InterMat Staff

J Robinson and the University of Minnesota wrestling coaching staff will host its annual coaches' clinic on Friday, October 24. The event begins at 1:00 p.m. at Bierman Field Athletic Complex. Registration runs from 12:30-1:00 p.m. A welcome from head coach J Robinson and a season outlook will begin the event. The day also includes a technique clinic led by former Olympican Cary Kolat, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA All-American. Mack Reiter, a three-time NCAA All-American, Big Ten individual champion and Junior Pan-American champion, will lead a session on cradles and defense to cradles later in the afternoon. The afternoon session will conclude with a live Minnesota wrestling practice. After an hour-long dinner break, Duke University professor and doctor of sports psychology, Dr. Gregory Dale, will deliver a speech on ‘A Model For Success and Teambuilding' to kick off the evening session. A second technique clinic by Cary Kolat and a social will follow. Registration is available until Oct. 21 for a cost of $100. Those registering after Oct. 21 will incur an additional $15 fee. Days Inn is offering a hotel discount for the event. For more information, contact: Mack Reiter reit0125@umn.edu 612.626.7697

DES MOINES -- Takedown Wrestling Radio (TDR) announced a new interactive feature and program designed to connect all members of the wrestling community. TDR's Wrestling Round Table is a weekly Internet radio program with a concurrent chat room feature. The premier two hour TDR Wrestling Round Table event begins Wednesday, October 15 at 7 p.m. CST. Subsequent programs will alternate between Wednesdays and Thursdays based on wrestling schedules that week and announced through normal channels. Anyone with a computer can join in discussions with top journalists from the wrestling world at takedownradio.com. Concurrent audio streaming and chat room functions allow instantaneous communication between all participants. Scott Casber, co-founder and host of TDR, serves as moderator and is joined each week by a top flight of wrestling reporters, experts, and statisticians. "We've divided the country into five regions and have selected leading authorities representing each of those regions to participate in the audio portion of the program," Casber described. "Our listeners can now become participants themselves by providing questions, perspectives, opinions, and advise in the chat room feature at Takedownradio.com. Listeners logged into the program will be able to view on their computer screen all comments being made by everyone participating," Casber concluded. Inaugural guest hosts will represent specific geographic regions and include: Jeff Breese: InterMat Chief (Pennsylvania, Region 1) Pat Costilow: Co-founder of Ohiowrestling.net (Mideast, Region 2) Andrew Hipps: Founder RevWrestling.com (Southeast, Region 3) Matt Krumrie: TheWrestlingMall.com (West, Region 4) Britt Milinsky: Well known pundit and statistician (Midwest and Northwest, Region 5) Earl Smith: Founder of D1collegewrestling.net (Mid Atlantic, Region 6) Confirmed future expert contributors include Dan Cosimi from ohiowrestling.net, long time Oklahoma State University voice J. Carl Guyman, Wisconsin wrestling pundit Koy Kosek, W.I.N. Magazines Bryan Van Kley and Mike Finn, TDR's Steve Foster among others. "For the past 11 years, the Saturday morning TDR program has been primarily interview driven. You could go down a list and basically check off every luminary in the wrestling world that's been on the show," stated Casber. "TDR's Wrestling Round Table allows us to maintain the Saturday format, benefit from the relationships we built there, and expand our coverage to include the entire wrestling community. Now, youth wrestlers in small communities who want to connect with their heroes can realize their dream. It's a brave new world, and this is our way to embrace it," completed Casber on a visionary note. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard! Each week, Every week of the year! You make the call, ask the questions and participate in your show. Takedown Wrestling Radio's NEW TDR Wrestling Round Table. Wednesday October 15, 7 p.m. CST at Takedownradio.com. Jump in to the chat room and participate. TDR is currently developing other new technology products along with synergistic partners. Details on those developments will be provided in the near future. Our thanks to our partners who make this program possible.

Clockwise from upper left: J Robinson, Jayson Ness, Mario Mason, Dustin Schlatter (Photos/The Guillotine & Tech-Fall.com) The University of Minnesota is coming off a disappointing 10th place finish at the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. The Gophers, who won the NCAA title in 2007, lost four All-Americans to graduation. There are a lot of questions that still need to be answered about the Gophers entering this season. It was media day on Wednesday for the Gopher wrestling team. Minnesota coach J Robinson addressed the media. RevWrestling.com also caught up with Gopher All-Americans Jayson Ness and Dustin Schlatter … as well as talented freshman Mario Mason. Media Day Interviews: Rev Audio: J Robinson Rev Audio: Jayson Ness Rev Audio: Dustin Schlatter Rev Audio: Mario Mason

