InterMat Staff

La Crosse, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has named Dave Malecek as its head wrestling coach/exercise sports science instructor/recreational sports development specialist. "I am very excited about the opportunity to the be the head coach at UW-La Crosse," says Malecek. "Joe Baker (UW-L Athletic Director) and the administration have been very supportive throughout the process. I am eager to meet with the team and coaching staff and get everyone on the same page and start working towards our goals." "I consider UW-L to be one of the premiere coaching jobs in NCAA Division III," adds Malecek. "My wife, Kayah-bah, and our triplet daughters are excited about moving to the La Crosse area." Malecek had served as the head assistant coach at Wartburg College (Iowa) since 2000, helping lead the Knights to three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships (2003, 2004, 2006). He was selected the NCAA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year in 2006. Wartburg also won Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) titles every season since his arrival on campus. The Knights had 11 national champions and 47 All-America selections since Malecek begin coaching in 2000. Malecek was also Wartburg's Wrestling Recruiting Coordinator, Summer Wrestling Camp Director and handled the upper weight classes for the Knights. A four-time NCAA Division I qualifier at Northern Iowa University (1991-94), Malecek earned All-America accolades in 1994 with a fourth-place finish at 177-pounds. He served as the Panthers' team captain in 1993 and 1994 and ranks seventh in career victories at Northern Iowa. Malecek earned his bachelor's (1994) and master's (2005) degrees from Northern Iowa. He was a participant in the United States' Olympic Wrestling Trials in 1992 and 1996. Malecek was also a two-time state champion at Osage (Iowa) High School. Malecek spent two years as head coach at Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he recorded 31 dual victories. Xavier also had 10 state qualifiers and one state champion under Malecek's guidance. Along with his coaching responsibilities at Wartburg, Malecek has served as an instructor in the physical education department since 2001. He has also taught at Wright Elementary School in Cedar Rapids (1997-2000) and in the Aurelia, Iowa Schools (1994-96). UW-L finished second at the 2006 NCAA Division III Championships, tied for the best finish in school history. The Eagles also won their ninth straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) title in 2006.

Online voting for the 2006 ESPY Award nominees will conclude at midnight on Sunday, July 9. High school national champion wrestler Anthony Robles of Mesa, Ariz. has been nominated for a 2006 ESPY Award for "Best Male Athlete With A Disability." Robles' nomination marks the sixth consecutive year that a wrestler has been nominated for an ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Award. Nominees are selected by a panel of ESPN staff and esteemed journalists. To vote for Robles, visit http://www.espys.tv, click on "Vote Now" and then click on the "Best Male Athlete With A Disability" category and select Robles. Winners are determined solely by online voting. "This is an incredible honor," Robles said of his nomination. "Not only have so many great wrestlers been nominated for these awards before, but so many great athletes are nominated every year. The ESPY Awards are for the best of the best, and for them to include me in that category with athletes that I see as an inspiration is just an amazing feeling for me." "So many people have helped me to be successful in all areas of my life, including in wrestling. My family, friends, coaches and teammates have all been supportive of me and my career and without them by my side every day, this nomination may not have been possible," Robles added. Also nominated in the "Best Male Athlete With A Disability" category are high school football player Bobby Martin, who was born with a condition called "congenital amputation" which left him with no legs and nordic skier Steve Cook, who won three medals at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games. Last year, a record three wrestlers were nominated for ESPY Awards. Cael Sanderson was nominated for "Best Male Olympic Performance," Rulon Gardner was nominated for "Best Comeback" and Steve Mocco was nominated for "Best Male College Athlete." Born with just one leg, 17 year-old Robles capped off an amazing career on March 26 by winning the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) national title at 112 lbs. with a 9-1 victory in the finals in Pittsburgh, Pa. The NHSCA invites only seniors in high school who won state titles to its national meet. Robles became the first disabled wrestler to win a title at the NHSCA national championships. As a junior, Robles placed second in the NHSCA national championships for juniors. The win also finished off a perfect 53-0 senior season for him. For his four-year career, Robles posted a record of 131-15 and won two Arizona high school state titles for Mesa High School. He was also undefeated as a junior. Amazingly, Anthony never wrestled until his family moved from just outside of Los Angeles to Mesa before his freshman year. "I think God gave me a gift by only giving me one leg," Robles said after winning his national title. "Other people may not see it that way, but I do." His high school coach, Bob Williams, calls him "the most inspirational athlete I've ever seen." Last weekend, Robles signed a National Letter of Intent to wrestle at Arizona State Univ., a college wrestling powerhouse, where he plans to study Business. In high school, he posted a 3.5 GPA. He aspires to someday become a sports agent and also compete in mixed martial arts. The ESPY Awards, created by ESPN in 1993, will be held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. on July 12. The show will be televised by ESPN on Sunday, July 16. Past wrestling ESPY winners include Kyle Maynard in 2004 for "Best Athlete with a Disability," Cael Sanderson in 2002 for "Best Male College Athlete" and Rulon Gardner in 2001 for "Male USA Olympic Athlete." In 2003, Eric Larkin, also an Arizona State wrestler, was nominated for "Best Male College Athlete."

St. Cloud, Minn. -– St. Cloud State University head wrestling coach Steve Costanzo has announced the signing of two Onamia High School and Itasca Community College athletes to letters of intent. Costanzo has signed Matt Steffenson and Nicholas Wilkes to National and North Central Conference Letters of Intent. Matt Steffenson most recently placed fourth at the NJCAA Nationals in 2005 as a member of the Itasca Community College team. He wrestled at 165 lbs and earned All-American honors. While at Onamia High School, he placed third at the 2003 Minnesota State High School League Wrestling Championships. A marketing major, he is projected to wrestle at 174 lbs. at SCSU. Matt is the son of Greg and Jeanne Steffenson. "I am very excited about Matt joining the Husky wrestling program," said Costanzo. "Matt will bring a lot of experience to our middle weights and I look for strong leadership to come from him immediately." Nicholas Wilkes was a teammate to Steffenson at Itasca Community College and was a 2003 Minnesota State High School League Championship qualifier. He is a two-time NJCAA All-American at 184 lbs. In 2005, he placed fifth at the NJCAA Nationals and placed sixth in 2004. During the 2005-06 season, he received a medical hardship from Dana College, having recorded a 19-9 record. A criminal justice major, he is projected to wrestle at 184 or 197 lbs. at SCSU. Nicholas is the son of Peter and Lori Wilkes. "Nick will add a lot of experience to our upper weights," said Constanzo. "He excels in the top position and has a lot of tools in creating fast points. I look for Nick to be one of the leaders of the Husky wrestling program."

