One of the great moments in recent history at Fargo Wrestling Junior Nationals was when Nebraska's Todd Meneely was crowned a double champion in Greco-Roman and freestyle.

Meneely knocked off Teyon Ware of Oklahoma, who went on to win a pair of NCAA titles for the Oklahoma Sooners, in the freestyle finals. Many wrestling fans still remember the picture that ran in WIN Magazine of Meneely flexing after his win.

Meneely headed to the University of Iowa, but was only there for a year and half. He overcame some off-the-mat problems and has ended up having a terrific college career for the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Meneely, who is in Fargo this week watching the Junior and Cadet Nationals, has won a pair of Division II national titles and will look for his third title as a senior during the 2008-09 season. He qualified for the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials and came up just short of placing.

Meneely plans to continue wrestling internationally. He won University Nationals in 2007 and wrestled well at the World University Trials this year before falling to Josh Churella in the finals of the Challenge Tournament.

I got to know Todd and his family when I worked as a sportswriter at the Omaha World-Herald. His father, Jay, is coaching the wrestlers from Nebraska. I had a chance to hook up with Todd and Jay last night at a local restaurant. It was fun to catch up with those guys.

I'm happy to report that Todd is doing great and he has turned his life around again.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:52 PM | Permalink

Two-time Olympian Jim Gruenwald on recruiting trail in Fargo
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
07/20/2008

FARGO, N.D. – Two-time Olympian Jim Gruenwald has emerged as one of the top young Greco-Roman wrestling coaches in the country.

Head coach Ivan Ivanov and Gruenwald, his assistant, have combined forces to quickly transform the U.S. Olympic Education Center Greco-Roman program at Northern Michigan University into a powerhouse.

Gruenwald is in Fargo this week recruiting as he takes in both the Cadet Nationals and Junior Nationals for Greco-Roman.

Gruenwald came out of retirement to make a run at his third Olympic Team this year. Gruenwald won U.S. Nationals, but then injured his shoulder a few weeks later at an Olympic qualifier. That ended his comeback quest.

Two wrestlers who have wrestled in the USOEC program – Spenser Mango and Adam Wheeler – have qualified for next month’s Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling. Harry Lester, another USOEC wrestler, won back-to-back bronze medals at the World Championships in 2006 and 2007.

Gruenwald sat down for an interview with USA Wrestling’s Craig Sesker on Sunday morning at the Fargo Dome.

How successful have you guys been in recruiting kids from this event?

Ivan was coming to this tournament to recruit before I did because he’s been with the USOEC program longer. Ivan came here and saw Spenser wrestle. He originally brought Spenser into the program as a training partner for Joe Betterman. Spenser was a diamond in the rough, and now he’s obviously the real deal. Betterman was brought in as a training partner for Nate Piasecki, and Betterman won the Olympic Trials this year. So we’ve definitely found some really good kids here in Fargo.

How important is this tournament for your recruiting efforts?

This is a recruiting paradise. The nice thing about us is we’re not restricted by the NCAA. So if I see a kid who has a special talent, or Ivan sees a kid who has a special talent, we can start recruiting them their freshman or sophomore year in high school. That’s why I’m here watching the Cadets. I want to see which kids establish themselves early on.

A number of young wrestlers from the USOEC, in addition to 18-year-old Olympian Jake Deitchler of the Minnesota Storm, are making a big splash on the international level now. How important has that been for Greco-Roman wrestling in the U.S.?

It’s necessary. It’s instrumental for our program to do something similar to what Russia has done. Russia has won 50-some World Team titles in Greco and the U.S. just won its first title last year. Russia has built up a lot of younger wrestlers and built a machine where they keep producing great wrestlers at a young age. We’re working toward building Greco in the U.S. to where we can dominate like Russia has.

The USOEC is widely regarded as a developmental program, but it obviously is much more than that right?

In 2004, we had one guy from the USOEC place in the top eight at the Olympic Trials. Harry Lester placed fifth. We had three Olympic Trials champions this year with Mango, Betterman and Wheeler. We had two other guys, Harry Lester and Cheney Haight, who were very close. We are no longer just a developmental program. I respect the program in Colorado Springs, and that’s what made me, but we want to be the best Greco-Roman program in the country. I want to see both programs thrive and get better to help USA Wrestling. I want the best guys coming out of our program.

How much did your comeback this year as a wrestler help the guys you coach at the USOEC program?

It obviously has helped them a lot. I know it helped Joe Betterman and pushed him because we were in the same weight class. Me being in the room training, the guys on our team got to see me in action and that helped the guys in our room. It improved the intensity in our room because that’s the way I trained.

What do you think will be the key for Spenser Mango in the Olympics?

The key for Spenser is to stay consistent, listen to the coaches and do the same things he did at the Olympic Trials but better. He’s always been very coachable, which has been a blessing. He has to make sure he doesn’t get caught up in all the Olympic hype. You can’t let it overwhelm you.

Do you think high school standout Ryan Mango of Missouri will follow his older brother, Spenser, to Northern Michigan?

We would love to see that. I think there’s a strong chance he will come there. I like Ryan’s genetics. Having Spenser as an older brother creates a precedent. He’s had that brother to learn from and that has created an ideal situation for him.

Any chance two-time World bronze medalist Harry Lester comes back after retiring following the Olympic Trials?

There’s always a chance Harry Lester could come back. He’s 24 years old. I know he has some concerns about his body and the weight cut he’s had to do. But he’s still young and he’s obviously still very competitive. He moved up a weight class at the Dave Schultz tournament this year and wrestled very well.

What do you think the difference was in Lester’s loss to Deitchler at the Olympic Trials?

It was part strategy and part preparation. Harry wasn’t competing a whole lot throughout the year. He had some different injuries and concerns that kept him out of some competitions. He really needed to get down to scratch weight for an event before the Olympic Trials. After he made weight at the Trials, his body didn’t do what he needed it to do. The Harry Lester that just crushed people wasn’t there. I’m taking nothing away from Jake Deitchler – he’s a very talented kid. But Harry Lester’s talent is off the charts. I still think Harry Lester has the potential to be the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler this country has ever seen. Now that’s potential. Time will tell what will happen and we’ll see if he comes back. That’s up to Harry.
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Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:02 AM | Permalink

Branch announced as new head coach at Wyoming
DATE: 7/14/2008 9:23:00 PM
Laramie, WY
Wyoming Sports Information

University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman announced on Monday that Mark Branch has been selected as the new head wrestling coach at UW.

Branch comes to Wyoming from Oklahoma State University where he was the Associate Head Wrestling Coach. He was a part of five NCAA team championships as a coach and student-athlete at OSU. As a college wrestler, Branch was a member of OSU's 1994 NCAA Championship team, and served on the coaching staff for OSU's 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 NCAA titles.

He provided the Cowboys from Stillwater with personal and team instruction including technique training, weight training, conditioning and nutrition. He was instrumental in the recruiting of student-athletes to Stillwater, as well as organizing fundraising projects, promotional strategies and assisting in public relation functions with student-athletes.

Branch replaces Steven Suder, who coached the Wyoming Cowboys from 1989-2008.

"The hiring of Mark is exciting for the future of Wyoming Cowboy wrestling," Burman said. "We feel his experience and passion will enable us to become a national player in the wrestling community."

"For me, this is the realization of my goal to become an NCAA head coach," said Branch. "I'm from a competitive background, and I was looking for a place where I could build a nationally-competitive program. I believe there is a great deal of support from the Athletic Department and the University as a whole at Wyoming. Wyoming is the right program for me and the right fit for me and my family. I appreciate the confidence that Tom Burman (UW Athletics Director) and Matt Whisenant (UW Senior Associate Athletics Director) have shown in me to get the job done."

As a member of the OSU coaching staff, Branch was named the National Wrestling Coaches' Association (NWCA) Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004. He helped coach OSU to seven Big XII Championships, four NCAA Championships and three Dual Team Championships. He was named the Associate Head Coach at OSU in 2002. He individually coached 31 All-Americans and nine NCAA Champions.

Branch has been a freestyle wrestling coach for the Gator Club in New Orleans, La., since 1997 where he provides personal instruction and training in freestyle wrestling. His teams have participated at various World Team training camps. He has coached at the U.S. Nationals and World/Olympic Team Trials.

As a student-athlete at OSU, Branch was a four-time NCAA All-American (1994-97), four-time NCAA National Finalist (1994-97), two-time NCAA National Champion at 167 pounds (1994 and '97) and a two-time National Freestyle All-American (1998 and '99). In 1997, he was named the Big XII Athlete of the Year, OSU Student-Athlete of the Year and the top graduating senior for OSU Wrestling. He was a four-time NWCA Academic All-American, received an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship Award and a Big XII Post-Graduate Scholarship Award.

Branch earned his bachelor of science degree in secondary education from Oklahoma State in 1997 and earned his master of science degree in athletic administration from OSU in 2000.

"I wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for the opportunities I was given at my alma mater, Oklahoma State," said Branch. "John Smith (Head Wrestling Coach at Oklahoma State) gave me the opportunity to learn from him. I consider him to be the greatest coach in college wrestling. I was fortunate to be a part of the greatest program in college wrestling as a student-athlete and assistant coach with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, now I'm excited to build on the great tradition of Wyoming Cowboy wrestling."

A native of Newkirk, Okla., he and his wife Susan have a daughter, Maggie Belle, and a son, Mason Layne.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:50 PM | Permalink

Top U.S. wrestlers set to take down competition at University Worlds July 9-13 in Greece
Elizabeth Wiley USA Wrestling
07/07/2008

The USA Wrestling University World Teams will travel to Thessoloniki, Greece for the University World Championships July 9-13.

Men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle wrestling teams will all compete against some of the best in the world at the competition.

Jake Herbert is the only returning competitor on the men’s freestyle team. A bronze medalist at last year’s competition, Herbert will provide leadership and experience for the team as he competes at 84 kg/185 lbs.

“Herbert is a returning bronze medalist,� Freestyle Developmental Coach Dave Bennett said. “He knows what he needs to do. We’re expecting a good performance.�

Joining Herbert on the freestyle team are Brad Pataky at 55 kg/121 lbs., Reece Humphrey at 60 kg/132 lbs., Josh Churella at 66 kg/145.5 lbs, Keith Gavin at 74 kg/163 lbs., Brendan Jones at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Tervel Dlagnev at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. All six of these wrestlers are making their first trip to compete at University Worlds.

“My goal for this team is to come back with seven gold medals and I think it’s a goal for them, too,� said Bennett. “That may not happen, but we have to go in believing all things are possible.�

The men’s freestyle team will be coached by Lou Rosselli and Wes Hand. Dave Bennett is serving as team leader for the trip.

The Greco-Roman squad features two wrestlers who just missed out on berths to the 2008 Olympic Games, as well as a number of other talented athletes.