This week we'll be in our Brute Adidas home studios. Next week we'll be live from Las Vegas with Randy and Kim Couture to cover Night of Combat 2 from the Thomas and Mack Center. We'll be joined by a lot of great guests like Gray Maynard and Jay Hieron to name a few. Lots going on in wrestling. Jackson departs USA Wrestling-Thank you to Kevin Jackson for your years of service to wrestling. All of us at TDR wish you continued success at Sunkist. Art Martori is fortunate to be able to hire such an experienced and dedicated Coach. Over the past few days we have interviewed many of wrestling's top people for the Intermatwrestle.com premium service. If you are not a member, please consider joining today. Visit Intermatwrestle.com for more information. These are one of a kind candid interviews wrestling enthusiasts will really enjoy! This week on Takedown Radio: 9:05 Connie Christiansen- Penn State Wrestling Club Historian. We continue our recognition of 100 years of wrestling at Penn State with one the Nittany Lions most fervent supporters. 9:20 Dr. Tom "Doc" Allen-Oklahoma State Cowboy team Physician. This former Varsity pole vaulter and past Dean of the OSU medical school has treated every team member for everything from poked eyes, broken noses, chipped teeth, bit tongues and everything north and south for over a decade. A treasure to the Cowboys program and to our sport. He is the calm before the storm. A bright light in our sport! 9:40 Mark Schwab- Head Coach of NIACC. What changes are in store for the fall under his leadership? Who are the new recruits. What can the fans expect? Tune in and find out. 10:05 Ron Kruck- Inside MMA on HDNet host of Kruck's Korner. Since 2003, Kruck has worked as a host, reporter and producer for Mark Cuban's national high definition network HDNet. Covering both mixed martial arts and boxing, Kruck is an integral part of the network's HDNet Fights series. He's been a feature reporter for the MLS, studio host for NHL games and host of the Broadway Boxing Series. 10:20 Tom Borrelli-Head Coach of the Chippewas of Cent. Mich. Borrelli has built a dynasty in his 17 seasons. His Chippewas have strung together nine consecutive Mid-American Conference titles and six consecutive MAC Championships crowns. His incoming recruiting class is ranked 3rd nationally. 10:40 Jason Valek-Head Coach of D II Powerhouse. Martin Fleming, editor of The Takedown Report, has recognized Newberry College in all divisions as the top team in the Carolinas. Martin should know he covers the Carolinas like a blanket. Tune in and find out why. I can feel it, smell it! It's in the air. Get your tickets to the greatest show on earth. College Wrestling is around the corner! Miss a show? No worries, you can get Takedown Radio at Takedownradio.com from our archives section or via Pod Cast all at no charge thanks to our sponsors.

The annual wrestling dual between Minnesota and Iowa will air live on the Big Ten Network, the network announced this week. The Gophers and Hawkeyes will meet on Sun., Feb. 15 at 2:00 p.m. in Iowa City. The program also finalized start times for three other road dual meets. The program's Jan. 30 dual at Penn State will begin at 7:00 p.m. (CT). A Feb. 13 meet at Wisconsin is also slated for a 7:00 start, as is the Gophers' Feb. 20 dual at Iowa State.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Vic Marcucci and Jason McCloud. Vic Marcucci was an NCAA champion and three-time all-american at Iowa State University in the mid 1960s. Wrestling at 167 pounds, he placed third, then dropped to 160 and took second and first in consecutive NCAA tournaments. Originally from the Chicago area, Marcucci has been a resident of Waterloo, Iowa for the last two decades. Jason McCloud is the head wrestling coach at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, IA. Iowa Lakes, along with NIACC in Mason City, is the second junior college program in Iowa to start or restart a wrestling program in the last two years. McCloud previously coached eight successful seasons at Jamestown College in South Dakota, an NAIA school. McCloud was a two-time state runner up for Simley High School in Minnesota and was a four year starter at Arizona State University in the 1990s. "On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa this Thursday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. The show is normally on each Wednesday at the above time. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

