InterMat Staff

AKRON, Ohio –- Kenny Lester, a redshirt freshman on the Arizona State University wrestling team, won a national title Friday on the first day of the 2007 University Nationals being held in Akron, Ohio, April 20-22. Lester competed at 120kg in Greco-Roman, winning four bouts in a row to take the gold. Lester opened the tournament with a 3-0, 6-2 victory over Brandon Doran (Future Stars WC) in the first round before pinning Bryan Lillie (New England All-Stars) in the quarterfinals, 3-0, 1:39. In the semifinals, Lester defeated Wade Sauer (Titan WC), 3-0, 2-1, before defeating Joseph Sheffield (Fatto Fredo) in the finals, 4-2, 3-0. Lester's victory marked the second time this month a member of the Sun Devil program has captured a national title as Todd Schavrien won the crown at 60kg at the FILA Junior National Championships in Las Vegas at the beginning of April. Several Sun Devils will compete in the freestyle portion of the University Nationals with action opening Saturday and continuing through Sunday.

BLACKSBURG -- The Virginia Tech athletics department, along with head wrestling coach Kevin Dresser, announced Friday the signing of blue chip recruit Chris Diaz to the already strong recruiting class of 2007. Diaz is from Caesar Rodney High School in Delaware and is ranked the No. 5 135-pounder in the country by W.I.N. Magazine and 16th in the country at that weight class by InterMat. He is expected to be a 141-pounder for the Hokies. "Obviously Chris adds another blue chipper to our already strong freshman class," Dresser said. "Chris had a great visit last weekend and feels he can reach both his academic and athletic goals at Virginia Tech. He absolutely loved Blacksburg and I think his commitment shows the whole nation that Virginia Tech is, and will continue to be, a very special place." Earlier this month, Diaz won the 135-pound class at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach, Va., and is a two-time Delaware state champion. He took third place at both the Ironman and Beast of the East Tournaments this year and was the 2006 NWCA/Brute Scholastic Duals Outstanding Wrestler.

FREE Clinic Kerry McCoy Head Coach Stanford University 2x US Olympian 4x World Cup Champion 5x US National Champion 2x NCAA Champion Saturday June 2 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Santa Ana High School 520 West Walnut Street Santa Ana, CA 92701 From Interstate 5: Go to 1st/4th St exit. and turn west on 1st street. Go approx. 2.5 miles until you reach Flower St. Turn south on Flower. Go 3 blocks passed the school and turn left on Mrytle St. Go to the end of Mrytle St and turn left into the school. Park behind the bungalows in front of the gymnasium. This FREE clinic is being sponsored by the Orange County Wrestling Club Contact Jed Clark 714-768-4676

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior All-American Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) went 6-0 at last weekend's Freestyle University Nationals en route to a 96 Kg-title and an automatic berth into the Senior World Team Trials. Tamillow, who did not lose a period over his six matches, was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. "Tamillow wrestled very well and was aware of his match situation throughout the event," head coach Tim Cysewski said. "You could tell that Mike wanted to qualify for the World Team Trials and he wanted a National Championship. He was very dominant this weekend." This is the second-straight year that Northwestern has brought home Outstanding Wrestler honors at the University Nationals. Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny), the 2007 NCAA champion at 184 lbs., won the award last year after he qualified for the University World Games where he won a bronze medal. Tamillow, who will be making his second trip to the Senior World Team Trials, June 8-10, in Las Vegas, will be joined by fellow Wildcats Herbert and Eric Metzler (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco). This marks the first year NU has qualified three for the trials in the same year. Freshmen Brandon Precin (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), an NCAA qualifier in 2007, and Robert Joyce (Arlilngton Heights, Ill./St. Viator) both competed in the 60 Kg weight class. Joyce took his first match, but surrendered his next two in the consolation bracket. Precin fell in his opening contest, but battled back through the consolation bracket with three wins. Precin will be another Wildcat competing at the World Team Trials later this spring. He qualified for the Junior World team Trials with a third-place finish at the FILA Junior Freestyle Nationals.

MADISON, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin wrestling team held its annual banquet last week at the Milford Hills Hunt Club where it celebrated an exciting record-breaking season. The Badgers also bid farewell to lone senior Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.) and announced team award winners. UW had a remarkable 2006-07 season, as the Badgers surpassed expectations claiming 13th at the NCAA championships and second at the Big Ten championships. The team went 19-3-0 overall and 5-3-0 in the Big Ten. In addition, Wisconsin set four new school records, two in team victories, one in attendance and one in awards won. UW had nine grapplers compete at the 2007 NCAA Championships, with two earning All-America honors. Craig Henning (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) was the highest Badger finisher, taking second at 157 lbs., while Turner claimed sixth at 149 lbs. Wisconsin's trip to the 2007 Big Ten Championships was one of the best in program history. The Badgers earned wins over three top-seeded wrestlers and notched various other upsets throughout the tournament to finish as runner-up behind top-ranked Minnesota. From Nov. 23, 2006 through Jan. 19, 2007 the Badgers won a school-record 14 consecutive dual meets. Included in the streak were 12 road wins and undefeated appearances at the Northwestern Duals, ACC/Big Ten Clash and Lonestar Duals. This year, the Badgers ranked 10th in the nation in wrestling attendance with an average crowd of 1,333 fans. Wisconsin drew a season-high 2,220 for its dual against Illinois on Feb. 11 at the UW Field House. It is the first known time the Badgers have made the top-10 in attendance rankings. Aside from recognizing the team accomplishments, Wisconsin also honored individual grappler's performances with 32-lb., solid marble trophies from Jim Durham at Quarra Stone Company. All-Americans Henning and Turner earned team awards to compliment their successful seasons. Henning was named Wisconsin's most valuable wrestler after concluding the season with a 31-4 overall record and 18-2 in dual competition. Turner, a three-time team captain, took home the award for most dedicated wrestler, an award he also earned last season. Freshman Kyle Ruschell (Crittenden, Ky.) took home the most improved wrestler award after his impressive freshman campaign. Ruschell earned second-team All-Big Ten honors after finishing runner up at the Big Ten championships at 141 lbs. He boasted an overall record of 30-9 and 17-5 in dual competition. For the second consecutive year, Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) took home the award for most pins in a season. Herbst notched 18 falls this season, tying Lee Kemp's single-season record. In addition, Herbst's pins earned him the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honor in January after he concluded the Lonestar Duals in Dallas with four pins in four matches. Drew Hammen (Random Lake, Wis.) and Mike Metzger (Columbus, Wis.) were presented the team player award for their tireless work at practice and dedication to helping the team succeed. Their positive attitude and leadership set an example for others and embodied that of a team player. Erik Senescu earned the George Martin Scholar Award with the highest GPA on the team. Senescu, a native of Louisville, Colo., also earned academic All-Big Ten for his achievements in the classroom. Next up for the Badgers is the annual UW Wrestling Sporting Clay Bucky Shoot on June 16 at Milford Hills Hunt Club in Johnson Creek, Wis.

