Bevilacqua expressed it best, "We have given the sport of wrestling over 4 million dollars of infrastructure and a real chance to succeed in America's largest city. It is in the hands of wrestling people we recruited to prove to the 112 Principals and 58 Athletic Directors that wrestling is a worthwhile investment that help kids succeed through a wrestling life".

Board of Trustees
Michael Novogratz- Chairman
Al Bevilacqua- Founder-Trustee
Dave Barry- Trustee
Scott Beck-Trustee
Michael Bevilacqua-Trustee
Donald Douglas-Trustee
Eric Goldstein-Trustee
Richard Ranalli- Trustee
Rob Schoenberg-Trustee
Noel Thompson- Trustee

Brian Giffin – President and Executive Director

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:29 PM | Permalink

Ravannack re-elected as USA Wrestling president during Board of Directors meetings on Sept. 6
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
09/07/2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - James Ravannack of Metairie, La. was re-elected as the president of USA Wrestling during the annual USA Wrestling Board of Directors meeting, held at the Crown Plaza hotel on Saturday, September 6.

Ravannack was elected to a second two-year term as the organization’s president.

“I am honored they have trust in our Board leaders,� said Ravannack. “The first two-year term was a learning experience. Hopefully, the knowledge I gained will help me in this term. Our organization is moving and growing. We have to rely upon the people on this Board to run it well.�

During the meetings, the Board also elected all of the officer positions for the organization. The other officers elected were:

First Vice President – Greg Strobel of Bethlehem, Pa.
Second Vice President – Van Stokes of Clarksville, Tenn.
Secretary – Rance Stein of Cashion, Okla.
Treasurer – Duane Morgan of Hollister, Calif.

Strobel, Stokes and Morgan were re-elected to positions that they held during the last two years. Stein will be serving as an officer of USA Wrestling for the first time.

Also elected were eight at-large Board members. Those who were selected by the Board to serve as at-large members were:
Bruce Baumgartner of Edinboro, Pa.
Dave Black of River Falls, Wis.
Chuck Elvin of Lenexa, Kan.
Bill Grant of Inverness, Fla.
Jim Keen of Ann Arbor, Mich.
Hank Porcher of W. Palm Beach, Fla.
Larry Sciacchetano of Baton Rouge, La.
Van Stokes of Clarksville, Tenn.

Elected to the Executive Committee were Bruce Baumgartner of Edinboro, Pa. and Rick Tucci of Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Elected to the Steering Committee were Ed Gould of Merrick, N.Y., Mark Reiland of Iowa City, Iowa and Dave Black of River Falls, Wis.

A number of other committee positions were elected during the meeting.

Long Range Planning Committee: Dave Black of River Falls, Wis., Ed Gould of Merrick, N.Y., Mike Juby of Hutchinson, Kan., Patricia Miranda of Colorado Springs, Colo., Duane Morgan of Hollister, Calif.,

Freestyle Sport Committee: Chris Bono of Ringgold, Ga., Sonny Greenhalgh of West Patterson, N.J., Archie Randall of Mustang, Okla., Greg Strobel of Bethlehem, Pa., Rick Tucci of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Owners of Resilite wrestling mats

Greco-Roman Sport Committee: Brad Ahearn of Colorado Springs, Colo., Al Kastl of Clinton Township, Mich., Sonny Greenhalgh of West Patterson, N.J., Mike Juby of Hutchinson, Kan., Jerry Reichs of Sioux City, Iowa

Women’s Sport Committee: Joe Corso of Metairie, La., Bill Grant of Inverness, Fla., Patricia Miranda of Colorado Springs, Colo., Archie Randall of Mustang, Okla., Marcie Van Dusen of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Freestyle Coach Selection Committee: Greg Strobel of Bethlehem, Pa., Rick Tucci of Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Greco-Roman Coach Selection Committee: Brandon McNab of Colorado Springs, Colo., Jerry Reichs of Sioux City, Iowa

Women’s Coach Selection Committee: Archie Randall of Mustang, Okla., Sally Roberts of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Ravannack appointed Strobel as the chairperson of the Freestyle Coach Selection Committee. He indicated that other chairperson assignments would be made at a later date.

The Board of Directors also approved the fiscal 2008-09 budget, with total revenues of $8,395,383 and total expenditures of $8,192,997. The budget had revenues over expenses of $202,386. Thanks in no large part to sales of wrestling gear (wrestling shoes, wrestling singlets, and other wrestling equipment)

“This is a very realistic budget,� said Treasurer Duane Morgan, in presenting the proposed budget for approval. “The Finance Committee felt very comfortable with this based upon its merits, and we have brought it forward to this Board.�

Morgan told the Board that the budget would require the organization to continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of its business.

“It is OK to challenge our people. It is always good to shoot for the stars,� said Morgan. “This is a team effort, heading for one goal, to be the top national governing body within the U.S. Olympic Committee.�

In his president’s report, Ravannack talked about the success of the organization during the last fiscal year.

“We had a banner year in 2008, both financially and in membership,� said Ravannack. “I want to thank our state leaders and volunteers for all that they do. I want to extend the Board’s recognition to them.�

USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender praised his national staff for its achievements during the year.

“I want to thank this Board for the opportunity to serve them. I am blessed to work with one of the top sports staffs in the entire Olympic movement. They all have a fire in their belly. It is not a job, it is a passion. It is evident in the results you see from them,� said Bender.

Bender also gave credit to the Executive Committee, the state leadership and the U.S. Olympic Committee for their efforts on behalf of USA Wrestling and the sport.

“I want to thank our Executive Committee, which is an incredibly dedicated group that helps our staff and organization and guides us throughout the year. To our state leaders and grass roots volunteers, you are our life blood. You provide opportunities for hundreds of thousands of kids to participate in the world’s greatest sport. Your dedication impresses this Board and our staff. The U.S. Olympic Committee has provided us with considerable resources. The USOC is a great teammate and partner as we try to help our athletes to achieve their goals.�

He also commented upon the U.S. wrestling performance at the Beijing Olympic Games, which yielded three medals, including a gold medal from freestyle wrestler Henry Cejudo.

“I want to articulate what we mean when we say we are disappointed about the Olympics,� said Bender. “We don’t mean we are disappointed in the athletes. We didn’t get the result they wanted or we wanted. We are incredibly proud of our Olympians. We have high expectations for results. We are not going to sit back and accept the result. We have a responsibility to put a plan in place to put us on the top of the podium at the World Championships and the Olympic Games. Athletes, we are proud of you. You are why we exist. We are dedicated to helping you reach that podium.�

In a stirring speech, U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Jim Scherr addressed the Board. Scherr discussing the performance of the entire U.S. delegation at the Beijing Olympic Games, as well as the efforts of USA Wrestling during the Olympics. Scherr said he approached this from three perspectives, as the CEO of the USOC, as a past wrestler who has benefited from the sport, and as an admirer of Rich Bender and his management team.

“This is considered the most successful U.S. Olympic Team in the history of the movement,� said Scherr. “We feel we had a very successful Games.�

He noted four ways in which the USOC evaluates the overall American performance. They are:
1 – Compete Drug Free
2 – Represent the nation with honor, dignity and as good ambassadors
3 – Compete well on the field of play
4 – Allow the team to enjoy the experience and return safe and sound.

Scherr noted how the ratings for the Olympic Games broke records and surpassed expectations. He noted that many more young people had followed the Beijing Games than in the most previous Olympics. However, in an emotional and moving conclusion to his presentation, Scherr also spoke about the U.S. wrestling performance in Beijing.

“I want to congratulate the athletes. The overall success was not what we expected. We have to look at ourselves and how we can do better in the future. We are not going anywhere. We believe our relationship with USA Wrestling is strong. We support wrestling as well as any other NGB in the Olympic family,� Scherr said.

He noted how the success of the Olympic team helps fuel the sport and its growth within the United States and around the world.

“Failure on the Olympic program is not an option. We will not allow this sport not to succeed. We want to know what is within the wrestling community. If you are going to be successful, there has to be a change in how you work together. Wrestling’s grassroots is not large enough to work separately. All who care about this sport needs to pitch in and support the Olympic movement,� said Scherr.

The Board approved a detailed report prepared by the Long Range Planning Committee entitled “Vision 2016,� which will guide planning for the organization for the next two Olympic quadrenniums. The Board approved the following as part of the Long Range Plan:

Vision Statement: USA Wrestling will strive to be the World’s best Olympic Sports Organization.

Mission Statement: USA Wrestling, guided by the Olympic spirit, provides quality opportunities for its members to achieve its full human and athletic potential.

Values: Responsibility, Integrity, Dedication, Honesty, Accountability, Respect

Also approved as part of the Long Range Plan were five strategic goals:
Goal 1: Assure USA Wrestling’s financial ability to carry out its mission, vision and goals.
Goal 2: Strengthen public awareness of USA Wrestling Programs and accelerate membership growth
Goal 3: Maintain Flexible Organizational Structure sensitive to the changing needs of the sport
Goal 4: Build strategic alliances to raise the profile and strengthen USA Wrestling’s international and domestic position
Goal 5: Be the dominant force in National Wrestling

The next step will be for USA Wrestling to develop published materials where Vision 2016 will be presented to the wrestling community and the general public.

“This is very important to the organization and we will allocate the resources to continue the plan,� said Ravannack. “This committee has stepped forward with leadership.�

Morgan presented the Junior Olympic Wrestling Committee report, which was unanimously accepted by the Board. Included were new changes in the age-group programs of USA Wrestling, including:
• Change in the name of the 9-10 year old age division from the “Midget Division� to the “Intermediate Division.�
• Clarification in the athlete transfer policy for state affiliation. An athlete may change affiliation once per membership year if the state chairpersons of both states affected agree to the transfer. Appeals will be handled by the appropriate age group division.
• Changes in the Women’s Junior National Duals, which will provide for “draw teams� including athletes who wish to participate but are not members of a recognized state association dual meet team.
• Inclusion of folkstyle competitions as part of the separation process for the ASICS/Vaughan Junior and the Accelerade Cadet National Championships.
• Eliminating the 235-pound weight class in the Schoolboy/girl division and replacing it with the 265-pound weight class.

In the FILA report, FILA Bureau member Stan Dziedzic provided information on the results of the FILA elections held at the Beijing Olympics, including the re-election of Raphael Martinetti of Switzerland as FILA President. He also gave a detailed explanation about how a “confluence of events and diligent followthrough� allowed USA Wrestling to convince FILA to allow Mike Zadick to compete at 60 kg in the Olympic freestyle tournament when an athlete from Bulgaria was withdrawn.

The Board expressed overwhelming support for a new initiative spearheaded by women’s wrestling leaders Patricia Miranda and Katie Downing to work towards creating new women’s wrestling programs on the college and high school levels.

In his National Wrestling Hall of Fame report, Executive Director Lee Roy Smith reported on two new exhibits for the upcoming year. The first is an exhibit about the 13 U.S. Presidents who have wrestled. The second is a history of the military and the sport of wrestling. He also noted that the Hall’s Board of Governors is investigating the possibility of renovating, rebuilding or relocating the Hall of Fame and Museum.

Mike Moyer, the Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, reported on the success of the NWCA Convention, which was held alongside the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nev. in June. He offered to provide a portion of a new on-line coaching development program to include education on the value of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Moyer also reported on an upcoming Coaching Academy for college wrestling coaches which is being designed in cooperation with Michigan State Univ. and could be required as a condition of coaching at the NCAA Championships.

Ravannack and Bender made a special presentation to Sonny Greenhalgh, who is retiring after 31 years as the Chairman of Wrestling for the New York Athletic Club.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:23 PM | Permalink

Olympic wrestling medalists Henry Cejudo and Randi Miller joined 175 Olympic medalists as the 23rd season of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" goes for the gold when it launches Monday, September 8, 2008.

U.S. Olympic Team athletes who were medalists from 21 sports participated in the taping of the show in front of an audience of nearly 10,000 on Wednesday in Chicago’s Millennium Park for a “Welcome Home Team USA� celebration.

Check your local listings for the time and station to watch the show in your area.

On August 19, Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won a gold medal in the 55 kg/121 lbs. division in men’s freestyle wrestling. On August 17, Miller won a bronze medal at the 63 kg/138.75 lbs. division in women’s freestyle wrestling.

The other U.S. wrestling medalist, Greco-Roman bronze medalist Adam Wheeler, was unable to attend because of his commitment to the police academy.

The last time Cejudo strapped on his wrestling shoes he defeated Japan in the Olympic finals to become America's only Olympic champion in wrestling.

Continue reading "Cejudo, Miller to appear on “The Oprah Winfrey Showâ€? on Monday, Sept. 8" »

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:25 PM | Permalink

Sam Barber hired as NCEP Manager for USA Wrestling
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
09/04/2008

Sam Barber of Roseville, Minn. has been hired as the Manager of the National Coaches Education Program for USA Wrestling.

He begins this full-time position at USA Wrestling’s national headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo. in early September. Barber will be responsible for managing the day-to-day responsibilities and activities associated with USA Wrestling’s National Coaches Education Program (NCEP).

Barber comes to USA Wrestling with over a decade of experience as a coach on the college level, as well as extensive grassroots wrestling involvement.

We personally thought Barber had hung up his wrestling shoes and turned in for a corporate job- glad that isn't what happened.

“USA Wrestling is extremely fortunate to add Sam Barber to its professional staff as the NCEP Manager,� said Mark Scott, USA Wrestling Director of State Services. “Sam brings an outstanding background in coaching at all levels, and his experience within the grass-roots programs of USA Wrestling will provide a keen understanding of the needs of the organizations grass-roots and developmental coaches. In addition, his experience and success at the college level will allow USA Wrestling to develop and sustain programs for coaches to advance their knowledge and expertise to levels not recently available.�

He served as the head wrestling coach at Augsburg College in Minnesota during the 2007-08 season, leading one of the nation’s best Div. III wrestling programs. He was the Associate Head Coach for two seasons and the Head Assistant Coach for three seasons.

During Barber’s tenure at Augsburg, the program won the NCAA Div. III National Championships three times (2001, 2005, 2007), was Div. III runner-up three times (2002, 2003, 2004) and placed third two times (2006, 2008). Barber helped coach 14 NCAA Div. III individual national champions and 51 All-Americans. He was named Div. III Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association in 2006.

With the wrestling program, he served as academic coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the team. His athletes maintained a 3.2 GPA during his years with the team. He also handled marketing and promotion activities for the program. In addition, Barber was a health and physical education instructor at Augsburg for seven years.

Barber was an assistant wrestling coach at Minnesota State-Mankato during the 2000-2001 season, in which the team placed fifth in the NCAA Div. II Nationals and featured an individual national champion.

He also served five seasons as a coach at Upper Iowa University (1995-2000), including serving as the head wrestling coach during the 1999-2000 season. During his year as head coach, Upper Iowa placed 11th in the NCAA Div. III National Championships, its highest finish in 20 years. He was the head assistant coach there from 1995-1999. He coached two NCAA Div. III national champions and nine All-Americans, and was named the Div. III Rookie Coach of the Year in 1999.

Barber was active with Minnesota/USA Wrestling serving in a number of volunteer leadership positions. For more than 10 years, he was the FILA Junior/University Director for the association, the head coach of the Junior National Freestyle program and an assistant coach with the Senior-level program.

He is a USA Wrestling Silver Certified coach, and has taken the NWCA Leadership Development Training Program.

Barber has worked over 15 years as a director with the J Robinson Intensive Camps, one of the most respected and successful summer wrestling camp programs in the nation.

He received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Upper Iowa University in 1995, and his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Experiential Education from Minnesota State – Mankato in 2004.

"I feel tremendously fortunate for the opportunity to be involved with such a prestigious organization as USA Wrestling and the Olympic movement,� said Barber. “I am very excited about the opportunity to promote wrestling as the Manager of the National Coaches Education Program. I look forward to working with the world class coaches, and hard working, passionate people involved at every level of our great sport."

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 1:15 PM | Permalink

Grappling World Team Trials preview
USA Wrestling
08/29/2008

Ricky Lundell has his hand raised at the 2007 World Grappling Championships. Photo taken by Gary Abbott.

TheMat.com has put together a preview article of the Grappling World Team Trials set for Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif. on September 13-14. At stake are spots on the U.S. World Team which competes in Lucerne, Switzerland on December 20-21 at the Grappling World Championships.

136.5 pounds:
This weight class looks to be as action packed as last year. However, rumors have it that the defending National and World Champion Darren Uyenoyama has retired from Grappling to focus his energy on his professional MMA career and recently opened San Francisco-based gym, Fogtown Jiu-Jitsu. In the absence of Uyenoyama, 2007 Grappling World Finalist and 2x NCAA All-American, Matt Sanchez of Ultimate Fitness leaps to the head of the pack as the division favorite. Sanchez is coming off a dominating first-place performance at the Rio International Open. However, Sanchez’s road to victory could be rough. His chief rival is Brian Peterson of Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy. These two athletes met at the Grappler’s Quest Qualifier last year with Sanchez coming out the victor by a narrow margin. Peterson will be looking to avenge this loss and claim ownership to the National title. Also look for top newcomers Alejandro Zeas (Team Yamasaki), John Blalock (10th Planet), Daniel Kessler (American Pankration), Robert Lopez (Urban Jungle), and Eric Anderson (Minnesota Martial Arts Academy) to make waves in this division.

154 pounds:
21-year-old Grappling phenom, Ricky Lundell of Grappler's Edge, will look to repeat his performance from last year’s World Team Trials. Lundell will have his hands full with the slick submission artist, Cobra Kai’s Scott Bieri. Both athletes are submission-minded grapplers that are always looking to end the match. With their tremendous athleticism and willingness to take risk, this match-up could be the match of the tournament. The potential tournament spoiler will go to 3x Oklahoma State All-American Shane Roller, who has been training with Marc Laimon and will bring a tough competitive mindset to the trials. Also watch out for Greco-Roman sensations Jacob Hey from Matt Hughes’ H.I.T. Squad and No Limits MMA’s own, Shannon Slack. Both are transitioning into MMA/Grappling from Greco-Roman wrestling, and both competed in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for wrestling in June. The dark horse for the weight class will have to go to Colorado Fight Factory’s Keith Wilson, who is rumored to be dropping down to 154 lbs. He is a skilled grappler that is known in Grappling and wrestling circles as a strong competitor. Others to watch are Matt Holt (Team Volt), Tom Lecuyer (K3 Kombat Sports), Peter Sutton (Team Quest), Preston Marks (Ashevilla BJJ), and Kahlil Moreland (Roger Machado JJ).

176 pounds:
This is hands down, the toughest weight class of the entire Trials, and is stacked from top to bottom. The favorite is defending champion Don Ortega who proved his ability in grinding through the stacked 2007 Trials. The Adams State All-American wrestler and 2007 Grappling World Champion is a hard nose grappler that makes his opponent earn every point and position. Ortega is going to have his hands full with MMA legend and UFC veteran Dennis Hallman, who has more experience then any other grappler in the tournament. Hallman suffered a big upset last year in a one-point, semifinal loss to Paragon Jiu-Jitsu’s Bill Cooper. Hallman suffered an injury during the match and had to withdraw from the tournament. He is looking to redeem himself and take Ortega’s title. Up-and-coming grapplers and mixed-martial artists Jacob Volkman and Johny Hendricks are going to give anyone that steps in front of them a tough time. Volkman, a 3x NCAA All-American from the University of Minnesota, recently dominated the field at the Midwest Qualifier, where he submitted 2007 Grappling All-American and World bronze medalist Mike Kelly in under a minute. Hendricks is a 2x NCAA Champion and 4x NCAA All-American. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy is now a Cobra Kai disciple and has been training Grappling/MMA for the past two years. Funkmaster and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Brown Belt Joseph Gutierrez will look to ruffle some feathers with his unorthodox style and relentless submission attack. Hollywood BJJ instructor Shawn Williams and his #1 student Warren Stout will look to repeat their performances from the Last Chance Qualifier and make some noise in this stacked division. Others to watch for include Sean Spangler (Cobra Kai), Jeff Paulson (American Pankration), Brad Sandavol (Ultimate Fitness), and Mike Kelly (Gilbert Grappling).

202.5 pounds:
The entrance of Rick MacCauley has turned this division upside down. Philadelphia’s best grappler, MacCauley of Team Balance brings countless Grappler’s Quest titles and a BJJ Black Belt to the Trials. His dominating performance at the Mason Dixon Qualifier has given him the title of favorite despite being in the same division as defending champion Malcolm Havens. However, don’t count out the former Western Conference Champion and Wyoming wrestler Havens. He was World Champion last year and is known for tireless conditioning and freakish strength. Both MacCauley and Havens could be challenged by Cal State Bakersfield 1999 All-American and IFL veteran Raphael “Noodle� Davis. Noodle brings tons of size and competition experience to table. Team Quest’s David Culbertson is a dark horse at this weight, and is coming off of a big win against 2007 World Team Trials and World Finalist Matt Horwich, at the Northwest Qualifier, who is also a major threat at this weight class. Look out for Jake Rosholt, 3x NCAA Champion from Oklahoma State, although Rosholt’s participation is questionable. If he does compete, he is an instant favorite, having proven his ability to win big tournaments on more than one occasion. Other contenders are Timmy Bond (Street Sport BJJ) and Ian Murphy (Prodigy Elite). Bond is coming off of a great performance at the So Cal Qualifier by dominating all of his opponents. Murphy is a former Cal State Fullerton standout and Freestyle University National Champion and has three straight submission victories en route to victory at the Last Chance Qualifier. Others to watch out for are Chaun Sims (Easton BJJ), Dan Clark (MMA Institute), and Jeff Funicello (American Pankration).

275 pounds:
This Division can be summed up with one word, Monson! Jeff Monson is arguably the best U.S. Grappler to date and unquestionably one of the most accomplished grapplers of all time. Monson is the definition of what it means to be a competitor. He is a former World Heavyweight #1 contender and MMA legend. Where most professional fighters at his level would rest on their laurels and shy away from putting their reputation on the line, Monson defies convention. He is a unique individual. As the defending World Team Trials and World Champion, Monson will be looking to repeat. Challenging from Team Quest is Aaron Stark, an All-American wrestler from Wisconsin and former IFL fighter. Stark is coming off of a victory over Bobak Ranjbaran, in the finals of the Northwest Qualifier. Grappler’s Edge athlete Brandon Ruiz is the best wrestler of the field with a recent No. 3 ranking in Greco-Roman wrestling. Look for him to be able to give anyone trouble. Team Lutter’s Justin Wren, a Texas native and former Junior National Champion, is very familiar with stepping up at big tournaments and is learning from one of the best grapplers in the country. Also watch out for Ramon Diaz of No Limits MMA, who was a 2007 World silver medalist and strong wrestler and Sombo competitor. Others to look out for include, James Haddon (Fogtown JJ), Bobak Ranjbaran (Demon Jiu Jitsu), John Dolida (Hybrid).

Watch for the videos to appear on flowrestling.

Women’s Divisions:
The women divisions will have some of the nation’s finest female grapplers. At 105.5 lbs., Lisa Ward will be the heavy favorite with only a few possible competitors. The 121-lbs. division is turning out to be the toughest division of the trials. Defending World Team Trials and World Champion Felicia Oh is the favorite to repeat as Champion. However, rumor has it that MMA bad girl and defending 138.5 lbs. World Team Trials and World Champion, Tara LaRosa, is dropping down to take on Felicia Oh for the title of #1 female grappler in the United States. Also in this division is Bahar Shahidi, who was 2007 World Team Trials and World Finalist, losing to Oh in both finals. In the 138.5 lbs. weight class, Cindy Hales of Gracie-Barra Seattle and Josh Barnett protége Ginele Marquez-Lee will battle for the top spot. Ginele is the returning World Team Trials Finalist in the division, but Cindy Hales is known as one of the top female grapplers in the country. It should be exciting. At 158.5 lbs., Val Worthington of New Breed Jiu-Jitsu stands atop the mountain with few challengers. However, if Tori Adams of Colorado Fight Factory decides not to go down to 138.5 lbs., it should be an exciting match for the 158.5 lbs crown. Other grapplers to look out for are Angela Poe (Grappler’s Edge), Meisha Tate (Victory Athletics), Molly Helsel (NCFC), Vanessa Hardy (Riverside Submissions), Betsy Jones (Capitol Jiu-jitsu Team) Danielle Hobeika, Carla O’Connell (No Limits MMA), and Sandy Nickal (Rio Rancho Wrestling Club).

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:14 PM | Permalink

The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC) and USAW Ohio have been named the 2008 National Events Organization of the Year by USA Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling in the United States.

The GCSC hosted the University Nationals alongside the FILA Cadet Nationals in 2007 and 2008. This marked a change in venue for the event after it was held in the Chicago area starting in 1992.

"We are honored and excited to have been given the USA Wrestling National Events Organization of the Year. It means a lot to us as we pride ourselves on the ability to help create great events and we truly value our relationship with USA Wrestling," said David Gilbert, President of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.

Both years the event was hosted in Akron, Ohio, entry records were set. In 2007, five event records were set including: largest University freestyle field (490), largest University field (freestyle and Greco-Roman combined) (604), largest FILA Cadet freestyle field (377), largest FILA Cadet Greco-Roman field (215) and largest FILA Cadet field (freestyle and Greco-Roman combined) (592).

In 2008, both the freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions at the University Nationals have set entry records this year. The University Greco-Roman Nationals had 155 entries this year, up from 114 last year, an increase of 41 wrestlers. In the University Freestyle, there are 552 entries this year, an increase of 62 wrestlers. The University Men’s total comes to 707 participants, 103 more than last year.

“The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and USA Wrestling Ohio have done a tremendous job with the University and Cadet National Championships,� said Pete Isais, USA Wrestling Director of National Events. “Their hard work and commitment has led to a record setting number of participants both years. We at USA Wrestling can think of no better way to recognize their efforts than with this award.�

The 2008 event also included the exciting addition of the Women’s University National Championships. The Women’s University Nationals were originally held alongside the Men’s University Nationals in Evanston, Ill. for five years (1998 – 2002). Since 2002, the women’s division was part of the Body Bar Women’s Nationals, an event that combined four age-group levels.

The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is the non-profit organization that works to measurably enhance the economy, image and quality of life in the Greater Cleveland community by attracting and creating significant sporting events and activities.

USA Wrestling coordinates over 30 regional and national-level events every year. This award was created to recognize the tremendous service of thousands of volunteers who give freely of their time for the benefit of our young athletes. For several years, USA Wrestling has acknowledged the efforts of volunteer leaders, mat and pairing officials, and coaches, and felt it imperative to recognize the people who work so diligently in the many facets of our regional and national championship events.

GCSC is the second recipient of this award, which recognizes a dedicated volunteer or organization that has contributed highly to USA Wrestling’s regional and national championship events. Steve Knipp of Waterloo, Iowa was named the inaugural winner as USAW Person of the Year in 2007.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:50 AM | Permalink

The 2008 Junior Freestyle National finalist biographies as prepared by USA Wrestling.

98 pounds
RED - Tyler Fraley, Freehold, N.J.
Second in 2008 Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman… 2008 FILA Cadet Greco-Roman champion and third in freestyle… 2008 Northeast Regional freestyle champion… 2007 Schoolboy National champion in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman… 2007 Northeast Regional Schoolboy champion in all three styles… Will be a sophomore at Colts Neck High School… Competed at 103 pounds as a freshman with a 28-9 record… Loves his old school wrestling shoes... Coached by Mike Malonconico, William Terrell and Joe Sabol… Son of Chris and Sheri Fraley… Born: August 4, 1993…

BLUE - Jade Rauser, Townsend, Montana
Fourth in 2008 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman… Second in 2007 Cadet Nationals in both styles… Third in Schoolboy Nationals in Greco-Roman… Two-time Northern Plains double champion… 11-time state Greco-Roman champion, nine-time state freestyle champion and seven-time state folkstyle champion… Will be a sophomore at Broadwater County High School… State champion as a freshman at 98 pounds with a 39-0 record… Coached by Ken Thompson… Son of Kurt and Tiffany Rauser… Born December 26, 1992

105 pounds
RED - Max Nowry, Wheeling, Ill.
2008 Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion… 2007 Junior Nationals double champion… 2006 Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman champion… Third in 2006 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… 2006 FILA Cadet freestyle runner-up and third in Greco-Roman… Fifth in the 2005 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Freestyle state champion and Greco-Roman runner-up… Graduated from Wheeling High School… State champion at 103 pounds as a senior with a 43-0 record… Third in the state as a a junior with a 44-3 record… State qualifier at 103 as a sophomore with a 33-9 record… Career record of 140–19… Will attend the USOEC at Northern Michigan… Son of Jeff and Gabby Nowry… Coached by Neil Weiner… Born: March 16, 1990…

BLUE - Ryak Finch, Safford, Ariz.
2008 Junior Nationals Greco-Roman runner-up… 2008 Western Regional champion in both styles… Third in 2007 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman and sixth in freestyle… Fifth at 2007 FILA Cadet Nationals in both styles… 2007 Western Cadet Regional champion in both styles… Will be a junior at Safford High School… State champion at 103 pounds as a sophomore with a 48-0 record… State runner-up at 103 pounds as a freshman… Career record of 98-2… Coached by Rick Finch… Son of Rick and Judy Finch… Born June 13, 1991…

This is a rematch of the Greco-Roman finals, won by Nowry, 6-5, 1-1

112 pounds
RED - Shane Young, Jeannette, Pa.
2008 Northeast Region runner-up… Sixth in 2006 FILA Cadet Nationals… Will be a senior at Penn-Trafford High School… Two-time state champion… State champion as a junior at 112 pounds with a 44-0 record… State champion at 103 pounds as a sophomore… Career record of 111-18… Coached by Larry Hohman and Jim Akerly… Son of Mike and Denise Young… Born September 11, 1990…

BLUE - Ryan Mango, St. Louis, Mo.
2008 Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion… 2008 FILA Junior runner-up in Greco-Roman…2008 Junior World Team Trials ruuner-up in Greco-Roman…2008 FILA Cadet National champion in Greco-Roman and second in freestyle… 2006 double Cadet Nationals champion and Outstanding Wrestling in Greco-Roman… Will be a senior at the Whitfield School… Two-time state champion… State champion at 119 pounds as a junior with a 45-0 record… State champion at 103 pounds as a sophomore with 42-2 record… Third in the state as a freshman at 103 pounds… Coached by Charlie Sherertz… Son of Deborah Mango and Orvelle Hughes… Born August 17, 1991…

119 pounds
RED - Jon Morrison, Oak Forest, Ill.
2007 Junior Nationals freestyle champion… Second in 2006 Junior Nationals in freestyle… Seventh in 2005 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Fourth in 2004 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Four-time freestyle state champion… Will be a senior at Carl Sandburg High School… State champion at 119 pounds as a junior with a 43-0 record… State runner-up at 103 pounds as a sophomore, with a 50-2 record… State qualifier at 103 pounds as a freshman with a 40-9 record… Career record of 133-11… Son of Bob and Carol Morrison… Coached by Mike Pulz and Sean Bormet… Born December 30, 1989…

BLUE - Justin Forrest, Peculiar, Mo.
Third in 2008 FILA Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman… 2007 FILA Junior freestyle champion… 2007 Junior Pan American champion… 2006 Junior National Greco-Roman champion… Third in 2006 Junior Nationals in freestyle… Graduated from Raymore-Peculiar High School… State champion as a senior at 119 pounds with a 47-2 record… Fourth in state at 119 pounds as a junior… State runner-up at 103 pounds as a sophomore… Coached by Paul Barbarick and Jason Heplock… Son of Bill and Carolyn Forrest… Born November 29, 1989

125 pounds
RED - Samuel White, Massillon, Ohio
Second in 2007 Junior Nationals… Fourth in 2006 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Will be a senior at Massillon Perry High School… State runner-up as a junior at 112 pounds with a 37-3 record… State champion at 103 pounds as a sophomore with a 46-2 record… Competed at 103 pounds as a freshman with a 20-1 record… Career record of 103-6… Coached by Brett McBurney… Son of David and Katherine White… Born January 18, 1991…

BLUE - Logan Stieber, Norwalk, Ohio
2008 Junior National Greco-Roman champion… 2008 FILA Junior nationals champion… 2006 and 2007 Cadet Nationals freestyle champion… 2006 and 2007 FILA Cadet freestyle national champion… Will be a junior at Monroeville High School…Two-time state champion… State champion at 119 pounds as a sophomore with a 51-0 record… State champion at 103 pounds as a freshman, with a 44-1 record… Career record of 94-1… Coached by Scott Bauer… Son of Jeff and Tina Stieber… Coached by Scott Bauer… Born January 24, 1991…

130 pounds
RED - Jose Mendoza, Selma, Calif.
Three-time California state freestyle champion… Will be a senior at Selma High School… Third in the state tournament at 130 pounds as a junior with a 37-7 record… Coached by Diego Quintana and Archie Tovar… Son of Jose and Antonia Mendoza… Born September 27, 1991…

BLUE - Nate Moore, Iowa City, Iowa
2007 Junior Nationals freestyle champion… 2006 Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman Champion… 2006 Cadet Nationals Folkstyle champion… 2006 FILA Cadet National freestyle champion… 2007 Western Regionals and Northern Plains Regionals champion… 2006 Northern Plains Cadet champion in both styles… 2005 Cadet National runner-up in freestyle… Graduated from Iowa City West High School… Two-time state champion… State champion as a senior with a 49-0 record… State champion as a junior at 125 pounds… Two-time state runner-up, competing at 119 pounds as a sophomore with a 41-2 record and 103 pounds as a freshman… Will attend the Univ. of Iowa… Son of Denny and Denise Moore… Coached by Mark Reiland… ASICS All-American First Team member… Born January 26, 1990….