PITTSBURGH -- The University of Pittsburgh's head wrestling coach Rande Stottlemyer has announced the 2008-09 Panthers schedule. Seven matches are slated to take place in Fitzgerald Field House, highlighted by visits from Big Ten foes Northwestern and Illinois. The Panthers will meet four teams that placed in the top-25 at last year's NCAA Championships, including Central Michigan (seventh), Northwestern (13th), Illinois (14th) and Edinboro (21st). Pitt opens the season in East Lansing, Mich., at the Michigan State Open, Sunday, Nov. 9. In their two dual matches during the month of November, the Panthers host Lehigh (Nov. 15) and Bloomsburg (Nov. 19). Pitt finishes the month on the road at the Keystone Classic hosted by the Penn Sunday, Nov. 23. The squad then heads west to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 5-6) before returning home to host Northwestern (Dec. 19) in their only dual match of the month. Pitt finishes the year in Evanston, Ill., at the Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30). Pitt rotates between home and away matches during January. The Panthers host Illinois (Jan. 10) before hitting the road for an Eastern Wrestling League matchup with Lock Haven (Jan. 15). Three days later, Pitt hosts Mid-American Conference power Central Michigan (Jan. 18). Pitt will head east to Philadelphia for the second time during the 2008-09 season for a dual against Penn (Jan. 25) before hosting conference rival Cleveland State (Jan. 28). On the last day of the month, the Panthers will head to Kent State to battle the Golden Flashes (Jan. 31). February features just three dual matches, but all will be against EWL rivals. Pitt hosts border rival West Virginia (Feb. 7) in the final home match of the season at Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers finish the regular-season on the road at Clarion (Feb. 13) and Edinboro (Feb. 20). Postseason action gets underway March 7 with the EWL Championships hosted by Lock Haven. Following the EWL Championships, the NCAA Championships return to St. Louis, Mo., for the second consecutive year.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma vice president for intercollegiate athletics programs and director of athletics Joe Castiglione and head coach Jack Spates announced the 2008-09 wrestling schedule Thursday. The annual Red/White scrimmage will be held Oct. 29, at the University of Central Oklahoma before official competition opens when OU travels to Brockport, N.Y., for the annual Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic on Nov. 8. The 19-match season includes eight home matches versus Central Oklahoma (Nov. 13), Oklahoma City (Nov. 20), Old Dominion (Nov. 23), Oklahoma State (Dec. 7), Maryland (Jan. 16), North Carolina State (Jan. 30), Missouri (Feb. 6) and Nebraska (Feb. 8). In addition to traveling to the Brockport Classic, Oklahoma participates in the Big 12/Pac-10 Challenge on Dec. 13, in San Luis Obispo, Calif., where it faces Cal-Bakersfield, Cal-Fullerton and Cal Poly. The Lonestar Duals in Arlington, Texas, matches the Sooners against North Carolina, Stanford and Appalachian State on Jan. 3. Other road contests feature Oklahoma at Chattanooga (Jan. 11), Arizona State (Jan. 18), Iowa State (Jan. 23), Michigan State (Feb. 15) and Oklahoma State (Feb. 22). Eight teams the Sooners are pitted against this season finished in the top 25 at last year's NCAA Championships (Nebraska, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Stanford, Maryland and North Carolina State). "As always, this is an extremely competitive schedule," Spates said. "Last year we had the 12th most competitive schedule in the nation and we have significantly upgraded it this year. We think that this kind of battling will harden our guys for the end run and will result in a strong NCAA performance." The Sooners will begin postseason competition at the Big 12 Championships March 7, in Lincoln, Neb. The NCAA Championships will make a return trip to St. Louis, Mo., and are slated for March 19-21.

Cumberland University wrestling has three sets of brothers for the Fall 2008 school year; Adam and Estil (Trey) Myers, Cody and Corey Bleaken, and Andrew and James Casadaban. Adam and Trey Myers were true freshman and a junior last year and both redshirted in the 2007-2008 season. This year they will be redshirt freshman and redshirt junior at 157 and 174 respectively. The Myers brothers went to Vandalia Butler High school in Dayton, Ohio. Trey Myers is a two-time NAIA national qualifier and led all freshmen in 2005-2006 with 21 wins. Adam is a two-time state alternate and will compete for a starting spot this season at 157 or 165. This season two more sets of brothers will be added to the roster as Cody and Andrew will join their brothers Corey and James. Cody and Corey Bleaken are from Clifton High school in Clifton, New Jersey. Cody will compete at the 133 or141 weight class and Corey will compete at the 149 or157 weight class. Cody was high school athlete of the year last year at Clifton High. Corey was 3rd in the NAIA national tournament in 2007 as a true freshman at 149 and had a school record 40 wins that season and was a national qualifier in 2008. Andrew and James Casadaban are from Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Andrew will compete at 133 or 141 weight class and James will compete at 157 weight class. Andrew was a 2008 state champion for Brother Martin last year. James was a redshirt freshman last year and was a NAIA national qualifier. Head coach Jarad Swint said "It is pretty unique to have three sets of brothers. It is great to see the family support that these young men get. They are all very different but one thing is for sure they all get good family support. We see each of their families during the season every year. The Myers family started things off this year by being at the first conditioning run. Adam and Trey's younger brother Jesse and Mr. Myers ran with us and Mrs. Myers was also present supporting the guys. Mr. Bleaken has been out to the national tournament every year and you can see how much he enjoys the sport. The Casadaban family is like an entire crew. Their parents, grandparents, girlfriends and other family members will show up at any number of tournaments. I know all of the families are excited about the season and we are looking forward to all of the family support. We had great family support at the national tournament in 2008 and we look forward to having that kind of support again and hopefully even better from the entire team. Our success is very dependent on the family support these young men receive each year. I know one thing for sure most of our guys wrestle better when their family is around. Even a phone call to see how they did helps them!"

