InterMat Staff

On Saturday night, Minnesota-based Seconds Out Promotions will be putting on its second combined mixed martial arts (MMA) and boxing event. The event, called "Uncaged," will take place at the St. Paul Armory in St. Paul, Minnesota. It is set to get underway at 7 p.m. The first combined MMA and boxing event put on by Seconds Out Promotions ("Evolution") took place on March 29 at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, Minnesota. The event drew around 1,300 fans. Seconds Out Promotions President Tony Grygelko expects around 2,000 or more fans for "Uncaged" on Saturday night. "I think the format makes a lot of sense," said Grygelko, a former professional boxer who wrestled collegiately at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. "It was kind of experimental for us, but our first event was extremely successful. The biggest thing is that the fans seemed to really enjoy it. It should be another great night of fights." "Uncaged" will feature three MMA fights and four boxing fights. Two former Augsburg wrestlers, Marcus LeVesseur and Rich Taylor, will be showcased in MMA fights. Some of Minnesota's top boxers will also be on the card, including Caleb Truax and Matt Vanda. Marcus LeVesseur, who was a four-time undefeated NCAA Division III champion wrestler for Augsburg, will face Chaylen Raider, an MMA veteran with a 30-12 record. The 25-year-old LeVesseur, who carries a record of 12-1, is a rising star in MMA. He is coming off a dominating victory over Jessi Evans in Fargo, North Dakota on April 26. To see highlights from that fight, click HERE. Rich Taylor, who is the reigning Brutaal champion at 145 pounds, will take on Bryant Clark, a fighter LeVesseur defeated on March 29. "I feel very confident going into my fight on Saturday," said Taylor, who was a member of Augsburg's 2005 national championship wrestling team. "My game plan is to keep it standing, close the distance, cut off the ring, and look for the KO." Rich TaylorTaylor is coming off an impressive victory over Austin Judge on March 15 at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. Prior to wrestling at Augsburg, Taylor was a three-time section champion and state place-winner with a career record of 133-25 while wrestling for Como Park High School in St. Paul. He now trains at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in Brooklyn Center, the same academy that produced former UFC lightweight world champion Sean Sherk. "I'm just real excited about this fight," said Taylor, who owns a 5-1 MMA record. "It's my first time ever fighting in my hometown … and I'm going to give the crowd what they pay to see." Grygelko has high praise for Taylor. "Rich Taylor is a very talented fighter," said Grygelko. "He's real technical. He has been pretty dominant locally." Undefeated rising star Caleb Truax and former IBA middleweight champion Matt Vanda will headline the boxing fights. Truax, a former Upper Midwest Golden Gloves champion who owns a professional record of 5-0, will take on Jason Medina. The fight is scheduled for six rounds. Vanda (37-6), a former IBA Americas light middleweight champion, will fight Bruce Rumbolz in the main event, which is scheduled for eight rounds. "It's going to be a great fight," said Grygelko. "Matt Vanda always puts on the best fight in the state. The kid is super exciting. It's nice to have him back fighting in his backyard in East St. Paul. People are really excited. Anybody who follows Matt knows that he's the most exciting fighter in the Midwest. It doesn't matter who he's fighting, he will put on a great fight. He just has a way of getting everybody excited for the fight." Tickets for "Uncaged" are priced at $45 for ringside, $35 for reserved seating, and $25 for general admission. Save money on box office fees, by purchasing tickets in advance at soboxing.com or by phone at 612.807.5547. Tickets can also be purchased by e-mailing tickets@soboxing.com. Fight Card: MMA: Marcus LeVesseur (12-1) vs. Chaylen Raider (30-12): 155 Pounds Rich Taylor (5-1) vs. Bryant Clark (3-2): 155 Pounds Jimmy Gomez (7-2) vs. Joe Rico (0-0): 205 Pounds Boxing: Matt Vanda (37-6) vs. Bruce Rumbolz (21-16): 168 Pounds Caleb Truax (5-0) vs. Jason Medina (N/A): 168 Pounds Corey Rodriguez Minneapolis, MN (3-0) vs. Fred Thomas (0-7): 147 Pounds Fight TBD

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling program, fresh off a superb 2007-08 campaign, has finalized its recruiting class for the upcoming year. Ten outstanding high school talents are set to help the powerful program continue its climb on the national scene. The class begins, alphabetically, with Justin Aube (Harrisburg, Pa.). Aube will matriculate at Central Dauphin High School this year after wrestling in Minnesota for three years. During his four years as high school wrestler, Aube was a three-time captain and four-time all-conference selection. A state qualifier, Aube helped guide Central Dauphin to the 2008 Team State Championship this season and was a member of the Mid-Penn All-Star Team. He ended his high school career with nearly 200 victories. Aube was also a member of the Minnesota Freestyle and Greco Roman squads and was two-time team MVP. Aube projects at 149 or 157. Jack Chidester (Conestoga, Pa.) is a three-time state qualifier from Conestoga High School. A section, district and regional champion, Chidester won over 100 bouts during his outstanding career at Conestoga, collecting an all-time school record of 133 victories. Chidester is also a stand-out in freestyle wrestling, having just placed fourth at the USAW Northeast Regional Freestyle Qualifier. Chidester could wrestle at 125 or 133. James English (York, Pa.) won the 2008 District 3 title at Central York High School. A three-time PIAA qualifier, English placed seventh at 145 in 2007 and third at 145 this season. An outstanding talent, English had a superb 150-29 career record and is coming off a senior season that saw him go 45-1 with 26 points. English was also a second team all-conference linebacker. An outstanding student, English carries a 3.9 grade point average with him and is ranked in the top five percent of his class at Central York High School. English could wrestle at 149 for Penn State. Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) comes to Penn State after winning the PIAA Southeast Regional title last year. Fischer was a four-year letterman for Unionville High School and went 121-28 during his high school career, including a 40-3 mark as a senior. An outstanding student, Fischer won the 2007-2008 Southeastern Pennsylvania Wrestling Officials Association Scholar-Athlete Award. Fischer projects at 157 for Penn State. Jarrett Freeman (Maspeth, N.Y.) comes to Penn State from New York City's Martin Luther King High School, where he was team captain for his team the last three years. Freeman was a three-time all-conference pick for MLK High School and was named his team's Most Outstanding Wrestler twice. Freeman was a two-time New York State place winner and went 27-7 his senior year. Freeman is an outstanding student and was a two-time Academic All-American. Freeman could wrestle at 133 for the Nittany Lions. Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) just completed an outstanding career at Oxford Area High School, where he went 80-33 during his years there. He won the 2008 District 1 Central title and the District 1 Section 6 crown. Ortega was a two-time all-county pick and a 2008 PIAA state qualifier. Ortega was team captain his last two years and was a volunteer coach for the Oxford Junior Wrestling program. An outstanding student, Ortega was an all-academic pick during his high school career and was nominated for the National Society of High School Scholars. He has served on the Student Council at Oxford Area High School and was voted both Treasurer and Secretary during his time there. Ortega projects at 165 for the Nittany Lions. Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) had an outstanding career at Warwick High School, where he set the school record for victories with 136. Pearsall went 40-5 as a senior with 26 falls. Over the course of his four years at WHS, Pearsall had 80 pins, an unofficial school record. Pearsall was a four-year Lancaster Lebanon League All-Star and claimed the Lancaster Lebanon League tournament title twice. He was voted tournament Outstanding Wrestler this past season and claimed the Most Falls Award after garnering four pins in 3:24. Pearsall was a three-time sectional champion and qualified for states as a senior. An outstanding Greco wrestler, Pearsall has won two USA Wrestling Greco state titles and has won two USA Wrestling Regional Greco crowns. He was a freestyle All-America as well, placing sixth in 2006. Pearsall projects at 133 for the Nittany Lions. Nick Venditti (Berwick, Pa.) was the 2008 Pennsylvania AA State Runner-Up. He has been a two-time state place winner, having placed eighth in 2007. Venditti won the last two Northeast Regional AA titles and District 2 Championships as well. In 2007, he was named the district tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. Venditti amassed 137 wins during his high school days at Berwick and was on the Distinguished Honor Roll Student. He will be an Honor Graduate for the Class of 2008 as well. Venditti could wrestle at 165 or 174. Ethan Virgili (Carmichaels, Pa.) had an outstanding career at Jefferson Morgan High School. Virgili went 127-36 during his years at JMHS, including a 36-3 record this past season. Virgili won the sectional title this season, placed second at districts and then won the regional crown. He capped off a superb senior year with a Runner-Up performance at the state championships. Virgili is a two-time state place winner, having placed eighth as a junior in 2007. Virgili projects at 184 as a Nittany Lion next year. Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), who signed a National Letter of Intent with Penn State last fall, capped off an amazing high school career with his second state title this past March. A partial list of Wright's accolades begins with a 39-0 mark as a senior with 27 pins. He was named the PIAA Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning his second straight title (Wright won in 2007 and was Runner-Up in 2006). Wright is a four-time District and Regional Champion as well and won the Dapper Dan tourney this past season. As a high school senior, Wright claimed the 165 pound title at this year's Nittany Lion Open. An outstanding Freestyle and Greco wrestler, Wright won the 2008 Fila Junior Freestyle National Championship and placed second at the Greco-Roman Championships. Wright was Vice President of his class this year and was Sergeant in Arms of his Business Leaders of America chapter. Wright could wrestle at 165 or 174 for the Nittany Lions. "We are extremely excited about the incoming freshmen," head coach Troy Sunderland said. "As our program continues its national ascent, these young men will be welcome additions to the squad. Their prowess on the mat during their high school careers speaks for itself and we are proud to welcome these wrestlers into our family. The coaching staff did an outstanding job this year and this group of young men is testimony to that effort. We are hopeful that this group, with commitment and hard work, can have an immediate impact in the wrestling room." Penn State is coming off a superb 2007-08 season that saw it go 14-5 in dual meets, have four wrestlers become All-Americans, crown one National Champion and place third at the 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana's Angel Escobedo, a 2008 NCAA National Champion in the 125-lb. weight class, is one step closer to his life-long dream of representing the United States in the Olympics. Escobedo won his Olympic Regional Trial on May 10 in Waterloo, Iowa, earning a spot in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June. "We are very proud of Angel," said IU Head Coach Duane Goldman. "He has always had his sights set on making an Olympic team, and for him to progress to this level already is impressive. There are no breaks for this guy; he won the NCAA Championship and has moved on to the next thing on his list. That is part of what makes him so good. I am glad that he is on our side." In order to qualify for the Olympic Trials, one must have either placed in the top seven at the U.S. Senior Nationals which were held in Las Vegas on April 28, win the USA Wrestling University National Championship or win one of the four Regionals. Escobedo chose the last path, and will be one of 12 competitors in the 55 kg (121-pounds) weight division vying for a shot at Olympic gold in Beijing. The 2008 Olympic Games Team Trials will be held in a one-day format. The Trials will be a line bracket double elimination to third place format. The finals match, determining which individuals will don the Stars and Stripes, will be a best of three matches. For complete and the most-up-to-date information on the Olympic Wrestling Team Trials click here.