135 pounds
RED - Josh Kindig, Auburn, Pa.
Second in 2008 Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman… 2007 Cadet Nationals champion in freestyle and runner-up in Greco-Roman… Second in 2006 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Sixth in FILA Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals…2006 and 2007 state champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman… Will be a junior at Blue Mountain High School… State runner-up at 130 pounds as sophomore with a 41-3 record… Had a 38-7 record and was a state qualifier at 119 pounds as a freshman… Career record of 79-10… Coached by Tod Kindig and Cam Plocus… Son of Todd and Kristi Kindig… Born August 23, 1991…

BLUE - Dylan Alton, Lock Haven, Pa.
2008 Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion… 2008 FILA Junior Nationals champion… 2008 FILA Cadet co-champion in freestyle… Second in 2008 FILA Junior World Team Trials… Fourth in 2008 FILA Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman… 2007 Cadet Nationals champion in freestyle and second in Greco-Roman… Third in 2006 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman… FILA Cadet National freestyle champion and third in Greco-Roman… Freestyle and Greco-Roman state champion… Will be a junior at Central Mountain High School… State champion at 135 pounds as a sophomore with a 45-1 record… Placed seventh in the state championships at 125 pounds as a freshman with a 30-4 record… Career record of 75-5…. Coached by Neil Alton… Son of Neil and Donna Alton… Born March 18, 1991

Note: This is a rematch of the Greco-Roman finals, won by Alton, 4-0, 3-0

140 pounds
RED - Bobby Barnhisel, River Forest, Ill.
2008 Central Regional freestyle champion… Fourth in 2008 FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Fourth in 2007 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Third in 2007 Western Junior Regionals… Seventh in 2006 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Will be a senior at Fenwick High School… Competed at 140 pounds as a junior with a 42-2 record… Fifth in the state at 130 pounds as a sophomore… Career record of 126-15… Coached by Jerry Ruffino and Sean Bormet… Son of Bill and Donna Barnhisel… Born January 29, 1991…

BLUE - Andrew Alton, Lock Haven, Pa.
Second in 2008 Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman… 2008 FILA Cadet co-champion in freestyle… Second in FILA Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman… 2007 Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman champion… 2006 Cadet National freestyle champion… Seventh in 2006 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman… Will be a junior at Central Mountain High School… Placed third in the state championships as both a freshman and a sophomore… Career record of 87-8… Coached by Neil Alton… Son of Neil and Donna Alton… Born March 18, 1991

145 pounds
RED - Matt Lester, Wildwood, Mo.
Will be a senior at Eureka High School… State champion as a junior at 140 pounds with a record 46-2 record… Fifth in the state at 125 pounds as a sophomore… Fourth in the state at 119 pounds as a freshman… Coached by Ted Eckron and Nick Purler… Son of Gregory and Teresa Lester… Born July 7, 1990…

BLUE - Jim Belleville, Tumwater, Wash
Second in 2008 Western Regional in freestyle… Second in 2008 Northwest Regional in freestyle… Fourth in 2006 Cadet Nationals… Will be a senior at Black Hills High School… Three-time state champion… State champion as a junior at 152 pounds with a 42-2 record… State champion as a sophomore at 125 pounds… State champion as a freshman at 103 pounds… Career record of 126-6… Son of Jim Belleville… Born October 2, 1990…

152 pounds
RED - Mario Mason, Moorestown, N.J.
2007 Junior National freestyle champion… 2005 Cadet Nationals champion… Graduated from Blair Academy… Three-time National Prep champion… Prep National champion at 145 pounds as a senior with a 26-2 record… Prep National champion at 140 pounds as a junior with a 38-0 record… Prep National champion at 140 as a sophomore with a 42-5 record… Third in Prep Nationals as a freshman at 140 pounds with a 36-6 record… Career record of 137-13… Will attend the Univ. of Minnesota… Coached by Jeff Buxton and Jonathon Johnson… Son of Bill and Diane Mason… Born July 18, 1989…

BLUE - Derek St. John, Iowa City, Iowa
Sixth in 2007 FILA Cadet freestyle championships… Third in 2006 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Will be a senior at Iowa City West High School… Two-time state champion… State champion at 145 pounds as a junior with a 50-0 record… State champion at 140 pounds as a sophomore… Third in state at 130 as a freshman… Career record of 137-8… Coached by Mark Reiland… Son of Trent and Laurie St. John… Born October 2, 1990…

160 pounds
RED - Alex Meade, Camden, Del.
2008 FILA Junior freestyle runner-up… Two-time FILA Cadet Nationals champion… 2006 Cadet Nationals champion… 2005 Cadet National freestyle champion and Outstanding Wrestler… 2005 FILA Cadet National champion… Graduated from Cesar Rodney High School… Three-time state champion… State champion as a senior at 152 pounds with a 44-0 record… State champion as a junior at 145 pounds… Did not wrestle in high school as a sophomore… 2005 Delaware state high school champion and Outstanding Wrestler with a 42-4 record… Career record of 125-4… Will attend Oklahoma State… Son of Alex and Christi Meade… Coached by Steve Powell… ASICS All-American First Team member… Born Feb. 4, 1990

BLUE - Andrew Howe, Cedar Lake, Ind.
Third in 2007 Junior Nationals in freestyle… Third in 2006 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Graduated from Hanover Central High School… Three-time state champion… State champion at 160 pounds as a senior with a48-0 record… State champion at 152 pounds as a junior… State champion at 140 as a sophomore… State runner-up at 130 pounds as a freshman… Career record of 184-1… Will attend the Univ. of Wisconsin… Coached by Nick Petrov and Sean Bormet… Son of Mike and Debbie Howe… Born July 3, 1989…

171 pounds
RED - Josh Asper, Parkton, Md.
2008 Maryland state freestyle champion… Graduated from Hereford High School… Four-time state champion… Champion at 171 pounds as a senior with a 37-0 record… State champion at 160 pounds as a junior… State champion at 145 as a sophomore and 135 pounds as a freshman… Career record of 151-7… Will attend the Univ. of Maryland… Coached by Ron Causey, Todd Beckerman and Cary Kolat… Son of Jeff and Glenda Asper… Born July 9, 1990…

BLUE - Ben Bennett, Rockford, Mich.
Fifth in 2008 Western Junior Regionals in Greco-Roman… 2008 Northeast Regional champion in freestyle… Graduated from Rockford High School… Three-time state champion… State champion at 171 pounds as a senior with a 54-0 record… State champion at 160 pounds as a junior… Third in the state at 152 pounds as a sophomore… State champion at 140 pounds as a freshman… Career record of 213-3… Will attend Central Michigan… Coached by Don Rinehart… Son of Doug and Michelle Bennett… Born Dec. 9, 1989…

189 pounds
RED - Brian Roddy, Highland Heights, Ohio
Fifth in 2006 Junior Nationals in freestyle… Fourth in 2005 Cadet Nationals in freestyle and fifth in Greco-Roman…. Freestyle and Greco-Roman state champion… Graduated from St. Edward High School… Two-time state champion… State champion as a senior at 171 pounds with a 30-3 record… state champion as a junior at 171 pounds… state runner-up as a sophomore and sixth as a freshman at 171 pounds… Career record of 119-22… Will attend Northwestern… Coached by Greg Urbas and Jeff Leonard… Son of Brian and Monica Roddy… Born July 7, 1989…

BLUE - Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla.
Fourth in 2007 Junior Nationals in freestyle…Fourth in 2006 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Will be a senior at Stillwater High School… State champion at 189 pounds as a junior at 189 pounds… State champion at 171 pounds as a sophomore… state champion at 160 pounds as a freshman… Career record of 108-1… Coached by Doug Chesbro and Mark Perry… Son of Mark and Cathy Perry… Born January 20, 1990…

215 pounds
RED - Byron Tate, Clinton, Iowa
Fourth in 2007 Junior Nationals in freestyle… Graduated from Clinton High School… State champion as a senior at 215 pounds with a 30-1 record… Seventh in the state at 171 pounds as a junior and a sophomore… Career record of 114-34… Coached by Clint Long… Son of France Woodson… Born February 4, 1990…

BLUE - Tyrell Fortune, Lake Oswego, Ore.
2008 Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion… Second in 2007 Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle… 2006 Cadet Nationals double champion… 2005 Cadet Nationals double champion… 14-time Western Regional champion … Five-time state Greco-Roman champion… Graduated from Lakeridge High School… Two-time state champion… State champion as a senior at 215 pounds with a 32-0 record… Will attend Clackamas CC… Son of Toyinnia Hodges… Coached by Roy Pittman… Born July 4, 1990…

285 pounds
RED - Steve Andrus, Manhattan, Kansas
Seventh in 2007 Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman… 2006 Cadet National freestyle champion and seventh in Greco-Roman… Graduated from Manhattan High School… Had a 24-0 record as a senior, and missed state championships with an injury… State champion at 285 pounds as a junior… Third in the state at 285 pounds as a sophomore… Coached by Coach Gonzalez… Son of Dave and Linda Andrus… Will attend Michigan State… Born January 29, 1990…

BLUE - Eric Thompson, Shell Rock, Iowa
Fourth in 2007 Junior Nationals in freestyle and fifth in Greco-Roman… Second in 2006 Junior Nationals in freestyle and fifth in Greco-Roman… 2006 FILA Cadet national freestyle champion… Graduated from Waverly-Shell Rock High School… Two-time state champion… State champion at 285 pounds as a senior with a 48-0 record… State champion at 215 pounds as a junior… Fifth at 215 pounds as a sophomore… Seventh at 215 pounds as a freshman… Career record of 180-13… Will attend Iowa State… Coached by Rick Caldwell… Son of Bill and Sue Thompson… ASICS First Team member… Born December 19, 1989….

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:22 PM | Permalink

Craig Sesker USA Wrestling

OREM, Utah – Thirteen wrestlers moved another big step toward winning the coveted USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown.

The three-day USA Wrestling Kids National Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships kicked off with the Greco-Roman competition on Thursday at Utah Valley University’s McKay Events Center.

This is the final event in the quest for the 2008 USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown. Each year, USA Wrestling honors athletes who are able to win national titles at their age-level in all three styles: folkstyle, Greco-Roman and freestyle.

The nation’s best 9-14 year old wrestlers are battling for national titles and All-American honors in three age-divisions: Midget (9-10), Novice (11-12) and Schoolboy/girl (13-14).

Wrestlers who are now two-thirds of the way to the Triple Crown after winning Kids Greco-Roman National titles on Thursday include:

Midget division – Anthony Artalona of Florida and A.J. Jaffe of Illinois.

Novice division – Ty Pelot of Wisconsin, Dante Rodriguez of Nebraska, Matthew Kolodzik of Ohio, James Rothwell of Colorado, Bo Nickal of New Mexico and Joey Nelson of Wisconsin.

Schoolboy division – Sam Brancale of Minnesota, Andrew Schulte of California, Ryan Cone of Wisconsin, Joe Scanlan of Iowa and Eric Mason of Kansas.

The three-day event will run through Saturday in Orem, Utah. Freestyle competition is scheduled to start Friday morning and is set to conclude on Saturday.

The USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals were held in early April in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The USA Wrestling Kids National Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships moved to Utah this year after having been held four straight years in Wisconsin [dash] three in Green Bay and one in Menomonie.

2009 Asics Wrestling Shoes Tournament National Champions:
MIDGET GRECO-ROMAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
50 - Ty Smith of Nevada
55 - Dylan Duncan of Illinois
60 - Anthony Artalona of Florida
65 - Taylor Lamont of Utah
70 – A.J. Jaffe of Illinois
75 - Austin Goodenough of Wisconsin
80 - Christian Bahl of Minnesota
87 - Braydon Ball of Idaho
95 - Dylan Meeks of Florida
103 - Alexx Herrera of Idaho
120 - Sam Anderson of Minnesota
120 plus - Tyler Farrar of Wyoming

NOVICE GRECO-ROMAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
60 - Ty Pelot of Wisconsin
65 - Caleb Williams of Utah
70 - Dante Rodriguez of Nebraska
75 - Matthew Kolodzik of Ohio
80 - Tyler Berger of Oregon
85 - James Rothwell of Colorado
90 - Bo Nickal of New Mexico
95 - Joey Nelson of Wisconsin
100 - Angus Arthur of Michigan
105 - Chandler Rogers of Washington
112 - Antonio Perez of California
120 - Jonathon Chmilowsky of Minnesota
130 - Colby Meeks of Florida
140 - Jared Langley of Kansas
140 plus - Rodolfo Garcias of California

SCHOOLBOY GRECO-ROMAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
70 - Grant Boggs of Montana
77 – Sam Brancale of Minnesota
84 - Jake Velarde of Washington
91 - Corey Keener of Pennsylvania
98 - Blayne Briceno of California
105 - Andrew Schulte of California
112 - Jayden Semrad of Florida
120 - Dakota Trom of Minnesota
128 - Steven Elicegui of Nevada
136 - Brandon McBride of Idaho
144 - Jordan Rogers of Washington
152 – Ryan Cone of Wisconsin
160 - Connor King of Colorado
175 - Joe Scanlan of Iowa
190 - Brooks Black of Pennsylvania
210 - Eric Mason of Kansas
235 - Gaylen Edmo of Idaho

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:28 PM | Permalink

Illinois completes Junior Duals sweep after downing Iowa in freestyle finals
Roger Moore Special to TheMat.com
07/04/2008

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Max Nowry’s performance this week pretty much sums up Illinois’ second-straight sweep of Greco-Roman and freestyle at the 2008 Junior Wrestling Duals on the campus of Oklahoma City University.

Nowry, a 105-pounder, went a combined 15-0 in Greco and freestyle this week, giving up only two points in six Greco wins and losing only one period in nine freestyle wins.

Nowry, Jon Morrison, Tony Ramos and Conrad Polz all finished unbeaten in freestyle as Illinois beat Iowa, 39-23, in the championship match Friday afternoon. It was Illinois’ third consecutive championship in freestyle.

“I’m not surprised at the way I wrestled or the team. We go through tough workouts to get ready for this tournament,� said Nowry, a Junior Greco and freestyle champion in 2007. “We had a strong lineup all the way up and down. I really thought we could win both again.

“We’ll take a day or two off and then start getting ready for Fargo.�

Illinois jumped out to a 20-5 lead against Iowa, a common theme during a 9-0 week.

“I don’t think other states put as much into (the Duals),� said Morrison, a national champion last summer. “They just show up at the airport and come here to maybe get some extra matches before Fargo. Nothing more than just throwing on a pair of wrestling shoes, their wrestling headgear, and competing. We have a training camp at Overtime to get ready for this and we really look forward to coming here and winning.

“We come here as a team and I think that makes a big difference.�

In the finale, Jake Shramm started things with a technical fall at 98 pounds. Nowry and Jon Cooper picked up pins to give Illinois a 14-0 lead. Morrison followed with a tough decision of Joe Colon at 119 and it was 17-1.

Tony Ramos battled back from a first-period hole to beat Andrew Long in three periods at 125.

Iowa’s first win didn’t come until 130 where national champion Nate Moore beat Chris Dardanes, 1-0, 1-0.

Matt McDonough and Derek St. John kept Iowa hanging around with victories, cutting the deficit to 24-12 through 145 pounds.

But Brian Reynolds’ tough win over Trent Weatherman at 152, followed by Polz’s pin of Marcus Edgington at 160 sealed Iowa’s fate.

Iowa’s Grant Gambrall beat Chris Spangler, giving Spangler his only loss of the week, and Josh Ihnen and Byron Tate each had wins, but it was too little, too late.

“There are so many matches, you have to have some depth in there,� said Illinois coach John Kading. “This is a tough tournament, and we knew Iowa and Oklahoma were going to be especially tough. We were able to move some guys around here and there.

“I’m just really proud of the guys. They wrestled tough all week.�

Iowa moved to the finals with wins against Missouri, New Jersey and Kansas on Friday.

Illinois won six of the final seven bouts in a 39-24 win over Pennsylvania earlier on Friday. Jordan Oliver’s pin of Ellis Coleman at 140 gave Pennsylvania a 19-16 advantage, but Bob Barnhisel’s technical fall at 145 gave Illinois a lead they would never relinquish.

Illinois jumped out to a 20-5 lead against Minnesota in their first match on Friday and rolled to a 42-21 victory.

Oklahoma, after losing to Minnesota Friday morning, gave Illinois a run before falling 29-28.

Tyler Greenhaw’s pin at 152 cut Illinois’ lead to 22-17, but Polz beat Dallas Bailey at 160 and Spangler beat Joey Sheridan at 171 to give the eventual champions a solid lead. Illinois won five of the first six bouts, including Morrison’s decision of Ladd Rupp at 119, in building an early 17-5 advantage.

Iowa opened the final day with a 35-26 win over Missouri that included Colon’s pin of Ryan Mango at 119 pounds. A round later, Iowa had to hold off a New Jersey squad that beat Kansas, the Pool D winners, to start Friday.

Tony Buxton pinned Iowa’s Andrew Long at 125, and a decision by Mario Mason at 160 and a pin by Scott Winston at 171 gave Jersey a 25-24 advantage.

Iowa responded with Gambrall’s pin at 189 and Trayvonius Pendleton’s straight-period decision at 285 for a 33-29 victory.

Jonathan Becker’s decision at 189 clinched New Jersey’s win against Kansas. It came a bout after Bagna Toujov’s 16-second pin at 171.

Oklahoma opened the day with a win over Pennsylvania, 37-25, but fell to Minnesota, 32-26, a round later.

Against Pennsylvania, Stephen Swan bumped up a weight class to beat Dirk Cowburn at 152 and Bailey had a 58-second pin at 160.

Minnesota got pins by Trey Bertram at 140 and Eric Yngsdal at 145. Oklahoma made it close with wins by Chris Perry over Caleb Lines at 189 and Tyson Yoder over Jake Kahnke at 215, but Jake Kettler closed things out for Minnesota, who opened Friday with a loss to Illinois.

New Jersey beat Minnesota, 33-27, in the third-place match.

Oklahoma took care of Missouri for fifth, and Kansas edged Pennsylvania for seventh.

New York won the consolation title, beating Texas, 38-19.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:55 PM | Permalink

Here is the Top Ten High School wrestling stars. This list has a dash of the expected (Taylor, Grajales), nothing too out of the ordinary.

1 . David Taylor (St. Paris Graham, OH) 125
2 . Eric Grajales (Brandon, FL) 135
3 . Chris Perry (Stillwater, OK) 189
4 . Alec Ortiz (Newberg, OR) 160/171
5 . R.J. Pena (Sprague, OR) 145
6 . Collin Palmer (St. Edward, OH) 140
7 . Derek St. John (Iowa City West, IA) 145
8 . Zach Toal (Troy Christian, OH) 145
9 . Austin Meys (Shenendahowa, NY) 145
10 . Trent Weatherman (Ballard, IA) 152

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:43 PM | Permalink

A contingent of 12 athletes and coaches will represent Team USA Wrestling at the
women’s freestyle Cadet Pan American Championships July 11-13, 2008 in
San Salvador, El Salvador.

U.S. States Olympic Education Center (USOEC) assistant coach Tony
DeAnda will assist in leading the FILA Cadet Champions (ages 15-17) of
the 2008 Body Bar/FILA Cadet Nationals who qualified for this event.

The 2008 Cadet Pan American Championships women’s freestyle
qualification, repechage, and final rounds will be competed Saturday
July 12, 2008 in San Salvador, El Salvador.

USA Cadet Pan Am Championships Freestyle Wrestling Team

38 kg / 83.75 lbs – Kaci Fullinwinder
40 kg / 88 lbs. – Emily Webster of Texas
43 kg / 94.75 lbs. – Erin Golston of Illinois
46 kg / 101.25 lbs – Briana Sparks of Michigan
49 kg / 108 lbs. – Samantha Lopez of California
52 kg / 114.5 lbs – Jenna Burkert of New York
56 kg / 123.25 lbs. – Kat Perez of California
60 kg / 132.25 lbs. – Ashley Mathews of California
65 kg / 143.25 lbs. – Jennifer Spitza of Michigan
70 kg / 154.25 lbs. – Anneliese DeAragon of Idaho
Coaches Tony DeAnda, TBA

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:08 PM | Permalink

Fuel the Dream, USA Wrestling’s special fundraising program designed to provide direct support to each 2008 U.S. Wrestling Olympian competing in Beijing as well as USA Wrestling’s mission has reached its first milestone.

On June 21st, at a special event at the Bernards Inn in Bernardsville, N.J., the Olympic Team members in attendance received an initial $1,500.00 check.

(Only Doug Schwab was unable to attend due to severe flooding in Iowa. USA Wrestling sent Schwab’s check as soon as possible after the NJ event).

The Fuel the Dream program will continue throughout the Olympic Games.

As the Larry Nugent, the Director of Development for USAW said after each check was presented to the Olympians, “this amount will purchase airfare sufficient to get a family member ¾ of the way across the Pacific Ocean. Wouldn’t it be great to raise enough to get them all the way there?�

USA Wrestling is a 501 (c) (3) and your contribution is tax deductible. Donors that contribute at least $25 will receive a unique Olympic Games pin!

Be a real part of our Olympic effort.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:04 PM | Permalink

Three wrestlers and a coach from the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team for wrestling were among the dignitaries who rang The Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, June 20.

Participating in the Closing Bell Ceremony were two-time Olympians Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) and 2008 Olympian Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), along with 2008 U.S. Olympic Team freestyle coach Lee Kemp (Alpharetta, Ga.). Joining the wrestling delegation were also athletes from USA Rowing. Ben Askren was not in attendance.

The U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team is in the New York area for two days of media interviews, and to participate in the Fuel the Dream function in Bernardsville, N.J. on Saturday night. Fuel the Dream is a fundraising program created by USA Wrestling directly raise funds for members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, and allow them to bring family to the Beijing Games.

Joining the wrestlers on the platform at the New York Stock Exchange were a number of the leaders of the Fuel the Dream program Steven John Jastrabek, Jeff Hanson and David Welch. They have also been active with the New Jersey Night of Champions events which have successfully raised funds for USA Wrestling and the U.S. Olympic Committee in past years.

Van Dusen was given the honor of ringing the bell, standing in the center of the podium and bringing the work day to a close.

“That was fun. It was an adrenaline rush. I had a great time. I had to push a button and hold it for 15 seconds,� said Van Dusen.

Prior to going up on the platform, Vering and Cormier conducted national television interviews with CNBC and the Fox Network. Just before the actual closing of the day, on national television, Vering wrestled with CNN announcer Dylan Ratigan.

“I went down in the back and wrestled Dylan from CNN,� said Vering. “I did an arm throw on him. I think I ripped his suit.�

The experience was special for all of the wrestling people who were part of the tradition.

“This was amazing,� said Cormier. “It is something you never expect to do. The support we got from the people on the floor was amazing. They clapped for us when we did our interviews. You can feel their love for American athletes down there.�

“I never had that opportunity. It was awesome,� said Kemp, who worked for a number of major corporations during his business career. “How many opportunities to you have to do that in any walk of life. Even in business, you don’t get to do that. It gave me great pride.�

Lisa Dollamurt, who served as the host for the Olympians on behalf of the New York Stock Exchange, explained that 26 media outlets around the world purchase the video clip of the Closing Bell and 126 million people around the world witness it.

Having the Olympic wrestlers there was exciting to those who work there.

“This is special. It is not just a CEO up there. It is great to have the Olympians,� said Ann Marie Gioia,, Senior Media Relations Specialist with the NYSE.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:37 PM | Permalink

NWCA announces Columbus as host for All-Star Classic; National Duals set to stay in Cedar Falls
Jason Bryant NWCA
06/19/2008

After finishing second at the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, it didn’t seem like there was much more Ohio State coach Tom Ryan could to bring momentum into Columbus and excitement to the wrestling program.

Well, there was.

On Wednesday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the 43rd annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps will be hosted by the Ohio State University on November 24, 2008.

Prior to the announcement, the NWCA Board of Directors unanimously approved the motion to have Ohio State host the event at the annual NWCA Convention held last week in Las Vegas prior to the Olympic Trials.

“We’ve taken the All-Star Classic around the country, but it’s hard to believe it’s been 27 years since the event has been in Columbus,� said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “We’ve been to Dallas and Oregon the last two years to try to kick start and preserve wrestling and this coming year, we’re going to an area where wrestling isn’t just thriving, it’s creating an electric atmosphere around campus.�

Last year, the event drew over 4,300 fans at the University of Oregon’s MacArthur Court in an effort to help the Save Oregon Wrestling effort.

“We were pleased about the outpouring of support from the fans in Oregon last year,� said Moyer. “Even with the event traditionally held on a Monday night, we think Columbus will be an ideal location for wrestling fans in the region to watch the best college wrestling has to offer and many previews of what you will see in St. Louis come March.

Back in 1981, names like Gene Mills, Jim Gibbons, Andre Metzger, Nate Carr, Ricky Stewart, Dan Severn and Bruce Baumgartner highlighted the field.

Also on Wednesday, the NWCA announced a two-year extension with the University of Northern Iowa as the host of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. This move was also approved by the NWCA’s Board of Directors.

The event called the UNI-Dome home for the fourth consecutive year and the two-year extension will make it the host site through the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

“The staff ant Northern Iowa and the representatives of the local visitors and conventions bureaus do an amazing amount of work and preparation for this event,� said NWCA President Ron Mirikitani. “Just finding lodging for 80-something teams is hard enough, but they make it easy choice to continue to come back.�

The 2008 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals were named Event of the Year by the Cedar Valley Tourism Awards handed out last May.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 8:30 PM | Permalink

After so many years of chasing Rulon Gardner, Dremiel Byers learned what it was like to have Rulon Gardner chasing him.

Byers, a world-level wrestler for 10 years who was twice blocked from the Olympics by former gold medalist Gardner, won his way to the games by beating U.S. Army teammate Tim Taylor in the best-of-three U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman 264½-pound trials Sunday night.

Finally, a wrestler long accustomed to being No. 2 was No. 1, and Byers did it in a big way by catching Taylor with an underhook and dropping him for a 5-point move that decided the third and final match of their best-of-three series.

And guess who chased him across the mat for an interview once he was done? None other than Gardner, Byers' longtime rival and NBC's newest wrestling analyst.

"To come out and finish the way he did was the best thing he could have done," Gardner said. "That's going to give him a lot of confidence going into Beijing."

Think the 33-year-old Byers hasn't waited for this day since he first took up Greco-Roman wrestling a dozen years ago? Since he first won a national championship nine years ago, a remarkably long time for someone to wait to become an Olympian after proving he was good enough to be the best in the country?

"It's kind of poetic," said Byers, a 2002 world champion who choked back tears of pride and accomplishment. "I'm a romantic guy like that. There's a closeness there."

Byers feels the same way now about Taylor, a former Clearfield (Pa.) High wrestler who trains in Colorado Springs daily with Byers. The two go on hunting trips and attend parties together, and beating Taylor was as hard for Byers as beating Byers once was for Gardner.

"Other guys here are in clubs that live all over the country and come together for one event," Byers said. "In the Army, we're an actual team. We're in our (wrestling) room pounding it out every day."

Now, Byers likely will take Taylor with him to Beijing to help him prepare for the Olympics. Just as Gardner took him to the games to help Gardner prepare for winning his upset-of-a-lifetime gold medal in 2000 and bronze medal in 2004. And if Byers wants another training partner ...

"If he wants me to help him, I'm there," Gardner said.

Fittingly on a night that Gardner won, several other longtime No. 2s also came through to make the Olympic team.

At freestyle 185 pounds, Andy Hrovat beat three-time national champion Mo Lawal. In a surprise at Greco-Roman 211½ pounds, Adam Wheeler outlasted Justin Ruiz, who had won the past five national titles, three times beating Wheeler. At freestyle 264½ pounds, Steve Mocco -- the national runner-up the past five years and a three-time world team runner-up -- defeated top-seeded Tommy Rowlands, who was fifth in the world last year.