Nebraska head wrestling coach Mark Manning announced the hiring of Tony Ersland as an assistant coach to the Husker staff and the promotion of Mike Greenfield to head assistant coach. "We are very excited about the addition of Tony to our staff," Manning said. "His ability to recruit top-level student-athletes and his commitment to excellence in all facets of our program will be a real asset to the University of Nebraska. We look forward to him and his wife Carolyn joining the Husker family." Ersland comes to Nebraska after serving as an assistant wrestling coach for the Cyclone Wrestling Club last season. From 2000 to 2005, Ersland was the head assistant coach at Northwestern University. Ersland was also an assistant coach at Northern Illinois for one season and began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan. "We are pleased that we were able to get a great coach with proven experience," Manning said. Ersland will build on his coaching experience in three conferences which followed an illustrious competitive career. He was a letterwinner on three national championship and four Big Ten Conference championship teams at Iowa. A 1997 NCAA qualifier, Ersland was also accomplished in the classroom as a four-time All-Big Ten honoree and the 1997 winner of the J. Donald McPike award, given to the senior Hawkeye wrestler who had the highest grade-point average. Ersland graduated from Iowa in 1997 with a degree in psychology, and later earned a master's degree from Central Michigan with a degree in athletic administration. "I believe Tony will come here and have an immediate impact within our program," Manning said. Ersland fills the vacancy at assistant coach left by the promotion of Greenfield to head assistant coach. Greenfield, in his fifth year in the NU program, filled the vacancy left by the departure of Charles Burton, who left to pursue a career in medical sales.

They barely speak English. All they know is Greco-Roman. Yet, a team from Croatia ventured some 5,425 miles to participate in the Oklahoma State Wrestling Camp. It has been a learning experience for a team making its first trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Dalibor Vracan, the coach for the Croatian team, says his boys are a little confused. Four boys from Zagreb, the Croatian capital, aged 13 and 14 made the trip to attend the camp. It has been a positive experience for the group that are getting this opportunity. Croatia is part of the former Yugoslavia in a part of Europe that has been at war for much of the last two decades. The boys were very young at the time, but are now in a time when Croatia can help kids. The country is in a position where it can now help kids develop through sports. This opportunity came about from a sports director that had studied at Oklahoma State and told Vracan of this opportunity. It has been something entirely new for the four teens and their coach. "In Croatia, everybody practices Greco," Vracan said. "This is something new for us. We train in only Greco. This is a different style." The Oklahoma State camp they are attending lasts until July 14. It is an intensive camp that includes workouts beginning at 6:30 a.m. and lasting until 9 p.m. "Their biggest struggle is that they participate in Freestyle and Greco and know very little about Folkstyle wrestling (collegiate style)," Oklahoma State head wrestling coach and camp director John Smith said. "They get into some positions that they are unfamiliar with, but I think in the long run that it can help them be a little bit better in finishing their attacks. "There is not much of a barrier. A couple of the kids speak English and you can tell they are kind of excited to practice their English here in America. It has been fun having them." Having a group come from so far away only enhances Smith's wrestling camp. The camps have been full for several years, but Smith enjoys having a group from overseas and would welcome another group in the future. "It would be nice to have a few more people from overseas," Smith said. I think it is a good experience not only for them, but also for the student-athletes that are from Oklahoma or wherever. "They get a chance to visit with them and compete against them in practice, it is definitely a different feel and a different style. Overall, it is a good experience for not only them, but us as well." The young Croatians will spend an extra three days in Oklahoma before returning to Europe where they will attend a camp in Hungary before finishing their summer at a camp in their native Croatia. Vracan says they have enjoyed their stay in Oklahoma, and they have learned stuff that they can incorporate into their own style back home.

TEMPE, Ariz. –- The Arizona State University wrestling team has again compiled one of the toughest schedules in the nation as four of the Top 5 teams from the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Championships appear on the 2006-07 slate, Head Coach Thom Ortiz announced Wednesday. The two-time defending Pac-10 Champions could also see duals against seven of the Top 10 teams from one year ago with only two coming in Tempe. "This is a very tough schedule, especially since we will be a young team this year," Ortiz said. "Every year, I try to put our wrestlers in tough environments against some of the best in the nation to prepare them for the Pac-10 and NCAA Championships and this year is no exception. We will be wrestling in some tough places like Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State and Cornell and facing the best each week. When it comes time for the championship season, I know this schedule will prepare us to contend for another Pac-10 title and another strong finish at the national level." The Sun Devils, who placed sixth at the NCAA event following the program's 16th Pac-10 title, have scheduled duals on the road against No. 2 Minnesota, No. 4 Iowa, No. 5 Cornell and No. 13 Iowa State while welcoming No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 9 Lehigh and No. 17 American to Wells Fargo Arena on the ASU campus. The Sun Devils have a chance of also facing No. 8 Edinboro and No. 9 Penn State as all three are on the entry list for the 2007 Virginia Duals. Of the 19 other teams that placed in the Top 20 at the national champions one year ago, the Sun Devils could face in either dual competitions and/or individual tournaments 17 of those squads. ASU will once again head to the Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 1-2) and the Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 20) where many of the top teams in the nation compete. ASU will see competitors from No. 7 Michigan, No. 11 Hofstra, No. 12 Penn and No. 15 Missouri in Las Vegas while the Reno event will feature No. 1 Oklahoma State and No. 14 Northwestern. The season opens Nov. 12 with the Sun Devils playing host to conference foe Portland State and intrastate rival Embry-Riddle at 2 p.m. inside Wells Fargo Arena. After competing in the Fullerton Open in Fullerton, Calif., on Nov. 18, the Sun Devils jump back into dual action with their first tough road swing of the season as they face No. 4 Iowa (Nov. 25) and No. 13 Iowa State (Nov. 26) on back-to-back nights in Iowa. After closing out the 2006 calendar year with the Las Vegas and Reno tournaments, the Sun Devils again hit the road for another tough contest, this time heading to No. 2 Minnesota on Jan. 2 in Minneapolis. Back at home, ASU will play host to the Sun Devil Duals on Jan. 7 with the hosts taking on No. 9 Lehigh, No. 17 American and Pac-10 rival Cal State Fullerton. After competing in the Virginia Duals on Jan. 12-13 in Hampton, Va., the Sun Devils return home to face their third Pac-10 foe, Cal State Bakersfield, on Jan. 19 in Tempe before heading back across the nation to take on No. 5 Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y. The following weekend, the Sun Devils travel to the state of Oregon where they will meet Oregon State (Jan. 26) and Oregon (Jan. 28) in Pac-10 action. The month of February will bring about the final three duals of the season for the Sun Devils, starting with a Feb. 2 showdown in Tempe with No. 3 Oklahoma. The following weekend, ASU will play host to Cal Poly (Feb. 11) in the final home dual of the season. The Sun Devils then close out the dual season on the road on Feb. 16 when they return to Palo Alto, Calif., and the site of their 2006 Pac-10 title to face Stanford. With the dual season behind them, the Sun Devils will travel to Bakersfield, Calif., on Feb. 25-26 as the team fights for its 17th Pac-10 title and third in a row. The tournament also will be used to select the qualifiers for the NCAA Wrestling Championships, which will be held March 15-17 at the Palace of Auburn Hills outside of Detroit, Mich. The 2006-07 season will mark the 45th year of varsity competition for the Sun Devil program. Last year, ASU finished the dual season 14-7 overall and posted an 8-0 mark against the Pac-10 for the second year in a row.