We go coast to coast with our guests this week after enjoying the company of many greats in person last week in Waterloo, Iowa I enjoyed a tremendous interview with Simon Roberts who has the distinction of being the first man of color to win a NCAA Wrestling Championship. A spirited discussion took place fueled by the Don Imus firing. Thank you Simon for leading the way for so many gifted athletes. You've been added to my list of heroes. A big thank you to Chad and Trip and the entire family of fine folks at Championship Productions. They deserve your business. Visit them on line at Championshipproductions.com This week we start with: Lee Pritts, Asst. Hd Coach at Old Dominion. In that summer camps are around the corner, and its important to plan ahead, it's also important to remember the past. Recently we lost a great man, mentor to many and one of the finest coaches this sport has known. Coach Steve Martin's father is coaching Gods team now and with Lee we'll remember this silver haired wrestling guru. Then we go in from the coast just a little in Virginia and visit with Cav's Head Coach Steve Garland. Steve has had some great progress and with his history and mentoring by Rob Koll and others he'll no doubt do well. Author G. Wayne Renneisen, "Penn Wrestling: A Collegiate Season" joins us to discuss his book and the goings on at Penn under Zeke Jones. What will the new year bring after much success this last season. You may be surprised. Lenny Zalesky, Head Coach of Cal Davis joins us to discuss the year, the success, summer camps and having a last name that starts with Z. Brothers on the coast have started something and candy Bar joins us to discuss all this and more. Author Jay Hammond joins us to discuss his book "the History of Collegiate Wrestling". This book helps to benefit the National Hall of Fame in Stillwater and is filled with a rich history of our ancient sport. Mr. Hammond does a great job of bringing the pages to life. If you haven't had a chance to buy the book I encourage you to check out the http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org for quantity discounts. Ted Ehrhardt who is the managing partner of Team Takedown, a new MMA management team joins us to discuss the importance of wrestling to his team and the future of MMA. We'lll also examine the new relationship between USA Wrestling and the International Fight League. Join Steve Foster, Jeff Murphy and I Saturday's for America's Wrestling Radio Program 9 AM to 11 AM CST for a fun, informative, educational and inspirational 2 hours of wrestling talk! Takedownradio.com Now Pod cast!

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern head wrestling coach Tim Cysewski has announced that John Schoen (Homer Glen, Ill./Marist) has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the 'Cats for the 2007-08 season. The Wildcats are coming off a fourth-place finish at the 2007 NCAA Championships, the highest in program history. Schoen, who projects to be a 197-pound wrestler for the Wildcats, compiled 118 wins in high school record while competing four seasons on the varsity squad. He broke Marist's career record for most takedowns. He led the Redhawks in wins, team points, takedowns and winning percentage. He is currently ranked 11th nationally at 215 lbs. by W.I.N. Magazine. "John will compliment out upper-weights very well," Cysewski said. "Last season, we had the best 184, 197, 285 combination in the NCAA and John will help ensure that this trend continues." In his senior year as Team Captain, Schoen was 44-4 with 22 falls and took first place at the Mahomet Seymour and IHSA Regionals. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the East Suburban Catholic Conference (ESCC) where we won a conference championship at 215 lbs. He took second place at the IHSA sectionals and third at the Class AA state finals. During his junior year, Schoen was a state finalist. Schoen also was a two-year starter at linebacker for Marist's football team and was a four-year honor roll student. He joins Mike Benefiel (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic), Ben Kuhar (Concord Twp., Ohio/St. Edward) and Robert Kellogg (Sioux City, Iowa/Sioux City North) in this year's recruiting class. Schoen's bio appears below: John Schoen 6-1 • 210 Homer Glen, Ill./Marist High School: Career record of 118-38 ... Two-time ESCC champion at 189 and 215 lbs. in 2006 and 2007 ... Second place at Class AA state finals (2006) ... Third at state finals in 2006 ... Owns school records for takedowns and escapes ... First place at IHSA Regionals (2007) ... ESCC Outstanding Wrestler (2007) ... Ranked 11th nationally at 215 lbs. by W.I.N. Magazine ... Star Newspaper All Area Team (2007) ... Two-year starter in football at linebacker ... Four-year honor roll student. Personal: Born John Michael Schoen on 8/22/1989 ... Son of Edward and Julie Schoen ... High school teammate in football of Jeremy Nash of the NU basketball team ... Chose Northwestern over Indiana, Purdue and Northern Illinois ... Plans to major in communications.