DES MOINES -- Nationally recognized announcer, commentator, promoter, and Take Down Radio founder Scott Casber returned to the set of the HD-Net program Inside MMA. He was joined by other panelists, UFC World Champion Georges St. Pierre and top ranked female fighter Gina Carano. This was Casber's second time on the show, following his previous appearance with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Casber has assisted with casting on the program based on the relationships he's made during eleven plus years reporting on wrestling, MMA, and other combat sports. Inside MMA is a weekly news and talk program exploring current events and all aspects of mixed martial arts (MMA). New episodes premier each Friday at 9:30 EST. Casber, St. Pierre, and Carano can be viewed during Episode 236 at the following link. http://www.hd.net/insidemma.html Additionally, Casber will travel to Baghdad in late October with a small contingent including MMA fighters, actors, and musicians. During the eight day tour, Casber will host public appearances, private visitations, and combative contests between competing US troops stationed there. The USO has assembled a top team of MMA personalities to entertain as well as to educate our soldiers. Casber will be joined by UFC star Hermes Franca, renowned kick boxer and MMA fighter Rob Kamen, former World Champion kick boxer turned actor Tony Schiena, as well as others.

NORFOLK, Va. -- The No. 22 ODU wrestling team will return to the mats for its annual Blue/Silver Intersquad to kick off the 2008-09 season on October 26 at 12:30 pm. The intersquad will be held in the Athletic Administration Building at ODU with parking available behind the building off of Elkhorn Avenue. The team is coming off one of the best seasons in school history after posting a 17-3 record in duals and qualifying six wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament. Returning eight of ten starters from last year, head coach Steve Martin, now in his fifth year at the helm, is anticipating another solid year from his program. The 2008-09 team boasts seven national qualifiers, including 2008 All-American James Nicholson at 125 lbs and two-time NCAA Qualifier Ryan Williams at 141 lbs. Kyle Hutter (133), Chris Brown (165), Eric Decker (184), Jesse Strawn (197) and Andy Totusek (Hwt.) are the other national qualifiers. The projected lineup was good enough to be ranked 22nd in the nation according to the Pre-Season rankings offered by W.I.N. Magazine. Several Monarchs are ranked individually by W.I.N. and also by Wrestling USA. Nicholson comes in at fourth (W.I.N.) and fifth (Wrestling USA) after his All-American run, while Chris Brown also checks in among the top ten in his weight, listed as the ninth best 165-pounder by W.I.N. Magazine; Brown also ranks 19th by Wrestling USA. Hutter ranks 15th (W.I.N.) and earned a Special Mention by Wrestling USA, while Williams comes in at 20th (W.I.N.) and also earned a Special Mention in Wrestling USA. Strawn, bumping up to 197 lbs this season, ranks 18th in the nation by Wrestling USA in his third year for ODU. In addition to an already deep roster, the Monarchs coaching staff brought in yet another top ten recruiting class in 2008. Rookies David Wilson (Hwt.) and Joe Budi (184) could provide a boost to the starting lineup, with newcomers Jacob Kahnke (197), Craig Wilson (141), and Brennan Brumley (133) also adding depth to the Monarch roster. Transfer Eric Decker, an NCAA qualifier, will battle to earn a spot in the starting lineup for ODU as well. The full ODU schedule will be forthcoming, but Monarch fans can look forward to home dates against the ACC's Virginia and Virginia Tech, as well as duals against No. 25 Northern Iowa, Purdue, UNC Greensboro and George Mason. ODU will also travel to face top competition this season, including a weekend swing against No. 6 Oklahoma State and No. 20 Oklahoma, who boast 41 national championships between the two schools. ODU will also travel to the Northeast Duals, which will include a dual against No. 5 Missouri. All dates and times for the ODU schedule will be released at a later date.

PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania's head wrestling coach Zeke Jones has announced his resignation to accept a position as the head coach of the United States freestyle national team. Zeke Jones (Photo/Hunter Martin)With Jones' resignation, Penn has also announced that assistant coach Rob Eiter has been appointed interim head coach of the program. "Penn has been a tremendous place for me and my family," Jones said. "It has been a great place to work and live. Penn is one of the best places for a student-athlete to achieve success academically and athletically and working with men as gifted as the ones at Penn has been a blessing." "This is a great opportunity for Zeke and we wish him the best with U.S.A. Wrestling," Penn's Director of Athletics Steve Bilsky said. "At the same time, we feel very fortunate to have someone with Rob's ability and credentials to step up to the head coaching position." Penn begins its 2008-09 wrestling season on November 22 with a pair of dual matches against Princeton (noon) and Michigan (2 p.m.) at The Palestra.