This week we'll be LIVE from the Brute Adidas Studios and will face the startling news from AZ State right off the bat. There are things we can do politically speaking and we'll outline those with AZ State head Coach Thom Ortiz. What can be done? What can we do? Tune in and find out. You can make a difference. Scheduled on the show: Thom Ortiz- Embattled Head Coach at Arizona State. I think it's a real possibility we can turn this around. there is precedents and we need to take a look at those examples of what worked and what didn't. Thom will join us to uncover the truths and what needs to be done right away. James Nicholson- Old Dominion Wrestler will join us in studio to discuss his freshman year, his 8th place finish on the year and the future. I just worked out around this kid and he looks good. It will be interesting to get his perspective on the year. Pat Santoro- New Head Coach of Lehigh will join us to discuss his recent move, what he did right at Maryland and what brought him back to the hills and mountains of the valley he called home as an under grad and as a young coach. David Ertl- Owner of 24 7 Xpress Gym, avid competitive Cyclist will join us in studio to discuss how we train and what we can do to stay in great cardio shape through the summer months using the vehicle of cycling. Scott McKendry- One of the Chiefs at Team Quest MMA Club in Oregon will join us for an update on the great northwest. TQFC is throwing a grappling qualifying tournament and Scott will tell you how you can get involved and how you can qualify. Brian Smith- Head Coach of the Tigers of Missouri will join us to discuss his teams architectural structure, summer camps and opinions. Like everyone, Brian has opinions and we want to hear his on the developing story that is AZ State. Bob Steenlage- Fighting Back: The Inspirational Story of Bob Steenlage (Paperback) The inspirational true story of amateur wrestling legend Bob Steenlage who graduated from West Point and was traumatized by his service in Vietnam. Bob became a recluse and raised his family with home schooling. After a 20 year hiatus from society he came to grips with his problems and became an accomplished public speaker. Bob's life story is Being looked at for a motion picture treatment. About the Author Mike Chapman is considered amateur wrestling's greatest historian and writer. He is the author of 15 books and hundreds of magazine articles. He recently retired from a 35 year career in newspapers, and a retired from directing the International Wrestling Institute & Museum in Waterloo, IA. What can we do for AZ State right now: Form a committee with people who can help you achieve everything you can to reinstate the program. Get people involved who can help you develop this plan to save the program and who can get access and the attention of the following list of people. Put your case on paper with how you want these people to help you: -- Governor of Arizona- Write and call -- State Regents for Higher Education- Write and call -- State and U.S. representatives, congressmen, and senators, Write and call -- Contact Major figures in the state like Jerry Colangelo… The ASU trustees, president and A.D. have already approved the decision and will not respond to backlash unless it comes from above their heads. Develop with the help of a Public Relations consultant, a marketing plan that will help sell this story on the university's denial of opportunities for wrestlers like Anthony Robles. See if ESPN, local and other national media affiliates will help make the case for the "little guy". Talk to some lawyers and see what case should be made for our PR efforts. This is OUR sport. WE must fight for it! We must not wait for others to jump on the band wagon. We must take control and right the ship that is wrestling. We've made some great and positive strides by adding wrestling programs. Don't let the decision to drop wrestling at AZ State rest in the hands of those that don't give a rip about the sport or the people it benefits. Get involved and stay involved.

Brute-adidas wrestling announced today it has signed on with South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D., The South Dakota State wrestling team, which just completed its second full season of Division I competition, has a proud wrestling history and for years, was one of the programs in Division II contending for national championships. "We're excited that coach Jason Liles has brought the Jackrabbits wrestling team on board with us at Brute," said Brute-adidas wrestling Partner and CEO Tom Sculley. "South Dakota State is the only Division I wrestling program in the state," said Sculley. "Getting an opportunity to not only provide the school with the best in wrestling shoes, equipment and gear, but getting exposure for our products to the fans in South Dakota at the highest level is exciting." "Being a Division I program, it's just part of the process and we're excited about being in partnership with Brute-adidas," said Liles. "It think it's good for our program." With South Dakota State's move to the pinnacle of college athletics, NCAA Division I, the need for a high-quality apparel partner was necessary. "Kids expect to have this as part of their program. It's part of the transition to go to Division I from Division II," explained Liles. "It's the next step for us." Liles believes the deal with Brute-adidas will also help his program in the long run and his relationship with the company was also a big reason why he elected to have his squad outfitted by the company. "It definitely helps with the visibility of our program and our university," said Liles. "I've know the Brute-adidas people for a long time and they're good people and I'm glad we've gotten this completed." The deal is also a win for Brute-adidas. "South Dakota State's wrestling program has the ability to become a major player in the sport of wrestling and be one of the teams the university can rally around," said Sculley. "Brute-adidas' relationship with the wrestling program so early in its Division I status is a testament to how we believe both South Dakota State and Brute-adidas can be in the region and on the mats." Recently, South Dakota State wrestlers Jeff Cooley and Ryan Meyer were honored by the Western Wrestling Conference on the All-Academic Teams. About Henson Group Henson Group, under the brand names of Brute wrestling and adidas wrestling, provides top quality products to the Sports Goods dealers of North America and distributors in Central and South America. Henson Group's customer base is national in scope and ranges from local stores to national retail giants. Henson Group is the exclusive distributor of adidas wrestling footwear and the exclusive licensee of adidas wrestling apparel and accessories. www.hensongroupsports.com About South Dakota State University South Dakota State University is located in Brookings, South Dakota. This small but lively town of nearly 19,000 people is just miles from the Minnesota border and less than an hour's drive to the state's largest city, Sioux Falls. SDSU has an enrollment of 11,400 students making it the largest university in the state. You'll find a diverse campus experience here, with over 200 majors and minors and unique opportunities for "hands-on" learning in every field of study.