By any measure, Jake Varner had an incredible freshman season at Iowa State. A 29-7 record. A 2007 Big 12 finalist. A 2007 NCAA finalist. 2007 Rev Freshman of the Year 1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 1. Jake Varner, Iowa St.: 62 (4) 2. Jayson Ness, Minnesota: 40 (1) 3. Lance Palmer, Ohio St.: 29 (1) 4. Max Askren, Missouri: 25 (1) 5. Adam Frey, Cornell: 12 6. Nate Carr Jr., Iowa Central: 9 (1) 7. JP O'Connor, Harvard: 8 7. Mike Pucillo, Ohio St.: 8 9. Angel Escobedo, Indiana: 7The 184-pound Cyclone topped off a tremendous rookie season by claiming Rev Freshman of the Year honors for 2007. Each year, this award is given to the nation's top freshman wrestler across all divisions of college competition, and is determined by a vote of RevWrestling.com writers and executives. This is the second honor bestowed this season on the Iowa State wrestling program by RevWrestling.com. Two weeks ago, Cael Sanderson was named Rev Coach of the Year. "Jake Varner was a big reason that Iowa State was a contender for the national title going into the final night," said RevWrestling.com staff writer William Koe. "His win over Roger Kish in the NCAA semifinals was shocking and also deserving of the award for RevWrestling.com's Freshman of the Year." Jake Varner began his freshman campaign at Iowa State with high expectations placed on his shoulders. He was a two-time California state champion, Amateur Wrestling News first-team All-American, and the prized recruit in Iowa State's No. 1 recruiting class of 2005. He was expected to make an immediate impact at 184 pounds, a weight class that returned two NCAA finalists. Jake Varner (Photo/John Sachs)Not only did Varner make his presence known in his weight class by finishing as the NCAA runner-up to Jake Herbert of Northwestern, but he also helped lead the Cyclones to a runner-up team finish at the NCAA Division I Championships in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Bakersfield, California native finished his impressive freshman season with 29 wins and only seven defeats, was Big 12 runner-up, and defeated 2006 NCAA runner-up Roger Kish of Minnesota en route to reaching the NCAA finals. Varner became the first freshman Iowa State freshman since Cael Sanderson in 1999 to earn All-American honors and wrestle in the championship match. For these reasons, Jake Varner has been named 2007 Rev Freshman of the Year by RevWrestling.com. The award is given annually to the nation's top freshman across all divisions of wrestling as voted on by the writers and executives of RevWrestling.com. Varner received four of the eight first place votes for a total of 62 votes. Jayson Ness of Minnesota, who placed fifth at 125 pounds and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, came in second with 40 votes. Lance Palmer of Ohio State, who finished fourth at 149 pounds, was third in the voting with 29 votes. Max Askren of Missouri finished fourth in the voting with 25 votes, while Adam Frey of Cornell rounded out the top five with 12 votes. Other freshmen who received votes included Nate Carr Jr. of Iowa Central Community College (9), JP O'Connor of Harvard (8), Mike Pucillo of Ohio State (8), and Angel Escobedo of Indiana (7). Launched in October 2005, RevWrestling.com covers all aspects of amateur wrestling, including high school, all divisions of college wrestling, freestyle and Greco-Roman competition, and Real Pro Wrestling. The Web site, located at www.RevWrestling.com, provides wrestling fans with timely wrestling news coverage along with unique content features such as Rev Rankings, exclusive athlete profiles, Q &A's, and hard-hitting analysis of major issues affecting amateur wrestling.

Columbia, Mo. -– Missouri wrestling Head Coach Brian Smith announced today that Brandon Wright of Germantown, Tenn., has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete with the Tigers beginning in the fall of 2007. Wright is expected to wrestle at either 149 or 157 pounds for the Tigers, and is the ninth grappler in Smith's 2007-08 recruiting class. A standout from Houston High School, Wright complied a 152-26 record with the Mustangs, earning back-to-back state titles at 152 and 160-pounds his junior and senior year, respectively. "Brandon is one of the top wrestlers in the nation at his weight class," Smith said. "He's a talented wrestler and we're looking forward to getting him into the practice room where he can develop into a strong collegiate competitor." Wright closed out his senior campaign with a 45-1 mark, earning his second National High School All-America honor and fourth regional title. Planning to major in business, Wright will become the second Tennessee native on the Tiger wrestling squad, joining current redshirt freshman Nick Marable of Collierville, Tenn.

St. Cloud, Minn. -- Junior Nick Wilkes (Onamia) was named the St. Cloud State University Dean Weisman Wrestler of the Year recently at the 2006-07 SCSU Wrestling Banquet in St. Cloud. Wilkes posted an overall record of 18-8 and was the lone Husky wrestler to advance to the National Tournament. He also was one of two Husky wrestlers to be named the North Central Conference wrestlers of the week. Joining Wilkes as a Wrestler of the Week was Sonny Silva. Other awards include: Jairo Sandoval was named the Tough Man of the Year, Tim Whitley was named the Newcomer of the Year, and Gabe Suarez was named the Red-Shirt Wrestler of the Year. The Huskies also honored John Oxton, the winningest wrestling head coach in the history of SCSU wrestling, by naming him into the Husky Wrestling Hall of Fame. Oxton charted a record of 167-120-9, as well as coaching 37 All-Americans. Before the evening ended the members of the 2006-07 wrestling team thanked and congratulated the first year head coach, Steve Costanzo, by presenting him with an engraved frame commemorating his first season at SCSU. A full listing of awards goes as follows: Captain Award: Tom Messerli, Jairo Sandoval, Nick Wilkes Scholar of the Year: Matt Jackson NCC All-Academic: Adam Hill, Matt Jackson, Tom Messerli NCAA DII All-Academic: Tom Anderson, Adam Hill, Matt Jackson, Tom Messerli NCC Wrestler of the Week: Nick Wilkes, Sonny Siliva Most Falls: Grant Johnson (6), John Sundgren (6) Tough Man of the Year: Jairo Sandoval Iron Man of the Year: Adam Hill, Matt Jackson, Jairo Sandoval Newcomer of the Year: Tim Whitley Red-Shirt Wrestler of the Year: Gabe Suarez Dean Weisman-Wrestler of the Year: Nick Wilkes Coaching Appreciation Award: Cisco Cole, Jeremy Lang, Severin Walsh Husky Appreciation Award: Grant Nelson Husky Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee: John Oxton

The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team wrapped up the 2006-07 season with its annual awards banquet on Sat., April 14, in the UNI Commons Ballroom. UNI finished the season with a dual mark of 7-9-1 and qualified six wrestlers for the NCAA Championships. The Panthers also captured the first Western Wrestling Conference dual and tournament championships. UNI was a perfect 4-0 in league dual action. The Panthers then finished off the WWC season by winning the NCAA West Regional/WWC title. The regional win marked the 22nd straight regional crown for the Panthers. Senior Nick Baima (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) and sophomore Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) were named the Most Valuable Wrestlers at the banquet. Baima also captured the Lyle E. Schwarzenbach Award for academics. Fay was also given the Most Improved Award. Senior Ryan Osgood (Mason City, Iowa) earned the Chuck Patten Award for leadership. Senior Colby Goetsch (Ankeny, Iowa) was awarded the McCready/Steffensmeier Award for leadership. Junior Alex Dolly (Mishawaka, Ind.) was given the Most Courageous Award after returning from neck surgery last season. Dolly was a national qualifier in the 174-pound weight class. Redshirt freshman Kyle Anson (Iowa City, Iowa) captured the Rookie Award. Anson went 25-10 for the Panthers this season and was also named the Western Wrestling Conference Freshman of the Year. Anson won the 133-pound title at the West Regional and qualified for the NCAA Championships. True freshman Caleb Flores (Rosemead, Calif.) was given the Redshirt Award. UNI's five seniors were also recognized by head coach Brad Penrith and the rest of the UNI coaching staff. UNI's 2006-07 Senior Class Nick Baima (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) Colby Goetsch (Ankeny, Iowa) Ryan Osgood (Mason City, Iowa) Tyler Rhodes (Mountain View, Wyo.) Curt Zinnel (Humboldt, Iowa) 2006-07 Award Winners Redshirt Award - Caleb Flores Rookie Award - Kyle Anson Most Improved Award - Moza Fay Most Courageous Award - Alex Dolly McCready/Steffensmeier Award - Colby Goetsch Lyle E. Schwarzenbach Award - Nick Baima Chuck Patten Award - Ryan Osgood Most Valuable Wrestler Award - Nick Baima/Moza Fay NOTE: Mike Mixsell served as the emcee for the event - the 25th consecutive year he has served in that capacity.

