InterMat Staff

Columbia, Mo. -- The Missouri wrestling program announced today that four wrestlers have signed on to join the Tigers for the 2006-07 season, bringing this year's recruiting class total to 11. Seven wrestlers were inked during the early signing-period in November. Vince Hannon, a native of Lombard, Ill., and Nick Velliquette of Nixa, Mo., are each expected to compete at 125 pounds for the Tigers. Hannon compiled a 156-28 mark for Montini High School, placing at the Illinois State Tournament three times and helping the team to three state championship titles. Competing on the national stage, Hannon placed fifth at both the Cadet Folkstyle Nationals and the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Senior Nationals. Hannon is a two-time Illinois state freestyle champion, and finished eighth at the Cadet Freestyle Nationals. Nick Velliquette was a two-time Missouri State High School Athletic Association (MSHSAA) state finalist for Nixa High School, finishing second at 119 pounds as a junior and winning the state title as a senior. Aaron Bridgeman joins the Tigers and is expected to wrestle at 184 pounds after winning 77 consecutive matches from his junior to senior years in Maysville, Mo. Bridgeman compiled a 151-8 record in high school, taking fourth place as a sophomore before winning back-to-back MSHSAA titles at 189 pounds with consecutive unbeaten seasons. Bridgeman was named the Class I Wrestler of the Year as a senior, and finished third at the Brut/Adidas Nationals in 2006. Rounding out the class, Mitch Barnett will make the trip from Liberty, Mo., to join Missouri's squad at either 197 pounds or heavyweight. Barnett compiled an 82-29 mark at Liberty High School, becoming a three-time state qualifier and a state champion at 215 pounds as a senior. Barnett also racked up 52 pins in four years at Liberty High School.

State College, Pa. -- Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling coach Troy Sunderland has finalized what many consider one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. A slew of talented high school grapplers are set to invade Happy Valley this fall as part of an outstanding 2006-07 class of incoming freshmen. Leading the way is a quartet of the nations finest, each of whom was ranked as one of the top high school wrestlers in the country at their respective weight classes. Alphabetically, high school standouts Jesse "Bubba" Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), Josh Rohler (Akron, Ohio) and Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) all signed national letters of intent to attend Penn State earlier this year and have helped establish this recruiting class as one to rival last year's class. Jenkins, a native of Virginia Beach and a student at First Colonial High School, was the top-ranked 145-pound wrestler in the country according to Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat and projects at 149 for Penn State. A Virginia State high school champion, Jenkins was voted Outstanding Wrestler at the 2005 Beast of the East Championships. He won the 2006 NHSCA National Championship, dominating the tournament and winning the crown with a pin in the second period of the finals. Rella, who projects at 165 for Penn State, entered this season as the defending Ohio State Champion at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cleveland, Ohio. The 2005 Junior National Freestyle runner-up, he was a Junior National All-American. Rella was also runner-up at the FILA Junior National Freestyle Championships and is a two-time Powerade Champion and an Ironman Champion. This past year, Rella claimed yet another Ohio state title and won the 2006 High School National Championship as well. Rohler, who projects at 157 for Penn State, was the 2005 Ohio Division II third place finisher also placed third in the 2005 Beast of the East Championships. Rohler was the 2004 Ironman runner-up and an Ohio State runner-up in 2004. Rohler also is a two-time Cadet National All-American. Rohler finished second at the 2005 Ohio State Championships and was the Bronze Medal winner at the 2006 High School National Championships. Scott, who projects at 141 for the Nittany Lions, was a three-time Pennsylvania AA State Champion at Juniata Valley High School. Scott was the 2005 FILA Junior National Freestyle eighth-place finisher and the 2004 Cadet National Greco runner-up. He won the Cadet Freestyle National title in 2002 and 2003 and was National Greco runner-up both those years as well. Joining this quartet are, alphabetically, Nathan Andrews (Spring Mills, Pa.), Eric Burnett (Uniondale, N.Y.), Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.), Mike Eagan (Wharton, N.J.), Mike Farina (Denville, N.J.), Christian Harr (Hollidaysburg, Pa.), John Laboranti (Scranton, Pa.), Michael Lorenzo (Bellefonte, Pa.) and A.J. Papa (Allentown, Pa.). "We feel these wrestlers bring a lot of untapped potential and a desire to be part of something great at Penn State," Sunderland said. "They will help to solidify our needs at different weight classes, this is something we wanted to address with this class." Andrews projects as a heavyweight for Penn State. He was a Pennsylvania state qualifier for nearby Penns Valley High School. Burnett projects at 197 for the Nittany Lions and is coming off a second place finish at the 2006 New York state championships. He was sixth as a junior. Burnett wrestled for Uniondale High School. Caschera recently finished fourth at the 2006 PIAA championships, wrestling for South Williamsport High School. He projects at 125 for Penn State. Eagan recently completed his senior year at Morris Knolls High School, where he finished seventh this past season and was a three-time state qualifier. Eagan projects at 141 for Penn State. Farina was a high school teammate of Eagan and is the younger brother of Nittany Lion heavyweight Joe Farina. Farina, who projects at 157, was also a state qualifier for Morris Knolls. Harr, who wrestled at nearby Hollidaysburg High School, projects at 149 for Sunderland and the Nittany Lions. Laboranti is a heavyweight and a transfer from Virginia Tech. A sophomore, he went 8-8 for the Hokies last season. A Pittston High School grad, he placed third and eighth at states, finished second at FILA Junior Nationals last year, and was a four-time Junior Nationals All-American. Lorenzo, another local product from Bellefonte High School, projects at 157 for Penn State and was a PIAA regional qualifier. Papa, an Allentown native who is wrapping up his high school days at Parkland High School, projects at 165 for Penn State and was a PIAA state qualifier. "Overall, we're very excited to bring this group of young men to campus," Sunderland said. "We're very pleased to have a recruiting class of this caliber coming off last year's class. I'm thankful for the time and efforts of my coaching staff for attracting and landing these wrestlers. Recruiting student-athletes of this caliber is very competitive and with the combined effort of the entire University community, we were able to attract this outstanding class. We are grateful to everyone across campus who helped us this year." Penn State is coming off an outstanding 2005-06 season, notching a ninth place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City, crowning three All-Americans with one national finalist. Sunderland's Nittany Lions went 13-4 in dual matches, including a 5-3 mark in Big Ten action. The Lions crowned one Big Ten Champion and placed fourth at the Big Ten Championships with eight national qualifiers.

City, State: Evanston, IL Job Description: The Wildcat Wrestling Club and Club President/Director Mark Massery are seeking an Assistant Club Coach to help take this emerging training program to the next level. We are looking for qualified candidates who have achieved success in the sport at the collegiate, national or international levels that would like to dedicate themselves to helping the Wildcat Wrestling Club and it's affiliates. Interested candidates will be expected to demonstrate the ability to help execute successfully in the following areas: • Running designated club practices • Teaching collegiate/freestyle/Greco technique • Drilling and wrestling effectively in live situations with designated club members • Organizing and marketing fall and spring technique sessions for high-school aged wrestlers. Ideal candidates will be those who can wrestle effectively with wrestlers competing at 174 pounds through 197 pounds or higher. This is an eight-month position beginning October 1, 2006. Compensation will be offered based on experience. Qualified candidates should plan on securing additional part-time employment in the Chicago area, for which the WWC members will be available to assist. All interested candidates should submit a cover letter, a resume and provide a listing of three professional references to Mark Massery). Information can be mailed to 3820 Timbers Edge, Glenview, IL. 60025 or emailed to: markmassery@comcast.net

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Former LHU wrestler is set to appear for the second time on the SpikeTV show "Pro vs. Joes" Monday May 15 at 10 p.m. Charlie Brenneman (2004) appeared on the May 8th show taking home the $20,000 prize while competing against pro's Herschel Walker, Dominique Wilkins, Brandi Chastain, Justin Gatlin and Darren Daulton. Brenneman is set to appear on the season finale which has been cast as the best joe's of the previous season. Each of the three joe's competing was told to bring back their best buddy for the final competion. They will be competing against Xavier McDaniel, Clyde Drexler, John Rocker, Daulton, Kevin Greene and Bill Goldberg. Visit SpikeTV.com for more details.