The Golden Gopher wrestling program has signed the top recruiting class in the nation this year, according to the most recent issue of W.I.N. Magazine. All six of Minnesota's early period recruits ended their prep careers ranked in the top-11 in the final W.I.N. Magazine national high school rankings. Jake Deitchler (Anoka, Minn.) and Ryland Geiger (Scapposse, Ore.) were each ranked No. 1 in their weight classes following outstanding prep careers - Deitchler at 152 pounds and Geiger at 189. Deitchler will also have a chance to make the U.S. Olympic team this June when he competes at the U.S. Team Trials in Las Vegas. Blair Academy's (N.J.) Mario Mason was the nation's second-best recruit at 145 pounds, according to the publication, while Apple Valley High School (Minn.) product Matt Mincey was the nation's fourth-ranked wrestler at 135 pounds. Rounding out the nation's top recruiting class are Topeka, Kan. native Atticus Disney (seventh) and 171-pounder Cody Yohn (11th), the brother of current Gopher freshman Sonny Yohn (both hail from Alamosa, Col.). Three spring signees not factored into W.I.N.'s ranking include Thane Antczak (Chetek/Prairie Farm, Wis.), Zach Loppnow (Lake City, Minn.) and Wesley Richard (Dillingham, Alaska). Minnesota boasts the only class in the nation with six incoming wrestlers ranked in W.I.N.'s final prep rankings. This is generally considered to be the program's most-heralded class in several years - W.I.N. ranked the Gophers 10th in 2007, fourth in 2006, 14th in 2005 and 19th in 2004.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- In response to economic realities experienced over a long period of time, Arizona State University today announced the discontinuation of three varsity sports programs, effective immediately. The sport programs affected are men's swimming, men's tennis and wrestling. ASU President Michael Crow and Vice President for University Athletics Lisa Love made the announcement. With the budget cuts the University is facing, Intercollegiate Athletics cannot expect the University to make up the difference. This move reduces the number of varsity sports sponsored by ASU to 20 from 22. The move will not affect men's diving. ASU will continue to fund football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, women's tennis, women's swimming and diving, men's diving, women's volleyball, women's gymnastics and women's water polo. "Our primary concern for the immediate future is the student-athletes and coaches that are affected," says Love. The student-athletes in the discontinued sports who decide to transfer to another institution will be provided with full assistance from ASU regarding the transfer process. The student-athletes who chose to remain at ASU will receive the full benefits of their scholarship awards through their senior year. "With a dedicated effort to a successful 20-sport varsity program in mind," says Love, "these three sports were selected with the following criteria: financial impact, potential competitive success, conference/regional support and gender equity. Our revenue trajectory has been positive, however, our ongoing financial challenges have been well documented by the media. The decision to discontinue sport programs is a last resort, yet necessary." "These moves are extremely painful," says Love. "We have arrived at the realization that funding a 20 sport program is a better fit for our financial profile and will serve to secure and strengthen our future. It is our responsibility to operate a fiscally prudent varsity athletics program. The costs of doing business are escalating daily and the costs of maintaining excellence even more so." At 20 varsity sports, ASU is in line with other major institutions around the country. In the Pacific-10 Conference, schools that compare favorably with ASU are UCLA and Washington 23 sports each, USC 21, Arizona 20, Oregon and Oregon State 18 each and Washington State 17. On a national scale, Florida, Georgia and Auburn sponsor 21 varsity sports, Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma and LSU 20 apiece, and Florida State 19. "The profile of our operations budget and donation base does not lend itself to the sponsorship of 22 athletic teams," says Love. "While our revenue streams are achieving a positive trajectory they are simply not keeping pace with the current size and scope of the department. "The decision to discontinue sports has been the most distressing and painful choice this administration has had to make. It is counter-intuitive to our administrative thinking. This decision impacts many people, both on and off our campus. The entire University, the Board of Regents, Sun Devil alumni and other universities will share in the loss of these sports and student-athletes and the contributions they have made to our University and to their sport. "The action is in no way meant to diminish the dedication, effort or ability of these student-athletes, coaches and alumni. They have contributed greatly to Arizona State University athletics and to the vitality and history of the University," Love says. As many as 70 student athletes will be affected by the elimination of these sports. Six full-time coaching positions will be eliminated. Head coaches will remain on contract through November, 2008. The establishment of a 20-team varsity sport program will allow the department to realize a reduction in expenses that will total approximately of $1 million annually. This is the second time in ASU's athletic history that programs have been eliminated. In 1993 ASU eliminated men's gymnastics, an NCAA-sponsored sport, and two club sports sponsored by ICA -- men's and women's and mixed archery and men's and women's and mixed badminton. Two sports have been added in recent program history, including women's varsity soccer in 1996 and women's water polo in 2002.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina's wrestling program has signed eight prep standouts from six different states to National Letters of Intent, head coach C.D. Mock announced Monday. This group, which features seven wrestlers in the lighter weight groups, will join the Tar Heel program in the fall and will be eligible to compete for Carolina in the 2008-09 season. "With the exception of heavyweight, we decided to focus our recruiting this year on building depth at the lighter weights," said Mock. "We are only losing one starter this year, so it is a great opportunity for us to add depth and build for the future. In addition to the impressive wrestling credentials this group brings to Chapel Hill, I am particularly excited about their character and enthusiasm about being Tar Heels. They will fit in very well with the group we have coming back. My assistants did an exceptional job bringing in this group of young men." At 125 pounds, the Tar Heels added standouts Ian McLaughlin (Butler, Pa.) and Nick Shields (Metairie, La.). A product of The Kiski School, McLaughlin won the 2008 national prep title at 119 pounds and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the nationals. Shields is a three-time Louisiana state champion and four-time qualifier at Brother Martin High School. He placed third at the 2007 Beast of the East Tournament and recently was named the Louisiana recipient of the Dave Shultz High School Excellence Award. UNC continued its strong haul in the lower weight classes with the addition of 133-pounder Ky Corley (Stillwater, Okla.). Corley is a four-time Oklahoma placewinner at Stillwater High School and captured a state title in 2008. The Tar Heels also added three at 141 pounds – Daniel Helena (Decatur, Ga.), Bobby Shanor (Eden, N.C.) and Jake Vonderbruegge (Hillsboro, Mo.). Helena is a four-time Georgia placewinner and won a Dominican Republic national title in 2005 and a Venezuelan national bronze medal in 2007. Shanor won a trio of North Carolina state titles at Morehead High School, while Vonderbruegge captured a 2008 Missouri state title and was a three-time state placewinner at Hillsboro High School. Also joining the Carolina program out of Missouri is 149-pounder Tyler St. Louis (Kansas City, Mo.), who won three state titles at Platte County High School. Ziad Haddad (Orefield, Pa.) was the lone addition in the upper weight groups for Carolina. A projected heavyweight, he won a Pennsylvania state title in 2008 for Bethlehem Catholic High School and captured a NHSCA senior national championship. 2008 NORTH CAROLINA WRESTLING SIGNEES Name Weight Hometown Previous School Ky Corley 133 Stillwater, Okla. Stillwater Ziad Haddad HWT Orefield, Pa. Bethlehem Catholic Daniel Helena 141 Decatur, Ga. Shiloh Ian McLaughlin 125 Butler, Pa. Kiski School Bobby Shanor 141 Eden, N.C. Morehead Nick Shields 125 Metairie, La. Brother Martin Tyler St. Louis 149 Kansas City, Mo. Platte County Jake Vonderbruegge 141 Hillsboro, Mo. Hillsboro

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Director of athletics Deborah A. Yow announced May 12 that Kerry McCoy has been named the head coach for the University of Maryland wrestling program. In three seasons as head coach at Stanford, McCoy transformed the Cardinal into a national contender after inheriting a team that went 6-8-1 in 2004-05. Kerry McCoy (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"I am very fortunate to join such a great program," McCoy said. "The opportunity to be closer to our family and having a chance to compete for a national championship is very exciting. I want to thank Dr. Yow and everyone who was involved with this process for supporting me and more importantly for supporting the sport of wrestling." McCoy led the Cardinal to a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Championships this past season which was the second-best finish in program history. Stanford went 13-4 with a 6-3 mark in the Pac-10 while finishing second in the conference championships, its best showing ever. Stanford sent five wrestlers to nationals in St. Louis for the second straight season, which was also the most in team history. "Kerry McCoy is the right coach for Maryland at the right time," Yow said. "He will achieve as a coach what he achieved as an athlete - elite status as a program and eventually, the possibility of winning the national championship." McCoy made an immediate impact in his first season as Stanford went 8-7 in 2005-06 and improved its showing at the Pac-10 Championships by two places. He guided two wrestlers to the NCAA Championships that season and mentored Tanner Gardner to All-America accolades. In 2006-07, McCoy continued to steadily improve the program, as the Cardinal went 8-8 during the season and performed even better than the year before in the conference championships, finishing sixth. Five wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships which was a program record, and two wrestlers, Gardner and Josh Zupancic, became the first Stanford duo to earn All-America honors in the same season since 1967. In addition, Zack Giesen was tabbed the Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year. "I would like to thank Stanford for giving me the opportunity to lead the wrestling program," McCoy added. "It was an amazing experience and a very difficult place to leave. I also want to thank all of the alumni, fans, parents and administrators for the support the program received. I especially want to thank Bob Bowlsby and Earl Koberlein for providing me with the tools necessary to build a top notch program. I am very happy with the direction the program is going and I expect great things in the future." Prior to his time at Stanford, McCoy spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Lehigh where he mentored 14 All-Americans and a pair of NCAA Champions. He helped the Mountain Hawks to four Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association titles and led Jon Trenge to a school-record 133 wins in his career at 197 pounds. Trenge was a three-time All-American. During his time at Lehigh, McCoy shared the sidelines with former Maryland head coach Pat Santoro, who was also on the staff at Penn State when McCoy was a wrestler. "I have been very fortunate to know Kerry as an athlete and coach over the past 15 years, and we have become very close," Santoro said. "Kerry is a great fit for this team and will help take them to the next level. I am excited for Kerry and his family to have this opportunity at Maryland to reach their professional goals. Personally, our family is excited to have him back on the east coast." While at Lehigh, McCoy also served as the director of wrestling and head coach of the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club where he was responsible for conducting clinics in the local area, promoting the sport of wrestling, and fundraising. McCoy serves on the USA Wrestling Athlete Advisory Committee as well as the USAW Executive Committee, the United States Olympic Committee, and has been a U.S. Freestyle World Team coach for two seasons. McCoy also had a stint as an assistant coach at Penn State for three seasons, where he helped the Nittany Lions to a pair of fourth-place finishes at the NCAA Championships and guided 10 All-Americans and two national champions. McCoy spent his collegiate wrestling career with the Nittany Lions and posted a record of 150-18 in his four seasons. He captured a pair of NCAA Championships in 1994 and 1997 and won three Big Ten titles. After going 19-17 in his first 36 matches at Penn State, McCoy lost just once in his final 132 with an 88-match winning streak. A three-time All-American, McCoy was named the Penn State Athlete of the Year and the Nittany Lions' Wrestler of the Year in 1994 and 1997 while being tabbed the 1997 Hodge Award winner as W.I.N. Magazine's Wrestler of the Year. He earned his bachelor's degree in marketing in 1997. McCoy was also a two-time Olympian for the United States and took fifth place at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and seventh in 2004 in Athens. McCoy also won five straight U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling Championships from 2000 to 2004. McCoy has been a member of the United States National Team nine times and earned a silver medal in 2003 at the World Championships. In August 2003, McCoy won a gold medal at the Pan-Am Games and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. McCoy and his wife, Abbie, are expecting their first child in July.