CORVALLIS, Ore. -– Oregon State wrestlers Tim Patrick (Milwaukie, Ore./Milwaukie HS) and Brice Arand (Springfield, Ore./Thurston HS) won national titles at the FILA Junior Nationals earlier this month while representing the Orange Crush Wrestling Club in Las Vegas, Nev. Both won their titles in the Greco-Roman competition, Patrick at 74 kilograms (163 pounds) and Arand at 84 kilograms (185 pounds). Patrick also placed fourth in the Freestyle 74-kilogram division. Other OSU wrestlers placing in the meet while part of the Orange Crush were Jon Brascetta (Aurora, Colo./Grandview HS), sixth in the Greco-Roman 74-kilogram division; and Dan Brascetta (Aurora, Colo./Grandview HS), eighth in the Greco-Roman 64-kilogram division and eighth in the Freestyle 74-kilogram division. In his championship round, Patrick beat David Cox of the Golden Eagle Wrestling Club by scores of 3-2 and 1-1 (tiebreaker) in the best-of-three finals. Arand's title came when he beat Michael Kelly of the New York Athletic Club 0-4, 8-5 and 6-0.

The 2007 NCAA Champion Golden Gopher wrestling team announced its team awards at its annual banquet on Sunday evening. All 30 members of the team were presented with plaques commemorating the 2007 championship season, but on a night dedicated to celebrating the third national title in program history, it was difficult for one individual not to steal the show. The crowd paid tribute to senior Cole Konrad, honoring him with multiple standing ovations as he accepted the Most Outstanding and Most Valuable Wrestler Awards, in addition to the Verne Gagne Leadership Award. The reigning two-time national champion at heavyweight finished his career with a school-record 76 consecutive victories. Described by Head Coach J Robinson as the greatest wrestler in Minnesota history, Konrad finished his career with a 155-13 overall record while capturing two national titles, three Big Ten titles and becoming just the fifth athlete in school history to earn four All-America certificates. In recognition of all of his contributions to the Golden Gopher wrestling program over the last five years, Konrad was also honored with the Dick Mueller Award of Excellence. Fellow seniors Danny Williams and Juan Martinez were also recognized for their dedication and commitment to the Gopher wrestling program. In their five seasons at Minnesota, the three seniors were a part of a team that won a national title, three Big Ten Championships, two National Duals championships and posted a dual meet record of 78-22. Jayson Ness also collected multiple awards as he earned Most Outstanding Freshman honors and received the Most Falls Award. In his first season in the starting lineup, Ness captured the Big Ten title at 125 pounds and finished fifth at the NCAA Championships to collect his first All-America accolade. He finished the year with 15 pins, tied for the seventh-most in school history. Junior Mack Reiter and sophomore Dustin Schlatter were both honored with the Fraser Dean Most Courageous Wrestler Award. Reiter, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in late September, was forced to sit out the first three months of the season but returned late in the season to help the Gophers capture their second straight Big Ten title and third national championship in the last seven years. The defending national champion at 149 pounds, Schlatter had a target on his back all year and battled through a nagging knee injury for much of the last half of the season but still managed to capture his second Big Ten title and second All-America certificate. Schlatter posted a 37-1 overall record on the year to push his career mark to 79-2 (.975), the highest winning percentage in school history. Other award winners on Sunday night included Roger Kish, who was recognized as the Most Exciting Wrestler, Manuel Rivera, who earned the title of Most Improved, and C.P. Schlatter, who was named the Most Dedicated. Kish earned his second All-America certificate at the NCAA Championships in March while surpassing the 100-win plateau for his career. In his first season as a full-time starter, Rivera established himself as one of the top 141-pounders in the nation as he won his first 35 matches to start the year before a knee injury prevented him from finishing the season at full strength. Schlatter, the defending two-time Big Ten Champion at 157 pounds, capped off his 2006-07 campaign by finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships to collect his first All-America honor. Two wrestlers were also recognized for their outstanding academic performance during the 2006-07 year. Jeremy Larson earned the Upperclassman Academic Award after posting a 3.507 GPA, while Joe Nord was the Freshman Academic Award winner with a 3.917 GPA. Nearly 300 people were in attendance at the banquet, which was held at the Four Points Sheraton in Minneapolis. 2006-07 Minnesota Wrestling Team Awards Most Valuable Wrestler: Cole Konrad Most Outstanding Wrestler: Cole Konrad Verne Gagne Leadership Award: Cole Konrad Most Outstanding Freshman: Jayson Ness Fraser Dean Most Courageous Wrestler: Mack Reiter and Dustin Schlatter Most Dedicated Wrestler: C.P. Schlatter Most Exciting Wrestler: Roger Kish Chris Berglin Most Improved Wrestler: Manuel Rivera Most Falls Award: Jayson Ness Upperclassman Academic Award: Jeremy Larson Freshman Academic Award: Joe Nord Dick Mueller Award of Excellence: Cole Konrad

