InterMat Staff

WATERLOO, Ia. -- After 11 years as executive director, Mike Chapman has resigned from the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum, effective June 30. A prolific writer and veteran of 35 years in the newspaper business, Chapman founded the museum in 1997, when he was publisher of the Newton Daily News newspaper in Newton, Iowa. The museum was located in Newton until moving to Waterloo in January of 2007. Mike Chapman has resigned from the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and MuseumThe museum is a not-for-profit business designed to preserve the history of the sport in a manner that both educates and entertains visitors, and inspires young people to dream big and work hard. It sponsors numerous events throughout the year, including the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa event on April19, which drew over 400 people to the museum. "It's been a stimulating 11 years, with the ups and downs one would expect from such a huge undertaking," said Chapman. "I feel comfortable leaving the museum now that it has such a solid foundation for growth and success." The museum, run by a four-person staff and a board of directors, occupies a 16,000-square foot facility at 303 Jefferson Street in the heart of Waterloo. It has drawn rave reviews from numerous supporters, including United States Congressman Bruce Braley, former Congressman James Leach and Waterloo Mayor Tim Hurley. It has been featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles, and on various television and radio shows. The museum even has its own weekly show, called "On the Mat." The hour-long program runs each Wednesday on KCNZ TheFan (1650 am), and is hosted by Kyle Klingman, the museum's associate director. The museum drew close to 8,000 people in its first year and Chapman feels the museum can pass the 10,000 mark in the years ahead. "We have a very good base and the outreach program continues to produce great results," he said. "We have brought in dozens of school groups, fans and local clubs to the museum. One recent weekend alone, we had over 500 visitors from a kids wrestling tournament at Young Arena." The museum recently held Frank Gotch Day on April 3, to celebrate the 100 th year anniversary of Frank Gotch, a native of Humboldt, Iowa, winning the world heavyweight wrestling championship in Chicago. All three 2008 Iowa state high school championship teams -- Ballard-Huxley, Waverly-Shell Rock and Gilbertville Don Bosco -- were honored, along with Black Hawk County state placewinners and coaches. Olympic champions Dan Gable and Randy Lewis, world bronze medalist Tolly Thompson, legendary coach Bob Siddens and Bob Steenlage, a public speaker, author and Iowa's first four-time state champion, were among the guests of honor. "That is the kind of event that has huge impact for the museum, at all age levels and around the state and the nation," said Chapman. "It was announced on dozens of national web sites and in major periodicals. For instance, American Profile , a newspaper supplement with a circulation of over three million, mentioned the event, and USA Today , the nation's largest newspaper, ran a story on its web site." Chapman has served as executive director since the founding, and his wife, Bev, was office manager most of the time. Jed Brown, the president of the board, said the board faces the decision with mixed feelings. "Mike and Bev Chapman are the reason this museum exists and we are deeply appreciative of what they have meant to the sport," said Brown. "They have worked extremely hard to give wrestling a bigger presence throughout the nation. "We feel the museum has played a key role in the marketing of the sport and in inspiring young people to succeed in life, and we will continue that concept as we move ahead. "The board wishes Bev and Mike the very best in anything that they do in the future." Brown said the search for a new executive director is under way. Board member Chris McGowan, of Sioux City, IA, is heading up the search. Interested persons can contact him by email at chrisjmcgowan@aol.com . The author of 19 books, Chapman lived in both Newton and Waterloo while running the museum. He said the commute, along with the desire to devote more time to his writing, led to his decision to resign. "It was a tough decision, but I feel now is the right time to step down," said Chapman. "I have three new books on which I am working, and two screenplays in Hollywood that take up a lot of my attention. I enjoyed the time I was able to spend back in Waterloo, which is my hometown, but I want to focus now on my writing career. "We appreciate the strong support the museum has gotten from the local community, and from the wrestling community at large. The museum is in good hands and is in solid shape financially, although there is always a need for fundraising. It's an on-going process that requires tender, loving care." Other than the executive director, the museum has three full-time employees -- Kyle Klingman, associate director; Kent Sesker, marketing director, and Josh Harding, office manager. Board members besides Chapman and Brown (Omaha, Nebraska) are vice president, Jay Roberts, Waterloo, Iowa; secretary-treasurer, Bev Chapman, Newton, Iowa; Bob Buckley, of Waterloo; Tom Drake, of Cullman, Alabama; Dan Gable, of Iowa City; Major General (retired) Ken Leuer, Midland, Georgia; Chris McGowan, Sioux City, Iowa; Bill Murdock, Asheville, North Carolina; Brad Rheingans, Appleton, Minnesota, Jerry Brisco, Orlando, Florida, and Frank Santana, Des Moines, Iowa.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling program, under the guidance of first-year head coach Scott Goodale, announced its 2007-08 award winners at its year-ending banquet Wednesday night. Junior Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.), who reached the second day of the NCAA Tournament, received the Ted Petty award, giving to the program's Most Outstanding Wrestler. The Most Improved Wrestler went to sophomore Karim Mahmoud (Wallington, N.J.), who made a successful move from 197-pounds to the heavyweight class. Sophomore Reggie Parker (Upper Marlboro, Md.) won the Scholar-Athlete Award, while senior Steve Adamcsik (Chester, N.J.) received the Dual-Meet Scoring Champion. Adamcsik finished the year 12-3 in dual matches. The wrestling team finished 11-7 in 2007-08, Goodale's first season as head coach. Adamcsik and Brown each reached the NCAA Tournament, marking the first time that two RU wrestlers competed in the prestigious event since 2004-05. Goodale also brought in a highly rated recruiting class, ranked No. 10 by WIN Magazine.