The Stanford wrestling team celebrated a season of successes last night with the team's annual awards banquet. The Cardinal recognized numerous wrestlers with team awards and bid farewall to seniors Tanner Gardner, Josh Zupancic, Phillip Doerner, Bobby Pease and Mark Shughart. The night began with recognition of the winners of the Tod Surmon award, presented to the wrestler with the most outstanding performance in a home dual meet. In 2007-08, the winners were Gardner, Zack Giesen and Jake Johnson for Cal State Bakersfield on Jan. 24, Johnson for Portland State on Jan. 25, Porfirio Madrigal for Menlo College on Jan. 25 and Gardner, Zupancic and Luke Feist for Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 10. Next, captains Gardner, Zupancic, Doerner and Feist were presented with the Captains' Award. Voted by the team, true freshman Kyle Barrett and redshirt freshman Lucas Espericueta were named the team's Most Outstanding Newcomers, while Johnson was deemed Most Improved. Gardner and Zupancic, both 2008 All-Americans, were named the squad's Most Valuable Wrestlers. Gardner and Zupancic also both earned the Outstanding Scholar-Athlete award given to the wrestler who best combines academic and athletic excellence. The Coaches Award, given to the individual who made the most significant contributions to the well-being of the team in terms of attitude, improvement, or special leadership, was awarded to Doerner and junior Kyle Pubols. Stanford recorded one of its most successful years in history last season. In the course of the year, the Cardinal squad won more duals than any season in the last three decades (13), posted its highest Pac-10 finish in school history, its second-highest national finish and sent a program-best five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Stanford took 19th nationally, just its third all-time top-20 finish. For just the third time in program history and the second time in two years, Stanford produced two All-Americans in the same season. Owning two of the conference's four All-Americans, the Cardinal's 19th place finish was the best in the Pac-10.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Three members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team have been dismissed from the team, according to head coach Troy Sunderland. Freshmen Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) and Jared Platt (Blairstown, N.J.) and sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) have all been dismissed from the squad for violation of team rules and the standards of the program. "We have granted each of these young men a release from the team in order for them to continue their academic and athletic careers at different schools," Sunderland said. "This was a very tough decision for all of us, but as this program continues to improve, each of our wrestlers must live up to the high standards of the program." "We wish each of these individuals the best of luck in their future endeavors," Sunderland said. "After our outstanding performance last season, we are primed to continue this ascent and we must focus on all aspects of this program." Penn State is coming off a banner season that saw the team place third at the 2008 NCAA Championships, garner four All-Americans and led the nation in the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) among all wrestling programs according to the NCAA.

2007-08 NWCA Division I All-Academic Wrestling Team The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced its annual Division I All-Academic Top 30 and Individual All-Academic wrestling teams for the 2007-08 season. Duke University finds itself at the head of the class for the second straight year, but the Blue Devils have company. American University tied Duke for the top team GPA with a 3.335. For teams to be eligible for consideration, teams comprise 12 student athletes, including the 10 wrestlers that were the entries in the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. If teams had less than 10 entries for their respective qualifier, they may fill those spots with wrestlers that competed in at least one varsity dual during the season. Individually, wrestlers must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule – and must have competed in at least 60 percent of said schedule. The other way to qualify for the All-Academic team is have a 3.0 cumulative and been an NCAA All-American. Last season, 57 wrestlers were named to the All-Academic team. This year, that number increased 35 percent to 88 total wrestlers. The 2007-08 All-Academic team was highlighted by 27 Division I All-Americans and three national champions – Brent Metcalf of Iowa (149), Jordan Leen of Cornell (157) and Mike Pucillo of Ohio State (184). Four other finalists also made the squad: Eric Tannenbaum (165) and Steve Luke (174) of Michigan, Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan (197) and J.D. Bergman of Ohio State (285). Five All-Americans were named to the All-Academic team at 197 pounds, the most of any weight single class. Nine of the 10 weights had at least two All-Americans represented on the All-Academic team. "We're seeing more teams and more coaches aware on how important being recognized for academics can be," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "We had mountains of data to look through and reference while compiling this information. Our staff was impressed with not only the volume of nominations, but the number of new programs who were submitting All-Academic recommendations." "The All-Academic Team represents more than just fine work in the classroom, because the impact of the Academic Progress Report is more important to a sport like wrestling now more than every," said Moyer. "These programs are making the grade." "This is one important indicator to the academic integrity in our sport," added Moyer. "That said, we can't turn a blind-eye to the NCAA's yardstick (APR) for measuring academic integrity." Both Duke and American had four wrestlers on the All-Academic Team. Leading the way for the Eagles were All-Americans Mike Cannon and Josh Glenn and qualifier Chris Stout. Duke, which didn't have an NCAA qualifier, was led by Addison Nuding's 3.67 in International Comparative Studies. Team wise, Liberty followed in third with a 3.286. The Flames just finished their second season after being re-instated and qualified six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Four of them were on the All-Academic Team, led by Patrick Walker's 3.93 in Religion and Christian Smith's 3.83 in the MBA program. Stanford was fourth, with a 3.269. Two of the three Cardinal honorees were All-Americans with stellar GPA's. Tanner Gardner, a three-time All-American, sported a 4.0 in sociology, while Josh Zupancic notched a 3.71 in American Studies. Princeton, the highest Ivy League program on the list, didn't have anyone on the individual list, but overall was represented with a team GPA of 3.209. Two Ivy League schools, two southern schools and a MAC program rounded out the Top 10. Gardner-Webb was sixth nationally with a 3.175. The Bulldogs were followed by Brown (3.156), Columbia (3.114), Campbell (3.109) and Northern Illinois (3.100). "We like the cross-section of programs represented in the Top 30," said NWCA President Ron Mirikitani. "It's not just the high profile private schools dominating the list, we have many state schools represented across the list as well as our traditional service academies and Ivies, but it's a good to see so many types of schools represented." Individually, Gardner and Edinboro's Jarrod King had the highest GPA of the 86 honorees, both reporting 4.0's. King, a transfer from Oklahoma, is majoring in Health & Physical Education with an emphasis on Human Performance. Rounding out the top five are Lehigh's Manuel Schubert (3.98, Biology), Eastern Michigan's Cory Mancuso (3.97, PE), and Missouri's Tyler McCormick (3.95, Business Administration). In all, 48 schools had at least one wrestler represented on the All-Academic Team, over half of all participating schools in NCAA Division I. Eleven schools had three or more All-Academic Selections. American, Duke, Iowa and Liberty each had four representatives, while Cal State-Bakersfield, Central Michigan, Michigan, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion and Stanford had three apiece. Overall, 26 teams had two or more wrestlers on the All-Academic Team. The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate programs. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events, and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Maryland wrestling team handed out its awards for the 2007-08 season at the annual awards picnic at Epping Forest Club House in Annapolis on May 3. Sophomore Hudson Taylor was given the John McHugh Most Outstanding Wrestler Award for the second-straight season after becoming the first Terrapin All-American since 1997. Taylor finished the season with a 37-3 record at 197 pounds and his third place finish at NCAAs was the best for a wrestler at Maryland since 1992. His win total was tied for the most in the ACC and tied for the eighth highest in all of Division I including every weight class. Eighteen of his wins came by fall which tied for third nationally. Taylor won the 197 pound title at the ACC Championships on March 8 at Comcast Center to complete a perfect season against conference competition at 10-0. Half of those wins came by way of fall. Taylor was named ACC Wrestler of the Week a staggering five times which was more than any other team's total number of honors. Senior Charlie Pinto was honored with the Kevin Kearns Senior Leadership Award after serving his third season as team captain. Junior Josh Haines was named the Tom Norris Unsung Hero, named after the Vietnam veteran and author. Haines finished the year 16-10 with three falls at 184 pounds, including a win over two-time All-American Tyrel Todd, which proved instrumental in the Terps' victory over No. 5 Michigan. Sophomore Brendan Byrne was given the Curt Callahan Mental Toughness Award, named after the alum, as he went 19-12 at 125 pounds with five major decisions and true sophomore Jon Kohler was named Most Improved, as he finished 17-14 at 141 pounds. Kohler added seven wins from his freshman campaign at 133 pounds. Brian Letters was tabbed the Freshman of the Year after winning the ACC Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament where he upset the #9 seed in the first round. Letters finished with a record of 18-15 at 157 pounds. Alex Krom received the Redshirt of the Year Award after winning titles at the Buffalo Open and Edinboro Open at 141 pounds. He also earned a second place finish at the Mat Town Open and a third place finish at the Kent State Open. Krom capped off his redshirt season by placing third at the Freestyle University Nationals to earn All-America status at 145.5 pounds. The Terps also added a new award this season, The Strongest Man, to honor Ryan Brown. Brown set the Maryland school record with a strength index of 853, which consists of a power clean (255 pounds), squat (641 pounds), and bench press (305 pounds). An 853 strength index makes Brown the strongest athlete pound-for-pound in the history of the University of Maryland. Maryland's 2007-08 campaign was a memorable one as the Terps captured their first ACC Championship since 1973. Five wrestlers claimed individual championships and six represented Maryland at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, the most entrants for the Terps since 1990. All six of the wrestlers Maryland sent to nationals were underclassmen, as four of them were sophomores in eligibility and two were true freshmen. Maryland finished 21st this season at nationals which was its best showing since 1992 and the best for an ACC team since 2004. The Terps also returned to the national forefront this year, climbing as high as No. 21 in the USA Today/NWCA/InterMat poll. It was the first time the Terps had been ranked since 1993. Included in the 16 wins was one of the most impressive dual-meet victories in school history when the Terps beat No. 5 Michigan, 18-16, on November 24. The Terps also won at No. 22 Navy, marking the first time Maryland had won in Annapolis in 22 years. It was the first time Maryland had beaten the Midshipmen since 1997. The Terps went 16-4 in 2007-08 and went 5-0 in the ACC for the second-straight season. Maryland's .800 winning percentage this season established a new school record and its 33 wins the last two years is more than any other two-year span in Terps history. FULL LIST OF AWARDS John McHugh Most Outstanding Wrestler: Hudson Taylor Kevin Kearns Senior Leadership Award: Charlie Pinto Tom Norris Unsung Hero: Josh Haines Curt Callahan Mental Toughness: Brendan Byrne Most Improved: Jon Kohler Most Falls: Hudson Taylor (18, ranked third nationally) Redshirt of the Year: Alex Krom Freshman of the Year: Brian Letters Strongest Man: Ryan Brown Captain Awards: Josh Haines, Charlie Pinto, Hudson Taylor Senior Awards: Ryan Brown, Ryan Kennett, Charlie Pinto, Matt Rothstein, Clint Stout

FARGO, N.D. -- Three-time Minnesota state qualifier Will Johnson of Hibbing High School has signed a National Letter of Intent to wrestle and continue his education at North Dakota State University. Head coach Bucky Maughan made the announcement today. Johnson is the ninth high school wrestler to commit to North Dakota State this year. He is the next in a long line of Hibbing wrestlers to come to NDSU, including Bison All-Americans David Calliguri (1988 and 1989), Tim Tekautz (1992 and 1993) and Jack Thompson (1993). His older brother Skip Johnson wrestled in a backup role at NDSU for two seasons from 2003 to 2005. Will Johnson set Hibbing's career records for victories (185), pins (99) and team points (841). He was named to the all-conference first team five times, including the Most Outstanding Wrestler award in the conference this year. He went on to place third in the state at 160 pounds and was selected to the state all-academic team. North Dakota State was 11-9 overall and 4-2 in the Western Wrestling Conference this year. The Bison placed fifth in the NCAA West Regional and qualified three wrestlers for the NCAA Division I national championships.