It has been nearly six years since Brandon Slay won an Olympic gold medal in Sydney, Australia. The Texas native hasn't followed the normal path of an Olympic champion, however. Jumping into coaching at the collegiate wrestling level is what seems to be expected of most Olympic success stories. With an impressive career at Penn behind him, Slay could have easily followed that same road. But Slay is a rare breed of athlete that is able to put other things in front of his training, or his sport. For Slay, that one thing is his faith. It is that faith that helped Slay to found Greater Gold, a message and philosophy teaching people to always strive to reach their full potential -– to go for gold in life. "We should go for the gold in art, music, sports, business, education, leadership, and beyond. However, the gold's of the world will never fulfill us and should never define us. There is a greater treasure, a greater reward, and a Greater Gold that can only be found through integrity, love for others, genuine community, and a personal relationship with The Savior, Jesus," Slay said. "Hedonism, intellectualism, materialism, and the successes of the world will always leave you empty. Our Creator, Heavenly Father, and Savior is the only One meant to fulfill us on earth and in Heaven," he added. Slay's faith in God is strong, and he is proud to tell others about it. Without that faith, Slay does not feel that he would have captured that Olympic gold in 2000. "It's crucial before, during, and after your career," Slay said. "Physical and mental strength will only get you so far, but the addition of spiritual strength produces complete athletes. Faith gives you the freedom to do your best and let Got take care of the rest. Faith empowers you to do the natural and allows God to do the Supernatural." While Slay's faith remains the same, the sport of wrestling has changed so much around him. He has dipped his hands into many different jars, keeping him busy throughout the year. Slay works full-time for Stream Realty Partners, a commercial real estate firm in downtown Dallas, while also running Greater Gold Wrestling Clubs in Texas, Washington and Kansas. On top of all that, Slay helps with the Dallas Dynamite Wrestling Club every Thursday night at Highland Park High School and he is still a favorite wrestling clinician across the country, giving him the opportunity to spread his message of success and Greater Gold even more. "Now that I am working full-time, my free time has been minimized. But, I'll always pour a section of my life into the sport which makes me who I am today," Slay said. Three years ago, Slay thought about making another run at Olympic gold. He moved out to the U.S. Olympic Training Center for a brief period to test his skills against some of the best in the U.S. Already, many changes had occurred in the sport. Slay's Olympic weight class of 167.5 lbs. no longer existed. He either needed to get smaller, a tough option for a wrestler with his short, stocky build, or he needed to get bigger. After a short stint at the USOTC, Slay decided to finally retire. "Once you accomplish a life long dream, your intensity to do it again is not the same. I believe your desire determines your destiny, and my desire wasn't strong enough to reach wrestling's apex once again," he said. "When it was time to run sprints while pushing to catch the guy in front of you or climb 25 foot ropes until I couldn't feel my forearms anymore, I started thinking about lunch instead of pushing myself harder." Brandon SlayThere were other factors as well. "The OTC in 2003 was much different. The environment for training was different, the coaches were different, and the training partners were different. All these things led to my retirement." Slay also gets frustrated by all the rules changes that seem to be ongoing within international wrestling. While he is still sure of the success he would have under the new rules, he does not feel the sport can continue at its current pace of rules changes. "If an Olympic champion shows up at a tournament and a 10 year-old has to explain some the new rules to him, there is a problem. Yes, other mainstream sports have rule changes, but if Emmitt Smith walked away from the game for a few years, on his return, he wouldn't miss a beat. Wrestling is ever changing and ever confusing to your average fan," Slay said. "Personally, with unlimited gut wrenches, I would have been even more dangerous as long as my takedown skills continued to increase." Nonetheless, Slay would love to continue his role with Real Pro Wrestling when Season Two gets underway later this year. In Season One, he coached the Texas Shooters alongside another Olympic champion Kenny Monday, who along with Slay has helped build the state of Texas into a competitive state nationally at the youth and high school levels. In that nearly six years away from wrestling, a lot has changed for Slay, but in some ways, a lot as stayed the same. "My mentality to compete, win and be the best in the working world is still alive. Though, I have learned that earthly success will never fulfill you," Slay said. And that maturity would be considered normal. Favorite Country Singer: George Strait's old stuff and Travis Tritt's love songs. Favorite Rock Song: "Tomorrow" by Silverchair Favorite song to sing: She Talks to Angels: by The Black Crows Advice for any young athlete thinking of wrestling: If you want to win tons of matches, it's going to take time and a lot of commitment. Work extra hard, believe in yourself, make good decisions, and use the gifts God has given you. My personal mode of operation is this: Plan for the future yet live in the moment while choosing right. The strength of your message without winning an Olympic gold: The message would not have been as powerful. The gold medal sets the stage for the Greater Gold message. Without the experience of accomplishing the gold's of the world, it's hard to encourage others that there is something ultimately greater.

ATHENS, Ohio -- Seven more high school standouts will be joining the Ohio wrestling program this fall as Bobcat head coach Joel Greenlee announced the group on Wednesday that will join the three high school state champs Ohio already signed last November. The seven newcomers include Kevin Christensen (Enon, Ohio), Quentin Keyes (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), Antoine Love (Bexley, Ohio), Mike Marrero (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), Seth Morton (Canal Winchester, Ohio), Cody VanBuskirk (Rushsylvania, Ohio) and Michael Wilson (Marion, Ohio). "First and foremost, these guys fill needs that we have," said Greenlee about the future additions to his roster. "We're pretty thin at the lower weights and the upper middle weights. These guys have a great deal of experience and have the potential to step in right away." Christensen was a four-time state qualifier for Greenon High School, where he finished his career with a 164-23 record. The team captain and Clark County Wrestler of the Year went 42-5 with 12 pins as a senior and placed fourth in the state at 135 pounds in Division II after taking fourth at 130 pounds the previous year. He also lettered in tennis and holds a 3.1 grade-point average. Keyes was the Division II state runner-up at 125 pounds with a record of 36-6 in 2006. Overall, he won 156 career matches at Walsh Jesuit High School and placed third in the state at 119 pounds as a junior, second at 112 as a sophomore and fourth at 112 as a freshman. The high school All-American was ranked eighth in the country at his weight by W.I.N. Magazine. Keyes holds a 3.0 GPA and plans on majoring in civil engineering at Ohio. Love earned All-America honors while placing third at 174 pounds in the Junior College National Championships and helping Iowa Central Community College win the 2006 national title. As a 160-pound senior at Gahanna Lincoln High School, he finished fourth in the state with a 45-10 record. He lettered all four years for the Lions and also won the football team's Most Improved award in 2004. Love, who intends to study art, will have two years of eligibility remaining for the Bobcats. Marrero finished fourth in the state Division I tournament at 171 pounds. He posted a 31-8 record as a senior at Reynoldsburg High School this past season. He also excels on the baseball diamond for the Raiders. Before moving to Reynoldsburg, Marrero was a state wrestling champ in New Jersey. Morton placed third in Division II at 119 pounds in 2006 after a fourth-place finish at 112 the previous year. He was named outstanding wrestler at the Watterson Invitational last December after pinning all five of his opponents at the event. Morton completed his senior campaign at Canal Winchester High School with a 48-2 record. In the Division II 171-pound bracket, VanBuskirk finished fifth in 2006 and sixth in 2005. As a senior, he posted a 43-3 record for Benjamin Logan High School and the sectional and district champion was named to the Greater Miami Valley Wrestling Association's All-Area Second Team. VanBuskirk also was a standout in football and baseball for the Raiders. Wilson finished third in Division III at 119 pounds in 2006, ending his senior season with a 22-2 record and his prep career with a 121-8 mark. As a four-year letterman, he won four sectional titles and three district championships for Marion Pleasant High School. Wilson also was a Cadet Freestyle All-American in 2003 and a three-year member of the Ohio Junior National Freestyle Team. The Bobcats inked Anthony Ciraky (Westerville, Ohio), Shane Friery (North Royalton, Ohio) and Ben Llanas (Lucky, Ohio) during the early signing period last November. All three won state titles in 2005 and Ciraky completed his second straight undefeated season for Westerville South High School with another state crown in 2006. "I think we've got a great group of guys with a great attitude," Greenlee said about next year's squad. "We're still going to be young but we'll be much more mature. I'm excited and our guys are excited because we should have a really good year."

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota State University head wrestling coach Bucky Maughan announced today that high school senior Casey Buchholz of Oakes (N.D.) High School is planning to continue his education and wrestle for NDSU as a recruited walk-on in 2006. With the addition of Buchholz, the Bison now have eleven total commitments for next year's squad. Buchholz is a four-time state qualifier that won state championships at 140 pounds as a junior and 145 pounds as a senior. He also finished in second place as a sophomore. A two-time Region 1 champion, Buchholz finished his high school career with a 148-31 record. In addition, Buchholz was named team captain his final three years, most valuable wrestler by his coaches and team for four years and a 2006 Triple Crown Winner. Casey is the son of Jeff and Naomi Buchholz of Oakes. The Bison wrestling program completed its third year of reclassification to Division I with a 6-6 record. NDSU will compete in the newly formed Western Wrestling Conference and be eligible for the NCAA tournament beginning next season.

Waterloo, Iowa -- Two-time All-American Travis Paulson captured 74 kg. freestyle and Greco-Roman titles and redshirt freshmen Nick Gallick and Mitch Mueller claimed freestyle crowns at 60 and 66 kg. to qualify for the World Team Trials at the Northern Plains Regional in Waterloo. Paulson captured outstanding wrestler honors in Greco-Roman competition while Mueller was named the outstanding wrestler in freestyle. 2006 recruits T.J. Sebolt and Mark Kist also recorded freestyle titles in the junior division. Paulson, who was fourth in freestyle and eighth in Greco-Roman, respectively, at University Nationals in Evanston, Ill., registered a crucial quarterfinal victory over former Minnesota three-time All-American Jacob Volkman, winning by decision, 3-0, 1-0. Paulson toppled Northern Iowa's Moza Fay in the finals, 6-1, 6-0. Paulson joins his brother Trent who qualified for the World Team Trials with a 74 kg. freestyle championship at University Nationals. Gallick, who redshirted this season, defeated UNI wrestlers Brett Robbins in the finals and Kyle Anson in the semifinals. In April, Gallick qualified for the championship bracket at the U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas at 60 kg. in the senior division. Mueller, who recently placed third at the FILA Junior Nationals helped by a consolation semifinal victory over former four-time Iowa state champion Dan LeClere (North-Linn) at 66 kg., defeated another Hawkeye, this time Iowa's 157-pound two-time All-American and 2005 NCAA runner-up Joe Johnston by a 1-0, 4-3 decision in the semifinals. Mueller topped W.R. Groves (Olympic Training Center), 1-1, 4-4, 1-0 in the finals. ISU 174-pounder David Bertolino, a 2005 freestyle All-American, was runner-up at 84 kg. Bertolino scored a pin and technical fall prior to reaching the finals. Sebolt, a four-time Iowa state champion from Centerville, rolled through the 140 pound bracket with a 6-0, 7-0, technical fall in the finals over Weldon Rogers (Illinois). Kist, a three-time Iowa state champion from Eagle Grove, defeated Mike Mille, 4-0, 5-1, at 119 pounds. ISU wrestlers and alumni will make their way to the World Team Trials May 27-28 in Sioux City at the Tyson Events Center. Current wrestlers who have qualified include Nick Gallick, Mitch Mueller, Trent Paulson and Travis Paulson. Former wrestlers who qualified are Eric Akin (4x All-American), Grant Nakamura (3x NCAA qualifier), Nate Gallick (2006 NCAA Champion), Aaron Holker (2002 NCAA champion), Zach Roberson (2006 U.S. Nationals 60 kg. freestyle champion), Chris Bono (2x U.S. Nationals champion), Matt Azevedo (2x NCAA qualifier) and Joe Heskett (2002 NCAA champion), who was recently named an assistant coach at Ohio State under Tom Ryan.