St. Cloud, Minn. -- The St. Cloud State University Wrestling Team recently held its 2007-08 team honors banquet, handing out post-season awards, inducting Mike Rybak into the SCSU Wrestling Hall of Fame and celebrating one of the best seasons in Husky Wrestling history. Junior Brad Padgett (Buckley, Wash.) earned the team's Wrestler of the Year award after a 35-win season in which he earned a North Region championship and All-American honors (4th at national tournament) at 184 lbs. John Sundgren (Blaine) and Nick Wilkes (Onamia) were also honored for their All-American performances at 157 lbs. and 197 lbs. respectively. Senior Tom Anderson (Belview/Redwood Valley H.S.) was named Most Improved after he qualified for his first national tournament at 165 lbs., doubling his career win total this season. Anderson also won the Tough Man and Iron Man awards to go with his Most Improved honor. On the academic end of things Westy Hanson (Crookston), Adam Hill (Sauk Rapids), Matt Jackson (Oakdale) and Sundgren earned spots on the NCC All-Academic Honor Roll. Sundgren would go on to be named to the Division II First Team while Jackson and Hanson were garnered honorable mentions. Rybak was a NAIA national champion for the Huskies in 1967, and also won conference titles in 1967 and 1968. He gained NAIA All-America status with his first place finish in 1967 and a second place finish at nationals in 1968. The Huskies finished the season with a 13-2 overall dual mark to complement a 12th place finish at the Division II National Tournament.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Jason Chamberlain, a high school senior from Springville High School in Springville, Utah has been selected as the national winner of the 2008 Dave Schultz High School Excellence National Award presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum. Jason ChamberlainThe High School Excellence Award is named in honor of Olympic and World Champion Dave Schultz. Each award recipient is evaluated on excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship, and community service. Chamberlain was selected from the 49 state winners and five regional winners that were announced earlier this week. "I was shocked when they told me I had been selected for this award," Chamberlain said. "There are so many good wrestlers, to be selected is such an honor." His career record of 191-2 includes 98 pins and four state championships. He was a captain on his high school wrestling team and was honored by USA Utah as the "Wrestler of the Year" in 2007. He was a USA Wrestling Junior National Freestyle champion and Greco-Roman runner-up in 2007. In both 2006 and 2007, he was the National High School Coaches Association wrestling national champion. He has been the recipient of the Academic All-Region award from the Utah High School Activities Association the past four years. He has served as a Teachers Aid in Sports Medicine classes and as a volunteer youth leader at his local church. He has spent numerous volunteer hours coaching and officiating youth wrestling activities, and was a camp counselor for the Rulon Gardner summer camp. He carries a 3.75 G.P.A. and will be attending Boise State University next fall as a student-wrestler. He is projected to wrestle at 141 pounds in college. "The selection committee felt that Jason combined an impressive balance of excellence in his academic and wrestling credentials while being an active participant in school activities and giving back to his community in the form of community service," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum. Chamberlain will attend Honors Weekend on May 30-31 to personally accept the award. Following is a list of previous award winners: Dave Schultz High School Excellence National Winners: 1996 David Kjeldgaard, Lewis Central High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa 1997 Jeff Knupp, Walsh Jesuit High School, Akron, Ohio 1998 Garrett Lowney, Freedom High School, Appelton, Wisconsin and Justin Ruiz, Taylorsville High School, Slat Lake City, Utah 1999 Zach Roberson, Blue Valley North West High School, Overland Park, Kansas 2000 Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, South Carolina 2001 Steven Mocco, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey 2002 Teyon Ware, Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma 2003 C. P. Schlatter, St. Paul Graham High School, Urbana, Ohio 2004 Coleman Scott, Waynesburg High School, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania 2005 Troy Nickerson, Chenango Forks High School, Chenango Forks, New York 2006 David Craig, Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida 2007 Zachary Sanders, Wabasha-Kellog High School, Wabasha, Minnesota

FARGO, N.D. -- Four-time Montana state tournament finalist Brian Ham of Flathead High School in Kalispell 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. Ham is the eighth high school wrestler to commit to North Dakota State this year. He was a high school teammate of Tyler Wells, who signed with the Bison earlier this month. Ham was 148-17 in his high school career, including a 42-2 record this season. He won two state championships and was state runner-up twice while wrestling from 119 to 135 pounds. He is projected to compete at 133 or 141 for NDSU. 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.

A famous Chinese proverb says, "One generation plants the trees and another gets the shade." In 2007-08, generations of former Ohio State wrestling coaches and student-athletes witnessed the decades of blood, sweat and tears culminate with the Buckeyes' highest placing at an NCAA championships in the program's 87-year history, finishing second March 22 in St. Louis, Mo. Under second-year head coach Tom Ryan, the Buckeyes improved to 10th in 2007 and second in 2008 at the national championships after the program finished 45th in 2006. In addition, redshirt junior J Jaggers and redshirt sophomore Mike Pucillo became the program's first NCAA title winners at 141 and 184 pounds, respectively, since 2004 when current volunteer assistant coach Tommy Rowlands won at heavyweight. While the team's accomplishments are great, the joys of a 19-4 season belong not only to the current coaches and student-athletes, but also to the Buckeye wrestling community. It is because of the community's relentless support the 2008 squad was able to reach its potential. For Ryan and the current Ohio State wrestling coaching staff, some of greatest support comes from the men who once led the Buckeyes themselves. Former coaches Casey Fredericks (1948-76), Chris Ford (1977-86) and Russ Hellickson (1987-2006) have remained personally and financially involved in the program. All three have contributed to the program with the intention to keep the great tradition of Ohio State wrestling continuing well into the next generation. "I wanted to make sure that this Ohio State coaching staff had the opportunity to do things we couldn't in my time because of a lack of financial support," Ford, head coach of the Buckeyes for 10 seasons, said. "The end of the line for a wrestler is the Olympics � there is no pro deal after college for them. So if Ohio State has an athlete with the goal and ability to do that, I want my contributions to the program to help them fulfill their dreams." Hellickson, who coached the Buckeyes all the way to a third-place finish at the 2004 NCAA championships, still meets with the team regularly, checking in on his former student-athletes. "I have great respect for the Ohio State Wrestling coaching staff and shared in their tremendous joy in the Buckeyes' NCAA runner-up finish this season," Hellickson said. "I am happy to have had the chance to be involved with so many of the current student-athletes at the end of my coaching career and am proud of what this team has accomplished. The future certainly is bright for OSU wrestling." It is as though the sport of wrestling naturally inspires this type of unwavering dedication. "Admiration for the sport is what keeps you ingrained in the wrestling world," Ford said. "There's something about wrestling you either love or hate � it's not a sport you play for fun. When you work out as closely as you do on the wrestling mat, you really get to know each other in a way that differs from other sports." Fredericks, Hellickson and Ford continue to shape the development of the Ohio State wrestling program well beyond their call of duty. The predecessors look to help sow the seeds that will help the current and following generations of student-athletes. "Keeping the former coaches and student-athletes involved is a good way to keep the good recruits coming in because they see what it means to be part of the Buckeye family," Ford said.

NCAA Champion Magazine has named Simpson College wrestler Nick Ackerman's 2001 National Championship victory the No. 1 most dramatic championship victory in NCAA history. Ackerman, who lost his legs due ot bacterial meningitis as a baby, won the 174-pound national championship 13-11 over Nick Slack of Augsburg. At the time, Slack was the defending national champion and entered the contest on a 60-match winning streak. NCAA Champion Magazine's top 10 list encompasses championships over since the start of the 1982-83 season, which also marked the beginning of NCAA Women's Championships. To read the about Nick Ackerman, click HERE.

Senior wrestler Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) was one of 58 student-athletes to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship worth $7,500. McCormick, along with Missouri track and field standout, Tyler Dailey were two of 29 males to receive the annual educational grant. In addition, 29 female student-athletes from across the country were also awarded postgraduate scholarships. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The Association awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women. The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. McCormick, a two-time All-American at 133 pounds, holds a 3.95 grade-point average and will graduate this May with a degree in business management. Throughout his years on the Tiger squad, McCormick earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America and All-District honors as a sophomore and junior, as well as National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic honors both years. In addition, McCormick is a four-year member of the Academic All-Big 12 first team.