Lincoln -- Head Coach Mark Manning and his staff will conduct their annual Fall Coaches Clinic on Friday, Nov. 7, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Highlights will include guest speaker Darin Boysen, assistant director of the Nebraska School Activities Association, and two technique sessions from All-Americans Travis and Trent Paulson. Manning and his staff will conduct the clinic at the Devaney Center around Nebraska's wrestle-offs. The Huskers begin full-team, regular-season practices on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and the wrestle-offs serve as an open practice that helps the staff determine NU's starting lineup. The clinic begins with opening comments from Manning at 10:30 a.m., followed by a program from Boysen on high school wrestling rules. Boysen is responsible for the NSAA's wrestling weight management program. The afternoon features two technique sessions from the newest additions to the Husker coaching staff, Travis and Trent Paulson. Both were three-time All-Americans at Iowa State, wrestling under Bobby Douglas and Cael Sanderson. Trent captured a national championship at 157 pounds in 2007. The two also narrowly missed qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after each finished third in their respective weight class at the Olympic trials. The wrestle-offs begin at 6 p.m. and will feature 15-20 matches on two mats. Coaches will have a chance to watch Nebraska's four current All-Americans (Jordan Burroughs, Stephen Dwyer, Brandon Browne and Craig Brester) wrestle, along with the rest of the Husker squad. Attendees will also receive a Nebraska wrestling t-shirt, three meals and an invitation to an evening social. Pre-registration is encouraged and coaches can sign up by clicking on the registration form above. Cost is $95 before Oct. 31 and $100 at the door. Registration begins at 9:15 a.m. on Nov. 7. Contact the wrestling office by calling (402) 472-9430 for more details or email Ellen Shutts at eshutts@huskers.com.

We come closer to the beginning of what looks to be a very exciting season indeed. We'll take a closer look as we return to the Brute Adidas studios of Takedown Wrestling Radio this Saturday from 9 AM to 11 AM CST. Join Scott Casber, Chris Arns, Steve Foster and Randy Crimmins for 2 fun filled informative hours. Can't catch it live? No worries, TDR is now pod casting it's shows and have always offered archives for you rabid fans who, like me, can't get enough of this good thing. Note- I spoke with Cornell wrestler Adam Frey, he's in the hospital and doing fine sometimes and sometimes not so fine. You might want to reach out to him as our family does and send him a note of encouragement. Funny how things like that help. He's a good guy and plans to join me mic side for the broadcast of the Bodybar Tournament November 22nd in Ithica, NY. Our Guests this week, and its a packed show, include- Guy Sako- Defense Soap Founder. Its better to be prepared when dealing with skin issues. Plan to succeed and defeat the problem before it becomes one. Tune in and find out how. Troy Sunderland- Head Coach at Penn State. Something is going on in the Lion's Den. It may be the staff, the athletes, the facilities, the booster club, the fans or all of the above. This promises to be a fantastic interview with a coach who has put in the time and effort and a program that has put itself out there. Cael Sanderson- Head Coach of the Cyclones of Iowa State- Cael has made some changes but enters the fall as the number 2 team in all of the country. # 2 right behind The Iowa Hawkeyes. The Cyclones must face the Hawkeyes at Iowa City this year. It will be a battle for the ages. It will be a season of challenges for sure, lets hear how Coach Sanderson plans to rally his troops. Jim Martin- PSU Champ back in the day. Lets take a look back in the books and see who was his nemesis, the Achilles heal and what drove him to greatness. Pushed by PSU mentor and champ Carl DeStephanis, Martin climbed many mountains achieving 155 Career victories along the way. He also became a Midlands Champ twice, an NCAA Champ in 1988, EWL Champ, part of the 88' Lions team that traveled to and defeated the Hawkeyes at Iowa City. Jim has the honor of being the Lions 2nd 4 x All American. He defeated Tom Brands for goodness sake. This cat was something special. Chris Pendleton- The very core of the OSU Championship team, the rock, the resilience, the moral fiber of the team is what Chris Pendleton weaves and others benefit from his strong convictions. This Cowboy is one in a million. Josh "The Punk" Thompson- recently Victorious in his MMA battle, now he improves his record to 8 consecutive wins. Josh Thomson talks about his non-title win over Ashe Bowman at Strikeforce at the Playboy Mansion 2 and who he'd like to fight in the future. Record: (16-2-0, 1 NC) I've been asked to shorten my weekly press releases and believe me I'm trying. Tune in this and every Saturday to America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show, Takedownradio.com. Remember 9 AM to 11 AM CST. Our road trips start soon so keep checking out the web sites for our travel schedule.

