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

Fort Hays State University announced on Thursday, June 26, 2008, the hiring of Chas Thompson as Head Wrestling Coach. Thompson becomes the 13th coach in the wrestling program's history.

Thompson comes to Fort Hays State from Pratt Community College, where he served as head coach for two years from 2006-2008. In his time at PCC, Thompson led the Beavers to 10th and 21st place finishes at the NJCAA National Tournament and coached two NJCAA All-Americans. He also coached 11 Academic All-Americans. His 2006-07 team was ranked as high as 6th in the nation and his dash 2007-08 team was ranked as high as 10th in the nation.

Thompson is no stranger to the Fort Hays State program, where he served as an assistant coach for three years prior to becoming the head coach at Pratt Community College. Thompson was a graduate assistant coach for two years at FHSU from 2003-2005. He was a student assistant coach during the 2002-03 season. Thompson had the privilege of helping coach five NCAA Division II All-Americans as an assistant at FHSU.

Outside his collegiate coaching experience, Thompson has also served in several other coaching roles. He was a coach for the Cadet National Team in Fargo, N.D., the past three years and a coach for the Southern Plains Wrestling Team the past four years. Thompson also served as a summer wrestling coach from 1999-2008 in the Freestyle, Folkstyle, and Greco Roman disciplines.

Thompson wrestled for Fort Hays State University from 1999-2002. He was a national qualifier during his junior season (1999-2000) after winning his weight class at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Championships/NCAA Division II West Regional.

Prior to competing at FHSU, Thompson wrestled for two seasons at Labette Community College under his father Jody Thompson. His father is a member of the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame, NJCAA Coaches Hall of Fame, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, and National Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Thompson earned NJCAA All-American honors as a sophomore and was a two-time national qualifi er for LCC.

A native of Parsons, Kan., Thompson compiled a record of 133-14 in his prep career at Parsons High School. He was named the Kansas Class 4A Wrestler of the Year after winning the state championship as a senior. He was a four-time state placer at PHS.

Thompson earned a bachelor's degree in Physical Education from Fort Hays State in 2003, and is currently working towards completion of his master's degree in Sports Administration at FHSU.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 2:27 AM | Permalink

'Tranquility' is usually not a word associated with members of the U.S. Olympic wrestling team. After all, the lives of these world-class athletes are a mix of discipline, training and putting their minds and skills to the test against other highly-trained wrestlers.

http://themat.com/images/PamperedTeam.jpg

So when Ben Askren, Clarissa Chun, Marcie Van Dusen, Randi Miller and Ali Bernard, all of whom will represent the U.S. in Beijing in August, had a chance to spend the afternoon being pampered by the pros at Tranquility Salon and Day Spa in Bedminster, N.J., they were understandably excited.

"Between training and preparing for matches and tournaments there isn't much time for facials and massages,�said Chun, a native of Hawaii who qualified at 48 KG. "It's fun to feel a little pampered and get to show that we're women as well as athletes."

For Miller, the U.S. women's representative at 63 KG, the day was a chance to relieve the stresses that competing has brought over the past few weeks getting ready for Team Trials. "We're happy to have this little breather in between Trials and Olympics, and we're aware of how intense the training will be," she explained. "But washing away that stress, even for a couple of hours, is a great way to re-energize for what's ahead."

The athletes have spent the past few days in the New York Metro area doing clinics, meet-and-greets and media appearances in support of "Fuel the Dream," a program instituted by USA Wrestling to assist the families of these athletes with travel expenses to Beijing. The time at "Tranquility" has also helped take the edge off their busy schedules while in the area.

"We are happy and honored to be able to support these tremendous athletes in this way," said Jody Maurais, owner of Tranquility, which has been in business for 18 years, including the past five at its present location, a charming two-story converted residence. "It's a sheer pleasure for us to be involved in this way, and to help make them feel relaxed and look great."