Columbia, Mo. -- Missouri senior Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) and sophomore Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Academic All-America honors as announced May 6. This marks the sixth time in seven years that at least one Tiger grappler has received NWCA recognition for work in the classroom. McCormick, Missouri's 133-pound starter for the 2007-08 campaign, made his fourth and final NCAA appearance at the Championships March 20-22 in St. Louis. The two-time All-American finished his collegiate career with a 77-43 record that included wins over some of the best wrestlers in the nation. McCormick took second at the 2008 Big 12 Championships in Oklahoma City, besting No. 1 ranked Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State, 5-3. This marks McCormick's third NWCA Academic All-American honor. A business management major that will graduate in May, McCormick owns a 3.95 cumulative grade-point average and recently was awarded an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. A first-time recipient of the NWCA Academic All-America award, Askren carries a 3.41 cumulative GPA. Askren earned his first All-America honor at the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships after taking seventh in the 197-pound bracket. A two-time Big 12 Champion, Askren closed out his sophomore campaign with a 26-4 record, earning his final win of the season, 9-7, in overtime over Iowa State's David Bertolinio.

Manheim, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholastic Board of Directors announced on Tuesday the annual winners for the NWCA Scholastic Coach of the Year, Scholastic Assistant Coach of the Year and the Scholastic Wrestler of the Year. Apple Valley High School coach Jim Jackson is the recipient of the Head Coach of the Year after leading the Eagles to nine state dual team titles in the last 10 years. Ranked in the top five all season, Apple Valley has been one of the upper Midwest's powerhouses for over a decade and Jackson has quite a stable of former wrestlers who went on to bigger things. One will even be making waves on Sundays in the near future as AV graduate Trevor Laws was picked in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. This year, Jackson crowned five individual state champions. "When a person receives an award like this, it's more a program award," said Jackson. "The credit belongs to the athletes, the parents and my assistant coaches and my administration. It's a combination of that, I'm honored by it, but it's a program award." "There are a lot of people that have a piece of this award," said Jackson. "What Jim Jackson continues to do in a rugged wrestling state like Minnesota is remarkable," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Wrestling tradition and history is storied at Apple Valley. It's one name that immediately springs to mind nation-wide when you talk about the scholastic wrestling in Minnesota." Jackson's Apple Valley teams have won 10 state team titles in 13 years and nine of the last 10. Prior to taking over the reigns as head coach for the 1995-96 season, he served as an assistant coach for Bill Demaray for 15 seasons. But since taking over, Apple Valley's dual meet mark is an astonishing 465-25-3 (94.3 percent) With more than its fair share of worthy and qualified candidates, Easton Area (Pa.) High School's Jordan Oliver emerged as the NWCA's Scholastic Wrestler of the Year. Oliver won his third state championship and also won titles at the Manheim Lions, Reno Tournament of Champions and High School Nationals. Oliver's Reno title was his second and he completed his scholastic career with a remarkable 175-5 record. Oliver was also the NWCA Region 2 Wrestler of the Year. Bound for Oklahoma State, Oliver's also versed in the international styles, winning a Junior National Freestyle Championship in 2007 to follow his Cadet title the year before. "I'm looking forward in being in the environment with John Smith and Eric Guerrero and just being around trained by those coaches and in good surroundings, I'm looking forward to training with my teammates," said Oliver. "Lightning quick, technically sound and an absolute terror on the mat -- Jordan Oliver has all the tools," said NWCA President Ron Mirikitani. "It's not a question of will he do well on the next level, it's more about how soon." Oliver also participated in two of the most prestigious post-season All-Star events in the nation, the Dapper Dan Classic and the Wrestling USA Dream Team Classic. He was also the state and regional winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award as presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "It's a pretty awesome of an accomplishment, I never had it in mind during the season, but throughout the season, I wanted to dominate. It's an honor," said Oliver. "The field of regional and state award winners was deep and talented," said Moyer. "We would have been pleased with any number of different wrestlers who were nominated, but you really can't go wrong with a kid like Jordan. His credentials and reputation speak for themselves." Tom Spale of Schuyler Central High School in Nebraska was honored as the Assistant Coach of the Year by the NWCA. A 35-year veteran of coaching on the youth and scholastic levels, Spale's been a high school assistant for 25 years and helped guide Schuyler Central to an 11th place finish at the Nebraska Class B state championships. Schuyler qualified five to the tournament and crowned one state champion, Dustin Stodola at 112 pounds and 130-pounder John Svoboda finished second. "A common misconception in our sport is some people believe you have to be a dominant program to be considered a good coach," said Moyer. "Caring coaches like Tom Spale have been involved with good teams and great kids, but his steady hand and commitment to wrestling are things you can't put wins and losses against." Regional Winners Region 1 Head Coach, Lawrence E. Tremblay, Winchester HS (MA) Assistant, Bob Bathalon, Otter Valley Union HS (VT) Wrestler, Hunter Meys, Shenendehowa HS (NY) Region 2 Head Coach, John Garnder, High Point Regional (NJ) Assistant, Bill Lehto, C. Milton Wright HS (MD) Wrestler, Jordan Oliver, Easton Area HS (PA) Region 3 Head Coach, Doug Thurmond, Jefferson HS (GA) Assistant, Jon Renner, Science Hill HS (TN) Wrestler, Peter Yates, Salem HS (GA) Region 4 Head Coach, Dale Eggert, Libertyville High School (IL) Assistant, Craig Zeerip, Hesperia High School (MI) Wrestler, Andrew Howe, Hanover Central High School (IN) Region 5 Head Coach, Jim Jackson, Apple Valley HS (MN) Assistant, Chris Kyle, Holt HS (MO) Wrestler, Jake Dietchler, Anoka HS (MN) Region 6 Head Coach, Terry Alley, Andover Central HS (KS) Assistant, Tom Spale, Schuyler Central HS (NE) Wrestler, Tyler Graff, Loveland HS (CO) Region 7 Head Coach, Jeff Thompason, Flathead HS (MT) Assistant, Thomas W. Tripple, Governor John R. Rogers HS (WA) Wrestler, Tyrell Fortune, Lakeridge HS (OR) Region 8 Head Coach, Tom Wokasch, Mingus Union HS (AZ) Assistant, Mario Chagolla, Camp Verde HS (AZ) (Co-Wrestler), Jason Welch, Las Lomas HS (CA) (Co-Wrestler), Jason Chamberlain, Springville HS (UT) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate programs. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events, and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.