“(Sam) Hazewinkel competed at the Olympic Team Trials and was one match from making the Olympic Team,� Greco-Roman Developmental Coach Ike Anderson said. “I’m excited about him.�

Sam Hazewinkel lost to Spenser Mango in the Championship Series at 55 kg/121 lbs. while Cheney Haight finished behind T.C. Dantzler at 74 kg/163 lbs.

“I expect Cheney Haight to be able to medal,� said Anderson. “Again he was one match from making the Olympic Team against T.C.�

Another top contender for the Greco-Roman team is Chas Betts. Betts was a silver medalist at the 2006 University World Championships and hopes to medal again in 2008.

The rest of the team is Donovan Depatto at 60 kg/132 lbs., Jacob Curby at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., and Robbie Smith at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. The heavyweight contender has not yet been determined for the U.S.

Eric Wetzel and Gary Mayabb will coach the Greco-Roman team.

The women’s side features seven athletes that took part in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and should be incredibly competitive in Greece.

Three wrestlers on the team also competed at the 2006 World University Championships. Alaina Berube was a bronze medalist at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. two years ago. Joining her from that squad are Sara Fulp-Allen at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and Othella Lucas at 59 kg/130 lbs.

Rounding out the women’s team are Katherine Fulp-Allen at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., Chelynne Pringle at 55 kg/121 lbs., Elena Pirozhkov at 67 kg/147.5 lbs., and Stephany Lee at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Serving as coaches for the women’s freestyle team are Shannyn Gillespie and Trevor Keifer.

University World Championships
Thessoloniki, Greece

Men’s Freestyle:
55 kg: Brad Pataky, Clearfield, Pa. (New York AC)
60 kg: Reece Humphrey, Indianapolis, Ind. (Ohio State)
66 kg: Josh Churella, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
74 kg: Keith Gavin, Factoryville, Pa. (New York AC)
84 kg: Jake Herbert, Wexford, Pa. (New York AC)
96 kg: Brent Jones, Burke, Va. (Cavalier WC)
120 kg: Tervel Dlagnev, Arlington, Texas (Loper WC)

Coach: Lou Rosselli
Coach: Wes Hand
Team Leader: Dave Bennett

Greco-Roman:
55 kg: Sam Hazewinkel, Norman, Okla. (Gator WC)
60 kg: Donovan Depatto, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corp)
66 kg: Jacob Curby, LaGrange, Ill. (USOEC/GatorWC)
74 kg: Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah (USOEC/New York AC)
84 kg: Chas Betts, St. Michael, Minn. (USOEC/Minnesota Storm)
96 kg: Robbie Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
120 kg: TBD

Coach: Eric Wetzel
Coach: Gary Mayabb

Women’s Freestyle:
48 kg: Sara Fulp-Allen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
51 kg: Katherine Fulp-Allen, El Granada, Calif. (Menlo College)
55 kg: Chelynne Pringle, Hugo, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
59 kg: Othella Lucas, San Diego, Calif. (New York AC)
63 kg: Alaina Berube, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC)
67 kg: Elena Pirozhkov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
72 kg: Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)

Coach: Shannyn Gillespie
Coach: Trevor Keifer

Generally in exchanges like this the US Team brings along wrestling gear to give to other nations.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:01 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

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

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

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

U.S. Nationals video coverage on Live Sports Video
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
04/23/2008

Wrestling fans will be able to watch many of the exciting matches from the Las Vegas/ASICS U.S. National Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. this week.

The entire gold-medal finals of the U.S. Women’s National Championships will be webcast live on LiveSportsVideo.com on Thursday, April 24, starting at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

The finals of men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman will be broadcast on a taped-delayed basis on ESPNU. As part of the broadcast agreement with ESPN, there will be no webcast of the men’s finals.

Flowrestling

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:47 AM | Permalink

Gavin, Herbert among 7 Olympic Trials qualifiers with victories at University Freestyle Nationals
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
04/13/2008

AKRON, OHIO – A pair of recent NCAA Div. I champions were among the athletes who qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials by winning Olympic weight classes at the University National Freestyle Championships, which concluded Sunday at the Univ. of Akron.

1998 NCAA champion Keith Gavin from the Univ. of Pittsburgh and 1997 NCAA champion Jake Herbert from Northwestern Univ. captured gold medals in their weight classes and earned a spot in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling in Las Vegas, Nev., June 13-15.

Gavin captured the title at 74 kg/163 lbs., defeating Michael Chaires of the Cavalier WC in the finals, 6-0, 3-0.

In the semifinals, Gavin had a very close battle with 2008 NCAA runner-up Mike Poeta of Illinois, winning 1-1, 5-4, 2-0. Gavin lost the first period and was dead-even with Poeta in the second period before he was able to get his offense going.

“I was excited to wrestle him,� said Gavin about his win over Poeta. “He has a style that gives me trouble. He is fast and he has a good shot. I made some mistakes in the match. It was definitely a good test for me.�

Gavin will train for a week with coach Sean Bormet at the Overtime Wrestling School in Illinois, then finalize his preparation back at Pitt before going to the U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas, April 25-26. He is satisfied with his transition to freestyle, after a full season of collegiate wrestling.

“I am really glad I wrestled this tournament,� said Gavin. “It gets me in that freestyle mode. I feel strong at this weight class. I feel that this is my weight.�

Herbert was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament after capturing the 84 kg/185 lbs. weight class. He stopped David Bertolino of the Cyclone WC in the finals, 2-0, 1-0. Bertolino was an All-American for Iowa State this year.

Herbert had three victories during the day. Herbert had a difficult draw on Saturday, including a close victory which went three periods against Matt Pell of the Cavalier WC in the second round.

“I wrestled a lot better today than yesterday,� said Herbert. “I was nervous yesterday with the draw I had. I was wrestling more not to lose. Today, I had Bertolino, who is very strong and had me scouted well. I picked and chose my shots well.�

Herbert has taken an Olympic redshirt year from college and has been competing in many international events. He wanted one more tournament before the U.S. Nationals, and was satisfied with the outcome.

“I got in a good test, wrestled good matches and know what my strengths and weaknesses are,� said Herbert. “I also got my qualification for the Olympic Trials. It now doesn’t matter what I do at the U.S. Nationals if I win the Olympic Trials. That is what I have been working so hard for.�

All seven of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials qualification berths were won by athletes who are college students. The University division is for athletes who are between 18-24 years old and their class has graduated from high school.

The fastest of the finals occurred at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., when Brent Jones of the Cavalier WC pinned Eddie Phillips of Cliff Keen in just 21 seconds. Jones, a sophomore at the Univ. of Virginia, defeated returning University Nationals champion Mike Tamillow of the Wildcat WC in the semifinals, 3-0, 6-0.

Tervel Dlagnev of the Sunkist Kids, the NCAA Div. II national champion for Nebraska-Kearney, captured the 120 kg/264.5 lbs. division with a victory over Aaron Anspach of Penn State, 1-0, 7-0.

“That guy in the finals was tough. He made me wrestle,� said Dlagnev. “I had a lot of tough competition here. It will help me get ready for the U.S. Nationals. It is fun to wrestle freestyle.�

Brad Pataky of Penn State, who is taking a redshirt year to pursue the Olympics, won the 55 kg/121 lbs. division with a tight 3-1, 0-3, 3-1 win over Zach Sanders of the Minnesota Storm. Pataky scored three points on a front headlock turn in the final period for the victory. He recently won the Northeast Olympic Regional Trials in Brockport, N.Y., so he has now won two Olympic Trials qualifying events.

The other two champions who earned Olympic Trials qualification were considered surprises, Daniel Dennis of Iowa at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Nathaniel Holt of the Chippewa WC at 145.5 lbs.

Dennis, a sophomore for the Univ. of Iowa, stopped Franklin Gomez of the Michigan WC in the championship finals, 3-0, 3-0. Gomez was third at the 2008 NCAA Championships for Michigan State. Dennis won the first period with a three-point throw with one second left on the clock, and took down Gomez and turned him in the second period. Gomez defeated Iowa’s Alex Tsirtsis in the semifinals, 4-1, 0-1, 3-1. Tsirtsis finished third.

Holt, a redshirt freshman at Central Michigan Univ., upset 2007 NCAA runner-up Ryan Lang of the Wildcat WC in the finals, 5-1, 3-1. Holt was able to score exposure points on Lang in both periods.

The University Nationals includes three additional weight classes which are not qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Winning the University Nationals for the second straight year was Mike Galante of the New York AC, who stopped Chris Heinrich of the Cavalier WC in the finals, 6-1, 2-0. Galante competes for Lehigh Univ.

“This is an awesome tournament,� said Galante. “I enjoy coming here to compete. There are so many good competitors here. It is a lot of fun and very relaxed.�

The other individual champions were Reece Humphrey of Ohio State at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Tyler Safratowich of Minnesota Storm at 70 kg/154.25 lbs.

Humphrey stopped Eric Albright of the Free Fall WC, 3-0, 6-0 in the finals. Safratowich, who competes for the Univ. of Minnesota, beat Joel Ahearn of the Naval Academy WC in the finals, 3-0, 1-0.

The University Nationals also serves as a qualifying event for the 2008 University World Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 23-24. The University World Championships will be held in Greece in July.

