InterMat Staff

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Joe Heskett, Ohio State wrestling volunteer assistant coach, was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and ventricular tachycardia last Thursday and underwent surgery at Ohio State University Medical Center's Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital Tuesday to have a cardiac defibrillator implanted. Heskett, who had a heart rate in excess of 250 beats per minute at a practice session last Thursday, will continue to undergo medical treatment. His condition will no longer allow him to compete as a wrestler, ending his remarkable and successful career. Just a week after finishing fifth for the U.S. Freestyle team at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, Heskett suffered life-threatening ventricular tachycardia at the Steelwood Athletic Training Facility, the practice site for the OSU wrestling team. The prompt action by Todd Miller, the facility's head athletic trainer, as well as the Columbus Fire Department, resulted in life saving shock defibrillation. "I want to first and foremost say thank you to my family and friends, and I am grateful for the support from the Ohio State Athletics Department and the professional first-class care at Ross Heart Hospital," Heskett said. "Through all of this I just know how blessed I am with the love that has surrounded me. Nothing has been more fulfilling than seeing my daughters, although my youngest, Ava, keeps trying to pull on all my wires." Cardiomyopathy, a rare heart condition that can go unnoticed until an episode occurs and likely inherited in Heskett's case, is a weakening and scarring of the heart muscle that reduces the ability of the heart to pump blood efficiently. One of the complications can be ventricular tachycardia, a rapid, uncontrolled heart rhythm that can lead to sudden cardiac death. Several days of tests at the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital demonstrated both conditions to be present, leading to aggressive treatment with medications and an implanted defibrillator to prevent a recurrent episode. "I have no idea how Joe was able to compete at a world class level in such a demanding sport," Dr. James Ryan, the cardiologist treating Heskett, said. "As I told him, he has a damaged V-6 engine, competing against a bunch of turbo-charged V-8 engines. Some combination of inner drive, technical superiority and intelligence must have allowed him to compensate for his cardiac limitations. The Russian (two-time world champion Makhach Murtazaliev), who defeated him in the world championships last month, certainly would have had his hands full if Joe had a normal heart." "God has blessed Joe with so many talents," Tom Ryan, Ohio State wrestling head coach, said. "It has been a privilege to work with Joe and watch his passion to train and win Olympic gold. It is a difficult and surreal circumstance as all of us close to him stand beside him as he deals with the reality of the situation. Joe is one of the finest men I have met in the sport and looking at the big picture, I am just glad he is alive to share more laughs with. He has a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters who bring perspective to the situation. Clearly, God has bigger plans for Joe." "We're devastated by Joe's condition and we will definitely miss him on the mat," Kevin Jackson, U.S. Wrestling National Freestyle coach, said. "We're very happy and thankful his health is good and nothing more serious did happen to him. I have a lot of love for Joe and so do his teammates. I'm happy they found out about his condition soon enough to be able to help him. I'm happy to know that Joe will be there for his wife and his children." Emergency action plans are posted outside of every training room, near a telephone, so others, in addition to athletic training staff will be prepared to handle any situation in a calm manner. In addition, Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) are placed throughout competition and practice facilities. The athletic training division at Ohio State evaluates the system annually, making changes if necessary. "The plan worked because Joe knew something was wrong and he came to me seeking advice and soon after, I knew he needed a higher level of care than I could provide," Miller said. "I am remarkably blessed to be alive," Heskett said. "This situation, although unfortunate, is the will of our great Lord and I turn over every fiber of faith to his plan. I don't have time to ask why and ponder. I will get healthy and I look forward to the next chapter of my life. I do not hang up my shoes easily, but the reality of the situation leaves me with one option and that is to stay optimistic and begin to excel in other areas of my life that I have been extremely blessed to possess." Joe Heskett Profile National and International competition Five-time U.S. National Team Member Finished fifth at 2007 World Wrestling Championships 2007 and 2001 Pan American Silver medalist 2004 Summer Olympic Games alternate 2004 Dave Schultz International Champion, earning Outstanding Wrestler 2002 New York Athletic Club Champion Iowa State (1999-2002) Became the Cyclones eighth four-time All-American (1999-2002) with a career record of 143-9 2002 NCAA Champion at 165 pounds Finished third in 1999 at NCAA championships, second in 2000 and 2001 Three-time Big 12 champion (1999, 2001, 2002) Three-time Midlands champion (1998, 2000, 2001) Third on ISU's all-time wins list (143) 1999 and 2000 University National Freestyle champion Four-time Academic All-American, graduated from Iowa State in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in speech communications and earned a masters degree with honors in educational leadership from Cal Poly in 2005 Walsh Jesuit High School Three-time Ohio High School state champion