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa junior Mark Perry has been named the Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler for the 2006-07 season. He received the award at the team's annual awards banquet Saturday in Iowa City. Perry was the 165-pound NCAA and Big Ten Champion. The three-time all-American posted a 28-4 record in collegiate matches this season. With his 4-3 win over two-time defending NCAA Champion Johny Hendricks in the national finals, Perry ended the season on a 12-match winning streak. He was named TheMat.com's Wrestler of the Week for March 13-19 for capturing his first national title. The Stillwater, OK, native scored 21 team points at the Big Ten Championships, which ranked third among all tournament competitors. He posted a 16-3 dual record and went 7-1 in Big Ten duals. Perry led the Hawkeyes in team points scored in dual competition (68), number of dual wins (16), fastest fall (0:38) and major decisions (7). He also shared the team most pins award (6) with senior 133-pounder Mario Galanakis. Galanakis, a native of Greenfield, IA, also shared the Mike McGivern Award, which is given to the team's most courageous wrestler, with sophomore Dan Erekson. Galanakis posted a 23-11 collegiate record and went 12-5 in dual matches. He was injured in the later part of the Big Ten season, but returned to place seventh at the conference meet and qualify for the NCAA Championships. Galanakis scored 52 team points in dual competition and ranked second on the team in major decisions (6). He ends his Hawkeye career with a 40-20 record. Erekson was also injured during the season, missing all eight Big Ten duals. The 197-pounder from Eagle, ID, posted a 10-8 mark in collegiate matches. Senior Eric Luedke earned the All-America Award. The Colby, KS, native placed third at the NCAA Championships to earn his second all-America honor. Luedke recorded a 33-4 season mark, going 16-1 in duals and 7-1 in Big Ten duals. The 174-pounder led the team in collegiate wins (33), dual wins (16), collegiate winning percentage (.892) and dual winning percentage (.941), and won an individual title at the 2006 Midlands Championships. He also placed third at the Big Ten Championships and was an academic all-Big Ten selection. Luedke ends his career at Iowa with a 56-19 record. Sophomore Charlie Falck earned the Most Improved Award. The 125-pounder earned his first all-America honor placing eighth at the NCAA Championships. Falck compiled a 24-10 record in collegiate matches, going 15-4 in duals and 7-1 in Big Ten duals. The Big Ten runner-up, he led the team in technical falls (4), and ranked second in major decisions (6), and third in dual wins (15) and dual winning percentage (.789). Falck is a native of Strawberry Point, IA. Senior Joe Uker earned the J. Donald McPike, Sr., Award, which is given annually to the senior with the highest grade-point average. A biology major, Uker is a four-time academic all-Big Ten honoree and letterwinner, two-time Dean's List selection and earned a spot on the 2005 President's List. The Osage, IA, native is a four-year letterwinner, wrestling between 157-174 pounds. Senior twins Ben and Brett Stedman earned the Coaches Appreciation Award. Natives of Sioux City, IA, the Stedman's are the fifth set of twins to wrestle for the Hawkeyes. Ben wrestled between 165-184 pounds, and Brett at 149 pounds. Both are four-year letterwinners. 2006-07 University of Iowa Wrestling Team Awards: Mike Howard Award (Most Valuable): Mark Perry Mike McGivern Award (Most Courageous): Mario Galanakis, Dan Erekson J. Donald McPike, Sr. Award (Highest GPA for graduating senior): Joe Uker All-America Award: Eric Luedke Most Pins Award: Mark Perry (6), Mario Galanakis (6) Most Improved Award: Charlie Falck Coaches Appreciation Award: Ben Stedman, Brett Stedman

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State head wrestling coach John Smith announced the signing of Stillwater High School product Walter Clarke to a National Letter of Intent. Clarke is a four-time state finalist for the Pioneers as he competed at a different weight class all four seasons. As a senior, he went 24-1 and won the state title at 189 pounds. It was his third state championship as he also claimed titles at 152 and 171 pounds. Clarke compiled a 115-17 career high school record with 44 falls, including an astounding 15 falls as a freshman. Over his last two seasons he has combined to go 57-2 winning the state title both years.

FARGO, N.D. -- Tyler Hemmesch of Elk River (Minn.) High School, Kirk Anderson of Barnesville (Minn.) High School and Shannon Fettig of Napoleon (N.D.) have signed National Letters of Intent to wrestle and continue their education at North Dakota State University. That announcement was made today by NDSU head coach Bucky Maughan. These three are the first wrestlers to sign with NDSU for the 2007-08 season. North Dakota State is a member of the Western Wrestling Conference and finished with an 8-5-1 record overall. The Bison became eligible for NCAA Championships in the 2006-07 season, qualifying three wrestlers in their first year. TYLER HEMMESCH Elk River, Minn. (Elk River H.S.) Projected to wrestle at heavyweight at NDSU...Ranked 66th on IntermatWrestle.com's Top-150 national recruits... Four-time Minnesota state placewinner, finishing runner-up in 2006 and 2007, third in 2005 and fourth in 2004 as a freshman at 189 pounds...Finished his high school career with an overall record of 157-26 and 110 pins...Won the High School Junior Nationals Wrestling Championships in 2005 in Pittsburgh...Earned a spot on the Team USA Fila Cadet team in 2005, placing third at the world tournament in Czechoslovakia...Won the ASICS/Vaughan Cadet Freestyle championship in Fargo in 2004, also placed second in the Greco-Roman division and was an All-American in 2005, finishing fourth in Junior Freestyle...Four-time all-conference selection...Excelled on the football field as a three-time All-Northwest Suburban linebacker...Son of Craig and Jody Hemmesch and has two brothers, Adam and Logan. KIRK ANDERSON Barnesville, Minn. (Barnesville H.S.) Projected to wrestle at either 133 or 141 in college...Minnesota's all-time wins leader with 246...Won Minnesota state championships in 2004 at 112 pounds, 2005 at 119 pounds, and in 2007 at 125 pounds...Finished third as a junior in 2006, and was runner-up as an eighth grader in 2003 and also was a state qualifer as a seventh grader in 2002...Finished his career with a 246-14 mark...Four-time section 8A champion...Holds the school record for most reversals in a single season and team points...Was an all-conference safety in football in 2007 and a four-year starter on the track team...Two-time all-state academic selection and a member of the National Honor Society...Son of Mark and Sandra Anderson and has one sister, Kelly Diercks...Father was a two-time NCC champion and a two-time All-American. SHANNON FETTIG Napoleon, N.D. (Napoleon H.S.) Projected to wrestle at 165 for the Bison...Two-time Class B North Dakota state champion...Had a high school record of 134-24, including an 86-1 mark his last two seasons...Helped lead Napoleon High School to four Class B state team championships in high school...Also placed fifth as a freshman and sixth as a sophomore at state in 2004 and 2005...Son of Larry and Doreen Fettig.