UNIVERSITY FREESTYLE NATIONALS
At Akron, Ohio, April 13

55 kg/121 lbs
1st - Brad Pataky (Penn State) dec. Zach Sanders (Minnesota Storm), 3-1, 0-3, 3-1
3rd - Obenson Blanc (NYAC) dec. Michael Martinez (Cowboy WC), 2-0, 1-1
5th - Tony Mustari (Northern Colorado) dec. Ross Gitiomer (Cavalier WC), 1-0, 0-1, 2-0
7th - Matthew Steintrager (unattached) dec. Demetrius Johnson (unattached), 2-0,4-2

60 kg/132.25 lbs
1st - Daniel Dennis (Iowa) dec. Franklin Gomez (Michigan WC), 3-0, 3-0
3rd - Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa) tech. fall T.J. Schavrien (Sunkist Kids), 7-0, 7-0
5th - Matthew Fisk (LVAC) inj. dft. over Danny Mitcheff (Golden Pride)
7th - Andrew Hochstrasser (Bronco WC) dec. Jimmy Conroy (Pittsburgh), 3-2, 2-4, 6-0

63 kg/138.75 lbs
1st - Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) dec. Eric Albright (Free Fall WC), 3-0, 6-0
3rd - Willie Saxton (Sunkist Kids) dec. Mike Thorn (Minnesota Storm), 1-7, 3-2, 2-1
5th - Zack Bailey (Underdog WC) dec. Colby Pisani (Penn State), 3-0, 4-3
7th - Bryan Osuna (Do Work) dec. Micah Carter (Michigan WC), 6-0, 0-7, 3-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs
1st - Nathaniel Holt (Chippewa WC) dec. Ryan Lang (Wildcat WC), 5-1, 3-1
3rd - Alex Krom (College Park WC) dec. Bryce Saddoris (Naval Academy WC), 1-0, 2-0
5th - Chris Diaz (Valley WC) inj. dft. over Aaron Martin (Chattanooga) (Inj.)
7th - Chris Bencivenga (Y.E.S Greensboro) dec. over Kelly Felix (Chattanooga), 1-0, 7-1

70 kg/154.25 lbs
1st - Tyler Safratowich (Minnesota Storm) dec. Joel Ahern (Naval Academy WC), 3-0, 1-0)
3rd - Matt Ballweg (Iowa) dec. Danny Gonsor (Cavalier WC), 4-2, 4-1
5th - PJ Gillespie (NYC) inj. dft. over Jonathan Bonilla-Bowman (NYAC)
7th - Trevor Chinn (LVAC) dec. Brooks Kopsa (Iowa), 3-0, 9-1

74 kg/163 lbs
1st - Keith Gavin (Pittsburgh) dec. Michael Chaires (Cavalier WC), 6-0, 3-0
3rd - Lloyd Rogers (Chattanooga) dec. Aaron Janssen (Iowa), 3-4, 3-0, 3-0
5th - Jake Kerr (Iowa) inj. dft. over Mike Poeta (Illinois)
7th - Seth Garvin (Chattanooga) inj. dfr. over Mike Miller (unattached)

79 kg/ 174 lbs.
1st - Mike Galante (NYAC) dec. Chris Henrich (Cavalier WC), 6-1, 2-0
3rd - Mark Friend (Penn State) dec. Ross Taplin (Maverick WC), 7-3, 1-0
5th - Mike Benefiel (Wildcat WC) dec. Ben Friedl (Illinois), 3-3, 4-0, 1-0
7th - Dave Rella (Penn State) tech fall Stephen Crozier (Falcon WC), 7-0, 6-0

84 kg/185 lbs
1st - Jake Herbert (Wildcat WC) dec. Dave Bertolino (Cyclone WC), 2-0, 1-0
3rd - Raymond Jordan (Sunkist Kids) dec. Micky Moran (Buffalo), 2-0, 6-0
5th - Dustin Kilgore (Golden Pride) dec. Dorian Henderson (Sunkist Kids), 2-0, 5-1
7th - Sonny Yohn (Minnesota Storm) dec. Andy Johnson (Sunkist Kids), 7-0, 3-2

96 kg/211.5 lbs
1st - Brent Jones (Cavalier WC) pin Eddie Phillips (Cliff Keen), 0:21
3rd - Mike Tamillow (Wildcat WC) dec. Jared Platt (NYAC), 0-6, 1-0, 1-0
5th - DJ Bruce (Valley WC) inj. dft. over Eric Flinchum (Unattached)
7th - Tim Samson (Bobcat WC) inj. dft. over Riley Orozco (Road Runner WC)

120 kg/ 264.5 lbs
1st - Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids) dec. Aaron Anspach (Penn State), 1-0, 7-0
3rd - Konrad Duziak (NYAC) dec. Justin Dobies (CWC), 4-0, 1-4, 1-0
5th - Dave Zabriskie (Cyclone WC) inj. dft. over Zach Sheaffer (Pittsburgh)
7th - Scott Steele (Naval Academy WC) dec. John Laboranti (Penn State), 1-0, 1-0

TRUE SECOND MATCHES
(for placement at University World Team Trials)

55 kg/121 lbs.
Zach Sanders (Minnesota Storm) won by forfeit over Obenson Blanc (NYAC)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Eric Albright (Free Fall WC) tech. fall Willie Saxton (Sunkist Kids), 7-0, 7-0

70 kg/154.25 lbs.
Joel Ahearn (Naval Academy WC) dec. Matt Ballweg (Iowa), 1-0, 3-1

74 kg/163 lbs.
Lloyd Rogers (Chattanooga) won by forfeit over Michael Chaires (Cavalier WC)

79 kg/174 lbs.
Mark Friend (Penn State) won by forfeit over Chris Henrich (Cavalier WC)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Dave Bertolino (Cyclone WC) dec. Raymond Jordan (Sunkist Kids), 1-1, 3-2

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Mike Tamillow (Wildcat WC) won by forfeit over Eddie Phillips (Cliff Keen)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Konrad Duziak (NYAC) won by forfeit over Aaron Anspach (Penn State)

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:36 AM | 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

#2/2 MINNESOTA (14-7, 5-3) at 2008 NCAA Championships

Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Arena: Scottrade Center
Dates: Thursday-Saturday, March 20-22
Television: ESPNU/ESPN360.com will air the quarterfinals live at 10 a.m. (CT) on Friday, March 21. Additionally, ESPNU will be producing and syndicating live coverage of the semifinals beginning at 6 p.m. that same day. On Saturday morning, ESPNU will carry the medal rounds live at 10 a.m. ESPN/ESPN360.com will air the ncaa championships live later that evening at 7:30 p.m.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 1:16 AM | Permalink

Big Ten weight-by-weight preview and predictions
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
03/06/2008

The Big Ten Championships are set for this Saturday and Sunday, March 8-9, at the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

The top seven finishers in each weight class, plus two wild cards overall, will advance to the NCAA Championships on March 20-22 in St. Louis.

Nine of the 11 Big Ten teams are ranked in the nation’s top 20 by InterMat. They include No. 1 Iowa, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 8 Minnesota, No. 9 Ohio State, No. 10 Illinois, No. 11 Michigan, No. 13 Northwestern and No. 20 Indiana.

Iowa rolled to the title at the National Duals and has to be considered the clear favorite to win the Big Ten title after going unbeaten in league duals. If Minnesota’s key wrestlers are healthy, the returning Big Ten and NCAA team champion Gophers will definitely be in the mix as well.

The Big Ten features a pair of past NCAA champions in Iowa’s Mark Perry (165) and Minnesota’s Dustin Schlatter (149). Perry is a returning national champion and Schlatter won an NCAA title in 2006.

Here is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the 2008 Big Ten Championships:

125 POUNDS

Minnesota's Jayson Ness, ranked No. 1 in the country, placed fifth in the nation last year. He is a returning Big Ten champion. Ness is 33-0 this season and has been racking up major bonus points all season.

Among his biggest wins was a triumph over returning national champion Paul Donahoe of Nebraska.

Second-ranked Charlie Falck, second at the 2007 Big Tens, has had a very strong season but dropped a lopsided match to Ness in a dual this year. Falck is a returning All-American.

Ness hasn’t faced third-ranked Angel Escobedo of Indiana this season. Escobedo beat Ness at last year’s NCAA tournament. Escobedo placed fourth in the country in 2007. He dropped his only match of the season to Falck in a dual meet at Iowa.

Fifth-ranked Brandon Precin of Northwestern is another top wrestler to watch here. He was second at the Midlands Championships. Two other wrestlers who could contend are eighth-ranked Gabe Flores of Illinois and No. 9 Mark McKnight of Penn State.

Wisconsin’s Collin Cudd is ranked 20th.

TheMat.com’s pick: Ness

133 POUNDS

Minnesota senior Mack Reiter is a two-time All-American, but is nationally ranked below four other wrestlers in his own conference. Reiter is ranked No. 9 nationally.

Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois is now ranked third after scoring a recent win over now-No. 4 Joey Slaton of Iowa. Michigan State’s Franklin Gomez is ranked fifth after coming up short of qualifying for nationals last season at 125. Kennedy, Slaton and Gomez are all sophomores.

Slaton will compete in his first Big Ten tournament after transferring to Iowa from Virginia Tech.

Wisconsin’s Zach Tanelli, ranked eighth, also will be in the mix here as will No. 12 Andrae Hernandez of Indiana and No. 13 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State.

Reiter, who did not place at NCAAs in 2007 after returning late in the season from a knee injury, has struggled at times this season. It will be interesting to see if Reiter, a senior, can return to the form of his freshman and sophomore seasons in the postseason.

TheMat.com’s pick: Slaton

141 POUNDS

This looks like one of the most wide-open weight classes of the tournament with no clear-cut favorite.

Michigan true freshman Kellen Russell, ranked No. 1 earlier in the season, enters the Big Tens ranked fourth nationally. Wisconsin’s Kyle Ruschell is ranked fifth, Iowa’s Dan LeClere is No. 6, Ohio State’s J Jaggers is No. 7 and Minnesota’s Manuel Rivera is No. 8. Jaggers placed seventh at nationals last season.

Penn State freshman Garrett Scott is ranked 10th. Teammate Jake Strayer, an All-American at 133 last year, had been ranked as high as No. 2 this season. But Scott ended up winning the starting spot for Penn State.

TheMat.com’s pick: Rivera

149 POUNDS

Watching this weight class alone will be worth more than the price of admission this weekend.

To say this weight class is loaded is a huge understatement. Wrestling fans are salivating about the prospect of watching all these talented wrestlers competing at the Big Tens.

This class starts with top-ranked Brent Metcalf of Iowa. Metcalf is unbeaten against Big Ten opponents, but is yet to face 2006 NCAA champion Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota. Schlatter, a two-time Big Ten champion, was out with an injury when the teams met in a dual.

Schlatter and Metcalf last met when Schlatter beat Metcalf in the finals of the Senior High School Nationals in 2005.

This weight class also includes two runner-up finishers from the 2007 NCAA tournament in Josh Churella of Michigan and Ryan Lang of Northwestern. Lang was second at 141 last year and won the Big Ten title at 141.

Then you throw in returning All-American Lance Palmer of Ohio State, 2007 Junior World freestyle champion Bubba Jenkins of Penn State and the dangerous Jake Patacsil of Purdue. That’s seven wrestlers ranked in the nation’s top nine in one poll.

Palmer caught and pinned Schlatter in a recent dual.

The first college matchup between prized recruits Metcalf and Schlatter is what fans are clamoring to see. But they have to reach the final round first against a very talented field.

TheMat.com’s pick: Metcalf

157 POUNDS

This may be the Big Ten’s second-strongest weight class besides 149.

Wisconsin’s Craig Henning is a returning NCAA runner-up, but he may be the No. 4 seed for the Big Ten Tournament.

All-American Mike Poeta of Illinois has to be considered the favorite. Poeta is ranked second nationally and owns a win over top-ranked Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro. Gillespie was the NCAA champion at 149 last year before bumping up to 157 this year.

All-Americans Brandon Becker of Indiana and C.P. Schlatter of Minnesota also are ranked in the top six nationally as is Penn State’s Dan Vallimont. Becker is No. 4, Schlatter No. 6 and Vallimont No. 3. Schlatter is the returning Big Ten champion at 157. Schlatter also owns a win over Gillespie this season.