When Mocco won, family members -- including sister Katie, who competed in this weekend's judo trials -- hugged, screamed and cried upon realizing he wasn't second any longer.

"It's been a struggle, it's been a struggle for my family," said Mocco, also a two-time NCAA runner-up. "I've always come up a little bit short. But in a real tough weight class, I found a way to win."

There was one repeat Olympian on Sunday night, Daniel Cormier at freestyle 211½ pounds,

There was no doubt who is No. 1 at freestyle 163 pounds -- Ben Askren, the oh-so-confident former Missouri wrestler who needed only one year to transition from two-time NCAA champion to Olympian.

Former college stars such as the 23-year-old Askren often need a much longer indoctrination before excelling in freestyle, and Askren has adapted his style. But he hasn't eliminated the raised No. 1 fingers, the pumping fists, the crowd gestures, all of which stamp him as a nonconformist in an old, traditional sport.

"I just knew I was going to win. There was no doubt in my mind," Askren said.

That confidence, he said, comes from a relentless training regimen and an eagerness to outwork his opponents.

"I work harder than a lot of people. A lot of senior level (wrestlers) don't want to work. They don't want to be the best," Askren said.

He doesn't doubt he will win in Beijing, despite his lack of top-level international experience.

"I'm going to win a gold medal," Askren said.

The other Greco-Roman and freestyle Olympians were determined Saturday night, including 18-year-old Jake Deitchler, the first high schooler to make the U.S. team in 32 years.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:59 AM | Permalink

Cormier makes second Olympic Team, Byers gets his first chance with wins at U.S. Olympic Team Trials
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
06/15/2008

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) made his second straight Olympic team, defeating Damion Hahn (Ithaca, N.Y./New York AC) in two straight matches at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at the Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday.

Cormier placed fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. He won a World bronze medal in 2007. It was his sixth straight year claiming the U.S. team spot at his weight class.

“I’m just going to train hard. It’s my second Olympic Games. I don’t want to feel like I did coming back from Athens in 2004. Losing two overtime matches in the semis and then losing the bronze medal match. I don’t want to feel that way. I’m doing everything possible to make sure I’m prepared and ready to go when I get to China. If I do that I think I’ll be okay,� said Cormier.

Cormier is the only member of the men’s freestyle Olympic Team who has competed in a previous Olympic Games. On Friday, Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) made his second Olympic team in Greco-Roman with a victory at 84 kg/185 lbs.

In bout number one, the first period, trailing 1-0, Cormier scored six points with a takedown and two tilts to win, 6-1. In the second period, Cormier again opened up his offense, turning Hahn to get a 6-0 technical fall.

In bout two, scored a point in each period, on a stepout in the first period and a spin behind in the second period, for a 1-1 victory and his second Olympic berth.

“I’m confident. I’m getting to the point where I am confident in my abilities and I figure if I go out and wrestle like I’m capable, I’m going to be okay. That’s pretty much what’s been happening. These guys are tough competitors. I’ve been lucky enough, blessed to stay healthy and believe in myself. It’s been leading to victories,� said Cormier.

2002 World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./US Army) made his first Olympic Team, but needed three matches to get by U.S. Army teammate Timothy Taylor at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Byers won the first match, 1-1, 4-0, but fell in the second bout, 2-5, 2-1, 1-1. In the deciding third match, Byers dominated the first period, 4-0. In the second period, Byers hit a five-point high amplitude throw to immediately finish the match.

Byers talked about the challenge of facing his friend and teammate in the Championship Series with an Olympic berth at stake.

“That’s my brother from another mother. We live that everyday with our unit. We really are family. If you look around at Nationals or you look into it, we’re the only actual team. The other guys are clubs that live all over the country and come together for one event. We’re in there pounding it out everyday with each other,� said Byers.

Byers placed second at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials to archrival and friend Rulon Gardner, who won an Olympic gold in 2000 and Olympic bronze in 2004. Byers served as Gardner’s training partner at the 2004 Olympic Games.

Gardner was in attendance, serving as the color analyst for the MSNBC coverage of the Olympic Trials. Gardner hugged Byers on center mat, and conducted the television interview with him at the conclusion of the victory.

2008 U.S. Nationals champion Ben Askren (Columbia, Mo./Sunkist Kids) defeated Tyrone Lewis (Stillwater, Okla., Gator WC) in two straight matches. It was a rematch of this year’s nationals finals, also won by Askren.

A popular two-time NCAA champion for Missouri, Askren made his first World-level team in his first full season concentrating only on freestyle.

In the first match, Askren scored a leg attack takedown in each period for a 1-1, 1-1 victory.

The second match started strong for Lewis, who was trailing by a point before throwing Askren for three points with a body lock for a 6-3 win. In the second period, Askren scored twice to win 2-0. The deciding third period went to Askren, who scored a takedown on the edge early in the period and held on for the victory.

“Number one, I work harder than a lot of people. A lot of the senior level athletes don’t want to work hard, they want to do that. Number two, I leave my mind open, I’m looking for everybody. I’m watching the Russians, I’m watching the World Champs, I’m watching them and I’m picking everything up.�

Four of the series went the full three matches, adding great drama to the final night of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials event.

At 84 kg/185 lbs., 2006 U.S. World Team member Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) defeated 2005 U.S. World Team member Mo Lawal, (Temecula, Calif./Sunkist Kids) in three bouts.

Lawal won the first match, 1-1, 1-0. In the first period, after Hrovat scored on a stepout, Lawal hit a takedown with just five seconds left to win the period by scoring the last point. In the second period, he scored the only takedown of the period.

In the second match, Lawal scored the only takedown of the first period to take it 1-0. In the second period, there were no takedowns and Lawal won the coin toss. Hrovat scored a two-point counter chestlock to win period two, 2-0. With time running out in the third period, Lawal shot a double on Hrovat on the edge, but Hrovat hit another three-point chestlock to take the period 3-0 and tie up the series.

In the deciding third match, Lawal won the first period with a takedown, 1-0. The second period was scoreless, and Hrovat won the toss, scoring a takedown from the clinch, 1-0. The third and deciding period, Lawal scored a takedown out of bounds with 43 seconds left. Hrovat scored two points with seven seconds left, getting an exposure on a scramble. Although Lawal scored a takedown with two seconds left to tie the match at 2-2, Hrovat earned the spot by scoring the highest point move of the period.

Lawal had defeated Hrovat in the finals of the U.S. Nationals in 2008. Hrovat defeated Lawal at the World Team Trials in 2006 on the way to his first World Championships appearance.

At 120 kg/264.5 lbs. in freestyle, Steve Mocco (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) by defeating 2007 World Team member Tommy Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/New York AC) in three bouts.

Mocco won the first match in two straight periods, 1-0, 1-0. In the first period, Mocco scored a takedown from the clinch. In the second period, Rowlands stepped out of bounds, giving Mocco the only point of the period.

Rowlands won the second match in two periods. He scored a three-point takedown from the clinch in the first period for a 3-0 score, then got the only point in the second period on when Mocco went out of bounds on a scramble.

The deciding third match was all Mocco, who scored a pushout to win the first period, 1-0, then two takedowns in the second period to score the victory and a spot on the U.S. World Team.

In Greco-Roman, there was an upset at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. when Adam Wheeler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) defeated 2005 World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) in three matches.

Ruiz had advanced directly to the Championship Series finals after winning U.S. Nationals and having placed in the top five of the World during the last three years. Ruiz has competed on four U.S. World Teams, while Wheeler made his first U.S. team.

Wheeler won the first period, 2-2, turning Ruiz for exposure in the final par terre segment. In the second period, Ruiz won 1-1 by scoring the last point by defending from par terre. The last period went to Wheeler by a 1-1 score, as he received the final point defending from par terre.

In the second match, Ruiz got his offense going, hitting a gutwrench in the first period, and scoring on a two-point penalty and a reversal in the second period to win the match, 3-0, 4-0.

In the third and final match went without a point scored on the feet. Ruiz won the first period, 1-1, by scoring the last point from the defensive position in par terre. Wheeler won the second period, 1-1, scoring the last point on defense. In the third and final period, Ruiz lost the flip and defended first, but Wheeler was able to score a point when Ruiz stepped out of bounds. In the last 30-second par terre position, Ruiz was unable to turn Wheeler, almost getting a lift but running out of time, giving the period to Wheeler.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:26 PM | Permalink

John Smith

Aleks Emelianenko

James Thompson

Dustin Schlatter

Cael Sanderson

Dan Gable

Tom Brands

Jayson Ness

Charlie Falck

David Taylor

Zack Esposito

Buvaisar Saitiev

Saitiev

murtazaliev

Adam Saitiev

Ketoev

Gatsalov

Muradov

flowrestling

Mike Zadick

Brent Metcalf

Bubba Jenkins

Eric Tannenbaum

Saytiev

Mike Houck

Dennis Hall

Steve Fraser

Joe Warren

Kudukhov

Farniev

Kimbo Slice

Brett Rogers

Frank Shamrock

College Football

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:05 AM | Permalink

Former Wisconsin wrestler Lee Kemp can add another accolade to his long list of accomplishments. The three-time NCAA Champion will be inducted into the International Wrestling Hall of Fame on Aug. 21 during this summer's Olympics in Beijing.

Kemp wrestled at Wisconsin from 1975-78 and still holds the school record for most career falls (47) and career winning percentage (.957).

After his time at Wisconsin, Kemp went on to become a three-time Freestyle World Champion (1978, 1979 and 1982) at 163 lbs., and he took home a bronze medal at the 1981 World Championships.

Kemp earned a spot on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Freestyle team but did not get to compete because of the U.S. boycott on the Olympic Games that were in Moscow that year. Kemp will not only be in Beijing this summer for the induction ceremony but also to serve as an assistant coach on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Freestyle team.

Each new member will be permanently recognized at the International Wrestling Hall of Fame at FILA Headquarters in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland and at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. The inaugural class of the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame members was inducted in 2003. Since then, 49 members have been inducted.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:37 PM | Permalink

I just received a phone call from my brother, Kent, who works as the marketing director at the Dan Gable Wrestling Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. He informed me that the Museum has suffered significant damage from the flooding that has hit a number of cities in Iowa.

The Museum did not have flood insurance, so they are looking for help from the wrestling community. The Olympic Trials may provide the perfect opportunity to help an important member of the wrestling family. Donations will be appreciated. Kent will be in Las Vegas for the Trials, as will Kyle Klingman, who runs the day-to-day operations at the Museum.

Kent and Kyle were working in the Museum early Tuesday afternoon when they received word that people in downtown Waterloo needed to evacuate the area.

The Museum relocated to Waterloo, after nearly a decade in Newton, Iowa, about a year and a half ago. It is a great shrine to our great sport.

I lived in Burlington, Iowa, during the Flood of 1993 that did significant damage to a number of Iowa cities along the Mississippi River. I fully the understand the magnitude of what these people are enduring right now.

Let's rally together and show some support.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:40 AM | Permalink

For those of you who do not subscribe, here is the latest from TheWrestlingTalk.com on their recent improvements:

Hey Everyone!

Its been a busy off-season for the folks behind the scenes at TheWrestlingTalk.com, but we're excited to show you what has been created in the TWT Lab.

TheWrestlingTalk.com recently released the most advanced social networking platform amateur wrestling has ever seen! Within this robust Internet operating system you will find our soul- community. A Facebook-esque personal page with a college recruiting twist. We have added the functionality for athletes, parents, and fans to actively promote their favorite athlete within their TWT profile. Open the doorway to excellent opportunities by adding your academic & athletic accomplishments and a highlight reel to your personal profile. Detail your training or help improve the sport: Blog. As part of our overall commitment to connecting wrestlers around the world we have released blogging software to help everyone connect on a more personal level than ever before! Add your personality to your personal page! Customize the look and feel of your profile by entering the User CP and navigating to the profile editing section.

Along side of our social networking platform we have released the largest sorted database of amateur wrestling videos on the planet. Find competitive matches featuring everyone from your town favorite to Dan Gable and Alexander Karelin. Sift through hundreds of wrestling and mixed martial arts technique sessions, and watch all of FloWrestling's latest interviews and matches as well. With well over 17,000 videos indexed we can safely say you will never run out of footage. The videos section is currently finishing it's final round of Beta and Upload functionality will be available in mid to late June. Visit The Wrestling Talk Videos:

TWT Live. You've always wanted the wrestling conversation to move faster, right? TheWrestlingtalk released live video chat this summer and anticipates using this technology at several events in '08-'09. Watch the match live and discuss the event with your forum mates in real time!

TheWrestlingTalk.com has formed a strategic alliance with MyWrestlingRoom, a leader in wrestling gear. Through this alliance, TheWrestlingTalk.com is able to provide all of wrestling's finest products to you at prices you would expect from TheWrestlingTalk.com. Visit http://www.thewrestlingtalk.com/catalog/ to view the current catalog of wrestling shoes, headgear, singlets, and other wrestling equipment.

Connect with us! Do you run a website (about anything) or have friends that do? Get wrestling noticed by sending us a link! We even love links on unrelated websites as it gives us a chance to create new wrestling fans! You can link directly to TheWrestlingTalk.com with the link title: The Wrestling Talk Forum
Want a link back? Just respond to this email.

TheWrestlingTalk.com will be airing a weekly video show beginning towards the middle of the summer. The show will review the weeks hot topics, rankings, and put a face to some of the names behind the scenes at TWT.

Do you run a website affiliated with wrestling (camps, mats, etc) or mixed martial arts? We have a very attractive advertising package available across our network of sites that is suitable for everything from product branding to fight promotion. We have been approached by many promoters looking to "brand" their athletes- if you are doing this, please list all fighters you are promoting as well as their fighting background within your email to our advertising representative: jacob@jdsigninteractive.com

We look forward to an excellent 2008 Olympics and hope you enjoy your summer!

Shane & Jacob
http://www.thewrestlingtalk.com

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 9:11 PM | Permalink

Olympic gold medalist Bobby Weaver, former world champion Mike Houck and three-time NCAA champions Ricky Bonomo and Wayne Martin were inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Weaver won the gold medal in the light-flyweight class at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, when the U.S. had seven freestyle champions. The Pennsylvania native who wrestled at Lehigh finished third in the 1982 NCAA championships and also won a silver medal at the 1979 world championships.

Houck won the United States' first Greco-Roman world championship in 1985 and later served as coach of the U.S. Olympic team that won two medals at the 1992 Barcelona Games. The Minnesota native also won two Christian College national titles wrestling at Maranatha Baptist Bible College.

Bonomo won national championships at 118 pounds from 1985-87 for Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania.

Martin, who was honored posthumously, was the first person to win NCAA wrestling titles at three different weight classes. He was the 134-pound champion in 1934, the 145-pound champion in 1935 and the 135-pound champion in 1936 at Oklahoma.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:20 PM | Permalink

Financial Support From Local Civic Leadership Secures ASU Wrestling

ASU Reinstates Wrestling Program As 21st Varsity Sport The Sun Devils will compete fully in 2008-09

May 23, 2008

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State University Vice President for Athletics Lisa Love announced Friday that the athletic department is fully reinstating the sport of varsity wrestling, effective immediately, due to financial support from local civic leadership. The reinstatement of wrestling gives ASU 21 sports in its varsity athletic program.

"It is with great pleasure that I announce the reinstatement of the varsity sport of wrestling at ASU," says Love. "The wrestling community, both locally and nationally, accepted this as a challenge to do something wonderful for the sport. ASU is forever grateful for that passion and unwavering support. Something special is happening on our campus thanks to civic leadership that cares deeply about ASU wrestling."

ASU had announced on May 13, 2008 that it was discontinuing the sport of wrestling due to the rising cost of operating a 22-sport varsity program. It was determined at that time that sponsoring a 20-sport program would better fit ASU¹s athletic financial profile. Love indicated at the time that if the wrestling community were able to raise enough financial support the sport could be reinstated. That commitment is there and the sport will continue at Arizona State.

Love said that fundraising for the sport of wrestling will be an ongoing process. The objective is not just to sponsor wrestling as a varsity sport, but to position the sport as one of the top programs in the country.

The Sun Devil wrestling team is a member of the Pacific-10 Conference.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 9:14 PM | Permalink

TheWrestlingTalk released major update to its community about 2 weeks ago. I waited to detail the update until most of the finishing touches were completed. Check out how TWT is revolutionizing how wrestlers communicate:

Personal Profiles: (Here's Mine) This isn't just a wrestler's Facebook/MySpace. Complete your recruiting profile and get noticed by college coaches, add your highlight video from TWT Videos. If you put yourself on YouTube, you can add those videos to your profile as well.

Social Groups / Free Team Sites: Create your own team site with a forum, ability to add photos, videos, and more. Use the social groups feature to promote a cause (Save X's Wrestling Team, Donate to X's recovery fund) or connect with people who have a niche interest you share.

Free Wrestling Blog: Keep track of your daily workout regimen or keep your fan base up to date on your latest wrestling tournament.

Photo Albums: Wrestling is not your only interest, show off what else you enjoy. An excellent way to get to know your forum mates!

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:59 PM | Permalink

SESSION TWO - Thursday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m.

POST THREE: 149 pounds is loaded with Big Ten stars

The championship bracket at 149 pounds during the second session was loaded with Big Ten athletes.

The first match was No. 1 Brent Metcalf of Iowa vs. Kurt Kinser of Indiana. The second match was No. 9 Lance Palmer of Ohio State vs. No. 8 Jake Patacsil of Purdue. The third match featured No. 5 Josh Churella of Michigan.

The bottom bracket also had three Big Ten wrestlers, including a pairing of No. 6 Bubba Jenkins of Penn State against No. 11 Ryan Lang of Northwestern. The other Big Ten wrestler in the bottom bracket is No. 2 Dustin Schlatter of Ohio State.

After the second round, five of the Big Tenners advanced to the quarterfinals. The only losses came in the head-to-head conference battles where Metcalf beat Kinser, 10-5, Palmer beat Patacsil, 14-6 and Jenkins edged Lang, 4-3. Also winning were Churella and Schlatter.

There will only be one Big Ten showdown in Friday’s quarterfinals, when Metcalf battles Palmer.

By the way, the standings at the Big Ten went like this: 1 – Metcalf, 2 – Schlatter, 3- Churella, 4- Patacsil, 5- Jenkins, 6- Palmer, 7 – Lang, 8- Kinser.

POST TWO: From 10 qualifiers to one, the first session results

Two teams qualified a full team of 10 athletes this year at the NCAA Championships, Big 12 champion Iowa State and EWL champion Edinboro.

A total of 10 teams bring just one wrestler: Boston Univ., Clarion, Delaware State, Duquesne, Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, Millersville, Ohio, VMI and Virginia Tech.

Of the one-person teams, Michigan State has the best possibility for making an impact, as Big Ten champion Franklin Gomez is the top seed at 133 pounds.

Iowa State moved nine of their 10 through the first round. Winners were No. 5 Nick Fanthorpe (133), No. 9 Nick Gallick (141), Mitch Mueller (149), No. 7 Cyler Sanderson (157), No. 6 Jonathan Reader, Aron Scott (174), No. 1 Jake Varner (184), David Bertolino (197) and No. 7 David Zabriskie (HWT). Mueller won two bouts in the session, giving Iowa State 10 wins for the morning. This put the Cyclones in third place with 16 team points.

Edinboro did not fare as well. The Scots lost its first three weight classes, then Daryl Cocozzo (149), No. 1 Gregor Gillespie (157), No. 12 Jarod King (165) and Joe Fendone (HWT) ended up with wins. Edinboro stood in 21st place with 7.5 points.

The first round saw a match between the two 10-athlete teams, as unseeded David Bertolino of Iowa State beat unseeded Patrick Bradshaw of Edinboro at 197 pounds by major decision, 10-0.

Of the schools with one qualifier, only two wrestlers won a bout. Winners included Gomez, who scored 12-3 major decision over Josh Baldridge of UNI, plus Josh Wine of VMI at heavyweight.

POST ONE: Brother acts have mixed results during the first session

There are five sets of brothers who are wrestling in the 2008 NCAA Championships. All of the brother pairs compete for the same college team. They are:
• Headlee brothers of Pitt: Drew (141) and Ethan (165)
• Gillespie brothers of Edinboro: Torsten (141) and No. 1 Gregor (157)
• Schlatter brothers of Minnesota: No. 2 Dustin (149) and No. 5 C.P. (157)
• Sinnott brothers of Central Michigan: No. 5 Brandon (174) and No. 4 Christian (184)
• Smith brothers of Boise State: No. 10 Kirk (184) and Nick (285)

Of the brother acts, the Schlatters and the Sinnotts both won their first matches. All three of the other brother combinations had one win, including Drew Headlee, Gregor Gillespie and Kirk White.

Stay tuned to see if either the Schlatters or the Sinnotts can both qualify for the finals.

SESSION ONE - Thursday, March 20, 11:00 a.m.

POST FIVE: A few more things from Session One
Minnesota had a great early start, winning their first two matches by pin with No. 2 Jason Ness at 125 pounds (1:17 over Marcus Orozco of UC Davis) and No. 8 Mac Reiter at 133 pounds (2:13 over Jeff Schell of Brown) and a technical fall by Manuel Rivera at 141 pounds (16-0 over Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro). The Gopher momentum was halted at 174 pounds, when No. 8 Gabe Dretsch lost to Nathan Lee of Boise State.

Defending NCAA champion Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro brought a new look with him to the NCAA Tournament this year. He cut his hair into little clumps, dying them to make him look like a leopard. Earlier this season, Gillespie had a Mohawk cut. He opened the tournament with 17-0 techical fall over Spencer Manley of Navy.

There are five undefeated wrestlers going into the tournament and all of them opened up with victories. After their first round wins, the records of the perfect wrestlers are: Chad Mendes of Cal Poly at 125 (27-0), Keith Gavin of Pitt at 174 (26-0), Jake Varner of Iowa State at 184 (25-0) and Josh Glenn of American (16-0). Of the unbeatens, Glenn is the only returning national champion, and has the longest winning streak in the tournament with 39 in a row going back to last year.

Getting a good first match is a key for these athletes to keeping their streak alive.

# “I pushed through the Pac-10 and had a hard push until this week in practice. I feel like I am peaking,� said Mendes.
# “It was a good first match; I scored a lot of points. It was a good warmup. It’s good to get this out of the way,� said Gavin.
# “It is good to be back here. I have been looking forward to this all year,� said Glenn.

POST FOUR: More notes as the tournament winds on
The Univ. of Oregon, which plans to drop its wrestling program after this tournament, has two entries in the tournament this weekend. Wrestling leaders among the alumni and fans in the state are waging an active war to try to convince the administration there to reverse the decision and retain the program. The Ducks won their first match of the day when Ryan Dunn captured his bout at 133 pounds against William Ashnault of Lock Haven. Dunn was second at the Pac-10 Championships and entered the tournament with a 23-7 record.

In a battle of All-Americans at 157 pounds, No. 8 Jordan Leen of Cornell defeated unseeded Ryan Hlusack of Drexel, 4-3 at 157 pounds. Both wrestlers entered the tournament with a drop in ranking based upon the conference tournaments. Leen was upset in the finals at the EIWA Championships and Hluschak lost in the finals of the Colonial Athletic Association.

No. 6 Lou Ruggerello of Hofstra won a match which went three overtimes, defeating Univ. of Tennessee-Chattanooga’s Stephen Hromada, 3-2. Chattanooga protested the decision, but it was denied.

POST THREE: Some interesting stuff at the lower weights

There was a wild match in the first round at 125 pounds, when No. 7 Michael Sees of Bloomsburg racked up the points in a 21-10 win over Collin Cudd of Wisconsin to open the tournament.

There were a few upsets, even if considered mild, at 133 pounds in the first round.

Mark McKnight of Penn State stopped No. 12 Tyler Shinn of Oklahoma State, 5-1 in the first round, a match that caught the fan’s attention. McKnight had Shinn on his back in danger early in the match, and kept on the pressure.

No 9 seed Zach Tanelli of Wisconsin also took a first-round loss, dropping a 7-5 decision to Conor Beebe of Central Michigan. Beebe took him down in the last seconds for the victory.

At 141 pounds, Bailey of Oklahoma upset No. 8 Dan LeClair of Iowa, 8-7. As often happens, when a wrestler from a major program like Iowa or Oklahoma State goes down, the crowd makes a big deal of things.

POST 2 of 10: Inspiring Robles wins Bout One of the tournament

Bout one of the NCAA Tournament included freshman Anthony Robles of Arizona State, the athlete with one leg who received tremendous national coverage after winning a national high school folkstyle title. Robles, who had a top 20 national ranking at 125 pounds earlier this year, qualified by placing second in the Pac-10 with a 19-7 record. He drew Brandon Kinney of Columbia in the pig-tail round, bout one on mat one.

Robles, who starts down on one knee on the whistle, took down Kinney on a low leg shot, and turned him twice with three-point tilts for a quick 8-0 lead. Kinney got an escape late in the first period. The second period saw some position changes with reversals and takedown, but Robles held the edge on the mat. The match ended 11-5 with 2:57 of riding time, it ended 12-5. Robles has a much bigger upper body than his opponent and was very strong in the top position.

His reward for winning that first match is a first round bout with No. 1 Angel Escobedo of Indiana.

The first pin of the session came on mat four in the pigtails, when No. 6 Lou Ruggirello of Hofstra put away Cory Vombaur of Wyoming quickly at 133 pounds.

POST 1 of 10: Travel problems plague attendees at NCAA Championships

As often happens at the NCAA Championships, one of the hardest things to do is get all the athletes, coaches, officials and fans to one location. Weather in March can still be pretty harsh, and travel often includes delayed and cancelled flights. This year, the problem in parts of the Southern Plains has been rain and floods.

I (Gary Abbott) ran into some of this on Tuesday, flying from Oklahoma to Missouri. Rain was everywhere in the region, with problems specifically in Dallas, where hundreds of flights were cancelled and the airport closed at times. American Airlines had a system-wide computer problem, which affected Oklahoma City. We arrived a few hours late, but my bag took more than two days to finally get to the hotel this morning.

Leah Howard, SID for Michigan, told of the journey of the Wolverine team, which ran into delays and then a cancelled flight in Chicago. Michigan, which has six entries and some of the top favorites, had to secure a bus to drive down to St. Louis that night.

Ron Good of Amateur Wrestling News tells of his drive through Missouri where many roads were severely flooded. Because he was in a mobile home, police let the AWN group through an especially bad stretch of flooded roads because of the size of their vehicle. Passenger cars were not allowed to pass. Good explains that about an hour after they passed that hazard, the road was closed.

Fans from the east, especially for teams such as Penn and Drexel, were stranded for most of Wednesday in the airport in Philadelphia, many arriving in the wee-hours of the night last evening. In spite of the delays, most have arrived in time for the 11:00 a.m. start on Thursday morning.

PS - The new NCAA Blogging policy allows 10 posts in each session. We will update this as much as time allows each session, up to the 10 permitted. Please revisit and refresh only

TheMat.com will update its blog each session of the NCAA Championships this year, as permitted by the new NCAA Blogging Policy. Please check regularly each session for updates from the mats in St. Louis

Where is the Minnesota talk?

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:42 AM | Permalink

Iowa has rich winning tradition at NCAA wresting tournament
By Andy Hamilton
Iowa City Press-Citizen

ST. LOUIS — The Iowa wrestlers used to spend each March getting fitted for watches, rings and jackets.

This was one of the customary perks for the Hawkeyes during a stretch when they completed their near-annual journey to the summit of the sport 20 times in 26 years.

Iowa’s supremacy during that span rivaled some of the best extended periods of dominance in the history of organized sports, and it created a culture inside the team’s training grounds where the main discussions about the national championships weren’t about whether the Hawkeyes would claim another title, but rather how many individual crowns they would win, how many records they would set and how they would commemorate another season on top.

“It was like, ‘What are we getting this year? Are we getting coats? Rings?’� Iowa assistant Doug Schwab said. “You just got used to it. Guys got used to it and then relaxed a little bit and thought it was just going to happen.�

That’s when the Iowa practice room — once a production line for wrestling stars — stopped turning out champions in bunches. That’s when other teams recognized the vulnerability of the Hawkeyes. That’s when Iowa stopped collecting team titles and all of the frills that came with them.

“I think we had a lot of firepower and we counted on firepower and talent alone,� Iowa coach Tom Brands said. “Mind development and communication was missing — that daily communication to the athletes about the standard, about a very high standard.�

The Hawkeyes have rediscovered those principles in the two seasons under Brands. Iowa is ranked No. 1 in the country entering the NCAA Championships, which begin at 11 a.m. today Thursday at Scottrade Center. The Hawkeyes haven’t been in this position at the start of the national tournament since 2000, when they claimed their last title in the same venue.

“You can go back to 2000 and talk about that dry spell and why it happened,� Brands said. “It was because of the lifestyle. You’ve got to earn it, man. You’ve got to earn it every day. These guys have earned it every day.�

Seven seasons have passed since Iowa last claimed the gold trophy — the longest championship famine for the Hawkeyes since they started collecting titles in 1975. Brands was Jim Zalesky’s top assistant in 2000 and three members of the current coaching staff — Schwab, Wes Hand and Mike Zadick — were All-Americans on that squad.

Seven seasons of shortcomings have followed for a program that aims only for the top.

“It floors me,� said Eric Juergens, whose overtime victory in 2000 in the 133-pound championship against Iowa State’s Cody Sanderson turned out to be the difference between the Hawkeyes and Cyclones in the team standings.

Seven seasons of watching Minnesota and Oklahoma State play tug-of-war for the title.

“From 2000 to 2008?� Schwab said. “I couldn’t ever believe that.�

Perhaps even harder to comprehend is how far back Iowa has been. The Hawkeyes haven’t finished within 40 points of the title during the past five years. They were 85.5 points behind Oklahoma State in 2003 and 87 back of the Cowboys in 2005.

“I never thought we’d lose it my senior year,� Schwab said of the 2001 team that had a tournament-high four wrestlers reach the finals in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and still fell short when Minnesota claimed the school’s first championship with 10 All-Americans. “Then to be around the program the next year and be away from it for a while and kind of see guys were happy to win.

“I was sick of seeing guys being happy and celebrating a 3-2 win. When we won 3-2, it was like, ‘Why didn’t I win 10-2?’ That’s what guys are starting to get to, and it’s making the difference.�

Brands was named Iowa’s head coach on April 5, 2006, and the Hawkeyes have made incremental gains since. He brought renewed energy to the program. He implemented a higher standard of expectations on and off the mat — “You’ve got to live a lifestyle that’s reflective of a championship athlete,� Brands said — and he convinced his wrestlers to buy into a system of year-round training.