Everyone has always known that Zach Roberson has all the talent in the world. But sometimes, they just happen to forget about him. Throughout his entire career, Roberson has been a dominant performer. However, he is always competing at deep weight classes, whether it be in college or at the international level. His 133-pound weight class left him with such NCAA individual powers as Travis Lee, Johnny Thompson and Ryan Lewis. But in 2004, he topped all of them with an NCAA title for Iowa State. Part of Roberson's underachiever stigma comes from himself. An undefeated, four-time Kansas state champion at Blue Valley Northwest High School, Roberson went to Iowa State with high expectations –- and a quiet demeanor. That shyness for Roberson translated into a lack of passion as far as some Iowa State fans were concerned. But Roberson never needed to question his passion or work ethic. He knew that his time at the top would come –- he just wasn't sure when it would happen. "You always want to go into something thinking you're going to win. That's how I was my freshman year at Iowa State. I always believed I could be the best. Sometimes it just takes a little bit longer than you originally expect. College is a major learning process," Roberson said. In 2003, already an All-American, Roberson was pinned in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Not many remember that he battled all the way back to fourth place –- a difficult task that included wrestling a high number of matches. It was that three-day event that helped him to his title nearly one year later. Zach Roberson"That tournament taught me a lot. After losing in the first round like that, I could have either folded, or figured out how to help my team," Roberson said. "I decided to use it as motivation. Even though I came back for fourth, I always remembered how disappointed I was after that first loss. I didn't want to dwell on it, but I didn't want to forget it either." But even with an NCAA title on his resume, Roberson continued to assume the quiet role. That's why it was somewhat of a surprise to see him on the Iowa Stalkers during Real Pro Wrestling's Season One. Surrounded by five former Iowa Hawkeye wrestlers and Joe Heskett, a former ISU teammate who was very vocal, Roberson was once again the forgotten wrestler. Once again, Roberson made them remember. Competing at the comfortable weight of 132 lbs., he dashed through opponents Lewis and Greco-Roman star Joe Warren before losing 8-7 in one of the most exciting matches of Season One to Tony DeAnda of the New York Outrage. His success there helped springboard him to success in international competition as well, culminating with the U.S . Nationals freestyle crown just two weeks ago. There, he downed 2005 U.S. World Team member Michael Lightner in the championship bout. It was the biggest win of what is shaping up to be a long career. "Ever since I got out of college, I have been training so hard in freestyle. I still have a ways to go to get where I want to be, but for the first time really since high school, guys are coming into a tournament trying to knock me off the top." And if all goes according to Roberson's plan, by the time 2008 has passed, no one will have forgotten about him.

Nick Henning of Fulda, Minn., and Al Meger of Owatonna, Minn., have signed national letters of intent to attend Augustana College and wrestle for the Vikings, Augustana head coach Jason Reitmeier announced today. Henning was a four-time All-Red Rock Conference performer at Fulda High School. He qualified for the Class AA state tournament as a junior and senior. He capped his career by posting a 42-0 record as a senior and winning the state championship. He was 36-2 as a junior and advanced to the state meet. He finished his career with a 129-27 record. In addition, he was a three-year starter in football. He recorded over 100 tackles in each of his last three seasons, earning All-Little Sioux Conference honors all three seasons. "Nick is one of the hardest working kids I've seen," Reitmeier said. "He has made himself into a wonderful wrestler. He is extremely strong and quick and will bring a hard nose style to our room." Meger was a five-year letterwinner at Owatonna High School. He won over 40 matches in each of his last four seasons, compiling a 128-18 record during that time and qualifying for the Class AAA state tournament four times. After winning a freshman record 42 matches in 2002-03, Meger won a state title as a sophomore, completing a 43-0 season. He placed second at state as a junior and third as a senior. He also helped the Huskies to the 2005-06 Class AAA state championship. In addition, he placed seventh at the All-American Nationals Tournament. "Al will be a huge boost to our lower weights," Reitmeier said. "He has no weaknesses, great on his feet and excellent on the mat. Al also brings a winning attitude." The addition of Henning and Meger adds to a recruiting class that Reitmeier considers one of the best in school history. The Vikings previously signed Josh Montgomery of Canton, S.D., Kirk Bunkers of Brookings, S.D., Tyler Copsey of Glenwood, Iowa, Jarred McCarthy of Farmington, Minn., Beau Penk of Litchfield, Minn., Mike Wubbena of Fairmont, Minn., and Charlie Cunningham of Kaycee, Wyo., all of whom signed earlier this spring. Jay Sherer of Columbus, Neb., Kyle Svendsen of Omaha, Neb., Lance Peters of LeRoy, Minn., signed with the Vikings in November.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan -- Stanford volunteer assistant coach and 2004 NCAA Champion Matt Gentry captured the 2006 Canadian Senior Championship and the 2006 Canadian University Championship at 74 kg this weekend at the Physical Activities Centre on the University of Saskatchewan campus. Gentry went 4-0 en route to the Senior Championship title this past Friday and Saturday. After a first-round bye, Gentry notched a 6-0, 6-0 technical fall over Daniel Olver of hometown Saskatoon and he added a 1-1, 1-0 decision over Guelph's Danny Brown. In the semifinals, Gentry posted a 1-1, 1-0, 2-0 vicotry over the Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club's Danny Einhorn to earn a spot in the finals. In the title match on Saturday, Gentry posted a 3-1, 1-2, 2-0 victory over Guelph's Zoltan Hunyady. Gentry, representing Independent British Columbia, is a dual citizen with the United States and Canada and is now eligible to represent Canada in the 2006 World Wrestling Championships, which will be held in Guangzhou, China, Sept. 26 - Oct. 1, and at the Pan-Am Championships, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro. On Sunday, Gentry went on to win the Canadian University Championship at 74 kg, posting a 7-0, 8-0 victory in his first match, a 5-1, 6-0 victory in the semifinals and a 2-0, 6-0 decision the finals to take the title. With the University title, Gentry is eligible to represent Canada at the World University Championships in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, June 15-20. Gentry could also compete at the 2006 USA Wrestling World Team Trials, which will be hosted at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, May 27-28 to try for a spot on the U.S. team.

The University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College) women's wrestling team traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado May 5-7, 2006 to compete in the Body Bar Women's National Championships. Though the tournament featured five different age groups, the Patriot ladies wrestled in only the FILA Junior and University Women's Freestyle events. Ladies competing in the FILA Junior tournament included: * 44 kg – Vanity Vazquez (St. Cloud, FL), second place * 51 kg – Jessica Medina (Pomona, CA), first place * 59 kg – Jessica Jauck (Ramona, CA), third place * 63 kg – Krystal Kiyuna (Aiea, HI), third place * 67 kg – Heather Martin (Wellington, OH), first place; Tabetha Golt (Chesapeake, VA), third place; Sherolynn Eppinger (Warrensville, OH), fourth place There will be a FILA Junior World Championships for women this year in Guatemala City, Guatemala, August 29 – September 3, 2006. Champions from the Body Bar FILA Junior Women's National Championships earn the right to represent the USA at the FILA Junior World Championships. Representing Cumberlands at the University level include: * 48 kg – Aquilla Hills (Charolette, NC), second place * 55 kg – Jessica Medina, fifth place * 59 kg – Othella Lucas (San Diego, CA), first place * 63 kg – Alaina Berube (Escanaba, MI), first place * 67 kg – Sherolynn Eppinger, third place * 72 kg – Tabetha Golt, first place There will also be a University World Championships for women this year, held in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, June 15-20, 2006. Champions from the Body Bar University Women's National Championships earn the right to represent the USA at the University World Championships. The top two finishers in each weight class at University Nationals also qualify for the World Team Trials for women on June 30 in Colorado Springs.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Head Wrestling Coach Joe Seay submitted his resignation to University officials Monday, Interim Athletics Director Matt Pope announced. The resignation has been accepted, and Seay's official release date is June 5, 2006, Pope said. "My wife and I feel that this is the best career move for us at this time," Seay said. "I am exploring an option that I am very interested in, and it is a job that I will consider very strongly. If it does not work out, we will pick a location, likely in the Midwest or back home on the West Coast, and will settle there." Seay was hired as the UTC head coach on May 19, 2005, replacing former Head Coach Terry Brands who left the program after three years to become Resident Coach at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Seay led the Mocs to the 2006 Southern Conference title this past season and was named SoCon Coach of the Year. He guided seven UTC wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, and the Mocs placed 30th overall. "We appreciate Joe Seay's service to our wrestling program, the department and the University," Pope said. "We wish him luck in his future endeavors." Pope has named UTC assistant wrestling coach Chris Bono interim head coach. A national search will begin soon for a replacement for Seay, and, Pope said, Bono will have to go through the search process as well should he be interested in pursuing the position. Bono, a member of Seay's staff this past season, is an NCAA Champion from Iowa State who competed at the NCAAs four times. He served as an assistant coach at his alma mater for nine years prior to joining the Mocs' staff.