Michigan’s Jeff Marsh, ranked 15th, and Iowa’s Ryan Morningstar, ranked 16th, also could be a factor here. Marsh beat Poeta in a dual meet this season.

TheMat.com’s pick: Poeta

165 POUNDS

The big question here obviously is how healthy is Mark Perry, Iowa’s three-time All-American.

This will be Perry’s first competition in nearly two months after he underwent knee surgery. Perry, the returning Big Ten champion at 165, has delivered in big competitions in his career. He’s placed second, third and first in the NCAAs for the Hawkeyes.

Perry still looks like the man to beat here, but will face strong opposition from three-time All-American Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan. Perry beat Tannenbaum, who is ranked third, in the Big Ten finals last year. Perry beat Tannenbaum 4-1 earlier this season at the National Duals.

This weight class also includes 11th-ranked Tyler Safratowich of Minnesota, No. 12 Colt Sponseller of Ohio State and No. 15 Matt Coughlin of Indiana. Sponseller, a freshman, has looked impressive in compiling a 16-2 record. Coughlin was an All-American last season at 149 before bumping up two weight classes this year.

TheMat.com’s pick: Perry

174 POUNDS

Barring an upset, Michigan’s second-ranked Steve Luke and Iowa’s third-ranked Jay Borschel will meet in the Big Ten finals.

Borschel edged Luke at the National Duals before Luke returned the favor with a win over Borschel in a Big Ten dual meet.

Luke, a junior, placed sixth nationally last year after moving up from 157 to 174. Luke is a returning Big Ten champion. Borschel, a sophomore, is competing in his first postseason this year after transferring from Virginia Tech.

The Big Ten has five other ranked wrestlers at 174. They include No. 11 Gabe Dretsch of Minnesota, No. 12 Nick Hayes of Northwestern, No. 15 John Dergo of Illinois, No. 16 Dave Erwin of Penn State and No. 17 Nick Corpe of Purdue.

Dretsch is a veteran who could provide a big boost for the Gophers this postseason.

TheMat.com’s pick: Borschel

184 POUNDS

The health of past NCAA runner-up Roger Kish of Minnesota likely will hold the key to what happens here.

Kish, a 2006 Big Ten champion, has been hampered by injuries this year and is ranked ninth nationally.

Two other returning All-Americans – Ohio State’s Mike Pucillo and Michigan’s Tyrel Todd – have emerged as the favorites at 184. Pucillo is ranked second nationally, one spot ahead of Todd.

Todd beat Pucillo in the fifth-place match at the 2007 NCAA tournament. Todd pinned Pucillo in overtime in the finals of the Las Vegas Invitational before Pucillo edged Todd 6-5 in a recent dual meet.

Iowa sophomore Phil Keddy, who has made huge improvement since last season, is ranked seventh in the country. Penn State’s Phil Bomberger is ranked 14th.

TheMat.com’s pick: Todd

197 POUNDS

This should be another very good battle between three very good wrestlers at 197.

Penn State’s Phil Davis is a three-time NCAA All-American who placed second at nationals in 2006. Davis is ranked third, one spot behind Mike Tamillow of Northwestern. Tamillow, seventh in the nation last year, beat Davis 6-1 in a recent dual meet.

Tamillow is the returning Big Ten champion at 197.

Wisconsin’s Dallas Herbst, who fell one win short of All-American honors last year, is ranked sixth in the country.

The Big Ten also has ranked wrestlers here in No. 11 Patrick Bond of Illinois, No. 15 Joe Williams of Michigan State and No. 19 Anthony Biondo of Michigan.

TheMat.com’s pick: Davis

HEAVYWEIGHT

Ohio State’s top-ranked J.D. Bergman, a two-time All-American at 197, is 27-1 in his first season at heavyweight.

Bergman’s only loss is to third-ranked Dustin Fox of Northwestern. Fox’s only loss this season is to No. 2 Kyle Massey of Wisconsin.

Fox placed third at NCAAs last year while Bergman took fourth at 197.

Two-time NCAA qualifier Matt Fields of Iowa is looking to finally make a splash in his final trip into the postseason. Fields, a senior, is ranked No. 6 in the country. He is 27-6 this season. His performances at Big Tens and NCAAs could hold the key to Iowa’s title hopes.

John Wise of Illinois is ranked 13th nationally.

TheMat.com’s pick: Bergman

TEAM RACE

The Hawkeyes are very strong in 9 of 10 weight classes, and could score big points in every one of those divisions. Iowa is looking very strong. The biggest question for the Hawkeyes will be how all of their young wrestlers respond in their first trip to the postseason.

Minnesota is capable of pushing Iowa for the team title, but with so many key wrestlers battling injuries this year it may be tough for the Gophers to overtake the Hawkeyes.

Michigan and Ohio State have a handful of very good wrestlers capable of contending for titles, but may not quite have the overall depth to challenge for the team title. Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois and Northwestern also could make a splash in the team race.

TheMat.com's pick: Iowa

For wrestling videos from all of these wrestling matches, check out the torrent search.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 11:43 PM | Permalink

Gregor Gillespie ready to make run at becoming Edinboro's first two-time NCAA champion
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling

Watch the Finals Match from 2007 verses Josh Churella

Gregor Gillespie was back home in New York on a hot summer night, grilling out with his family when the phone rang.

The person on the other end tried to disguise his voice, but Gillespie knew exactly who was calling.

It was Edinboro coach Tim Flynn.

“Coach Flynn calls me the summer after my freshman year and says, ‘This is Dustin Schlatter, I just did 300 sit-ups. Can I get my second gold medal now?’� Gillespie says with a laugh. “He wasn’t trying to knock Schlatter, he was just trying to motivate me to work hard and get me to believe I could beat him. Flynn kept telling me every day I was going to be the guy who was going to be on the top of the podium.�

Flynn’s frequent summer calls and his daily assurances to Gillespie that he was good enough to win a national title became reality late last March in Auburn Hills, Mich. That’s when Gillespie stunned many wrestling observers by winning the NCAA title at 149 pounds.

Seventh at the NCAAs as a true freshman at 149 pounds, Gillespie knocked off Schlatter 3-2 in the semifinals and halted the Minnesota wrestler's 65-match winning streak. Schlatter won the NCAA title as a true freshman in 2006.

The fifth-seeded Gillespie followed by beating No. 3 seed Josh Churella of Michigan 3-1 in overtime in the finals.

Now a junior, the 21-year-old Gillespie has bumped up to 157 pounds and has his sights set on becoming Edinboro’s first two-time NCAA champion. Gillespie is 29-2 this year and ranked No. 1 by InterMat.

“It has made a world of difference for me,� Gillespie said of the move up to 157. “Life’s a lot easier now. I am eating more and eating better, I have more energy in practice, I can lift more and my schoolwork is a lot better this year. It was a tough cut to 149.�

His losses this season came to All-Americans Mike Poeta of Illinois and C.P. Schlatter of Minnesota. Poeta and Schlatter, Dustin’s older brother, also have been ranked No. 1 this season.

“I learned a lot from wrestling those guys,� said Gillespie, who is 103-8 in his career. “It was huge for me to see them during the season. I don’t want to face that caliber of wrestler for the first time at nationals. I watched film of those matches and I know there are some areas I can improve on against those guys.�

Gillespie, from Webster, N.Y., was not heavily recruited despite winning a pair of New York state high school titles. He placed third at Senior High School Nationals after falling to Brent Metcalf in the semifinals. Metcalf, now at Iowa and ranked No. 1 at 149 this year, then lost to Dustin Schlatter in the finals.

Edinboro has provided the perfect fit for Gillespie.

“I didn’t really have a lot of schools chasing me,� he said. “Buffalo, UNC-Greensboro, Bloomsburg, they were recruiting me. I had a great time on my visit to Edinboro and I loved the coaching staff. It’s only three hours from home. I can go home and my parents can come watch me wrestle.�

Gillespie, an explosive and physical wrestler, burst onto the college scene quickly. He knocked off a returning starter to win the 149 starting spot for Edinboro as a true freshman.

“We had another pretty good kid at 149 and we figured we would redshirt Gregor if those two were pretty even,� Flynn said. “Gregor was good in practice. But after he beat a pretty good kid 8-0 in the wrestle-off, I was like, ‘Wow, he’s really impressive.’ Lou Rosselli, my assistant at the time, and I looked at each after the match and almost said at the same time, ‘He’s wrestling, we need him.’ You never know how kids are going to transition from high school to college. He jumped in right away and started dominating.�

Gillespie won his first 23 college matches en route to a 40-4 freshman season that culminated with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City.

Gillespie entered the 2007 NCAAs as the No. 5 seed with a 30-2 record. After downing No. 4 seed Jordan Leen of Cornell 6-2 in the quarterfinals, he received his shot at the top-seeded Dustin Schlatter.

“Schlatter had been winning a lot of close matches and wasn’t scoring as many points as he did his freshman year,� Gillespie said. “I felt like if I put together a full seven-minute match I could beat him. I knew if I went after him in the first period and scored offensively I could win the match.�

A first-period takedown by Gillespie proved to be the difference in the one-point match.

“I shot in on a single and he pulled his knee back,� Gillespie said. “I kept a hold of his leg and turned it into a double and got the takedown.�

Flynn said Gillespie had the perfect mindset for the match.

“When you’re a returning national champion and you’ve won 65 straight matches, you obviously have a certain air of invincibility going and Schlatter did,� Flynn said. “The biggest key for Gregor was just believing he could beat a guy like Schlatter. He really believed he could prove everybody wrong and beat him.�

Gillespie had little time to celebrate his big Friday night win over Schlatter. He had to come back strong the next night to beat Churella in front of his home fans in Michigan.

“I was ecstatic the rest of the night after I beat Schlatter, but by the next morning all my focus was on Churella,� Gillespie said. “I didn’t want my claim to fame to be beating Schlatter, I wanted it to be winning the NCAA title.�

Flynn said Gillespie wrestles the way you are supposed to.

“He’s a pleasure to watch,� Flynn said. “He wrestles hard. He’s fast and he can score a lot of points. The fans like watching him compete.�

Gillespie is a unique talent on the mat with a unique personality off it. His name also is unique.

His parents, Susan and Brad, chose to name him Gregor because his mother is 100 percent German. His brother, Torsten, Edinboro’s starting 141-pounder, also has a German name.

Gillespie also is constantly changing his appearance.

He has four tattoos. He has a cross tattooed on his upper left arm and a Superman tattoo on his right arm. After he won his first state title, he had a big American flag with “New York State Champ� tattooed on his left thigh. He also has a pair of praying hands on the inside of his biceps.

“The tattoos are just kind of an expression of my personality and who I am,� he said.

Gillespie said he spent about a month of this season sporting a bleached-blonde Mohawk.