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman announced on Tuesday that head wrestling coach Steven Suder is resigning his position at the University of Wyoming to pursue other interests. Suder has served as head coach of the Cowboy wrestling program for the past 19 years, and was also a former Cowboy wrestling letterman from 1975-79. "Coach Suder has been a part of our athletic program for over two decades as a coach and student-athlete, and we thank him for all his many years of service," said Burman. "Before returning as head coach, he was an outstanding wrestler here at UW. We wish him, his wife Deanna and his family all the best." "I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to come back and serve as the head wrestling coach at UW for these past 19 years," said Suder. "I have worked alongside some great people during this assignment. In my opinion, everything is in place for this program to climb back up and challenge for championships and Top 15 national rankings again. Some very good changes have been made in the last couple years including the additions of current assistant coaches Ben (VomBaur) and Travis (Shufelt), and it's time to have some fresh, hungry, passionate `newness' leading the way. I am excited to see it happen." Steve SuderSuder led Wyoming to two Western Athletic Conference team titles as head coach in 1990 and 1992. He was selected WAC Coach of the Year four times, and since UW left the WAC after the 1999 season, Suder earned NCAA West Regional Coach of the Year honors twice -- in 2001 and 2004. His dual record as a head coach is 127-136-2 (.483). As a student-athlete, he earned All-America honors his senior year of 1979 after placing eighth in the 150-pound weight class at the NCAA Championships. Burman said that current Cowboy assistant coach Ben VomBaur would serve as the interim head coach, but that no specific timetable for filling the head-coaching position would be established.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Pat Santoro and Ryan Hockensmith. "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. Santoro recently became the head wrestling coach at Lehigh University after serving five years as the head coach at Maryland. Santoro was the head assistant coach at Lehigh for nine seasons prior to accepting the position at Maryland. During the 2008 season, Santoro lead the Terps to a 16-4 dual meet record and its first ACC title in 35 years. As a wrestler, Santoro was a two-time NCAA champion for Pittsburgh in 1988 and 1989 and was a member of the U.S. national team four times. Hockensmith is currently an associate editor at ESPN The Magazine. He writes regularly on wrestling, boxing, and mixed martial arts for ESPN.com and for ESPN The Magazine. Hockensmith will discuss the latest happenings in the world of mixed martial arts and the role wrestling is playing in this sport. "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.

Las Vegas, Nev. -- Missouri 2007 graduate Ben Askren, the Tigers' first-ever two-time NCAA Champion, claimed top honors at the U.S. Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., after besting Tyrone Lewis, 3-0, 3-2 in the 74 kg (163-pound) championship finals. Askren won four straight matches to take first in the prestigious national event. Wrestling some of the toughest competition in the nation, Askren earned a win over Scott Owen of the New York Athletic Club by way of injury, followed by an 8-4, 6-0 win over Ramico Blackmon (New York Athletic Club) and 4-0, 5-2 win over Ryan Churella (New York Athletic Club). Askren's final win was by a 3-0, 3-2 decision over Lewis Missouri's 197-pound starter and 2008 All-American Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) finished the tournament in sixth place in the 96 kg (211.5-pound) weight class. Askren opened the day with a 0-6, 4-3, 5-1 win over Kurt Backes (Sunkist Kids) and collected his second straight win, 1-1, 2-6, 2-0 over Kyle Cerminara of the New York Athletic Club. Askren suffered his first loss to Gator Wrestling Club grappler Daniel Cournier, 5-0, 7-0, to fall to the consolation bracket. Dropping two tough losses, Askren finished sixth to Daminon Hahn (New York Athletic Club), by way of fall in 1:03. Wrestling at 84 kg (184-pounds) two-time All-American Matt Pell, also a 2007 graduate, finished sixth to B.J. Padden on an injury default. Pell suffered a first-round loss to Clint Wattenberg (New York Athletic Club) 3-2, 0-3 and 1-0, but advanced through the consolation bracket knocking off Lee Fulhart (Gator Wrestling Club) and Tyrel Todd (New York Athletic Club). Pell's loss to Bryce Hasseman (New York Athletic Club) sent him into a battle for fifth place. Freshman heavyweight Dom Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.) finished eighth in the men's 120 kg (264.5-pound weight class). Bradley lost his opening round match, but rattled off back-to-back wins before suffering a 0-1, 1-0 and 5-0 loss to Tarvel Diagnev of Sunkist Kids.

DeKALB, Ill. -- Northern Illinois and head wrestling coach Dave Grant have agreed to a three-year contract extension, making Grant the leader of the Huskie program through the 2010-11 season, Interim Director of Athletics Robert Collins announced, Wednesday. "Dave Grant has been here 12 years, and this extension signifies the longevity of our commitment to him, and acknowledges the growth and development of our wrestling program" said Collins, who was the man that hired Grant in 1996. "Dave has shown we made the right decision then, because over the years, he's proven to be a nationally-recognized head coach," Collins continued. "I'm happy to extend his contract well into the future." The extension, which has been in the works for several months, ensures Grant will keep his place as Northern Illinois' second-longest-tenured head coach. "It's an exciting time for Northern Illinois Wrestling," Grant said. "This contract reaffirms the athletic department's commitment to the direction of our program, and I'm grateful for the continued opportunity to develop student-athletes here at NIU." Since his arrival 1996, Grant has compiled a 108-82-6 record at the helm of a wrestling program that has seen student-athletes make 35 trips to the NCAA Championships, and hoist 18 individual Mid-American Conference Championships. Grant has coached a trio of two-time All-Americans: Jeremy Goeden, Scott Owen and Ben Heizer, who was the 2004 NCAA Runner-Up at 184 pounds. The cumulative effect of all these individual achievements under Grant has been unprecedented team success. Under Grant, the Huskies have recorded wins over Northwestern, Ohio State, Missouri, Purdue, Wisconsin and Central Michigan. Over the last six years, the team has posted an 82-35-3 (.699) record in dual meets and a 23-7-1 (.758) record in MAC duals, and the Huskies have recorded 10 or more dual meet victories in six of the last seven seasons. Grant's athletes have also seen success in the classroom. Goeden and Owen were both CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, and Grant has coached four wrestlers who achieved National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team status. The 2007-08 squad includes 12 NIU Victory/Huskie Scholars and its starting line-up had a 3.1 grade point average. "Recently, we've been in the top-20 wrestling programs in the country, academically," Grant said. "Our team GPA continues to rise thanks to the hard work of our student-athletes and support staff, and we look forward to further strengthening this cornerstone of our program." Grant, a former All-American who just wrapped-up his 12th season coaching NIU, has also been instrumental in the relocation and upgrade of NIU's new wrestling room. Set in the footprint of the former Northern Illinois athletics weight room, the room is a 5,000-square-foot area designed to the specifications of Grant and his staff. "The new wrestling facility and weight room secure Northern Illinois as one of the top wrestling destinations in the region, and further exemplify our administration's commitment to this program," Grant said. Grant is confident in the direction of his program, with premier facilities to go along with outstanding young talent. Redshirt freshman Pat McLemore won the MAC Championship at 141 pounds, and is one of three NIU freshmen that placed at the conference tournament. "We had an outstanding freshman class, which will develop into an outstanding sophomore class, and continue the rich tradition of NIU Wrestling," Grant said. "The future here is bright, and all the pieces are in place to take this program to the next level." The Huskies finished the 2008 season with an 11-7 record, highlighted by two individual MAC Champions, a win over No. 5 Northwestern and three wrestlers totaling nine wins at the NCAA Championships.