The session was the brainchild of Steven John Jastrabek, Tranquility's manager and artistic director and a longtime supporter of USA Wrestling. The makeovers preceded the team’s appearance at a special welcome dinner at the Bernards Inn in Bernardsville, which also served as a fundraiser for “Fuel the Dream.�

Even men's 74 KG freestyler Askren and his signature curly locks got in on the fun. "I think a couple of the guys were a little jealous,� he joked, “though they may not want to admit it."

"’Tranquility’ is all about making people feel good," added Maurais. "There's a therapeutic quality to what our professionals do for people, and the wrestlers got that same treatment today.�

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 6:53 AM | 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

Four new national champions crowned in wild U.S. Freestyle Nationals finals; Azevedo pins Cejudo at 55 kg
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
04/26/2008

LAS VEGAS, NEV. - It was a night for newcomers, as four of the seven winners won a Senior national title for the first time at the 2008 Las Vegas/ASICS U.S. National Freestyle Championships at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Saturday night.

The first four weight classes were captured by first-time winners: Matt Azevedo (Pismo Beach, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Shawn Bunch (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Doug Schwab (Iowa City, Iowa/Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Ben Askren (Columbia, Mo./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Azevedo shocked two-time U.S. Nationals champion and top-seed Henry Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) with a second period pin, 1-0, 0:18. Azevedo won the first period, scoring a takedown from the clinch. Early in the second period, Azevedo blocked a front headlock attempt by Cejudo and caught him on his back, securing the pin. Azevedo was named Outstanding Wrestler based upon his performance.

“I expected to win. I knew I could win a National title and obviously this is just a stepping stone to get to the Olympic team. This is a big goal. This is a big deal for me to be a National champion,� said Azevedo.

Azevedo took advantage of a move by Cejudo which he felt may have been forced.

“I think when you lose the first period it definitely changes your mind frame,� said Azevedo. “You feel like you have to go out and get the guy. A lot of times I feel like that too. I think he maybe tried to force something that wasn’t there.�

Bunch defeated Oklahoma State NCAA champion Coleman Scott (Waynesburg, Pa./Gator WC) in two straight periods, 4-0, 1-0. Bunch scored a three-point front headlock in the first period along with another takedown, and scored the only takedown in the second period.

“I’ve been beating guys all the time. I felt like I didn’t get respect for what I’ve been doing. I can beat all those guys. I think I’m the best in the world and I can win the Olympic gold if I make the team,� said Bunch.

Schwab, who was fifth in the 2007 World Championships, scored a two-period victory over 2006 World Champion Bill Zadick (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), 1-0, 3-0. Schwab won both periods by scoring takedowns from the clinch. In the first period, Zadick received one point for the takedown, and in the second period, he received three points for the exposure.

“Everybody knows each other so well. I’ve wrestled him. Everybody has wrestled everybody in our weight so many times. It just comes down to the fact that you do it so well it doesn’t even matter,� said Schwab.

Askren won in two straight periods, defeating 2006 World Team Trials runner-up Tyrone Lewis (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC), 3-0, 3-2. Askren won the first period with a three-point double leg takedown. In the second period, trailing 2-0, Askren scored a two-point exposure and a takedown for the victory.

“You know I had a lot of things I wanted to do this year. I said this year I wanted to be tough. This year is for the Olympics. That’s all I do everyday, my life’s boring, but it paid off,� said Askren.

Previous champions won the next three matches, with Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) capturing his third U.S. Nationals title at 84 kg/185 lbs. and 2004 Olympian Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Sunkist Kids) winning his sixth career nationals title with a win at 96 kg/211.5 pounds and Tommy Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) winning his second straight national gold at 120 kg/264.5 pounds.

Lawal defeated 2006 World Team member Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC), 1-1, 1-0. In the first period, Hrovat scored the first takedown, with Lawal taking the second takedown, winning the period on the tiebreaker of last point scored. In the second period, Lawal had the only takedown.