“We’re kind of a goofy team,� Gillespie said. “We’re serious about wrestling, but we like to have a little fun too. Edinboro is a small town, so we have to find a way to have some fun. Coach Flynn and some of the guys on the team didn’t believe me when I said I was going to get a Mohawk, so I did it. My girlfriend is a hairdresser and she gave me one.�

Flynn said Gillespie definitely keeps things interesting.

“He’s quite the character, but above all he’s just a very nice kid,� Flynn said. “He’s real happy-go-lucky and good to be around. He’s also taken on a leadership role on our team.�

Gillespie often can be found with his headphones on before a big match, listening to a variety of music. His music of choice is Country. A big fan of Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney, Gillespie traveled to Las Vegas to see Tim McGraw in concert at the MGM Grand.

“I don’t really listen to music to pump me up,� he said. “It’s more just to help me relax and to keep me from getting too distracted.�

Gillespie is focused on repeating his magical feat from 2007 when he competes at the 2008 NCAA Championships on March 20-22 in St. Louis.

“I’m going to follow the same routine I did last year at nationals,� Gillespie said. “I’m going to do exactly what I did as far as training, eating, getting rest and preparing for the tournament. I’m going to do all the right things. And I’m going to put faith in Tim Flynn’s coaching system and do what he tells me to do. He got me to believe I could beat Dustin Schlatter and now he has me believing I can reach the top of the podium again.�

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:45 AM | Permalink

Claiming two individual champions and qualifying seven wrestlers to the upcoming national tournament, the Augsburg College wrestling team won its sixth straight NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional championship, in action Saturday at St. John's University's Sexton Arena in the Warner Palaestra.

Augsburg, ranked No. 2 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national rankings, claimed eight placewinners at the meet, winning the tournament with 129.5 points. Elmhurst (Ill.), ranked No. 15 nationally, claimed three champions and qualified four individuals to the national tournament, finishing second with 116.5 points. Concordia-Moorhead placed third with 114.0 points, qualifying three individuals to the national tournament, and North Central (Ill.) was fourth with 109.0, qualifying three individuals to nationals. Host St. John's was fifth with 87.5 points, qualifying three individuals to nationals.

The top two individuals at each weight class, along with three at-large entrants, qualify for the Division III national tournament, to be held March 7-8 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Augsburg's Willy Holst (SO, Prescott, Wis.), ranked No. 2 nationally at 149 pounds, dominated his weight class with four victories, including an opening 18-3, third-period technical-fall win and three major-decision wins -- 12-1 in the quarterfinals, 11-2 in the semifinals and 16-2 in the finals over No. 5-ranked Jeff Kastel of Elmhurst. Holst is now 28-2 on the year. A transfer from the University of Minnesota, Holst will be competing in his first Division III national tournament. He has a collegiate career record of 38-7.

Jason Adams (SO, Coon Rapids, Minn.) also claimed four victories, including a pin and 17-0 technical-fall win, to earn the title at 141 pounds, improving to 27-8 on the season. He scored a 7-4 win over Brent Skorup of Wheaton (Ill.) in the finals to earn a trip to the national tournament for the first time.

Travis Lang (JR, Bismarck, N.D.), ranked No. 1 nationally at 133 pounds, was upset in the finals by a 7-4 decision to Adam Johnson of North Central, ranked No. 3 nationally. Lang, now 35-2 on the year, reached the finals with three first-period pins -- a 42-second pin in the opener, 1:07 pin in the quarterfinals and 2:58 pin in the semifinals. He now has a team-high 19 pins on the year. A transfer from the University of Minnesota, Lang will compete in his first Division III national tournament. He has a collegiate career record of 71-21.

Also finishing second for Augsburg and qualifying for the national tournament was Seth Flodeen (JR, Cannon Falls, Minn.), ranked No. 6 nationally at 125, Beau Hansen (FY, Albert Lea, Minn.) at 157 and George Lynaugh (SR, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) at 174. Lynaugh won his "true-second" match to qualify for the national meet. Robbie Gotreau (SR, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), ranked No. 4 nationally at 184, placed third in his weight class but qualified for the national tournament as one of the three at-large selections.

Flodeen claimed a 5:30 pin in his opening match and edged Mogi Baatar of St. John's 10-8 in overtime in the semifinals, but fell 15-12 to No. 4-ranked Jake Oster of Elmhurst (Ill.) in the finals. Flodeen, an All-American and defending national runner-up at 125 last season, is now 21-7 on the season and 74-27 in his three seasons at Augsburg.

Hansen won three matches before falling 8-4 to Elmhurst's Kyle Katz, ranked No. 4 nationally, in the 157-pound finals. Hansen will make his first trip to the national tournament with a 28-7 record.

Lynaugh, a national tournament qualifier last season at 184 pounds, qualified this season at 174, claiming a pin among his three victories leading to the finals, where he was edged 6-4 by Concordia-Moorhead's Phil Moenkedick, ranked No. 10 nationally. He then scored a 2-1 triumph in the "true-second" match over Greg Schroeder of North Central to qualify for the national meet. Lynaugh is now 22-10 on the season and 59-20 in his Augsburg career.

A two-time All-American (fourth, fifth) at 174, Gotreau qualified for his third straight national tournament. He won his opening match by a 13-4 major decision, then claimed a third-period, 16-0 technical fall in the quarterfinals before being pinned by Dustin Baxter of St. John's with seven seconds left in the third period of the semifinals. In the wrestlebacks, Gotreau claimed an 11-2, major-decision win and 10-8 triumph in the third-place match. Gotreau is now 26-11 on the season and 135-37 in his Auggie career.

Augsburg heavyweight Andy Witzel (SO, Fulda, Minn.) finished third in his weight class, but was not among the at-large qualifiers. He want 3-1 on the day to finish 26-15 on the season. Wallace O'Connor (SR, Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS) went 1-2 on the day at 197 pounds, as did Brandon Klukow (JR, Albert Lea, Minn.) at 165.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:33 PM | Permalink

n the final contest on the Farm for the 2007-08 Cardinal wrestling team, the No. 24 Cal State Fullerton Titans came out on top, besting Stanford, 25-17. The Cardinal falls to 12-4 with the loss and 5-3 in the Pac-10.

Seniors Tanner Gardner and Josh Zupancic made the most of their Stanford home finales, combining for 11 of the 17 Stanford points. Junior Luke Feist picked up the other Stanford win, pinning his second opponent of the year in the first period.

The dual started at 141 pounds and the Titans picked up decisions in the first two bouts, earning a 10-3 win at 141 pounds and an 11-5 victory at 149 pounds.

Zupancic (32-5) brought the Cardinal within one, however, with a decisive technical fall win over Fullerton’s Devin Velasquez at 157 pounds. The win was the 13th straight for the Akron, Ohio native. He has now earned bonus points in each of his last six bouts.

The Titans took a 10-5 lead with a major decision at 165 pounds, but Feist (12-9) stepped up, pinned his opponent in 2:43 and put the Cardinal in front, 11-10. The lead would be Stanford’s last however, as the Titans won the next three bouts to jump out to a 21-10 advantage.

Gardner (34-1) kept the Cardinal alive with a win by fall at 125 pounds, putting Andre Gonzalez on his back in 2:50 to narrow the Stanford deficit to just four points. The pin was Gardner’s 17th of the year, just one short of the program’s single-season record. Gardner is just two wins short of matching Matt Gentry’s career win record set in 2005 (138).

The Titans TJ Dillashaw, the nation’s tenth-ranked 133-pounder, sealed the Titan win in the final bout with a 9-0 major decision.

Stanford will wrap up the regular season next week in Tempe, Ariz., battling Arizona State next Sunday at noon. The Pac-10 Championships will be hosted by the University of Oregon in Eugene this year, Mar. 2-3.

NCAA Wrestling Rankings and Wrestling Videos will be updated before the NCAA Wrestling Tournament. The videos section includes High School Wrestling, Olympic Wrestling and NCAA Wrestling.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:43 AM | Permalink

In front of a record-setting crowd of 5,341, the seventh-ranked Ohio State wrestling team downed No. 6 Michigan, 16-15, Sunday in St. John Arena. Jim Tressel, Ohio State head football coach, served as honorary coach for the wrestling Buckeyes in their victory against the Wolverines. The win also snaps a 14-match Michigan win streak dating back to Feb. 4, 1994. Ohio State moves to 18-3 on the season and 6-1 in the Big Ten Conference.

The Buckeyes have garnered six league wins for the first time since 1992-93, also the same year they last beat the Wolverines – a 19-14 win in Columbus – prior to Sunday.

Redshirt-sophomore Reece Humphrey sealed the victory for Ohio State in the last match at 133 pounds. With the Buckeyes down 15-13, Humphrey just needed a decision for the team win. The Buckeye would enter the match facing Chris Diehl and he never trailed as he tallied the 7-2 triumph. Owning a 4-1 lead after the first period, Humphrey increased his margin to 6-2 following two periods, including a final takedown with 25 seconds left. There was no scoring in the third, but Humphrey tacked on an extra point for a riding time of 2 minutes.

Senior heavyweight J.D. Bergman continues to move up the Ohio State career wins list as he compiled his 121st Buckeye victory. He is now tied for eighth with former OSU assistant coach Ken Ramsey (1987-1992). In the eighth bout of the night, Bergman recorded a 9-2 decision over Chad Bleske to propel Ohio State into the lead (13-12) after trailing, 12-10.

Michigan regained the lead, 15-13, after the 125-pound bout when Michael Watts decisioned Buckeye freshman Nikko Triggas, 9-8. Triggas nearly rallied for the comeback after falling behind, 7-2, following the first period. However, a 2-point nearfall and a takedown by Triggas cut Watts’ lead down to two in the second period when Watts scored just an escape. Watts then went up 9-6 thanks to an escape, but two additional stalling calls on him after an initial call in the second period awarded Triggas two points. However, Triggas was unable to tally the takedown for the win.

It was after the 125-pound bout Humphrey was called up for the victory.

Redshirt-junior J Jaggers (141) and sophomore Lance Palmer (149) gave the Buckeyes an early 7-0 edge with 3-2 and 10-2 wins, respectively. An escape with 51 seconds remaining in the match lifted Jaggers to his fifth-consecutive victory and 20th of the season. Just up 2-0 after the first period, Palmer cruised to a 7-1 lead following the second stanza and eventually solidified the win courtesy of another takedowns and a riding time of 3:34.

The Wolverines would go on to win the next three bouts at 157, 165 and 174 pounds to take a 9-7 advantage. Redshirt-junior Jason Johnstone dropped a 6-0 decision to Jeff Marsh before freshman Colt Sponseller lost the first match of his collegiate career to No. 3 Eric Tannenbaum, 10-4. Alex Picazo then suffered a 6-1 loss to fourth-ranked Steve Luke.