“He’ll never ask you to do something he didn’t do,� said Jody Strittmatter, a junior who placed third at 125 on the 2000 team. “He knows what you need to do to get better. It might not be fun, it might not be easy, but in the end it’s going to pay off and (because of that), there’s 100-percent belief in your coach, and that’s important.�

What’s more, Brands brought back the rugged and relentless style of wrestling that Iowa trademarked under coach Dan Gable and used to rule the sport throughout the 1980s and ‘90s.

“Tom makes you truly believe it, feel it and see it,� two-time All-American Jessman Smith said. “Every word that comes out of his mouth is intended for you to believe in that system of wrestling. He makes you believe more than anybody.�

The Hawkeyes now believe they are primed to regain the title. They went 21-1 in dual meets, smashed the tournament scoring record at the Midlands Championships and claimed their first Big Ten title since 2004.

“This is a continuation of a year ago,� Brands said. “We didn’t just all of a sudden try something new or different. The Gable influence is alive. It was alive last year, we just didn’t have the time with these guys, plus you’ve got some guys who are wrestling with some pretty good energy.�

If that continues throughout the next three days, the Hawkeyes might have to get fitted for commemorative watches, rings or jackets.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:13 PM | Permalink

Minnesota Chapter of National Wrestling Hall of Fame to hold induction in Owatonna on April 12
Mike Clair National Wrestling Hall of Fame
03/06/2008

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is happy to announce that the following six men will receive the “Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award.� This award is given annually to coaches, officials or contributors who have given a lifetime of service to wrestling, their communities and most importantly to the young people they have coached, taught, motivated and inspired.

The Chapter will also present the “Medal of Courage� and “Outstanding American� for the state of Minnesota awards.

Minnesota Class of 2008

“Lifetime Service to Wrestling� Honorees
David Arens
Robert Board
George Graff
Terry Haws
Frank Huelskamp
Spencer Yohe

“Medal of Courage Award�
Allan Goeden

“Outstanding American from the State of Minnesota�
Jim Kamman

For their dedication and lasting influence on wrestling, these men will be honored at the "Hall of Fame Day Celebration Banquet" on April 12, 2008. The banquet and honors ceremony will be held at the Owatonna Holiday Inn, Owatonna, MN.

For information and reservations, please call 507-495-3213.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:23 AM | Permalink

Summary of the 2008 Olympic Trials qualification procedures
Mitch Hull USA Wrestling
03/06/2008

Last year, USA Wrestling established the procedure to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Teams in Men’s and Women’s Freestyle and Greco-Roman. These procedures can be found on TheMat.com under Team Selection Criteria.

A summary of the selection procedures for each style is as follows:

Men’s Freestyle - Qualification to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Past World/Olympic Team members
• Top 7 per weight category from the 2008 Senior Nationals (freestyle) April 25-26
• Champion 2008 University Nationals-Olympic Weight Categories
• Champion per weight category at the four following Regionals:
Northwest Regional, March 28-30, 2008, Battle Ground WA
Northeast Regional, April 4-6, 2008, Brockport NY
Northern Plains Regional, May 8-10, 2008, Waterloo IA
Rocky Mountain Regional, May 15-17, 2008, Pueblo CO

For the complete freestyle qualification document, visit:
http://www.themat.com/forms/2008FreestyleCriteria.pdf

Greco-Roman - Qualification to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Past World/Olympic Team members
• Top 7 per weight category from the 2008 Senior Nationals (Greco) April 24-25
• Champion 2008 University Nationals - Olympic Weight Categories
• 2008 Interservice Champion at each weight category
• Champion per weight category at the four following Regionals:
Northwest Regional, March 28-30, 2008, Battle Ground WA
Northeast Regional, April 4-6, 2008, Brockport NY
Northern Plains Regional, May 8-10, 2008, Waterloo IA
Rocky Mountain Regional, May 15-17, 2008, Pueblo CO

For the complete Greco-Roman qualification document, visit:
http://www.themat.com/forms/2008GrecoCriteria.pdf

Women’s Freestyle - Qualification to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Past World/Olympic Team members
• Top 7 per Olympic weight category and top 4 from non Olympic weight category from the Senior National Championships, April 24
• Champion from the 7 World Championship weight categories at 2008 Women’s College Nationals
• Finalists from 4 Olympic weight categories and Champion from 3 non-Olympic World Championship weight categories at 2008 University Nationals
• Champion per weight category at the Northern Plains Regional, May 8-10, 2008 in Waterloo IA

For the complete Women's Freestyle qualification document, visit:
http://www.themat.com/forms/2008WomenCriteria.pdf

Olympic Trials Format in Las Vegas NV, June 13-15
The 2008 Olympic Games Team Trials will be held in a one day format. The Trials will be a line bracket double elimination to third place format. The finals will be a single match where the 2008 National Champion has met the criteria to sit out and meet the Trials winner in a best of three format. At the weight categories where the 2008 National Champion has not met the criteria to sit out of the Trials Tournament, the finals of the Trials Tournament will be a best of three matches. This will also be the case where the 2008 National Champion has been granted a delay of the Final Wrestle-off for the Olympic Team by the appropriate Sport Committee.

The criteria for 2008 National Champion to sit out of the Olympic Games Team Trials tournament and face the tournament winner in a best of three matches follows:

Men’s Freestyle
• Top Ten finish from the 2005-07 Senior World Championships
• 2005 University World Medalist
• 2005-07 Junior World Medalist
• Multiple-time World Team member

Greco-Roman
• Individuals placing 5th or higher at the 2005-07 Greco-Roman World Championships

Women’s Freestyle
• All 2008 Senior National Champions at the Olympic Weight categories will sit out of the Olympic Games Team Trials and face the trials winner in a best of three matches

Olympic Qualification Exception
At 60kg in Men’s Freestyle, USA Wrestling must participate in the Olympic qualifiers in April. Because this will affect the National Championship participation for the athlete that will compete in the qualifier, the Olympic Trials competition structure will be modified depending on the results of the 2008 Senior Nationals and the Olympic Qualifier. Please check TheMat.com under Team Selection Criteria for Freestyle to read more on this or contact Mitch Hull at the USA Wrestling office.

We also have to participate in the Olympic qualifiers at 55kg for Women’s Freestyle. If we need to compete in the Final Qualifier May 31-June 1, there will be a modification to the Olympic Games Team Trials at the 55kg weight category. This information can also be found on TheMat.com under Team Selection Criteria for Women’s Freestyle.

The Olympic qualifiers for Greco-Roman are May 9-11 and May 23-25. Because these dates have minimal or no effect on the National Championships or the Olympic Trials, there will be no potential changes in the Olympic Trials structure at the 60kg and 74kg weight categories that we will be participating in the Olympic qualifiers.

To download a pdf file of this document, visit:
http://www.themat.com/forms/08OlympicTrialsProcedures.pdf

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:26 AM | Permalink

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

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:07 AM | Permalink

Northeast Duals shuffle rankings, and Minnesota v Iowa State looms
Jason Bryant InterMat

By Jason Bryant
jbryant@intermatwrestle.com

Highly ranked teams might want to reconsider going to the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals.

Why? Strange things seem to happen. On second thought, highly-ranked teams should highly consider going to the Northeast Duals because it’s a quality event and sometimes it’s a learning experience to get a good scare even a month after Halloween.

Last year, that scare ended up a nightmare as Minnesota fell to Hofstra. This year, it was Maryland’s turn to spook an opponent. Pat Santoro’s Terps continued the tradition by picking off fifth-ranked Michigan in the day’s biggest upset.

There were a few other upsets of note, but only individually. Scott Ervin of Appalachian State was fresh off a tournament title at the Keystone. He lost twice. Bucknell’s Dave Marble was beaten by Chris Diehl of Michigan, while Steve Bell of Maryland got a dose of the upset elixir by Central Michigan’s Conor Beebe.

Oh, you mean “those� upsets.

There’s a new No. 1 at 133 pounds and he’s from Hofstra. It’s only the third week of the season and already Lou Ruggirello’s gotten a ton of ink. First there was the win over Tyler McCormick a few weeks back. Then the All-Star invitation and a chance to face Coleman Scott. Well, Scott pulled out and then it was a chance to wrestle Mack Reiter. Ruggirello passed that test and then, five days later, got his chance at Scott and came away with a 3-2 victory, scoring two escapes and a third point on a penalty point.

Thing is, if it weren’t for the win over Scott, Ruggirello would still be behind Reiter, because the All-Star Classic bouts are not official matches recognized by the NCAA and of course, cannot be counted for ranking or seeding purposes – a standard only the NWCA rankings follow.

Rarely does someone finish 0-2 at the NCAA championships in March and then so quickly earn the No. 1 ranking – this actually only after five dual meets. It’s not even December yet, don’t go beating everyone so soon.

Oh, that dual got better too. In all, Hofstra wrestlers beat three returning All-Americans … and lost the dual 20-16. Jared Rosholt’s punishing decision over James Guerin finished off the Pride, but redshirt freshmen Cody Hill (184) and Quinten Fuentes (149) gave the Cowboys much-needed wins – as did transfer Jake Dieffenbach.

Back to Maryland. The matches went down the line, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until Josh Haines upset third-ranked Tyrel Todd of Michigan and then Hudson Taylor followed with a quick fall over Anthony Biondo to make things interesting. At heavyweight, undersized Pat Gilmore won a wild 17-11 match over Michigan’s Matt Guhn to ice the dual.

Other notables from the Northeast Duals:
• Central Michigan lost four matches in four duals, going 36-4 on the day. They didn’t yield an offensive point in their 39-0 victory over Lehigh.
• Oklahoma State wrestled two duals against former Cowboy wrestlers. John Smith’s quad topped Teague Moore’s Clarion team 38-6 and Pat Popolizio’s Binghamton squad 47-3.
• American International was the only non-Division I team in the event. Coach Chaz Seibert’s team took a thumping, falling to Clarion 56-0 and Binghamton 42-6.

Funky loss
Scott wasn’t the only #1 wrestler to be dealt a defeat last weekend. Returning National Champion Mark Perry of Iowa fell behind big to unranked Chris Brown of Old Dominion in the Hawkeyes’ 28-13 victory over the Monarchs as part of a quad meet at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio.

Brown ended up earning the victory by disqualification with roughly half a minute to go in the match, but while the net result isn’t being disputed as a loss, but rather what was the official outcome kind. One source explained via e-mail there was a change of the outcome, actually ruling it a default, but both Old Dominion and Iowa reported the score to local and media outlets as a DQ. The match has been the subject of long threads here on themat.com, so it’s pretty clear folks can decide for themselves, and of course, you know they will.

Coming up
The first big super tournament of the season will hit the mats at the Las Vegas Convention Center with the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. With 48 teams, it’s one of the largest wrestling invitationals in the sport and it features 35 Division I programs, six Division II’s, four NAIA’s and two JUCOs.

Headlining the event team-wise are 11 teams ranked in the Top 25: #7 Missouri, #9 Wisconsin, #10 Michigan, #12 Hofstra, #14 Nebraska, #16 Ohio State, #18 Illinois, #19 Pittsburgh #20 Navy, #22 Penn and #25 Old Dominion.

The CKLV is the one early season tournament that’s guaranteed to take the rankings and basically rip them apart, spit them out and leave the ranking panels saying “now what?�

Other events worth keeping eye on include the Penn State Open and one small dual going on in Minnesota.

Big Time
We’ll just be hours into the month of December and already, it’s time for #1 vs. #2. Do you think coaches J Robinson and Cael Sanderson knew their squads would be this good at this point in the season that they’d schedule this dual so early? Of course.

The top two teams in the land square off at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on Sunday at 2 p.m. Central. And guess what, people will actually get to watch! How? Details below.

College Wrestling on Television
Alright wrestling fans, here’s what we’ve got on TV this week for college wrestling.

The final airing of the NWCA All-Star Classic will hit the air on CSTV on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 3 p.m. Eastern. Sunday, fans in Oklahoma can see Bedlam live locally, but the rest of the nation will have to wait until Tuesday as FoxSports Southwest will re-air Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State from Stillwater on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Central.

And that little dual in Minnesota, airing on the Big Ten Network live on Sunday at 2 p.m. Central.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:37 AM | Permalink

Oklahoma State's Brandon Mason went from being a solid wrestler to becoming a challenger for the NCAA title last season. He was ranked outside of the top 10 going into the 2007 NCAA Championships, but finished fifth to earn All-America honors.

As a result of his strong performance when it mattered most, this year's preseason rankings have Mason ranked as the third-best wrestler in the nation at 174 pounds.

Though a fifth-place finish for someone ranked outside of the top 10 would be considered by most as a successful showing, Mason competes as part of an Oklahoma State wrestling team that has set a higher standard. Having won the NCAA team title 34 times, most recently in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, the Cowboys expect nothing but the best.

"I was disappointed in being fifth. A lot of us could have done better," Mason said. "I could have placed higher. I should not have lost a few matches that I did lose at nationals. Every person factors in. It is individual, but it is also a team race. I should have won some more matches to help the team out."

Mason was also upset with how he started last year as a redshirt sophomore, "I definitely don't want to start out 5-5 like I started out last year. That was ugly." Despite the slow start, Mason flipped the switch to win 22 of his last 30 matches to end with a season record of 27-13.

With the momentum gained at the end of the season, Mason said he worked in the offseason on doing what he needs to do to be a national champion.

"I have been working harder on my offensive shots. I started to get a few at the end of the season last year, but I have been working harder on them this year. My defense needs improving and I have been working on that this off-season," Mason explained. "On bottom, I need to be getting out faster. On top, I need to stop hanging as much as I have been. I need to switch up my breakdown techniques instead of doing the same one every time. Those are the four or five things that I really need to improve in order to be successful and win a national title this year."

The biggest talk surrounding the Oklahoma State wrestling program during the off-season was of the grueling workouts coach John Smith threw at the team during the summer months of training. Mason said the training was vastly different from the past.

"We ran a lot more and we wrestled a lot more in the length of our goes. The intensity was brought up from last year at the same point of the season," Mason said.

Smith wanted to emphasize that his team would be physically fit and ready to rebound from a disappointing season.

"[Running in the heat during the summer] really builds mental toughness for sure," Mason said. "I think coach turned it up because we have several guys who are stepping into the lineup for the first time. He wants them ready for the first match and he doesn't have a year for them to build that confidence so he is trying to get them mentally tough."

Mason said the Cowboys are tougher, stronger and more intense than last year. From an individual perspective, his off-season workout and desire to improve have made Mason more competitive and he's ready to challenge for an NCAA title this year.

"Mentally I am ready," Mason said. "I am really hungry this year. There are things I want to accomplish that I do not want to slip out of my grasp."

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:20 PM | Permalink

The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced that two-time All-American Mack Reiter of the University of Minnesota has been selected to replace Missouri's Tyler McCormick at 133 pounds at the 42nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps.

The University of Oregon's McArthur Court will host the event on November 19 at 7 p.m. (PST)

It is Reiter's third All-Star Classic selection, however, he did not compete in the 2006 event after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament prior to the event. McCormick pulled out with a slight leg injury

Reiter joins teammates Jayson Ness (125), Dustin Schlatter (149) and Roger Kish (184) as Golden Gophers as participants in the event.

Minnesota wrestlers have made 20 previous appearances in the NWCA All-Star Classic.

Reiter will face top-ranked Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State at 133 pounds. The Iowa native is the second replacement in this year's event. On Monday, Wade Sauer of Cal State-Fullerton was named to replace Northwestern's Dustin Fox at heavyweight.

MATCHUPS
125: No. 1 Paul Donahoe (Nebraska) vs. No. 4 Jayson Ness (Minnesota)
133: No. 1 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 4 Mack Reiter (Minnesota)
141: No. 2 Charles Griffin (Hofstra) vs. No. 3 Nathan Morgan (Oklahoma State)
149: No. 1 Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) vs. No. 2 Josh Churella (Michigan)
157: No. 2 Craig Henning (Wisconsin) vs. No. 3 Mike Poeta (Illinois)
165: No. 2 Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) vs. No. 3 Patrick Pitsch (Arizona State)
174: No. 1 Keith Gavin (Pittsburgh) vs. No. 2 Matt Stolpinski (Navy)
184: No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) vs. No. 2 Roger Kish (Minnesota)
197: No. 2 Phil Davis (Penn State) vs. No. 3 Mike Tamillow (Northwestern)
285: No. 1 (D2) Tervel Dlagnev (Neb.-Kearney) vs. No. 3 (D1) Wade Sauer (Fullerton)

EXHIBITIONS
125: No. 1 (NAIA) Trevor Lofstedt (Southern Oregon) vs. Jake Gonzales (Oregon State)
174: Ron Lee (Oregon) vs. Luke Feist (Stanford)

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 10:37 PM | Permalink

The Iowa wrestling team will strap on their wrestling shoes to compete at the 25th annual Kaufman-Brand Open Saturday in Omaha, NE. Competition starts at 9 a.m. at the University of Nebraska-Omaha Fieldhouse. A total of 42 teams and approximately 650 wrestlers will compete at the meet. It's easily the country's largest single-day collegiate meet. The tournament will be wrestled in two age-based divisions - an elite (ages 21 and older) division and an amateur (ages 17-20) division.

HAWKEYES HAVE PAST SUCCESS AT KAUFMAN-BRAND OPEN
Four current Hawkeyes have won individual titles at the Kaufman-Brand Open. Senior Alex Tsirtsis (141), junior Dan Erekson (Hwt.), sophomores Ryan Morningstar (157) and Brent Metcalf (149) have each won titles. Senior Matt Fields has placed second twice and third once at heavyweight.

Tsirtsis won the 141-pound open division in 2004, recording two decisions, a pin and a medical forfeit before defeating Northern Iowa's C.J. Ettelson, 3-2, in the finals. He also placed second in 2005. Erekson won the 197-pound amateur division in 2006, going 4-0 on the day and defeating Nebraska-Kearney's Kelsey Empting, 3-0, in the finals. He placed third in 2005. Morningstar won the 2005 157-pound amateur division, scoring two pins, a technical fall and two decisions en route to the title. Metcalf won the 149-pound elite division last season, pinning his first two opponents and earning three decisions en route to the title. He defeated former Hawkeye Todd Meneely of Nebraska-Omaha, 7-3, in the finals.

HAWKEYE TRIO PLACES AT NICHOLS/CYCLONE OPEN
Three Hawkeyes competed unattached at the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open Nov. 10 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Junior Dan Erekson placed third at heavyweight, while sophomore Luke Lofthouse (197) and redshirt freshman Aaron Janssen (165) placed fourth.

Erekson, who moved up to heavyweight after wrestling the last two seasons at 197, pinned unattached Kyle Simmonsen in 1:02 in the first round. He scored a 7-4 decision over Wisconsin-LaCrosse's Dan Laurent before dropping a 3-1 decision to Iowa State's David Zabriskie in the semifinals. Erekson responded with two decisions in the consolation bracket to place third.

Janssen also opened the tournament with a pin, but lost a 19-5 major decision to Iowa State's Jonathan Reader in the second round. Janssen came back with three straight wins in the consolation bracket before losing a 3-2 decision to Tim Palmer of Wisconsin-LaCrosse in the third-place match.

Lofthouse, who competed in his first tournament since returning from a two-year Mormon mission to Africa, advanced to the semifinals with an 8-6 win over Iowa Central's Joe Johnson and a 4:59 pin of Iowa State's Joe Curran. He lost a 10-4 decision to T.J. Miller of Wartburg in the semifinals. Lofthouse lost a close 11-10 decision to unattached Jacob Marrs in the third-place match.

HAWKEYES HOLD ANNUAL WRESTLE-OFFS
Iowa held three rounds of wrestle-offs over three days at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena last week. Following are the results from each round:

Thursday's Quarter-final Results
133 - Thomas Magnani maj. dec. Tyler Halverson, 21-9
165 - Weston Marling dec. Ryan Kurovski, 8-6

Friday's Semi-final Results
133 - Joe Slaton tech. fall Tyler Halverson, 27-11 in 5:07
133 - Thomas Magnani pinned Montell Marion, 6:07
141 - Alex Tsirtsis tech. fall Ethan Sebert, 18-1 in 6:22
141 - Dan LeClere maj. dec. Derek Coorough, 20-7
149 - Brent Metcalf pinned Stew Gillmor, 2:23
149 - Matt Ballweg dec. Nick LeClere, 9-5
157 - T.H. Leet dec. Brooks Kopsa, 6-5
165 - Mark Perry pinned Weston Marling, 2:37
165 - Jake Kerr maj. dec. Michael Fahrer, 17-7
184 - Vinnie Wagner dec. Rick Loera, 10-4

Saturday's Final Results
125 - Charlie Falck maj. dec. J.J. Krutsinger, 16-2
133 - Joe Slaton pinned Thomas Magnani, 2:58
141 - Alex Tsirtsis dec. Dan LeClere, 6-4 SV
149 - Brent Metcalf tech. fall Matt Ballweg, 25-9
157 - Ryan Morningstar tech. fall T.H. Leet, 18-1 in 5:21
165 - Mark Perry dec. Jake Kerr, 6-1
184 - Phillip Keddy pinned Vinnie Wagner, 4:21
197 - Jordan Johnson dec. Brodie Ambrose, 3-2
Hwt. - Matt Fields dec. Blake Rasing, 6-3

Saturday's Exhibition Matches
174 - Chad Beatty dec. Michael Fahrer, 9-5
174 - Jay Borschel pinned Weston Marling, 2:15

IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa's overall dual meet record is 809-214-30 (.783) in 95 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 48 NCAA champions have won a total of 74 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 100 Big Ten champions have won a total of 181 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 130 all-Americans have earned all-America status 266 times, including 16 four-time, 28 three-time and 32 two-time honorees.

IOWA TICKET INFORMATION
Season tickets and single meet tickets for Iowa's seven home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office or at 1-800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. University of Iowa students will be admitted free to all matches with a student ID. Following are the ticket prices:

Season Tickets - $48 - General Public, $42 University Faculty & Staff
Single-Match Tickets Purchased in Advance - $8 - Adults, $4 - Youth
Single-Match Tickets Purchased at the Door - $10 - Adults, $5 - Youth

ON THE AIR
Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC. All dual meets will be broadcast live, as will action from the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Live audio broadcasts from all competitions will also be available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. To listen online, go to the wrestling schedule, click on the event and click on the Listen link. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($9.95 per month or $79.95 per year) or the CSTV XXL Premium subscription ($119.95 per year).

Internet - Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and dual livestats are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. To access live dual scoring, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Livestats link. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com .

CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Wes Hand, Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, four NCAA titles, six conference titles and 12 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 487-83-2 (.853).

NEXT COMPETITION
Iowa will open the 2007-08 dual meet season Nov. 24 at the St. Edward Duals in Lakewood, OH. The Hawkeyes will face the University of Findlay at 9 a.m., Iowa Central Community College at 10:30 a.m., Old Dominion University at 1:30 p.m. and North Carolina State University at 3 p.m. All times are central and all matches will be held at the St. Edward High School Gymnasium.

AD: Distinctive Custom Builders

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:42 PM | Permalink

The defending national champion Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling team enjoyed a successful opening to their 2007-08 season Saturday, winning nine of 10 weight classes at the 38th annual Bison Open in Fargo, N.D. Seven Gophers captured individual crowns while four more Minnesota wrestlers shared co-champion status at the all-day event, held at the Fargo Sports Arena. Twelve other Gophers were top-five finishers.

Jayson Ness successfully defended his 2006 Bison Open crown at 125 pounds, with each of his decisions coming by fall (1:18 and 1:45). He was crowned co-champion at the weight class along with fellow Gopher Zach Sanders. Sanders, a five-time Minnesota state high school champion and winner of the Dave Schultz award for the nation's most outstanding prep wrestler. Sanders stormed to a perfect 3-0 record, including a fall and two major decisions.

Sophomore Mike Thorn picked up his first Bison Open title, cruising to a perfect 4-0 record while picking up one fall and one major decision. Gophers Eric Johnson, David Zilverberg and Jake Mellmer also competed at 133 pounds, with Mellmer gaining fourth place.

At 141 pounds, senior and returning NCAA qualifier Manny Rivera picked up his third straight Bison Open crown Saturday. Rivera went a perfect 4-0 with two pins and one major decision.

Two-time All-American and former national champion Dustin Schlatter also took home a third straight first-place mention at Saturday's event. Schlatter had two falls and two major decisions en route to a 4-0 record. Luke Mellmer went 3-2 for a fifth place decision at 149 pounds, while fellow freshman Brian Peterson claimed fourth place.

In the absence of 2006-07 All-American C.P. Schlatter, freshman Joe Grygelko was able to claim second place at 157 pounds. Grygelko posted a 2-2 record, gaining one fall.

At 165 pounds, Scott Glasser successfully defended his 2006 Bison Open title, reeling off three straight falls (in 1:18, 1:44 and 1:10) en route to a perfect 4-0 record. He was able to defeat teammate Tyler Safratowich by a 5-3 decision in the championship match. Safratowich picked up two major decisions before losing to Glasser, while Nate Matousek took home third place.

Three-time NCAA qualifier Gabe Dretsch won another Bison Open individual championship at 174 pounds, defeating teammates Kaleb Young and Brandon Sitch on his way to a perfect 3-0 record. Sitch was the runner-up in the weight class, while Young finished fifth. Mitch Kuhlman placed fourth.

Returning All-American Roger Kish and freshman Sonny Yohn were declared co-champions at 184 pounds, with each wrestler winning both of their matches on the day. Three Gophers placed at 197 pounds, with Chris McPhail coming out on top with a 3-0 record. McPhail defeated fellow Gopher Brent Eidenschink in the final, while Justin Bronson finished in third place after being beaten by Eidenschink 4-2 in the semifinals.

In heavyweight competition, redshirt freshman Joe Nord appeared to take the lead in the battle to replace departed national champion Cole Konrad by taking first with a 3-0 record, including two falls. Ben Berhow, another redshirt freshman competing for a starting position, finished in fourth place.

Minnesota has now accumulated 159 individual champions over the course of the Bison Open's 38-year history. Video highlights from the 2007 Bison Open will be available in the Gold Zone in the coming days.

The Gophers will compete in another open tournament next Saturday, traveling to Omaha, Neb. for the Kaufman-Brand Open Nov. 17. Minnesota was dominant in Omaha last year, with Ness, Rivera, C.P. Schlatter, Dretsch and Glasser all brining home titles at the event. The Kaufman-Brand Open is hosted on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Omaha and will get underway at 9 a.m.

Minnesota opens dual meet competition Nov. 24 in Rochester, Minn. at the first-ever Northern Quad invitational. Minnesota will square off with Northern Colorado, Northern Illinois and NDSU that Saturday at the UCR Regional Sports Complex. The Gophers will return home to square off with defending NCAA runner-up Iowa State on Dec. 2.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:37 PM | Permalink

I designed an amateur wrestling toolbar that incorporates the best features of five major wrestling websites. Currently listed in the toolbar: TheWrestlingTalk, InterMat, TheMat, RevWrestling, and FloWrestling.

Each Wrestling website has 4-8 links associated with it, making browsing between the sites extremely easy.

Another example of the drop down below (it is InterMat):

Along with the basic wrestling sites, you will also see Feeds, Weather, and an e-Mail notifier.

Feeds: Comes pre-installed with the RevWrestling.com and BigBookOfWrestling.com RSS Feeds. You can add more- just ask for details on how. I will create an explanation on how to add feeds soon (although, it isn't rocket science)

e-Mail Notifier: Select from gmail, hotmail, yahoo mail, pop3 (work or TheWrestlingTalk.com mail) and be notified whenever a new message arrives in your inbox

Weather: Simple weather updates, enter your Zip Code, and start receiving daily weather updates, including notifications of in climate weather in your area.

You may not need all of these functions, so we made it easy to remove them. The image below shows the location of where these extras can be added (the mp3 player) and removed

Download Information:

Click Here to download for Internet Explorer.

Either click Save to Desktop and then run the file from the saved location, or click RUN while beginning the download.

Click Here to download for Firefox.

You may need to accept TheWrestlingTalk.com (the URL you are downloading it from)

Future Development:
I plan to incorporate the popular state websites into this tool as well, I appreciate any suggestions for these that you may have.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 9:48 PM | Permalink

U.S. Senior Freestyle Rankings

55 KG/121 LBS.
1. Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Matt Azevedo, Arroyo Grande, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)
3. Vic Moreno, Stanford, Calif. (Gator WC)
4. Nick Simmons, Williamston, Mich. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Eric Akin, Gardner, Kan. (Gator WC)
6. Danny Felix, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Rollie Peterkin, Wellesley, Mass. (Sunkist Kids)
8. Grant Nakamura, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
9. Brad Pataky, Clearfield, Pa. (New York AC)
10. Obenson Blanc, Lock Haven, Pa. (New York AC)

AD: Distinctive Custom Builders

60 KG/132 LBS.
1. Mike Zadick, Solon, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)
2. Nate Gallick, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
3. Zach Roberson, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
4. Shawn Bunch, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
5. Chris Fleeger, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)
6. Michael Lightner, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Alex Tsirtsis, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)
8. Todd Meneely, Omaha, Neb. (Maverick WC)
9. Franklin Gomez, Brandon, Fla. (Michigan WC)
10. Troy Nickerson, Chenengo Forks, N.Y. (New York AC)

66 KG/145.5 LBS.
1. Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC)
2. Jared Frayer, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
3. Chris Bono, Ringgold, Ga. (Sunkist Kids)
4. Zack Esposito, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)
5. Cary Kolat, Baltimore, Md. (Sunkist Kids)
6. Eric Larkin, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
8. Jared Lawrence, Roseville, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
9. Brent Metcalf, Davison, Mich. (Hawkeye WC)
10. Phillip Simpson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

74 KG/163 LBS.
1. Casey Cunningham, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Ramico Blackman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
3. Donny Pritzlaff, Madison, Wis. (New York AC)
4. Scott Owen, Annapolis, Md. (New York AC)
5. Tyrone Lewis, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)
6. Travis Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
7. Matt Lackey, Champaign, Ill. (New York AC)
8. Ben Askren, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids)
9. Kirk White, Boise, Idaho (Bronco WC)
10. Trent Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)

84 KG/185 LBS.
1. Joe Williams, DeKalb, Ill. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Chris Pendleton, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)
3. Jake Herbert, Wexford, Pa. (New York AC)
4. Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
5. Clint Wattenburg, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)
6. Lee Fullhart, Christianburg, Va. (Gator WC)
7. Tony Gansen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
8. Tyrel Todd, Bozeman, Mont. (New York AC)
9. Bryce Hasseman, Bloomsburg, Pa. (New York AC)
10. Raymond Jordan, Columbia, Mo. (American Top Team)

96 KG/211.5 LBS.
1. Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)
2. Damion Hahn, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
3. Mo Lawal, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
4. Nik Fekete, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
5. Dawid Rechul, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
6. Kyle Cerminara, Lewiston, N.Y. (New York AC)
7. Kurt Backes, Neshanic Station, N.J. (Sunkist Kids)
8. Sean Stender, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
9. Israel Silva, Chattanooga, Tenn. (Sunkist Kids)
10. Joel Flaggert, Norman, Okla. (Underdog WC)

120 KG/264.5 LBS.
1. Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
2. Steve Mocco, N. Bergen, N.J. (New York AC)
3. Pat Cummins, Blacksburg, Va. (New York AC)
4. Tervel Dlagnev, Arlington, Texas (Loper WC)
5. Les Sigman, Omaha, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
6. Cole Konrad, Freedom, Wis. (Minnesota Storm)
7. Tolly Thompson, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
8. Mike Faust, Coralville, Iowa (Gator WC)
9. Michael Irving, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
10. John Laboranti, Scranton, Pa. (Penn State WC)

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:06 AM | Permalink

This is a blog post by 4x All-American Ben Askren. Go complain in the Freestyle Wrestling forum :)

So I figured it was about time for another blog post. I have been on the road for a while now, almost as much as that crazy road warrior Martin (from flowrestling), only problem is I don't have a really sweet van to sleep in. I started off my trip by going to Phoenix for the Sunkist kids open. It was nice to get to some warm weather, the tournament was so-so I had some good matches and some bad matches. I really felt my new style was coming into play which is good, it is the direction I need to move. Needless to say I wasn't happy with my finish, but it is all practice. I stuck around the Tempe area for a few days and got some training in with the Sunkist guys and played some Wii with Brian Stith. Then it was off to Vancouver with Team Sunkist. Take away some anti-American sentiment and Vancouver was an amazing city. I even got the chance to explore a little bit and go play some disc golf. One day I even took Nick Simmons and Travis Pascoe with me. Nick sank a shot from about 150 feet away, nothing but chains. The tournament also went really well. I had five matches which included a second round pin over Matt Gentry, then beat Ramico Blackmon in the Semis after losing the first period I came back to win 4-1,6-1. Then I avenged my Sunkist loss by beating Travis Paulson in the finals. It felt really good to win a tourney after getting disappointed continually in FS. Then in the challenge match I wrestled Jake Herbert (because he was the 84kg). I figured this would be a very anticipated match up per themat.com forums. Unfortunately we only wrestled on period because Jake had a bum knee from earlier in the day. But no worries, we plan on training together over Xmas break, so maybe we can charge $10 a head for spectators. Then from Vancouver it was off the the Springs where I am right now. Doing some training then it is back home Saturday, but back off next week to NYAC to see if I can keep my roll going. So here I am traveling the country chasing my dream and living the good life.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 10:01 PM | Permalink

The official website for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Judo, has been re-launched, and will be a great resource for fans who wish to follow and attend this event.