Jake Clark is one of the young, rising stars in the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling. The 26-year-old Marine Sgt. has won national titles in each of USA Wrestling's age group levels, including the 84-kilogram (185-pound) title at the 2006 U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas in April. But to merely refer to him as a 'Greco-Roman wrestler' or a 'Marine' doesn't do justice to what he is all about. With his multi-faceted personality, he's literally a Jake of all trades. Jake Clark is extremely gifted in wrestling and loves everything about the sport. You can tell that much just from watching him compete or listening to him talk. Jake Clark (Photo/Spencer Yohe)"The sport of wrestling has always been so good to me," said Jake. "I can honestly say that I have never thought about hanging up the shoes. It's always so new and interesting for me, whether it's traveling or learning techniques." On the mat, he's talented beyond belief. Dan Chandler, who has been a part of the U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman coaching staff since 1988 and served as the head Olympic coach in 2000, calls Jake a "master technician." He's ferocious and explosive. His hips are uncanny. And he despises losing more than anything else in the world. Off the mat, he's as humble as they come. He goes through life with a carefree attitude, loves to have fun in every aspect of his life, and doesn't take himself seriously. "Wrestling is important, but it's more important to make sure that I'm having fun," said Jake. "If I wasn't enjoying my time, I wouldn't have the drive to do it." Dan Hicks has known Jake since 2000 when the two became teammates on the All-Marine wrestling team. Hicks now serves as head coach of the All-Marine team. "Jake is always happy and optimistic," said Hicks, a nine-time All-Armed Forces gold medalist. "He's softhearted. He really doesn't say a bad thing about anybody. I think his goal is to have as much fun as possible." Jake Clark (Photo/John Sachs)Jay Antonelli, who served as head coach of the All-Marine wrestling team from 1997 to October of 2004 (prior to Hicks taking over), can't say enough about his prized pupil. "Jake is very genuine," said Antonelli, who still acts as a coach on the All-Marine wrestling team, but is now stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. "He's a caring person. He could be getting ready to wrestle in the national finals and he'd say, 'Hey, how's your wife doing?' He's just a very nice guy." Jake the Protege Anyone who had any sort of involvement in Minnesota/USA Wrestling events during the late 1980's and 90's knows the legend of Jake Clark. He was The Man. Or back then, he was The Boy. He reeled off state championship after state championship. If the name Jake Clark was listed on your wall chart, well, the best you could hope for was a second place trophy. He was advanced well beyond his years. Jake's brother, Joey, who is four years older, was the first to make a name for the Clark family on the mat while wrestling for the HiFlyers, a prominent club in Mound, Minnesota, founded by the late Tim "Fuzzy" Friederichs. Joey, like many of the young HiFlyer wrestlers, did very well on the local Minnesota wrestling scene. He would eventually go on to win five Minnesota/USA state titles. Before Jake was old enough to wrestle for the HiFlyers, though, he would tag along with Joey to the practices and roll around with some of the other wrestlers' younger brothers. But when Tami Clark signed up her 5-year-old son, Jake, for the HiFlyers, a Minnesota youth wrestling legend was born. Jake won his first Minnesota/USA state title in freestyle when he was just 6 years old. He won another when he was 7, another when he was 8, another when he was 9, well, you get the gist. He didn't lose. And when he did lose, which wasn't often, the news spread like wildfire. It was as if someone had just landed on the moon. When it was all said and done, Jake won between 15 and 20 Minnesota/USA state titles. He won so many that he lost count along the way. Marty MorganMarty Morgan, who now serves as the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Minnesota, was hired as the head coach of the HiFlyers when the Clarks competed there. At the time, Morgan was the Dan Gable of Minnesota in terms of celebrity status in wrestling circles, a local talent (Bloomington Kennedy High School) who went on to capture the 1991 NCAA title at 177 pounds for the Gophers at the time, only the eighth University of Minnesota wrestler to win a national collegiate title. "I've always said this from the very get go, from when I first saw him to now, Jake Clark is probably the best little kids wrestler I've ever seen," said Morgan. "Naturally, he could do everything. Everything you taught him, he could just go out and do. He was pure athlete." Jake and his family left Mound and the HiFlyers Wrestling Club in 1990 and moved to a nearby city, Chaska, for a year, before settling in South St. Paul. Around that time, Jerry Nauer, local referee who coached the South St. Paul Wrestling Club, took Jake and Joey under his wing and provided support for the two young boys. Jake and Joey were raised by their single mother, Tami, who was the epitome of a supportive wrestling mother. She became a staple at every wrestling event in Minnesota. Nauer became the father figure that Jake and Joey never had. "(Jerry Nauer) has been more than just a wrestling coach," said Jake. "I think pretty much all of Minnesota knows him as my dad. And that's great with me. That's pretty much what he is. He not only helped coach us, but he also stepped in as that father figure we never had. I owe him a lot. He's done more than a kid could ever ask for." Jake began wrestling varsity at South St. Paul High School when he was in the 7th grade. "I was wrestling at 103 pounds and weighed about 95 pounds," recalled Jake of his first season on varsity. "I remember, I would eat lunch and then go weigh in. That doesn't really happen anymore. About the greatest memory I have of wrestling in 7th grade was not having to cut weight and trying to bulk up. Now, I've bulked up a little too much. I guess all of those extra lunches kind of hurt." Dan ChandlerIn the spring of 1994, when Jake was in 8th grade, he began attending Wednesday night Greco practices held in the University of Minnesota's wrestling room which were run by Dan Chandler, who served as the state coach for Minnesota/USA Wrestling's Minnesota Storm team. "Jake kept a low profile when he first started coming to my Wednesday night practices," said Chandler, who wrestled on three Olympic Greco teams from 1976 to 1984. "He just came in and did what he needed to do. He didn't really draw too much attention to himself for a few years. But then he started getting awfully good in Greco and people started noticing that he had a lot of potential." After Jake's sophomore year of high school, when he was 16 years old, he won the 143-pound title in Greco at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. As a high school junior, he claimed the 152-pound Minnesota state high school title in Class AAA. Jake capped off his high school career the following year by winning his second state high school title, this time at 160 pounds. The summer after his senior year, he went out to Junior Nationals and won a Greco title and finished second in freestyle, losing in the finals to eventual NCAA champion Robbie Waller. Jake the Gopher During the fall of 1997, during Jake's senior year of high school, his phone wasn't ringing off the hook with college coaches wanting him to wrestle in their program. He wasn't sifting through mail or tearing open envelopes daily from programs like Oklahoma State, Iowa, and Iowa State. "I wasn't recruited at all, which kind of hurt a little bit," said Jake. "I thought that I had done enough to get several college interested. Other kids in Minnesota were getting recruited by all these big schools. But for some reason I was never contacted. I think Michigan State called me a couple of times. Minnesota spoke with me a little bit. But I never had any other big schools contacting me. It hurt a little bit at that time as a high school kid. I thought I was doing all of the right things. I thought I was going to make an impact at whatever college I went to, yet nobody was really contacting me." It's hard to know exactly why Jake wasn't recruited heavily. Maybe it was because he didn't wrestle for a state powerhouse like Apple Valley, or his neighboring school, Simley. Or, maybe it was because everyone was quick to classify him as a Greco specialist after he won a Cadet Nationals title in that style. Jake Clark (Photo/John Sachs)"I've never looked at myself as just being a Greco guy," said Jake. "I know a lot of people in Minnesota did. Maybe that is what affected me. It was a little odd not getting recruited. I was like, 'Man, I know I'm worth something and nobody wants to give me that shot.' It was just kind of a heartbreaker as a kid in high school." Jake grew up wanting to someday wrestle for the hometown Gophers. All the way back to his days as a HiFlyer when he was coached by Marty Morgan and attended the matches at Williams Arena, he had wanted to be a Gopher. According to Joey, "Any other offer that would have been out there wouldn't have even mattered to Jake. He has always been a Minnesota kid." At the time, the Gopher coaches couldn't offer Jake an athletic scholarship because they had already invested scholarship money that year in three prized recruits: Luke Becker, Jared Lawrence, and Garrett Lowney. "I remember going over to Jake's house and meeting with him and his mom," recalled Morgan, who has served as Minnesota's head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator since 1996. "On the last night before signing, I said, 'Come and give it a chance.' So he did." Jake enrolled at Minnesota in the fall of 1998, despite the fact that he was only given financial aid. He soon found out that college life was much different than high school. Academically, he did just enough to get by in his first two quarters. On the wrestling mat, however, he continued to excel. Jake posted an impressive 11-1 record as a redshirt. His only loss that season came at the hands of eventual two-time NCAA champion and reigning U.S. Nationals champion Donny Pritzlaff of Wisconsin, 5-2, at the Northern Iowa Open. "Jake was doing great," said Morgan, who was named 1999 Assistant Wrestling Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. "There's no doubt he would have been very successful the next season as a redshirt freshman. You could tell his talent level was right there. He worked hard in the wrestling room and did the things he was supposed to do." But during the third and fourth quarters, Jake struggled mightily in the classroom. The financial burden of having to come up with additional money to pay for his schooling (while many of his Gopher teammates were receiving athletic scholarships) caused additional stress. Academics became less of a priority while partying, playing video games, and just being a regular college student became his top priority. "When you're a college freshman, sometimes things get in the way," said Jake's brother Joey. "Maybe you're just not as organized as you need to be. That was kind of Jake's deal, video games and the whole new college scene. I don't know how much college work he did." Jake took a few summer classes at Minnesota before he decided that attending college wasn't the best route for him at that point in his life. He needed more structure. Jake the Marine If someone could have looked into the future and told Jake when he was in high school that he would someday join the Marines, he probably would have laughed hysterically. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined himself doing what his older brother did. Joey enrolled in the Marines after graduating from South St. Paul High School in 1994. It wasn't long before he earned a spot on the All-Marine wrestling team. It was the perfect fit for Joey. The college environment didn't really appeal to him, plus the Marines allowed for him to get paid to do something he loved. Jake had always planned on wrestling in college. Even in high school, he never even considered the Marines. He had always planned on wresting in college, and once his collegiate wrestling career was over, he was going to train for the Olympics. But in March of 1999, at a time when he was struggling both academically and financially, and unsure as to what his future held as a collegiate wrestler, Jake spent his spring break visiting Joey at his Marine base in Quantico, Virginia. While he was staying with Joey, Jake was introduced to the All-Marine wrestlers as well as the coach, Jay Antonelli. "Obviously, I knew having someone with Jake's talent would be a great addition to us, but I didn't pressure him," recalled Antonelli of the first time he spoke with Jake about the Marines. "He had a great thing going. The University of Minnesota is a great school and education is important, so I didn't want to pressure him away from that by any means. But I said, 'Hey, if school doesn't work out, this is a great option for you because you'll be able to wrestle with your brother and be on the team here.'" Jake Clark (Photo/John Sachs)In the summer of 1999, Jake weighed his options and made the decision to leave school at Minnesota and enroll in the Marines. Suddenly he found himself in boot camp, dressed in camouflage, which was something he never could have imagined himself doing. But at the point in his life he needed structure. And the Marines provided that structure. Jake was told that if he joined the Marines that there was a spot for him on the All-Marine wrestling team. His wrestling credentials alone were enough to prove that he belonged there. So Jake and the All-Marine wrestling coaches worked it out so that he would have a place on the team regardless of when he completed boot camp and Marine Combat Training (MCT). "I can remember Jake's first practice in the Marines, it was pretty funny," recalled Joey, who finished up his duty with the Marines in 2003 and is now a successful Ultimate Fighter and Realtor living in Minneapolis. "Everybody was kind of whooping on Jake. I don't know if that was because his conditioning just wasn't there or what. We all just rotated in on him until he collapsed. Not even a week later, the tables completely turned and he pretty much just started whooping on everybody." As a high school senior, Jake could have never imagined himself in the Marines. Now, eight years later, he has literally become the face of Armed Forces wrestling. In 2004, Jake was named Marine Corps Male Athletes of the Year. Up until this season, he had won double titles (freestyle and Greco) at the Armed Forces Championships every year since he joined the Marines. (In 2006, moving up a weight class to 96 kilograms, Jake did not win the championship for the first time in Greco.) Jake the Jokester Ask anyone who knows Jake personally about a joke or prank he's pulled over the years and the person's response is almost always the same. First a few laughs, then the stories begin flowing. "He's a jokester," said Dan Hicks. "He's always doing practical jokes." Marty Morgan remembers Jake as a jokester even when he was a little boy wrestling for the HiFlyers. "The week of the state tournament he would go out and get some funny little haircut at 8 years old," said Morgan. "He would show up with a Mohawk, purple in his hair, or his weight carved in his hair. It was always kind of funny to see what he was going to show up with at the big tournaments." Joey ClarkJoey recalls a time when he was in high school and Jake was in middle school. The two shared a bedroom. Joey snuck out of the house one night through their bedroom window. He had cranked the window open and escaped. After climbing out of the window, he reached his arm inside and cranked the window almost shut, but to where he could still reach his arm inside and sneak back in. Joey arrived back home in the early hours of the morning. But when he arrived back home, he noticed the window had been tinkered with and was open maybe half an inch and Jake was just sitting by the window. Joey said, 'Jake, come on, let me inside.' Jake just sat there laughing and smiling. And then Jake said to his older brother, 'No, I'm going to tell Mom.' Eventually, Jake gave in. He let Joey inside and didn't rat him out. "I thought I was going to have to kill him," recalled Joey. Shortly after Jake's senior season in high school, he was invited to participate in the Minnesota/Wisconsin All-Star Classic held at Coon Rapids High School. It was an annual event which pitted Minnesota's top high school seniors against Wisconsin's top high school seniors in a dual meet format. Wrestlers were ordered to wear their respective high school singlets. However, Jake decided to switch singlets with another Minnesota wrestler, Todd Fuller, a standout wrestler from Annandale/Maple Lake and a longtime friend who he had grown up competing with and against. Jake wore Fuller's Annandale/Maple Lake singlet when he went out to wrestle and Fuller wore Jake's South St. Paul singlet. Jake was announced as Todd Fuller and Todd Fuller was announced as Jake Clark. The announcer hadn't noticed that the two wrestlers swapped singlets. He was confused and couldn't figure out what was going on. But perhaps Jake's most memorable joke (or prank) came on April Fools Day 2003. It was at a time when the war in Iraq had just gotten underway and U.S. soldiers were being sent to Iraq left and right. Jake, who had been in the Marines for a few years at that point, decided to pull an April Fools joke on some of the rookie wrestlers. On the morning of April 1, Jake came to his coach (Antonelli) and said, "We've got a get some of these rookies. It's April Fools Day. Let's do something." Jake came up with a plan: They were going to tell some of the rookie wrestlers that their units had called and that hey had to fly back to their units before heading to Iraq to go to war. So Antonelli told some of the rookie wrestlers after the morning practice, "You guys have to go back to your rooms and get your stuff packed up. And then we have to get you up to the airport and you guys are going to be flying out of Washington D.C. and back to your units." Some of the rookie wrestlers were panicking a bit. But most were excited. Being a Marine, that's what they had been trained to do. So the wrestlers went back to their rooms and packed up their stuff. After about 25 minutes, Jake came up to the room and told the rookie wrestlers, "You guys have to get going right now. I'm bringing you over to the airfield here and they're going to fly you up to the airport." Jake Clark (Photo/The Guillotine)But before Jake had spoken to the wrestlers, he had gone over to the airfield and bribed the military policemen who were working the gate. He told them his plan and that he would buy them lunch if they agreed to help out him carry out the April Fools joke. The military policemen said they would be happy to be in on it. So Jake drove the rookie wrestlers over to the airport. Once they got to the gate, military policemen grabbed everyone's ID's. They pulled into the airfield, and one of the military policeman said, "OK, we need all of you guys to unpack all of your stuff, put it down on the ground, and make sure there's no explosives or anything flammable." The rookie wrestlers emptied out all of their bags on the runway. As soon as they emptied their stuff, one of the helicopters started up. All of a sudden everyone realized, 'Wow, I can't believe it, we're actually going to Iraq.' The military policeman barked, "Listen, we don't have time. They're ready to go. Get your stuff back in your bags and we have to get you out of here." So the wrestlers crammed their stuff back in the bags. The military policeman threw their bags in the back of the van and instructed Jake to pull around by the helicopter so that they could get ready to depart. However, as Jake pulled his van back, the policeman came over to Jake's window, looked in the van, and said, "By the way, April Fools!" The rookie Marine wrestlers couldn't believe it. They were no longer headed to Iraq. But the joke didn't end there. Jake decided to play a joke on his coach. He went to Antonelli's office and told him that one of the rookie wrestlers actually bought into the joke and drove home to Ohio because he wanted nothing to do with the war. Antonelli's eyes lit up. He couldn't believe it. He immediately picked up the phone and called the wrestler's father and said, "Listen, sir, we had an April Fools joke going here, but it went a little too far. Your son is on his way home." The wrestler's father was confused. And then all of a sudden the wrestler (who the coach thought was on his back home to Ohio) walked in and said, "April Fools!" "They got me huge," recalled Antonelli. Jake the World Traveler Jake's wrestling career has taken him all over the world. He has stickers depicting the flags of every country he's ever been to on the back of his van: Russia, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, Czech Republic, Croatia, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Japan, Cuba, Mexico, and Canada. "I just love seeing different cultures," said Jake. "It's really cool. Every time I'm in a new country or a new city, I see things that maybe I had seen in a history book when I was in high school. When I was in high school, I never thought I would see these things. It was just like, 'These are just pictures in a book.' But to actually be standing in front of these monuments, it's kind of surreal. It's amazing that I've had the chance to see all of these different things. I always tell people, in the sport of wrestling, I'm never going to make a million dollars. That's just so far out there. It's not going to happen. But with all of the traveling I've done, with all of the different places I've seen, that's worth more to me than that money could ever buy." He speaks Russian very well and dabbles in a few other languages. Before he travels to a new country, he always buys a book to learn about the country's culture and its language so that he has enough knowledge to get by in the country. Jake the Olympic Hopeful Every year from 2003 to 2005, Jake finished runner-up at both the U.S. Nationals and World or Olympic Trials, losing to the same wrestler, Brad Vering, every single time. (Editor's Note: In 2005, Jake did not compete at the 2005 U.S. Nationals because he was in Japan fulfilling military obligations.) "It definitely played some mind games on me," said Jake of his struggles with Vering. "I couldn't understand why it was just that one person I couldn't beat. Before, I lost to several different people, but always came back to beat them. There was nobody that had my number before. And Vering definitely did. It was pretty frustrating." As Jake prepared for the 2006 U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas, he changed his entire approach. He changed things in his training and diet. He also worked to fix the small mistakes in the past that he had made against Vering. "I think he refocused," said Dan Hicks. "He decided that he was tired of being No. 2, that it was time for him to be No. 1. He has always known what it would take to do that, I believe, but I think for a few years his priorities might not have been aligned like they are right now." On April 15, Jake claimed his first-ever U.S. Nationals title in Las Vegas with a 1-1, 2-1 victory in the finals over Vering. He was also named Outstanding Wrestler for his efforts. Jake Clark (Photo/John Sachs)"I don't think you can beat Jake every single time you wrestle him," said Joey, who has placed everywhere from fourth to eighth at the U.S. Nationals and World Team Trials. "The more times you wrestle him, I think the more he'll learn. He's had so many close matches with Vering. A lot of those matches could have gone either way. I think it was bound to happen sooner or later. When those two wrestle, they match up so evenly that it could go either way." After winning the U.S. Nationals title, Jake's focus now turns to the World Team Trials on May 27-28 in Sioux City, Iowa. If he can come out victorious there, which more than likely means defeating Vering again, Jake will earn on a spot on the 2006 U.S. World Team and be given the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China, September 26-October 1. Ever since Jake started wrestling when he was 5 years old, he has never wavered in his wrestling goal, which is to one day wrestle in the Olympic Games. "I really can't ever recall thinking to myself, 'I want to be an NCAA champion,'" said Jake. "That's a great accomplishment, but it's not something I ever really strived to do. I've always looked past college and wanted something higher. I've always wanted the Olympics." Dan Chandler believes the Olympic Games are a real possibility, but it's up to Jake. "He's right where he needs to be," said Chandler. "I think Vering might be on the wrong side of the hill right now. He's going to battle Jake hard up to the Olympics. But if Jake wrestles right, trains right, and does the right things, he can be on the team. It's up to him." Jake Clark will be ready for Beijing and the 2008 Olympic Games. But the question remains, will Beijing be ready for Jake Clark?