Cormier was dominant in his 7-0, 2-0 victory over Nik Fekete (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC). In the first period technical fall, Cormier scored two takedowns for one point, a two-point gutwrench and a three-point front headlock. In the second period, Cormier added two more takedowns.

Lawal and Cormier met in the finals of the 2007 U.S. Nationals, with Cormier winning by 1-0, 1-0. Cormier also beat Lawal in the finals of the World Team Trials. This year, Lawal dropped back to 84 kg/185 lbs. and both were national champions. Both wrestlers attended Oklahoma State and are friends.

In a hotly contested heavyweight finals, Rowlands defeated Steve Mocco (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) , 3-0, 0-2, 1-0. The action was so intense that the wrestlers traded blows at the end of the second period.

Rowlands won the first period with a takedown with exposure from the clinch. Mocco had a takedown and a stepout for points in the second period. The only point in the final round was when Rowlands forced Mocco to step out on a hip toss during a scramble.

By winning the U.S. Nationals, three wrestlers qualified to advance directly to the best-of-three series at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. There are four criteria that a 2008 National champion must meet in order to skip straight into the final series. They are:
• Top 10 finish at the 2005, 2006 or 2007 Senior World Championships
• 2005 University World Games medalist
• 2005, 2006 or 2007 Junior World medalist
• Multiple-time U.S. World Team member

Based upon these criteria, advancing into the finals series are Schwab, Lawal and Rowlands. The other four champions will enter the Challenge Tournament portion of the tournament.

The top seven placewinners at each weight class qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nev., June 13-15.

U.S. NATIONAL FREESTYLE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Las Vegas, Nev., April 26

55 kg/121 lbs.
1st – Matt Azevedo, Pismo Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) pin Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 1-0, 0:18
3rd - Danny Felix, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Nick Simmons, Williamstown, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), 2-1, 0-2, 3-0
5th - Vic Moreno, Palo Alto, Calif (Gator WC) dec. Grant Nakamura, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 5-0,6-2
7th - Adam Smith, State College, Pa. (New York AC) dec. Javier Maldonado, Kissimmee, Fla. (Sunkist Kids), 6-0, 1-0

60 kg/132 lbs.
1st – Shawn Bunch, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) dec. Coleman Scott, Waynesburg, Pa. (Gator WC), 4-0, 1-0
3rd - Teyon Ware, Oklahoma City, Okla. (New York AC) dec. Dylan Long, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 5-1, 1-0
5th - Michael Lightner, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) inj. dft. over Zach Roberson, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids),
7th - Drew Headlee, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Pittsburgh) dec. Franklin Gomez, Brandon, Fla. (Michigan WC), 3-2, 6-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1st – Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC) dec. Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 1-0, 3-0
3rd - Jared Frayer, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) dec. Chris Bono, Ringold, Ga. (Sunkist Kids), 1-0,5-1
5th - Brent Metcalf, Davison, Mich. (Gator WC) inj. dft. Zack Esposito, Stillwater, OK (Gator Wrestling Club),
7th - Trent Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) dec. Eric Larkin, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 0-1, 1-1, 2-1

74 kg/163 lbs.
1st – Ben Askren, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Tyrone Lewis, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC), 3-0, 3-2
3rd - Ryan Churella, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC) dec. Matt Lackey, Champaign, Ill. (New York AC), 5-2, 1-2, 3-0
5th - Ramico Blackmon, Colorado Springs Colo. (New York AC) dec. Travis Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 1-0, 2-0
7th - Eric Luedke, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) dec. Casey Cunningham, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), 0-6,1-0,3-0