WATERLOO -- Six new legends of wrestling will enter the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame on April 19, 2008. It will be the seventh class to go into the hall. The group includes two men who each won a pair of NCAA championships (Mike Natvig of Army by way of Decorah and Tim Krieger of Iowa State), another NCAA champion who became a mixed martial arts star (Mike Van Arsdale of Iowa State), an NCAA champion who is now a Big Ten coach (Duane Goldman of Iowa) and two of the most respected coaches in Iowa history (Chuck Patten and Dan Mashek, both of UNI). The inductions will be held 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, in the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame inside the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo. It is part of a two-day weekend that includes the Dan Gable Coaching Clinic on Friday and Saturday, with some of the top coaches in the country holding sessions. Mike Natvig won two NCAA championships for the West Point team, capturing titles at 147 pounds in both 1962 and ‘63. He graduated with an overall record of 47-7-1 and is considered the most successful wrestler in the history of West Point. He also attended the University of Iowa prior to attending West Point. Though never a state champion in high school, Natvig was a star at Decorah High School, placing second in the 1958 state meet at 138 pounds. He retired from the Army in 1991 as a lieutenant colonel and today lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Chuck Patten was the head coach at the University of Northern Iowa for 18 years, compiling a record of 217-87-8 and winning two Division II NCAA team titles. Along the way, he produced 16 national champions and 58 wrestlers who won All-American honors. Patten wrestled at East Waterloo High School, placing fourth in the 1955 state meet, and for Bill Koll at UNI. He was president of both the Division I and Division II coaches associations and was chair of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee from 1974-1978, the only Division II coach to receive this honor. He also served as a color commentator for Iowa Public Television broadcasts from 1983 to 1986. Today, he lives in Everett, Washington. Dan Mashek did his wrestling at West Waterloo High School (for hall of famer Bob Siddens) and at UNI (for Patten), but earned his greatest fame by far as an Iowa high school coach. In fact, retiring this past season with a record of 519-105-5, he has the most dual meet wins of any coach in Iowa history. He started the program at Don Bosco of Gilbertville in 1970 and quickly made the Dons a perennial power. While there, he claimed four traditional team titles and one dual team title. He saw 20 of his wrestlers win a total of 24 individual state titles. He began coaching at North Scott in 2000 and compiled a record of 93-30. He currently lives in Eldridge. Tim Kreiger was a three-time state champion at Mason City High School who became a four-time All-American at Iowa State University. He claimed two NCAA titles, in 1987 and '89, and won four Big Eight championships at 150 pounds. He was also second in 1988 and fifth in 1986 at the NCAA tournament. His overall record of 116-3-2 is one of the best in the history of Iowa colleges. He lives in Minneapolis, where he works in the financial industry. Duane Goldman was a four-time Big Ten champion and four-time NCAA finalist at the University of Iowa, winning the 190-pound NCAA title in 1986. His overall record of 132-10 ranks tenth on the all-time Hawkeye career win percentage. A two-time state champion in Colorado, Goldman was an assistant coach under Joe McFarland at Indiana University before being named the head coach in 1992. His 2005 Hoosier team placed ninth in the NCAA race, his highest finish as head coach. Mike Van Arsdale placed sixth, third and first at the NCAA meet while wearing the cardinal and gold for Iowa State. His individual title came at 167 pounds in 1988. He made several international freestyle teams and won a gold medal at the 1997 World Cup. He also posted a victory over a young Cyclone star named Cael Sanderson in the 2000 Olympic trials in Dallas. A graduate of West Waterloo High School, he was state champion in 1982. Van Arsdale has earned fame as a mixed martial artist and today runs a kids wrestling program in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information on the 2008 coaches clinic and hall of fame inductions, check the museum's web site at www.wrestlingmuseum.org, or call the museum at 319-233-0745, and ask for Kyle Klingman or Kent Sesker.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern finished the 2006-07 season a program-best fourth in the NCAAs and had a national champion wrestler in Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny). While that is a difficult act to follow, coach Tim Cysewski believes the 2007-08 team cannot only match last year's squad, but improve on the strong finish, as well. "Our team has the potential to become NCAA champions this year. We have a good complement of All-Americans and NCAA qualifiers coming back," Cysewski said. "At Northwestern, we know that we will be in the hunt for an NCAA title year-in and year-out and believe our recent recruiting is indicative of that." Returning to this year's team are nine of the Wildcats' 10 starters, which includes three All-Americans in Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion), Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/Lakewood St. Edward) and Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick). While on the way to garnering All-American status, Lang and Tamillow also collected Big Ten titles last season. Add in Herbert's Big Ten title and the 'Cats three conference crowns became the most individual champions NU has had since 1931. It is also the first time Northwestern has had more than one since 1990. Lang returns to the team after his best year as a wrestler at Northwestern. The senior finished second at last year's NCAA Championships and scored two pins in his five matches while there. Lang also won the Big Ten Championship at 141 lbs by beating sixth-ranked Alex Tsirtsis in the semifinals and 15th-ranked Kyle Ruschell in the finals. Overall at the Big Ten Championships, Lang put up a 4-0 record. The 141-lb. wrestler also won at the 44th Midlands, the NWCA All-Star Classic and the Eastern Michigan Open. A 22-match winning streak to start the season helped Tamillow to a finish with a team-high 37 wins, including a 16-3 dual mark. The senior posted three wins at the NCAA Championships riding the victories to a seventh-place finish. At the Big Ten Championships, Tamillow won his first career Big Ten title, posting a 4-0 record with wins over ninth-ranked Patrick Bond in the semifinals and 10th-ranked J.D. Bergman in the finals. Wins in the Eastern Michigan Open, the Reno Tournament of Champions and the Midlands Championship helped Tamillow earn his first ever All-American honors. Starting the season with a 14-match winning streak, Fox garnered a career-best 33-5 record that included going 13-2 in duals and 6-1 in the Big Ten. In the postseason, Fox won four of five matches in the Big Ten Championships for a third-place finish, which he then matched at the NCAA Championships. Following the 2006-07 season, Fox joined Lang, Herbert and Tamillow on the list of Northwestern All-Americans. Also returning to the team are starters Brandon Precin (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), Eric Metzler (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco), Dominic Marella (Roselle, Ill./Conant) and Nick Hayes (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central). Precin started every Big Ten dual for the 'Cats as a freshman and finished 2-2 in his first-ever NCAA Championships. Metzler also started each Big Ten dual for NU and finished sixth at the Midlands Championships defeating then-sixth-ranked and third-seeded Mario Galanakis of Iowa in the quarterfinals. Marella finished the year 6-17 overall and went undefeated in two matches at the NU duals. Hayes wrestled to a mark of 22-14 overall and made an appearance the NCAA Championships finishing seventh. Hayes was named BigElevenWrestling.net Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Dec. 13 after notching wins in each of Northwestern's duals against Northern Illinois and Eastern Illinois. Pursuing an Olympic redshirt this year is National Champion, Jake Herbert. Herbert still has a year of eligibility left, but will not wrestle for the team this season. "The Olympic redshirt is an opportunity that is rare for collegiate athletes. Most of our current US Olympic hopefuls in the sport of wrestling are post-graduates," Cysewski said. "Jake is very fortunate to be considered for this program and we know that he will be a more seasoned wrestler upon his return to the NU team in 2008-09. He has already competed overseas at the University World Championships and we are hoping that he will once again have this opportunity in the coming months." In addition to its nine returning starters, Cysewski has brought in an all-star crop of freshmen, who look to have an immediate impact on the program. "I couldn't be happier with our freshmen class," Cysewski said. "Some of these guys are going to experience what Big Ten wrestling is all about this year." Frank Battaglia (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) finished high school with a career record of 141-27 and finished first at the IHSA Regionals and Sectionals in 2007 and was an all-state selection his senior year. Coming to NU as the No. 1 heavyweight prospect in the nation, big things are expected of Ben Kuhar (Concord Township, Ohio/St. Edward) as well. Kuhar ended his high school career with a record of 50-13 and was a two-time Cadet Freestyle national champion on the No. 1 high school program in America, according to Amateur Wrestling News. John Schoen (Homer Glen, Ill./Marist) was a two-time ESCC Champion and wrestled to top-three finishes in the state finals in 2006. Schoen also set school records for both takedowns and escapes, while taking the top position at the IHSA Regionals as a senior when he was named and ESCC Outstanding Wrestler. Schoen was ranked 11th nationally in his weight class by W.I.N. Magazine. Perhaps the most highly touted recruit to join the Wildcats squad since Jake Herbert's arrival in Evanston is Mike Benefiel (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic). Benefiel overwhelmed his high school competition to the tune of a 195-4 record, won four-straight high school championships and holds the Illinois record for most career wins. His four titles put him in elite company with just eight other Illinois wrestlers to accomplish the feat in his four years. Additionally, Benefiel won the Cadet National Freestyle Championship, was an Ironman Champion in 2004 and was rated as the top high school prospect at his weight class by Intermatwrestle.com. This season's schedule offers plenty of opportunity to return to the glory NU has experienced in the past with a familiar twist to it in the 45th annual Midlands Championships as a tune-up before the conference duals schedule starts. Probable starters by weight class: Brandon Precin, 125 lbs.: Posted 2-2 record at first NCAA Championships ... Finished seventh at Big Ten Championships by pinning Ohio State's Will Livingston ... Started every dual for the Wildcats at 125 lbs. in freshman season ... Entered season-opening Eastern Michigan Open unseeded and placed sixth ... Defeated top-seeded Mark Moos of Michigan in first collegiate match ... Captured third place at the Reno Tournament of Champions with wins over Oklahoma State's then-18th-ranked Tyler Schinn and Central Michigan's then-13th ranked Luke Smith ... Eighth at the 2006 Midlands Championships ... Scored a technical fall against Cornell's Luis Salinas at NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals (1/13) ... First win against a Big Ten opponent came in a triple overtime win over Collin Cudd of Wisconsin (1/26) ... Upset Penn State's then-seventh-ranked Mark McKnight in dual match (2/2) ... Topped Michigan's Mike Watts in last Big Ten dual (2/18). Eric Metzler, 133 lbs.: Started every Big Ten dual at 133 lbs. ... Earned a major decision over Chicago's Ben Hart at the NU Duals (11/12) ... Took fifth place at the 2006 Midlands Championships, defeating then-sixth-ranked and third-seeded Mario Galanakis of Iowa in the quarterfinals ... Pinned West Virginia's Mark Anderson at NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals (1/13) ... Won first career Big Ten dual match against Wisconsin's Zach Tanelli on 1/26 ... Defeated Michigan's Chris Diehl by 4-0 decision to seal NU's 20-14 win in dual finale. Ryan Lang, 141 lbs.: Finished second at NCAA Championships ... Earned second career All-America honor ... Score two pins in five matches at NCAA Championships ... Won Big Ten Championship at 141 lbs. ... Downed sixth-ranked Alex Tsirtsis in the semifinals and 15th-ranked Kyle Ruschell in the finals ... Went 4-0 overall at Big Ten Championships ... Won Eastern Michigan Open by going 5-0, scoring two major decisions and not allowing a point scored against him ... Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for week of 11/8 ... Won NWCA All-Star Classic by beating then-fifth-ranked Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State ... Won 2006 Midlands Championships with wins over fifth-seeded Max Metzler of Harvard and second-seeded Alex Tsirtis of Iowa ... Missed NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals and first five Big Ten duals due to injury ... Returned to action with three-straight Big Ten wins ... Finished Big Ten season with a pin against Purdue (2/16) and technical fall against Michigan (2/18). Keith Sulzer, 149 lbs.: Redshirted ... Went 7-5 while wrestling unattached ... 3-2 record at Wisconsin Open ... Went 3-1 at Edinboro Open. Kyle Bertin, 157 lbs.: Redshirted ... Posted 7-3 record while wrestling unattached ... 4-1 at Edinboro Open. Dominic Marella, 165 lbs.: Went 6-17 overall with a 4-13 record in duals and a 0-8 record in the Big Ten... Posted a 2-2 record at the Eastern Michigan Open and was undefeated in two matches at the NU Duals. Nick Hayes, 174 lbs.: Posted 22-14 overall record ... Went 1-2 at NCAA Championships ... Posted 2-2 record at Big Ten Championships to finish seventh ... Won matches over Michigan State's John Murphy and Illinois' Matt Winterhalter ...Went 3-0 at ACC/Big Ten Clash with wins over Virginia, North Carolina and NC State ... Named BigElevenWrestling.net Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on 12/13 after notching wins in each of Northwestern's duals against Northern Illinois and Eastern Illinois ... Sixth place at Reno Tournament of Champions. Mike Tamillow, 197 lbs.: Moved up to 197 lbs. and enjoyed the best season of his career ... Had team-high 37 wins with only five losses ... Posted 16-3 dual mark ... Second on the team with eight falls ... Went 3-2 and finished seventh at NCAA Championships to earn first career All-America honor ... Won 197 lbs. Big Ten Championship for first career Big Ten title ... Posted 4-0 record at the championships with wins over ninth-ranked Patrick Bond in the semifinals and 10th-ranked J.D. Bergman in the finals ... Won final match by an 11-5 decision ... Started season with 22-match winning streak ... First loss came to Missouri's then-top-ranked Max Askren ... Won Eastern Michigan Open by beating then-ninth-ranked Nathan Moore of Purdue ... Won Reno Tournament of Champions with win over then-eighth-ranked Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan in the finals ... Named BigElevenWrestling.net Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on 12/25 ... Won 2006 Midlands Championship by notching a win over Iowa State's fifth-seeded Kurt Backes in the finals ... Defeated Wisconsin's 12th-ranked Dallas Herbst in NU's 19-18 win ... Topped Purdue's 14th-ranked Nathan Moore by 8-0 major decision in dual match (2/16). Dustin Fox, Hwt.: Posted career-best 33-5 record, 13-2 dual mark and went 6-1 in the Big Ten ... Finished third at NCAA Championships to earn first career All-American honor ... Used wins over third-seeded Bubba Gritter of Central Michigan and fifth-seeded Ty Watterson of Oregon State to earn third place ... Posted 4-1 record for third-place finish at Big Ten Championships ... Topped sixth-ranked Matt Fields in third-place match ... Started season with 14-match winning streak ... Won Eastern Michigan Open with a perfect 5-0 record for his first tournament win ... Knocked off UNC's then-third-ranked Spencer Nadolsky at ACC/Big Ten Clash ... Won second place at the 2006 Midlands Championships defeating Wartburg's eighth-seeded Blake Gillis and Central Michigan's fifth-seeded Bubba Gritter ... Defeated Wisconsin's Kyle Massey 3-2 to secure a 19-18 win against ninth-ranked Wisconsin (1/27) ... Closed Big Ten season with four-match winning streak ... Earned second fall of the season against Purdue's David Pisarcik (2/16).