This week on Takedown Radio: Mike Chapman rejoins us to discuss the future of the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton, Iowa, It's big move and the final major event to be held next weekend July 14th and 15th Al Nacin: This former Cyclone will join us to talk about his wrestling past and how he's staying in touch with wrestling today! Chris Bono: Head Coach of the Moc's of Tennessee Chattanooga will bring us up to speed on all the happenings in Chattanooga. What's the future look like for Coach Bono as a competitor? Leroy Smith: The Director of the National Museum in Oklahoma. This former head coach and eldest of the Smith Clan will fill us in on the expansion plans for the Stillwater facility. John Smith: Let's talk Cowboy Wrestling! Can they repeat? We'll take a look at whom has left the program and the guys that are ready to step up and fill the slots. How will the changes in the coaching landscape affect his coaching style if at all. Should be a great show. Please join us for another in depth look at the wrestling world.

VESTAL, N.Y. -- Binghamton University has hired Pat Popolizio as its head wrestling coach, the school announced Wednesday. Popolizio was the lead assistant coach at American University for the last two seasons, helping that program finish 17th in the country last winter. He is a former three-time NCAA qualifier and scholar-athlete at Oklahoma State. "We're delighted that Pat Popolizio has accepted our offer to join Binghamton's coaching staff as our head wrestling coach," Athletics Director Joel Thirer said. "Pat has great credentials and I'm confident that he'll provide outstanding leadership as we strive to bring our program back to national prominence." At American, Popolizio coached seven NCAA qualifiers and the school's first All-American alongside head coach and Binghamton native Mark Cody. This past season, the Eagles went 13-6, had three wrestlers ranked in the nation's top-10 and crowned two more All-Americans. Cody and Popolizio transformed a once-stagnant American program into a successful one in a short time span. Prior to that, he served as an assistant coach at Army (2003-04) and Sacred Heart (2002-03). His team at Sacred Heart achieved the highest grade-point average of any wrestling program in the country. "I am very excited to come back to New York and take over the program at Binghamton," Popolizio said. "On my campus visit I was impressed with the facilities and the support from the whole department. The entire atmosphere is very positive." As a collegiate wrestler, Popolizio won more than 90 matches and was a two-time All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier at Oklahoma State under six-time world champion John Smith. While in Stillwater, Popolizio's teams finished as national runnerup, took third place twice and fifth place the other year at the NCAA Championship. He was a Big 12 runnerup in 1998 and 2002 and went on to place fifth at the World Team Trials in 2003. As a senior Popolizio was given the 2002 Oklahoma State Hustle Award, after being ranked as high as No. 1 in the country at 184 pounds. Also on his competitive resume is a Northeast Regional Open title, two University Freestyle All-America honors and FILA Junior All-American distinction in 1997. His academic accomplishments include being named Academic All Big 12 twice and earning the Oklahoma State Student-Athlete Award five semesters. He graduated in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education. A former New York state scholastic champion for Niskayuna High, Popolizio will put his New York roots to good use with an in-state recruiting emphasis. "One of my main focuses will be to recruit the top talent out of New York - to keep them at home. The state is a hotbed for wrestling, especially in the Binghamton area. It's going to be a great opportunity to suceed and I'm looking to take the program to a top 25 level in the next few years." He was the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 1996 state meet, where as a senior at Niskayuna, Popolizio captured the 177-pound title. He went on to become the national high school runnerup. Popolizio replaces Tony Robie, who departed after one season to accept a position at Virginia Tech.

Neither wrestling nor writing came easily for John Irving. But for this acclaimed novelist, the two pursuits have intertwined in more than their difficulty. "Wrestling requires extreme dedication, self-punishing behavior and devout concentration on the repetition of small details," Irving said. "You learn something unnatural until it is natural. Writing a novel that may take you five or six or seven years is a lot like being wrestler." Dedicating oneself to a task the way a wrestler goes about his business isn't easy, he said. "Writing is hard. I learned how to work hard from wrestling, not English courses." Irving -- who would eventually write such critically acclaimed novels as "The Cider House Rules," "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and "The World According to Garp" -- discovered wrestling as a133-pound prep at Exeter. In "The Imaginary Girlfriend," his 1996 memoir, he explains, "The best answer to why I love wrestling is that it was the first thing I was any good at." For what he calls his "limited success" in the sport, he said he owes completely to his first coach, Ted Seabrooke, a Big Ten champion for Illinois and an NCAA runner-up. "The best thing he told me was that I was not very talented," said Irving, who put together two undefeated dual meet seasons at Exeter. "There would always be better athletes -- quicker, stronger kids. I could make myself technically superior, however, and I could out-condition most people. Seabrooke taught me to wrestle within my limits: Keep the score close, avoid scramble, keep good position." Seabrooke also told him, "Talent is overrated. That you're not talented needn't be the end of it." Later, as a coach, Irving used the knowledge he'd gained. "If you have a great athlete, you want him to scramble, you want him to force the mix-up, to make mayhem," Irving said, "and just the opposite is true of the not-so-gifted athlete." John IrvingFrom Exeter, Irving headed to the University of Pittsburgh, where he found Coach Rex Peery's team loaded with future All-Americans. "My technique was not the problem," he says in his memoir. "The problem at Pittsburgh was that my limited athletic ability placed me at a considerable distance from the top rank of wrestlers around the nation." Years later as a coach, Irving said, "I had the highest respect for the backup wrestlers on good wrestling teams; they were what made the teams good -- as teams." Irving transferred to the University of New Hampshire, which had no wrestling team, but he became an extra coach for Exeter and competed "unattached" in open tournaments in the area. In fact, Irving competed in his last tournament when he was 34. But he gives no thought to entering a veteran's competition. "If I entered a veteran's tournament, I would probably lose to the same guys who were beating me when I was in my late 20s and 30s," he said. Irving's involvement in the sport included time spent in the University of Iowa wrestling room, first as a student and, later, a teacher, in the university's famed Writers' Workshop. In "The Imaginary Girlfriend," he recalls, "Like everyone else, I couldn't resist the occasional thrill (and instant humiliation) of wrestling Dan Gable." One of the memoir's many photos shows Gable launching Irving with a wicked foot sweep. "I went there only when I wanted to punish myself," he said. Certified as a referee at 23, Irving retired from coaching in 1989, when he was 47. He occasionally wrestled to age 62 -- until a torn extensor tendon in his right index finger impacted this author's use of a typewriter. However, he still maintains a wrestling room, filled not only with a mat but also with a variety of exercise equipment. That photo of Gable's foot sweep also remains in the wrestling room. Among wrestlers Irving coached were his two oldest sons: Colin, a 1983 prep school All-American and New England Class A champion, and Brendan, who pinned all his opponents to capture the New England Class A title in 1989. His youngest son, Everett, 14, excels at downhill skiing, tennis, middle-distance running and soccer, but he's not a wrestler. "Frankly, I'm relieved," Irving said. Irving sees his strength as a writer in his capacity for rewriting, noting that since scouting locations for a film in late February, he'd already written 13 drafts of a screenplay. "There will probably be 13 more," he said. "I don't get tired of fine-tuning." And that's another way in which wrestling and writing mesh. "You can't simply wrestle if you don't love it," Irving said. "The question isn't ‘Can I do this thing?' The question is, ‘How many times can I keep doing it, again and again?' Irving's tattoo of a starting circle symbolizes that philosophy. "Whatever you do in life, you're going to have to keep doing it again," he said. "Storytelling is about starting one story after another, often within the same story. You are always beginning again. "If you don't handle repetition well," he said, "you won't be much of a wrestler or much of a writer."