84 kg/185 lbs.
1st – Mo Lawal, Temecula, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor Mich. (New York AC), 1-1, 1-0
3rd - Bryce Hasseman, Bloomsburg, Pa, (New York AC) inj. dft. Clint Wattenberg, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York Athletic Club),
5th - B J Padden, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) inj. dft. Matt Pell, Charlottesville, Va. (Cavalier WC),
7th - Jake Varner, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) dec. Tyrel Todd, , (New York AC), 2-0,7-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
1st – Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator Wrestling Club) dec. Nik Fekete, Iowa City Iowa (New York AC), 7-0,2-0
3rd - Willie Parks, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Kurt Backes, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 0-1, 2-0, 1-0
5th - Damion Hahn, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York Athletic Club) dec. Max Askren, Hartland, Wis. (Sunkist Kids), 7-0, 3-0
7th - Nick Preston, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) dec. Konrad Dudziak, Bayonne, N.J. (New York AC), 1-0, 3-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
1st - Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) dec. Steve Mocco, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 3-0, 0-2, 1-0
3rd - Tervel Dlagnev, Kearney, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Tolly Thompson, Waterloo, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 1-0, 0-1, 3-0
5th - Les Sigman, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Patrick Cummins, State College Pa. (New York AC), 2-0,2-0
7th - Scott Steele, Baltimore, Md. (Navy Mat Club) dec. Dom Bradley, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids), 0-1, 1-0, 1-1

Div. I Team champion – Sunkist Kids, 109 pts.
Div. I Team runner-up – New York AC, pts.

Div. II Team champions – Gator WC, 62 pts.

USAW, LSV, and FloWrestling all provided wrestling videos for the event.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:53 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

Here is a pretty good collection of NCAA Wrestling Tournament's, Olympics, and High School Wrestling Events.

• 2008 World Cup
  
• 2007 Beast (HS)
  
• 2007 Ironman (HS)
  
• 2007 Midlands
  
• 2007 All-Star Classic
  
• 2007 A. Medved Int'l
  
• 2007 World Cup
  
• 2007 US Team Trials
  
• 2007 Fila World Cup
  
• 2007 Baku Worlds
  
• 2007 Russia Seniors
  
• 2007 D1 NCAAs
  
• 2006 Super Cup
  
• 2006 Dapper Dan (HS)
  
• 2006 D1 NCAAs
  
• 2006 Midlands
  
• 2005 D1 NCAAs
  
• 2005 European Championship
  
• 2005 Dapper Dan (HS)
  
• 2004 Olympics
  
• 2001 D1 NCAAs
  
• 2000 Olympics
  
• 2000 D1 NCAAs
  
• 1999 D1 NCAAs
  
• 1998 D1 NCAAs
  
• 1997 D1 NCAAs
  
• 1996 Olympics
  
• 1994 D1 NCAAs
  
• 1993 D1 NCAAs
  
• 1992 Olympics
  
• 1989 D1 NCAAs
  
• 1988 Olympics
  
• 1988 Olympic Trials
  
• 1988 D1 NCAAs
  
• 1987 D1 NCAAs
  
• 1984 Olympic Trials

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:52 AM | 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

Nebraska upsets Penn State
University of Nebraska Sports Information

The tenth-ranked Husker wrestling team snatched six matches from Penn State to earn a 19-13 upset of the No. 1 Nittany Lions in the second round of the Nationals Duals on Saturday. The win improves Nebraska to 8-1 in duals this season and now pits NU against No. 6 Minnesota in the semifinals tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Yet another young Husker stepped up for Nebraska as sophomore Mike Rowe made his season debut at 141 pounds and recorded a 6-4 win over No. 2 Jake Strayer. Rowe jumped on Strayer early by earning the first takedown, but a collision between Strayer's teeth and Rowe's forehead in the second period slowed Rowe down. Rowe battled blood throughout the rest of the match, but scored a reversal with a minute left in the final period to retake the lead and win.

Junior Paul Donahoe notched the Huskers' only bonus-point victory in a tightly contested dual as he earned a 13-4 major decision over No. 7 Mark McKnight at 125 pounds. Donahoe entered the third period up just two but recorded three takedowns and an escape in the final stanza to widen the gap. Donahoe's two victories on Saturday were both over ranked opponents and improved him to 10-0 on the season and 7-0 in duals.