The National Wrestling Coaches Association and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 41-member NWCA/NAIA All-Academic team for the 2005-06 season. With a composite average of 3.555, the NAIA All-Academic team is loaded to the brim with wrestlers that not only excelled in the classroom, but on the mat as well. All 41 members of the team were national qualifiers, with 18 wrestlers on the All-Academic team earning All-American honors on the mat. Dana College, which won the 2006 NAIA National Championship put seven on the All-Academic Team, as did Campbellsville, a second-year program in Kentucky coached by Franky James. Lindenwood sophomore Jacob Dieffenbach was the only national champion on this list. The sophomore Business major won the NAIA title at 165 pounds and sports a 3.1 GPA. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University sophomore Hayden Harrison had the best overall GPA, earning a 4.0 mark while finishing second at 157 pounds. The All-Academic Team was represented by 14 programs, most of which had multiple selections on the team. Along with Dana and Campbellsville, Southern Oregon placed five on the All-Academic Team led by James Mannenbach's 3.82 GPA. Embry-Riddle had four on the team, led by Harrison's perfect average while Lindenwood and William Penn had three apiece. Team-wise, Jamestown College sported the best overall team GPA with a 3.199, edging Dana College, which came in with a 3.175 cumulative team average. Five of the seven Dana College wrestlers were All-Americans –Terrance Almond, Burke Barnes, Scott Taylor, Trent Leichleiter, and Marshall Marquardt. Southern Oregon, Campbellsville and Cumberland University rounded out the top five. "We're seeing an abundance of great wrestlers that are also great students," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "It's prevalent in all levels of wrestling." "There's something to be said about programs that finish in the top five in both the team standings at the national tournament and the All-Academic standings at the end of the season." The team was comprised of 11 seniors, seven juniors, 17 sophomores and seven freshmen. Four wrestlers carried over a 3.8 GPA – Harrison, Montana State-Northern's Chad Seeley (3.91), Campbellsville's Kyle Norred (3.82) and Mannenbach (3.82). "With the growth at the NAIA level, with new programs being added seemingly each year, we fully expect more teams to be included in the All-Academic team in the future," said NWCA President Ron Beaschler. To qualify for selection, wrestlers must A) have a 3.2 GPA and been an NAIA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule and must have competed in 60 percent of team schedule or B) have a 3.0 and earned NAIA All-American honors.