Wrestling fans seeking to purchase tickets, receive updated information on the event, and be eligible for regular prize drawings, should visit.

http://www.usawrestlinglasvegas.com

The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Judo will be held June 13-15, 2008 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The website will have regular updates and features about the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, including information on the athletes who earn the right to compete in this historic event.

This website was also used to help promote and support the 2007 World Team Trials event. It will now exclusively provide information on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Judo.

Las Vegas Events, the local organizers for the competion, will again provide prize drawings for those who sign up with their “On The Mat Club.�

Fans who go to the website and sign up for the On The Mat Club will be eligible for monthly prize drawings, where a “six pack� of great gifts are given to a lucky prize winner.

On The Mat Club members will also be eligible to win the Grand Prize, which includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations and two All-Session tickets to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Judo.

There will also be regular updates on competition, athletes and activities at the U.S. Olympic Trials which will be sent exclusively to the On The Mat Club.

The website also allows fans to buy tickets directly for the event.

During all three days of the tournament, the preliminary session will be held at 10:00 a.m., with the U.S. Olympic Team Trials finals series and third place matches set for 5:00 p.m. There will be six weight classes contested each day, with the U.S. Olympic Team position determined in each division in a one-day competition format.

The Thomas & Mack Center has a seating capacity of 12,500. Tickets have been made available equally to both Wrestling as well as Judo fans on a first come, first serve basis. This major sports arena provides outstanding seating locations where fans can truly enjoy watching all of the Olympic-caliber action.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 8:20 PM | Permalink

Wrestlers from the United States had a dominant performance at the Hargobind International Wrestling Championships in Surrey, B.C., Canada, Nov. 2-3, winning 10 gold medals.

Competition was held in men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle wrestling. This event was formerly known as the Clansman International. A total of $30,000 in cash prizes were offered in the tournament.

U.S. athletes won all seven gold medals in men’s freestyle, as well as three gold medals in women’s freestyle. In men’s freestyle, U.S. athletes claimed 18 of the 21 medals awarded. Three U.S. women athletes from the U.S. Olympic Training Center entered the tournament, and all three won the gold medal.

U.S. champions in men’s freestyle included:
* Nick Simmons (Williamston, Mich./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs.
* Zach Roberson (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs.
* Jared Frayer (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
* Ben Askren (Columbia, Mo./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs.
* Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs.
* Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.
* Steve Mocco (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

U.S. champions in women’s freestyle included:
* Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 59 kg/130 lbs.
* Randi Miller (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
* Elena Pirozkhov (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.

The Outstanding Wrestlers in both events were Americans, Askren in men’s freestyle and Pirozkhov in women’s freestyle.

Five of the seven men’s finals featured two U.S. wrestlers.
* Frayer defeated Eric Larkin (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
* Askren defeated Travis Paulson (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Sunkist Kids)
* Herbert beat B.J. Padden (Reno, Nev./Sunkist Kids)
* Lawal stopped Kyle Cerminara (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)
* Mocco defeated Les Sigman (Omaha, Neb./Sunkist Kids)

In addition to the five silver medalists in men’s freestyle, six other Americans won bronze medals: Matt Azevedo (Pismo Beach, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Shawn Bunch (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Casey Cunningham (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs., Lee Fullhart (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs., Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Pat Cummins (Blacksburg, Va./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 l bs.

The three U.S. women champions defeated talented Canadian opponents in the finals
* Roberts stopped Amanda Gerhart (Burnaby Mountain WC)
* Miller beat Justine Bouchard (UCWC)
* Pirozkhov defeated Megan Buydens (SWC)

In the team race, the Sunkist Kids won the men’s freestyle title, ahead of the New York Athletic Club. In the women’s team standings, the Univ. of Calgary WC won the title, followed by the United States.

HARGOBIND INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
At Surrey, B.C., Canada, Nov. 2-3

Men’s freestyle results

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Nick Simmons (Sunkist Kids)
Silver – John Pineda (Burnaby Mountain WC- Canada)
Bronze – Matt Azevedo (Sunkist Kids)
4th – Ben Vombaur (Cowboy Joe WC)
5th – Adam Smith (New York AC)
6th – Aso Palani (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Zach Roberson (Sunkist Kids)
Silver – Yogeshwar Dutt (India)
Bronze – Shawn Bunch (USA)
4th – Danny Song (Hawkeye WC)
5th – James Mancini (Montreal WC – Canada)
6th – Ryley Walker (SWC – Canada)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Jared Frayer (Gator WC)
Silver – Eric Larkin (Sunkist Kids)
Bronze – Haislan Garcia (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)
4th – Jared Lawrence (Minnesota Storm)
5th – Heinrich Barnes (South Africa)
6th – Nick Ghaeni (Montreal WC – Canada)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold - Ben Askren (Sunkist Kids)
Silver – Travis Paulson (Sunkist Kids)
Bronze – Casey Cunningham (Sunkist Kids)
4th – Ramico Blackmon (New York AC)
5th – Matt Gentry (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)
6th – Jeff Adamson (SWC – Canada)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold – Jake Herbert (New York AC)
Silver – B.J. Padden (Sunkist Kids)
Bronze – Lee Fullhart (USA)
4th – Danny Einhorn (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)
5th – Tony Gansen (Sunkist Kids)
6th - Travis Pascoe (Sunkist Kids)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold – Mo Lawal (USA)
Silver – Kyle Cerminara (New York AC)
Bronze – Andy Hrovat (New York AC)
4th – Kurt Backes (Sunkist Kids)
5th – Michael Neufeld (Brock WC – Canada)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold – Steve Mocco (New York AC)
Silver – Les Sigman (Sunkist Kids)
Bronze – Pat Cummins (New York AC)
4th – Arjan Bhullar (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)
5th – Kole Conrad (Minnesota Storm)
6th – Jamie Cox (Guelph WC)

Men’s freestyle team standings
1. Sunkist Kids, 54 pts.
2. New York Athletic Club, 32
3. USA, 20
3. Burnaby Mountain C, 20
5. Gator WC, 10
6. India, 7
7. Minnesota Storm, 5
8. Cowboy Joe WC, 3
8. Hawkeye WC, 3
8. Montreal WC, 3

Women’s freestyle results

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold – Carol Huyhn (UCWC – Canada)
Silver – Lyndsay Rushton (Guelph – Canada)
Bronze – Alana King (Brock – Canada)
4th – Krista Wells (UCWC – Canada)
5th – Ashley McKilligan (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)
6th – Hajar Ashtiani (Univ. of Regina – Canada)

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Gold – Erica Sharp (UCWC – Canada)
Silver – Jessica Bondy (Brock – Canada)
Bronze – Vanessa Brown (Rebels – Canada)
4th – Belinda Chow (Guelph – Canada)
5th – Gen Haley (UCWC – Canada)
6th – Liz Martindale (Brock – Canada)

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Tonya Verbeek (Brock – Canada)
Silver – Alka Tomar (India)
Bronze – Emily Richardson (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)
4th – Brittanee Laverdure (UCWC – Canada)
5th – Teri McNutt (Western – Canada)
6th – Jill Gallais (SWC – Canada)

59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Sally Roberts (USA)
Silver – Amanda Gerhart (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)
Bronze – Jazzie Barker (UCWC – Canada)
4th – Heidi Erdle (UCWC – Canada)
5th – Amy Dyck (SWC – Canada)
6th – Amberlee Montgomery (San Jose Spartan WC)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold – Randi Miller (USA)
Silver – Justin Bouchard (UCWC – Canada)
Bronze – Helen Hennick (UCWC – Canada)
4th – Megan Schweitzer-Dolan (Brock – Canada)
5th – Stacie Anaka (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)
6th – Monique Smith (UCWC – Canada)

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Gold – Elena Pirozkhov (USA)
Silver – Megan Buydens (SWC – Canada)
Bronze – Breanne Graham (UCWC – Canada)
4th – Stephanie Buchan (UCWC – Canada)
5th – Ashley McManus (Great Britain)
6th – Allison Leslie (Guelph – Canada)

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Gold – Ohenewa Akuffo (Guelph – Canada)
Silver – Ali Bernard (Univ. of Regina, U.S. citizen)
Bronze – Pam Wilson (UCWC – Canada)
4th – Shayla Turcotte (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)
5th – Erica Wiebe (UCWC – Canada)
6th – Erin Church (Burnaby Mountain WC – Canada)

80 kg/176 lbs.
Gold – Leah Callahan (UCWC – Canada)
Silver – Megan Goldsmith (UCWC – U.S. citizen)

Women’s freestyle standings
1. Univ. of Calgary, 49 pts.
2. USA, 30
3. Brock Univ., 25
4. Guelph WC, 21
5. Burnaby Mountain WC, 10
6. Saskatoon WC, 10
7. Univ. of Regina, 8
8. India, 7
9. Calgary Rebels, 5
10. Western 2
10. Great Britain, 2

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:46 PM | Permalink

The Edinboro University wrestling team opened its season on Saturday with three wins in the Fighting Scot Duals. The Fighting Scots, ranked 16th in the USA Today/NWCA/ InterMat Top 25, debuted with a 35-3 win over Mercyhurst, followed by a pair of come-from-behind wins, 21-15 over Army and 19-15 against Maryland.

Edinboro has now won 20 of 21 meets all-time in the Fighting Scot Duals, losing only to Purdue (18-16) in 2003. In addition, the Fighting Scots have now won 15 straight dual meets and 33 of their last 34.

The duals marked the debut of Gregor Gillespie at 157 lbs. The national champion at 149 lbs. a year ago, the junior was one of two Fighting Scots to win three matches. The other was Jarrod King, a transfer from Oklahoma who has stepped in as the starter at 165 lbs. Joey Fendone went 2-0 at heavyweight, while Eric Morrill won twice at 125 lbs., Ricky Deubel was a two-time winner at 133 lbs., with Phil Moricone (174 lbs.) and Pat Bradshaw (197 lbs.) also winning twice.

Edinboro had little trouble defeating Mercyhurst, winning nine of ten bouts. Moricone picked up a fall at 174 lbs., while Deubel (133 lbs.) and Torsten Gillespie (141 lbs.) won by technical fall. In one of the highlight bouts of the match, Gregor Gillespie, ranked number one at 157 lbs., won by major decision over Andy Lamancusa, 17-4. Lamancusa was an All-American a year ago and came in ranked fourth in Division II.

The Fighting Scots trailed Army, 12-3, after four matches, but then won five of the last six bouts. Leading 18-15, Fendone, ranked ninth at heavyweight, decisioned Nathan Thorbaben, a national qualifier a year ago, 9-2. Gillespie got the run started with a technical fall over Christian Snook, 17-0 (4:55). King added a major decision against John Drew, winning 11-1.

Edinboro needed a win from Fendone to avoid the upset against Maryland. The junior accommodated in impressive fashion, overcoming a 2-0 deficit after two periods to win by fall against Pat Gilmore at 6:50. The Fighting Scots were 15-13 entering the final bout. Gregor Gillespie came away with a 6-0 decision against Brian Letters. In the highlight match of the Edinboro-Maryland pairing, Terrapin Mike Letts, ranked seventh, decisioned Moricone, who is ranked 17th.

Edinboro is back in action next Sunday, November 11, competing in the Michigan State Open.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:11 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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The University of Iowa wrestling team will hold open practice today at 8 a.m. at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Fans are welcome to stop by and get a sneak peak at the 2007-08 Hawkeyes.

The Hawkeyes will also hold their annual coaches clinic October 26-27 at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex. Registration will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Friday, October 26 outside the wrestling room. The clinic fee will be $45 per coach and will run from 6:30-9 p.m. Friday. The Hawkeyes will hold a team practice Saturday in the practice room. The practice time is dependent on the start time of the Iowa vs. Michigan State football game. The first 100 coaches to register will be given free admission to the football game.

Clinic speakers will be Bucknell University Assistant Coach Dave Hoffman and former Hawkeye wrestler John Oostendorp, who is the head wrestling coach at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. For more information, contact the Iowa wrestling office at 319/335-9405.

Iowa opens the 2007-08 college wrestling season November 10 at the Harold Nichols Open in Ames.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 1:46 PM | Permalink

Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
09/27/2007

Jim Gruenwald admits that maybe he has watched one too many Rocky movies.

The 37-year-old hasn’t wrestled a competitive match in 2½ years, but his competitive fire is still burning.

And that’s why the two-time U.S. Olympian in Greco-Roman wrestling announced Thursday that he is making a comeback.

Gruenwald, an assistant coach at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University, has started preparations for making a run at a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team at 60 kg/132 lbs. He said he plans to compete at the Sunkist Kids International Open late next month in Chandler, Ariz.

“I see a need for the U.S. in that weight class,� Gruenwald said Thursday. “And ever since I retired in 2005, I’ve been struggling with the decision to stop wrestling. When Joe Warren won his medal in 2006 I took that as a sign I had made the right decision.

“But I’ve always stayed in shape since 2005 because I was still torn about whether I wanted to come back and wrestle again. In the back of my mind, I had this fire where I thought I could compete again.�

American Joe Betterman, one of the wrestlers Gruenwald coaches at the USOEC, failed to place in the top eight at the 2007 World Championships earlier this month in Baku, Azerbaijan. The top eight finishers in each weight class qualified their country for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Betterman was a late replacement for 2006 World champion Joe Warren on the U.S. team at 132 pounds.

The U.S. now has three events left to qualify that weight class for the Olympics. The first qualifier is the Pan American Championships on Feb. 29-March 2 in Colorado Springs, with the other two qualifiers set for May in Tunisia and Serbia.

Gruenwald, who will continue to serve as an assistant coach for the USOEC program, calls his comeback “a win-win situation for USA Wrestling.�

“If I compete and do well, then we’ve got a seasoned guy coming back at that weight class,� Gruenwald said. “If the younger generation beats me, then they at least have a young man who has beaten an older, seasoned wrestler who has gotten the job done in the past.�

Ivan Ivanov, the head coach for the USOEC Greco-Roman program, has encouraged Gruenwald to make a comeback.

“Jim’s still very competitive and I’m excited to see him coming back to wrestle,� Ivanov said. “He’s been tremendous as an assistant coach at the USOEC and that will continue. I think this is a positive situation and we have nothing to lose from this. Now we have more competition at this weight class and that’s definitely a good thing.�

Gruenwald also said his comeback will be a healthy situation in the USOEC room at Northern Michigan.

“We will have a number of top guys in that weight class in our room,� he said. “We had a similar situation to that when I was at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. It will create a very competitive situation. I’m still their coach and I’m also going to be competitive with them when I wrestle them. I told the guys, ‘If you ask me, I will coach you how to beat me.’ I'm excited to see what happens.�

Gruenwald placed sixth in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia and finished 10th in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. His last competition was in late January of 2005.

“I don’t have any regrets in my career, but I am a little bit disappointed I didn’t medal at the Olympics,� he said. “To some degree, I would like some hardware from the Big Show. That’s the one event that separates the good wrestlers from the great wrestlers, and I would like another shot at that.�

Gruenwald also will be adjusting to a different set of rules that were implemented in 2005, shortly after he stopped competing.

“Matches can still be won on your feet as guys like Brad Vering, Harry Lester and Joe Warren have proven,� Gruenwald said. “Obviously, there’s a huge par terre element down on the mat now. I like the new rules. I’m not much of a reverse lift guy, but I’ve learned a lot about the reverse lift and front headlock in the last 2½ years. I can still be aggressive on the feet and I still have a par terre threat where I can turn guys and defend.�

Gruenwald and his wife, Rachel, have a 6-year-old son and three daughters under the age of 3.

“My wife told me, ‘As long as you enjoy the journey, I support you 100 percent,’� Gruenwald said. “I couldn’t do this without her support.�

Jim is putting his wrestling shoes on, and givin' it another go.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 11:44 PM | Permalink

Running is an integral part of wrestling in terms of conditioning, to increase endurance and as a weight management technique. Many high school wrestlers run frequently on masonry or terrazzo flooring typically found in schools. Running in wrestling shoes without support on these floors can create foot, ankle and even knee pain and a variety of conditions requiring medical evaluation.

Wrestlers who run in wrestling sneakers commonly complain of heel and arch pain. Wrestling shoes have no arch support or shock absorption capabilities. Running along the bottom of the foot, connected to the heel bone and inserting into the toe ball portion of the foot is a ligament called the plantar fascia. This cord like ligament is one of the support systems of the arch and is very easily inflamed with overuse, which occurs when engaged in activities such as running in wrestling shoes. This is known as “Plantar Fascitiis�. Symptoms typically include pain upon first getting out of bed in the morning and with weight bearing. Pain is usually alleviated during activity, but is then more pronounced after activity. Treatment should include ice, oral anti-inflammatory and some sort of heel, arch support or orthotic. Physical therapy in more severe cases can be very helpful.

Toe ball pain itself is a common complaint of wrestlers who run in improper footwear. This is the result of repetitive trauma to the toe ball area while running in a wrestling shoe which has no force absorbing abilities. Symptoms include severe sharp pain localized in the toe ball area or pain radiating out to the toes. This is commonly referred to as “Metatarsalgia� or “Capsulitis�. The treatment is also ice, oral anti-inflammatory and possibly injection therapy. Rest is often indicated. A variant of toe ball pain is a “Neuroma� which is the inflammation of a nerve that runs out to the toes. This is inflammation and scarring of a nerve which runs from the toe ball area out to the toes. Treatment includes ice and injection therapy, a period of rest and often time wider shoes. In rare instance where pain is sharp and unremitting and accompanied by swelling, the possibility of a stress fracture exists. This would necessitate a visit to a physician for X-Ray evaluation and treatment.

If you develop foot pain, evaluate your training practices and your footwear. Talk to your schools athletic trainer and have your foot looked at. In the early stages, most foot problems can be managed quite easily with little or no lost training time. When foot pain persists, see a podiatric specialist and get it taken care of right away.

Running is a fundamental part of every wrestlers overall training regime. Wrestling sneakers are designed for one purpose, wrestling and not running. Combining poor footwear with hard, unyielding surfaces found in school hallways can provide the ideal scenario for creating unwanted foot problems. Foot problems are avoidable by simply wearing a cross training or running shoe when running indoors. Save your wrestling sneakers for the mats and save your feet at the same time.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 1:24 AM | Permalink

Watching the series between Mike Zadick and Nate Gallick Thursday afternoon for the 132-pound spot on the U.S. World Team got me thinking about a few issues about the state of freestyle wrestling.

First of all, the current set of rules were implemented by FILA in 2005 with the idea that they would encourage more action and help bring freestyle wrestling closer to the mainstream. But it's seemingly becoming more and more clear each year that just the opposite is happening. Zadick and Gallick wrestled six periods Thursday and four wound up decided by the leg-clinch after two minutes ticked away without a point.

Far too often now with the current rules, wrestlers score a point early in a period and get defensive. The push-out rule designed to keep wrestlers in the middle of the mat has eliminated some finishing holds because it's simpler to shove a guy out of bounds for a point. And the scoring system in freestyle is just too confusing for casual fans.

FILA needs to take a look at the Zadick-Gallick series to see what's right and wrong with the sport now. The final 25 seconds of the third period in first match was filled with incredible action, drama and the kind of stuff that will catch the attention of fringe fans. In fact, there was more scoring and action in those 25 seconds than the other 11:35 combined prior to the leg-clinches. It's time for FILA to rewrite the rule book again.

It's also time for USA Wrestling to do away with allowing the reigning U.S. National champ to push back the best-of-three series like Gallick did. Nothing against Gallick and his decision to ask for an extension after suffering a foot injury prior to the World Team Trials in June. But it would've been better exposure for the sport to have the U.S. Open champion wrestling the 2006 World silver medalist in front of bigger crowds in Las Vegas when ESPN's cameras were filming than in front of a couple hundred people at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Besides, the defending NCAA champion can't push the NCAA meet back if he's hurt. The BCS championship game isn't going to get delayed if the No. 1 team in the country's quarterback gets hurt in the final regular season game. And the World Series won't get pushed back if the ace of one team comes up with a sore arm.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 1:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Shane Olivea
Alex Stepanovich
Nick Leckey - TX State Champ
Gregory Walker - State Finalist
Jonathan Condo
Zachary Wilson
Chris Laskowski
Luis Castillo, DT, San Diego Chargers (First Round Pick)
Lincoln "Drew" Hodgdon, C, Houston Texans - CA State Champ
Nick Hardwick
Fred Weary, C, Houston Texans - AL State Champ
Coy Wire, SS, Buffalo Bills - PA State Champ
Kevin Breedlove - SC State Finalist
Kevin Sampson - NJ State Champ
Benjamin Claxton - GA State Finalist
Trevor Johnson
Clinton "C.J." Brooks, Jr.
Tai Tupai
Leon Robinson - GA State Runner-Up
Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons - 2x SC State Champ (First Round Pick)
Eric Ghiaciuc, C, Cincinatti Bengals - MI State Champ
Joey Hildbold
Adam Seward, ILB, Carolina Panthers - NV State Champ
Cody Johnson
Rodney Michael
Marques Harris - CO State Champ
Larry Turner
Andrew "Tyler" Lenda - District Champ
Tim Anderson - OH State Champ
Tony Pape
Matt Roth - IA State Champ
Mike Patterson, DT, Philadelphia Eagles (First Round Pick)
David Pollack
Tim Burrough - OK State Champ
Antoineo Harris - IL State Champ
Claude Harriott
Scott Wells - TN State Champ
Alex Lewis - District Champ
Ronnie Brown, RB, Miami Dolphins (#2 Pick)
Rodney Leisle
Nick Newton
Sean Tufts
Brian Save
Kevin Atkins
Josh Minkins - District Runner-up
Tim Euhus
Andrew Tidwell-Neal - MN State Champ
Renaldo Works
Patrick "Bucky" Babcock - IL State Champ
Morgan Pears
Art Baker, RB, Buffalo Bills
Rhonde Barber, SS, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tiki Barber, RB, New York Giants
Walter Barnes, DL, Washington Redskins - SEC Champ
Eric Bateman, OL, New York Jets
Harris Benton
Brad Benson, New York Giants – PA State Champ
Greg Boone, RB, Oakland Raiders
Jeff Bostic*, C, Washington Redskins – SC State Champ
Tedy Bruschi*, ILB, New England Patriots
Bob Bruenig*, LB, Dallas Cowboys
Phil Bryant, Philadelphia Eagles – 2x National Prep Champ
Ralph Cindrich, Houston Oilers – PA State Runner-Up
Jonathan Condo, LS, Dallas Cowboys - PA State Champ, Dapper Dan Champ
Tom Cousineau*, LB, Cleveland Browns – 3rd State
Tom Covert*, OT, Chicago Bears
Chris Cooley, WR, Washington Redskins
Roger Craig*, RB, San Francisco 49’ers
Damien Covington, LB, Buffalo Bills
Curley Culp*, DL, Kansas City Chiefs – NCAA Champ
Larry Czonka**, RB, Miami Dolphins
Rob Davis, ST, Green Bay Packers
Dan Dierdorff**, OT, St. Louis Cardinals
Donnie Edwards, OLB, San Diego Chargers
Carl Edwards, San Diego Chargers – 3x MD State Champ
Rob Essink, Seattle Seahawks – NCAA DII Champ
Jim Everett, QB, New Orleans Saints
DeMarco Farr, St. Louis Rams
Patrick Flannery, OL, Houston Oilers
Ed Flanagan, C, Detroit Lions
Terrell Fletcher, RB, San Diego Chargers
Bill Fralic*, G, Atlanta Falcons
Doug France*, LT, Los Angeles Rams – OH State Runner-Up
Frank Garcia, C, St. Louis Rams – 2x AZ State Champ
William George, Chicago Bears – 2x PA State Champ
Charlie Getty, RG, Kansas City Chiefs – 2x NCAA All-American
John Gilmore, TE, Chicago Bears
Kevin Glover*, C, Detroit Lions
La’Roi Glover*, DE, Dallas Cowboys
Mike Goff, G, Cincinnati Bengals
Bob Golic*, DT, Cleveland Browns – OH State Champ
Mike Golic, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
Darien Gordon, PR/CB, Denver Broncos
Scottie Graham, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Tim Green, DE, Atlanta Falcons
Kelly Gregg, NT, Baltimore Ravens, 3x KS State Champ
Morlon Greenwood, OLB, Miami Dolphins
Archie Griffin, HB, Cincinnati Bengals
Nick Griesen, LB, New York Giants
Randy Grossman, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
John Hannah**, G, New England Patriots
John Hartunian
Carlton Haselrig*, Pittsburgh Steelers, 3x NCAA Champ
Ron Heller, TE, Seattle Seahawks
Chad Hennings, DT, Dallas Cowboys – IA State Champ
Jay Hilgenberg*, C, Chicago Bears – IA State Runner-Up
Orlando Huff, MLB, Seattle Seahawks
Corey Hulsy, G, Oakland Raiders
Bo Jackson*, RB, Oakland Raiders
Mario Johnson, DT, New England Patriots
Dahanie Jones, LB, New York Giants
Henry Jordan**, DT, Green Bay Packers
Dave Joyner, OL, Green Bay Packers
John Jurkovich*, DT, Cleveland Browns
Alex Karras, Detroit Lions
Tim Krumrie*, DL, Cincinnati Bengals – WI State Champ
Ernie Ladd, DL, Kansas City Chiefs
Nick Lecky, C, - KS State Champ (in 2004 NFL Draft)
Jess Lewis, LB, Houston Oilers
Ray Lewis*, Baltimore Ravens – 2x FL State Champ
Ronnie Lott**, DB, San Francisco 49’ers
Kirk Lowdermilk*, OL, Minnesota Vikings
Sean Mahan, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Malczyk, LS, New York Giants
Joel Mackavicka, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Steve Martin, DT, Houston Texans
Mickey Marvin, RG, Oakland Raiders
Napolean McCallum, RB, Oakland Raiders
Randle McDaniel*, G, Minnesota Vikings
Mark McDonald, SS, Arizona Cardinals
Chris McIntosh, T, Seattle Seahawks
Bryant McKinnie, T. Minnesota Vikings
Greg Meisner, DL, Los Angeles Rams
Matt Millen*, LB, Oakland Raiders
Ronald Moore, RB, Cleveland Browns
James Mungro, HB, Indianapolis Colts
Jim Nance, FB, New England Patriots – NCAA Champ
Lorenzo Neal, FB, Tennessee Titans - NCAA Champ
Stephen Neal, OL, New England Patriots – NCAA Champ
Jeremy Newberry, C, San Francisco 49’ers
Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers – PA State Champ
Leo Nomellini*, T, San Francisco 49’ers – Big 10 Champ
Jonathan Ogden*, OT, Baltimore Ravens
Irv Pankey, Los Angeles Rams – 2x MD State Champ
David Patten, WR, New England Patriots
Scott Peters, G, New York Giants
Bob Pickens, OL, Chicago Bears
Jim Plunkett*, QB, Oakland Raiders
Dave Porter, T, Green Bay Packers
Mike Pyle, C, Chicago Bears – IA State Champ
Rocky Rasley, G, Detroit Lions
Mike Reid, Cincinnati Bengals
Eric Rhett, RB, Cleveland Browns – FL State Champ
Willie Roaf*, OT, New Orleans Saints
Warren Sapp*, DT Tampa Bay Buccaneers – FL State Champ
Mark Schlereth*, OL, Washington Redskins - Alaska State Champ
Cory Schlesinger, LB, Detroit Lions - NE State Champ
Steve Sefter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles, 2x PA State Champ & NCAA All-American
Tony Siragusa*, DT, Baltimore Ravens – NJ State Champ
Fred Smerlas*, Buffalo Bills - MA State Champ
Bruce Smith**, DE, Washington Redskins
Brad St. Louis, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Matt Suhey, RB, Chicago Bears
Bill Szott, OL, Washington Redskins – NJ State Champ
Dave Szott, Kansas City Chiefs – NJ State Champ
Woody Thompson, RB, Atlanta Falcons – PA State Champ
Jim Thorpe**, HB, New York Giants
Mike Trgovac, DC, Carolina Panthers – OH State Champ
Kyle Turley*, T, St. Louis Rams
Ryan Turnbull, RB, Cleveland Browns
Tommy Vardell, RB, San Francisco 49’ers
Adam Vinatieri*, K, New England Patriots
John Ward, OL, New York Jets – NCAA All-American
Fred Weary, DB, St. Louis Rams
Charles White*, HB, Los Angeles Rams
Randy White*, DT, Dallas Cowboys
Cory Widmer, LB, New York Giants
Leo Wisniewski, NT, Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts - PA State Champ
Steve Wisniewski, G, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders - CA State Champ
Ricky Williams*, RB, Miami Dolphins
Coy Wire, LB, Buffalo Bills – PA State Runner-Up
Greg Wojochowski, St. Louis Rams

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:09 PM | Permalink

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Kevin Jackson and Jason Townsend.