Redshirt-sophomore and third-ranked Mike Pucillo would end the losing drought for the Buckeyes at 184 pounds as he came away with a 6-5 decision over second-ranked Tyrel Todd.

Down 5-2, Todd evened the score in the third period with an escape and takedown with 1:13 remaining. However, an escape by Pucillo at the 1:06 mark pushed him into the lead and the eventual win.

It was not the first meeting between the second and third-ranked wrestlers in the nation. The two met in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December and Todd was able to pin Pucillo in 7:22 for the 184-pound title.

Freshman John Weakley would follow at 197 pounds and he dropped a close 3-1 decision to No. 14 Anthony Biondo.

Ohio State remains in Columbus for a non-conference matchup against No. 14 Edinboro at 7 p.m. Thursday. Seniors Bergman, T.J. Enright, Dominic Mehling, Picazo, Tommy Priestley and Nickolai Timbs will be honored prior to the match in their last home meet as Buckeyes.

Wrestling Videos will be available on TWTube, and the College Wrestling Rankings will be updated shortly.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:01 AM | Permalink

Anoka's Jake Deitchler, an incoming freshman to the Golden Gophers, held his ground against #3 Jake Salazar of Wasatch High School, in Utah. Wasatch is the school that developed Cael Sanderson. (as well as his brothers) Dietchler is the marquee athlete in the Gophers recruiting class. The Gophers return to the NCAA Wrestling Tournament on March 20th to defend their 2007 national title.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:24 PM | Permalink

Iowa State standout Jake Varner following in Sanderson's footsteps
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
12/25/2007

Jake Varner was a freshman in high school when he read about four-time NCAA champion Cael Sanderson in Sports Illustrated.

When Varner traveled to New York City with his high school team a year later to watch the World Championships, he saw Sanderson capture a silver medal.

Varner loved the way Sanderson wrestled and marveled at how humble an elite athlete of his caliber was.

Like Sanderson, Varner was heavily recruited coming out of high school. The Bakersfield, Calif., native was leaning toward joining high-school teammate Nathan Morgan at Oklahoma State. That’s where he thought he was headed after making his recruiting visit to Stillwater, Okla. Varner had visits lined up to Iowa State and Iowa the following two weekends, but planned on canceling them.

“I was ready to commit after my visit to Oklahoma State,� Varner said. “But my dad said, ‘You need to talk to Cael first.’ �

Talking to Cael, and everyone else involved with the Iowa State program, changed everything for Varner. Sitting next to his parents on the flight home to California, Varner turned to his father and said he was going to become a Cyclone. Sanderson, who had just won an Olympic gold medal, was a big reason why.

“Meeting Cael was really awesome – he made a huge impression on me,� said Varner, a two-time California state champion. “Plus I felt like I really fit in with the guys at Iowa State. Right then, I knew that was where I needed to go to achieve my goals.�

Coming to Iowa State already has paid huge dividends for Varner, who placed second at the 2007 NCAA Championships as a freshman. The ISU sophomore is unbeaten and ranked No. 1 nationally at 184 pounds this season.

Sanderson was an assistant coach to Bobby Douglas at Iowa State when Varner chose ISU. Sanderson then became the Cyclone head coach following Varner’s redshirt season in Ames.

“I work out with Cael as much as I can,� Varner said. “He’s helped me so much with everything – on my feet, down on the mat. He’s a great coach and he’s so knowledgeable. I have improved so much since I came here. Cael’s had a huge impact on me. He’s been the best wrestler in the World – he obviously knows what he is talking about.�

Varner entered the 2007 NCAA Championships in Auburn Hills, Mich., as the No. 6 seed at 184 after placing second at the Big 12 tournament.

But Varner, who entered the tournament with seven losses, knocked off No. 2 seed and returning NCAA runner-up Roger Kish of Minnesota in the semifinals. Varner won 4-2 in overtime. Kish had defeated Varner twice during the season.

“I just had it in my head that there was no way I was going to lose to Kish again,� Varner said. “I didn’t really change my game plan a whole lot. I just had the mindset that, ‘There is no way I am going to lose this match.’ �

Varner fell to No. 1 seed Jake Herbert of Northwestern in the NCAA finals. Varner helped lead ISU to a second-place finish in the team race and became the first Cyclone freshman since Sanderson in 1999 to reach the NCAA finals.

“Jake did an incredible job at NCAAs and executed what he had been working on,� Sanderson said. “He wasn’t worried about being a freshman. He went out there to compete and went out there to win. Every time he steps on the mat he expects to win.�

Varner already owns a pair of wins over the No. 2 Kish this season. He beat Kish in the all-star dual and in a dual meet at Minnesota.

“That was great for Jake,� Sanderson said. “Anytime you wrestle top competition you get better. I know he was real excited for that opportunity.�

Varner’s second win over Kish this season led ISU to a dual win over then-No. 1 Minnesota. The Gophers are the returning NCAA tournament champions.

The Cyclones followed by dropping a home dual to Iowa, despite a win by Varner. Iowa is now ranked No. 1 in a season where parity has been a recurring theme.

“We’ve put that loss to Iowa behind us already,� Varner said. “We’ve changed some things and improved since then. We’re constantly working to get better. We hate losing to them, but we’re looking at the big picture at NCAAs.�

The 6-foot-1 Varner, a tough, physical, hard-nosed wrestler, is difficult to score on. Putting more points on the board has been an area of emphasis for Varner.

“Jake’s been working real hard on his offense,� Sanderson said. “He has some great shots and you will see more leg attacks from him.�

Similar to Sanderson during his college days, Varner leads largely by example.

“I would say I’m shy and I’m quiet for the most part,� Varner said. “Once you get to know me, I will open up and talk a little bit more. But I’m pretty laid back for the most part.�

Varner said he patterns much of the way he carries himself after Sanderson.

“I love how humble Cael is,� Varner said. “If anyone comes up to him, he will always sign an autograph for them. He never talks about his wins or all that he’s accomplished in his career. You don’t have to be cocky about what you do. I’m pretty much the same way. I don’t like to talk about what I’ve accomplished.�

Varner is part of a star-studded sophomore class at ISU that also includes sophomore national qualifiers Nick Fanthorpe (133), Nick Gallick (141), Mitch Mueller (149), Cyler Sanderson (157) and David Zabriskie (heavyweight).

“We’re all real close to each other,� Varner said. “We all help each other and push each other in the room. I give a lot of credit to those guys for helping me. They all work really hard. It’s a great group of guys.�

The influence of ISU assistant coach Tim Hartung, a two-time NCAA champion for Minnesota and a past U.S. World Team member, also has paid off for Varner.

Hartung recruited Varner when Hartung was as an assistant coach at Iowa. Sanderson hired Hartung at Iowa State prior to the 2006-07 season.

“It has all worked out the best for me with Hartung being here now,� Varner said. “I like wrestling with Hartung – you really have to earn your takedowns with him. He’s taught me a lot. He has a great personality. I love working with him.�

Another aspect of the Iowa State program Varner likes is that Sanderson keeps the team loose off the mat.

It’s a side of Sanderson a lot of people don’t see.

“Cael jokes around with us a lot,� Varner said. “He has that real dry sense of humor where he is sarcastic and keeps you off guard. He loves video games and we’ve played them at his house. It’s a fun release away from wrestling.�

Varner said he plans to jump right into freestyle wrestling once the current college season ends. He made the U.S. Junior World Team the summer after he finished high school.

“I will wrestle in Las Vegas (at April’s U.S. Nationals) and try to make the Olympic Team this year,� he said. “One of my goals is to win the Olympics.�

For now, a more immediate goal is capturing his first NCAA title this March in St. Louis.

“I just have to keep working to get better in all three positions,� Varner said. “I’ve been working on my feet and on my shots. I’m working to get better on top. And I’ve improved in the down position – I had a hard time getting away from people last year. That’s where I got beat.�

The memory of the 2007 NCAA finals loss to Herbert, who is taking an Olympic redshirt this season, is motivation enough.

“My goal last year was to win the NCAA title,� Varner said. “I hate losing and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I learned from that loss. I’m a much better wrestler now.�

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:48 PM | Permalink

Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum displays 'amazing commitment' as model student-athlete
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
12/19/2007

The news arrived via text message early Tuesday night.

And Michigan wrestling coach Joe McFarland couldn’t have been happier when the words flashed across the screen of his cell phone.

Wolverines senior Eric Tannenbaum notified his coach that he had been accepted to Rush Medical School in Chicago.

Five years ago, McFarland sat in Tannenbaum’s house on a recruiting visit and listened as the multi-talented young athlete outlined his goals.

“Eric told me he wanted to be a doctor,� McFarland said. “He always had this goal beyond wrestling and never wavered from that. And now just look at his resume, wow, it’s really something. Everything he does, he does it the best way he possibly can. Look at the time commitment it takes just to compete in wrestling. And then look at the time commitment it takes to compete in the classroom. What he’s done is pretty amazing.�

The neuroscience major who carries a 3.84 grade-point average also can mix it up on the mat. Tannenbaum is off to a 10-0 start and is ranked No. 1 in the country at 165 pounds this season.

Anybody on the Michigan wrestling team who needs a tip on how to manage their time know exactly where to turn.

When you’re aspiring to not only become an NCAA champion, but also looking to become a doctor, squeezing the most out of every minute of every day becomes a huge priority.

Just consider a typical day during the college wrestling career for Tannenbaum, an All-American on the mat and an Academic All-American off it:

His alarm rings before sunrise, so Tannenbaum can start the day with an early-morning workout on the Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mich.

He follows with a busy day in the classroom, which includes challenging courses like organic chemistry, biochemistry and genetics.

A full-scale wrestling practice with the entire Michigan team follows late in the afternoon.

After grabbing something to eat, he’s headed to the library to study around 7 p.m. Most nights he’s there until around midnight.

Welcome to the world of your model student-athlete. The 22-year-old Tannenbaum is a three-time All-American for the Wolverines after placing fourth, sixth and fourth in the NCAA tournament.

His feats in the classroom are equally as impressive. The lowest grade he’s received in college was a B-plus.

Talk with Tannebaum for a few minutes and you can sense the drive he has to be the best athletically and academically.

That first B-plus he received in college, in a philosophy class, still gnaws at him a little bit.

“I wasn’t very happy about it,� he said. “I needed an 85 on my final, which was an essay, and they gave me an 84.�

A three-time Illinois state champion and two-time Junior Nationals champion, Tannenbaum could have wrestled virtually anywhere he wanted after also posting a 4.3 GPA (with honors classes) in high school.

He chose Michigan, a place he calls “a perfect match.�

“I almost went to Harvard because it was Harvard – but I didn’t really feel like I fit in there,� he said. “The best advice I got was you have to trust your gut instinct and see where you might fit in. I wanted a school with the best combination of academics and a strong wrestling team, and Michigan was by far the best choice for me. It’s an awesome school.�

Tannenbaum has been busy this fall interviewing with a number of medical schools that are considering him. He hopes to eventually work in orthopedics or plastics.