DOVER -- Delaware State University Director of Athletics Rick Costello has announced the appointment of former NCAA champion and U.S. Olympic qualifier Ken Melchior as the university's new head wrestling coach. Ken MelchiorMelchior, 61, has nearly four decades of coaching experience at high schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut. "Ken's energy and enthusiasm for the sport of wrestling put him head and shoulders above a quality pool of candidates," said Costello. "He brings over 30 years of wrestling experience to our program. Ken's been successful at every level he's coached and participated and I look forward to him bringing that success to Delaware State. An outstanding student-athlete himself, Ken is the perfect person to lead our wrestling program. He's not only a coach, he's an educator. He's a person who will guide our student-athletes on the mat as well as in the classroom." A retired educator, Melchior most recently served as an assistant coach at Haddonfield (N.J.) High School, helping lead the school to a 140-50 dual meet record since 1998. In addition, Haddonfield produced six district champions, eight regional qualifiers and three state qualifiers during his tenure. In 11 years as head wrestling coach at West Deptford High School in New Jersey, Melchior compiled a record of 114-63 in dual meets. He led the team to two conference championships and a No. 11 ranking among all New Jersey schools in 1979. West Deptford produced numerous individual district, regional and state champions during Melchior's tenure. Melchior earned four collegiate wrestling championships while at Lock Haven University, including the 1968 NCAA 115-pound title. In addition, he was a three-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) champion. Melchior was an All-America First Team selection in 1968 and '69. He compiled an overall record of 98-6 during his collegiate career. Melchior qualified for the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team in 1968 and '72. He also competed in the 1971 and ‘72 world championships, finishing fifth and third, respectively, and was a three-time U.S. Military champion. "There is such great potential in the Hornet wrestling program," Melchior said. "I'm familiar with Delaware State wrestling, as well as the many fine high school programs in the state and surrounding area. I'm looking forward to working with the DSU administration, staff and student-athletes to bring long-term success to wrestling program." A native of Lindenhurst, N.Y., Melchior has been inducted into the NAIA, Lock Haven University, Lindenhurst High School and South Jersey Wrestling halls of fame. Melchior earned a bachelor's in Education from Lock Haven in 1970.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature wrestling legends Gene Mills and Ed Banach. Mills was one of the most dominant wrestlers to ever take the mat. After winning a high school state championship in New Jersey as a senior in 1976, Mills blossomed at Syracuse University where he was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion at 118 pounds. He pinned 107 opponents while compiling a college record of 144-5-1. Mills was a three-time World Cup Champion, 1980 Olympian and 1985 World team member. Banach still holds the career pin mark at the University of Iowa with 73. He was a three-time NCAA champion, a four-time finalist and a key member of four consecutive NCAA team championships from 1980-1983. A native of Port Jervis, NY, Banach was an Olympic freestyle champion in 1984 at 198 pounds. "On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Jack Jensen, who earned All-America honors as a 184-pounder at Oklahoma State last season, has been named an assistant wrestling coach at the University of North Carolina, head coach C.D. Mock announced Friday. Jensen will work with the Tar Heels' upper weight groups. "We are obviously very excited about adding Jack to our staff, particularly at this time," said Mock, who is entering his sixth year as the head coach at his alma mater. "We have some very strong upper weights on this team right now and getting a coach to help develop these guys has been a top priority of mine for the past year. "Jack has been part of a national championship team for several years and has worked with many guys on that team who have been individual national champions. This experience will bring an added dimension of credibility to our team right now that I believe is the one thing needed to get us back to being a nationally competitive program." Jensen comes to Carolina from Ashland University in Ohio, where he has served as an assistant coach since July. Prior to his stint with the Eagles, Jensen was a standout at Oklahoma State. He was a member of three national championship teams (2004-06) and was an NCAA qualifier in 2007 and 2008. Jensen captured All-America honors with a seventh-place finish in 2008 and also earned University Freestyle Nationals All-America status in 2005. While in Stillwater, Jensen gained coaching experience on the staff for the Oklahoma State Wrestling Camps from 2004-07. He also worked as an instructor for Ringers Select in his native Sheboygan, Wisc., from 2004-07. Prior to college, Jensen attended Sheboygan North High School and was a two-time All-America and a three-time state place-winner.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling squad recently welcomed 13 newcomers to the 2008-09 team, including several who will challenge for starting spots in this year's lineup. The recruiting class marks one of the largest in OU wrestling history. "This is a very large and talented class," head coach Jack Spates said. "It missed in some rankings because a lot of these young men were signed late into the recruiting season. We are very excited about the futures of these young men." The class consists of 12 freshmen and one senior from 11 total states, including Cleveland State transfer David Armstrong. The senior will look to get back to the NCAA Championships after qualifying his sophomore season. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native wrestled in 95 total matches at CSU and will contend for a starting spot at 133 pounds. With three key Sooners graduating from last year's 14-5 squad, Spates said holes need to be filled in the lineup. "This class has already proven to be one of the hardest working that we have ever brought in," Spates said. "These young men have a passion on and off the mat and a desire to help our program return to national prominence." Returning to the team are seven starters, including NCAA qualifiers Joey Fio (125 pounds), Zack Bailey (141 pounds) and Will Rowe (149 pounds). Practice officially begins for the Sooners next Monday, Sept. 22.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern has finalized its fall wrestling clinic schedule, which includes its first-ever clinic to be held in Ohio. On Saturday, Oct. 4, head coach Tim Cysewski and staff will be at University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio, to demonstrate technique, situational wrestling and drills to coaches, wrestlers and fans of all ages. On Saturday, Nov. 1, the scene shifts to Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, Ill., where the NU staff will hold a clinic for coaches and parents of IHSA, IKWF, IESA, junior high and grade school wrestlers. Participants in the Ohio clinic will be a part of a homecoming for two members of Northwestern's coaching staff. Associate head coach Andrew Pariano was a three-time Ohio state champion at Fairview Park High School before coming to Northwestern where he was a three-time Division I national wrestling qualifier and Academic All-America. In addition, volunteer assistant head coach Ryan Bertin was a national high school champion at 152 pounds wrestling for perennial powerhouse St. Edward High School. Bertin went on to the University of Michigan where he was a four-time NCAA All-American and twice won the NCAA Championship at 157 pounds (2003 and 2005). "It's great to be able to go back to Ohio and continue to promote the sport of wrestling among coaches and youngsters," Pariano said. "Ohio has an incredible tradition of wrestlers and I look forward to working with the coaches and athletes that are keeping that tradition alive today." Cysewski is now in his 19th year at the helm of Wildcat wrestling. He has coached NCAA individual champions in back-to-back years—Jake Herbert in 2007 and Dustin Fox in 2008—and has now guided 25 NU wrestlers to All-America status. Topics covered at the clinic include takedown drills, hand fighting fundamentals, escapes from the bottom position, pinning combinations, leg riding and more. Interested coaches, parents and athletes may register for the clinics by visiting the wrestling page at NUsports.com to access the registration forms. Contact Andrew Pariano (a-pariano@northwestern.edu) with questions or for more information.