Stanford senior Tanner Gardner was among six conference honorees today, when the Pacific-10 Conference named its winter Scholar-Athletes of the Year, presented by Toyo Tires. The awards were established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline. Gardner, who was named the conference's winner for wrestling, has already completed a BA in Public Policy and is finishing his master's in Sociology. A three-time first-team Pac-10 All-Academic pick, a two-time NWCA Academic All-American and a 2007 first-team ESPN Academic All-American, Gardner boasts a 3.73 undergraduate GPA and a 4.00 graduate GPA. Additionally, Gardner is active on campus and in the community, serving as both president and vice president of Cardinal Council, mentoring high school students through Menlo Park Presbyterian and Partners for Academic Excellence, and volunteering for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Last year, Gardner earned the Stanford Athletic Board's Conference Male Athlete of the Year and Bill Walsh Awards, and was named the team's Outstanding Scholar-Athlete. He studied abroad in Spain as a junior and completed his senior thesis on the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. Currently, he is completing an independent study project on Organizational Form and Business Groups. On the mat, Gardner won his second-straight Pac-10 Championship at 125 pounds this year, was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Pac-10 Tournament and became Stanford's first three-time All-American with a fifth place finish at the NCAA Championships. The redshirt senior also shattered Stanford's career win record, bested his own single-season win record and topped the school's single-season pin record in 2008. "Toyo is proud to support the Pac-10 and to acknowledge outstanding student-athletes for their efforts," said Steve Hutchinson, senior director of marketing, Toyo Tire (U.S.A.) Corporation. "By supporting today's achievers, we feel we are helping to grow tomorrow's leaders." In order to be eligible for the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50% of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution. The Scholar-Athletes of the Year in each sport will receive a commemorative award. Toyo will donate $1,000 to the scholarship funds of the institution's athletic department of each winner in recognition of their accomplishments. "The Pac-10 joins Toyo in recognizing these student-athletes during the 2007-08 academic year," said Tom Hansen, Commissioner of the Pac-10. "To be selected as the best student-athlete in any sport in the Pac-10 is a very special honor, and these are special young people, in academics as well as athletics. We are very appreciative that Toyo is helping them gain the recognition they deserve for their unique achievements." The other Pac-10 Scholar-Athletes for winter include Robbie Cowgill of Washington State for men's basketball, Steve Neuwert of Arizona State for men's swimming, Lacey Nymeyer of Arizona for women's swimming, Lindsey Pluimer of UCLA for women's basketball and Karin Wurm of Arizona for women's gymnastics.

WATERLOO, Iowa -- The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum will honor two of the University of Northern Iowa's best individual athletes at its quarterly breakfast meeting. Tyler Mulder, an NCAA track champion at 800 meters, and Moza Fay, an All-American wrestler at 165 pounds, will be recognized by the Gable Museum beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 2. This breakfast, which is being co-sponsored by Midwest One Bank, is free and open to the public. Mulder and Fay, along with Northern Iowa head coaches Chris Bucknam (track & field) and Brad Penrith (wrestling), will be in attendance. "The Gable Museum isn't just about wrestling," said Kyle Klingman, associate director at the Gable Museum. "This museum is about excellence. To become an All-American or to win an NCAA title in any individual sport takes a level of commitment that deserves recognition. I hope that the Cedar Valley will attend this free event to honor two of Northern Iowa's best athletes." Mulder, a junior from Orange City, Iowa, recently won the 800-meter title at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Mulder finished in a time of 1:49:20, outdistancing second place finisher Elkana Kosgei of LSU who clocked in at 1:49:47. Mulder became UNI's third NCAA champion in track & field, and the first since Jacob Pauli won the indoor pole vault crown in 2001. Joey Woody became UNI's first NCAA track champion when he won the outdoor 400-meter hurdles in 1997. Fay became UNI's first wrestling All-American since 2005 by placing fifth at this year's NCAA tournament. The junior from Anamosa, Iowa, finished with a 5-2 record at the three-day tournament. The Western Wrestling Conference also named Fay Wrestler of the Year. Former NCAA wrestling champions Chuck Yagla (Iowa), Gene Lybbert (UNI), Gerry Leeman (UNI), and Tolly Thompson (Nebraska) will also be in attendance. For more information on this event please contact the Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Future Wildcat Jason Welch (Walnut Creek, Calif./Las Lomas) has been named the winner of the Junior Dan Hodge Trophy -- an award presented to the nation's top high school wrestler. Welch, a three-time California state champion and owner of a 194-7 high school record, signed an NLI in November and will join the Wildcats this fall. Welch was only the 13th wrestler in the state of California to win three championships. He ended his high school season on a 142-match winning streak and a 194-7 career record. The Junior Dan Hodge Trophy is presented by Wrestling International Newsmagazine and the Amateur Athletic Union. It is named after the former Oklahoma national champion and is presented to the nation's top high school wrestler.

IOWA CITY -- Iowa Head Wrestling Coach Tom Brands will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the fifth annual Corridor Classic presented by Cedar Rapids Toyota-Scion Wednesday, April 30 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids. The Corridor Classic pits the Iowa Hawkeyes against the Northern Iowa Panthers in baseball. Brands, who was named the National and Big Ten Coach of the Year, led the Hawkeyes to their 21st national championship last month. In addition, the Big Ten and NCAA Championship trophies will be on display on the concourse at the event.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Andy Hamilton and Stephen Barrett. "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. Hamilton currently covers wrestling for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. His articles have appeared in a variety of prominent wrestling publications including ESPN.com. Considered one of the best wrestling journalists in the nation, Hamilton was selected by the National Wrestling Media Association as their journalist of the year in 2003. Barrett was an NCAA champion for Oklahoma State in 1977 and a three-time All-American. He was also the school's first four-time Big Eight champion. Internationally, Barrett represented the United States in 15 tournaments, winning eight and placing second in five. For the past 16 years Barrett and his family lived in Russia as representatives of Athletes in Action. He is the liaison between the US and Russian wrestling federations and has helped over thirty US teams tour the former Soviet Union. He has also organized many Russian-wrestling delegations to the US. "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.

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State University wrestling program will hold its annual awards banquet on Tuesday, April 29, at the Groves Wedding Garden & Reception Center in Mesa, Ariz. The event, which is open to all-comers, will begin at 6 p.m. will feature guest speaker Pat Murphy, the head coach of the Sun Devil baseball program. The banquet will begin at 6 p.m. with a social hour and will be followed with dinner at 7 p.m. Remarks from Sun Devil wrestling coach Thom Ortiz and guest speaker Murphy, along with the presentation of awards, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Cost for the banquet is $15 per person and can be paid at the door (please make checks out to Sun Angel Foundation). The Groves Wedding Center & Reception Center is located at 606 N. Alma School Road in Mesa (85201). The center is on the west side of Alma School Road approximately one-quarter of one mile north of University Drive. For more information and/or to R.S.V.P. for the banquet, please contact Kelly Kodrick via email at kelly.kordick@asu.edu. The Sun Devils are coming off a successful season that saw a group of young and talented competitors take the mat for the maroon and gold. In all, the starting lineup featured between five and seven redshirt freshmen in a starting lineup that sent five Sun Devils to the finals of the Pac-10 Championships with two winning titles (Patrick Pitsch at 165 and Brent Chriswell at 184). All five finalists, including runners-up Anthony Robles, Chris Drouin and Jason Trulson, competed at the NCAA Championships with four of those wrestlers (Robles, Drouin, Pitsch and Trulson) falling one victory short of attaining All-America honors.