Simpson head wrestling coach Ron Peterson has been appointed by the Division III National Wrestling Coaches Association to a term that will result in Peterson becoming the president of the organization. Peterson will be installed as the vice-president of the Division III NWCA and for the next three years serve in that role. Upon the conclusion of that term, Peterson will become president of the D-3 NWCA. Peterson will entere his 13th season this Fall at Simpson. The winningest coach in the history of the Storm program, Peterson has compiled a dual record of 192-97-2 (a .663 winning percentage). 41 times a Simpson wrestler has qualified for nationals during Peterson's watch with 11 earning 18 All-American certificates. Cory Christensen (1998) and Nick Ackerman (2001) won national championships. Ackerman's victory was chosen by the NCAA as one of the organization's "25 Defining Moments" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NCAA. Five wrestlers during Peterson’s tenure have been selected as an NWCA Academic Scholar honors. Peterson’s Storm finished third in their first appearance at the NWCA/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals in 2004 and were eighth at the meet in 2006. Simpson set the school record for most dual wins in a season with 28 in 2003-04. Three of Simpson’s top four performances (fifth in 1998, fifth in 2004, and sixth in 2005, ninth in 2006) at the NCAA Tournament occurred during Peterson’s reign. In 15 years on the prep level with Clarksville and Cedar Rapids Prairie High School, Peterson posted a 177-25-3 record and three state championships.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature United States Congressman Jim Jordan and Oklahoma State head coach John Smith. Jordan is a member of the Republican Party who serves as a U.S. Representative from the Fourth Congressional District of Ohio. He defeated Democrat Rick Siferd in the 2006 congressional elections to replace retiring representative Mike Oxley. As a wrestler, Jordan competed for the University of Wisconsin and was an NCAA champion in 1985 & ‘86. His career college record was 156-28-1. A 1982 graduate of Graham High School in Ohio, Jordan won four individual state titles and compiled a high school record of 150-1. Smith, who is the head wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University, recently led his team to a fifth place finish at the 2007 NCAA tournament. The Cowboys had won four consecutive NCAA championships prior their recent finish. The winner of six consecutive World and Olympic championships in a row from 1987-1992, Smith is considered by many to be the greatest American wrestler of all time. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 5-6 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. "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.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum in Stillwater, Okla. has announced its 2007 state winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. This annual award is bestowed upon high school seniors who demonstrate excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship, and community service. Among the winners selected from the 48 states that sponsor high school wrestling championships is the first female wrestler ever to win the Dave Schultz Award, Randolyn "Hoku" Nohara from Kamehameha School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Nohara recently won her fourth consecutive Hawaii State Wrestling Championship in the 220-pound girls division. A world-class power lifter, she also set 12 world records in the bench press and dead lift. She will attend the University of Hawaii next fall on a softball scholarship. "I know that I have been given some ability and I try to honor that by working as hard as I can to make the most of it," Nohara said. "It is a great honor to be the first female to win this award." The award, named in honor of Olympic and World Champion Dave Schultz, has recognized 482 wrestlers since its inception in 1996. "A graduate of Palo Alto High School and the University of Oklahoma, Dave Schultz was one of the greatest and most well-liked high school, collegiate, and international wrestlers the United States has ever had," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Regarded as a tireless competitor and supreme tactician on the mat, he was beloved throughout the world of amateur wrestling for his friendliness and eagerness to lend help or advice to teammates and opponents alike. Schultz was inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997. This year the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum will expand its Dave Schultz High School Excellence program to include a Leadership Camp for those individuals selected for the award. "Thanks to a grant from a private foundation, we are pleased to expand this program and provide the winners of our Dave Schultz Award with the opportunity to attend an all-expense-paid Leadership Camp at the United States Olympic Training Center from June 18-21, in Colorado Springs, Colo.," Smith said. The camp will be hosted and organized at the Olympic Training Center by USA Wrestling (USAW), the sport's governing body. "USA Wrestling is equally excited to join the Hall of Fame in fulfilling the requirements of this program by providing a World Class program at the Olympic Training Center for the student-athletes chosen to participate in this camp," said Rich Bender, USAW Executive Director. "The camp agenda will include instructional sessions with our freestyle and Greco Roman national coaches and wrestlers, and will also feature presentations on sport psychology, strength and conditioning, nutrition, leadership development, and public speaking presented by experts in the field." Part of the foundation's funding criteria requires that, after the camp, the award winners speak to at-risk youth in their communities on the benefits of participating in extra curricular activities like athletics. Smith said the leadership and public speaking sessions will help the student-athletes prepare to fulfill this responsibility. "These student-wrestlers are role models in their communities and have an opportunity to influence young people in a very meaningful way. Statistics show that both male and female students are more likely to stay in school, graduate, and become more productive citizens when they are involved in extra curricular activities and after school programs like sports, art, debate and music." Five regional winners will be selected from the 48 state winners on April 23, and from that group, one individual will be selected as the national winner. The national winner will be invited to Honors Weekend, June 1-2, in Stillwater, Okla. to receive the award. Following are the 2007 winners and their high school, listed by state: Alabama / Derek Carmichael / Prattville High School Alaska / Hollan Gravely / Colony High School Arizona / Kyle DeBerry / Sunnyside High School California / Boris Novachkov / Fremont High School Colorado / Sonny Yohn / Alamosa Connecticut / T.J. Hepburn / Ledyard High School Delaware / Connor McDonald / Sussex Central Sr. High School Florida / Brandon Hatchett / Oveido High School Georgia / Dorian Henderson / Columbus High School Hawaii / Randolyn "Hoku" Nohara / Kamehameha School Idaho / Kirk Smith / Centennial High School Illinois / Mike Benefiel / Montini High School Indiana / Ian Henton / Mishawaka High School Iowa / Jimmy Waters / Lewis Central High School Kansas / Brett Bahe / Great Bend High School Kentucky / Tyler Voth / Paul Dunbar High School Louisiana / Kamron Johnston / Parkway High School Maine / Doug Williams / Sanford High School Maryland / Eren Civan / Walt Whitman High School Massachusetts / Sean Bilodeau / Brooks High School Michigan / Justin Zeerip / Hesperia High School Minnesota / Zach Sanders / Wabasha-Kellogg High School Missouri / Scott O'Donnell / Oak Park High School Montana / Evan Hinebauch / Havre High School Nebraska / Andy Pokorny / Bennington High School Nevada / Kyle Barrett / Palo Verde High School New Hampshire / D.J. Meagher / Bow High School New Jersey / Kellen Russell / Blair Academy New Mexico / Vicente Varela / Rio Rancho High School New York / Corey Jantzen / Shoreham-Wading River High School North Carolina / Chris Bullins / McMichael High School North Dakota / Tyler Steinwand / Mandan High School Ohio / Colt Sponseller / West Holmes High School Oklahoma / Chris Hacker / El Reno High School Oregon / Ryan Smith / Crook County High School Pennsylvania / Zach Kemmerer / Upper Perkiomen High School Rhode Island / Charlie Simone / Bishop Hendricken School South Carolina / J.C. Oddo / Eastside High School South Dakota / Sid Bice / Winner High School Tennessee / Kelly Felix / Franklin High School Texas / Luke Silver / Bishop Lynch High School Utah / Shay Warren / Webber High School Vermont / Ethan Raymond / Middlebury Union High School Virginia / Cody Gardner / Christiansburg High School Washington / Kelly Kubec / Lake Stevens High School West Virginia / Dustin Haislip / Musselman High School Wisconsin / T.J. Wunnicke / Dodgeville High School Wyoming / Jeff Wood / Campbell County High School