After a week off we return to the Brute Adidas for some great wrestling talk. The community is all a buzz with the early signings and the teams are now starting early practice, loads of cardio, running and lifting. Gives the rest of us some Ideas? How about the early season rankings? Food for thought or is there muscle behind the numbers? Maybe some of our guests can help us figure that out. Steve Foster and Chris Arns will be hosting this weeks TDR with special in studio guest host the Head Coach of the Upper Iowa Peacocks Heath Grimm Heath Grimm is in his eighth year at the helm at Upper Iowa University. The Peacocks are 61-22-2 in duals in the since 2001 and placed 14th at last year's NCAA Division II Championships. Grimm prepped at Osage, Iowa, and was a two-time All-American at Luther College Their Guests include- 9:05 John Smith- Head Coach of the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. We'll take a look at the fall, the beginning of training, incoming new recruits etc. Also, we'll talk about the new book out by Kim Parish "Cowboy Up", a great book for sure. Can't wait. 9:25 Mike Clayton- Head Coach of the Ducks of Stevens at Stevens Institute of Technology. Mike earned the Division III Rookie Coach of the Year accolade. In his first season at the helm, Clayton took a team that posted a sub-par record of 4-13 last year to a ledger of 8-4 during the 2007-08 campaign. The Ducks also owned a mark of 6-1 against Centennial Conference competition this year. 9:40 Dr. Bill Welker- Dr. Bill Welker is well known to West Virginia Wrestling fans. Dr. Welker is a former Pennsylvania State Champion. A nationally recognized wrestling sportswriter and official. Highly respected among his peers at all levels. What's New? Hour 2 This hours going to be great, make time to promote Heath and his program 10:05 Mark Perry- Asst Coach of Penn State. Perry won the last two NCAA National Championships at 165 pounds. The Stillwater, Okla., native was a four-time All-American at Iowa where he helped lead the Hawkeyes to the NCAA team title this season. Perry's 25 points en route to his second individual crown were the most scored by any wrestler at Nationals this year. 10:20 Urijah Faber- Some say the Hollywood Florida WEC event scheduled for Sept. 10th was canceled due to Hurricane Ike, wrestling insiders believe it was canceled due to the invasion of the east coast by the fans and followers of the California Kid. The WEC has moved the date to November 10th. Join us each week LIVE from 9 AM to 11 AM CST for America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show, shows are available each week in our archives or you can RSS our pod casts all at no charge courtesy of our sponsors. Takedownradio.com

Two-time All-American and 2001 NCAA Champion Mark Munoz has joined the Cal State Fullerton wrestling program. He will be an assistant coach for the intercollegiate team and will be co-head coach of the Titan Wrestling Club. Mark MunozMunoz captured two Big 12 titles at Oklahoma State at 197 pounds in 2000 and 2001. He also earned NWCA all-academic squad honors for four seasons. "Mark is the type of person I have hoped we could attract to our staff," said seventh-year Head Coach Dan Hicks, a two-time NCAA champion Himself. "He is a man of integrity and really cares about his athletes. He is also a very talented coach and recruiter. "I have known Mark for several years and look forward to having him on board as we continue building the Titan Wrestling Program. After a season where we won the Pac-10 dual title and scored the most points of any Fullerton team at the Pac-10 championships, we are ready to continue towards our ultimate goal of being a top 10 team nationally. "Mark knows what that is like having been at Oklahoma State. He will bring a presence, a confidence, a champion to our room to help us build All-Americans." Munoz has been on the staff at UC Davis the past five seasons. He also coached for two years at Oklahoma State, helping the Cowboys to their 31st NCAA team championship in 2003. He continues to train and now competes in ultimate fighting.