AKRON, Ohio -- Five University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestlers earned Freestyle All-America honors last week at the University Nationals in Akron, Ohio. Led by departing senior Lloyd Rogers, who placed third at 74 kg (163 pounds), the fivesome received berths to the University World Team Trials held May 18-24 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Rogers, Co-Wrestler of the Year in the Southern Conference in 2007-08, defeated Aaron Janssen of Iowa, 3-4, 3-0, 3-0 in the third-place match. Upcoming senior Seth Garvin finished seventh in the same weight class, receiving an injury default walkover when Mike Miller, an unattached wrestler, was unable to compete in the seventh-place match. The top eight placers in each division earned All-America status. Freshman Demetrius Johnson placed eighth at 55 kg (121 pounds) and graduated wrestler Aaron Martin was sixth and freshman Kelly Felix eighth at 66 kg (145.5 pounds). The respective winners at the University World Team Trials will advance to the University World Games in Thessaloniki, Greece, July 9-13.

The St. Cloud State University wrestling team, which finished with an impressive 13-2 record in 2007-08 and a 12th place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division II championships, has been invited to participate in the 2009 Division II National Duals tournament on Jan. 10-11, 2009 at the UNI Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The top six teams from last year's National Duals are automatically accepted into this elite tournament each season. The remaining teams must apply and points are given based on returning All-Americans, national qualifiers, returning starters, previous season results. "This is a great opportunity for the 08-09 Husky wrestling team," assistant coach Matt Lowers said. "This will give our team a chance to compete against the best teams in Division II wrestling in the most exciting dual meet atmosphere ever assembled, as all divisions have their national dual tournament taking place in the dome at the same time. "Our wrestlers worked very hard to finish where they did this year, and it is exciting for them to have earned the opportunity to be invited to this tournament. Wrestling this type of competition will allow our wrestlers to gain valuable insight into what to expect at the National Tournament at the end of the year. " The Huskies expect to bring back eight starters from their 2007-08 team next season. Included in this group are returning All-Americans Brad Padgett (184-pounds) and John Sundgren (157-pounds). SCSU will also benefit from a solid incoming recruit class that has been produced by head coach Steve Costanzo and his staff at SCSU. To gain a look at the tentative schedule for the 2008-09 season, please check out this website: http://www.stcloudstate.edu/athletics/sports/wrestling/schedule.asp

Gratefully we return to our home Brute Adidas Studios for this weekends show. After working in beautiful Florida and getting to know the good folks down there its still good to be home if only for a few days. A busy weekend is in store for us. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to call, email and write us over the past few weeks. It's great to hear from our listeners on a regular basis. It also helps us to know where you are listening, what state and city too. Joining me in studio this week will be the New Head Coach of the New Grandview College program, Nick Mitchell. Nick was at Wartburg College under the legendary Coach Jim Miller Scheduled Guests this week include: Brad Penrith- University of Northern Iowa Head Coach. UNI finished the season with a dual mark of 7-5-1 and qualified nine wrestlers for the NCAA Championships. The Panthers also captured the Western Wrestling Conference dual and tournament championships. UNI was a perfect 4-0 in league dual action for the second consecutive season. The Panthers then finished off the WWC season by winning the NCAA West Regional/WWC title. The regional win marked the 23 rd straight regional crown for the Panthers. Mark Manning- University of Nebraska Head Coach. The Big 12 Conference has named Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning the 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year. Manning, in his eighth year at NU, has led the Huskers to new heights, particularly during the 2007-08 season. Manning has accrued a 109-42-2 record in duals, including 14-3 and 3-1 in the Big 12 last season. Under Manning, the Huskers nearly went undefeated in the conference for the first time in their 98-year history. The year's highlights include a second-place finish at the National Duals in January before defeating Oklahoma State for just the third time in school history on Jan. 20. Manning also collected his 100th career dual win at Nebraska against Northern Colorado. Jayson Ness- University of Minnesota 125 lb Wrestler. It was a disappointing end to a tough season for the Golden Gopher wrestling team. Jayson Ness, Minnesota's lone representative in the finals round at the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, was beaten 10-3 in the 125-pound championship match by Indiana's Angel Escobedo. Ness' defeat means the Gophers finished the national tournament with 61.5 team points and in 10th place, their lowest finish since 1996. Despite the loss, it was an outstanding year for the Gopher redshirt sophomore and Bloomington, Minn. native. Ness finishes the 2007-08 season with a 39-2 record and his second All-American award. He also tied a school record with 20 pins (two at the NCAA Championships), a feat also accomplished by Gopher head assistant coach and fellow Bloomington Kennedy High School graduate Marty Morgan. Ness rounds out his second NCAA tournament with a 4-1 record. He is 9-3 lifetime at NCAAs (79-7 total in two seasons with the Gophers) and has lost just three times in his last 43 official collegiate matches. All three of those losses have come against Escobedo. Troy Nickerson- Cornell University Big Red 125 lb Wrestler. Big Red wrestling's Jordan Leen was named the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association's (EIWA) Wrestler of the Year, while rookie Mack Lewnes earned Freshman of the Year honors. Leen won the NCAA title at 157 pounds in St. Louis last weekend to earn his second All-America honors. Placing fourth at 165 pounds, Lewnes also became an All-American. The duo helped lead the Big Red to a ninth-place team finish with 67 points. One has to wonder if the complexion and overall outcome of the Championships would have been different if Cornell's sparkplug, Troy Nickerson would have been in the line up. Nickerson, now cleared for active practice had shoulder surgery early in the season to repair some previous damage. Nickerson sports some impressive credentials. All-American (2006, 2007), NCAA Qualifier (2006, 2007), EIWA Champion (2006), EIWA Finalist (2006, 2007), All-Ivy First Team (2006, 2007), Ivy League Wrestler of the Year (2006), Ivy League Rookie of the Year (2006) Westley Tielens- Former HS and College wrestler who has made a Wrestling Docudrama "The Perfect Circle" A quest for State. Two brothers are on a quest to become state champion wrestlers. They cant... do it alone and must seek advice from CA's greatest like Dan Henderson, Steve Neal and Daryl Vasquez. In the end one brother makes it and one does not. If you want to be the best this video is for you. Very Inspirational. Order only at zfire.org "Beyond the Norm we come not as humans but as wrestlers." Richard Fergola- Head Coach of Northern Iowa Area Community College- Since leaving his post at Dana College Coach Fergola has only sped up the action by placing third in his Division after less than a year of having completed his team. He has also been busy on the political front and will make expound on an announcement regarding his conference championships and the new locations that will include Des Moines, Seattle and Rochester. Join us Live each Saturday at 9:05 AM to 11:00 AM CST for America's Wrestling Radio. 2 Hours of intense, fun, informative, educational and impromptu wrestling conversation. Miss a show? No big deal check out our archives at Intermatwrestle.com, click on the Takedownradio Logo and look for the archives bar on the upper left side. Loads of great shows. Join the now over 10,000 subscribers to the podcast version of the show. Have someone you feel should be on the show? Let me know. We'll do our best to contact them and get them on the schedule. All the Best in Wrestling to each of you!