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Oregon State has hired Kevin Roberts as an assistant coach in its wrestling program, OSU head coach Jim Zalesky announced Friday. Roberts had been a strength and conditioning coach at Minnesota since 2004. The former Oregon wrestler had also been an assistant at North Idaho College and Wyoming. Kevin Roberts"Kevin contacted me two years ago when I had some openings on my Iowa staff," Zalesky said. "At that time, we didn't really have a place for him. He went to Minnesota, so I got to see him coach there for a couple of years. I know he wrestled at Oregon, and coming out here you've got to have people who have contacts. "I know he's well-respected in this area -- Oregon, Washington and Idaho -- and he coached a couple years at North Idaho junior college, and that was attractive to us." Roberts joins Troy Steiner as assistants on Zalesky's staff at Oregon State. At Minnesota, Roberts coordinated the strength and conditioning program for the wrestling team, assisted in the daily operation of the wrestling program and was the program's video coordinator. "It's a part of the country I'm familiar with and that I enjoy a lot," Roberts said of returning to the Pacific Northwest. "The biggest thing was the opportunity that I think lies ahead to work with Coach Zalesky and Coach Steiner. I think there's a lot of potential for great things to happen with the program, and I want to be part of that." Roberts said the shift to OSU orange from UO green will be no problem. As a Duck, he wrestled for Ron Finley, who had wrestled for Oregon State before becoming Oregon's coach. "I remember guys -- more in jest -- giving Fin a hard time about it," Roberts said. "I'm just excited to return to the area and go to work with Jim and Troy." At North Idaho from 1998-2000 and 2001-04, Roberts helped lead NIC to the 2003 NJCAA National Championships. He was at Wyoming for the 2000-01 season. As a wrestler at Oregon from 1994-96, Roberts was a two-time All-American at 118 pounds, placing fourth in 1994 and eighth in 1995, and he was a three-time Pacific-10 finalist. As a senior, Roberts was team captain; earned the school's Pacific-10 Medal for a male athlete for outstanding achievements in scholarship, athletics and citizenship; and earned the Daily Emerald Trophy as the school's outstanding senior athlete. He was named the Ducks' Most Valuable Wrestler three times. Roberts is originally from Spokane, Wash., where he was a state champion for University High. His family includes his wife, Cami, and son, Drew, age 3.

BUFFALO, NY -- Coming off one of the most successful campaigns in the 67-year history of the University at Buffalo wrestling program, head coach Jim Beichner has put together another noteworthy recruiting class, featuring four state high school champions and nine state placewinners, while retaining a local flavor by recruiting three Section VI athletes. "We're very pleased with our incoming class," Beichner said. "When you combine this class with our 12 returnees with starting experience and our eight returning redshirt freshmen, we feel that we have a competitive team, not just now, but for years to come." Included in the returnees is also Ryan Needle (Newfane, NY/Newfane), Section VI's all-time wins leader, as the Ohio State transfer will compete for the Bulls for the first time after shoulder surgery kept him out for the entire 2005-06 season. The Bulls will benefit from the addition of Section VI's Aris twins, as Mike Aris (Barker, NY/Barker) and Vince Aris (Barker, NY/Barker) have both committed to UB. Mike Aris finished his career with two stellar seasons, as he won the 2005 New York State High School Division II Championships with an impressive 3-0 performance to finish his junior year 42-2. He set the school's record for consecutive wins and all-time wins and won his second Section VI Class A title as a senior, Aris lost in the semifinals of the state tournament before rebounding to finish fifth, wrapping up a 39-4 season. He also earned mention in Wrestling USA's Best 2006 High School Seniors, ranking 27th in the list of 30, in the list released in February. Vince Aris also wrapped up a stellar senior campaign, as he went 40-9 en route to a fourth-place finish at the Division II Championships at 140 pounds. Along the way, he won more than 100 matches in his career, joining his brother as the top-two winningest grapplers in school history, and won two Section VI Class A titles. Dan Audy (Clarence, NY/Clarence), an Empire State Games bronze medalist in 2005, comes to UB after wrapping up a 39-3 senior season that saw him rise to second in the Section VI Individual Rankings at 130 pounds before wrapping up a Class AAAA Section VI title. He moved on to a fifth-place showing at the 2006 New York State Division I Championships, finishing 3-2 at the tournament. At the Empire State Games, Audy wrestled in the 59 kilogram (132 pounds) weight class, going 4-1 and defeating Western teammate Mike Bunn, 14-7, to medal at the event. Jason Brown (Cato, NY/Cato-Meridian) will have one of the toughest jobs in UB's lineup, as he will be asked to step into three-time NCAA Qualifier Kyle Cerminara's (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) shoes at 197 pounds. However, Brown does have the credentials for it, as he wrapped up a New York State Division II State Championship at 215 pounds as a senior, finishing with a 37-1 record after winning four matches at the state championship and pinning two in the event. Brown, who won the Section III Championship after a second-place finish as a junior, was also a member of Cato-Meridian's football team, starting as a running back. "We are very glad we have some very good local wrestlers coming in," Beichner said of the Aris twins and Audy. "That's a goal of any program, to keep local talent close to home and we kept three solid Section VI wrestlers with Division I potential, as well as Brown, who is from Section III, just two hours away." Sean Bauer (Walden, NY/Valley Central) comes to UB from Sacred Heart University, where he participated with the team for one season. He comes to UB to join former high school teammates senior Pat Lloyd (Middletown, NY/Valley Central) and redshirt freshman Ricky Scott (Walden, NY/Valley Central). Bauer wrapped up his senior season in style in 2005, as he completed a 36-7 season in the New York State Division I Championships by falling to 2006 NCAA finalist Troy Nickerson. Bauer moved up in weight after qualifying for the state tournament in 2004 and won a Section IX title at 125 pounds as a senior to go along with his championship run. Joe Wilson (Chester, NY/Monroe-Woodbury) will also join the team as a transfer from Sacred Heart. "The two transfers are also good New York wrestlers," Beichner said. "We are getting guys who went out of state and are coming back." Reid Garcia (Ballwin, MO/Parkway South) earned St. Louis Post-Dispatch Honorable Mention All-Metro honors three times in his career, as he finished with a school-record 166 wins for Parkway South. A four-time District Champion, Garcia finished fourth at the Missouri State Championships as a sophomore, second as a junior and third as a senior. With plenty of experience on the national level in folkstyle, Garcia also finished second at the USA Wrestling National Kids Folkstyle Championships Cadet Division in 2003. Carlo Izzo (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie) also completed a notable senior season, as the 112-pounder won the Class C Sectional Championship and also won the Section II Division II title. He capped off his 36-4 senior season by finishing fourth at the New York State Division II Championships and then posting a 3-2 record at the NHSCA Senior Nationals at 112 pounds. "One of the problems we had last year was at 125 pounds," Beichner said. "With this recruiting class, we think that we have some solid depth at the class with Bauer, Garcia and Izzo to go along with redshirt freshman Dan Bishop (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) and our end-of-the-year starter Eric Piedimonte (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport). Mark Germano (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) will add depth at the heavyweight class, as he enters the same wrestling room that took 2006 graduate Harold Sherrell (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) from a walk-on from Jack Williams' Warriors program five years ago and turned him into an NCAA Qualifier. Tom Graff (Lagrangeville, NY/Arlington) will give the 157-pound weight class more depth, as he comes to UB after wrapping up a four-letter career with the Admirals, earning All-League and All-Section honors as a senior during a 37-1 season that helped him to Poughkeepsie Journal All-Star honors. In 2005, he won the Long Island Wrestling Association "Summer Heat" Tournament at 163 pounds and he also competed at the 2006 National High School Senior Wrestling Nationals, winning a match at the event at 160 pounds. He also played football for the Admirals. "Graff and Germano are kids with a blue-collar attitude that didn't have the ends to their high school careers that they would have liked," Beichner said, "and these are the kinds of kids we have had a lot of success with in the past. These are two guys who still have a lot left to prove in their careers." Corey Greene (Bennington, VT/Mount Anthony) will give the Bulls an added layer of depth at 133 pounds as senior Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) wraps up his NCAA-qualifying career in 2006-07. Greene was a three-time Vermont state champion and a two-time New England Region Champion, earning Wrestling USA All-America honors. Like Aris, he also found a slot in Wrestling USA's top 30 high school seniors at 130 pounds, ranking 14th. He was also among Intermat's top 200 recruits and was the 2005 National High School Coaches Association Open Champion. He finished his career 192-13 with 92 falls at Mount Anthony, earning Vermont's Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in April. The award is handed out to one wrestler in each state by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum and is given to wrestlers who demonstrate scholastic achievement, character, citizenship and community service on top of mat prowess. Jimmy Hamel (Natick, MA/Natick) will become a contributer for the Bulls at 184 pounds after winning a Massachusetts State Championship at 189 pounds before finishing second at the New England Championships. Hamel was named the Bay State Conference Wrestler of the Year in 2006 and to the Boston Globe's All-Scholastics Wrestling Team for his efforts. In 2005, he also had a second-place showing at the New England Championships, wrestling at 171 pounds. He finished his career with a 146-23 record and also excelled on the football field, helping Natick to Massachusetts Division 2 Super Bowl Championship. He was also the lacrosse team's captain. "We look for kids with blue-collar work ethics," Beichner said. "Both Corey and Jimmy are blue-chip recruits with blue-collar work ethics. They really sold themselves to the coaching staff and we believe they will make a difference on the team." 2006-07 Buffalo Recruiting Class Projected Collegiate Weights 125 Sean Bauer (Walden, NY/Valley Central/Sacred Heart) Reid Garcia (Ballwin, MO/Parkway South) Carlo Izzo (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie) 133 Corey Greene (Bennigton, VT/Mount Anthony) Dan Audy (Clarence, NY/Clarence) Mike Aris (Barker, NY/Barker) Joe Wilson (Chester, NY/Monroe-Woodbury) 141 Vince Aris (Barker, NY/Barker) 157 Tom Graff (Lagrangeville, NY/Arlington) 184 Jimmy Hamel (Natick, MA/Natick) 197 Jason Brown (Cato, NY/Cato-Meridian) HWT Mark Germano (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool)

