"I am very excited to announce the addition of Matt Gentry, Ray Blake and Vic Moreno to the Cardinal coaching staff," said Borrelli. "All three represent the mission of Stanford Wrestling and will be huge assets in attracting top student athletes to the University."
Gentry, a 2008 Olympian and former Stanford NCAA Champion, has served as the squad's volunteer assistant coach while training for the Olympics the past three seasons. In those three years, he has helped the Cardinal to a 29-19 dual meet record, coached Stanford wrestlers to five All-America honors and helped seven individuals qualify for the NCAA Championships. Working mostly with the middle weights, Gentry helped guide 157-pounder Josh Zupancic to back-to-back All-America honors the last two seasons and an appearance in the 2008 NCAA semifinals. In his first year as a full-time member of the staff, Gentry will be primarily responsible for developing the middle weights.
One of the most successful wrestlers in school history, Gentry was a four-time NCAA qualifier and became Stanford's first NCAA Champion as a junior in 2004. That year, his 4-2 decision in the 157-pound title bout capped a perfect 42-0 season and etched Gentry's name in the Stanford record books as its 11th All-American. Gentry won 64 straight bouts between 2003 and 2005, topping the previous best of 23 consecutive wins and became the first Stanford wrestler to take the crown at Midlands. He finished his career with a 138-25 record, with a win total that still stands second on the Cardinal's all-time chart.
Gentry began his international career following his graduation from Stanford in 2005. A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, he has collected a number of top finishes internationally. In 2006, he captured fifth at the University World Championships and in 2007 he won his first major international medal, a bronze, at the 2007 Pan Am Games. Competing at 74 kg (163 lbs) and representing Canada, Gentry became the school's first male Olympian when he competed at the Beijing Games last summer.
"Matt brings a tremendous amount of wealth and experience to our wrestling room and embodies everything we look for in a student-athlete," said Borrelli. "He will oversee the development of our middle weights and will have a large role in recruiting and other administrative tasks within the program."
Blake returns to the Stanford coaching staff after a one-year hiatus spent at law school in Chicago. Two years ago, he was part of the staff that led Stanford to an 8-8 mark, helped a school-record five wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships and coached two wrestlers to All-America honors in the same season for the first time in four decades. In his return to The Farm, Blake will focus his efforts on the continued development of the Cardinal middle and upper weights.
Blake captained the Cardinal squad in 2005-06 and led the team to its second winning season in three years with an 8-7 record. The 165-pounder capped off his 41-win senior campaign with his first NCAA Championship appearance and a No. 12 national ranking. Blake earned Pac-10 All-Academic Honorable Mention accolades in his final season and placed third at the 2006 Pac-10 Championships. He also won the 2006 Jake Gimbel Award, presented to the male senior for excellence of attitude in athletic endeavor.
Blake finished his career at Stanford with a 51-18 record and graduated with a degree in psychology in 2006.
"I am delighted that Ray has chosen to rejoin the Stanford coaching staff," said Borrelli. "He brings an outgoing personality to our coaching staff and will be a very positive addition to our program. His administrative skills and experience with our summer camps will be very beneficial."
Moreno has spent the last two years coaching the Cardinal Wrestling Club, and will join the Stanford staff for the first time this season. A two-time All-American at Cal Poly, Moreno qualified for the NCAA Championships three times at 125 pounds during his collegiate career and was a two-time Pac-10 placer. As a senior in 2004-05, Moreno captained the squad and claimed the 125-pound Pac-10 title.
Moreno spent the 2005-06 season as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, during which he began his international career. In 2006, he claimed the 60 kg freestyle title at University Nationals and won the Sunkist and NYAC International Open Championships at 55 kg. In 2007, he placed third in U.S Open and World Team Trials and claimed another title at the NYAC International Open. In 2008, he earned a bronze medal at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and placed fifth at the U.S Open and Olympic Team Trials.
"Vic brings a tremendous work ethic to our wrestling room," said Borrelli. "The entire team will benefit greatly from his energy and excitement. He has established a great relationship with coaches and fans within the community, which will have a huge impact on our summer camps and local sports club."
Borrelli and his staff return 12 letterwinners, three NCAA qualifiers and seven Pac-10 starters to the roster for 2008-09. The Cardinal will host wrestle-offs on Oct. 25, before opening the season against Navy and Cal State Bakersfield on Nov. 8.
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