The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team wrapped up the 2007-08 season with its annual awards banquet on Sat., April 19, in the McLeod Center's Alumni Suite. UNI finished the season with a dual mark of 7-5-1 and qualified nine wrestlers for the NCAA Championships. The Panthers also captured the Western Wrestling Conference dual and tournament championships. UNI was a perfect 4-0 in league dual action for the second consecutive season. The Panthers then finished off the WWC season by winning the NCAA West Regional/WWC title. The regional win marked the 23rd straight regional crown for the Panthers. The Panthers then placed 20th in the nation at the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships held March 20-22 in the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. UNI's Moza Fay led the way with a 5th-place finish in the 165-pound weight class. Junior Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) was named the Most Valuable Wrestler at the banquet. It marks the second straight season Fay has earned the Panthers' MVW award after sharing it last year with Nick Baima. Fay posted an overall record of 25-8 and led the squad with 11 falls. He was also named the WWC's Wrestler of the Year for 2007-08. Senior Alex Dolly (Mishawaka, Ind.) was given the Chuck Patten Award, which is based on leadership. Dolly reached the Round of 12 at the 2008 NCAA Championships and came within one victory of All-America status. Dolly also reached the Round of 12 at the 2005 NCAA Championships. He was a three-time national qualifier and posted 60 career wins for the Panthers. Junior Andrew Anderson earned the Lyle E. Schwarzenbach Award. The award recognizes an individual who exhibits the highest standards in citizenship, academics, practice and dedication. Anderson qualified for the NCAA Championships for the third straight season and posted a record of 21-11 in 2007-08. Anderson holds a 3.29 grade point average while majoring in business management. Redshirt freshman Dustin Bauman (Stratford, Wis.) was awarded the McCready/Steffensmeier Award for leadership. Bauman was a third-team all-WWC selection and earned 13 wins this season for the Panthers at heavyweight. Senior Danny Dunning (Waterloo, Iowa) was given the Most Courageous Award. Dunning tallied an 8-5 mark in 2007-08, while dealing the sudden death of his father, Walt. Sophomore Tyson Reiner (Mitchell, S.D.) garnered the Most Improved Award. Reiner qualified for the NCAA Championships and captured a win over Michigan's Jeff Marsh, 5-2. Reiner missed the first part of the 2007-08 season with a broken bone in his hand, but bounced back to win the 157-pound West Regional title. Reiner was a first-team all-WWC pick this season. Freshman Nick Pickerell (Albia, Iowa) tallied the Rookie Award at the banquet. Pickerell was also named the WWC Freshman of the Year after tallying a 21-9 overall record. Pickerell earned a trip to the NCAA Championships after winning the 149-pound title at the NCAA West Regional. Pickerell was also a first-team all-WWC pick. True freshman Christian Brantley (Homewood, Ill.) was given the Redshirt Award. UNI's four seniors were also recognized by head coach Brad Penrith and the rest of the UNI coaching staff. UNI's 2007-08 Senior Class Alex Dolly (Mishawaka, Ind.) Danny Dunning (Waterloo, Iowa) C.J. Ettelson (Hudson, Iowa) Justin Swafford (Mediapolis, Iowa) 2007-08 Award Winners Redshirt Award - Christian Brantley Rookie Award - Nick Pickerell Most Improved Award - Tyson Reiner Most Courageous Award - Danny Dunning McCready/Steffensmeier Award - Dustin Bauman Lyle E. Schwarzenbach Award - Andrew Anderson Chuck Patten Award - Alex Dolly Most Valuable Wrestler Award - Moza Fay NOTE: Mike Mixsell served as the emcee for the event - the 26th consecutive year he has served in that capacity.