The Huskers' four other wins were all by decision as each team only had one bonus-point victory. Sophomore Kenny Jordan recorded his second win of the day at 133 with a 2-0 win over Tim Haas, while fellow sophomore Stephen Dwyer also went 2-0 on the day at 165. Dwyer notched a 5-3 win over Dave Rella, before junior Brandon Browne won 5-4 over No. 17 Dave Erwin at 174. Junior Vince Jones clinched a Husker victory with his 10-5 decision over No. 14 Philip Bomberger at 184. Jones win put the Huskers up 19-6 with two matches left.

The Huskers will look for revenge against Minnesota in the semifinals tomorrow at 11 a.m. The Golden Gophers earned a 25-13 dual win over NU on Dec. 6 in Minneapolis, but the Huskers forfeited two weights to give Minnesota 12 easy points.

Wrestling Videos
NCAA Wrestling Rankings

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:24 PM | Permalink

Minnesota defeats West Virginia, Central Michigan
University of Minnesota Sports Information

The defending national champion Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling team stayed alive in the 2008 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, defeating both West Virginia and No. 5 Central Michigan Saturday in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The sixth-ranked Gophers (seeded fifth this weekend) rolled over the Mountaineers 32-9 in their first round match-up before squeaking by the Chippewas 20-16 in Saturday afternoon's second round.

Minnesota, which is the two-time defending team champion in the annual 16-team Division I portion of the tournament, won 13 of 20 bouts in their first two duals and advances to face No. 10 Nebraska in Sunday's semifinal. The Gophers have won their past 10 National Duals meets dating back to 2006 and are attempting to become just the second team in the 18-year history of the event to win three titles in a row (Oklahoma State won three in a row from 2003-05).

Minnesota's first meet of the tournament began bright and early at 9 a.m. against the unranked Mountaineers of West Virginia. One-hundred twenty-five pound sophomore Jayson Ness, sitting on a consecutive pins streak of six (tied for third-longest in school history) saw his streak come to an end but still gave the Gophers a 6-0 lead with a win by injury default. Seniors Mack Reiter (an 18-1 tech fall decision) and Manny Rivera (a pin in 4:48) followed Ness with victories of their own and gave the Gophers a commanding 17-0 lead in the dual.

Two-time All-American Dustin Schlatter was held out of this weekend's competition due to injury, and his replacement (freshman Luke Mellmer) suffered a defeat before No. 6 C.P. Schlatter emerged with a win in the only match between ranked wrestlers in the dual. Schlatter scored a takedown with 30 seconds remaining to gain a 4-1 win over No. 17 Zac Fryling of WVU, giving Minnesota a 20-3 lead.

2007 NCAA qualifier Tyler Safratowich filled in for the injured No. 18 Scott Glasser at 165 pounds and won handily, a 6-2 decision. After a pin from No. 10 Gabe Dretsch at 174 pounds and losses by Brandon Sitch (filling in for second-ranked Roger Kish at 184) and Justin Bronson (197 pounds), the Gophers' newest heavyweight – former 197-pound sophomore Yura Malamura – scored an impressive upset victory over No. 13 Dustin Rogers of West Virginia. Despite giving up a significant weight advantage to the ranked heavyweight, Malamura used superior speed and quickness to emerge the 7-5 victor.

The Gophers' next opponent, the fourth-seeded Chippewas, proved a much more difficult test. Despite a Kish loss at 184 pounds, the Gophers prevailed behind an important Dretsch upset of No. 3 Brandon Sinnott at 174 pounds. Minnesota is now 9-0 all-time against Central Michigan in dual meets, including 5-0 in National Duals competition.
Ness improved his season record to 21-0 with yet another opening-meet victory at 125 pounds, topping No. 14 Luke Smith of CMU 8-2. The Gophers' lightweight dominance continued at 133 and 141 pounds, with Reiter and Rivera picking up their second wins of the weekend. Reiter picked up a bonus point with a 10-1 major decision over Conor Beebe, and Rivera defeated No. 16 Eric Kruger 7-5 to put the Gophers up 10-0 in the dual.