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Tyron Woodley has been named the assistant coach for the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville wrestling program. SIUE Coach Patrick McNamara welcomed his new assistant, who comes to Cougar wrestling after spending the last two years on staff at the University of Missouri. Woodley joins SIUE as it begins its final year wrestling as an NCAA Division II institution. Beginning with the 2008-2009 wrestling season, SIUE will compete at the NCAA Division I level. "I am really excited to be apart of a rising program. This is a very unique situation. Our administration, parents, and community are showing tremendous support with the resurrection of a once-dominate program," Woodley said. The new coach has been involved at Missouri since 2000. He wrestled for the Tigers from 2000-2005 and coached from 2005-2007. Woodley was involved with the Tiger Total Person Progam, where he oversaw the academic progress of Missouri wrestlers. In addition to his coaching and academic responsibilities, he also coordinated many of the on-campus recruiting activities and TigerStyle camps. As a three-time team captain, Woodley collected several honors and awards. For the 2003 and 2005 seasons, he was a NCAA Division I All-American. In 2003, he claimed Missouri's first individual Big 12 Conference Championship. The Tigers had never won a individual title since the creation of the conference in 1997. While on his way to earning All-American honors, Woodley collected 110 wins and reached the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships three times. He also helped guide the Tigers to their highest NCAA Wrestling Championship finish in 20 years (11th) at the time. "I am very excited to have Tyron on my staff. Tyron is an outstanding wrestler who will bring a lot of skill and intensity to our wrestling room, but more importantly Tyron is a great person who will set a great example for our student-athletes. I am confident that Tyron has the abilities to help us take this program to the next level," said McNamara. The Cougar wrestling squad begins action on Sunday, Nov. 11, at the Central Missouri Open in Warrensburg, Mo

The defending national champion University of Minnesota wrestling program will hold its annual Fall Coaches' Clinic on Friday, Oct. 26, 2007 at the Bierman Athletic Building on the University of Minnesota campus. Highlighting the clinic will be Minnesota head coach J Robinson, Minnesota head assistant coach Marty Morgan, Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) head coach Jeff Buxton and Concordia-Moorhead head coach Clay Nagel. The Golden Gopher wrestling team will also give demonstrations during a live practice. Open to college, high school and club coaches, the clinic and workshop features Golden Gopher coaches and former student-athletes. This year's clinic and workshop will cover topics such as improving positioning, team building, pin/tilt technique and much more. J Robinson has compiled 318-103-3 (.750) record over his 21 seasons as the head coach for the Golden Gophers. He has coached a total of 39 Big Ten individual champions and 85 All-Americans during his time at Minnesota. Last season, Robinson led the Gophers to the National Duals Team title, the Big Ten Championship and the third national championship in program history. Morgan has been the head assistant coach at Minnesota for 15 seasons and is a former NCAA Head Assistant Coach of the Year. In addition to an impressive coaching resume that includes the Gophers' three national and six Big Ten titles, Morgan was a three-time All-American at Minnesota a former member of Team USA. The clinic will also include workshops taught by Buxton, who has coached Blair Academy to 25 national prep team titles and 11 undefeated seasons. He has put together the top high school team in the country eight times, including six in a row. The head coach for the Concordia-Moorhead Cobbers the past four seasons, Nagel is the former head coach at Frazee (Minn.) High School and guided the Hornets to three state championships. He was named the 1999 High School Coach of the Year in Minnesota and compiled a 314-69 record in 17 seasons at the prep level. Advance registration will be $100 (for $135 coaches will receive a USAW card as well), and a $15 fee applies to all registrations after Oct. 22. For additional information and registration, please download the following form and return to the University of Minnesota Wrestling office at the address listed on the form.