Jackson is one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers the United States has ever produced. During his international career, Jackson won World Championships in 1991 and 1995 and an Olympic gold medal in 1992. He is one of only six American wrestlers to win three or more World gold medals.

Jackson currently serves as the full-time head coach for the national freestyle wrestling program in Colorado Springs. He also works to develop freestyle coaches and programs in the United States.

Since taking over as the freestyle national teams head coach in 2001, the United States has placed in the top three twice and recently placed fourth at the 2007 freestyle World Championships.

Townsend was the head coach of the first United States World Grappling team that won the team championship earlier this month. He is also the author of the rulebook that was adopted by FILA (the international wrestling federation) and is a member of the FILA World Grappling Committee.

Townsend is a Wrestling/Grappling coach at Xtreme Couture MMA in Las Vegas, Nevada. He serves as Head Wrestling Coach at Marc Laimon's Cobra Kai jiu-jitsu, also located in Las Vegas.

As a wrestler, Townsend served as an assistant wrestling coach at Cal-State Fullerton from 2000-2005. He competed in college at both Syracuse and Hofstra following two Maryland state title.

"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 5:43 AM | Permalink

Another Long plans to be on the Iowa State campus next fall.

Two-time state wrestling champion Andrew Long of Creston verbally committed to the Iowa State coaching staff during an official visit to Ames last weekend.

Andrew’s brother, Dylan, is also a two-time state champion for Creston and is an assistant coach for Cael Sanderson at Iowa State. Dylan, 27, wrestled at Northern Iowa, where he was a national runner-up.

Andrew can sign a national letter-of-intent in November to formally accept Iowa State’s scholarship offer.

“At times he (Dylan) played a big role, but at other times he didn’t,� Andrew said. “It was brother to brother. He never told me where I should go. He just gave me background on schools, and what he liked. There was no pressure on me.�

Dual roles

Dylan said he tried to separate the roles of brother and ISU coach during Andrew’s decision process.

“I always think of him first as family,� Dylan said. “I would not want him to make any choice that he really wouldn’t want to, or that wasn’t right for him. I told him it was totally up to him. Whatever he wanted to do was fine with me. But, I honestly couldn’t see a better place for him, from what I’ve seen in this program since I’ve been here. It’s a great atmosphere, and we are going to be so good here in the next couple years.�

Iowa State finished second in the NCAA Tournament last spring in Sanderson’s first year as coach, with six freshmen in the lineup. Four seniors have to be replaced, including twins Trent and Travis Paulsen of Lewis Central. Trent Paulsen was the NCAA champion at 157 pounds. Another senior was 197-pound national runner-up Kurt Backes.

Long said he enjoyed last weekend’s visit, including being a guest of the wrestling team at the Cyclones’ 15-13 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes at Jack Trice Stadium.

“I was very comfortable there and they showed me a great time,� Andrew said. ‘The football game kind of put a cherry on top of it.�

Andrew informed the coaches of his decision before returning to Creston.

“Cael Sanderson asked me if I liked it there, and if I had a good future in mind there,� Andrew said. “I said, ‘yeah, most likely.’ Then later (assistant) Tim Hartung said it feels great to be a Cyclone, doesn’t it? I said, ‘it sure does!’ I watched them practice, and I met with the wrestling academic counselor.�

Academic plans

Long plans on majoring in civil engineering, which was another factor in favor of choosing ISU, an institution known for its strength in the engineering field.

“Actually being in athletics can sometimes help your academics,� Dylan said of the challenging schedule awaiting Andrew. “So much of your time is scheduled, and there’s (mandatory) study table and academic counselors available.�

Having placed eighth and first twice at the state tournament, Andrew will be seeking his third state title as a senior. The past two seasons he has gone 48-1 and 47-1, losing only to out-of-state wrestlers in a holiday Kansas City tournament, and he ranks 10th on the school’s all-time winning chart with a 129-13 record.

Dylan stands seventh on the list at 135-13, so Andrew has that mark in his sights early in the 2007-08 campaign. The all-time leaders are 2007 senior Caleb Brus and Boone Hayes from the class of 2004, both with 156 wins.

National title

Long is coming off a successful summer campaign. He earned his second national title in Greco-Roman style — no leg attacks allowed — and had a 4-2 mark in the Junior Nationals in freestyle at Fargo, N.D. He competed at 105 pounds. Two years ago he won National Cadet titles in both Greco and freestyle at 84 pounds.

Long was eighth and first at 103 pounds in his first two state tournaments, and sailed to the 112-pound title last year over Blake Sorensen of Denver/Tripoli, 21-7. He also won by a technical fall in the 2006 finals, 20-5, over Cory Olson of Denver.

Andrew said he is projected as a wrestler at 133 or 141 as a Cyclone. That would likely match him up in the wrestling room with the likes of associate head coach Cody Sanderson or .... Dylan Long.

Dylan, a member of the Cyclone Wrestling Club who had to take most of the summer off from competition due to bulging disks in his neck, looks forward to working with his brother.

“It will be fun. I’ll be kicking his butt every day!� he said, laughing. “Actually, he’ll have a lot of really good guys to work with. The way the coaches here coach, it’s just a real positive situation.�

Cael Sanderson was a four-time national champion at Iowa State with a 159-0 record, and went on to earn an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling. He was the featured speaker at last winter’s postseason banquet for the Creston/O-M state championship team.

“I kind of anticipated that he would make that decision,� said Creston/O-M coach Darrell Frain, “but I thought he might spend a little time looking at other places first. He liked Iowa State even before Dylan went there, so that just added to it.�

Lehigh University was one of the few Division I schools to actively recruit Long. Frain said others possibly thought Iowa State’s inside track to Andrew through Dylan’s presence might have swayed them from more vigorous recruiting.

“I think everybody kind of talked to him, but maybe didn’t pursue it a lot because of that,� Frain said.

Dalton Jensen of Missouri Valley, who joined Long as a national Greco-Roman champion at Fargo at 130 pounds, is also an Iowa State recruit.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:46 AM | Permalink

This is the breakdown of each weight classes top wrestler.

125: Cornell junior Troy Nickerson heads up the 125 rankings to start off the year after a third place finish last year. Nickerson was a finalist as a true freshman, and was favored to return last year before being upset by Nebraska's Paul Donahoe who would go on to win the National Championship.

133: Minnesota senior Mack Reiter heads up the 133 rankings to start off the year. Reiter is a two time All American, however he missed most of last year's dual season due to a torn ACL, and was eliminated in the Round of 12 at NCAA's.

141: Northwestern senior Ryan Lang heads up the 141 rankings to start the year off. Lang is a two time All American, and was a finalist at this weight last year where he was beaten badly by Cal-Poly's Derek Moore.

149: Minnesota junior Dustin Schlatter heads up arguably the toughest weight in the country to start the year off. Schlatter who was an NCAA champion as a true freshman, was like Nickerson expected to return to the finals, but was upset by Edinboro's Gregor Gillespie. Schlatter would go on to finish third.

157: Minnesota senior CP Schlatter heads up the 157 rankings to start off the year. Schlatter broke through last year finishing sixth at Nationals, for the first All American finish of his career.

165: Iowa senior, and returning National Champion Mark Perry heads up the 165 rankings going into the season. Perry who upset Oklahoma State's Johny Hendricks last year in the finals was the leading vote getter in the poll

174: Pittsburgh senior Keith Gavin heads up the 174 rankings as the season starts. Gavin is a returning finalist, and gave Missouri's Ben Askren one of his toughest matches of the year before falling.

184: Iowa State sophomore Jake Varner sits atop the 184 rankings as the season begins. Varner had lost twice to Minnesota's Roger Kish last year before upsetting him to make the finals against Jake Herbert. Herbert wound up winning the match, and has gone on to take an Olympic redshirt this season

197: American senior Josh Glenn the returning National Champion at this weight sits atop the rankings coming into the season. Glenn is a two time All American finishing 4th at 184 two years ago, before winning his title last year.

285: Northwestern senior Dustin Fox heads up the heavyweights heading into the season. Fox became an All American for the first time last season when he finished 3rd. Not shown by these rankings is the recent revelation that Big 10 rivals J.D. Bergman, and Phil Davis are likely moving up from 197. Both will provide depth in what was shaping up to be a very thin weight class.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 11:38 PM | Permalink

If Baku has one weakness it would be its food selection. Everyday in the Press little room they bring in the same parsley sandwiches. The first day they were kinda strange but good by the 8th day I cant even look at those wretched things.

The Greco and Freestyle teams have left and Im sitting here following the women's team. The problem is that the women are in a totally different hotel way across the city. So im alone in Baku for my last full night in town. What should I do? I think Im going to go out and really explore Baku without the shackles of Pat Cummin & Andy Hrovat's over bearing inhibitions. Time to get crazy in Baku and really find out if this city can handle me.

The Russians no doubt had the most dominating performance of any World Championships for Freestyle. They won 6 out of 7 weight classes and took a bronze in the 7th weight class. That is truly unheard of and have made history.

Im going to look to survive, get a video up and have fun tonight....got to get going!

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:26 PM | Permalink

Former Oklahoma State All-America wrestler Daniel Cormier became the first American to win a freestyle medal at the 2007 FILA World Wrestling Championships when he claimed the bronze at 96kg Friday after picking up a 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 win over Kyrgyzstan’s Alexey Krupnyakov in the bronze medal match. With the win, Cormier claimed the first international-level medal of his career.

“We were really dedicated in our training for this,� Cormier said Friday. “I came home last week and every day there was someone there to train with. Some of the time it was with Coach Smith, other times with Eric Guerrero and other times with Zack Esposito. Having that kind of support was very helpful to me. I talked to Coach Smith last night and he told me that I need to just go out and wrestle. He said that I have trained hard for this all year and now it is just time to go out and do it.�

Making the win more significant is the fact that Cormier’s victory avenged an earlier loss to Krupnyakov at the 2005 FILA World Championships.

“It was tough,� Cormier said. “It was a scrap. I had to come out and wrestle. This was the same guy who beat me a couple years ago at the World Championships so it was good to exact a little revenge this time around.�

Cormier’s route to the bronze medal started with a first-round bye, then he stormed past Australia’s Ian Wardell, 6-0, 6-0 in his opening match. Cormier followed that dominating performance by rallying to knock off Belarus’ Ruslan Sheykhov in his second match. Sheykhov took the first period, 1-0, but Cormier responded by winning the second period, 1-0 and the decisive third period by a 4-0 margin.

The 2001 NCAA runner-up while at OSU, Cormier sustained his only setback of the World Championships when he lost a 5-0, 2-1 decision to Iran’s Saeid Abrahimi. Abrahimi figured to be stiff competition for Cormier, as Abrahimi won the gold medal at the 2005 Asian Championships.

Following his loss to Abrahimi, Cormier was moved into the wrestleback, where he handed Japan’s Kiyotaka Kodaira a 3-0, 6-0 beating in his first match before picking up his medal-winning victory over Krupnyakov.

“Daniel has worked very hard for this moment and it has paid off in a big way,� Oklahoma State Head Coach John Smith said. “This will give him great motivation going into this coming Olympic year.�

“It was nice to pick up this medal, but it is not the end goal,� Cormier said. “I want a gold next time.�

Oklahoma State’s Daniel Cormier At The 2007 FILA Senior World Championships
First Round – Bye
Second Round – Defeated Ian Wardell (AUS): 6-0, 6-0
Third Round – Defeated Ruslan Sheykhov (BEL): 0-1, 1-0. 4-0
Quarterfinal Round – Lost to Saeid Abrahimi (IRN): 0-5, 1-2
Wrestleback Semifinal – Defeated Kiyotaka Kodaira (JPN): 3-0, 6-0
Bronze Medal Match – Defeated Alexey Krupnyakov (KGZ): 1-0, 0-1, 1-0

Daniel Cormier Wrestling Highlights
2007 World Championships - Bronze Medal
2007 Pan America Games - Bronze Medal
2004 Olympic Games – Fourth Place
2003 World Championships – Fifth Place
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 – U.S. Nationals Champion
2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 – U.S. World Team Member
2003 – Pan American Games – Gold Medal
2001 NCAA Championships – Runner-up while at Oklahoma State

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 10:08 PM | Permalink

1. Minnesota
2. Iowa
3. Oklahoma State
4. Iowa State
5. Missouri
6. Ohio State
7. Cornell
8. Northwestern
9. Penn State
10. Michigan
11. Central Michigan
12. Nebraska
13. Oklahoma
14. Hofstra
15. Wisconsin
16. Illinois
17. Indiana
18. American
19. Arizona State
20. Pittsburg

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It’s rare for collegians to compete in the World Championships – at least it’s rare if you’re wrestling in the United States.

While 20-year-old Henry Cejudo would be a college freshman if he decided to go that route, there’s one college student in the United States that’s doing both the freestyle thing and the folkstyle thing.

It’s South African Heinrich Barnes.

Barnes is competing at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships at the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan for his home nation but as soon as the event finishes up, he’ll be nestled in a classroom in Corvallis, Ore., and wrestling for Jim Zalesky and the Beavers of Oregon State.

Last year, Barnes won the NJCAA championship at 141 pounds for North Idaho, beating Iowa Central’s Joe Soto 13-11 in the finals.

Now, he’ll slide in at 141 pounds after wrestling at 66kg (145.5 pounds) in Baku – and he’s looking forward to it.

“I’m really excited and I think it’s an opportunity to improve my wrestling and I’m very excited,� said Barnes prior to the start of the tournament.

Hailing from Pretoria across the Atlantic, Barnes said the adjustment from freestyle to American folkstyle has had its challenges.

“The sport’s not as big as it is in the states,� explained Barnes. “We don’t have any schools or university, but we have clubs. I think the competition in the states is way higher.�

“The toughest thing was not to lock hands and on bottom,� said Barnes. “I had to wrestle my way out.�

While versed in freestyle, this is Barnes first senior World Team, but he says collegiate wrestling has improved his freestyle game.

“I think it’s good and gets you more active on the mat, your stamina is way better and keeping in mind that you never stop wrestling,� he said. “We practice every day and keep on wrestling and focusing on the collegiate will help me in freestyle.�

A two-time placewinner at the Junior World Championships, eighth in 2005 and fifth in 2006, Barnes opened with a victory in the first round in Baku over Columbia’s Ivan Duque before being eliminated by Armenian Zhikayr Hovnannisyan.

Taking to America has been getting easier for Barnes, who finished 40-3 last season after starting his career at North Idaho with a 21-9 record as a freshman.

Luckily, he’s not missing any school work, but he’s already been on the mat as practice will start next month for most Division I programs.

“I think it’s a lot better so I can be ready to go right when I get there,� said Barnes.

Barnes also believes his focus in the classroom and on the mat has expanded his wrestling abilities.

“English is my second language, so my concentration is better in class,� said Barnes. “School luckily hasn’t started yet. It starts the Monday after I get back.�

Barnes first language is Afrikaans, which is derived from Dutch and is classified Low Franconian Germanic. It’s one of eleven official languages of the country, which is spoken predominantly on the Southwestern half of the country. So Barnes definitely had his options.

Prior to traveling to Baku, Barnes already moved to Corvallis and began training with Zalesky and assistant coaches Troy Steiner and Kevin Roberts and is ready to hit the mats in Division I this season.

“That’s helped me a lot,� said Barnes. “They’re so knowledgeable about wrestling. The little things they just help me to get better with. They’re very nice and they teach me the amount they know.�

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:35 PM | Permalink

Five weights, five medals, four golds.

That’s been the rundown for the Russian Federation’s competitors at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships as they claimed three more medals on Thursday at the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The results couldn’t be matched for the U.S. contingent, although all three wrestlers at 66kg, 74kg, and 84kg placed in the top six and qualified the weight for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, none came away medals.

Ramazan Shahin of Turkey, bolstered by a raucous crowd, hit a beautiful three-point arm throw in the third period to top Cuban Geandry Garzon 1-0, 0-3, 3-2.

Shahin scored the first period victory with a takedown on a go-behind countering Garzon’s bad positioning. From there on out, it would appear that Garzon would topple the Turk as he scored three quick takedowns on low singles to win the second period. In the third, Garzon relaxed momentarily and Shahin tossed Garzon to the mat amidst a chorus of cheers from the crowd on hand.

Garzon rallied, scoring two more takedowns in the third, but couldn’t get the tying point and go-ahead score he needed to claim the title.

American Doug Schwab, wrestling on his first U.S. World Team, fell to Garzon in the quarterfinals and won his repechage match to reach the bronze medal match, but was beaten in two periods by last year’s runner-up, Otar Tushishvili of Georgia.

Russia won its third medal of the week as Irbek Farinev topped 2006 bronze medalist Andriy Stadnik of Ukraine also at 66kg for the second bronze.

The two remaining finals saw gold medals three and four for the Russians, as Mahach Murtazaliev beat Ukraine’s 2006 World Champion Ibragim Aldotov 1-0, 2-2 at 74kg.

Murtazaliev scored the final takedown and the final point to take the second period in an impressive tournament.

American Joe Heskett reached the semis and took Murtazaliev to the wire and finished fifth after falling to Azerbaijan’s Chamsulvara Chamsulvarayev 2-0, 3-1. Heskett appeared drained but wrestled into the semis and also qualified the weight.

Cuban Ivan Fundora took the other bronze at 74, topping Romanian Stefan Gheorghita 3-0, 3-0 with an impressive display from the neutral position.

The most impressive tournament was by Russian Georgy Ketoev at 84kg. A first-time World Teamer, Ketoev notched his first senior level championship with a 2-0, 1-0 victory over Tajikistan’s Jousop Abdusalomov.

Ketoev won the spot on the Russian team over past World Champions Sajid Sajidov and Adam Saitiev. Ketoev is the next rising star in Russia as he won the Junior World Championship in 2005 and has only one finish below first in world-level competition, which was a second-place finish in 2005 at the World Cup.

One of Ketoev’s wins came in the quarterfinals against American Joe Williams, who like Heskett and Schwab, fell in the bronze medal match.

Williams dropped the first period 1-0 and then found himself fighting off his back in an exotic “Boston crab� type of situation against Iran’s Reza Yazdani. The move is something you might see from a Vince McMahon outfit.

Williams was in a scramble situation, and gave up an exposure and Yazdani quickly hopped to his feet, laced up Williams legs and held him in danger for over 90 seconds as Williams grimaced fighting off any fall possibility.

While some might see Williams’ fifth-place finish as a disappointment, it’s coming less than three months after surgery to repair a torn bicep.

The three fifth-place finishes gives the U.S. 18 points and they’re in the thick of the team race for second place. The Russian contingent already has the team championship wrapped up with 48 points – four golds and a bronze.

Action kicks up at 8 a.m. Baku time on Friday with the final two weights of freestyle – 96kg and 120kg – and the first weight in women’s freestyle – 48kg.

Daniel Cormier and first-time World Teamer Tommy Rowlands will take to the mats for the men, while veteran Stephanie Murata will step on the mats for the start of the women’s competition.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:33 PM | Permalink

The biggest adventure you are going to take in Baku might be in the Cab. These guys race the streets like mad men in a race to no where. Dodging pedestrians, animals, and buildings is simply a way of life.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:30 PM | Permalink

That beat was in my head as I went to sleep last night. It wouldnt stop as all day all we heard from the crowd was this: "doo ta hooot -IRAN." Guys dancing and waving the flags and beating on the drums and tooting their horns. It was incredible and loud and brain draining.
It was cool when Heskett faced the Iranian right next to the Iranian section. He quieted them nicely when he beat him though...which was cool.

Anyways up until this point it has been all Russians and I'm going to try and get an interview with those slick dudes today...They got 4 gold medals and one bronze with the completion of 5 weight classes. They are a little more difficult to get a beat on than the Iranians but I will try.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:26 PM | Permalink

Joe Heskett and Joe Williams had their title hopes halted by a pair of powerful Russians, and Doug Schwab was stopped by a talented Cuban.

But the American trio each still has an opportunity to take home some hardware at the World Championships.

First-time World Team member Heskett stands one win away from a World bronze medal in freestyle at 74 kg/163 lbs. Williams will need two more wins at 84 kg/185 lbs. to capture his third career World bronze medal. And Schwab also is two wins away from a bronze medal at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in his first trip to the Worlds.

Even with each wrestler falling, the U.S. still has an opportunity to put up some big team points Thursday night and make a run at a team trophy here. Russia is running away from everybody in the team race after winning both weight classes yesterday, placing two more guys in the finals Thursday afternoon and having another wrestler with a chance to win a bronze medal. The last two weight classes will be decided on Friday. The U.S. went 0-2 in the first two weight classes Wednesday.

"We knew after the first two weight classes that we still had five weight classes left ," USA Wrestling National Coach Kevin Jackson said. "We see what Greco did and they lost a couple guys on the way to a World team title. Our expectations and our thoughts are still positive as far as what we can accomplish at the World Championships. We're about winning medals and qualifying weight classes for the Olympic Games. We're encouraged with the way these guys have wrestled, but we still have a lot of work to do."

Both Joes looked strong during the Thursday morning session at Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex.

Heskett rattled off four straight wins before dropping a hard-fought, three-period semifinal decision to past World champion Makhach Murtazaliev of Russia. Heskett (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC) led late in the decisive period before Mutazaliev shot in on a leg attack and then drove Heskett out of bounds for an additional point after the American had popped to his feet.

Williams (Belvidere, Ill./Sunkist Kids) was swept 4-0, 4-0 by talented young, 21-year-old Russian Georgy Ketoev in the quarterfinals. Russia will look to add another gold medal at 84 kilos after Sajid Sajidov won the World title in 2006. Ketoev was a Junior World champion in 2005.

Schwab (Iowa City, Iowa/Gator WC) won his first two bouts before falling to past World bronze medalist Geandy Garzon of Cuba in the quarterfinals. The slick, athletic Garzon, who beat Schwab in July’s Pan American Games, scored a 2-0, 4-1 decision.

Two past Iowa Hawkeye standouts in Williams and Schwab, and a past Iowa State standout in Heskett, each have a chance to collect some hardware in Thursday’s late session in Baku.

The men’s freestyle competition concludes Friday with the final two Americans set to compete. Taking the mat will be Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) and Tommy Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids). Cormier competes at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Rowlands at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Cormier is making his fourth straight World Championships appearance. Rowlands is competing in his first World Championships.

The women’s freestyle competition kicks off with the wrestling at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) is scheduled to compete Friday for the U.S. Murata is a past World silver medalist.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 9:05 PM | Permalink

Henry Cejudo (55Kg) and Mike Zadick (60Kg) come out flat for the first match at the World Championships. The pace was slow with as little action as it took for their opponents to win both rounds. Years of preparation and months of intensity just didnt carry over on the mat today in Baku. Only the 55 and 60 Kg weight classes wrestled on this first day of freestyle. In World Championship competition if you lose you only make it to the consolation rounds if the opponent you lost to goes to the finals.

Henry Cejudo lost to the Iranian in a clear cut match. His first round he got taken down at the end of the first minute. In the second minute Cejudo simply wasnt able to get in on the legs of the Iranian. Going into the second period The idea was to pick up the aggressiveness. Americans are typically in better shape and it is usually in their best interest to have a high tempo and intense match to challenge the conditioning of their opponents. You can hear Kevin Jackson calling out "Its got to be a war" from mat side as opposed to a chess match.

In the second period Cejudo did pick up the intensity taking more shots and making more fakes and trying to move his opponents. However he took a one armed shot and the iranian caught his arm and took him down. Cejudo was forced to open up with only about 40 seconds remaining and the iranian capitalized on a double leg from his knees.

All in all it was a short premier for Cejudo as he was knocked out of the tournament when the Iranian lost in the next round.

Mike Zadick came in with something to prove against an Albanian (Sait Prizreni) who has trained at the New York Athletic club. Right away Zadick scored the first point when he pushed his opponent out of bounds. IT was all down hill from there. Mike Zadick didnt continue with the pressure and instead played into his opponents hands by waiting around for the end of the period by trading position battles. Prizreni with time running out in the first period ducked under Zadicks right shoulder and reappeared behind Zadicks left arm- almost like a magician - and scooted behind for the takedown. By scoring the last point in the period the 1-1 tie for that period went to Prizreni.

In the second period Zadick picked up the intensity a bit. but it was to no avail. The period went to the clinch and the coin ended up flipping in the Albanian's favor. Prizreni capped the upset by barely taking Zadick down in the clinch.

Zadick now must await his fate with the performance of Sait Prizreni in the following rounds.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:45 PM | Permalink

Seven home duals, and eight match-ups against top 20 finishers from last year’s NCAA Championships highlight Lehigh’s 2007-08 wrestling schedule, announced by head coach Greg Strobel. The Mountain Hawks will face another challenging schedule that features a return to the Virginia Duals for the first time in four seasons, as well as a return trip to Nebraska, and an appearance in the increasingly popular Journeyman Duals.

“Overall this is a very aggressive schedule that will be a good test for our young but talented team,� said Strobel, a four-time EIWA Coach of the Year, who enters his 13th season. “We tried to spread the events out more this year to allow for more training and recovery. Half of our events are before January so we were successful in that particular element.�

Strobel concludes, “We’re excited about going to the Virginia Duals, and we’re excited to compete in some new events against some new teams that we haven’t faced in a few years.�

Fans will get their first look at the 2007-08 team, which features five returning NCAA qualifiers and one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, on Tuesday, October 30 with the annual wrestle-offs. The regular season will also begin at home, with in-state rival Pittsburgh visiting on Sunday, November 11.

The next two weekends will see Lehigh take to the road. The Mountain Hawks will head to Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers on Friday, November 16. The dual is a return trip for Lehigh, after the Cornhuskers visited Leeman-Turner Arena for the 2007 Sheridan Dual in February. After the dual in Lincoln on Friday night, Lehigh will head to Omaha on Saturday where a contingent of Mountain Hawks will compete in the Kaufman-Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha.

Upon returning from Nebraska, Lehigh will head to Albany, N.Y. on Thanksgiving weekend, to take part in the Journeyman Duals. The Mountain Hawks will wrestle four duals on Saturday, November 24, taking on Mid-American Conference champion Central Michigan, plus Virginia, Clarion and Binghamton.

The Mountain Hawks will return home on Friday, November 30, to open EIWA competition against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Two days later, Lehigh will head to Maryland for a pair of duals. First, the Mountain Hawks will visit former assistant coach Pat Santoro and the Maryland Terrapins, and then later that day it’s on to Washington, D.C. for an EIWA showdown against American.

On Friday, December 7, longtime rival Penn State visits Stabler Arena for the 96th meeting between the two schools. Lehigh will be looking to snap a three match losing streak against the Nittany Lions.

Lehigh will wrap up 2007 on Sunday December 30 at the Wolverine Quad in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Mountain Hawks will face Buffalo and Eastern Michigan, before tackling the host Wolverines.

The 2008 portion of the schedule kicks off on Friday, January 4 as former volunteer assistant coach Kerry McCoy brings his Stanford Cardinal to Grace Hall for the first time. Lehigh took part in the Stanford Duals last season, earning wins over the Cardinal and UC Davis.

The following week, Lehigh will trek to Hampton, Virginia to take part in the 28th annual Virginia Duals. Lehigh last took part in the duals in 2004, finishing second to Nebraska. The year before, the Mountain Hawks defeated the Cornhuskers 34-7 to win their only Virginia Duals title.

Three conference duals wrap up the month of January, with Navy visiting Bethlehem on January 19. The Mountain Hawks will be looking to avenge a 26-12 loss in Annapolis last year, which snapped Lehigh’s string of ten straight wins over Navy. The following week, Lehigh heads to New England to take on Ivy foes Harvard and Brown.

Lehigh opens February with its final two home duals. Hofstra will be the opponent for the 2008 Sheridan Dual, with the Pride visiting on February 8. The following Thursday, Rider visits Bethlehem in the final home dual of the season. The Mountain Hawks will wrap-up the dual season at Army on February 17, and then it’s on to Philadelphia to face Penn and Drexel on February 24.

The postseason begins on March 7, with the 104th EIWA Championships, this year being hosted by Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster, Pa.

The NCAA Championships will return to St. Louis for the first time since 2005, and will take place March 20-22 at Scottrade Center.

Lehigh returns 13 letter winners from last season’s team, including six starters and five NCAA qualifiers.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:38 PM | Permalink

Brad Vering, a former Northern Iowa assistant wrestling coach, won a silver medal at 185 pounds in Greco-Roman competition at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday.

In the final round, Vering lost a 4-0, 4-0 match to Aleksey Mishin of Russia, who won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics.

Monday, former Iowa State wrestler Harry Lester earned a Greco-Roman bronze medal at 145.5 pounds.

Today, Mike Zadick of Solon wrestles at 132 pounds in freestyle. Zadick was second in the world last year.

Thursday, Iowa assistant coach Doug Schwab wrestles at 145.5, Iowa State national champion Joe Heskett competes at 163 and Iowa national champion Joe Williams wrestles at 185.

Sara McMann competes on Sunday.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:36 PM | Permalink

They’re some of the nation’s best, if not the world’s best. They battle hard, they push their teammates, they listen to their coaches and they stay in great shape.

But there’s one not-so-subtle difference that separates them from the athletes competing at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships in Baku.

They’re not competing.

The United States is one of few countries that have athletes bring their training/workout partners on international trips like the World Championships and the Olympics.

Two of this year’s workout partners that have made the trip to Baku to help improve their Greco-Roman teammates are Spenser Mango and Jake Fisher.

Mango’s here working with 60kg (132 pounds) world team member Joe Betterman, while Fisher is on his second trip working with 66kg (145.5 pounds) Harry Lester.

All four came through the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University. Lester, a recent graduate, still trains there while Betterman, Fisher and Mango are still in school.

Mango’s still learning the ropes as a training partner.

“This is my first time going to get to watch,� he said. It’s a new experience for me.�

The details of his job aren’t outlined on a requirements page. There is no application, resumes aren’t needed.

But Mango and Fisher know what’s to be done, even without being told.

“It’s to do whatever I can to help them make weight, work out with them, make sure they’re ready to go,� said Mango. “A lot of these guys I’ve wrestled or seen wrestle before, so the more tips I can give them the better.�

Fisher, fourth on the ladder in Greco-Roman at 74kg, is making his second trip to the World Championships with Lester and it’s easier the second time around.