We'll be back in the Brute Adidas studios this week for another show filled with guests, news and information about this sport. To all of you who have signed up for the Pod casts thank you! Wow, what a successful idea that was. Technology always amazes me. I'm grateful to all of you who listen. Intermatwrestle.com's Jason Bryant joins us a special guest co-host for this broadcast. This week on TDR- Brad Penrith- Head Coach of the Panthers of University of Northern Iowa joins us to give us an update at UNI and on Olympic Trial bound Tolly Thompson. Thompson is looking for what might be his last trial ever and would sure like to go out on top. Jake Herbert- Northwestern University's Jake Herbert qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials by winning the 185-pound division at the University National Freestyle Championships last weekend. Herbert was named Most Outstanding Wrestler and was one of four Wildcats to place in the tournament. In the finals, the 2007 NCAA champion at 184 lbs. defeated Iowa State's David Bertolino of the Cyclone WC, 2-0, 1-0. Herbert had three victories during the final day including a three-period win over Matt Pell of Cavalier WC in the second round. Herbert took an Olympic redshirt year from the Wildcats last season and has been competing in many international events. He wanted one more tournament before the U.S. Nationals coming up in two weeks in Las Vegas. "I got in a good test, wrestled good matches and know what my strengths and weaknesses are," Herbert said. "I also got my qualification for Olympic Trials. It now doesn't matter what I do at U.S. Nationals if I win Olympic Trials. That is what I have been working so hard for." The next event for Herbert in his quest to qualify for the Olympics is the U.S. Nationals, April 23-26. The winner of the U.S. Nationals becomes the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The top three finishers in each weight at the trials are named to the U.S. National Team. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials take place June 13-15 in Las Vegas. NU had three other All-Americans in the tournament. Mike Tamillow took true second at 211.5 lbs. and Ryan Lang was second at 145.5 lbs. Mike Benefiel, who redshirted last season and will be a starter for the 'Cats in 2008-09, finished fifth at 174 lbs. John Stutzman- Head Coach Coach Bloomsburg University- 3rd year going in to 4th year. John was able to produce his 2nd All American in Matt Moley (157lbs). Along with Coach Carl Fronhoefer Stutzman has been able to bring this program along very quickly and has recently received the keys to a brand new wrestling only facility off-campus dedicated to the advancement of Bloomsburg Wrestling. Dalton Folkerts- This little dynamo AAU wrestler from Albia, Iowa is a true testament to what a wrestler can be. Dalton took 1st A 75 in 2007 and went 11-1 on the season to earn 1st place honors on the box at vets auditorium this last year. What a ride its been for this young man. Now I'm going to warn you, this young man speaks his mind and exposes his heart. Medals and trophies mean very little to this youngster with a much high vision. Tune in and find out what I mean..... Greg Strobel- Outgoing Head Coach of Lehigh University. Greg is quite possibly one of the nicest men I've ever met. Warm, Giving, Understanding, Trusting, one hell of a coach and one great teacher. It's understandable that when he moves to his new position that one of his own, an alumnus of Lehigh would leave a very high profile position at Maryland to move back and take the spot of his mentor, teacher and friend. Greg will join us to describe his new duties, and maybe a bit of reflection on the last few years. Remarkable is one word I can and do use in describing Greg Strobel. Lehigh University has named Pat Santoro its new Lawrence E. White ‘64 Head Coach of Wrestling, Goodman Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett '76 announced Tuesday. Santoro, who becomes just the eighth head coach in the 99-year history of Lehigh wrestling, replaces Greg Strobel who will be making the transition into an administrative leadership role within the Lehigh Athletics Department. This announcement marks the return to Lehigh for Santoro, a Bethlehem native who spent nine seasons at Lehigh as an assistant coach. "Greg Strobel was ready for a new assignment outside of coaching and he is very well skilled and suited for working with our camps program and in our athletics alumni relations and fund raising areas," said Sterrett. "Pat Santoro was an outstanding assistant coach at Lehigh for nine years, and has done a magnificent job in developing the Maryland program. He will bring a deep affection for the institution, the educational values we prioritize, and the ability to make the transition seamless." Each week through the year we do our level best to provide for our sport through our programming. We do welcome suggestions. Know of an athlete, a coach or a friend of wrestling that deserves or needs some recognition? Let me know. Email me at Svideoman@aol.com. I welcome calls and emails. Thanks for listening and thanks to our sponsors who for years have understood the bigger picture.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature John Oostendorp and Allan Kieta. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. Oostendorp is the currently the head wrestling coach at Coe College. The Kohawks placed fourth at the 2008 Division III NCAA tournament and Oostendorp was named 2008 National Wrestling Coach of the Year. This year's Coe team had five All-Americans and its first NCAA champion in school history. As a wrestler, Oostendorp was a two-time All-American at the University of Iowa. He was also a member of several Greco-Roman national teams and participated in the 1995 World Championships. Kieta, a former wrestler who is blind in both eyes, used his wrestling skills to overpower an intruder and hold the man at knifepoint until help arrived. The story has received prominent national attention from the media. Indianapolis police called the event one of the most incredible tales of citizen self-defense they had encountered. Kieta will discuss the event and how he used his wrestling background in the altercation. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

Five Augustana wrestlers received awards at the team's annual banquet over the weekend. The awards are selected by a vote of the team members. Freshman Ty Copsey received the Most Valuable Wrestler Award. Copsey, the North Central Conference Freshman of the Year, earned All-America honors by finishing fourth at the NCAA Division II National Championships at 197 pounds. Jason Jeremiason earned a pair of awards. He received the Freshman of the Year and also the Most Improved Award after qualifying for nationals following a fourth-place regional finish. In addition, Sid Bice received the Redshirt of the Year Award. Jay Sherer, another freshman national qualifier, was presented the Hardest Worker Award, while Lance Peters earned the Viking Purple Heart Award. A natural 197-pounder, Peters wrestled heavyweight for most of the season. Augustana finished fifth in the rugged North Region and went on to place 17th at the NCAA Division II National Championships, crowning 2 All-Americans in the process. Most Valuable Wrestler: Ty Copsey Redshirt of the Year: Sid Bice Freshman of the Year: Jason Jeremiason Hardest Worker: Jay Sherer Most Improved: Jason Jeremiason Viking Purple Heart Award: Lance Peters

IOWA CITY, IA -- Iowa wrestling's NCAA Champions - senior Mark Perry and sophomore Brent Metcalf - have been named the Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestlers for the 2007-08 season. They received the award at the team's annual awards banquet Sunday in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes had much to celebrate at the team banquet. The team won its 21st NCAA title and 32nd Big Ten title, which were firsts for second-year Head Coach Tom Brands. Iowa crowned two individual NCAA champions - a first since 1999 - and seven all-Americans - the highest number since 2001. The Hawkeyes posted a 21-1 overall record, ending the season on a 14-match winning streak. Iowa also won the Big Ten regular season title with an unblemished 8-0 mark. Brands was named NWCA and Big Ten Coach of the Year. Perry won his second national title to become Iowa's 14th two-time NCAA champion. He also captured his fourth all-America honor, becoming the 17th Hawkeye to accomplish the feat in school history. Perry scored 25 team points at the NCAA Championships, the most of any wrestler in the tournament. Despite missing the entire Big Ten dual season due to injury, the Stillwater, OK, native posted a 20-3 season record and led the team in pins (12) and fastest pin (21 seconds). The 165-pounder was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Dec. 19 and TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week Mar. 25. Perry ends his Hawkeye career with a 96-16 record. Metcalf stormed through the competition in his first season at 149 pounds with the Hawkeyes, winning his first NCAA and Big Ten titles. He earned the prestigious Dan Hodge Trophy, which is annually presented to the nation's top collegiate wrestler. The Davison, MI, native was named Outstanding Wrestler at both the NCAA and Big Ten Championships, and the Division I NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. He also garnered Big Ten Wrestler of the Year honors, becoming only the fourth Hawkeye to earn both in the same season. Metcalf led all point-scorers at the Big Ten tournament with 24, and his 23 points at NCAAs tied for third among all competitors. He posted a 35-1 season record, ending the year on a 32-match winning streak. He was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week twice, becoming the first student-athlete in conference history to earn in the honor in consecutive weeks. He was also named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week twice. Metcalf, who also earned academic all-Big Ten honors, led the team in collegiate wins (35), collegiate winning percentage (.972), dual wins (21), dual winning percentage (.954), dual team points scored (100) and technical falls (6). Senior heavyweight Matt Fields took home three team awards. He earned the the J. Donald McPike, Sr., Award, which is given annually to the senior with the highest grade-point average, the Most Improved Award and shared the All-American Award with four other teammates. A health and sports studies major from Lowden, IA, Fields earned his first all-America honor this season. He posted a 32-8 record and earned academic all-Big Ten accolades. Fields ends his Iowa career with a 95-38 mark, starting 64 duals. Fields shared the All-American Award with junior Charlie Falck, and sophomores Jay Borschel, Phillip Keddy and Joe Slaton. Falck earned his second all-America honor at 125, placing sixth at the NCAA Championships and fourth at the Big Ten tournament. His season record of 31-7 included a 21-1 dual mark. A native of Strawberry Point, IA, Falck shared the team lead in dual wins (21) and dual winning percentage (.954) with Metcalf. Keddy, from Vernal, UT, earned his first all-America honor at 184 in his second season in the lineup. His 28-11 record included a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a sixth-place finish at NCAAs. Borschel and Slaton each picked up their first all-America honor in their first season with the Hawkeyes. Slaton placed second at the NCAA Championships and third at Big Tens at 133, posting a 31-5 season record. The Cedar Rapids, IA, native was also named Wrestler of the Week by the Big Ten and TheMat.com after Iowa's win at Iowa State in December. Borschel placed third at both tournaments at 174 with a 32-5 record. The academic all-Big Ten honoree from Marion, IA, led the team in major decisions (11) and ranked second in collegiate wins (32) and dual team points scored (79). Sophomore Chad Beatty was honored with the Mike McGivern Award, which is annually presented to the team's most courageous wrestler. The Wilton, IA, native moved up two weight classes to compete at 197 pounds after the season started. His season record of 13-15 included key dual wins against Indiana and Michigan late in the season to help the Hawkeyes earn the conference regular season title. Beatty was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Feb. 20 for his efforts in those matches. Sophomore Illinois natives Rick Loera and Daniel Dennis earned the team's Coaches Appreciation Award. Loera, who also moved up to compete at 197 pounds, posted a 7-9 record. Dennis was injured at the start of the season, but came back at 133. Loera is from Park Ridge, and Dennis is a native of Ingleside.