Joey Clark, a St. Paul, Minnesota native, was a Greco-Roman standout for the U.S. Marines from 1996 to 2002. He placed everywhere from fourth to eighth at the U.S. Nationals and U.S. World Team Trials. Following his Greco-Roman wrestling career and service with the U.S. Marines, Clark went on to have success in mixed martial arts (MMA). Joey Clark (Photo/Sherdog.com)From 2003 to 2008, Joey "The Sandman" Clark posted an impressive 20-5-2 record in MMA competition. He defeated former UFC fighter Brian Gassaway in a 2006 King of the Cage event. But just last month, Clark, who is the older brother of Greco-Roman Olympic hopeful Jake Clark, made the decision to retire from MMA. RevWresting.com recently caught up with the 32-year-old Clark and talked to him about his experiences both as a Greco-Roman wrestler for the U.S. Marines and as an MMA fighter, how he expects former wrestling stars Marcus LeVesseur and Joe Warren to fare in MMA, what his younger brother, Jake, has meant to his career, why he made the decision to retire from MMA, and much more. You spent a number of years competing on the All-Marine Greco-Roman wrestling team. What was that experience like for you? Clark: As far as being a wrestler and being able to be on the Marine Corps wrestling team, it is probably one of the best experiences. First off, all your trips are completely paid for. You get to do something you love by wrestling a couple times a day. And you actually get paid to do it as well. It was the best experience that I could have ever had as far as being a wrestler. How did the opportunity come about to compete in MMA? Did you know anything about it prior to getting involved? Clark: When I got back from the military, I was going to be an air traffic controller. I was an air traffic controller for three out of the eight years I was in the Marine Corps. The other five years I wrestled. When I got out of the service, I was applying for federal air traffic control jobs all over the country. About a year and a half went by and I didn't get any jobs. I was getting frustrated. I didn't understand why. I wasn't even getting responses. I was bouncing at a couple bars just trying to earn some money when I got out of the service. When I went to work one day, a guy at the front said, "When you arrive, Boss told me to tell you to take your shirt off and get out of here." I was like, "What?" So I called the boss and said, "Hey, what's going on?" The boss said, "A year in jail and a felony sound familiar to you?" I said, "No." Anyway, he didn't believe me. I was some kid just out of the military. I come to find out that I have a felony on my record that I had no idea about. Someone did identify theft to me while I was in the service. So when I got out of the service and was trying to apply for federal jobs, my applications just kept getting thrown to the side. Along the way, I started fighting to make some extra money because I couldn't get the job I wanted. So I was bouncing and fighting. I used to sell a lot of tickets when I was fighting. That's how we made our money. We would sell tickets to people, have them come to the fight, and then maybe make fifty percent of the ticket value. At that time, one of my buddies said to me, "Instead of selling tickets, why don't you start selling houses?" That's how I got into real estate. So, as much as I wanted to be an air traffic controller, I ended up fighting and selling tickets, and it just kind of rolled me right into the real estate market. How much did your extensive wrestling background help you in MMA? Clark: It's the best background to have. I think it's easier to teach a wrestler how to box, kick box, or do Jiu-Jitsu than it is to teach a boxer how to wrestle, or a kick boxer how to wrestle, or a Jiu-Jitsu guy how to wrestle. You have a very good sense of your base, how to manipulate other people's bodies, and slow people down. So it's a great advantage. It seems like Greco-Roman wrestlers have gone on to have more success than freestyle wrestlers in MMA. Names like Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, and Matt Lindland immediately come to mind. Is that merely a coincidence? Or do you think the transition to MMA is easier for Greco-Roman wrestlers as opposed to freestyle wrestlers? Joey Clark (Photo/13twentythree.com)Clark: I think the transition is a lot easier for Greco-Roman wrestlers. But freestyle wrestlers still do well. When you are tied up with your opponent, you can control him without having him hit you. If somebody shoots in, you might end up eating a foot. If somebody shoots in on a single leg and I have my head on the inside, I might start getting punched in the face. With Greco-Roman wrestling, as you know, you can really control the person's upper body. And with inside knee taps and things like that, you can control the lower body at the same time. So I think it's a little more controlling. That's why I think Greco-Roman wrestlers have such a smooth transition into MMA. Compare the cardiovascular or conditioning needed in wrestling compared to MMA. Do you get more tired competing in wrestling or MMA? Clark: Well, my last fight I could have used a lot more conditioning! I think the rules to wrestling are a little bit different now. But I remember when I would wrestle like a five-minute match, the muscles in my fingers would even be tired. The conditioning is very similar. The only difference is that in wrestling you are not getting punched in the face. When somebody is swinging for the fences on your face it kind of throws off your conditioning a little bit. The sport of MMA seemed to be really exploding when you first started fighting back in 2003. How did the sport of MMA evolve or change from when you fist got involved to its present state? Clark: Yeah, it really was exploding. I jumped into MMA at a good time. The fan base really wanted more of it … just because of the violence of it. One thing that I like is that finally here in Minnesota, and in most other states, we have commissions in place. I remember when I first started fighting there were no blood tests or anything like that. As a fighter, you're out there making a couple thousand bucks or something, but there are some high risks involved. Now with the commissions in place, there is mandatory blood testing. If you go out there and fight someone who has something … all of a sudden, next thing you know, their blood is all over you. For $2,000, what just happened? You got infected with something. It's great that they have that stuff in place. I think it's very dangerous unless there are commissions in place. You competed in an event put on by Seconds Out Promotions in your last fight. The event was a combined boxing and MMA event. What are your thoughts on Seconds Out Promotions and their events? Clark: Tony Grygelko is offering a great product to the people. I was getting involved with the promotional side of things as well as I was stepping away from it. I'm probably still going to be involved in the promotional side of things with MMA. Tony has done a great job with the events. He just needs to keep driving forward with the promotions. It is something that the people want. You just have to keep putting good fights in front of them. When I fought B.J. Lacy in the last fight, I personally wanted that fight. I took that fight because I thought it would probably bring a pretty good crowd. We are both from St. Paul. He has his style and I have mine. I just thought it would make for a good show. Instead of having these fights where they are very lopsided, I would like to see two guys go against each other who are both very tough. That's what people want to see. I know Tony would say the same thing. You had an outstanding MMA career. You posted a 20-5-2 record. When you reflect back on your MMA career, what stands out in your mind? Joey Clark defeated Brian Gassaway in a King of the Cage event in 2006 (Photo/Sherdog.com)Clark: I probably could have competed in the UFC, really, but I let my business get in the way. I was just trying to make a living. I beat Brian Gassaway, who was a former UFC fighter, in King of the Cage. The promoter of that show said to me, "Hey, you come and fight in this fight and I will do you a favor next time." So I took that fight. I only got paid $400 for it, which is crazy. I don't think anyone thought I was going to win that fight, and I did, pretty handily won the fight. And then I called King of the Cage numerous times after that … and they never put me in another show. So it was pretty depressing. It was kind of a letdown. Early in my career, I fought a guy named Sam Stout, who has done very well in the UFC. During that fight, I took him down about a dozen times. I was never once on my back. But after the fight, they called it a draw. After the event, I said to the promoter, "I can't believe it was a draw." He said, "Well, you guys are both early in your careers and we didn't want to give anybody a loss." I'm not making any excuses by any means, but these are just some of the things that were said and that happened along the way. It was just like I kept missing my break. I'm OK with that now because I'm doing my business. I'm really happy. I'm making a living without getting punched in the face. When did you come to the realization that you might never get your shot at fighting in the UFC? Clark: After I fought Gassaway and won, I fought a guy named Chad Reiner, who was in the UFC as well, and I lost a split decision, which was a very good fight. But I ended up getting a really bad concussion that fight. It stuck with me for about four days. I couldn't even roll over in bed without the world spinning. It was really scary. It made me really gun shy after that. I used to just come screaming across the cage. I held nothing back. After that fight, I was a lot more reserved. When you start talking about concussions, over time that's a scary thing. You have to look at what you want to do the rest of your life. That is probably the point where I realized in my head what is most important to me. There has been a recent trend for successful collegiate wrestlers to move right into MMA after their collegiate careers are over. In recent years, we have seen collegiate standouts get into MMA like Gray Maynard, Rashad Evans, Frank Edgar, Johny Hendricks, Jake Rosholt, and Eric Bradley, among others. Most recently, after the last NCAA Championships, Chad Mendes and Phil Davis expressed interest in MMA. Why do you think wrestlers are choosing the MMA route immediately after their collegiate wrestling careers? Clark: I think these guys are making the transition because of the money involved. You grew up wrestling and your family did. Wrestling is one of those things that we do without ever any kind of monetary value behind it. We do it just because we love it. It's something we have done since we were kids. It's just kind of embedded in you that this is something that we do. It's kind of like wrestling is a way of life. When MMA got big and all these wrestlers started having success in it … now with all these sponsors coming on board, there is a lot of money to be made in the world of MMA. I think these guys see that. They feel like they have some gas left in the tank after college. It's definitely a way to pay the bills if you get into the right organizations. What kind of impact, if any, do you think it will have on the overall quality of wrestling in the United States? Clark: I don't think it's going to really hurt the quality of wrestling. As far as collegiate wrestling, that has always stayed the same. But with freestyle and Greco, those styles have really been changing with the rules. To me, it's kind of even a different sport a little. What I think is going to happen is that a lot of younger kids are going to get involved in the MMA … just because there is a lot of money to be had. A lot of times parents push kids toward sports like that and kids excel at an earlier age. I wouldn't say that MMA would take over wrestling. I don't think it will. I just think it gives people another door to open with a whole bunch of other possibilities. Marcus LeVesseur defeated Bryant Clark on March 29 to improve his MMA record to 12-1 (Photo/13twentythree.com)Marcus LeVesseur is another wrestler who is hoping to make a smooth transition from collegiate wrestling star to successful MMA fighter. In your opinion, how great can LeVesseur be in MMA? Clark: LeVesseur can be at the top if he wants to be. That's what I think. And I think he does want to be. The guy has phenomenal athletic ability. He's very gifted. If he wants to do it, just put your head down, butt up, and keep driving. What specifically does he need to do to get to the next level? Clark: His hands and speed are already there. If he can get his Jiu-Jitsu somewhere around his wrestling ability, I think he would be very impressive. I want to ask you about another former wrestler, Joe Warren. Warren, who was a World champion Greco-Roman wrestler and the self-proclaimed "Baddest Man on the Planet," is now training MMA and signed with Team Quest after getting suspended from wrestling. From what you have seen of Warren in Greco-Roman wrestling, how do you expect his transition to be from wrestling to MMA? Clark: When it comes to Joe Warren, I would say one thing: attitude. Attitude can overcome anything. And he has the attitude. When I found out that he was doing that, my hats off to him. I know he's going to succeed. He has the right positive mental attitude for it. Are you a fan of the UFC? Clark: Yeah, I watch it from time to time. I'm not a diehard fan, but I enjoy watching the fights. I enjoy the competition. I like seeing who is bringing what to the table and seeing who wins in the end. Randy Couture resigned from the UFC in October and was very critical of the UFC's pay structure. Did his comments surprise you? Clark: His comments didn't surprise me. What's happening now is that there are so many people who want to be in the UFC. There is that much of a supply of people who want to be in the UFC and that much of a demand, so the UFC doesn't have to pay them as much because people want to get in there so badly. If one guy won't fight for anything but $6,000 and another guy will fight for $2,500, they can be the guy who is demanding less. It's business. I know you are extremely close with your younger brother, Jake, who is an Olympic hopeful in Greco-Roman wrestling. How much has he meant to your entire career as a competitor, both in wrestling and MMA? Jake Clark and Joey ClarkClark: Jake is everything to me. I really wish we could have kept wrestling together, but after I left the Marine Corps and he stayed in there, we just kind of went on two separate paths. I always had a great time training with him. He is my No. 1 fan, but also my No. 1 idol in the same sense. I don't have enough words to explain it, I guess. He has been my other half. We have always been each others keepers. I wish that I could still train with him. I wish that I could get him involved in some MMA stuff. I hope he does very well this year. That's probably the hardest part about getting out of the service is that I don't get to hang out with him anymore. It has been a long road. But he's kind of doing his journey and I'm doing mine. You just turned 32. It appears that you could be very competitive in MMA for several more years. Why did you make the decision to hang up the gloves now? Clark: Honestly, it was a business decision. I have been doing real estate for a while now. I have a new business. It's a system where I am able to help families and people pay off a 30-year-mortgage in as little in eight to 11 years. It's helping people lift the burden of debt from their shoulders. America is buried in debt. I have been doing real estate for about five years, so I have done a lot of foreclosures for people. There is a new company out there called United First Financial. What they do is show homeowners how to cancel interest on their first mortgage. What United First Financial brought out is called the money merge account, which also stands for MMA, which is kind of funny. They show homeowners how to cancel front-end loaded interest on their mortgages. Therefore, you don't have to pay on a mortgage for 30 years. You can pay on it for seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 years, which is amazing. I have been going all over the place and just helping people with this. The Web site is www.payoffmyproperty.com. You are done competing, but do you still plan to stay involved with MMA or wrestling? Clark: Yeah, definitely. I don't think I will ever be able to pull away from it. On another note, didn't Roger Clemens and some of these other guys come out of retirement? Never say never, my friend. When you have an itch, you have to scratch it. For the time being, I just needed one less thing on my plate. Please Note: This story also appears in the April 18 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on The Guillotine, Click HERE.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Seconds Out Promotions organization has announced that they will be hosting their second MMA/Boxing event "Uncaged" on May 17. This event will take place at the historic "St. Paul Armory" in St. Paul, MN. "We felt that with the proven success of our "Evolution" event in March that it was a no brainer to stay with our new MMA/Boxing format." said Tony Grygelko, Seconds Out Promotions President. "With the growing popularity of each sport here in Minnesota, it just seems right to give our fans the ability to continue seeing both of the sports they love together in one night." said Rick Johnson, Seconds Out Promotions. This thrilling MMA/Boxing event will be headlined by the "Pride of the Eastside" Matt "The Predator" Vanda (36-7) and St. Paul's MMA middleweight prospect Marcus LeVesseur, four-time NCAA national wrestling champion from Augsburg College. This event will also feature a lineup of outstanding local fighters from both the sports, such as boxers "Golden" Caleb Truax (5-0), Jon "The Ironman" Schmidt (4-1), and Corey Rodriguez (3-0), along with MMA fighters Rich Taylor (9-1) and Jimmy "The Outlaw" Gomez. "Uncaged" is promoted by Minnesota-based Seconds Out Promotions and will be held at the at St. Paul Armory in St. Paul, MN. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. The first bout will begin at 7:00 p.m. All fights and fighters are subject to change. Tickets for "Uncaged" went on sale Friday, April 17 and are priced at $45 Ringside, $35 Reserved Seating, $25 General Admission. Save money on box office fees, by purchasing tickets in advance at soboxing.com, or by phone at 612-807-5547. For more information, go to www.soboxing.com.