Blair, NE -- The 2006 NAIA National Champions, Dana College, inked four more star athletes to their incoming recruiting class. These four athletes will be added to the class of five that have already signed earlier in the season, bringing the Viking total to nine. Headlining the most recent signees is 4X Alabama state champion, Forrest Millsap. A standout wrestler for Homewood High School in Birmingham, AL, Millsap claimed four state titles and a Brute Nationals title in his four years at Homewood. Millsap is currently ranked No. 14 in the country by Wrestling USA magazine and is among Intermat's Top 150 recruits. Millsap will compete for the Vikings at 149 and will major in Art. Also making the trip to the Midwest from the south is Lumpkin County's Josh Ghobadpoor. Ghobadpoor was a four-time state finalist, placing 2nd, 1st, 2nd, and 2nd. Ghobadpoor is ranked Honorable Mention by Wrestling USA magazine and will compete for the Vikings at 174. Joining Millsap and Ghobadpoor are Jordan Davis and Clayton Wurtele. Davis was a state qualifier from Blaine, MN. Davis will compete at 174 and major in Pre-Med. Wurtele comes to Dana from local Nebraska City, NE where he was a state qualifier. Wurtele will major in Criminal Justice and sports a 4.0 G.P.A and will compete at either 141 or 149. These four young men join Donny Altman, Brian Graham, Eric Graham, John Schmalz, and Micah Laufenberg on Dana's incoming recruiting class. The Vikings claimed the No. 1 Non-Division I recruiting class in 2005 as ranked by Wrestling USA magazine.

The International Wrestling Institute and Museum, founded in 1997, will soon have a new name and a new location. The facility opened its doors on Sept. 18, 1998, in Newton, Iowa. Later this year, it will re-open its doors in Waterloo, Iowa, and will be called the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. The move was announced at a press conference at city hall in Waterloo, March 29. Executive Director Mike Chapman, flanked by Gable and Waterloo Mayor Tim Hurley, told the news media that it was a move designed to expand the museum and its mission, and to honor Waterloo's most famous native. "We originally selected Newton because it is situated along Interstate 80 with nearly 9,000,000 cars a year going past the building," said Chapman. "It's been a successful eight years, but we felt that in order to grow and expand, we needed to be in a bigger population area with a much stronger wrestling tradition." Newton is a city of 15,000 and its high school has never won a wrestling state championship. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls area is over 130,000 population and six different area high schools have won a total of 37 team championships in wrestling. In addition, the University of Northern Iowa, with its own strong heritage in the sport, is just five miles from where the museum will be located. Then there is the Gable factor. "This is Dan's hometown and the city has been looking for a way to honor Dan for over a decade," said Chapman. "When we first presented the idea to the mayor and Don Temeyer, community planning and development director, they were extremely supportive. The concept has taken wings and flown to heights we didn't anticipate. It's been a wonderful experience for everyone, including Dan, to see the reception." "This is a natural for Waterloo and the entire Cedar Valley area," said Hurley. "We are very excited to have this opportunity to honor Dan Gable and to help the museum grow and expand. We envision the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum being a key player in the extensive redevelopment plans for all of Waterloo and the Cedar Valley area. It will be our crown jewel." The city has leased the museum a 21,000 square foot building for $1 a year, said Chapman. Currently, the museum is in an 8,000 square foot building and needs space to grow and expand in many areas. The museum plans to double the space for its popular gift shop, and for its hall of fame inductions and receptions. There are currently three halls of fame featured in the museum and there are plans for two more. Those already included are: The Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, where formers Iowa stars are inducted; The AAU National Wrestling Hall of Fame; The George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, where professional wrestlers, who wrestled in real matches (not the show business characters of today), are honored. Other prominent areas in the facility are the Dean Rockwell Library and Research Center, with over 350 books and thousands of magazines and newspapers, as well as a library of wrestling films, and a video center, where films of wrestling are shown. Included are clips that feature movie stars like Tom Cruise and Kirk Douglas in wrestling scenes, and the oldest professional championship match known to exist, from 1920. The museum has areas dedicated to the careers of such legendary stars as Alexander Karelin of Russia, John Smith and Cael Sanderson. It has displays that tell about the history of the sport over the past 5,000 years. It has been endorsed by FILA, the international governing body of the sport. There will also be a Bob Siddens-Keith Young Lounge, named for two of the best-known high school coaches in the history of the sport. Siddens coached at West Waterloo for 27 years and produced 11 state team championships, as well as such stars as Gable and Dale Anderson, a two-time NCAA champion at Michigan State who was a leader in the Title IX battle for years. Young was a three-time NCAA champion at Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa), and led Cedar Falls High School to five team titles as a coach. Matman has been the primary corporate sponsor to date. Other companies that have supported the museum through the years are USA Wrestling, the AAU, Asics, Brute, Iowa Public Television and Real Pro Wrestling. "We have enjoyed tremendous support from some other companies, and from individuals like Warren DePrenger, Arno Niemand, Glen Brand, Dean Rockwell, Bill Tragos and Jason Sanderson. We simply would not be in existence today without their support," said Chapman. "Another key has been the long list of Gold Club members, people who have donated a minimum of $1,000. Their support has been critical to our existence." The museum, a not-for-profit company, is run by a board of directors and it had been contemplating a move from Newton for well over a year. Board President Jed Brown said the time was ripe for such a move. "By relocating to Waterloo and renaming the Institute to honor Dan Gable, we have substantially increased our national and international exposure and credibility," said Brown. "As such, our ability to accomplish our mission statement and influence the sport of wrestling has been greatly enhanced." The board set a minimum of one million dollars that needed to be raised in order for the move to be approved. Bob Buckley, president and owner of Kirk Gross Company in Waterloo, spearheaded a fundraising drive that reached the $1,000,000-mark in less than six months. "I've never seen a project with this much support," said Buckley, who has worked on several other area campaigns. "We did not get turned down by a single group or individual that we approached. The response has been amazing, at every level. We expect to go way beyond the $1,000,000 the board requested and to build an endowment fund, as well." Most of the money raised will go toward the redesign and refurbishing of the building in Waterloo, the physical move of the display items and office equipment, acquisition of memorabilia now in private hands, and increased staffing for marketing and development of programs and events to achieve the mission statement of the museum. In Waterloo, the museum will be just two blocks from Young Arena, a modern and popular sports facility that seats 4,000 people, and just one and a half blocks from the Five Sullivans Convention Center, a huge facility with various-sized convention areas and meeting rooms. The new building is also just two blocks from the Avenue of the Saints Highway, a major freeway connecting St. Louis, Missouri, with St. Paul, Minnesota. "This is a very big honor," said Gable at the press conference. "I have talked with Waterloo officials several times over the past dozen years about ways to make something happen. It seems like things kept falling through, for one reason or another. "All of a sudden, when this popped up and there was a real avenue, people stepped up big time. I was surprised and, frankly, humbled by the response. It was more than I ever expected. It shook me up real good a couple of times," Gable added. The Waterloo City Council and the Black Hawk County board of supervisors both made substantial donations to the facility, and the museum has applied for a state CAT (Community Attraction and Tourism Grant) for nearly $250,000. Gable appeared at all the meetings with Chapman and Buckley. The museum will include a Dan Gable Teaching Facility, complete with mats, retractable bleachers and a small weight room and locker area. Gable and other wrestling personalities will conduct teaching seminars on a regular basis throughout the year. "I want to help inspire youth to excel at whatever they want to try," said Gable, who was an undefeated three-time Iowa state champion while attending West Waterloo High School. He posted a record of 118-1 at Iowa State, for a combined seven-year scholastic record of 181-1. He won the World Championships in 1971 and won a gold medal at the 1972 Olympics in Munich without surrendering a single point. As head coach at Iowa, he won 21 straight Big Ten team titles and 15 NCAA team titles. Gable was voted the No. 1 sports figure in Iowa history by Sports Illustrated in 2000 and serves on President Bush's Council on Physical Fitness. Three television documentaries about him have been made, he is the subject of half a dozen books and a film of his life is currently under development in Hollywood. "This is a great opportunity for our city," added Hurley in the press conference. "It will bring a lot to our community in terms of tourism, education and community pride." Chapman is also a native of Waterloo, and has run the museum since its founding in 1997. He also envisions a facility that will create more excitement for both the Waterloo community and wrestling in general. "Our mission has always been to preserve the history of wrestling and present it in a manner that educates and entertains the public," he said. "We feel strongly that the best way to sell the sport to the general public is through its incredible history. Wrestling has a heritage that no other sport can even come close to, and we will tell that story every chance we get." The museum has an outreach program that takes it on the road on a regular basis. It set up its booth at 15 different tournaments this past year, from Reno to Tulsa, from Kearney, Nebraska to the Nationals in Oklahoma City. It plans to increase the number of events it attends each year. It also has plans to enhance its web site and to hire a director of marketing. "Creating traffic flow into the museum will be a top priority," said Chapman. "We have great stories to tell and we are going to work very hard to get tour busses and school groups to attend the museum. We feel we have a unique educational format for telling about world and American history." The museum will host its celebrity golf tournament and pro hall of fame inductions on July 14-15 in Newton and close on September 2. It plans to open its doors in Waterloo early winter, 2006, with a Grand Opening slated for some time in January, 2007.