Imagine spending an entire season with one of the all-time great college sports programs, the Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling team. We're not talking about just a season ticket for their dual meets and tournaments, but an all-access pass that takes you into the practice room, the locker room, the team bus, planes, hotels … everywhere the wrestling team went. Now you can experience this insider perspective -- without jet lag or missing a day of work -- thanks to Cowboy Up by Kim Parrish, published in 2007 by the Oklahoma Heritage Association, and co-winner of the National Wrestling Media Association's 2007 Publication of the Winner honors (along with Jamie Moffatt's Wrestlers at the Trials -- click HERE to read the InterMat Rewind article). This 390-page book follows the 2005 Oklahoma State wrestling team and head coach John Smith on their incredible journey towards their 33rd team title … the year that the Cowboys claimed half of the ten individual championships up for grabs at the NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis. Meet the author Kim Parrish is a self-confessed Cowboy fanatic who "bleeds orange." He is an Oklahoma State graduate who makes a powerful case that the Cowboy wrestling program is THE most significant college sports program in history -- more significant than, say, Notre Dame football or UCLA basketball. (After all, the Cowboy wrestlers have won more national team titles than the Fighting Irish gridiron guys and the Bruins roundballers combined). But, then again, Parrish should be good at making a case; he's a former practicing attorney and prosecutor, now a judge and law professor in his native Oklahoma. Kim ParrishKim, who wrestled in grade school and high school in the tiny southwestern Oklahoma farming community of Altus, provides plenty of evidence that the Cowboys wrestling program is "perhaps the most successful endeavor, sporting and otherwise, since Oklahoma's statehood in 1907" (to quote the book's website and flyer). For eighteen weeks during the 2004-2005 season, Kim accompanied the Cowboys as they traveled almost 16,000 miles by bus, plane, van and automobile to twelve different states, through four time zones, checking in and out of ten hotels to wrestle at twenty-one dual meets and three tournaments. In his preface to Cowboy Up, Kim Parrish writes: I watched and took notes as the wrestlers trained, traveled, pulled weight, studied, bled, starved, fought, prayed, cried, competed, slept, waited, worried, laughed, screamed, cursed, whispered, and held onto hope. All for only one end in mind. I am trained as a lawyer and not a journalist. My eye is for detail and patterns, and not storylines and drama. But, to my great surprise, the process lent itself to both. It is a story of newcomers getting their chance and veterans losing their way. It is a story of brotherly love and family betrayal. It is about the power of expectations and the blunt, cold truth of not measuring up. It is a tale about boys becoming men, a coach becoming a teacher, and a group becoming a team. But, most of all, it is a story that needs to be told. Observe and learn When asked what propelled the writing of Cowboy Up, Kim Parrish immediately responds, "I was curious to see behind-the-scenes of the winningest college program and its legendary coach." "Even though Oklahoma State is known nationally and internationally for wrestling, (Oklahoma) is still very much a football state." John Smith"It seemed like a story that needed to be told in a football-dominated state." Kim continues: "I approached Coach Smith about following the team. Coach immediately saw the value of the project -- wanting others to know the sacrifices wrestlers make to the sport … He wanted to share this information with others, to continue the vitality of the sport." "He was very free with sharing his observations, giving me access." "My goal wasn't to do nose-to-nose interviews, but to do observations off to the sidelines. More like an anthropological study." "I dictated my observations into a recorder, then, when I had a chance, typed up my notes as soon as possible, while they were still fresh in my mind." "I just hung out with the team," says Kim. "I was there for pre-match talks and preparation. I went into the locker room after matches. That was interesting and enlightening." Kim Parrish was granted unprecedented access to the Oklahoma State wrestling program as they embarked on their quest to win a third straight NCAA team title -- and their 33rd overall in the then 75-year history of the college wrestling championships. The Cowboy legacy … and what it means today When asked if the Oklahoma State Cowboys he observed had a sense of the incredible championship legacy of their program that extends back even before the NCAA wrestling tournament started in 1928, Kim Parrish responds, "When they put on the orange singlet, they have that sense of what is expected." "The photos of 80 previous champs line the wrestling room, almost as if they are watching the current wrestlers." The author then brings together the historical aspect with its relevance to today: "This book is a study of a culture of excellence … It is an examination of what a program can do to be successful. It provides content on dealing with defeat, teambuilding, and other universal issues that go beyond wrestling." "That said, this is a wrestling book, not a business success book." Getting inside = getting personal "One of the things that really gets me is the heartbreak and suffering (of the wrestlers) -- when they lose a match, when they don't make the team, when their college careers are over," discloses Kim Parrish. Left to right: Johny Hendricks, Steve Mocco, John Smith, Jake Rosholt, and Zack Esposito (Photo/Cowboy Up)"One reason I wrote the book -- wrestling is such a personal sport, with so much vulnerability." Cowboy Up reflects that feeling, by providing intimate insights into the individuals who make up the 2005 Cowboy wrestling team. Not just the superstars who went on to win individual titles at the 2005 NCAAs -- Zack Esposito, Johny Hendricks, Chris Pendleton, Jake Rosholt, and Steve Mocco -- but also the others on the team who may not be as well-known beyond Oklahoma State wrestling fans who "bleed orange." With his book, Kim Parrish is able to provide portraits of these wrestlers that may go beyond what the general public knows -- or thinks it knows -- about these wrestlers. For example, take this word-portrait on page 376 of top-ranked Cowboy heavyweight Steve Mocco (who had transferred from the University of Iowa): But the guy who "expects opponents to tremble when they meet him on the wrestling mat" was a 4.0 student who enjoyed crafting ceramic bowls for fun. Late one sunny afternoon in Lincoln, Nebraska, he sat with (coach) Smith, recited each of the Ten Commandments in order, and debated how they were altered and refined through the vagaries of the Middle Ages … Mocco's arrival in Stillwater was big news, but sometimes he was unaware of his standing on campus. When asked to serve as a celebrity waiter at a Special Olympics fundraiser in Stillwater with teammate Chris Pendleton, he was curious, asking "Who are the celebrities?" Cowboy Up doesn't limit its insightful portraits to the Oklahoma State wrestlers, as evidenced by this word-picture on page 373 of eventual two-time NCAA champion Ben Askren, after losing the 174-pound title bout to Chris Pendleton: Chris Pendleton and Ben Askren embrace after their NCAA finals match at 174 pounds in 2005 (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)As time expired on their ninth and final meeting, Askren stepped back and let the clock tick down. The wrestlers shook hands and the Missouri sophomore smiled, embraced his rival, and spoke so no one could hear. "Thanks for the battles" he said, as hair shot from his headgear like straw-colored laser beams. Askren was somber as he stood center-stage and received his runner-up plaque. Choosing not to speak to reporters after a match, he sat and sobbed in a dark and private arena corridor. He lost only four matches during the season, all to Pendleton. Askren's teammate, 165-pounder Tyron Woodley, put it best, "I'm guessing he's happy [Pendleton] is gone." Getting to know Coach John Smith In addition to providing the reader with rare views of college wrestlers, Cowboy Up also delivers something of a biography of head coach John Smith. In fact, approximately ten percent of the text of the book -- 38 out of 390 pages -- is devoted to telling the story of the Cowboy coach. What's more, Smith is the only individual pictured on the front or back covers of Cowboy Up. As might be expected, readers learn about John Smith's considerable mat accomplishments as a two-time NCAA champ for Oklahoma State, six-time world champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and Sullivan Award winner as best amateur athlete in any sport. Not bad for a guy who admits in the foreword he wrote for this book that, as a small boy growing up in Del City, Oklahoma, he was pinned in his first five matches. In addition, Cowboy Up also serves up some surprising information on John Smith. It provides insight on how he came to develop the low single-leg takedown, his signature move that confounded college and freestyle opponents alike. Just as significant, the book describes how Smith had to change his mindset from a competitor -- who was described in a 1992 Los Angeles Times story just before the Barcelona Olympics as being "obsessed with three things: himself, wrestling and winning. Anything or anybody else had better get out of the way" -- into a successful coach who not only commands the respect of his wrestlers, but of the wrestling world at large. Here's how Smith addresses the wrestler-into-coach transition in a quote on page 63 of Cowboy Up: "Being a world-class athlete is about being selfish. You have to. But being a coach is about giving and giving and giving, but I am at peace with that. It was difficult to make that transition when I retired at age 26, giving up that pretense that it was all about me … I am now at peace with the stance of being a giving person and not a taking person. Not that I'm like that all the time, but that is the dynamic I strive for." If you'd like to get an all-access, behind-the-scenes immersion into a championship college wrestling program � but can't afford to take eighteen weeks out of your life to travel with the team -- Cowboy Up is the next best thing. Thanks to Kim Parrish's thoughtful, detailed observations -- along with tons of great photos -- you'll feel as if you were part of the 2004-2005 Oklahoma State championship wrestling team. To learn more about Cowboy Up -- or to find out how to purchase a copy, click HERE.