“I know exactly what to do with him,� said Fisher. “I have experience from last year. He’s one of my good friends, so I know what he needs … and I get it. Whether it’s carrying his bags or getting him drinks.�

Both know the importance of getting into a groove with their training partners and identifying the situation that each locale presents, especially with making weight.

“When you come over to another country, you never know what you’re going to have to workout with,� said Mango. “It’s always good to leave within a reasonable amount.�

“The food’s different to, so you have to take that into account. But it’s the same as over in the states, run, bike, sauna, get it down one pound at a time,� he said.

The athletes at Northern Michigan are also competing with each other year-round in Greco-Roman, so the friendships there might be deeper than those that come together just a few times a year and train.

“We’ve got a bond,� said Fisher. “It makes them more comfortable. Comfort’s a big issue here. That’s our main job, whatever they need.�

Lester is very high on Fisher as a workout partner and acknowledges the importance of having someone around that’s so close.

“All summer long, he’s trained me, and been wrestling,� said Lester. “I’ve lived with him for the summer. Everything like that. Food-wise, he’s been there. He’s been my trainer.�

“Last year I took him to China and it was a perfect mix,� Lester explained. “He goes well, we mesh well when we wrestle. On our feet, he helps me a lot in par terre. I couldn’t ask for anything more.�

Moral, physical and emotional support is crucial for providing the right environment for training and competing at the world level.

“They know what they’re going to do; we can give them tips and whatnot, but whatever they want to do is what we’re there for,� said Fisher. “We have plans and (Lester) has his plan. And I make sure we stick to his plan. We’re there for support.�

Mango is also in a groove with Betterman, despite finding out he would be going to Baku in mid-August.

“It’s been a great experience,� said Mango. “His weight is usually really really good for 60-kilos, so the weight wasn’t a big issue this time. We worked out, did what he needed to do so we’re ready to go.�

The abbreviated time-frame didn’t affect the two and their respective training regimens.

“We train pretty much year round anyway,� said Mango.

Mango and Fisher are knocking on the door to potential World Team berths in the future, both are in their 20’s – Mango just turned 21 in July and Fisher just turned 23 in February.

Lester’s already thinking about the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and should Lester continue his presence on the U.S. World Team at the weight, Fisher will be there one way or another.

“If he (Fisher) doesn’t make the team, which I think he’s got a good shot at making it, but if he doesn’t make the team next year, he’ll be my partner again,� said Lester. “Hopefully he’ll make the team and we’ll not have to bring partners, we’ll train with each other.�

With the increased focus on training at Northern Michigan with coaches Ivan Ivanov and Jim Gruenwald, Greco-Roman medals could be more realistic in the future of U.S. Wrestling and the camaraderie that goes along with the athletes at the USOEC is going to be a big reason why.

“We’re like a family,� said Lester. “We’re close, we joke around, we talk mama jokes, girlfriend jokes. When you’re cutting weight and you’re so focused, it’s good to have someone around you can joke around with to take the edge off, but at the same time, they know when to get you focused, they know when to push you, they know when not to push you. To have a guy that you click on and click off with right away, what else could you ask for in an environment like this?�

Men's Greco-Roman
Weight: World Teamer - Workout Partner
55kg: Lindsey Durlacher - Willie Madison
60kg: Joe Betterman - Spenser Mango
66kg: Harry Lester - Jake Fisher
74kg: T.C. Dantzler - Peter Hicks
84kg: Brad Vering - Brian Piasecki*
96kg: Justin Ruiz - Adam Wheeler
120kg: Dremiel Byers - Phil Johnston
*- Piasecki didn't make the trip due to injury.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:27 PM | Permalink

This is a video I posted from Flo at The Wrestling forums. Its an early morning workout in Baku, Azerbaijan. I've trained over in Russia before and it is not an excellent atmosphere. The wrestling team is doing fairly well, they've brought home a couple medals, but nothing gold yet..

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:03 PM | Permalink

Harry Lester clapped his hands three times, nodded and waved to the crowd.

He came up short of his gold-medal goal, but Lester still had a look of satisfaction on his face after turning in a very strong performance in capturing his second straight World bronze medal.

Lester rebounded from a controversial semifinal loss to 2004 Olympic champion Farid Mansurov of Azerbaijan to sweep Hungary’s Tamas Lorincz and win a bronze medal at the World Championships on Monday night at the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex.

Lester earned a 3-1, 2-1 win over Lorincz in the Greco-Roman bronze-medal match at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. by employing his aggressive, attacking and entertaining style to control the match from start to finish. Lester showed an abundance of resiliency and grit by coming back from a tough semifinal loss where three questionable calls by the officials went against him.

“I came out and wrestled every match as hard as I can,� Lester said. “One match didn’t go my way, but I wasn’t going to let it spoil my chances to win a medal. I just didn’t get the job done in the semifinals, but I knew I had to bounce back and at least get a medal.�

The U.S. stands in second place in the team standings with 14 points after three of the seven weight classes completed. Korea leads with 17 points. 10 points are awarded for first place, 9 for second, 8 for third and so on through the top 10.

Lester (Akron, Ohio/Gator WC) went 5-1 on the day and looked very dominant in each of his wins. Ivan Ivanov, Lester’s coach at the U.S. Olympic Education Center, praised his star pupil’s effort.

“Harry proved to all of the people here that he deserved a gold medal,� Ivanov said. “I’m really happy with his performance. Wrestling against the guy (Mansurov) in his home country is always tough and I think some things went against Harry that shouldn’t have. But knowing he should have won that match will make him even hungrier to win that Olympic gold. He has grown so much and made so much progress. He definitely deserved the gold medal – I believe he was the best guy here at 66 kilos.�

Lester now takes aim at winning a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.

“I came out here and I felt I was the best guy in this weight class, and I know I’ll feel the same way again next year,� Lester said. “If I train hard, I’m not going to doubt myself. I definitely think I can win the Olympics next year. I’ve got two medals now and I know I’m capable of being the best in the World. I have to build on what I’m done these last two years and put it all together for the Olympics next year.�

American Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) showed amazing heart and resolve in coming back to place fifth at 55 kg/121 lbs. He qualified the U.S. for the 2008 Olympic Games at 55 kilos by finishing in the top eight in his weight class.

“It’s hard to come so close to winning a medal and walk away empty-handed,� Durlacher said. “At the same time, a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders by qualifying this weight for the Olympic Games. It’s a huge honor to qualify this weight for the Olympics. I can just train straight through and concentrate on making our Olympic Team and not have to go through any of those qualifying tournaments.�

Durlacher rebounded from a third-round loss to eventual champion Hamid Sourian of Iran and won back-to-back matches in a span of about 15 minutes to advance to the bronze-medal match.

Durlacher then fell to Serbia’s Kristijan Fris in the bronze-medal match. It was Durlacher’s third match in about half an hour. Fris, meanwhile, was well-rested. He lost to Sourian in the semifinals and only had to wrestle once in the second session. He sat and waited while Durlacher battled through two matches to reach the bronze-medal bout.

“It was extremely difficult to come back with all those matches in a short period of time,� Durlacher said. “You have to keep a level hand and keep thinking positive thoughts. It’s definitely an advantage making the semifinals and only have the one match after you lose. Wrestling back-to-back-to-back in three straight matches, I was extremely exhausted by the bronze-medal match.�

Durlacher ran into a tough foe in Sourian, who won his third straight World title. Sourian beat Durlacher in the semifinals of the 2006 Worlds. Durlacher came back to win a bronze medal after that setback.

“The Iranian is a tough kid,� Durlacher said. “He has a lot of leverage on me. He’s about 6 feet tall and he’s hard to wrestle. He’s really on top of his game right now and I need to go back and see what I did last year against him. I wrestled him a lot closer last year.�

First-time World Team member Joe Betterman of the U.S. dropped his first-round match to 2007 European Championships runner-up Stig Andre Berge of Norway at 60 kg/132 lbs. Betterman fell 3-2, 1-1. Betterman was eliminated when Berge lost his next match.

The 23-year-old Betterman (Chicago, Ill./USOEC/New York AC) was a late replacement on the U.S. team for 2006 World champion Joe Warren. Betterman was unable to finish in the top eight and did not qualify the weight class for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. The U.S. still has three other tournaments, including the Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs, where it can qualify the 60 kilo class for the Olympics.

Greco-Roman action continues tomorrow as Americans T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) take the mat. Dantzler wrestles at 74 kg/163 lbs., Vering competes at 84 kg/185 lbs. while Ruiz is at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Ruiz is a past World bronze medalist while Dantzler and Vering have each taken fifth at the Worlds.

Dantzler drew returning World champion Volodimir Shatskykh of the Ukraine in the first round.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:36 PM | Permalink

Sitting on the edge of match side for my first world championships and Im stunned by the absurdity of it all. Maybe you want to call it culture shock, but it doesnt feel like it. It just feels like im watching these matches like I am Alice in Wonderland.

I look down and see an electronics advertisement with two kids in their underwear, one giving a thumbs up and the other eating an ice cream cone. How does two kids in their underwear have anything to do with electronics? Does kids in their underwear produce the same result as hot women in beer commercials. If so Im truly in a weird and probably dangerous place.

I look up and see TC Dantzler wrestling and his coaches coaching. They have the same type of look on their face that I might have. I have a hard time believing my eyes as the referees take the match away from the guy. One mistake after another makes me feel like it isnt a mistake. I truly feel like im Alice. The American in me wants to do something, say something. I begin to shout and Jason Bryant warns me that if I shout they will expel me. Im dumb founded. This is a wrestling match not a lecture hall or one of the Azerbaijan's president's political conferences.

The reality is, is that there is no reality here and I am Alice and this is a wonderland. It doesnt make sense and dont try to make sense of it. Fila simply goes by a whole set of rules and standards that waiver, bend and break with the weather.

What I feel like must be a hundreth of the feeling that Harry Lester must be feeling. A guy who works for years to have a chance at being a World Champion gets that chance stolen in the semi final match against an Azerbaijanian. Does the fact that the dictator of Azerbaijan happened to be at the event have anything to do with it? Stupid question..Irrelavant question..there are no facts, no objectivity in this country and in this sport.

The only way your going to win as an American is the way Brad Vering (84 Kg Greco) won in his second round match. Brute force and power, a decision so decisive even a referee looking to steal it couldn't possibly find a way. He walks off the mat like he just ran through a brick wall and didnt even feel it.

Moral of the story:
If your an American you better not leave anything up to the Queen in this Baku Wonderland.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:08 PM | Permalink

Wrestling fans could argue endlessly as to who the greatest high school wrestler of all-time is. To compare the high school wrestlers of all eras is more of a challenge than this writer would take on. However, this article is the first of a two-part series which will settle, once and for all (tongue firmly in cheek), the debate as to who is the best high school wrestler over the past 20 years. In fact, it will list the top 20 over the past 20 years.

The starting point for making such a list is to ask how does one determine the best? For instance, how does one compare a dominant heavyweight to a dominant 119-pound wrestler? In this writer's view, the criteria has to be this: If you took the best 10-20 guys from a weight class and had them wrestle 10 mythical matches against each other, who would emerge with the best record? In other words, who was the best relative to the other top competitors in their weight?

Furthermore, it is important to note that for these purposes, how good a wrestler was at the pinnacle of his high school career (i.e. his junior and senior seasons) is the key factor. In other words, having a relatively unaccomplished freshman and even sophomore year would not disqualify one from this list if they were dominant at a national level their last two seasons.

One final note: This list will go above and beyond simply listing who has the best overall accomplishments of the last 20 years. Such a list would be unimaginative, and in my view, not worth reading. Rather, who a competitor beat to win titles and how dominating they were will be considered over sheer titles won.

Starting with No. 20 -- in descending order:

20. Ray Brinzer (Pennsylvania)

More known for his colorful antics than for his wrestling, Brinzer was as dynamic an upperweight as has ever taken the mat in high school wrestling. Hailing from powerhouse North Allegheny High, Brinzer accomplished the extremely rare feat of winning three Pennsylvania "AAA" state crowns in the middle-to-upperweights. Even more impressive, he won back-to-back Junior National Freestyle crowns and a Junior National Greco-Roman title.

Brinzer had a unique philosophy on the sport to say the least. Viewing wrestling as a martial art, he refused to warm-up before his matches -- under the theory that if in a fight, he would not have a chance to warm-up. His trademark was bringing a Gumby doll to every match for good luck. Perhaps he was on to something -- since Blair Academy's Adam Frey brought a similar doll to Junior Nationals in 2005 and also won both styles.

Brinzer would go on to finish third in the NCAA's twice for the University of Iowa, after transferring from their arch-rival, Oklahoma State.

19. Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma)

Hendricks dominated in Fargo like few have before or since. Consider: In 2001, his junior year in high school, he scored technical falls over now NCAA champion Troy Letters and current two-time NCAA runner-up Ben Askren -- just to win his pool. In the finals, he registered a first period technical fall over highly regarded Matt Herrington. The following year, Hendricks again crushed all opponents in his pool before registering a solid 3-0 win over the outstanding Mark Perry in the finals. Ironically, Hendricks won his first NCAA title in 2005 with a win over Perry in the finals as well. Hendricks also tallied three Oklahoma state titles after a runner-up finish his freshman year. Wrestling with a fire in his eye that made many compare him to a young John Smith, Hendricks was particularly unstoppable in freestyle with his gut wrench.

Less than a year removed from wrestling at Junior Nationals in Fargo, Teyon Ware won an NCAA title at 141 pounds as a true freshman for Oklahoma.

18. Teyon Ware (Oklahoma)

Although Ware rarely dominated against elite competition, there was a familiar theme to his matches -- his arm getting raised at the end. In fact, Ware never tasted defeat while winning four Oklahoma state titles. He had very little freestyle experience going into the freestyle season after his sophomore year in high school, yet managed to win the Junior Nationals title in freestyle at 132 pounds that summer, defeating a Senior Nationals champion along the way. Ware then repeated as Junior Nationals champion his junior year in high school. A one-point upset loss to Todd Meneely his senior year in the finals of Junior Nationals was perhaps his only significant blemish. Ware has since captured two NCAA titles, including as a true freshman.

17. Zack Esposito (New Jersey)

"Espo" won everything there was to win his senior year in high school -- and usually in dramatic fashion: Ironman, Beast of the East, Prep Nationals, Dapper Dan, High School Nationals, and Junior Nationals. Few have been as exciting to watch as this highly aggressive competitor. Perhaps most impressive about Esposito's dominance that year is that he was essentially wrestling up a weight for the team, as Blair Academy had another great 145 -- Mark Perry. In fact, although he wrestled 152 his senior season, he was actually at 141 the next year as a freshman in college.

16. Jeff McGinness (Iowa)

Very few wrestlers have ever been as technically polished in high school as this competitor from Iowa City. While McGinness is part of the mega-exclusive undefeated four-time state champions club, he also had very impressive accomplishments in freestyle, including being Cadet and Junior Nationals champion as a sophomore in high school, and finishing a lofty third place at the Junior Worlds. He culminated his career by winning the Outstanding Wrestler award at High School Nationals his senior year.

Before Eric Guerrero won three NCAA titles at Oklahoma State and represented the U.S. in the Olympic Games, he was a three-time state champion in California.

15. Eric Guerrero (California)

Guerrero joined the very small list of three-time California state champions by winning 225 of the 229 matches he wrestled. After finishing second, third, and third his first three years at Junior Nationals in freestyle, Guerrero climbed to the top spot on the podium by defeating defending champion Scott Schatzman his senior season. Perhaps his most impressive feat was at High School Nationals, where he captured Outstanding Wrestler honors. Those in attendance were heard to use the analogy that his opponents appeared so helpless it looked as though Guerrero was merely drilling.

14. Dan Knight (Iowa)

Another of the rare four-time undefeated state champions from 1983-1986, Knight may have been the most highly regarded of his era. An Iowa product, he captured three Junior Nationals titles in four finals appearances -- including winning a double title his senior year with little difficulty. He would go on to be a two-time All-American at Iowa State.

13. Ty Moore (Pennsylvania)

His collegiate career was a disappointment. He is certainly overshadowed today by his younger brother, NCAA champ Teague Moore. However, Ty Moore was as tough as they come in high school. A rare four-time Pennsylvania "AAA" state champion, Moore hailed from the vaunted North Allegheny wrestling team -- which at the time, was co-best program in the nation along with Lakewood St. Edward. Perhaps the best phrase to characterize Moore's style would be "just plain mean". Physical and relentless, his greatness is probably best demonstrated by his match in the Dapper Dan following his senior season. In that match, he scored a fall in less than a minute -- against Junior Nationals champion and future three-time NCAA champion T.J. Jaworsky.

In college, Moore seemed to simply burn out. As a true freshman, he was a one point loss away from All-American status. He was destined to never improve upon that finish for the remainder of his career.

12. Jacob Newby (Oklahoma)

Slick and quick, Newby's only place in Fargo was at the top of the podium. Although he won Cadet Nationals after his freshman year, it was his big upset of defending champion Chad Renner in the finals of Junior Nationals after his junior year that really vaulted him to stardom. The following year, Newby not only repeated in dominating fashion as Junior Nationals champion at 154 pounds, but also won FILA Junior Nationals (20-and-under age group), defeating Marcus Mollica, who would go on to win NCAA's the following spring.

After finishing fourth in the NCAA's as a redshirt freshman, Newby gave up wrestling to pursue a music career.

11. David Kjeldgaard (Iowa)

The winner of the inaugural Dave Schultz award for high school excellence in 1996 was the kid from Iowa with the funny name. There was nothing funny about his accomplishments, however -- as Kjeldgaard finished 173-4 en route to winning three Iowa state titles, and much more impressively, a still-unsurpassed (although it has been tied) record of six Junior Nationals titles. A true scholar-athlete, Kjeldgaard graduated valedictorian of his class with a 4.0 GPA.

Kjeldgaard's collegiate career was solid but unspectacular due to being slowed by a variety of severe knee injuries. However, to assess just how good he was in high school, it is perhaps useful to look at who he beat to win his Junior Nationals crowns in freestyle. His junior year, he defeated TJ Williams, who would go on to win two NCAA titles while posting a record of 98-1 at the University of Iowa. His senior year, he defeated future NCAA champ and four-time top-three finisher Joe Heskett just to reach the finals -- where he triumphed over a kid from Utah by the name of Cael Sanderson.

The first installment of this two-part series looked at numbers 20-11 of the top 20 high school wrestlers of the past 20 years. This article will count down the top 10. Note that only wrestlers who graduated in 1986-2005 are eligible for this list.

First, the special mentions (40-31) and honorable mentions (30-21) in no particular order:

10. Lincoln McIlravy (South Dakota)

While his skills truly blossomed in college under the tutelage of Dan Gable, "Mac" was pretty tough in high school too. Not only was McIlravy a five-time state champion -- he captured Cadet and Junior Nationals titles as well, going through Chris Bono, John and Russ Hughes, Tony Pariano, and Mark Smith, among others, to capture his titles.

Mac next won NCAA's as a true freshman with one of the most electrifying comebacks in NCAA history.

Troy Nickerson won a record five New York state titles and compiled a record of 214-6.

9. Troy Nickerson (New York)

Simply put, Nickerson won everything there was to win, generally by a large margin. While he won a record five New York state titles, his greatest achievements were in Fargo. An upset loss to Matt Fisk as a freshman (subsequently avenged numerous times) was the lone blemish on Nickerson's Fargo credentials -- as he captured five titles in six tries.

The pinnacle for Nickerson probably came his junior year at Fargo. That year, he moved up from his previous double Cadet National title to winning both styles at Junior Nationals, never going the distance in the process. Nickerson capped off his career by winning Senior Nationals in impressive fashion.

8. Pat Smith (Oklahoma)

The first four-time NCAA Champion, Smith was possibly more dominant in high school than college. Winner of back-to-back Junior Nationals in dominant fashion, he actually scored a technical fall over Sean Bormet to win his senior year. Ironically, it was Bormet he would face to win his fourth NCAA title -- winning this time by a slim 5-3 margin.

Smith was also part of an illustrious group who won NCAA's as a true freshman. Only three wrestlers were able to do this in the past 20 years: Smith, McIlravy, and Teyon Ware.

7. Brent Metcalf (Michigan)

Never before did middleweights stand out as the best in the nation from their sophomore year on as Metcalf and his archrival Dustin Schlatter did. Metcalf vaulted to superstar status following his sophomore year, when he not only won both styles at Junior Nationals, he only went the distance once in approximately 20 matches -- scoring a quick technical fall in the freestyle finals.

His junior year, it was more of the same. Metcalf dominated the much-heralded Alex Tsirtsis of Indiana, 5-0, to repeat as Junior Nationals champion. He had previously knocked off former champion and two-time finalist Craig Henning just to make the finals. All other opponents he either pinned or tech falled on his way to winning both styles.

In Metcalf's senior year, he wrestled two epic bouts with the great Dustin Schlatter (No. 6 below). While many observers thought Schlatter beat the buzzer with the winning takedown in regulation (including this writer), Metcalf showed himself to be made of pure steel in riding out Schlatter in double overtime to maintain his undefeated high school career. At the Dapper Dan classic that year, wrestling a very tough opponent (Matt Dragon) who was a weight class bigger, Metcalf uncharacteristically found himself in a quick 4-0 hole. Again, he showed that he had ice water in his veins as he methodically fought back to an 8-7 lead -- and then showed incredible presence of mind in fending off the match-winning takedown attempt by Dragon. In Fargo, Metcalf made it six straight titles by dominating and pinning Dragon, after Dragon dropped to 145 to gallantly take one more shot at Metcalf.

Metcalf's spring also included repeating as FILA Junior Nationals champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Among his wins that spring were a shellacking of 2005 Junior Hodge winner Jeff Jaggers of Ohio -- and a huge win over NCAA fourth-placer finisher Eric Tannenbaum (although Tannenbaum did win the series two matches to one).

6. Dustin Schlatter (Ohio)

Although he was already a four-time Cadet Nationals champion and a returning state champion, Dustin Schlatter's sophomore season started inauspiciously as he tasted defeat for the first time -- losing twice at the Ironman. Much as Gable's loss to Larry Owings seemed to drive him to new levels, so it was with Schlatter. After crushing the competition at state that year -- Schlatter had probably the finest postseason of any sophomore who ever took the mat. In that season, he faced a gauntlet of top junior and senior opponents, who seemingly all gravitated to the 135-pound weight class in the high school wrestling equivalent of the movie Highlander. While pundits were debating which upperclassmen superstar would emerge as the best out of Ryan Lang of Ohio, Dan Frishkorn of Virginia, Alex Tsirtsis of Indiana, Josh Churella of Michigan, and Charles Lloyd of Illinois, young Schlatter had other ideas and beat every single one of them. Only Ryan Lang was even close, as Schlatter beat this Senior Nationals champion, 6-4. At the time, Tsirtsis was coming off very impressive showings against collegiate competition and considered virtually untouchable. Schlatter dismantled him -- giving up only a takedown in the closing seconds of a 5-1 win. Schlatter also shut down Frishkorn, 3-0, at Fargo that year. For good measure, Schlatter scored technical fall victories that spring over the runner-up and third-place finishers at Fargo at 140 -- CJ Ettelson and Carter Downing.

Schlatter junior season just added to his legacy, as he beat 2005 NCAA All-American Michael Keefe, 3-1, and top-12 finisher Frank Edgar, 7-4, at the West Virginia Open. At the Beast of the East that year, he faced a great opponent in three-time California state champion Troy Tirapelle of California, the brother of NCAA champion Adam Tirapelle and NCAA runner-up Alex Tirapelle. Schlatter showed himself to be on another level once again, winning by a score of 14-6. The match was worse than the score, with Schlatter scoring seven takedowns and letting Tirapelle up six times.

While a showdown with Metcalf didn't materialize in Fargo that summer due to Schlatter breaking his wrist -- Schlatter avenged his controversial loss by winning a 4-3 decision over Metcalf for the Senior National title. Prior to that -- his closest bout in this loaded weight was 17-4. Perhaps most impressive was that as Schlatter closed his senior season, he had wrestled against five NCAA All-Americans (Frishkorn, Keefe, Churella, Drew Headlee, and Coleman Scott) and beaten all of them, as well as four wrestlers who had reached the All-American round of NCAA's (Ryan Lang, Frank Edgar, Rob Preston, and Mark McKnight) and beaten all of them as well.

Joe Williams was a four-time state champion in Illinois who tasted defeat only once (photo by John Sachs).

5. Joe Williams (Illinois)

An aura of invincibility surrounded Joe Williams in high school. A four-time state champion, Williams tasted defeat just once -- when he was disqualified for an illegal slam. Williams also won a Junior Nationals title his senior year -- and dominated at the Dapper Dan Classic.

Perhaps his most notable victory, however, came following his junior year in high school. At the Junior World Team Trials that spring, he won claimed an 8-5 victory over a graduating senior who would go on to be his teammate at the University of Iowa, Lincoln McIlravy.

4. Steve Mocco (New Jersey)

If one wrestler personified the word intimidation, it is the top high school heavyweight of all time -- Steve Mocco. Relentlessly intense and punishing, Mocco was on an entirely different level than any heavyweight who every competed on the high school level. After dominating three years in Fargo -- Mocco won a Senior Nationals title as well. He tasted defeat just once in his career, a fluke pin when he was going for a lateral drop.

Mocco was able to step in as a freshman and easily defeat NCAA All-Americans right off the bat. Only being inexplicably ridden out in double overtime in the finals by Tommy Rowlands kept him from winning as a true freshman (and being on his way to four titles). Clearly, Mocco was good enough to be an NCAA All-American at least since his senior year in high school, if not sooner.

Damion Hahn of New Jersey was said to be a "man among boys" in high school -- before going on to capture two NCAA titles for Minnesota.

3. Damion Hahn (New Jersey)

A "man among boys" might be the best way to describe Damion Hahn in high school wrestling. The winner of three state titles in single-division New Jersey, Hahn also won three junior national freestyle titles, dominating almost all of his opposition. After his sophomore season, Hahn even defeated Cael Sanderson, who had just completed his senior year.

It was his performances against older competition that really distinguished Hahn, however. After his junior year in high school he entered the U.S. Open -- and very nearly placed. Most impressively, though, Hahn unthinkably crushed two-time NCAA champion Mark Branch by a score of 10-5.

As a freshman on redshirt, Hahn very nearly gave Cael Sanderson his only collegiate loss (a 4-3 loss). So good was Hahn coming out of high school that many considered his collegiate career -- two-time NCAA champion, four-time All-American -- to be a disappointment.

2. Alan Fried (Ohio)

If Mocco personified the word intimidation, Fried personified the word intensity. The first four-time Junior Nationals Freestyle champion, Fried's opponents appeared to be stuck in slow motion while he was in fast forward.

Fried's most impressive victory may have been defeating NCAA champion Clar Anderson after his junior year in high school. Fried competed in the Olympic Trials that summer, where he would face his future coach, John Smith. Those who were there report that young Fried actually scored the first takedown against America's greatest freestyle wrestler ever.

Perhaps most interesting was that on the way to winning Junior Nationals as a sophomore, he actually scored a technical fall over a senior from Iowa by the name of Tom Brands -- his future nemesis in college. Even as a redshirting freshman at Oklahoma State University, Fried defeated Brands at an open tournament. Brands would go on to win his first NCAA title -- and repeat the following two years with victories over Fried in the finals.

1. Cary Kolat (Pennsylvania)

While picking the top 20 among so many worthy contenders was difficult, picking No. 1 was actually quite easy. None have excelled so early as Cary Kolat. First, there is the fact that Kolat racked up a 137-0 ledger on his way to four state titles in wrestling-rich Pennsylvania. Moreover, Kolat placed at the Midlands as a sophomore and as a junior, back when that tournament was as tough as the NCAA's. Among his great achievements in that tournament were pinning NCAA All-American Shawn Charles -- and actually wrestling a 1-0 bout with Olympian Ken Chertow his junior year. Chertow, ironically enough, had a much easier time with NCAA champion Terry Brands in the finals that year than he did with the junior in high school from Rices Landing, Pennsylvania.

Kolat even showed he could compete at the very highest level by placing at the U.S. Open. Beating top senior level competition in high school was almost commonplace for Kolat. For example, as a junior in high school, in an open tournament, Kolat won easily over NCAA champion Sean O'Day.

Kolat had a mystique about him in high school that made it inconceivable that he would ever lose. Even other great wrestlers seemed to say his name with what might be described as reverence. Like Hahn, Kolat was so good coming out of high school that many would consider collegiate career -- two-time NCAA Champion, four-time top-three finisher, and his international career -- Olympian, two time World medalist -- a disappointment. He was two upset losses away from being a four-time NCAA champion, and an entire article could be written about how he was robbed by FILA out of being a multiple time World and Olympic champion. Clearly, however, in measuring the high school careers of all wrestlers, Kolat is my pick for best of the past 20 years.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:22 PM | Permalink

The U.S. Greco-Roman team ended the first day of competition in Baku, Azerbaijan in second place with 14 team points, three points behind current leader Korea with 17 team points.

The U.S. team earned eight team points from 66 KG Bronze medalist Harry Lester and six team points from 55 KG fifth place finisher Lindsey Durlacher. Korea had a strong performance in the lightest weight categories, taking home a silver at 55 KG and a bronze at 60 KG.

The 2007 World Championships are a qualifying event for the 2008 Olympic Games and as such, special matches will be wrestled to determine seventh and eighth place if multiple wrestlers are tied in classification points. Although the U.S. team’s second place standing is secure after day one because both Lester and Durlacher wrestled in a medal match, the standings may change for other teams as they still have wrestlers that will need to compete for seventh and eighth place.

With four weight categories still left in the Greco-Roman competition, the U.S. team will need strong performances today and tomorrow to remain in contention for the team title.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 1:54 PM | Permalink

College wrestling superstore TheWrestlingTalk.com just released their 2007-2008 College Wrestling Schedules... here they are:

NCAA College Wrestling Schedules & High School Wrestling Schedules
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

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:26 AM | Permalink

An official send-off gathering for the 2007 National Champion Golden Gopher wrestling team has been planned for Thursday, Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Bierman Athletic Building on the University of Minnesota campus. The Gophers will be departing for Washington, D.C. at 3:00 p.m. Thursday for their Friday stops at the Capitol, Pentagon and White House. Friday afternoon, the team will meet with President George W. Bush to officially commemorate the team’s third national title in the past seven seasons.

Every member of the 2007 championship squad and coaching staff will be available for comment and interviews. Head coach J Robinson is a two-time national coach of the year and one of the winningest coaches in collegiate wrestling history. Since 1997, Robinson has led Minnesota to more top-three NCAA finishes (nine) than any other program in the country.