Take a look at the wrestling resumes of most Olympic gold medal-winning wrestlers from the US, and just about all of them had considerable international experience, built on a foundation from being state champs back in high school, and NCAA champions in college. Shelby Wilson is a notable exception to that rule. Wilson, who, along with Terry McCann and Doug Blubaugh, won the gold medal for the US in freestyle at the 1960 Olympics, never wrestled in international competition before going to Rome. In fact, he never won an Oklahoma state title while at Ponca City High School… nor did he claim a national collegiate crown as an Oklahoma State Cowboy. Which makes Shelby Wilson winning the Olympic gold medal all the more special. An introduction to the mat Shelby Wilson grew up on a farm outside Ponca City, a community of 25,000 in northern Oklahoma, just south of the Kansas border. He was the oldest of four children, with a sister and two brothers, both becoming Oklahoma high school state champs. Shelby Wilson"In junior high, my P.E. teacher Don Smith taught us wrestling," says Wilson. "He told me I should go out for wrestling. He was assistant wrestling coach to his brother Loren, the head wrestling coach." "My junior high coach was a good teacher of basics." Shelby Wilson had a challenging introduction to the sport in more ways than one. "In seventh grade, it was an especially rough winter. It was hard to get to and from practice from where we lived on the farm. I ended up turning in my gear." "In eighth grade, I kept getting beat out in the practice room. But then my team rival moved away, and, suddenly, I went from not making the team to pinning every opponent the rest of the way through eighth and ninth grades." "I lived on the chinning bar," says Shelby Wilson. "My junior high coach Grady Peninger got me started on chinning and push-ups … During the summer in high school I did 200 chin-ups each day on my mom's clothesline pole. My arms would never tire out during a match." "Both my junior high and high school coaches were Oklahoma State grads. They focused on the basics, and instilled a winning philosophy in us." "Loren Smith turned the junior high over to Grady Peninger my ninth grade year, and then Grady moved up to the high school my tenth grade year." High school highs … and lows Ponca City High was a wrestling powerhouse in the 1950s. In addition to Wilson, the school can also claim eventual Oklahoma State stars such as Gene Nicks (two-time NCAA heavyweight champ 1952 and 1954), Ned Blass (two-time 177-pound champ at the 1953 and 1954 NCAAs), Doug Blubaugh (157 pound champ at the 1957 NCAAs), and Dick Beattie (two-time NCAA champ at 157 pounds in 1958 and 1959). "I learned two lessons right away," says Wilson. "First, never argue with a coach. Second, don't wait around to be told what to do. I never had to be pushed. I was self-motivated." "My parents said, 'Do as I say' and I did. I always obeyed them, and my teachers and coaches … I understood later that it was God's plan to teach me respect for authority." Shelby Wilson had a stellar high school mat career at Ponca City, losing only three matches … all in the Oklahoma high school state tournament. In fact, obedience and respect for authority may have cost Wilson his chance at a state title. In a fall 2003 interview with wrestling writer Matt Krumrie, Wilson said, "When I was a sophomore, I won all duals by fall. I weighed about 120 but the coaches dropped me down to 105 for the state tournament. I was a farm kid, I had no fat to begin with, and I was sucking weight. It was horrible. I lost one match and placed third. My junior year, I moved up to 120, went undefeated, cut down again, and placed third. My senior year, I wrestled at 135, coming down from 142, which was a good weight for me, but I lost fair and square to Paul Aubrey." In the interview for this profile, Wilson tells a story of perseverance in high school: "I was sick with the flu before districts. I missed school except for wrestling practice … Thank goodness I was a pinner, and could end most of my matches quickly. My last match (at districts) I was up against an undefeated Greco technician. I was so tired, but had to go the full six minutes to get the win. Then, the following week, I lost in the finals at the state tournament to Paul." "When I lost (at the finals), it really hit me. It meant more to me than anything. It made me think that life was more than wrestling." "I was NOT a religious person up to that point. I went to church but I wasn't really ‘there.' I didn't smoke, drink or chase around. But something was missing." "After a few months of searching, I found that what was missing was a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. In August of 1955 I committed my life to Christ and follow Him to this day." And that laid a strong foundation for the rest of Shelby Wilson's life. Shelby becomes a Cowboy Shelby Wilson went to Oklahoma State University in nearby Stillwater on a full-ride scholarship -- the first member of his family to go to college. "I changed my major five times," Wilson discloses. "I accordingly got a degree in education." "I was a very average student," Wilson adds. "I only really understood school towards the end of my college career. Wrestling was so consuming." Shelby Wilson"I made the dean's list the year I paid my own way. This was after the Olympics, and I was finishing my last year. I had dropped out to try for the Olympics." How did Wilson choose Oklahoma State? "(Head wrestling coach) Art Griffith called, asking if he could visit me," recalls the 1960 Olympic gold medalist. "He asked, ‘Would you like to wrestle at A&M?' (Back then, the school was called Oklahoma A&M, for Agricultural and Mechanical) and handed me an application." "He didn't wine and dine you. He wanted you because your blood had already started to turn orange." "I was recruited by (the University of) Oklahoma but didn't really ever have a thought of going to school there," says Wilson. "I was just born to be a Cowboy,". What was it like wrestling for long-time Cowboy coach Art Griffith as he concluded his coaching career? "I learned more in that year-and-a-half than at any other time of my wrestling career," according to Wilson. "He taught principles, focusing on the reason you did something, the mechanics of wrestling. He refined some of (Ed) Gallagher's methods." "One of Griffith's favorite sayings was, ‘If muscles were everything, a bull could catch a rabbit.'" "Proper positioning was everything, not bull strength." Change at the top While Shelby Wilson was at Stillwater, his college changed names -- from Oklahoma A&M to Oklahoma State … and the head coach that recruited him, Art Griffith, retired, replaced by one of Wilson's teammates, 23-year-old Myron Roderick. "I had wrestled behind Roderick my first year," recalls Wilson. "We wrestled each other every day. To be behind a three-time NCAA champion, I took my lumps." "Myron was a little powerhouse. He perfected the fireman's carry… He took the coaching job seriously, and stood up for his teams." "(Roderick) wasn't necessarily the same mindset as Griffith," says Wilson when asked about his second college coach. "He was an innovator, a visionary. He started the practice of wrestlers wearing three-quarter-length workout shorts that functioned as kneepads for practice sessions." "He was an innovator in recruiting," continues Wilson. "Before Myron, most wrestlers (at Oklahoma State) were from the state of Oklahoma. For years, (college) coaches didn't have to do much recruiting. The school had turned out so many wrestlers that became high school coaches within the state, so they automatically sent their guys to Oklahoma State. That pretty much kept the program filled with talent." "There had been some exceptions over the years but very few. A fellow named Elias George transferred from Indiana (University) to Oklahoma A&M years ago. His brothers came to OSU while I was there. Elias was not recruited but went on his own." "Myron reached out even further. He recruited from Japan. Masaaki Hatta was on the team while I was there, and, not long after, (Yojiro) Uetake (three-time NCAA champ in the mid 1960s, and two-time Olympic gold medalist for Japan in 1964 and 1968)." When asked about another Cowboy of the late 1950s who was from far beyond Oklahoma -- Adnan Kaisy of Iraq -- Shelby Wilson immediately had a story: "He lived with me in a little one-car garage with bunkbeds, a desk and a bathroom … We had a tab at the local Dairy Queen, and at the grocery store." Cowboy career While at Oklahoma State, Shelby Wilson claimed the distinction of being the school's first-ever Big Eight champion, winning the 137-pound title in the conference's inaugural season in 1958. At the 1958 NCAAs held at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wilson was the top seed in the 137-pound class. He earned decisive wins over wrestlers from Cornell College of Iowa, Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa), and Lock Haven … and, in the semifinals, shut out fifth-seeded Dean Corner of Iowa State 5-0. However, in the finals, Wilson lost to cross-state rival Paul Aubrey of the Oklahoma Sooners 11-9 … who he had defeated in the Big Eight finals 17-10 just one week earlier. In 1959, Wilson avenged that finals loss by defeating Oklahoma's Aubrey in the 137-pound finals at the Big Eight championships, winning his second straight conference title. At the 1959 NCAAs at the University of Iowa, Wilson was seeded second behind Aubrey. At Iowa City, the Cowboy from Ponca City got clear-cut victories over grapplers from Bloomsburg, Colorado Mines, Minnesota, and Indiana before facing Iowa State's Larry Hayes in the finals. The fifth-seeded Cyclone got a 10-3 win over Wilson. In fact, those two NCAA finals losses were Shelby Wilson's only defeats in his entire college career. (Two of Shelby Wilson's early college opponents are names InterMat Rewind readers may recognize. In his second college match, Wilson defeated Iowa State's Ron Gray; in his third college bout, Wilson beat the 1957 NCAA 147-pound defending champ, Simon Roberts of Iowa.) During the regular season, Wilson wrestled at 147 … then "Myron put me down to 137 for the NCAAs." It was history repeating itself. The same tactic of wrestling one weight class during the season in high school, then dropping down a class for the championships didn't work in high school… and it failed in college as well. It was just one lesson that Shelby Wilson learned for the 1960 Olympics. Another lesson learned came from going up against Paul Aubrey a number of times (first time was in high school, where Wilson pinned the future Sooner). "When I beat him, I 'outslicked' him. When he beat me, he circled around the edge of the mat and I chased him." "At the Olympics, I used that same strategy. Rather than go after a guy who was playing the edge, I would go to the center of the mat, and the ref made him come to the middle, where I could take him down. This happened in my second match against Finland and I won with no problem." "Coach Griffith said, ‘You make a mistake, you correct it.' By the time of the Olympics, I got my mistakes worked out." First steps toward the Olympics "That fall (after the 1959 NCAAs), I came back to school, thinking I had a redshirt year due to injury that kept me out of my sophomore year, but the decision was ruled against me. I was eligible to compete for everything -- duals, Big Eight -- but not the NCAAs." After the start of the 1960 season, Myron Roderick urged Shelby Wilson to try out for the US Olympic wrestling team competing in Rome in late summer of 1960. "My heart wasn't really in freestyle at the time," Wilson confesses. "My only experience was at the 1959 AAUs … I had no ‘Olympic dream.'" "I started praying on it." "I started training, and continued to ask for God's help. I was confident that I should wrestle at 147.5 pounds, especially after having to cut down in high school and college." "I really didn't have anyone to teach me. Even Myron who was on the '56 Olympic team knew very little freestyle, so I asked God for a plan, and I developed a very good one." "Right after the 1960 NCAAs, the Olympic Trials started," according to Wilson. "There were twelve qualifiers around the country. If you placed first or second in one of those events, you were eligible for the