DURHAM, N.C. –- Senior Levi Craig, junior Daniel Shvartsman, sophomores Aaron Glover and Kellan McKeon and freshman Wade Van Sickle were all named to the inaugural All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team announced by league officials on Thursday. Duke led all schools with five honorees on this year's team. Maryland placed three student-athletes on the team, while North Carolina, N.C. State and Virginia had two selections apiece. Virginia Tech rounded out the inaugural squad with one honoree. To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career. Craig, a 2004 ACC Champion, battled through injuries during his senior season to finish with a 6-11 mark at 174 pounds. Shvartsman posted a 16-15 record at 149 pounds, while Glover went 16-23 and finished fourth at the 2006 ACC Championship at 165 pounds. McKeon registered a 14-20 mark at 125 pounds and Van Sickle posted a 17-22 record in the heavyweight division.

GREENSBORO, N.C. –- North Carolina juniors Spencer Nadolsky and Bobby Shaw were each named to the inaugural All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Wrestling Team, the league office announced Thursday. Nadolsky and Shaw were two of only three All-ACC grapplers to also earn a spot on the academic squad. To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career. Nadolsky (HWT) and Shaw (125) each finished as the conference runner-up in their respective weight classes, but played a crucial role in North Carolina winning its 17th ACC Championship, second in a row and third league title in the last four years. Nadolsky, ranked as high as No. 12 by the NWCA and InterMat, received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship and finished with a 3-2 mark at nationals. The junior heavyweight finished the season with a record of 42-7 and a team-high 11 pins. Shaw posted a 21-17 overall record at 125.

St. Cloud, MN -- St. Cloud State University wrestling coach Steve Costanzo has announced the signing of John Sundgren to a national and North Central Conference letters of intent to attend St. Cloud State in the fall of 2006. A resident of Blaine, Sundgren is the son of Jim and Kathy Sundgren. A three-time overall Minnesota State High School League Tournament medalist, Sundgren placed second in 2006, fifth in 2005 and second in 2004 at 140-pounds, respectively. At Blaine High School, he tallied a prep career record of 142-32 and was named to the 2006 Academic All-State First Team. Sundgren is expected to wrestle at the 149- or 157-pounds for the Huskies this winter. "I am extremely excited that John has decided on St. Cloud State University," said Coach Steve Costanzo. "John is the type of individual that a coach can build his program around. Combine his character, leadership, academics and athleticism and you have a top quality student-athlete." An NCAA Division II affiliate, St. Cloud State is a member of the North Central Conference - widely recognized as the nation's top Division II wrestling conference. Costanzo will begin his first season as head coach at St. Cloud State in 2006-07. Costanzo previously served as head coach at Dana College from 2000 to 2006. He led Dana to four conference titles and the 2006 NAIA national championship. Founded in 1869, St. Cloud State University is the second largest college in the state of Minnesota with 16,000 students. SCSU's main campus is located on the banks of the Mississippi River in the city of St. Cloud, Minn. - which is located approximately one hour north of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