In addition to Rush Medical School, Tannenbaum said he also has interviewed with medical schools at Missouri, Georgetown, Boston and Indiana.

When Tannenbaum arrived back in Detroit earlier this season after winning the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, he stayed in the airport while his teammates headed back to nearby Ann Arbor. Tannenbaum had to catch a flight to Chicago for an interview at Rush Medical School.

He has an interview scheduled with the University of Michigan’s medical school on Friday. He said around 7,000 people applied for medical school at Michigan, 500 people are interviewed and 150 are accepted.

As you can imagine, education was a big priority in the Tannenbaum home. His father, Mitchell, is a physical therapist, and his mother, Michele, is a speech and language pathologist.

“Education has always come first,� Tannenbaum said. “Wrestling was important too, but my dad told me if my grades ever started slipping he would pull me out of wrestling.�

Even with all his success in wrestling and being known around the country, the Eric Tannenbaum who wrestles for Michigan may not be the most famous person named Eric Tannenbaum.

The executive producer for the CBS sitcom “Two and a half Men� is named Eric Tannenbaum.

“Yeah, my parents pointed that out to me,� the Tannenbaum who wrestles said. “He’s not related, but I wish he was.�

The man who will be Tannenbaum’s toughest challenger on the mat is expected to be returning NCAA champion and second-ranked Mark Perry of Iowa. Tannenbaum beat Perry in a dual meet last season before Perry downed Tannenbaum in the Big Ten finals.

Perry knocked off two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State in the 2007 NCAA finals while Tannenbaum placed fourth.

“Perry relies on being able to outfunk people,� Tannenbaum said. “He will wait for you to shoot and put on a cradle like he did to (Northern Iowa’s) Moza Fay. In the Big Tens, I was a little hesitant against him and forced a shot. You need to be aggressive against Perry, but you also have to be patient and selective as far as when you shoot. You have to finish strong against him.�

Tannenbaum competed at 149 pounds his first two seasons at Michigan, but the grind of managing his weight coupled with his demanding academic schedule put a strain on him.

“Trying to wrestle and taking all these hard classes, it was really rough at times,� he said. “I essentially didn’t have much of a social life for 2½ to 3 years. It was pretty intense. If you utilize your time efficiently it was manageable. But it was pretty crazy at times.�

Tannenbaum’s performance on the mat actually dropped off from his freshman to his sophomore season. He went 36-5 as a freshman, won the Big Ten title and placed fourth in the country. As a sophomore, he slipped to 26-11, took fifth at Big Tens and was sixth at the NCAA meet.

During the summer between his sophomore and junior seasons, Tannenbaum talked about bumping up a weight class. He ended up moving up two, as did teammate Steve Luke.

“The last year I wrestled 149 I didn’t feel good at all,� he said. “I was losing to people I shouldn’t be losing to and I felt like crap out there. It affected me negatively in school as well.�

Tannenbaum moved from 149 to 165 for the 2006-07 season while Luke jumped from 157 to 174. Both were All-Americans last season.

“I figured I would probably move up to 157,� Tannenbaum said. “But in the summer, I started weighing more and started leaning toward going 165. I talked to Steve Luke and our coaches about it, and it’s worked out great. I eat pretty much whatever I want now. I feel great.�

Tannenbaum went 28-3 as a junior at 165 before piecing together his 10-match winning streak to start his final season.

It would appear Tannenbaum’s wrestling career will end after March’s NCAA Championships in St. Louis. But Tannenbaum, a past member of the U.S. Junior World Team in freestyle, hasn’t ruled out taking a shot at making the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.

“You are allowed to defer a year after you get accepted to medical school,� he said. “I may take a look at wrestling after the NCAAs and see if I have the drive after that. I may consider making a run at the (2008) Olympics after the college season is over.�

Tannenbaum, from Naperville, Ill., also has benefited from his association with Coach Sean Bormet and the highly successful Overtime School of Wrestling in suburban Chicago. Bormet was an All-American for Michigan.

“I spent a lot of time there my last two years of high school and I’ve worked out there in the summers,� he said. “That’s been a huge asset for me. Sean’s a great coach – he’s so knowledgeable.�

McFarland said Tannenbaum, who always has been very skilled on his feet, has addressed some areas where he needed to improve.

“Eric’s mat skills have really improved,� McFarland said. “His down wrestling is getting better, and he’s also better on top. He really stepped back after last season and looked at what he needed to do better to win nationals this year.�

Tannenbaum is not the only Michigan wrestler who excels on and off the mat. McFarland said the Wolverines are the only team in the country to finish in the top 10 nationally on the mat and in the classroom the past two seasons.

“We have a lot of good students and Eric’s been leading the charge,� McFarland said. “What he’s done has been great for our younger guys to see.�

Just when Tannenbaum’s story seems almost too inspiring to be true, McFarland offers another tidbit about his prized pupil.

“Did Eric tell you about the work he’s done in our community program?� McFarland asked. “He goes up and visits kids at the Children’s Hospital at the U of M. It’s a program called ‘From the Heart’ where the student-athletes at Michigan go and visit the kids. It’s a big deal for these young, sick kids to see the football players, wrestlers and other athletes come in and spend time with them. It’s a pretty neat program and Eric’s spent a lot of time doing it.�

McFarland said that involvement provides a glimpse of what lies ahead for Tannenbaum.

“Eric will make a terrific doctor someday,� McFarland said.

While he continues to weigh his options for medical school, Tannenbaum is looking forward to his last semester of college.

He’s only taking one class. And he may actually have an opportunity to sleep in for once.

“Every other year I’ve had enormous distractions with difficult classes or something else going on,� he said. “This is the only semester I’ve had where I can basically just focus 100 percent on wrestling. It’s going to make a tremendous difference. All I’m going to do is train and compete. I hope it gives me the edge this year.�

>> I don't think he will be doing any MMA after college..

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:53 PM | Permalink

Jason Bryant (InterMat) released a roundup of College Wrestling's November!

The Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational shook up the national rankings something fierce this week and with the semester break coming up, some teams are thriving, some teams are banged up and some teams are ready for the rest.

Here’s how we break down the first month of the season.

1. Iowa State: The Cyclones are #1 heading into their much-anticipated match with cross-state rival Iowa. The win over Minnesota thrust Iowa State into the top spot, keyed by wins from Nick Fanthorpe and Cyler Sanderson.

2. Minnesota: The Gophers dropped a spot after the 18-13 loss to ISU on Sunday and still have a question mark at 197 with the revolving door of Brent Eidenschink, Yura Malamura and Justin Bronson. Jayson Ness, Manny Rivera and C.P. Schlatter have been very strong and the only thing that’s stopped Roger Kish so far this year has been Jake Varner.

3. Oklahoma State: Ranked third, the Cowboys, for some reason, don’t strike fear into the hearts of the fans residing outside of Stillwater. The youngsters are progressing well and will be All-American contenders later in the year. Ben Ashmore, Quinten Fuentes, Cody Hill and now Clayton Foster are first-time starters and have done modestly well in the early going. Jake Dieffenbach could be the real x-factor if he continues his solid transition to Division I wrestling.

4. Iowa: Without Mark Perry on Sunday, the Hawkeyes will be at a noted disadvantage, but they do match-up well with Iowa State. Losing Dan Dennis early has hurt, but Joey Slaton’s filled in and is ranked. Hawkeye fans don’t feel any drop-off with either wrestler. 197 is still a question mark, but as we saw last year, anything can happen when it’s Iowa and Iowa State.

5. Penn State: Started off with two solid wins, but will be really tested when they travel to Stillwater this weekend. The Nittany Lions don’t match-up well with the Cowboys, but Mark McKnight seems to be regaining his form, Jake Strayer had the big win over Charles Griffin, but the odd loss to teammate Garrett Scott. The rest of the Nittany Lion lineup is solid and hard to beat. Bubba Jenkins hasn’t had the competition the rest of the field at 149 has as yet, but PSU needs him to live up to his billing.

6. Central Michigan: Five duals wrestled and only five individual losses. Tom Borrelli’s team is just strong top to bottom. The Chippewas don’t have the tournament points (on paper) that some of the big guns above them have, but they are a real problem matchup because their kids don’t make mistakes and they are ready to wrestle each and every time. They’re impressive.

7. Michigan: Save the loss to Maryland early in the season, the Wolverines moved up after a victory at the Las Vegas Invitational. Joe McFarland’s team is ranked seventh, the highest team ranked that competed in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Kellen Russell has been a big plus early on.

8. Missouri: It wasn’t the best of performances from the Tigers, failing to win any titles in Las Vegas despite having more than its share of Top 10 wrestlers. Tony Pescaglia had a rough start to the season, but finished a strong second in Vegas. Nick Marable’s becoming a go-to guy and Raymond Jordan’s ready to carry the torch. Max Askren has been beaten twice already this year, something that didn’t happen until March last season.

9. Northwestern: Without a bucket of starters, the Wildcats dropped a loss to Northern Illinois. Brandon Precin’s been real solid at 125, Eric Metzler’s been nursing an injury, as have a few other starters. Ryan Lang still hasn’t decided which weight he’ll be wrestling. He’s certified at 141 and won the Missouri Open at 149 a few weeks ago.

10. Wisconsin: The Badgers are tough, but didn’t wrestle well overall in Vegas. Collin Cudd, a two-time NCAA qualifier, didn’t place; Zach Tanelli and Kyle Ruschell placed lower than expected, but Dallas Herbst was dominant in his title at 197 pounds. Craig Henning dropped to #3 after his loss to Mike Poeta of Illinois.

Teams 11-15
UT-Chattanooga’s ranked 11th, the highest in its history. Matt Koz was named SoCon Wrestler of the Month and the Mocs are a problem dual team to face … Nebraska has seen the benefits of having Kenny Jordan and Vince Jones back in the lineup. The Huskers could have been a threat to win Vegas had Paul Donahoe not defaulted. … Ohio State finished third in Vegas and has seen noticeable progress from Nikko Triggas at 125. Mike Pucillo and J.D. Bergman’s titles in Vegas give the Buckeyes two very troublesome upper weights during the dual season. … Hofstra left a few starters at home before heading to Vegas and didn’t get the expected performances from Charles Griffin and Lou Ruggirello, both top-seeded in the tournament. The Pride have wrestled an aggressive early-season schedule and could need a short rest. … Edinboro has only lost one dual in the past three years. The tiny PSAC school finished eighth in Vegas and saw defending national champion Gregor Gillespie fall in the finals. Jarrod King, while starting a tad slow this season, wrestled well, picking up a win over Patrick Pitsch. When Joe Fendone’s back in the line-up, the Fighting Scots will be that much stronger.