national tourney." "I entered at a local (Oklahoma) event and another in Colorado. I ended up being double-qualified (for the national Olympic Trials in Ames, Iowa) and it was valuable experience -- my only international experience." "At the national tournament, in my first match, at the end of six minutes, I was dying… There was a move I used only once, a whizzer, then stuck my head into his body and dumped him for the fall." "I was totally discouraged. Completely gassed. Ready to go home." "However, in an hour, I was totally recovered. In fact, the more I wrestled, the better I felt. I got into competitive shape during the tournament. Since I had not wrestled my senior year, I had only the two previous tournaments for competition which was not a high level of competition. At the Trials it was time to get rolling." In the semifinals at Ames, Shelby Wilson faced future NCAA champ Greg Ruth. "He came down from 160 to 147.5. Big, tough guy. We battled to a draw, which meant I was in the top three." "In the finals I had to beat (Frank) Bettucci (1956 US Olympic team member). He really didn't want to tangle since he was assured first place even with a tie, which is what happened." according to Wilson. "However, I was in second, and the top three placers went to Olympic training camp." (The Olympic training camp in Norman, Oklahoma was the final event to determine who would be wrestling for the US in Rome.) "Back then, a wrestler could try out for both the freestyle and Greco-Roman teams. I figured, ‘Why not double your chances?' and immediately after the freestyle trials, went into the Greco competition too." Shelby Wilson then told a story with a bit of political intrigue. The top two men in Greco at his weight were Ben Northrup and Mike Rodriguez. The 'powers that be' in Greco wrestling, preferring that Rodriguez be the one to advance to the Olympic training camp, told Wilson to make sure to beat Northrup in their match. However, Wilson realized that if he beat Northrup at the Olympic Trials in Ames, he would face Rodriguez -- a 1957 NCAA champ at Michigan who Wilson considered to be the tougher of the two men -- at the Olympic training camp. With that in mind, Wilson wrestled to a draw with Northrup, assuring Northup a place at the camp in Norman. Wilson had doubled his chances of competing in Rome. However, he had to prepare for the last gauntlet of the winnowing process -- the Olympic training camp. Shelby Wilson wanted to set the record straight on how he got to the training camp. "For some reason, it has been written -- and it's still being written -- that I got to the camp on a hardship case because of injury," says the Ponca City native. "One of my opponents, Jim Burk of Colorado, was allowed in on hardship, and also Terry McCann, but I went through all that was required to be at the camp and wrestled those below me and above me to make the team." Surviving Norman "That summer, I linked up with Phil Kinyon (three-time NCAA finalist and 1961 champ for Oklahoma State at 157 pounds)," says Wilson. "I owe him a lot. We went at each other every day. We worked out, ran, worked his farm, then would wrestle two twelve-minute matches. That's where I perfected my moves." "Phil was a very important part of my Olympic victory and without him, I'm not sure what would have happened." From reports of some of the participants in the Olympic training camp -- held at the University of Oklahoma in Norman -- it sounds more like a military boot camp, or perhaps even a prisoner-of-war camp. Rigorous workout schedules, coupled with extreme late summer heat and humidity -- took its toll on a number of the wrestlers … yet, arguably, prepared the US team for the battle that was to come in Rome, where matches were wrestled outdoors in the Mediterranean sun. Phil KinyonAt the Olympic training camp, Shelby Wilson made the Greco team with two victories over Ben Northrup. Some coaches raised objections to Wilson trying out for the freestyle team -- in essence, saying, 'He's already on the Greco team.' However, as Wilson tells the story, "Port Robertson (long-time Oklahoma coach and 1960 Olympic freestyle coach) stuck up for me, saying it was allowed by the rules … He was a man of great honor, and I am thankful he was our coach or I might have been on the Greco team, and I'm not a Greco wrestler." To be the US freestyle wrestler at 147.5 pounds in Rome, Shelby Wilson would have to defeat in two straight matches the wrestler who came out of Ames in first place. "I had to chase him for eleven minutes 20 seconds, with no points scored. Towards the end of the match, I started to increase the pressure, and got a takedown at the edge of the mat, which the ref gave me." (Wilson won the match 1-0.) "We were scheduled to wrestle the second match the next day, but then I found out the opponent went home." "I was completely prepared for the second match. I don't think there's any way he could have won it." When in Rome … "It was an incredible experience to get to Rome," Shelby Wilson says of his Olympic adventure forty-seven summers later. "It was the easiest tournament I was ever in." Shelby WilsonAsked to clarify that seemingly bold statement, Wilson immediately responded: "It was only one match a day for five days. It wasn't hard because I was totally prepared -- physically, mentally, spiritually … I was in the best shape I'd ever been in. Everything in the plan was coming in line. Perfect preparation." "I was able to use the (Olympic) rules to my advantage," Wilson continues. "I perfected my takedowns, so I could do them in any situation … I put in all my training effort on the bottom, so no one could turn me." "My first three matches were all on my feet, which worked to my advantage, since I had two bad knees, and tried to stay off them as much as possible." "Before my match with the Japanese wrestler, the Russian (Vladimir Sinyavsky) signaled to me, 'Watch for his high crotch.'" "I was able to take the wrestler from Japan down eight times, and score a two-point tilt. He eventually got a two-point tilt, making the final score 10-2." 1960 Olympic gold medalists (from left): Shelby Wilson, Terry McCann, and Doug Blubaugh"That night, (Doug) Blubaugh and (Terry) McCann talked to me. They told me about the Russian, a two-time world champ, saying 'You've got him worried; (in beating the Japanese wrestler) you destroyed the guy who beat him." "While getting ready for the match, I tried for some psych-out moves –- something I normally would not do. Must have worked -- he did not want to wrestle, constantly shying away from me. I got two takedowns in the first period, which forced us into the par terre position. I had a couple of reversals then finished the last two minutes on my feet for the victory." In his fifth and final match, the farm boy from Oklahoma defeated the Iranian, while the Bulgarian beat the Korean … making Shelby Wilson the automatic Olympic champion, and gold medal winner in freestyle at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Wilson was joined by freestyle teammates Terry McCann and Doug Blubaugh as Olympic gold medalists. From the mat … to a mission After earning his Olympic gold medal, Shelby Wilson became a wrestling coach at both the college and high school level, including seven years as head coach at the University of Colorado. More recently -- from 1985-2005 -- Wilson served as an assistant coach at Owen Valley High School at Spencer, Indiana, not far from his home in Bloomington. It wasn't all wrestling after Rome. Wilson went to Texas to earn a graduate degree … and in the process, met Gretchen, the woman who became his wife in 1962. The two of them raised three daughters, who blessed them with nine grandchildren. While in Colorado in the early 1970s, Shelby and Gretchen Wilson established The Stronghold Youth Foundation, a Christian-based service organization that continues in Bloomington. "I've always felt a need to help people," says Wilson. "Helping stranded motorists, hitchhikers, the down-and-out." "God also blessed me with the ability to repair just about anything. I had a repair business to fix cars, appliances, you name it. Those who could pay, did. Those who couldn't, there was no charge." "Stronghold uses space donated by a local company. If there's a need and we have the means to help, then we help," Wilson explains. "Much of this work is aimed at international students but not exclusively." "Some kids come to school with nothing. We ask them to provide us with a list of what they need – furniture, linens, dishes, appliances -- and we provide them with what they need while they're here at school. Once they finish, they return the items for the next student to use." "It's a form of ministry. I tell them that God is seeing to their needs." While in the Wilsons' home, it was interesting to see Stronghold Youth Foundation in action. During the interview, Shelby took a number of phone calls from incoming Indiana University students who needed furnishings for their college homes as they arrived for fall semester. Shelby handled each of the calls with warmth, patience and grace, almost as if he were the father of each of the callers. Interestingly, there are few outward signs in Shelby and Gretchen Wilson's home that an Olympic gold medal-winner resides there. In a hallway there are a handful of framed photos of Shelby as a wrestler, including a dramatic action shot of him throwing Ben Northrup, and a familiar image of Wilson, Blubaugh and McCann wearing their gold medals -- and their eyeglasses. Wilson weighs in on college wrestling Along with the discussion of his own wrestling career and his work for Stronghold Youth Foundation, Shelby Wilson spoke passionately how his wrestling style at Oklahoma State in the late 1950s measures up to that used by other schools of that era … and how it compares to today's collegiate wrestling. "Wearing the orange and black was the greatest privilege," says the two-time NCAA All-American. "Back then, there was what we at OSU called 'the eastern style', which tended to rely more on brawn," according to Wilson. "Our style was sometimes labeled 'Run Aggie Run' -- they would accuse us of running when we were actually more mobile, more active on the mat. Others referred to it as 'take 'em down and let 'em up' which I think accurately describes my own wrestling style." (Looking at the 1958 and 1959 NCAA brackets, Wilson scored in the double digits in most of his matches.) Harkening back to what his coach Art Griffith had said about strength -- "If muscles were everything, a bull could catch a rabbit" -- Wilson says, "I think more and more wrestlers of today rely on brawn, muscle, rather than movement. I think of past wrestlers as moving around, being active, while today's wrestlers tend to want to 'slug it out' more, and rely on power moves." "In the past, coaches stressed that positioning was important, and emphasized technique. You used to see more duck unders, drags, high crotches. And you'd see more defense." Shelby Wilson and friend with gold medal"Today's fans haven't seen the scientific aspect of the sport." "Take any good caliber wrestler, teach him good technique, and he'll win an NCAA title." While comparing the past to the present, Shelby Wilson is also passionate about the state of officiating. "Refs do not seem to have the courage when it comes to stalling. Too many are afraid to call it. Application is inconsistent." "The first time you go off the mat, it should be a warning, then call stalling. A wrestler should not be given the chance to go off the mat." Nearly fifty years after winning wrestling's ultimate prize, 1960 Olympic gold medalist Shelby Wilson still demonstrates considerable passion for fixing the sport he loves … but channels his considerable fix-it skills and spiritual gifts to making life better for others in the area he now calls home. "I started wrestling at age twelve in grade seven, and, in my eleventh year of wrestling, I won the Olympics," says Wilson. "From junior high until I won the Olympics, I never lost a dual-meet match. I lost three times in high school, and twice in college. I never lost at 147 pounds in any style." "If I have any regrets in my wrestling career, it would be to have been able to wrestle at my normal wrestling weight for all my matches and see what might have happened. The first time I did that was at the Olympics."