GREENSBORO, NC –- UNC Greensboro Director of Athletics Nelson E. Bobb announced Wednesday the promotion of Jason Loukides to head coach of the University's wrestling program. Loukides (pronounced Lou-KEY-dehs) has served as the program's assistant coach for the last two seasons. After the completion of a national search for the program's new head coach, Loukides replaces Tom Shifflet, who resigned back on May 17 to become the head coach at Hofstra University. Loukides is the program's third head coach in its 13 year-history. He will officially assume his duties July 1. Jason Loukides"This is an outstanding hire for us because Jason provides continuity to our developing program," said Bobb. "He has a great deal; of experience on a national and international scale. Jason understands our Spartan program and has been instrumental in the development of our current wrestlers. His commitment to excellence on and off the wrestling mat was a major factor in our hiring thoughts." Loukides takes the reigns of a program on the rise. Last season, UNCG had an 11-6 overall mark, including 4-1 in SoCon dual match action. The Spartans finished second at the Southern Conference Championships, also known as SoCon/ACC MatJam, with three individual champions. Four Spartans qualified for the NCAA Championships, equaling a school record and giving the program nine qualifiers in the last four seasons. In his two seasons as an assistant at UNCG, Loukides has helped the Spartans to a 23-11 mark in dual matches, the best two-year mark in the program's history. UNCG won a school record 12 matches in 2004-05 and fell just shy of that mark last year at 11-6. "I am excited about the opportunity to continue building upon what we have established," said Loukides. "The support of Nelson Bobb and our administration here at UNCG makes everything possible and is greatly appreciated. I couldn't be happier than coaching and living in Greensboro." Loukides will also have the task of continuing the Southern Scuffle wrestling tournament that was born under Shifflet. Over the tournament's brief three-year history, it has become a showcase of the best collegiate wrestlers in the country. Last December, 31 teams competed in the Southern Scuffle with the tournament moving to the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. The Coliseum will be the site of the Southern Scuffle in December 2006, as well. Before coming to Greensboro, Loukides spent six years in the world class training program with the U.S. Army in Colorado Springs, CO. Prior to that, he served as a coach for Edinboro's club program for one season and spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at Slippery Rock University. He also assisted with the 2005 Women's World Championship squad and served as head coach for the 2005 North Carolina Junior Nationals teams. "This is great news for UNCG Wrestling because Jason is the right person for that position," said Shifflet of his successor. "He is very passionate about wrestling and goes above and beyond the call for those student-athletes. He has great ties within the wrestling community on both the local and national levels, which will help propel the program to the next level. I know both the returning and incoming wrestlers are very happy about this decision." As a wrestler, Loukides finished fifth at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman trials. He was the champion at 198 pounds at the 1992 USA University Freestyle Championships. In 2001 at the FILA World Championships, he finished first at 214 pounds in Greco-Roman. In addition, he also earned a silver medal in 2003 in Greco International at the Pan American Games and a bronze medal in the freestyle division of the World Military Championships that same year. Also included on his international resume are appearances at three U.S. World Team Trials, all placing fifth or better, and competitions in Russia, Venezuela and other foreign countries. At national powerhouse Edinboro, where he was a college teammate of Shifflet's and competed under wrestling legend Bruce Baumgartner, Loukides finished third in the 1994 EWL Championships at 190 lbs. He advanced to the NCAA Championships held in Chapel Hill, NC, where he was seeded 12th and won his first round match and advanced to the third round of wrestlebacks. Loukides still ranks 23rd all-time at Edinboro on the school's all-time win list, graduating with a career mark of 82-38-2. He was a part of Edinboro's 1994 EWL Regular Season Championship squad. "Jason has a great understanding of the sport and a real love for it," said Baumgartner, a former Olympic Gold Medalist and currently the Director of Athletics at Edinboro. "He helped me out when I was training for some the world championships that I competed in. He has a great work ethic. Jason has always had the ability to analyze the technique of the sport, being able to break things down, and also has a real understanding for the conditioning involved. I think he should do a very good job." Loukides graduated from Edinboro in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in specialized studies and also attained a second bachelor's degree from Colorado Christian University in computer systems in 2001. He also holds a master's degree in envoirnmental education from Slippery Rock (2000) and is close to completing work on a second master's degree in kinesiology.

Hofstra University Head Wrestling Coach Tom Shifflet today completed his 2006-07 staff with the appointment of two-time NCAA Division I national champion Joe Dubuque as an assistant coach. Dubuque, a three-time NCAA All-American who captured national titles at 125 pounds in 2005 and 2006, posted an overall record of 114-18 including a 69-6 dual mark and a 19-6 Big Ten record in four years at Indiana University. Joe Dubuque (Photo/John Sachs)"We are very excited to have Joe join the Hofstra program," Shifflet said. "Joe has been very successful as a wrestler and just getting to know him recently I can tell he is going to be one heck of a coach. If I hadn't heard of Joe Dubuque and just met him on the street after a short conversation I would walk away saying that guy is successful." Dubuque, a native of Bloomfield, New Jersey native, was a scholastic national champion as a senior and a two-time state champion at Glenn Ridge High School. After redshirting the 2001-02 season at Indiana, he tallied a 23-5 overall record and a 15-3 mark in duals and ranked as high as 12th as a freshman but missed the Big 10 championship due to an injury. A year later, Dubuque qualified for his first NCAA appearance with a fourth place finish at the Big 10 Championships and then went on to earn All-America honors with an eighth-place showing at the NCAA Championships. He finished the year with a 34-9 overall record and a 21-2 dual mark and captured the 125-pound title at the Northern Iowa Open. In 2004-05 Dubuque placed third in the Big 10 Championships and then defeated three ranked opponents on his march to claim the 125-pound title at the national championships. He became the first Hoosier to appear in a NCAA final since Roger Chandler did so in 1997, and the first IU grappler to claim a national championship since Brian Dolph captured the 150-pound title in 1990. He finished the year with a 29-3 overall record, an 18-1 slate in duals, a 6-1 mark in the Big Ten and a 12-2 mark against ranked opponents. As a senior this past season he recorded a 28-1 mark, including a 7-1 record against ranked opponents, and defeated three ranked opponents at the NCAA Championships en route to the 125-pound crown. Dubuque became just the second Hoosier in Indiana history to capture two national titles and the first Hoosier to register back-to-back NCAA crowns. Only the fourth wrestler in Indiana history to earn three All-American awards he helped lead IU to an 18th-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships. "Hofstra is a great fit for me," Dubuque said. "I believe that I can bring the right mentality and technique to assist our lightweights earn All-American honors. I am excited for the opportunity to help the program contend for a national title." Dubuque, who earned a bachelor's degree in recreation sports management from Indiana, joins Rob Anspach, who has served as a Pride assistant coach for the past five seasons, on the Hofstra staff.

This week on Takedown Radio: 9:05: Dr. William K. Bauer, Ph.D., Author of "Wrestling-A Boy's First Book." Dr. Bauer wrestled for Slippery Rock and coached as well with many of his young charges going on to national prominence 9:25: University of Iowa Head Coach Tom Brands joins us for his first visit in several years. What's on Tom's mind. Can he get down to business at Iowa and put the nightmare of Virginia Tech behind him? His thoughts on hiring his coach and mentor Dan Gable and more. 10:05: Embattled Fresno State Head Coach Shawn Charles joins for an update on the crisis on the Fresno State campus. Bulldogs aren't happy and they're on the march. 10:20: UFC HVY WT. Champion Tim "The Mainiac" Sylvia. MT Trained Sylvia will face Andre Arlovski in the rubber match that some say has come much to soon. Sylvia will fight anyone anywhere. He's just that tough. Also, co-main event is the feud between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock UFC 61: Bitter Rivals 10:40: ESPY Nominee Anthony Robles to be on America's Wrestling Radio program, Takedown Wrestling Radio this Saturday. Robles will be wrestling for ASU this fall in Tempe, AZ for Head Coach Tom Ortiz