In addition, the 2007 Gophers also boast five All-Americans – Jayson Ness (125 lbs.), Dustin Schlatter (149), C.P. Schlatter (157), Roger Kish (184) and Cole Konrad (Hwt). Konrad, the only Gopher All-American to graduate last spring, cemented his place alongside Golden Gopher legends Verne Gagne, Tim Hartung and Damion Hahn by winning his second straight national championship in 2007. He finished his career with 76 wins in a row and a 154-13-0-career record, just five wins behind the all-time mark of 159. Konrad also became Minnesota's fifth four-time All-American, joining Chad Kraft, Luke Becker, Jared Lawrence and Hahn.

Friday morning, the team will enjoy tours of both the Capitol and Pentagon buildings before their afternoon appointment at the White House with the President. In 2001, the then-national champion Gophers became the first collegiate wrestling team to ever visit the White House, spending 25 minutes with President Bush and receiving a personal tour of the Oval Office from the country’s chief executive.

The 2007-08 Gopher wrestling season opens on Nov. 10 when Minnesota partakes in the 2007 Bison Open, hosted by North Dakota State. The defending national champions return to Williams Arena for their home opener Dec. 2.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:48 AM | Permalink

The 2007 World Championships of Wrestling started recently and the US Team does have Harry Lester already competing for a bronze.

Delayed
The first session of the FILA World Wrestling Championships blew the whistle on Mat D at 9:19 a.m. local time. There was no scoring in the first minute between Duque DeJesus of Columbia and Dishod Aripov of Uzbekistan. Apriov scores the first point of the tournament as DeJesus could not turn Apriov in the top position during his first period lock.

Applause
Not too many fans here in the arena this morning, but the first two three-point throws netted applause and the blowing of horns from the stands. On Mat A, Lithuanian Oleg Luvruvjanec picked up a three pointer against Canadian Promise Mwenga and picked up a two-period victory to advance at 55kg.

The Baku Press?
There is zero press seating here in Baku. There’s a media center on the second floor, roughly 100 yards from the entrance to the floor. Some of the media have varying degrees of passes. Travis Shives of USA Wrestling has “Press,� Craig Sesker at USA Wrestling has “Photographer,� and yours truly, Jason Bryant of InterMat has “TV.�

There’s a power strip on the edge of Mat A and luckily, there is minimal security actually inside the competition area, but once you get past them, you’re pretty much open here on the floor.

It’s about 90 degrees in here and some of us are already sweating profusely. The Danes brought a spirited group and their 55kg wrestler Anders Nyblom just won his opening round bout against V. Venkov of Bulgaria.

Dur-La-Shay?
It wasn’t the first time American Lindsey Durlacher has probably had his name mispronounced, but he’ll take it, French announcer and all. Durlacher advanced in his first round match over Norway’s Thomas Ronningen 4-1, 1-1, 5-0 and will face Italy’s Roberto Pira, a 3-5, 4-3, 4-3 victory over Belarus’ Maksim Kazharski.

Short lived
The wireless dropped out of the arena, forcing the American press back to the Press Center. On the bright side, the hard-lined internet works and there are screens with all four mats in here, so I’ll have a view of what’s going on, but I’ll still have to go back through the maze of non-English speaking security guards that have “No� as the first word out of their mouths.

Lester impressive
Harry Lester opened up with a crowd-pleasing 7-0, 6-0 win over Finland’s Juha Hiltunen. Lester planted Hultunen in the first but did not get the fall and proceeded to put it to the Fin. In the second, Lester worked from double overhooks and threw Hultunen for three points and cruised into the next round.

Betterman to play waiting game
The first World Championships experience for Joe Betterman might not last too long. Betterman lost 3-1, 1-1 to Norway’s Stiga Berge to open the tournament. Berge was the European runner-up and now Betterman must hope for Berge to reach the finals before he can come through the repechage in hopes to place top eight.

No more Tens
FILA also announced (sometime) before the tournament that only the top eight places at the World Championships would qualify the weight for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Instead of doing something most American fans might understand – a consolation bracket or wrestle-back – FILA will decide the 7th and 8th placers by classification points – which might be a plus for the U.S. wrestlers that drew first round opponents.

Mansurov pleases the public
Former Olympic Gold Medalist Farid Mansurov started out the tournament impressing the folks of his native Baku. Mansurov dominated Venezuela’s Endrix Arteaga 6-0, 5-0 including a fabulous back-arch suplay for five points to end the second period. The victory gave the small, but vocal crowd in Baku something to cheer for and the fans of this country are very passionate about their nation’s athletes.

… and so does Bayramov
Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan picked up a huge early win, sending the locals into a frenzy with his three-period victory over 2006 European Champion Roman Amyoan of Armenia. Bayramov scored the final point to work out a 1-3, 2-1, 3-3 victory at 55 kg. The locals in the press room also got loud.

Lester and Durlacher move to 2-0
Harry Lester and Lindsey Durlacher advanced to the third round after each scored two-period victories over their opponents. Durlacher wasn’t pressured in a dominant win over Italy’s Roberto Pira, while Lester had a bit of trouble with scrappy Turk Seref Eroglu, he prevailed 3-2, 3-0. Lester nearly pinned Eroglu in the first round, countering a throw attempt, popping his hips and landing on top of Eroglu. Durlacher will now face reigning World Champion Hamid Soryan of Iran.

Betterman officially eliminated
There will be no repechage for Joe Betterman. After falling in his opening round bout, he needed Norway’s Stiga Berge to advance to the finals in a large bracket to get new life. Well, that did’t happen as Berge was knocked out of finals contention with a loss to Davor Stefanek of Serbia 4-0, 2-1, 4-1.

Notable to keep an eye out for
There’s still plenty of time for this to happen, but Israel’s Mechman Alaev is on the same side of the bracket at 55kg as Iran’s Hamid Soryan. They both have to win twice to reach the semifinals, but due to Iran’s political stance and refusal to recognize Israel as a sovereign nation, the two would likely not meet. It’s happened before. While the Iran-Israel issue isn’t a religious one, note that Soryan’s next opponent – Durlacher – is Jewish.

Top quarter
The “blind draw� at the World Championships can often lead to some very weak draws and some very tough draws. At 55kg, a tough draw would be considered a quarterfinal that puts last year’s silver and bronze medalists in the same match. Azerbaijan’s Rovshan Bayramov will face Korea’s Eun-Choi Park in the top quarterfinal, with the winner potentially facing last year’s fifth place finisher – Tibor Olah of Hungary in the semifinals.
Three top five placers are in the top bracket, while two top three finishers are at the bottom.

Lester into quarters
Harry Lester continued his run through Monday’s morning session, winning his third straight match, a 1-1, 3-0 victory over Cuban Mailan Consuegra. Lester will face Romania’s Ionel Puscasu in the quarterfinals. Puscasu defeated North Korea’s Su in Pak.

Park tops Bayramov
Last year’s world bronze medalist Eun-Choi Park of Korea moved into the semifinals with a two-period victory over world silver medalist Rovshan Bayramov of host Azerbaijan. Park needed a score in the second period from his lock to prevent a third period and it was a trapped-arm gutwrench for two points that pushed his lead to 3-0 in the second period and deflated the host crowd. Just seconds after Farid Mansurov topped Jimmy Samuelsson of Sweden at 66 kilos, the boisterous crowd was hushed with Park’s victory.

Durlacher stopped by World Champ
American Lindsey Durlacher will have to root for Iranian world champion Hamid Soryan after Soryan topped Durlacher 3-0, 1-0 to move into quarters where he’ll face Romania’s Virgil Munteanu. The Romanian defeated Cuba’s Yangiel Hernandez in the Round of 16 to advance.

Lester dominant in quarterfinal win
Harry Lester hasn’t look out of control all day here in Baku. The recent Northern Michigan University graduate looked strong in his quarterfinal victory over Ionel Puscasu of Romania with a 6-0, 3-1 victory. In the first period, Lester scored two exposure points on front-headlock rolls to build a 4-0 lead. A reversal for one and a point for not giving up a point in the locks gave him the 6-0 period. In the second, a counter exposure on a throw attempt by Puscasu gave him two points before the two traded points in the locks.

Semifinals
55kg
Eun-Choi Park (Korea) dec. Ildar Hafizof (Uzbekistan) 3-1, 7-0

Hamid Soryan (Iran) dec. Kristijan Fris (Serbia) 1-1, 1-1
Soryan makes the finals and pulls American Lindsey Durlacher into the repachage with a chance to qualify the U.S. for the weight in the 2008 Olympics.

60kg
Makoto Sasamoto (Japan) dec. Ji-Hyun Jung (Korea) 1-2, 2-1, 1-1
Sasamoto advanced to the World Finals with a three-period victory over Jung. That will eliminate Azerbaijan’s Romvash Bayramov from placement contention. Other wrestlers eliminated are: China’s Jiang Sheng and Iran’s Ali Aghbolah.

David Bedinadze (Georgia) dec. Eusebiu Buisson (Romania) 3-3, 4-2
The returning World silver medalist had problems early with the Romanian, but recovered and took a two-period win to reach his second final in as many years. He’s a decided favorite against Sasamoto.

66kg
Steeve Guenot (France) dec. Arman Adikayan (Armenia) 0-3, 1-1, 3-1
After losing the first period, Steeve Guenot rallied to take the last two periods to give France a finalist with a 0-3, 1-1, 2-1 victory over Armenian Arman Adikyan.

Farid Mansurov (Azerbaijan) dec. Harry Lester (USA) 6-3, 4-1
Baku native Farid Mansurov made his country proud and the arena loud with a two-period victory over American Harry Lester in the semifinals at 66kg. Lester had Mansurov on his back and nearly pinned before a whistle blew to mark the end of the 1:00 neutral session. There were questions about why the whistle was blown when Mansurov was in danger and much to the shagrin of the U.S. Coaching staff, Mansurov not only got a free pass off his back, but then started on top with the re-start when it should have been Lester's first lock. Mansurov scored three points late in the first on a back-arch, elevating on Lester's front-headlock and exposing his back to the mat. In the second, Mansurov scored on a slick passby, then scored a point on a pushout, then with time winding down during his lock period, Mansurov hit a quick two-point gut-wrench to build a 4-0 lead going into Lester's lock. Lester's lone point was with a pushout with 10 seconds to go. Lester will still place in the top six and qualify the weight for the 2008 Olympics. The best he can get now is a bronze medal.

SECOND SESSION

Durlacher stays alive
American Lindsey Durlacher stayed alive and kept the hopes of the U.S. for a qualification into the 2008 Olympic Games in positive motion with a two-period victory over Denmark's Anders Nyblom, a past World placer. Durlacher now has to face Romania's Virgil Munteanu to reach the Bronze Medal match.

Most common sight on FILA site
When looking for results from this tournament in the Press Center, the most common sight is this graphic from the FILA web site.

Any updates on Monday's weigh-ins are delayed, mainly because the site went down ... again. In case you are wondering, FILA isn't to be confused with the shoe company with the same moniker. FILA, the international governing body for wrestling means: "Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées"

Durlacher, Lester will wrestle for Bronze
Lindsey Durlacher knocked off Romanian Virgil Munteanu in three periods to advance to the Bronze Medal match at 55kg. He and Harry Lester's opponents have been determined, but due to the lack of being able to get results from FILA and the lack of brackets available to follow who's wrestling who, we're just throwing darts at the board right now.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:08 PM | Permalink

The 2007 National Champion University of Minnesota wrestling team will visit Washington, D.C. on Friday, Sept. 21 to commemorate their third NCAA title in the past six years. Head coach J Robinson, University athletic director Joel Maturi, Minnesota's championship squad and several team staff and administration members will be making stops at the Capital, Pentagon and the White House, where they will meet President George W. Bush.

Friday morning, the team will enjoy tours at both the Capitol and Pentagon buildings before their afternoon appointment at the White House with the President. In 2001, the then-national champion Gophers became the first collegiate wrestling team to ever visit the White House, spending 25 minutes with President Bush and receiving a personal tour of the Oval Office from our country's chief executive.

During Coach Robinson's tenure at Minnesota, the Gophers wrestling team has become one of the most successful programs in collegiate athletic history. The Gophers have captured three national championships since 2001, boast 10 NCAA individual champions since 1998, 62 All-Americans in the last decade and six Big Ten titles in nine years.

Minnesota stormed through the 2006-2007 season, going 20-1 in dual meets and gaining team titles at the National Duals and Big Ten Championships before taking home their third NCAA Championship on March 18. Five Gophers – Jayson Ness (125 lbs.), Dustin Schlatter (149), C.P. Schlatter (157), Roger Kish (184) and Cole Konrad (Hwt.) – finished in the top eight at nationals and earned All-American status.

The Gophers' second Washington visit also marks the return of 2007 national heavyweight champion Konrad, the only Gopher All-American to graduate last spring. Konrad cemented his place alongside Golden Gopher legends Verne Gagne, Tim Hartung and Damion Hahn by winning his second straight national championship in 2007. Konrad finished his career with 76 wins in a row and a 154-13-0 career record, just five wins behind the all-time mark of 159 held by Ed Giese. He also had 50 pins, which rank second in school history.

Cole Konrad also became Minnesota's fifth four-time All-American, joining Chad Kraft, Luke Becker, Jared Lawrence and Hahn.

The 2007-08 Gopher wrestling season opens on Nov. 10 when Minnesota partakes in the 2007 Bison Open, hosted by North Dakota State. The defending national champions return to Williams Arena for their home opener Dec. 2.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:23 AM | Permalink

Greg Sesker in BAKU, Azerbaijan - Greetings from Baku.

After a long stretch of traveling, we're finally in Azerbaijan as the 2007 World Championships are just a little over 48 hours away from starting.

The trip got off to a slow start, but the two long flights - from Denver to Frankfurt, Germany, and from Frankfurt to Baku, Azerbaijan - couldn't have gone any more smoothly.

We touched down at around 9:30 p.m. Friday night and USA Wrestling National Teams Director Mitch Hull was in the airport to greet us. After a short bus ride to the hotel, USA Wrestling National Events Manager Travis Shives and I were able to check in right away. Mitch did a great job hooking us up with rooms and everything else we need on the trip.

We now have a couple of days to become acclimated and prepare for the big seven-day event.

Ran into InterMat Jack-of-All-Trades Jason Bryant in the lobby of our hotel. He arrived the day before we did. This is his first overseas trip and he's already been to one of our freestyle practices near the hotel. The Wireless Internet wasn't working in the hotel and Jason walked over to reset the Wireless Router at the front desk.

Also bumped into young Greco-Roman phenom Spenser Mango in the lobby. Mango, second at the U.S. World Team Trials, is here serving as a training partner to World Team member Joe Betterman. He is nowhere near 55 kilos right now after just finishing a BLT and a chicken basket. But he doesn't have to make weight again until Sunkist in late October.

USA Greco-Roman training partner Jake Fisher, who along with Mango trains at the U.S. Olympic Education Center, is busy in the lobby working on a test over the Internet in psychological statistics. He is majoring in sports science. Spenser isn't working on his homework however.

Betterman (60 kg/132 lbs.), Lindsey Durlacher (55 kg/121 lbs.) and Harry Lester (66 kg/145.5 lbs.) will weigh in Sunday and compete on the first day of the tournament Monday.

Durlacher and Lester both won bronze medals at the 2006 World Championships. Lester looked very good in winning the 2007 Pan American Games.

I've been up now for about 36 straight hours. Time to get some sleep.

Friday, Sept. 14

FRANKFURT, Germany - Greetings from Europe.

5,025 miles and 8 1/2 hours after leaving Denver on Lufthansa Airlines, USA Wrestling Manager of National Events Travis Shives and I have landed in Frankfurt, Germany, before we catch a connecting flight to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the 2007 World Championships.

The flight went very smoothly on the massive jet and the flight crew did a great job taking care of us.

We were a little disappointed in the movie selection on the flight. "Mr. Bean's Holiday" was shown and I gave up on it after about 20 minutes. It was one of the worst starts to a movie I have ever seen with this guy who looks like a European Pee Wee Herman trying to be funny, but failing miserably in my opinion. "Ocean's 13" was being shown on some other Lufthansa flights, but unfortunately not on ours.

Walking through the massive terminal to our gate, we saw our fair share of people who are also heading to Baku for the World Championships. We saw wrestlers from Tunisia, Bolivia, Peru, Canada and Denmark who are going to be on our flight. A number of mat officials are here, including Dave and Zach Errett, and Tom Clark from the U.S.

Mike Juby, the state chairman from Kansas, also is in our terminal. He was selected by USA Wrestling as a reward for his work and also to expose a grass-roots leader to a major international event like the World Championships.

It's 12:22 in the afternoon (4:22 a.m. in Colorado) so we are starting to hit the wall after the long flight as we operate on very minimal sleep.

Time to get on the plane to Baku.

Thursday, Sept. 13

DENVER - Anybody who knows me is fully aware I'm not one to voice my opinion or complain a whole lot. Well, that's not really true at all, but we've had an interesting start to our journey.

Travis Shives, USA Wrestling's Manager of National Events, and I called to confirm Thursday morning that we had aisle seats for our flight from Denver to Germany. But after driving up to Denver from Colorado Springs and checking in with Lufthansa Airlines, we discovered Travis had a middle seat and I didn't have a seat assigned to me yet.

Travis, who has a master's degree in speech communications, put those skills to use as he adeptly negotiated his way into an aisle seat. We're sitting here eating right now and I was just told I have a seat on the plane, but they're not sure which seat yet.

We spent about a half hour, at least, trying to check in and then stood in line for another 45 minutes before going through security. For some reason, they only had about half the lines open for security as a long line formed in the Denver airport.

We were offered 700 Euros (about $900 U.S.) apiece by the airline to give up our seats on the overbooked flight. Maybe we should have thought a little more about that.

I sure hope this is not an indication of what lies ahead, but I know we could have a lot bigger problems with this. We had a good laugh about it.

This is the third overseas trip for both me and Travis. He just traveled to Greece in June and I was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July for the Pan American Games. It feels like I just got back from there.

I have to be careful what I say about Travis because his mom just called him and said she was reading about him in this journal.

Anyway, we're finishing off a late lunch and preparing for the nine-hour flight tonight to Frankfurt, Germany. After about a three-hour layover, we'll head to Baku, Azerbaijan on about a five-hour flight.

Hopefully, it will go smoothly. And hopefully I will have a place to sit during the several-thousand-mile flight.

The wrestling starts in four days and I'm like a little kid waiting for Christmas. The excitement continues to build the closer we get to the competition.

Wednesday, Sept. 12

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Everyone was in full scramble mode at USA Wrestling World Headquarters on Wednesday morning.

All 21 of our U.S. World Team members in men’s and women’s freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling have already departed for the 2007 World Championships, set for Sept. 17-23 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Greco boys left six days ago, the freestyle team left Sunday and the women took off Monday.

The freestyle and Greco teams, along with their training partners, coaches and trainers, are already in Baku training and going through final preparations for the event. The women are in Austria taking part in an acclimation camp before heading to Azerbaijan.

Even though the teams are already gone, the World Team warm-ups didn’t arrive in Colorado Springs until Tuesday. That added to the last-minute push to make sure everything was packed and ready to go. Hopefully, nobody forgets anything.

In addition to everything else we are taking to Baku – clothes, computers, media guides, notebooks, passports, cameras, video equipment, etc. - a final group of five of us will each take a huge bag with the Team USA warm-ups in them. Hopefully, the airline will get them to Baku.

USA Wrestling Director of Broadcasting Dave “Doc� Bennett, Director of National Teams Mitch Hull and Director of National Events Pete Isais are scheduled to fly out of Denver this afternoon en route to Baku. It’s funny seeing Doc scramble around, all out of breath, trying to make sure he doesn’t forget anything. He’s been on more of these trips than any of us, by a large number, but you would never know it when you see him frantically trying to get ready.

As I found out at last year's Worlds in China, there is never a dull moment when you travel with Doc. He's also our Freestyle Developmental Coach and he is kind of our Jack-of-All-Trades here in the Springs. Even though he is in his mid-60s, he rode his Harley-Davidson motorcycle from here to Las Vegas and back this year for the World Team Trials. He's a guy with a million stories. And he's the guy who always seems to find the best buys when shopping on these overseas trips.

I am scheduled to catch a flight out of Denver tomorrow afternoon with Travis Shives, USA Wrestling’s Manager of National Events. We are scheduled to fly about nine hours to Frankfurt, Germany, and then take around a five-hour flight to Azerbaijan. Two planes doesn’t sound too bad to me after it took us four planes to get from the Springs to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July for the Pan American Games.

Travis will be assisting me in our coverage of the event on TheMat.com. He has a strong communications background. He worked in public relations for the Minnesota Vikings and he helped cover the 2005 Worlds in Budapest, Hungary, for USA Wrestling and TheMat.com, so I’m looking forward to working with Travis in Baku.

Travis is a great guy who is one of the bright young people in our organization. He is very passionate about wrestling and very knowledgeable. Even though he wrestled for Minnesota State-Mankato, where he was an All-American, he still turned out pretty well. (I covered Nebraska-Omaha wrestling, one of Mankato's rivals, from 2000-06.) All kidding aside, it will be fun to have him along on this trip. I’m putting him in charge of making sure we don’t get into any trouble over there.

Putting together a trip like this with a large travel party is a major undertaking as Mitch and USA Wrestling National Teams Manager Jaimie McNab can attest. Among their many roles are trying to line up flights, hotels and ground transportation for everyone in the travel party, obtain Visas so everybody can gain entry into Azerbaijan, line up workout facilities for the teams, and transport everything to a country that is 11 time zones ahead of us here in Colorado.

As you can tell, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work and preparation that goes into making a trip like this possible.

I can’t wait to get over there and see the competition. Last year was my first World Championships and I never want to miss another one. The competition was awesome, plus the opportunity to visit another country and see how another culture lives is always intriguing.

Seeing Joe Warren and Bill Zadick win World titles last year in Guangzhou, China, was something I will never forget. Anyone who has wrestled at any level has some appreciation for what those guys did. There is no sport more grueling or demanding, both mentally and physically, and to reach the pinnacle is an incredible accomplishment.

I’m guessing the crowds will be very good in Baku. Wrestling is very big over there and with wrestling-mad Iran bordering Azerbaijan to the south I imagine there will be a lot of fans watching the action. Azerbaijan has some very good wrestlers – several of whom have a shot at winning gold medals. Seeing some fans would be a big improvement over China, where the crowds were very sparse.

I think our teams are ready for a strong performance. We have veteran Greco-Roman and women’s teams, plus we have some newcomers to the World stage in freestyle who have been working their whole life for this opportunity.

This is a huge tournament, with it being a qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The top eight finishers in each weight class qualify their countries for the Olympics, so that makes the stakes even higher than usual for a World event.

Who is going to be this year's Bill Zadick or Joe Warren for Team USA? Can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:17 AM | Permalink

Minnesota here's my top 5

1. Marcus LeVesseur- 4x class 3A champ, won titles at 130,140,145 and 152. A 6x placer in the large school division.

2. Zach Sanders- 5x class A champ. Won titles at 103,103,112,112 and 119. Senior and Junior nationals champion. going to the gophers.

3. Matt Nagel- first 5x state champion. Won titles at 103,125,135,152 and 152. All american for the gophers.

4. Steve Carr- only the 2nd 4x state champion, won at 112,119,126 and 132.

5. Luke Becker- 3x class 3A state champ, won at 135,145 and 152. 4x all american and national champion for Minnesota.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:18 AM | Permalink

This was a question recently brought up on a wrestling forum I visit frequently. Here is an excerpt...

" OK....I have been holding back but, now its time to start the "fire". Some of the BEST Wrestlers have come and gone and if you follow tendency , enrollment, and just plain ole numbers.....Some areas in the USA have had their best come and go. It is as simple as a Bell Curve in figuring out the most competitive time in your area...and generally it correlates with the most engaged in doing something. While truth be told every era has had "stars"....and truth has it sometimes it doesnt adequately support the amount of times a wrestler has won a State Title...and or a National College title. The BEST way to articulate this discussion is usually breaking it down to weight class.

In New York......I would put Jesse Jantzen and Troy Nickerson somewhere in the bottom 10 of my Top 30. I would put wrestlers such a Frank De Angelis, Bob Bury, Troy Bousakis and others in the Top 10.....but, by weight ONE of the Best wrestlers less then 110 lbs would be Jeff Thomas/Iacovelli/Rabin/Penrith .....above 120 lbs would be Bousakis/Payne/Antonacci/ ....above 135 would be De Angelis and so on. How about Steve Hunt, Carl Adams, Pete Galea?????"

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:06 AM | Permalink

Boise State 2007-2008 Schedule

November 10-Cowboy Open @ Wyoming

November 17-Best of the West Tournament @ Central Point, OR

November 30/December 1-Cliff Keen Invitational @ Las Vegas, Nevada

December 8-Wyoming @ Home

December 29/30-Southern Scuffle @ Greensboro, North Carolina

January 11-Cal-State Fullerton @ Cal-State Fullerton

January 12-Cal-State Bakersfield @ Cal-State Bakersfield

January 13-Cal Poly @ Cal Poly

January 18-Stanford @ Davis, California

January 19-UC Davis @ UC Davis

January 25-Oregon @ Home

January 27-Oregon State @ Home

February 1-Portland State @ Home

February 8-Montana State-Northern @ Home

February 10-Iowa @ Home

February 18-Great Falls-Montana @ Home

March 2/3-PAC 10 Championships @ Oregon

March 20-22 NCAA Wrestling Tournament @ St. Louis, Missouri

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:04 AM | Permalink

Winston to wrestle for Rutgers
Undefeated Jackson star (101-0) to join his former coach Goodale

New Jersey's top scholastic wrestler, Scott Winston of Jackson, has given a verbal commitment to Rutgers -- where he will be reunited with his former coach.

The official first day recruits can sign with colleges is Nov. 1.

Winston will be the center of the attention in the state's wrestling community this winter when he attempts to win a third straight NJSIAA tournament championship and finish his career undefeated.

Winston, who owns a remarkable 101-0 record in his high school career, informed new Rutgers coach Scott Goodale on Sunday that he has chosen Rutgers over such wrestling powerhouses as Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Illinois and Nebraska.

Goodale coached Jackson to the past two NJSIAA Group 4 team titles and The Star-Ledger Top 20 Trophy in each of those seasons. He posted a 155-16 record in his seven years at Jackson. Goodale was hired on July 31 to replace John Sacchi, who retired in May after a 17-year career at Rutgers.

Winston said a few factors weighed heavily in his decision.

"I don't think I'd be looking at Rutgers if it wasn't for Coach Goodale," Winston said. "With Goodale there, more good wrestlers will choose Rutgers. I wouldn't go there if the team didn't have a chance to win.

"He is also one of the men, besides my dad, I have a lot of trust in."

The only other school Winston visited was Illinois, and the three-day stay in Champaign, Ill., revealed to Winston something else he hadn't expected.

"I was home sick," he said. "I've been away from home before, but, for some reason, being away this time didn't feel right. I'm very close with my family."

Winston was 22-0 as a freshman but broke his wrist and missed the postseason tournaments. He was not a favorite to win the state title as a freshman in 2005 at 140 pounds. Dan Vallimont of Jefferson, now at Penn State, won the 2005 state title at 140 pounds, his second NJSIAA championship.

Winston then won the state championship at 145 pounds in 2006 and the state title at 152 pounds last March. His biggest hurdle in completing his career undefeated will likely come at the Beast of the East tournament in December. The event, which is held in Delaware, kicks off the season and draws many of the nation's top wrestlers.

Winston gained a national reputation as Jackson traveled outside of New Jersey to take on powerful programs from other states. But the lure of some of the nation's top wrestling programs could not sway Winston away from the coach he trusts the most.

"I was going to commit early no matter what," Winston said. "Maybe not this early. When coach Goodale got the Rutgers job, everything changed. It is a decision I am 100 percent positive about."

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Dan Gable senses a different attitude when he walks around the Iowa wrestling room.

The longtime Hawkeyes coach and second-year assistant to coach Tom Brands believes Iowa is positioned to “make a pretty good jump’’ this year nationally.

“I’m seeing signs, all summer I’ve seen them, that things are beginning to turn,’’ Gable said Monday during an appearance at the Davenport Grid Club.

He said he didn’t see those signs much of last season.

During a season of transition after Brands’ arrival from Virginia Tech, Iowa was 14-5 overall and 5-3 in Big Ten duals last year.

The effort preceded a third-place finish in the Big Ten meet and an eighth-place showing at the NCAA Championships, where 165-pounder Mark Perry became Iowa’s first NCAA titlist since 2004.

“It took nearly the whole year for the mindset to begin to change. It took five or six months before I saw anything that even remotely resembled change, and honestly I was really concerned,’’ Gable said.

“I didn’t know if it was going to happen, but late in the season I started to see signs, and they have continued.’’

Gable views Perry’s national title as a significant achievement.

“It’s a start. It’s something that indicates that at least one wrestler in that room got it, that the message was starting to sink in,’’ Gable said.

The signs have continued.

Returning Hawkeyes Ryan Morningstar and Matt Fields won championships at the University National Championships last April. Redshirt freshman Jake Kerr won his weight class at the FILA Junior World Team Trials in May, and former Hawkeyes Mike Zadick, Doug Schwab and Joe Williams earned spots on the U.S. freestyle team that will compete in the World Championships beginning next week in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Zadick and Schwab train in Iowa City and work as a strength training coach and volunteer assistant, respectively, with the Hawkeyes program.

“Those are all signs that things are getting back to normal around our program,’’ said Gable, who coached the Hawkeyes to 21 Big Ten titles and 15 NCAA championships during a head coaching career that ran from 1977 to 1997.

“And, I think as long as coach Brands is here, and coach (Cael) Sanderson is at Iowa State, the sport is going to stay strong in this state for quite a few years.’’

Gable said Brands taught the Hawkeyes to listen, believe and apply last season, elements that can equate to success, wins and domination when implemented.

“Right now, we’re starting to get into the success part and starting to have some wins. The domination will follow, but that can only happen as the wrestlers buy into what is being taught and dedicate themselves to making that happen,’’ Gable said.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 11:20 PM | Permalink

This first blog post is about College Wrestling , and where you can find results for NCAA Wrestling matches. TheWrestlingTalk Amateur Wrestling forum has created a unique community of wrestling fans who are very willing to assist wrestling fans looking for the latest collegiate wrestling results.

TheWrestlingTalk.com provides users with personal wrestlingTalk web pages, college wrestling rankings, results, college wrestling news, recruiting information, and video feeds. TheWrestlingTalk provides the only one stop resource for all types of media. College wrestling videos, Takedown Radio, and other multimedia are available at every users fingertips.

TheWrestlingTalk.com also provides a great resource for High School Wrestling. From wrestling rankings to results from "The Beast", TWT really develops well in season.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 8:36 AM | Permalink