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Rich Bender and Dremiel Byers. Bender is the Executive Director of USA Wrestling, the National Governing Body for amateur wrestling in the United States. He has worked full-time for USA Wrestling since 1989, serving as Executive Director of Programs and National Events Director prior to his current position. Byers won the Greco-Roman World Championships in 2002 and recently won a bronze medal at the 2007 Championships. His win gave the United States its first ever World Team title in Greco-Roman competition. He is one of only five American wrestlers to win a Greco-Roman World title. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

IOWA CITY, IA -- The University of Iowa wrestling team will hold open practice Saturday at 8 a.m. at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Fans are welcome to stop by and get a sneak peak at the 2007-08 Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes will also hold their annual coaches clinic October 26-27 at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex. Registration will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Friday, October 26 outside the wrestling room. The clinic fee will be $45 per coach and will run from 6:30-9 p.m. Friday. The Hawkeyes will hold a team practice Saturday in the practice room. The practice time is dependent on the start time of the Iowa vs. Michigan State football game. The first 100 coaches to register will be given free admission to the football game. Clinic speakers will be Bucknell University Assistant Coach Dave Hoffman and former Hawkeye wrestler John Oostendorp, who is the head wrestling coach at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. For more information, contact the Iowa wrestling office at 319/335-9405. Iowa opens the 2007-08 college wrestling season November 10 at the Harold Nichols Open in Ames.

America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show is now heard around the world. From our Brute Adidas Studios now broadcast on the following internet outlets: Takedownradio.com, KXNO.com, Matchannel.com, Mat-magazine.com. Please be sure to join our live broadcast each and every Saturday as we talk to the worlds greatest athletes. Wrestlers and MMA competitors alike join us each and every week. You should too! TDR is available LIVE, Archived and Pod Cast as well. Check out Takedownradio.com for more details. This week I'm on the road so Jeff and Steve take over the show for some exciting and informative information and interviews! Joining Steve Foster and Jeff Murphy this week- 9:05 Matt Valenti- New Assistant Head Coach at Columbia-What was your weight class? 125 lbs for 2 years; 133 for 2 years (won two NCAA championships at 133) Why did you want to become a wrestler? My Dad was a wrestler and my coach from the day I started walking. The most difficult thing about wrestling is: Believing in your heart that you are better than the guy who is across the mat from you. Many can believe it in their heads, but few believe it in their hearts. Why do you like coaching with Coach Buckley? He's very open to the different styles of wrestling. Every wrestler is different and unique in his own way. Coach Buckley allows each guy to embrace that and work with his strengths. 9:20 Triston Yunker- 22 year old MMA Star from Anderson Indiana. Been wrestling for 13 years. Wrestled at Ashland University, D2. Been doing MMA for 4 years. Record 12-6. Trains at Damage Inc in Indianapolis with Coach John Stutsman. Nothing scheduled right. Ask triston about sponsors. he needs them now to step up. 9:35 Jason Townsend-US World Team Coach (grappling), Fila Board Member, wrestling since he was 7. This 31 yr old wrestled at Syracuse and Hofstra where he lettered and started for both. Father and Mom live in Maryland. he was a 2 x time state champ for Rising Sun HS. Let's talk about the first World Championships of Grappling competition that took place in Turkey last month Sept. 7-9th. Training and coaching MMA/Wrestling at Extreme Couture in Vegas. 9:50 OPEN 10:05 Jason Loukides- Jason was named head coach for the Spartans of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro on June 28, 2006. Loukides served as assistant coach under Tom Shifflet from 2004-2006. He came to UNC Greensboro after spending six years in the world class training program with the U.S. Army in Colorado Springs, CO. Before moving to Colorado Springs, Loukides served as coach for Edinboro University's Scotsmen Wrestling Club team from 1996-97. He served two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Slippery Rock University where he was in charge of weight training. Loukides' won a silver medal in Greco International wrestling at the 2003 Pan American Games In the Greco National division, Loukides placed fourth at the U.S. National Championships and fifth at the U.S. Olympic Trials this past summer. In 2003, he earned a bronze medal in the freestyle division of the World Military Championships. 10:20 Dr. Bill Welker- Author of "The Wrestling Drill Book" find more information on Bill at WVMat.com 10:45 John "The Hurricane" Halverson- Midwest Cage Championship Event at the Bucs Arena. John is a UFC Vet and co-owner of Midwest Cage Championship. He has an MMA fight coming up Saturday night September 29th at the Bucs Arena. Check Midwestcagechampionship.com

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue University wrestling team did its part to make the world a better place this summer as they helped out with a variety of community service projects, both here in West Lafayette and in other venues of the country. One project for nearly half of the team was the Muscular Dystrophy Telethon presented by Purdue Television and Multimedia Production Services, Purdue Broadcast Network Services and WLFI-TV 18. The telethon was especially successful this year, raising a record total of $290,000. "It's great for us to be able to give back some," said sophomore Justin Fraga. "With all of the opportunities and resources that Purdue provides us, the wrestling team was excited about helping out with such a great cause. We're just happy to be able to do our part." Assistant Coach Tom Erikson represented the Boilermaker wrestling program for the second straight year at the annual Catch-A-Dream outdoor recreational event, presented by the Colusa Indian Community's Outdoor Adventures program in Colusa, Calif. The event was organized to provide a recreational weekend getaway for children and their families who are battling life threatening illnesses or disabilities. Erikson was one of many celebrity guests at the event along with former professional wrestler and movie actor Bill Goldberg, movie and television actor Jim Cody Williams and professional mixed martial arts fighters Gary Goodridge and Don Frye. "As a Coach and a former Olympic level athlete I have had the pleasure to run across many special people, special in who there are and what they have done," said Erikson. "All those people pale in comparison to those I had the pleasure to spend time with at this event. It was with these kids and their families that you truly realized the phrase 'live each day to the fullest as it may be your last' meant more than just words." These two events are the latest in a long line of community service by the Purdue wrestling team. The Boilermaker grapplers and coaching staff lend a large amount of time to the local River City Wrestling Club and several charitable organizations. "I really think that helping out in the community is our responsibility," added Purdue head coach Scott Hinkel. "People from the community come out and support us in our competitions. This is our way to show them how much we appreciate them."

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Zach Roberson, a three-time All-American and 2004 NCAA 133-pound Champion at Iowa State, has joined the Arizona State University wrestling coaching staff Head Coach Thom Ortiz announced Tuesday. The second-ranked freestyle wrestler in the United States at 60kg (132 pounds), Roberson will work with the lightweights in the Sun Devil program while working toward his goal of representing the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics. Zach Roberson"I am excited to have a talented wrestler like Zach Roberson in our wrestling complex to help our student-athletes prepare to excel this year," Ortiz said. "I recruited him in college and knew he was a talented wrestler. He proved that at the collegiate level and is ready to do so on the international level. I look forward to having him train toward making the U.S. Olympic team while helping ASU's wrestlers prepare to compete for Pac-10 and NCAA titles." Roberson recently placed second at the Senior World Team Trials, falling to Mike Zadick in the Championship Final at the tournament in Las Vegas in July. The runner-up at 60kg in the first season of Real Pro Wrestling for the Iowa Stalkers team, Roberson placed fourth at the most recent U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas. Recruited to Ames, Iowa, by then-assistant coach Ortiz, Roberson placed seventh at the NCAA Championships as a sophomore for his first All-America accolade before taking second as a junior and winning the national title as a senior by defeating Penn State's Josh Moore, 7-3, n the 2004 event. The 2003 Midlands Champion at 133 pounds and Art Kraft Champion of Champions recipient (best exemplifying the qualities of a champion) at the same meet, Roberson also placed third in the Big XII Championships before taking second place as a senior. Prior to his arrival at ISU, Roberson was a four-time state champion in Kansas, claiming crowns at 103, 112, 119 and 125-pounds before taking runner-up honors at the 125-pound high school national tournament. A recipient of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, which honors academic and wrestling excellence as well as community service, Roberson completed his prep career with an unblemished 153-0 record and won 109 of those bouts by pin fall.