DES MOINES -- Nationally recognized broadcaster, announcer, and promoter Scott Casber will return to the set of Inside MMA this Friday. The weekly program is a celebrity driven talk show covering the weeks news in MMA. The premier broadcast of this episode will be on Friday, September 19 at 9:30 PM EST. Along with shows hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Ruten, Casber is joined by current UFC Welterweight, Georges St. Pierre. During a previous episode, Casber accompanied then UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Casber helped facilitate a special presentation for Georges St. Pierre on Fridays program. As co-founder and host of TakeDown Radio, an eleven year old national Wrestling and MMA radio talk show, Casber was introduced to many top athletes in both sports. "The evolution of wrestling, and our radio program, to include MMA has been fantastic. It's also been great for me to cross over to the Inside MMA program, along with guests who appeared on TakeDown Radio first. It's my honor and pleasure to sit along side greats, like GSP," provided Casber. Additional to TakeDown Radio, Casber is a partner in Midwest Cage Championship, one of the top ranked regional fight promotions in the country. He is also an officer in White Chocolate Management, a leading fighter and talent management firm. Inside MMA is broadcast on Mark Cuban's HD-Net and is available on many cable and satelite systems. Archives of the show can be viewed at http://www.hd.net/insidemma.html TakeDown Radio is heard each Saturday at 9AM CST on KXNO1460 AM, Des Moines Sports Station. Streaming, archives, and pod casts are available at http://www.takedownradio.com

STILLWATER, Okla. -- John Smith and the Oklahoma State wrestling program will host the Brute Adidas Midwest Coaches Clinic at Gallagher-Iba Arena from Oct. 24-26. The clinic features seminars on strength and conditioning, organizing a season, NCAA eligibility and clearinghouse issues, athletic training, weight management, topics on today's student-athlete, marketing your program to the community and to fans and building youth, middle school, junior high school and high school programs. Speakers include John Smith, Scott Chenoweth of Perry HS, Ernie Jones of Cascia Hall, Leonard Bailey of the Catoosa youth program, executive director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Lee Roy Smith, Rod Johnson of Oklahoma State's NCAA compliance staff, Matt Herrill of OSU's athletic training staff and Gary Calcagno of the OSU strength and conditioning staff. Former OSU wrestlers Eric Guerrero, Tyrone Lewis, Zack Esposito and Chris Pendleton will provide over eight hours of technique. "We are very excited about the possibility of what this clinic can become in this first year," John Smith said. "I can promise it will be one of the most educational programs that youth, junior high school and high school coaches can be part of. It is important to stay on the cutting edge of new developments whether it be with skills or working with student-athletes. We must always be looking to improve. You won't want to miss this." Contact Brandy Esposito in the Cowboy wrestling office for more details. She can be reached at 405-744-4541 or via e-mail at brandy.baker@okstate.edu. Chris Pendleton can also be reached with any questions at chris.pendleton@okstate.edu.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature college wrestling coaches Brad Penrith, Heath Grimm and Jim Miller. Brad Penrith is entering his eighth season as University of Northern Iowa's head coach. Penrith's teams have amassed a dual meet record of 63-52-3 and the Panthers have won 22 consecutive West Regional championships. As an athlete, Penrith was an NCAA champion and three-time finalist for the University of Iowa. Heath Grimm is in his eighth year at the helm at Upper Iowa University. The Peacocks are 61-22-2 in duals in the since 2001 and placed 14th at last year's NCAA Division II Championships. Grimm prepped at Osage, Iowa, and was a two-time All-American at Luther College. Jim Miller's Wartburg Knights won their sixth NCAA Division III championship last March in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Wartburg has won the last 16 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and have won 122 consecutive conference dual meets. Miller won two NCAA Division II titles as an athlete at UNI and was also a two-time Division I All-American. "On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 6:00 - 7:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

GREENSBORO, NC -- UNC Greensboro head wrestling coach Jason Loukides announced on Thursday the hiring of Jesus Wilson as an assistant coach. Wilson will be responsible for all areas of the program and will work especially with the lighter weightclasses. Jesus Wilson"I am very excited about the addition of Jesus," said Loukides. "He brings an incredible work ethic as well as national and international credibility. He was an outstanding competitor for Cuba and the USA and that has made him a great coach. Jesus will instantly make a positive impact on our program." Prior to coming to UNCG, Wilson was the head coach at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, MN in 2006-07. He was an assistant coach with VMI in 2005-06 and served as head coach at Marine Military Academy in 2004-05. Wilson was a two-time All-American and NCAA Division III National Champion while attending Upper Iowa University. In 2000, he reached his first All-American when he won the national title at the 133 lbs. Also that season, Wilson was selected to the Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Team. He was also named Outstanding Wrestler by both the Iowa Conference and Upper Iowa. After serving as an assistant coach for the Peacocks during the 2000-01 season, Wilson returned to the mats in 2002. He won the national crown at 141 lbs, earning his second All-American honor. Also in 2002, Wilson claimed the silver medal at the World Team Trial and took fourth place at USA Senior Nationals. A year later, he won the Pan American Championship and was a silver medalist at both the USA Senior Nationals and World Cup. Wilson earned his bachelor's degree in recreation from Upper Iowa in 2004.