Wrestling's Jayson Ness and track's Heather Dorniden were named the University of Minnesota's Male and Female athletes of the year, announced tonight at second-annual Golden Goldys banquet at the Radisson University. Along with the individual awards, men's golf and the rowing team were also tabbed as the teams of the year. The voting process includes spring sports of 2007 (baseball, men's and women's golf, rowing, softball, men's and women's outdoor track & field and men's and women's tennis) and the fall and winter sports of the 2007-08 athletic year. Of Minnesota's 25 sports, 19 are represented in the nominations this year. Ness followed his 2006-07 rookie season with a stellar sophomore campaign. Ness was the 2008 NCAA runner-up in the 125-weight class and earned his second-straight All-America honors. The 2008 Big Ten runner-up at 125, Ness went 39-2 on the season, including a 21-0 record in dual meets. Named the team's most valuable player, Ness went unbeaten in 36 matches and was ranked No. 1 in the nation for a majority of the season. The Bloomington, Minn., native led the Gophers to a second-place Big Ten finish and 10th nationally. Ness beat out golf's Bronson La'Cassie, gymnastics' Mitchell Mays, baseball's Matt Nohelty and swimming's David Plummer. Dorniden helped both the track and cross-country teams win Big Ten titles during the course of the year. A six-time All-American, Dorniden was named the 2007 NCAA Midwest Region Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year and was also the NCAA runner-up in the 800 meter during the indoor season. Along with her track efforts, Dorniden was an all-region selection in cross-country. Hailing from Inver Grove Heights, Minn., Dorniden is the only two-time winner of a Golden Goldys award. She was named the 2007 Female Rookie of the Year last season. Dorniden won the award over rowing's Jenny Barnes, basketball's Emily Fox, hockey's Gigi Marvin and swimming's Jillian Tyler. Men's golf became the best male team of the year after winning the 2007 Big Ten Championship with a score of 1,192. The Gophers followed with a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships with a score of 1,133. The Gophers had three All-Americans in Victor Almstrom, Bronson La'Cassie and Niall Turner, with La'Cassie earning his fourth-straight honor. The finish marked the third time in six years the Gophers have placed in the top-10 in the nation. Rowing won best female team after a phenomenal 2007 season. After posting a record-setting 150 points at the Big Ten Championships, rowing won its first conference title in school history. The Gophers followed with their first team appearance at the NCAA Championships, placing sixth overall, defeating two-time champions, California with 47 points. The Gophers won the First Varsity Eight Petite Final and became the national champions in the Second Varsity Eight event. All-American Jenny Barnes was named the Big Ten Rower of the Year. Head Coach Wendy Davis was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and the Central Region Coach of the Year. She also won the Golden Goldy award for the Best Women's Coach of the Year. Davis, who is a two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, started the rowing program from scratch in the 2000-01 campaign. Tubby Smith followed with the Best Men's Team Coach of the Year honors. In his first year with the Gophers, Smith guided the Maroon and Gold to the biggest season turnaround in school history. After a 9-22 record in 2006-07, Smith led Minnesota to a 20-14 mark in 2007-08. The 11-game improvement was a tie for the second-best turnaround in the NCAA this season. With the 20 wins, it was just the eighth time in school history to have a 20-win season and the first since 2004-05. In Big Ten play, Smith and the Gophers went from 3-13 to 8-10, which tied for the biggest win increase with Purdue. Both basketball teams were represented in the breakthrough performances. On the men's side, Damian Johnson was named the Male Breakthrough Athlete of the Year. In his sophomore campaign, Johnson made major improvements in every statistical category. Increasing his minutes from 9.9 to 22.6 this season, Johnson ranked fifth in the Big Ten in steals and sixth in blocks. His point production went from 1.6 points per game in 2006-07 to 7.1, while his rebounds per game increased from 1.4 to 4.7. Johnson led the team in blocks and finished second in rebounding and steals. Leslie Knight was voted the Female Breakthrough Performance after stellar senior season. After scoring just 15 points and playing just 52 minutes in her first two seasons, Knight made 65 consecutive starts over her last two years. Earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors this season, finishing fifth in Big Ten scoring with 16.4 points per game. She improved her points per game from 8.3 to 13.6 and her rebounds per game from 4.5 to 5.9, finishing second on the team in both categories. Jillian Tyler was named the Female Rookie of the Year for her freshman season. The standout became the NCAA runner-up in the 100 breaststroke and placed seventh overall in the 200 breaststroke and was a four-time All-American. At the conference level, Tyler became the Big Ten Freshman of the Year after winning the 100 and 200 breast as well as the 400 medley relay. In her rookie season, Tyler was the team's mvp and led the Gophers in both dual meet points and championship points. She followed her collegiate season with a second-place finish in the 100 breast and became a member of the Canadian Olympic Team. The Male Rookie of the Year went to cross-country's Hassan Mead. In his first season as a Golden Gopher was the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and after finishing second at the 2007 Big Ten Championships. An All-American, Mead was also the team's MVP and a member of the all-region team. FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (winner in BOLD) Jenny Barnes (Rowing) Heather Dorniden (Track & Field) Emily Fox (Basketball) Gigi Marvin (Hockey) Jillian Tyler (Swimming & Diving) MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Bronson La'Cassie (Golf) Mitchell Mays (Gymnastics) Jayson Ness (Wrestling) Matt Nohelty (Baseball) David Plummer (Swimming & Diving) FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Katie Bethke (Soccer) Megan Braun (Swimming & Diving) Brook Dieter (Volleyball) Jenny Lura (Hockey) Jillian Tyler (Swimming & Diving) MALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Cade Fairchild (Hockey) Alex Kangas (Hockey) Hassan Mead (Cross Country) Michael Richards (Swimming & Diving) Adam Weber (Football) FEMALE BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Rachael Drazan (Hockey) Briana Hassett (Softball) Leslie Knight (Basketball) Christine Tan (Volleyball) Castina Wabeke (Swimming & Diving) MALE BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Tom Buske (Baseball) Eric Decker (Football) Justin Grunewald (Cross Country) Damian Johnson (Men's Basketball) Steve Miller (Swimming & Diving) BEST WOMEN'S TEAM COACH Matt Bingle (Track & Field) Wendy Davis (Rowing) Brad Frost (Hockey) Kelly Kremer / Terry Nieszner (Swimming & Diving) BEST MEN'S TEAM COACH John Anderson (Baseball) Brad James (Golf) Steve Plasencia (Cross Country) Tubby Smith (Basketball) BEST FEMALE TEAM Rowing Swimming & Diving Track & Field BEST MALE TEAM Baseball Cross Country Golf FEMALE TEAM COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Track & Field MALE TEAM COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Track & Field

David Thorn, a junior at St. Michael-Albertville high school, verbally committed to wrestle for the University of Minnesota following his senior season with the STMA Knights. David will join his older brother Mike with the Golden Gophers. David is currently a three-time Minnesota high school state champion winning at 125 pounds in 2008, 112 pounds in 2007, and 103 pounds in 2006. He will be seeking his fourth title as a senior. He placed third at Junior Freestyle Nationals at 112 pounds last summer and prior to that was a Cadet National Folkstyle champion and placed 7th at Cadet Freestyle Nationals.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -� After concluding a history-making season, the 2007-08 Ohio State wrestling team celebrated numerous moments from this past year at the team banquet Friday, including two individual national champions and a team national runner-up finish at the Faculty Club on the Ohio State University campus. The awards presentation began with the introduction of the Gold Singlets. Similar to the Ohio State football team's Gold Pants concept, the wrestling Buckeyes honored the current squad with Gold Singlets for their win over Michigan Feb. 10 in St. John Arena. Eight wrestlers were honored with the Battling Buckeye award, which goes to a non-starter who showed excellent work ethic in practice and performed well at various open tournaments. Freshmen Ross Ambrose, Tyler Meek, Sean Nemec and Jeremy Sanders were recipients. Sophomore Will Livingston, along with junior Owen Schaefer and seniors T.J. Enright and Nickolai Timbs, also were honored. After each home dual this past season, a wrestler was honored with the Russ Hellickson Award, named after the former Buckeye head coach (1987-2006). The accolade goes to the Most Valuable Wrestler of the competition. 2007-08 team tri-captain J Jaggers won after his performance against Penn State Jan. 25. Lance Palmer was the honoree after the Edinboro match Feb. 14, while captain Mike Pucillo garnered the award following the dual against Michigan Feb. 10. Sponseller was a two-time selection, winning after his collegiate debut against Wisconsin Dec. 10 and again vs. Iowa Jan. 18. Jaggers collected more hardware after his dramatic pin over Jake Strayer in the final match of the Penn State dual was selected as the Performance of the Year. Thanks to Jaggers' pin, the Buckeyes earned their second win over the Nittany Lions after previously defeating them in the National Duals. Named after former Buckeye Ray Mendoza (1992-93), the Ray Mendoza Leadership Award was presented to senior Alex Picazo. The honor is given to the Buckeye who exemplifies excellent guidance in practice and competition. Jaggers and Pucillo, 2008 NCAA National Champions were recognized, as well as 2007-08 All-Americans, J.D. Bergman and Palmer. Bergman and Pucillo also were named to the NWCA All-Academic team. That laurel complements their Academic All-Big Ten honors. Jason Cook, Dominic Mehling, Corey Morrison, Picazo, Schaefer and Timbs also were Academic All-Big Ten selections. 2007-08 Ohio State Wrestling Team Banquet National Champions J Jaggers Mike Pucillo All-Americans J.D. Bergman J Jaggers Lance Palmer Mike Pucillo Big Ten Champion Mike Pucillo Battling Buckeye Recipients Sean Nemec, Nickolai Timbs, Jeremy Sanders, Tyler Meek, T.J. Enright, Will Livingston, Ross Ambrose, Owen Schaefer Russ Hellickson Wrestler of the Dual Wisconsin (Dec. 10) � Colt Sponseller Iowa (Jan. 18) � Colt Sponseller Penn State (Jan. 25) � J Jaggers Michigan (Feb. 10) � Mike Pucillo Edinboro (Feb. 14) � Lance Palmer Big Ten Performance of the Year J Jaggers vs. Jake Strayer (Penn State � Jan. 25) Ray Mendoza Leadership Award Alex Picazo Academic All-Big Ten J.D. Bergman Jason Cook Dominic Mehling Corey Morrison Alex Picazo Mike Pucillo Owen Schaefer Nickolai Timbs NWCA All-Academic Team J.D. Bergman Mike Pucillo

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson announced Friday the addition of New Jersey Prep Championship 130-pound titlist Anthony Valles of South Windsor, Conn., to the 2008-09 Cyclone signing class. Anthony Valles (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)In his senior campaign at Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.), the nation's top-ranked high school team that won both the New Jersey and the national prep school team titles, Valles claimed the 130-pound title at the 2008 New Jersey state prep school championships. He finished as the 130-pound runner at the prestigious Beast of the East tournament and tallied three pins and a major decision en route to a third-place finish at the 2008 National Prep Championships. Valles was the third-place finisher at the 2007 Walsh Jesuit Ironman Invitational. Blair Academy is a wrestling powerhouse that boasted eight graduates that qualified for the 2008 NCAA Championships. As a freshman in 2005 wrestling at South Windsor (Conn.) High School, Valles was crowned the 103-pound champion at the Connecticut high school state tournament and was named outstanding wrestler. He also took top honors at 112 pounds at the New England Tournament. In 2006, Valles finished as the 112-pound champ at the National Prep Championships and finished runner-up in the same weight class at the Beast of the East tournament. Valles is ranked among the top-20 high school grapplers nationally at 130 pounds by Intermat Wrestling. Despite suffering an injury his junior year, Valles finished his prep career with a 117-9 record. Valles joins Sanderson's list of future Cyclones for 2008-09 with Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), Nate Carr Jr. (Gray, Ga.), Eric Thompson (Waverly, Iowa), Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), Ridge Kiley (Eagle Grove, Iowa) and Chris Spangler (Naperville, Ill.).