North Iowa Area Community College's "Celebration of Excellence" will feature the school's 1973 National Championship wrestling team as well as special guest Dan Gable. The NIACC wrestling "Celebration of Excellence" will take place on Sunday, April 29, in the NIACC gymnasium at 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. "I can't think of a better way to celebrate excellence than to have NIACC's National Championship wrestling team at the event, along with Coach Gable as our keynote speaker," Dan Mason, NIACC athletic director, said. Gable, former University of Iowa wrestling coach, made a significant impact on the sport of wrestling during his career. In celebration of NIACC's wrestling program, Gable will share his experiences and excitement with the audience. NIACC's decision to reinstate the wrestling program after a 32-year hiatus came as great news to the North Iowa wrestling community as well as the rest of the state. NIACC enjoyed an impressive nine-year span of competition during the late 1960s and early 1970s under the direction of coach Kaye Young. In a four year stretch between 1969 and 1973, NIACC placed second on three different occasions at Nationals before winning the National Championship in 1973, when Coach Young earned National Junior College Coach of the Year honors. "The hiring of Coach Fergola represents a significant step in returning a rich athletic tradition to NIACC and the region. We are exceptionally pleased to have attracted Coach Fergola with his standing and reputation in wrestling," Dr. Michael Morrison, NIACC president, said. Along with the NIACC 1973 National Championship wrestling team and Gable, Young, Morrison, Mason and Fergola will attend the "Celebration of Excellence."

Join us This weekend as we come to you live from the 5 Sullivan Brothers Center in Waterloo, Iowa for the Dan Gable Asics Wrestling Coaches Clinic produced by Championship Productions. Featured presenters include: Bruce Baumgartner, Dan Gable, Tom Brands, Tom Ryan and Jim Miller. This 2 hour program will focus on the art of teaching and coaching wrestling. These featured clinicians have amassed several Olympic Gold Medals, NCAA Titles and other honors from around the world and across the country. Each of our presenters will be filmed for forth coming DVD releases from Championship Productions. Watch for the release of these new instructional and cutting edge DVD's in the coming months from Championship Productions! For more information visit their web site at Championshipproductions.com Also scheduled to join us and to start the show will be Johny Hendricks and Jake Rosholt, two former NCAA champion Oklahoma State Cowboys heading for the world of MMA. What's in store for these two fantastic athletes? Tune in and find out. Listen to America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show Saturday's 9 AM to 11 AM CST on Radio and on Internet at Takedownradio.com

NEW YORK and COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -– The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world's first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, and USA Wrestling, the National Governing Body for wrestling in the United States, today announced a strategic partnership between the two organizations aimed at increasing the awareness level and creating unique grassroots programs and branding opportunities for both groups. "This is a great day for the IFL and for the sports of Mixed Martial Arts and wrestling," said IFL Commissioner and Co-Founder Kurt Otto. "This partnership will give us the platform to reach a very passionate demo with one of the most respected National Governing Bodies. This cooperative program will help us further our mission to expose these great IFL athletes to a larger audience and show how they can use their wrestling skills as part of MMA." "USA Wrestling is proud to partner with the IFL in this project," said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. "Wrestling is a core discipline of MMA and many of the greatest athletes in the sport have a strong wrestling background. This will help us expose wrestling fans and athletes to a much larger audience and grow this Olympic sport by reaching an expanded audience." Currently no less than 30% of IFL coaches and athletes come from a wrestling background, many with international and college success. They include Olympic medalist Matt Lindland (Nebraska), two-time Olympian Dan Henderson, past national champion Don Frye (Arizona State) and current athletes Wayne Cole (Oklahoma), Jay Hieron (Nassau Community College and Hofstra University), Ryan McGivern (Iowa), Mike Whitehead (Missouri), Aaron Stark (Wisconsin), Ryan Schultz (Nebraska), Reese Andy (Wyoming), Shad Lierley (NYU) and others. The partnership will include joint USA Wrestling/IFL clinics and information sessions featuring IFL athletes and coaches and USA Wrestling staff in strategic locations, beginning with the Fan Festival held alongside the USA Wrestling World Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 9-10. This event will determine the U.S. teams for the 2006 World Championships in the Olympic disciplines of men's freestyle, women's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman wrestling, as well as the newly recognized discipline of Grappling. More details concerning the World Team Trials clinic will be published shortly. Also in the planning process is a multimedia awareness campaign developed to promote both organizations as well as a discount program for USA Wrestling members to attend IFL events nationwide. Each of the nine regular season IFL events will consist of four teams –each with an athlete in all five weight classes competing – for a minimum of 10 bouts per card. The team that wins the best three of five match setup will be declared the team winner for the match, similar to collegiate and high school wrestling dual meets. The IFL also differs from other MMA organizations in that the bouts are held in an oversized five-rope boxing ring with three, four-minute rounds, designed to create the most compelling in-arena experience for local fans. Each of the 12 IFL teams for 2007 will compete in three regular season events; the teams with the top four overall win-loss team records will advance to the semi-finals, which will be held on Thursday, August 2, at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. The 2007 IFL Finals will then be held at The Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 15. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for wrestling in the United States, and is a member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the international wrestling federation FILA. USA Wrestling conducts events and programs for wrestling at all levels. Its membership includes athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans all across the nation. For more information about USA Wrestling, please see: www.TheMat.com About the IFL International Fight League™ (IFL) is the world's first professional mixed martial arts sports league. IFL has its headquarters in New York, NY and offices in Las Vegas, NV. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -– Five members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team brought home top finishes from the 2007 FILA Junior National Championships held in Las Vegas, Nev., last weekend. True freshmen Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) and Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) brought home individual crowns. Rella, who went 21-13 as a rookie at 165 this year, took the crown at 74 kg pounds after downing Ryan Patrovich of the New York Athletic Club 3-2, 1-0 in the finals. Rella was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler for his efforts. Classmate Jenkins, who went 23-12 and was a national qualifier at 157 as a rookie, took the title at 70 kg with a 3-0, 2-2, 4-1 win over Matt Ballweg of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Three other Nittany Lions earned places at the event as well. Freshman Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.) placed fourth at 50 kg and red-shirt freshman Mike Ward (Mayfield, Ohio) finished sixth at 79 kg. Heavyweight Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.), wrestling at the event for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, finished third at 120 kg. Current Penn State Director of Wrestling Operations Adam Smith placed fifth at 55 kg in the ASICS U.S. National Championships, which was held concurrently with junior nationals. Former Nittany Lion All-American Pat Cummins was seventh at 120 kg as well. Penn State's two Junior National Champions have qualified for the Pan Am Junior games later this summer. Wrestlers finishing in the top six are now eligible to attend camp in Colorado in May and can participate final team trials for the FILA Junior World Team.