High school national champion wrestler Anthony Robles of Mesa, Ariz. has been nominated for a 2006 ESPY Award for "Best Male Athlete With A Disability." Robles' nomination marks the sixth consecutive year that a wrestler has been nominated for an ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Award. Nominees are selected by a panel of ESPN staff and esteemed journalists. Anthony Robles"This is an incredible honor," Robles said of his nomination. "Not only have so many great wrestlers been nominated for these awards before, but so many great athletes are nominated every year. The ESPY Awards are for the best of the best, and for them to include me in that category with athletes that I see as an inspiration is just an amazing feeling for me." "So many people have helped me to be successful in all areas of my life, including in wrestling. My family, friends, coaches and teammates have all been supportive of me and my career and without them by my side every day, this nomination may not have been possible," Robles added. Also nominated in the "Best Male Athlete With A Disability" category are high school football player Bobby Martin, who was born with a condition called "congenital amputation" which left him with no legs and nordic skier Steve Cook, who won three medals at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games. Last year, a record three wrestlers were nominated for ESPY Awards. Cael Sanderson was nominated for "Best Male Olympic Performance," Rulon Gardner was nominated for "Best Comeback" and Steve Mocco was nominated for "Best Male College Athlete." Anthony RoblesBorn with just one leg, 17 year-old Robles capped off an amazing career on March 26 by winning the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) national title at 112 lbs. with a 9-1 victory in the finals in Pittsburgh, Pa. The NHSCA invites only seniors in high school who won state titles to its national meet. Robles became the first disabled wrestler to win a title at the NHSCA national championships. As a junior, Robles placed second in the NHSCA national championships for juniors. The win also finished off a perfect 53-0 senior season for him. For his four-year career, Robles posted a record of 131-15 and won two Arizona high school state titles for Mesa High School. He was also undefeated as a junior. Amazingly, Anthony never wrestled until his family moved from just outside of Los Angeles to Mesa before his freshman year. "I think God gave me a gift by only giving me one leg," Robles said after winning his national title. "Other people may not see it that way, but I do." His high school coach, Bob Williams, calls him "the most inspirational athlete I've ever seen." Last weekend, Robles signed a National Letter of Intent to wrestle at Arizona State Univ., a college wrestling powerhouse, where he plans to study Business. In high school, he posted a 3.5 GPA. He aspires to someday become a sports agent and also compete in mixed martial arts. To vote for Robles, visit http://www.espys.tv, click on "Vote Now" and then click on the "Best Male Athlete With A Disability" category and select Robles. The ESPY Awards, created by ESPN in 1993, will be held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. on July 12. The show will be televised by ESPN on Sunday, July 16. Past wrestling ESPY winners include Kyle Maynard in 2004 for "Best Athlete with a Disability," Cael Sanderson in 2002 for "Best Male College Athlete" and Rulon Gardner in 2001 for "Male USA Olympic Athlete." In 2003, Eric Larkin, also an Arizona State wrestler, was nominated for "Best Male College Athlete."

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia -- Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) earned the bronze medal in the 84 kg/184 lbs. weight class at the World University Championships Monday in Mongolia. Herbert opened with a three-period win over K. Majied of Iran, 0-6, 2-2, 3-2. In the semifinals, he was defeated by the eventual champion A. Isaev of Russia, 0-3, 0-3. In the bronze-medal match, Herbert needed three periods to defeat Ch. Ganzorig of Mongolia, 3-9, 3-0, 6-0. Herbert joined Cole Konrad of Minnesota as the U.S. delegation's two medalists from Monday's competition. For more information on the World University Championships, visit the event's official Web site.

ROOKINGS, S.D. -— Ellsworth Community College standout Derrick Mehmen has signed a national letter of intent, indicating he will enroll at South Dakota State University next fall and compete for the Jackrabbit wrestling program. Mehmen joins the Jackrabbits after recording 48 wins over two seasons at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa. He earned all-America honors at 197 pounds this past season, with a fifth-place finish at the National Junior College Athletic Association Wrestling Championships. He will have two years of eligibility remaining and will major in education. In high school, Mehmen was a state place-winner his junior year, earning fourth-place honors at Denver High School in Denver, Iowa. "I am very excited to have Derrick join our program," SDSU head coach Jason Liles said. "He is an excellent competitor and will be a tremendous addition to our upper weights." South Dakota State, which finished the 2005-06 season with a 7-11 dual record, will begin competition in the Western Wrestling Conference next winter.

Brendan Buckley continues to build a program at Columbia which will contend for EIWA and national honors. The Lions' 2006 recruiting class is a testimonial to his success in those efforts. The six new Lions include state and National Prep champions, Freestyle and Greco-Roman All-Americans, all exhibiting the quality needed to succeed on a national level. "I'm pleased with this year's recruiting class," Buckley says. "They provide major additions at weight classes where we needed them the most, particularly in the upper weights. Some could step right into our starting lineup, while others will give us quality depth this year." Buckley is especially enthused about his new wrestlers' practice habits. "They're all hard workers," he says. "All six like living in the wrestling room and the weight room. I really like their work ethics." Buckley and his staff set their targets this year on some of the nation's top wrestling schools. "Most of our young men come from historically strong high school wrestling programs," he says, "such as Victor Mocco from Blair Academy, the top-ranked school; Cary Aldrich from Peddie, which has been building a strong New Jersey prep school program; Matt Dunn from Reynolds High, Pennsylvania's state AA champion; and Mike Bossetta from Jesuit High in New Orleans, which has won three straight state titles." Another prospect, Mike Wolfer, comes out of Eastern Pennsylvania's Northampton Area High. "Northampton competes in District 11," the coach notes. "That's the best high school wrestling in the country." The Columbia Class of 2006 (with projected weights): MATT DUNN, 149, Transfer, Pa. (Reynolds HS) Ranked as high as first in the nation (W.I.N. magazine) in his senior season, eventually ranking seventh nationally . . . state champion as a junior and senior . . . four-time state placewinner . . . represented Pennsylvania in the Dapper Dan Classic in Pittsburgh . . . Pennsylvania state recipient of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award . . . won Ohio's famed Ironman Tournament, and was named the Outstanding Wrestler after beating top-ranked Lance Palmer from St. Edward High . . . placed fifth in the Beast of the East . . . third wrestler from Reynolds High, Pennsylvania state AA champions, to attend Columbia, following former captain and EIWA placewinner Steve Popovitch, and present junior 197-pounder Nick Sommerfeld. VICTOR MOCCO, 165, Bernardsville, N.J. (Blair Academy) Latest member of the illustrious wrestling family . . . cousin of Oklahoma State's Steve Mocco . . . four-time National Prep All-American after placing four times at National Preps — third, fifth, sixth twice . . . two-time New England Prep finalist as a student at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire . . . three-time Class A champion at Exeter . . . New Jersey Prep state champion . . . New Jersey freestyle state champion . . . 19-3 as a senior; more than 100 career victories. MIKE WOLFER, 174, Northampton, Pa. (Northampton Area HS) All-Area (Allentown Morning Call) at 171 pounds . . . ranked first in area . . . placed second in Holiday Classic, fifth in District 11 . . . sixth in the district as a sophomore . . . 27-11 as a senior . . . helped Northampton Area High to PIAA 3A championships in 2003 and 2004, as well as team championship of 2003 Virginia Duals . . . Wrestling Scholar-Athlete for the Lehigh Valley Conference. CARY ALDRICH, 184, Warren, N.J. (The Peddie School) Following a solid scholastic career at Watchung Hills High, his wrestling took off in a post-graduate year at The Peddie School . . . National Prep champion and New Jersey State Prep champ at Peddie, going 31-2 . . . defeated Nebraska recruit Bobby Laraway twice in National Preps . . . district champion, seventh in New Jersey State Championships as a high school senior, with a 22-4 record . . . 104-42 career. MIKE BOSSETTA, 197, Mandeville, La. (Jesuit HS) Persevered through tumultuous year due to Hurricane Katrina to earn his second straight Louisiana state championship . . . was forced to begin the school year at Strake Jesuit High in Houston after the hurricane forced his family out of their New Orleans suburb . . . returned to Jesuit High in January to find that his coach had remained in Houston, some of his teammates had moved away, and the Jesuit High gym was unusable . . . nevertheless, won 215-pound state championship after taking 189-pound title as a junior at Jesuit . . . led his team to its third straight state title . . . 32-5 as a senior included 12-4 while in Houston, at 189, and 20-1 back in New Orleans . . . 53-10 as a junior . . . In 2005, was Southeast Regional Freestyle champion at 215, as well as Louisiana state freestyle and Greco-Roman champion . . . All-American after taking third at 215 in 2005 NHSCA National Open . . . ranked among nation's top 25 at 215 (Wrestling USA). KEVIN LESTER, HWT, Nampa, Idaho (Nampa HS) Three-time Idaho state placewinner . . . 2006 state champion at 215 after finishing fourth as a junior and sixth as a sophomore, both at 189 . . . state title capped a 51-2 senior season that included 46 pins and 286 team points . . . Nampa High career record of 149-32 . . . Cadet All-American after placing eighth in 2004 Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals . . . two-time Western Region champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman . . . six-time state champion . . . twice Reno Worlds runner-up . . . wrestled on Idaho State Cadet Team which placed fourth in 2004 national cadet duals . . .stands 6-foot-5, and has increased his high school weight of 215, to 240 . . . recruited for football by Boise State.