IOWA CITY, IA -- Two-time all-American and former Hawkeye Wes Hand has been named assistant wrestling coach at the University of Iowa. Hand joins Dan Gable as an assistant coach on Tom Brands' staff. "Wes is a young and talented assistant coach," said Brands. "I've worked with Wes the last two years and helped coach him as a collegiate wrestler. He made a great transition from competing as an athlete to coaching. He'll be a valuable part of our new staff." Hand was an assistant coach at Virginia Tech for four years (2002-06), serving under Brands for the past two seasons. During his tenure with the Hokies, the team won the 2005 regular season Atlantic Coast Conference title, set a school record for dual meet wins (16) and had a school-record five wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships. Senior heavyweight Mike Faust was named 2006 ACC Wrestler of the Year. "I'm excited about the opportunity to represent the University of Iowa and to continue my relationships with Tom Brands," said Hand. "I'm looking forward to it." While competing for the Hawkeyes (1997-2001), Hand posted a 102-32 career mark at heavyweight. He placed second at the 2001 NCAA and Big Ten Championships. He also placed eighth at the 1999 NCAA meet. A native of Tama, IA, Hand earned a B.S. in health, leisure and sports studies from Iowa in 2000.

OREM, Utah -- Utah Valley State has announced the hiring of Greg Williams as its new head wrestling coach. Willliams becomes the second coach in Utah Valley's short history as the school will begin its fourth season of NCAA competition in the fall of 2006. "We are very excited to have Greg Williams as part of our athletic program," said Utah Valley State Director of Athletics Mike Jacobsen. "We had an outstanding pool of applicants for our head wrestling position, which made for a very difficult decision. But Greg brings with him the total package. He has tremendous respect in the wrestling community and has the ability to take our program to the next level. Greg understands where we are at, while at the same time has a vision for what we will become." "This is a great opportunity to help bring Utah Valley wrestling to a higher level. The potential for success here is huge," said Williams. "We have a great talent pool in Utah and we want to continue what Cody (Sanderson) has been building on the last three years." The move to hire Williams comes just days after the announcement of the newly formed Western Wrestling Conference (WWC) and Utah Valley's inclusion in the conference along with seven other collegiate institutions. Williams brings to Utah Valley State over 20 years of coaching experience, including the last 13 as the owner and coach of the Elite Wrestling Club. He is a 14-time coach of the Utah National Wrestling Team and during his coaching career has tutored over 70 high school All-Americans. Williams' pupils include Justin Ruiz, the #1 ranked Greco wrestler at 211 lbs. Ruiz is a two-time All-American at Nebraska and bronze medalist at the World Championships in 2005. Current Utah Valley assistant Gabe Vigil, a Pac-10 champion and four-time NCAA qualifier while at Boise State, also worked under Williams. He began his coaching career at Sky View High School in Smithfield, Utah, where he led the school to an 87-8 record. Williams, a native of San Diego, California, graduated from University High School in 1979 where he was a California State Champion. From there, he moved on to Utah State University in Logan, Utah and was an All-American and a three-time NCAA qualifier for the Aggies. Williams graduated from Utah State in 1985 with a degree in Marketing Education. He and his wife Kristin have two children, Alexis (9) and Taylor (6). "Eventually Utah Valley will be a top 20 program…and higher," said Williams. "I think the key is getting the best Utah kids to stay here…while also being able to recruit some of the best talent throughout the country."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State wrestling head coach Tom Ryan announced Wednesday the selection of three assistant coaches to join the OSU staff. Lou Rosselli, who spent 14 seasons at Edinboro, and former Buckeye Tommy Rowlands were named to the staff. Joe Heskett, who competed at Iowa State, will be the Buckeyes' volunteer assistant coach. "Lou Rosselli has incredible international experience," Ryan said. "He also has a proven track record of producing champions. Tommy Rowlands and Joe Heskett are the epitomes of great student-athletes coming from the state of Ohio. They will help us reach our goals at Ohio State." Jim Humphrey and Ross Thatcher also will remain on the Ohio State staff. Humphrey will continue to coach the Ohio Wrestling Club. Thatcher, who served as the program director of recruiting and conditioning in his first season with the Buckeyes in 2005-06, will become the director of operations this upcoming year. As the assistant head coach at Edinboro, Rosselli's duties included aiding in the coordination of practices and developing training schedules. Rosselli also worked extensively with recruiting. During his tenure, Rosselli helped coach the Fighting Scots to eight Eastern Wrestling League tournament championships, which included four consecutive crowns in two different spans (1998-01 and 2003-2006). The Fighting Scots won their seventh Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title in 2006 after securing the championship from 1998-2000 and 2002-2004. Individually, Rosselli coached 33 PSAC champions and 22 EWL champions. On the national level, Edinboro had 70 NCAA Division I tournament qualifiers and 17 went on to become All-Americans between 1997 and 2006. During that span, The Fighting Scots were credited with one national champion and four runner-ups. As a competitor, Rosselli was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in 1996 and a three-time national champion (1995, 96 and 99). At Edinboro, Rosselli was a two-time All-American in 1991 and 1993 at 118 pounds. In 1989, Rosselli was named EWL Freshman of the Year and became the first Edinboro freshman to earn a trip to nationals. A three-time PSAC champion, Rosselli earned EWL and PSAC Wrestler of the Year honors in 1993 after winning titles in both conferences. Rosselli graduated from Edinboro with a degree in health and physical education. Rowlands will begin his first season as a full-time assistant coach for Ohio State after one season as the Director of Program Operations and one as the volunteer assistant coach. The 2002 and 2004 NCAA heavyweight champion, Rowlands offers expertise that allowed him to conclude his career as the most decorated wrestler in Ohio State history. He is just the second Buckeye to win two national titles and the first to earn All-America honors four times. Rowlands narrowly missed a spot on the U.S. Olympic team at 211 pounds in May of 2005, but regrouped at the World University Games in Izmir, Turkey, in August with a gold-medal performance. Rowlands claimed his fourth medal, including his first gold for Team USA in four competitions since completing his OSU career in 2004. The Hilliard, Ohio, native is the all-time leader at Ohio State in career wins (164), career team points (702.0) and career takedowns (705). His career record of 164-14 (.921) ranks fourth all-time in winning percentage at OSU, while his 44 wins in 2004 and 43 triumphs in 2001 rank fourth and fifth all-time in a single season. Rowlands, who has volunteered as an instructor at offseason wrestling camps his entire college career, is thrilled to have the opportunity to stay involved with the program he helped carry to national prominence. Rowlands graduated from OSU with a degree in business. Heskett joins the wrestling staff after spending two seasons as the volunteer assistant coach at Cal Poly University San Luis Obispo. A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Heskett attended Walsh Jesuit High School where he was a three-time Ohio state champion from 1995-97 at 158 pounds and earned Outstanding Wrestler honors his junior and senior years. During his junior season, Heskett pinned every opponent throughout the sectional, district and state tournaments. Heskett went on to wrestle at Iowa State, becoming the Cyclones' eighth four-time All-American (1999-2002) with an overall record of 143-9. Third on ISU's all-time wins list, Heskett finished third in 1999 at the NCAA tournament and second in 2000 and 2001, before claiming the 165-pound title in 2002. Heskett was a three-time Big 12 champion and three-time Midlands champion between the 1998-99 and 2001-02 seasons. On the international circuit, Heskett was a 2004 Olympic alternate and a three-time U.S. National Team member. In 2004, Heskett was the Dave Schultz International champion, earning Outstanding Wrestler laurels. Heskett also became the 2002 New York Athletic Club Champion and earned a silver medal at the 2001 Pan American Games. Heskett graduated from Iowa State with a degree in speech communications. Humphrey is a former Buckeye and a 1972 graduate of Ohio State. He owns an extensive wrestling and coaching background that includes All-America honors and a 1972 Big Ten Individual Championship. A member of the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, Humphrey is a five-time freestyle national champion, as well as the 1977 World Games silver medalist. Humphrey's impressive head coaching resume consists of leading the 1984 Canadian Olympic Team and the 1988 U.S. Olympic squad. In the collegiate ranks, Humphrey was the head coach at Indiana from 1984-1989. Both of Humphrey's sons, Jordin and Reece, are members of the 2005-06 Buckeye squad. Thatcher will enter his second year on the OSU staff and first as the director of operations. Thatcher was a Penn State letterwinner from 1997-2000 and served as an assistant coach at PSU from 2000-2003. While with the Nittany Lions, Thatcher was named captain and garnered All-America honors. Following his time at Penn State, Thatcher wrestled for the New York Athletic Club, where he was a two-time Sunkist International Open Champion, New York Athletic International Open Champion, Dave Schultz International Open Champion and North East Regional Outstanding Wrestler and Champion. A two-time Ohio state champion and a three-time Ohio state finalist at Bishop Ready High School in Columbus, Thatcher won bronze as a member of the 2001 U.S. Pan American team and was a member of the U.S. University World squad.