WATERLOO –- Former University of Iowa wrestling standouts Simon Roberts and Sherwyn Thorson are among seven men who will be inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, class of 2007. The inductions will be held April 14 in Waterloo. This will be the sixth class of individuals inducted in the hall of fame. The hall of fame honors those individuals who have achieved greatness in the sport of wrestling and competed in the state of Iowa during their careers. At the 1956 NCAA tournament Simon Roberts broke new ground in the college wrestling world. As a junior, competing at the 147-pound weight class, the former Hawkeye became the first black wrestler to ever win an NCAA title. Entering the tournament seeded sixth, Roberts upset the second and fourth seeded wrestlers on his way to a hard-fought championship victory. A native of Davenport, Roberts was also the first black wrestler to win an individual state title in Iowa. He was a state champion in 1954 at 133 pounds. He is retired from a long career in education and lives in Los Angeles. Sherwyn Thorson was a two-time All-American wrestler, winning the NCAA title in 1962 at heavyweight after finishing runner-up in 1960. He opted not to wrestle the 1961 season as he spent considerable time in the weight room, working to improve his football skills. He was a three-year regular on the Hawkeye football team who went on to a ten-year career in the Canadian football league. He is a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bomber Hall of Fame. The wrestling museum will be moving from Newton to Waterloo later this year. In addition to the move, the facility will be renamed the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute & Museum. The wrestling museum expects to be up and running by early January of 2007. The class of 2007 will be the first induction ceremony held at the new building located at 303 Jefferson Street. Festivities will take place on April 13-14, 2007. In addition to the hall of fame inductions on Saturday, April 14, Championship Productions will be hosting their fourth annual Coaches' Clinic in conjunction with the wrestling museum during the weekend. The clinic is being held one block away from the museum at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. For more information on the event you can call the museum at 319-233-0745 :: Class of 2007 :: Al Baxter was a legendary coach at both Lisbon high school and Buena Vista College. During his nine years at Lisbon, his teams won five traditional state titles. In 1978 he embarked on a 26-year coaching career at Buena Vista, a Division III school. Baxter compiled an overall dual meet record of 376-119-5 and won eight conference team championships. He also coached 71 All-Americans and six national champions. As a wrestler, Baxter was a state champion at Morning Sun in 1965 and an All-American at Morningside College. Tim Johnson is entering his 21st year as the "voice" of Iowa Public Television's long-running sports series COLLEGE WRESTLING. During this time, Johnson has broadcast over 150 college wrestling meets for IPTV, the Fighting Illini Wrestling Network, ESPN, and Real Pro Wrestling. In 1984 he was director of wrestling for the Los Angeles Olympic Games. A native of Morning Sun, Johnson graduated from Coe College in 1976 and was a successful wrestling coach at Mount Vernon high school, which produced four-time state champion Greg Randall. Currently, Tim is head of the Midwest chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and organizes the champions breakfast each year at the NCAA Division I tournament, one of the highlights of the weekend. Gene Lybbert was a two-time All-American for State Teachers College (now Northern Iowa), placing third at 130 pounds in 1951 and winning the NCAA title at the same weight class in 1952. After college, Lybbert embarked on a remarkable coaching career at Blue Earth high school in Minnesota. During his four-year tenure, his teams won three consecutive state titles and were runners-up once. Retired and living in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Lybbert is actively involved with the Northern Iowa wrestling program. Don Parker was a two-time Division II national champion at 177 pounds, winning titles in 1966 & '67 at Northern Iowa. Parker earned All-American honors three times and posted a 65-16-3 career record. He was a Division I All-American in 1967, as well. From 1973 through 1977 Parker was the head coach at Upper Iowa before taking over at the University Wisconsin-Eau Claire in '77, where he is currently the head coach. Parker has coached 12 All-Americans and 18 conference champions during his 30 years at UW-Eau Claire. Parker was a state champion for North Fayette high school in West Union in 1963 at 165 pounds. He was paralyzed in a hunting accident in 1998, and still continues to coach, serving as an incredible testimony to wrestling's ability to provide support in overcoming adversity in life. At the 1956 NCAA tournament Simon Roberts broke new ground in the college wrestling world. As a junior, competing at the 147-pound weight class for the University of Iowa, Roberts became the first black wrestler to ever win an NCAA title. Entering the tournament seeded sixth, Roberts upset the second and fourth seeded wrestlers on his way to a hard-fought championship victory. A native of Davenport, Roberts was also the first black wrestler to win an individual state title in Iowa. He was a state champion in 1954 at 133 pounds. He is retired from a long career in education and lives in Los Angeles. From 1975 through 1978, Frank Santana was one of the most imposing wrestlers to ever wear an Iowa State singlet. Competing at 190 pounds, Santana was a three-time finalist and an NCAA champion 1977. He was also a two-time Big Eight champion and finished his college career with an 86-8 record. Santana was an integral part of leading Iowa State to an NCAA team title in '77 and runner-up finishes in '76 and '78. He is currently heavily involved with marketing and promoting wrestling around the state of Iowa and the nation, on several fronts. A businessman, he lives in Des Moines. Sherwyn Thorson was a two-time All-American wrestler, winning the NCAA title in 1962 at heavyweight after finishing runner-up in 1960. He opted not to wrestle the 1961 season as he spent considerable time in the weight room, working to improve his football skills. He was a three-year regular on the Hawkeye football team who went on to a ten-year career in the Canadian football league. He is a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bomber Hall of Fame.