This Thursday TDR will takes its mobile Brute Adidas studios on the road to Oklahoma City University. Coach Archie Randall and his staff, his 2 squads, male and female will be available as guests on this first of its kind program. I'm excited at the opportunity this affords us as we get to see a program that has battled its way back in to existence with both men's and women's program's in the face of title 9. We'll go one on one with Coach Randall starting at 4 PM this Thursday at Takedownradio.com. The broadcast is free of charge courtesy of OKCU and our great sponsors. Tune in won't you.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Kevin Jackson and Jason Townsend. Jackson is one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers the United States has ever produced. During his international career, Jackson won World Championships in 1991 and 1995 and an Olympic gold medal in 1992. He is one of only six American wrestlers to win three or more World gold medals. Jackson currently serves as the full-time head coach for the national freestyle wrestling program in Colorado Springs. He also works to develop freestyle coaches and programs in the United States. Since taking over as the freestyle national teams head coach in 2001, the United States has placed in the top three twice and recently placed fourth at the 2007 freestyle World Championships. Townsend was the head coach of the first United States World Grappling team that won the team championship earlier this month. He is also the author of the rulebook that was adopted by FILA (the international wrestling federation) and is a member of the FILA World Grappling Committee. Townsend is a Wrestling/Grappling coach at Xtreme Couture MMA in Las Vegas, Nevada. He serves as Head Wrestling Coach at Marc Laimon's Cobra Kai jiu-jitsu, also located in Las Vegas. As a wrestler, Townsend served as an assistant wrestling coach at Cal-State Fullerton from 2000-2005. He competed in college at both Syracuse and Hofstra following two Maryland state title. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

NORMAN, Okla. -- University of Oklahoma wrestling welcomed one of the largest classes ever to the program this season. Ten new Sooners have started practice and will quickly challenge for starting spots on the squad. "Our recruiting classes aren't usually this large, and there is a good possibility that several of these guys will wind up in the starting line-up," Head Coach Jack Spates said. "We have signed guys that are extremely capable of contributing right away and put us in a position for a bright future." The Sooner recruiting effort went coast-to-coast, signing state champions from California to Pennsylvania. The 10 member class combined for 15 state championships. The class is comprised of eight freshmen, one sophomore and a senior. The group has two previous NCAA qualifiers in transfers Max Dean (Indiana) and Eric Lapotsky (Bucknell). There will be holes to fill with several key Sooners departing from last year's team. But holes in the line-up present opportunities for new faces to make their way onto the mat to start for the Sooners. "We have a chance to have six, maybe seven freshmen and sophomores in the line-up this year," Spates said. "It is going to be a really fun group to coach." The coaches are excited about the youth, and the competition makes them excited about what's in store for this year's team. "The young guys and transfers we brought in have exceptional drive and determination," Spates said. "It is going to be an extremely fun year because although these guys are young, they are going to be an aggressive group on the mat." Practice for the Sooner team begins Tuesday, September 18.

COLUMBUS, Ohio –- Joe Heskett and Tommy Rowlands, assistant coaches for the Ohio State wrestling team and U.S. Freestyle World Team members, helped their respective weight classes qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, at the World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Heskett and Rowlands, who wrestled in the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex Thursday and Friday, represented two of the five classes that will go on to compete for the United States in the 2008 Olympics. The U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials will be held June 12-15, 2008 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Overall, the U.S. team finished fourth in the freestyle competition with 32 points. Russia won the event with 68 points, while Turkey (40 points) was second and Cuba rounded out the Top 3 (34 points). Heskett, who wrestled at 74kg/163 pounds, won his first four matches before dropping his final two decisions. Of his four wins, Heskett shut out his opponent in seven of the 10 periods wrestled, including a 1-0, 6-0 victory over Hiroki Kayamori of Japan in his second bout of the event. Prior to that match, Heskett defeated China's Zijian Wu, 4-3, 1-0. In his third and fourth match-ups, Heskett topped Asghar Ali Bazrighaleh of Iran (4-0, 0-4, 2-0) and Gabor Hatos of Hungary (1-0, 0-4, 2-0). Heskett then faced former world champion Makhach Murtazaliev of Russia in the semifinals. After winning the first period, 3-1, Heskett lost the final two periods, 1-0 and 3-1. Still in contention for the bronze medal, Heskett faced Chamsulvara Chamsulvarayev of host country Azerbaijan, but eventually lost, 1-0, 3-1. After winning his first match in dominating fashion against Mexico's Lawrence Langowski Mendoza, 6-1, 6-0, at 120kg/264.5 pounds, Rowlands would face former world champion Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba in the third round, where he lost, 2-0, 1-0. However, Rowlands would rebound with consecutive wins against Germany's Martin Siddiqui, 1-3, 1-0, 3-0, and Bulgaria's Boyidar Boyadzhiev, 1-0, 1-2, 1-0, to advance to the bronze medal round. It was in his final match up, Rowlands would wrestle former Olympic and World champion Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan and drop a 3-0, 6-0 decision.

Columbia, Mo. -- Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith will sit down and talk wrestling with the Voice of the Tigers, Mike Kelly, beginning around 7:20 p.m. (CT) on Monday, Sept. 24. The show, which airs lives at the SportsZone located in the Holiday Inn Executive Center, can be heard on most of the Tiger Network affiliates. Fans are encouraged to attend the live show, which begins at 7:08 p.m. (CT). Other guests on Monday's show include Missouri Director of Athletics Mike Alden, Associate Athletic Director for Administration Mark Alnutt and another fall sport coach to be determined. Smith's nationally ranked Tiger program finished the 2006-07 season with a third place showing at the 77th annual Division I Wrestling Championships in Auburn Hills, Mich. Highlights of the three-day event included the crowning three Tiger All-Americans, recent graduates Ben Askren at 174 pounds, and Matt Pell at 165 pounds along with current senior Tyler McCormick at 133 pounds. Askren became Missouri's first four-time wrestling All-American and two-time National Champion in program history and now serves as the Tiger's volunteer assistant coach. Seven members of Missouri's 2007 Big 12 runner up team return for the upcoming campaign including Big 12 Champions junior Raymond Jordan (194) and sophomore Maxwell Askren (197). The Tiger wrestling season will begin Nov. 9 in Lawrenceville, N.J. as Missouri faces off with Rider.