MARTINGY, Switzerland -– The United States freestyle wrestling team is down to its last chance to qualify for the Olympics at 60 kg/132 lbs. 2006 World gold medalist Seyed Morad Mohammadi of Iran defeated 2006 World silver medalist Mike Zadick of the U.S. 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 in the second round of the Freestyle Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Saturday. Zadick was eliminated when 2004 Olympic gold medalist Yandro Quintana of Cuba swept Mohammadi 6-0, 2-0 in the quarterfinal round. This is the second-to-last Olympic Qualifying Tournament in freestyle. The final qualifier is set for May 3-4 in Poznan, Poland. The top three finishers in each weight class at that qualifier will qualify their countries for the Olympics. The U.S. has qualified in the other six freestyle weight classes for the Olympics, set for Aug. 12-21 in Beijing, China. "We are really in a pressure situation now," U.S. National Coach Kevin Jackson said. Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Gator WC) needed to place in the top four in Switzerland to qualify the U.S. for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. There were 28 wrestlers entered at 60 kilos. Zadick swept Themis Iakovidis of Greece 7-4, 4-0 in the first round. In the second-round match with Mohammadi, a rematch of the 2006 World finals, Zadick dropped the first period 1-0 when Mohammadi scored on a single-leg takedown. Zadick spun behind Mohammadi in the second period for a takedown to win the period 1-0. The third period was scoreless after two minutes and went to the clinch. Jackson said Zadick refused to let the Iranian clinch his leg and lost on a caution call to decide the match. "Mike did not get off enough scoring attempts in the periods we lost," Jackson said. "We cannot afford for periods to be determined by the clinch." The U.S. has qualified 14 of 18 weight classes overall for the Olympics. The U.S. has qualified in five of the seven classes in Greco-Roman and three of the four classes in women's freestyle. Two qualifiers remain in Greco-Roman and women's freestyle. The U.S. still needs to qualify for the Olympics in Greco-Roman at 60 kg/132 lbs. and 74 kg/163 lbs. The women still need to qualify at 55 kg/121 lbs.