After Mellmer was quickly pinned in the 149-pound match (making the score 10-6), C.P. Schlatter and Safratowich go the Gophers back on track. Schlatter trounced Tyler Grayson 8-2 to make the team score 13-6 in favor of Minnesota, and Safratowich picked up four more team points with a 13-5 major decision win of his own, setting up Dretsch's heroics.

With a 17-6 lead entering the final four matches of the dual, Minnesota needed an individual victory in at least one to ensure a team win. Dretsch (who entered the weekend ranked 10th at 174 pounds) was up to the task and controlled the country's third-ranked wrestler for most of the match en route to a 6-3 win. The victory was Dretsch's third over a ranked opponent this season as Sinnott becomes is the highest-ranked wrestler Dretsch has defeated in 144 career matches.

Kish, who had not competed in a meet or tournament in over a month due to injury, played it safe in his match with No. 3 Christian Sinnott but lost a tight 3-2 decision. It was just the second loss of the season for Kish (following a 3-1 defeat by No. 1 Jake Varner on Dec. 2) as he dropped to 8-2 on the season.

With a 20-9 lead entering the final two matches of the meet, the Gophers simply needed to avoid being pinned twice to win the dual. Bronson accomplished just that at 197 pounds, lasting the entire seven minutes despite a 17-4 major decision loss. Malamura battled against the much-heavier No. 8 Bubba Gritter at heavyweight but closed out the meet with an 8-3 loss.

The Gophers now advance to face the upstart Cornhuskers, a team many experts believed to be a tournament favorite despite entering the event unseeded. The Gophers' early-season victory over Nebraska was actually much closer than the final score (25-13 in favor of Minnesota) would suggest – the Cornhuskers won four of the eight matches in which they did not forfeit. The Gophers enjoy a 46-17 edge in the all-time series with Nebraska, with one of those wins (a 30-9 victory in 2001) coming at the National Duals.

After missing the two teams' early-season match-up due to an injury, the Huskers have regained the services of 2007 125-pound national champ Paul Donahoe, setting up a potentially memorable match-up with Ness Sunday morning. The pair have met three times in their careers thus far – Ness won twice in 2006-07, but Donanhoe was a 5-2 winner at the 2007 NWCA All-Star Classic last November.

If the Gophers can advance past the Cornhuskers, they would face the winner of Iowa and Michigan in the championship at 3 p.m. Gophersports.com will be on hand to provide match-by-match updates, and fans can also follow the action live via LiveSportsVideo.com and TakedownRadio.com.

The NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals features 86 teams (including Divisions I through III, NAIA and NJCAA) and over 1,400 wrestlers on 18 mats of continuous competition. The University of Northern Iowa is hosting the event for the third straight year at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 7:23 PM | Permalink

The 2007 Midlands Wrestling Tournament is over, and here are the midlands videos from the finals.. A couple great match ups, including Varner vs. Herbert.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 8:36 PM | Permalink

Here are a couple samples of the new wrestling video library on TheWrestlingTalk.com.

• John Smith v. Tom Brands 1991 US Open
• Cael Sanderson v. Adam Saitiev 2004 Yarygin
• 2006 NCAA Finals - Schlatter vs Eustice
• 2005 Nationals Quarterfinals - 133lbs - Bunch vs Morgan

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 3:55 AM | Permalink

TheWrestlingTalk has released an amateur wrestling videos section that can be used by all members. There are college wrestling videos, high school wrestling videos, and much more. Currently all YouTube videos are included in the section, with plans of adding all flowrestling.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 5:18 PM | Permalink