Being at the top of the ladder is not unchartered territory for Donny Pritzlaff –- it just hasn't happened in a few years. The New Jersey native, and Pennsylvania Hammer team member, is now on the top of the U.S. freestyle ladder at 163 lbs. after his victory over RPW Season One champion Joe Williams in the U.S. Nationals finals. The win was shocking to pretty much the entire wrestling community, except those named Pritzlaff. "I would say that not many people expected me to beat Joe," Pritzlaff said with a smile. "But that's part of wrestling. You have to be ready for the unexpected. I didn't train to lose in the finals. I train to win the Nationals, the Trials and eventually a gold medal." Amazingly, the four-time NCAA All-American is somewhat used to being an underdog. But when you don't parade around the mat pounding your chest after wins, being an underdog is an easy role to play. Even with one NCAA title under his belt while at Wisconsin going into his senior season, he was usually the underdog to Joe Heskett, a Season One competitor for the Iowa Stalkers and the wrestler Pritzlaff defeated as a junior for an NCAA crown. Pritzlaff quieted all critics with another win over Heskett in the NCAA finals that year. But with Williams lurking and Olympic champion Brandon Slay sitting on the verge of retirement, Pritzlaff might as well have been packaged by Garfield and sent to Abu Dhabi. He was a forgotten man. Donny Pritzlaff"I don't crave much attention anyways, but that was a real shock," Pritzlaff said. "Two years in-a-row, I was wrestling in front of nearly 20,000 fans on this major stage, and when you go into freestyle, it's almost like you're starting over in some ways. You have to re-prove yourself." For Pritzlaff, always a quiet individual, it didn't take long to get his name known in the freestyle world. He placed third in the 2002 U.S. World Team Trials, putting him within arm's reach of a spot on the World Team that year. It seemed like the future was bright as he prepared for a move to Hofstra to become an assistant coach. Instead, the future became grey. Ask any professional athlete, and they will tell you to savor any time you have at the top, because you may never know when you are going to get there again. This was starting to hold true for Pritzlaff, who wasn't all that close to matching his third-place finish in 2003 or 2004. With Hofstra starting to become a powerful collegiate program nationwide and Pritzlaff limping through the 2004 Olympic cycle, he started hearing the whispers to retire. "I'm not going to lie, it crossed my mind," Pritzlaff said. "I think retirement crosses anyone's mind at the end of an Olympic cycle, though. That four years is grueling, and I put my all into it. But at the same time, I knew I still had a lot left in me, and in international terms, I was still fairly young at that time." Donny PritzlaffNow 27 years old, five years younger than Williams, a rejuvenated Pritzlaff is again the man to beat. He is feeling as close to 100 percent healthy as a freestyle wrestler can at this time of year, and he is preparing for his first tournament where he is ensured of wearing a red singlet in every match since 2001, the year he won his second NCAA title. "I never really thought about it that way, but I guess that's kind of ironic," Pritzlaff said of the red singlet. "Hopefully, I have the same results with that color." Though instead of wearing the letter "W" on his singlet, he might as well have a big target on his chest. After all, it does get lonely at the top. Editor's Note: This article was written before Hofstra head coach Tom Ryan accepted the job at The Ohio State Univ. Pritzlaff is still considered a staff member at Hofstra. On keeping your composure: Don't get discouraged by anything. This sport can throw a lot of things your way. You have to be prepared for every hurdle. You may not get over all of them, but if you are prepared, they won't knock you down either. For the coaches: Don't overload young wrestlers. With so much changing technique throughout wrestling, it is important to just stick to the basics with younger wrestlers. When they get older and more comfortable, then it may be time to expand. Remember to work at their pace, not yours.

Portland State head wrestling coach Marlin Grahn announced the 2005-06 Viking team awards Monday. The top honor of Outstanding Wrestler was awarded to senior 149-pounder Adam Duryee. Duryee, who transferred to Portland State from Jamestown College, N.D., took second at the Best of the West tournament in Central Point, Ore., on Nov. 19 and led the Vikings with 13 victories. His wins over Pacific's Nick Byrd and Fresno State's Dustin Rocha helped spur the Vikings to back-to-back victories on Jan. 28. Duryee also tied sophomore Sean Murphy and freshman Brian Lemmon for the team lead in falls with three. The Homedale, Idaho native earned All-Pacific 10 Conference second team academic honors, maintaining a 3.21 GPA, while majoring in business administration. The Vikings' Most Improved award went to Lemmon, who led the team with two victories at the Portland State Tournament on Jan. 8. Along with tying for the team lead in pins, Lemmon also tied for the team lead in technical falls with one. Sophomore Jake Schneider, the final Viking ousted at this season's Pac-10 Championships, earned Most Inspirational. The Milwaukie, Ore., 197-pound wrestler came on late in the season with two victories over Stanford's Larry Ozowara and wins over Pacific's Derek Hendrix and Fresno State's Miguel Rodriguez. Earning the Scholar Athlete award for the second straight year was Casco. A two-time All-Pac-10 academic second team honoree, Casco maintained a 3.48 GPA while majoring in business administration and wrestling to seven victories.

MADISON, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin wrestling team held its annual banquet last week at the Milford Hills Hunt Club and bid farewell to its five seniors and announced team award winners. Wisconsin recognized its departing seniors Tom Clum (Arvada, Colo.), Kelly Flaherty (Big Lake, Minn.), Ed Gutnik (Iselin, N.J.), Lee Kraemer (Deforest, Wis.) and Tony Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.). The five leaders helped the Badgers earn a 9-5-1 overall record, and a 4-3-1 Big Ten Conference mark. UW placed sixth in the Big Ten regular season, edging out Iowa and Michigan State. At the Big Ten championships, Wisconsin took seventh with Clum earning the Big Ten crown at 133 lbs. Following their Big Ten championship appearance, Wisconsin headed to Oklahoma City, Okla. for the 2006 NCAA Championships. There, the team placed 21st, racking up 33.5 total points. Clum led the Badgers with a fifth-place finish at 133 lbs., while sophomore Craig Henning (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) placed eighth at 157 lbs. Both wrestlers earned All-American honor to complement their placements at the tournament. Freshman Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) took home the team awards for most improved wrestler and most pins. Herbst boasted an overall record of 21-12 this season and placed eighth at the Big Ten championships. He also led the Badgers with 12 pin victories, including two at the NCAAs. Lee Kraemer earned the George Martin Scholar Award with the highest GPA on the team. Kraemer finished his career as a Badger with a perfect 4-0 conference record. For the third straight year, Clum was named the wrestling team's most valuable wrestler. Clum led the Badgers with a 19-4 overall record, 6-1 in the Big Ten. He finished his career with two Big Ten crowns and an All-American twice over. Though not a regular in the starting line-up this season, Tony Turner was presented the team player award for his tireless work at practice and his dedication to helping the team succeed. His positive attitude and leadership set an example for others and embodied that of a team player. Junior Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.) qualified for his third NCAA competition falling just shy of All-America status. With a 22-9 record this season at 149 lbs., Turner was named the most dedicated wrestler. In addition to leading the team as a captain, Turner led by example, cutting weight and maintaining a high level of competition at that new weight. Next up for the Badgers is the annual UW Wrestling Sporting Clay Bucky Shoot on June 17 at Milford Hills Hunt Club in Johnson Creek, Wis.

Manheim, Pa -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association announced its annual list of All-Academic Division I wrestlers for the 2005-06 season. Eighteen of the 68 wrestlers named to the NWCA All-Academic team placed at the 2006 NCAA Division I championships in Oklahoma City. Of the national placewinners, Ben Askren of the University of Missouri was the only NCAA champion in the group. Askren, the Tigers' first national champion in wrestling, is a Geography major with a 3.190 GPA. Askren was also the Outstanding Wrestler of the 2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. "For a student-athlete to be both great on the mat and great in the classroom is remarkable," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "He went undefeated, was the outstanding wrestler and came in with a very solid GPA." "His accomplishments this year are unrivaled – He's a national champion and All-American on and off the mat," said Moyer. Three NCAA runners-up make the list with an impressive combination of grades and wrestling credentials. Four-time All-American Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State is one of four Cowboys on the list. Mocco, an Education major, finished with a 3.045 GPA, while Jake Herbert of Northwestern had a 3.0 majoring in Communications and Michigan's Ryan Churella sports a 3.26 GPA in Sport Management & Communications. The 67 wrestlers represent 39 of the 86 Division I wrestling programs. Three programs have four wrestlers – Oklahoma State, Illinois and Oklahoma, while Central Michigan, Northwestern, Slippery Rock and Michigan have three All-Academic selections apiece. In all, 18 All-Americans were recognized along with 39 additional NCAA qualifiers. To qualify for selection, wrestlers must A) have a 3.2 GPA and been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule and must have competed in 60 percent of team schedule or B) have a 3.0 and earned NCAA All-American honors. Thirteen wrestlers carried GPA's over a 3.8 with American University's Matt Morkel and Oklahoma's Justin Dyer each achieving impressive 4.0 averages. "Any student, whether it be an athlete or not, should be commended for achieving a 4.0 grade point average," said Moyer. "Matt Morkel and Justin Dyer should be commended not only for their stellar GPA, but applauded for earning such high marks while going through the rigors of collegiate wrestling." Other wrestlers achieving over a 3.8 were: Tyler McCormick (Missouri, 3.95), Bryce Leonhardt (Wyoming, 3.936), Mark Himes (Duquesne, 3.92), Tommy Cunningham (VMI, 3.902), Mark DiSalvo (Central Michigan, 3.90), Joel Caruso (George Mason, 3.90), James Woodall (Penn State, 3.882), Dustin Tillman (Columbia, 3.845), Max Dean (Indiana, 3.820) and Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan, 3.80). Nine wrestlers were in graduate-level courses, including Morkel and Dyer and both All-Academic selections from The Citadel – Sean Markey and Mark Thompson. Brown comes away with the top team GPA for the second consecutive year. Last year, Dave Amato's Bears won the award with a 3.2762. This year, Brown improved its standing, finishing with a team GPA of 3.3515, good enough to edge second-place Duke, which came in at 3.327. Princeton, Duquesne and Northwestern rounded out the top five. Oklahoma and Michigan were the only schools to finish in the Top 10 at the NCAA championships and the NWCA All-Academic standings. Team rankings are selected by taking the average GPA of each team's starting ten wrestlers along with two backups that wrestled in at least one varsity match. Individually, the average GPA of this year's field was 3.512, up from last year's average of 3.416. The average team GPA of the Top 30 was 2.988, last year's team average was 3.037. "The fact there's been a rise in the individual GPA numbers of the All-Academic team shows that there's not only greater competition on the mat, but in the classroom as well," said NWCA President Ron Beaschler. "We're very pleased that the NWCA can recognize these wrestlers. They exemplify the term 'student-athlete.'" The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate programs. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events, and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.

State College, Pa. -- Two members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team earned solid placings at the 2006 Men's University and FILA Cadet National Championships held on the campus of Northwestern University this past weekend. Nine members of head coach Troy Sunderland's team competed in the free-style event. True freshman Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) was the top Penn State placer, going 4-1 at 55 kilograms and placing third. Freshman Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) also earned an eighth place finish with a 5-3 mark at 74 kg. While not earning a place, sophomore Bryan Heller (Fair Haven, N.J.) went 5-2 at 60 kg and both James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) and David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) went 3-2 at 84 kg. The event took place on Friday and Saturday, April 27-28, in Welsh-Ryan/McGaw Hall on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.