This week on TDR: Archie Randall -- The new head coach of Oklahoma City University joins us Duane Goldman -- Venerable Head Coach of the Hoosiers of Indiana Mike Chapman -- With the PRO Inductions to the Hall of Fame coming up in July, how is he and his staff balancing this event with the pending move of the Museum to Waterloo, Iowa Jay Weiss -- Now entering his 13th year at the helm of the Harvard Crimson wrestling program Rich Fergola -- New Head Coach of Dana College in Blair NB speaks out on his team, his fans, and his critics Join us for a terrific look inside some of America's hottest programs with some of wrestling's most inspirational coaches and figures.

St. Cloud, MN -- St. Cloud State University wrestling coach Steve Costanzo has announced the signing of Russell Smith to a national and North Central Conference letters of intent to attend St. Cloud State in the fall of 2006. A resident of Owatonna, Smith is the son of David and Jean Smith. A red-shirt freshman transfer from Dana College and business major, Smith was the 2005 Minnesota State High School Champion at 171-pounds. A three-time overall Minnesota State High School League Tournament medalist, Smith placed second in 2004 and 2003, respectively. He posted a high school career record of 155-21 and is expected to wrestle at the 184- or 197-pounds for SCSU this winter. "I am truly excited to have Russell in the husky wrestling program," said Coach Steve Costanzo. "Russell is a prime example of what coaches look for from their student-athletes." An NCAA Division II affiliate, St. Cloud State is a member of the North Central Conference - widely recognized as the nation's top Division II wrestling conference. Costanzo will begin his first season as head coach at St. Cloud State in 2006-07. Costanzo previously served as head coach at Dana College from 2000 to 2006. He led Dana to four conference titles and the 2006 NAIA national championship. Founded in 1869, St. Cloud State University is the second largest college in the state of Minnesota with 16,000 students. SCSU's main campus is located on the banks of the Mississippi River in the city of St. Cloud, Minn. - which is located approximately one hour north of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- It has been announced by Rob Koll, the David R. Dunlop '59 Head Coach of Wrestling, that Cory Cooperman, a three-time All-American and three-time EIWA champion for Lehigh, has been named assistant coach of the Big Red wrestling team. Koll has also announced that Damion Hahn, a two-time NCAA champion at Minnesota, has been named the volunteer assistant coach. The Big Red is coming off a fifth-place finish in last year's NCAA tournament. Cooperman compiled a 99-12 record for the Mountain Hawks, including a 65-7 mark in dual meets. He is 12th on Lehigh's all-time wins list and has the fifth-most dual victories in school history. Last season, Cooperman went 28-2, losing only to Oklahoma's Teyon Ware. He took titles at the Southern Scuffle and the EIWA tournament and finished third at the NCAA championships. It was his second-consecutive third-place finish and he took seventh in 2004 for his first All-America honor. He wrestled at both 133 and 141 during his career. Cooperman was a psychology major at Lehigh. Hahn, who wrapped up his Golden Gopher career in 2004 12th all-time and currently ranks 13th in career victories at Minnesota with a 118-21-0 record over his career, including a 33-1 mark during his senior season in 2003-04. Hahn became the third wrestler in school history to capture two NCAA Championships when he won back-to-back crowns in 2003 and 04. He became just the fourth four-time All-American, as well as the fifth three-time Big Ten Champion in school history. He was awarded the 2004 Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year Award, which is awarded to the top male athlete in the Big Ten Conference. Hahn earned a B.A. in an inter-college program relating to education/youth studies and

High school national champion wrestler Anthony Robles will appear on The CBS Early Show at approximately 8:42 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, June 21. Born with just one leg, 17 year-old Anthony Robles of Mesa, Ariz. capped off an amazing career on March 26 by winning the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) national title at 112 lbs. with a 9-1 victory in the finals. The NHSCA invites only seniors in high school who won state titles to its national meet. Robles became the first disabled wrestler to win a title at the NHSCA national championships. As a junior, Robles placed second in the NHSCA national championships for juniors. The win also finished off a perfect 53-0 senior season for him. For his four-year career, he posted a record of 131-15 and won two Arizona state titles. He was also undefeated as a junior. Amazingly, Anthony never wrestled until his family moved from just outside of Los Angeles to Mesa before his freshman year. He aspires to someday compete in mixed martial arts after he completes his collegiate wrestling career at Arizona State Univ., where he will study Business. Recently, Anthony has been featured on ESPN's Cold Pizza, CNN, as the ABC World News Tonight Person of the Week. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Ultimate Fighting Championships also honored him at their pay-per-view events and he has thrown out the first pitch before a Diamondbacks-Giants game. "I think God gave me a gift by only giving me one leg," Robles said after winning his national title. "Other people may not see it that way, but I do." His coach, Bob Williams, calls him "the most inspirational athlete I've ever seen." This past weekend, Anthony signed a National Letter of Intent to wrestle at Arizona State Univ., a college wrestling powerhouse, where he plans to study Business. In high school, he posted a 3.5 GPA. He also hopes to one day compete in mixed martial arts competition.