Teams 16-20
Cornell’s got some issues, but still remain a very solid team. Troy Nickerson’s done for the year, Adam Frey’s performance so far has been a complete 180 from the way he started out last season – although that was in late December. … Indiana has some good depth in some weights, while some question marks in others. Down low, the Hoosiers have a great 1-2 punch and in the middle with Brandon Becker and Matt Coughlin, who is adjusting well after moving up two weights. … Illinois, at 18, has a #1 at 157 with the exciting Mike Poeta, but the rest of the squad performed modestly well, but picked off few wrestlers that were seeded ahead of them. … Pitt, to many, is an unknown quantity. The Panthers were pushed earlier this year by Bloomsburg but do have Keith Gavin at 174, the top-ranked wrestler and CKLV champion. The Panthers seem like a better tournament team, and will be much better off when Drew Headlee regains his form. … People have also been sleeping on Oklahoma, but the Sooners have a formidable dual lineup but it’s devoid of the superstar names you’re used to seeing in the Sooner singlet. Max Dean, Josh Weitzel and Joel Flaggert are tough to tangle with, while Zack Bailey is coming on.

Teams 21-25
Navy’s in at 21, but the biggest question has been who’s going heavy. Ed Prendergast was the man in Vegas for the Mids, but Scott Steele’s picked up more than one win over Prendergast. Matt Stolpinski finished fifth in Vegas. … Penn, ranked 22nd, finished 14th in Vegas and opened its year with a dual win over Virginia Tech. Rollie Peterkin’s thriving under Zeke Jones and Rob Eiter, while the rest of the Quakers are solid, but don’t have that “superstar� feel, which makes them that much more dangerous. … 23rd ranked Maryland is rolling and fresh off a big win over Lehigh, Pat Santoro’s former digs. The Terps took a huge step with the win over Michigan at the Northeast Duals and Santoro likes the dual meet track to built his team’s confidence. … Old Dominion jumped into the rankings for the first time in 16 years two weeks ago and the Monarchs have four wrestlers ranked for the first time in school history. Steve Martin’s team has a solid line-up, but has hit four tournaments in the opening month and need some rest before heading to the Scuffle. … Harvard finished 20th in Vegas and hung on to their spot in the Top 25, but when the Crimson hit the second semester, they’ll be bolstered by the return of Rob Preston and Andrew Flanagan, making them a threat in the EIWA.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:47 PM | Permalink

The defending national champion Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling program announced its fall signing class today, a group that includes six of the nation’s top recruits. Jake Deitchler, Atticus Disney, Ryland Geiger, Mario Mason, Matt Mincey and Cody Yohn have all signed National Letters of Intent and will wrestle for the Gophers beginning in the fall of 2008.

Jake Deitchler, a native of Anoka, Minn. is a two-time Minnesota state champion and is the nation’s top recruit in his weight class according to Amateur Wrestling News. The 2007 NHSCA Junior National Champion at 145 pounds, Deitchler represented the United States at the 2007 Junior World Championships in Beijing along with current Gopher Brandon Sitch. Deitchler also was named the Junior Greco-Roman “Wrestler of the Year� for 2007. Currently ranked 10th overall amongst recruits nationwide by RevWrestling, Deitchler is expected to wrestle at 157 pounds for the Golden Gophers.

Heavyweight Atticus Disney is another highly-touted recruit that has committed to Minnesota and hails from Topeka, Kan. This two-time state high school champ was a double champion at this year’s FILA Cadet Nationals, winning both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman events. Disney was also the runner-up at the ’07 NHSCA Junior Nationals and earned Junior National All-American status. He enters his final prep season as a top-five heavyweight recruit nationally according to Amateur Wrestling News.

Ryland Geiger is the 2007 Oregon state high school champion hails from Scappoose, Ore. Expected to compete at 197 pounds when he reaches Minnesota next fall, Geiger was a NHSCA Junior National Champion this past year and was also the ’07 Junior National Greco-Roman Champion. He was a double champion (Freestyle and Greco-Roman) at the 2006 Cadet Nationals. Geiger is a top-50 national recruit according to InterMat.

Mario Mason currently attends renowned Blair Academy in Blair, N.J., home to one of the finest prep wrestling programs in the country. A two-time National Prep Champion, Mason is currently the nation’s number one high school wrestler in the RevWrestling power rankings. This 2007 USA Wrestling Junior National Champion was also a NHSCA Junior National Champion this past year and figures to wrestle at 149 pounds when he arrives in Minnesota next season.

Matt Mincey is another homegrown Minnesota recruit and attends Apple Valley High School, winners of back-to-back state wrestling championships and 15 overall since 1983. Mincey was a two-time state individual champion at 125 pounds and also took third at the 2007 NHSCA Junior Nationals. InterMat has ranked Mincey as the 34th-best recruit in the nation, and he is expected to compete at 133 pounds for the Gophers.

Cody Yohn is the younger sibling of current Gopher freshman Sonny Yohn (184 pounds) and boasts a list of accomplishments that rivals those of his brother. Cody Yohn hails from Alamosa, Col. and is a two-time Colorado state champion, pairing up with his brother to lead the Mean Moose to back-to-back team titles as well. Yohn is a top-15 national recruit (RevWrestling) and ranks first in his weight class (Amateur Wrestling News). He will compete at 174 pounds for Minnesota next year. Yohn also finished second in the freestyle competition at the 2007 Junior National Championships and was a 2006 Cadet Freestyle All-American.

“We’re very excited about this recruiting class,� said Minnesota head coach J Robinson. “We believe this group will help us continue the standard of excellence we’ve established here at Minnesota, and will allow us to remain one of the nation’s top programs for years to come.�

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 10:40 PM | Permalink

Penn State Nittany Lion head wrestling coach Troy Sunderland got some outstanding news on day one of the National Letter of Intent early signing period with the signed letter from Bald Eagle Area product Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.).

Wright, who is defending his 2007 PIAA state championship this year, projects at 184 for the Nittany Lions and is the first wrestler to sign with Penn State during the early signing period.

“Quentin will be an outstanding addition to this team and the entire Penn State community,� said Sunderland. “His skills on the mat are equaled only by his work ethic in the wrestling room and his commitment to family and community make him a perfect fit for this program. Quentin’s character, judgment and integrity exemplify what we look for in a recruit. He will represent Penn State University and our college wrestling program with dignity and class. Furthermore, he will carry on our tradition and make our former alumni Penn State proud.�

A five-star recruit according to InterMat, the national wrestling source has Wright tabbed as the No. 12 overall recruit (regardless of weight) in the entire nation and top three at either 160 or 171. His high school accolades are outstanding. As stated, he claimed the PIAA AAA state title last year and completed his junior campaign with a perfect 41-0 record. A year before, he was a PIAA Runner-Up. Wright also claimed the 2006 Beast of the Championship and was a Cadet Freestyle All-American.

As a high school junior, Wright competed in a number of collegiate level open tournaments, including a fifth place finish at last year’s Nittany Lion Open and the title at the Millersville Invitational.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 4:15 PM | Permalink

College Wrestling Recruits

1. Minnesota

125/133-Matt Mincey

149/157-Mario Mason

149-Jacob Deitchler

197-Ryland Geiger

Hwt-Atticus Disney

2. Iowa

125-Nate Moore

125-Matt McDonough

133/141-Mark Ballweg

174/184-Jordan Blanton

174/184-Grant Gambrall

3. Wisconsin

133-Tyler Graff

141/149-Cole Schmitt

149-Jimmy Duffy

157-Andrew Howe

157/165-Ben Jordan

4. Northwestern

133/141-Eric Galka

165-Jason Welch

174/184-Brian Roddy

5. Michigan

125/133-Mark Weber

149/157-Coby Boyd

174/184-Hunter Collins

6. Ohio State

141/149-Tony Jameson

174/184-Cody Magrum

285-John Hiles

7. Michigan State

197-Marcel Dubose

Hwt-Stephen Andrus

8. Penn State

165-Quentin Wright

9. Illinois

157/165-Conrad Polz

10. Purdue

141/149-Matt Bryan

11. Indiana

149/157-Vinc Ramos

174-Cooper Samuels

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:39 AM | 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:45 PM | Permalink

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hofstra head coach Tom Shifflet will also represent the Pride.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November 19, Eugene, OR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EXHIBITIONS (2)

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

Second Exhibition is yet to be decided.

COACHES

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

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:48 PM | Permalink

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:06 PM | Permalink

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

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

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

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:33 PM | Permalink

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

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

Registration: 8:00-8:30 am

Clinic Topics

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

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

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

This clinic is a must for all Wrestling Officials.

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

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

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

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

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

Clinic Goals

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:34 PM | Permalink

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

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

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

The defending national champion Golden Gopher wrestling team enjoyed an eventful day in Washington, D.C. Friday, as they commemorated their NCAA victory with stops at the Capitol Building, Pentagon and a ceremony at the White House with President George W. Bush.

The 2006-07 championship squad, along with several athletics administration and team staff members, were treated to tours of some our nation’s most important landmarks before ending their day by commemorating their third NCAA championship on the lawn outside the White House.

The team’s day began at 8 a.m. sharp, as they received a tour of the Capitol Building as guests of former House Speaker (and current Illinois state representative) Dennis Hastert. Hastert, a former high school wrestling coach, was also instrumental in arranging the team’s previous visit to the White House in 2001. The Gophers visited Hastert’s office as well as the House chamber until about 11 a.m.

One of the day’s highlights was a police escort that shuttled the Gopher delegation between their stops at the Pentagon and White House, allowing them to circumvent the normally heavy D.C. traffic. After a brief Pentagon tour, the group headed to the White House at approximately 12:30 p.m. for that afternoon’s ceremony. Seven other NCAA champion squads were also present at the commemoration, including the two-time College World Series champion Oregon State baseball team and the defending NCAA champion Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team.

At the White House, the Minnesota delegation toured several of the structure’s most noted rooms, including the Blue Room, Library and State Dining Room. After team members posed for a photo with President Bush, the entire crowd was brought to the South Lawn for that afternoon’s presentation. The championship teams entered the lawn and were introduced as the President’s Band played each school’s fight song.

Two-time NCAA champion Cole Konrad and the other team champion captains were allowed a personal 20-minute audience with the President before the ceremony began. The team captains also walked onto the podium with the President himself, standing next to the country’s chief executive during his speech.

“I’m honored to be among the nation’s finest student-athletes,� said President Bush during his roughly 10-minute address. “These people set high standards both on and off the field, and work hard to achieve the goals they set for themselves.�

After the President’s remarks ended their White House stay, the team made stops at the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial before their late Friday evening flight to Minneapolis.

The Gopher wrestling team has now visited the White House and President Bush on two separate occasions, the other following the program’s first national championship in 2001.

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 5:59 PM | Permalink

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

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