Wrestling, considered to be the oldest sport, has a new brother, the sport of Grappling. Earlier this year, Grappling was officially sanctioned by FILA, the organizing body that oversees various forms of international wrestling competition. USA Wrestling quickly followed suit. The very first world championship in Grappling took place in early September in Turkey … with the US team sweeping all nine gold medals. Grappling 101 Jason TownsendAlthough a new sport, amateur grappling can trace its roots back to long-standing forms of martial arts. Jason Townsend, one of the coaches for the US World Grappling team -- and the one responsible for writing the official FILA World Grappling Committee rulebook for the amateur sport of Grappling -- describes grappling as "a hybrid between various wrestling styles and jiu-jitsu -- a blend of wrestling and other martial arts." "Grappling is a form of submission wrestling," says Townsend. "There's no fall. In that regard, Grappling is like jiu-jitsu. Points are scored for a side mount -- putting your opponent on their back, similar to nearfall points in amateur wrestling." In Grappling, a match is six minutes in length … though, as Jason Townsend points out, at the 2007 US World Grappling Team Trials at Las Vegas (held in conjunction with the US World Wrestling Team Trials in June), "over 50% of the matches ended in submission, with an opponent ‘tapping out.'" Matches are contested on regulation amateur wrestling mats. Grappling is an equal-opportunity sport, with separate competitions for men and women. There are five weight classes for men (136.5, 154, 176, 202.5 and 275 pounds) and four for women (105.5, 121, 138.75 and 145 pounds). In terms of uniforms, grapplers wear what Townsend described as "board shorts/surfing shorts, with UnderArmor-type, tight-fitting, short-sleeve shirts." The genesis for Grappling as an amateur sport "There are professional grappling events already taking place, each with its own set of rules," explains Jason Townsend. "By establishing an international set of rules, we wanted to not only establish a level of consistency in all amateur-sanctioned Grappling competition around the world, but also provide legitimacy and a level of safety to the competition." "For instance, we specified regulation amateur wrestling mats to provide additional safety to absorb competitors when they're thrown," Townsend adds. "I've seen some grappling events contested on thin tatami mats not designed for high-amplitude throws, which increases an athlete's chance of getting injured." Randy Couture"There's a real hunger for mixed martial arts competition," Townsend continues. "Look at the success of pay-per-view events for UFC, Pride and other MMA (mixed martial arts) competition. Look at the popularity of reality TV shows that focus on MMA. And look at all the amateur wrestlers who are now competing in mixed martial arts." There's a long list of top amateur wrestlers who've found success in mixed martial arts competition over the years, including early pioneers such as Randy Couture, Mark Schultz, Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, and Chuck Liddell… and more recent college grads Johny Hendricks and Jake Rosholt (both multi-time NCAA champs from Oklahoma State), and Paul Bradley, an Iowa Hawkeye alum. "College wrestlers are interested in submission wrestling," according to Townsend, who, after winning two Maryland high school state titles, wrestled at Syracuse and Hofstra in the 1990s. "It's part of the warrior mentality." Historical perspective In discussing the new amateur sport of Grappling, Jason Townsend provides a quick historical sketch: "Old-time professional wrestling of a century ago, with guys like Frank Gotch, Farmer Burns, George Hackenschmidt, Joe Stecher and others from the late 1800s and early 1900s, looks a lot like today's grappling." "Back then, a wrestler could win a match by a pin, or with a submission hold." "As pro wrestling became more theatrical, submission wrestling took on a new life of its own, as a separate entity. For instance, judo started to be popular in the 1940s; in the past decade or so, various combat arts from Brazil, Japan and other places have emerged onto the world scene." 2007 World Grappling Championships The first-ever World Grappling Championships took place in Antalya, Turkey on September 9, 2007, as part of the World Wrestling Games (which also included Beach Wrestling, Sombo, and Pankration). The US won 21 out of a possible 35 medalsThere were a total of more than 100 competitors from fifteen countries at the inaugural event. The US team brought twenty-seven grapplers, and delivered a dominating performance, sweeping all nine gold medals … and winning 21 out of a possible 35 medals. Earning gold medals in the women's competition: Lisa Ward (Lacey, WA/United Fight Team) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Felicia Oh (Tarzana, CA/JJ Machado/BJMUTA) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Tara LaRosa (Woodstown, NJ/unattached) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., and Valerie Worthington (Whittier, CA/New Breed/Hollywood Jiu Jitsu) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. The US men who brought home grappling gold: Darren Uyenoyama (South San Francisco, CA/Fogtown Jiu Jitsu) at 62 kg/136.5 lbs., Ricky Lundel (Orem, UT/Pedro Sauer Team) at 70 kg/154 lbs., Don Ortega (Albuquerque, NM/No Limits) at 80 kg/176 lbs., Malcolm Havers (Parker, CO/Grapplers Edge) at 92 kg/202.5 lbs., and Jeff Monson (Coconut Creek, FL/Victory Athletics) at 125 kg/275 lbs. Incredibly, in four of the five men's gold-medal finals matches, both grapplers were from Team USA. Bob Anderson"I really think having a training camp and bringing many of our people together really helped," said Bob Anderson, who, along with Jason Townsend, coached the US World Grappling Team, quoted in an USA Wrestling article about the event. "We didn't want to just win the championship. We wanted everybody to be the most outstanding they could be, no matter the outcome." "The team performed at the highest level against great competition," said Townsend in the same USA Wrestling story. "All the athletes had tough matches and pulled through with flying colors. This is the beginning of a new era for Grappling. It was a pioneering effort for USA Wrestling. We were excited to be a part of this historic event, and we will work hard to remain a dominant force for years to come." Grappling's future When asked to look into the future of Grappling, Jason Townsend responded, "We're expecting thirty countries at the Grappling World Championships next year," says Townsend. "We're working towards being a part of the Olympics someday, but realistically there is a lot of work to be done before then." Lisa WardIf the extreme interest in professional mixed martial arts competition is any indicator, Grappling is an amateur sport that is expected to grow, given its appeal to a broad demographic – not just in terms of fans, but competitors as well. "We think that Grappling has appeal for individuals 18-40 years old," says Jason Townsend. "Audiences who have been watching MMA events on TV will immediately relate to amateur Grappling." "For competitors, Grappling opens doors to athletes who've competed in various sports -- not just wrestling, but jiu jitsu and other martial arts. Look at all the individuals of all ages who study and practice various martial arts at thousands of schools and studios across the US. There's a huge potential market for Grappling." "And, because Grappling is actually less hard on the body, grapplers can extend their careers beyond what is typical for amateur wrestlers, or even those who compete in Freestyle and Greco competition after college." "We're not trying to take over amateur wrestling, or replace any existing forms of wrestling here in the US," adds Townsend. "We see opportunities for amateur wrestling and Grappling to help each other flourish and grow, in terms of fan base, and number of competitors."

The defending national champion Golden Gopher wrestling team enjoyed an eventful day in Washington, D.C. Friday, as they commemorated their NCAA victory with stops at the Capitol Building, Pentagon and a ceremony at the White House with President George W. Bush. The 2006-07 championship squad, along with several athletics administration and team staff members, were treated to tours of some our nation's most important landmarks before ending their day by commemorating their third NCAA championship on the lawn outside the White House. The team's day began at 8 a.m. sharp, as they received a tour of the Capitol Building as guests of former House Speaker (and current Illinois state representative) Dennis Hastert. Hastert, a former high school wrestling coach, was also instrumental in arranging the team's previous visit to the White House in 2001. The Gophers visited Hastert's office as well as the House chamber until about 11 a.m. One of the day's highlights was a police escort that shuttled the Gopher delegation between their stops at the Pentagon and White House, allowing them to circumvent the normally heavy D.C. traffic. After a brief Pentagon tour, the group headed to the White House at approximately 12:30 p.m. for that afternoon's ceremony. Seven other NCAA champion squads were also present at the commemoration, including the two-time College World Series champion Oregon State baseball team and the defending NCAA champion Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team. At the White House, the Minnesota delegation toured several of the structure's most noted rooms, including the Blue Room, Library and State Dining Room. After team members posed for a photo with President Bush, the entire crowd was brought to the South Lawn for that afternoon's presentation. The championship teams entered the lawn and were introduced as the President's Band played each school's fight song. Two-time NCAA champion Cole Konrad and the other team champion captains were allowed a personal 20-minute audience with the President before the ceremony began. The team captains also walked onto the podium with the President himself, standing next to the country's chief executive during his speech. "I'm honored to be among the nation's finest student-athletes," said President Bush during his roughly 10-minute address. "These people set high standards both on and off the field, and work hard to achieve the goals they set for themselves." After the President's remarks ended their White House stay, the team made stops at the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial before their late Friday evening flight to Minneapolis. The Gopher wrestling team has now visited the White House and President Bush on two separate occasions, the other following the program's first national championship in 2001. The 2007-08 Gopher wrestling season opens on Nov. 10 when Minnesota partakes in the 2007 Bison Open, hosted by North Dakota State. The defending national champions return to Williams Arena for their home opener Dec. 2.

Des Moines, IA -- September 13, 2007- Takedown Radio ( TDR) and the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) have taken their nutritional message beyond the airwaves by creating wrestling themed retail displays and recipe brochures. The campaign, titled "Pin and Win with Pork" was launched recently during Iowa's wildly popular State Fair. Free recipes were provided to the throngs of people visiting the IPPA fair location during the week long event. In total, nearly 100,000 prepared pork products were served at the IPPA location during the fair. "The real message here is proper nutrition, managing weight, and working toward peak performance" offered TDR founder and host Scott Casber. "This promotion creates a highly visible and attractive means to reinforce that message while providing additional value to consumers" Casber added. TDR will display the promotion during the numerous live broadcasts it provides from major wrestling competitions throughout the country during the upcoming wrestling season. Displays are also being provided to retail marketing partners including grocery, drug, and sporting goods merchants. "We're a day in and day out sponsor of TDR and a huge wrestling supporter", stated IPPA's Joyce Hoppes. "We believe we've created a new way to show our support as well as providing a fun promotion for a wide array of outlets" Hoppes concluded. Counter displays and four color recipe brochures are available without charge to retailers, schools, universities, wrestling camps, and sports programs. The promotion runs throughout the 2007-2008 wrestling season and will be featured on TDR's weekly broadcasts as well as additional live programming. TDR is heard Saturday mornings 9-11 AM on Des Moines Sports Station, KXNO1460 and around the world on takedownradio.com. Additionally, TDR has added international syndication through matchannel.com, Mat-magazine.com based throughout Europe. Counter displays and recipe cards can be requested by calling TDR at (515) 274-0849 or by email at arns.chris@gmail.com

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the veteran tutelage of head coach Troy Sunderland, will head into the 2007-08 season riding the crest of two straight superb seasons and featuring the perfect blend of veteran strength and youthful potential. Two All-Americans and three other qualifiers from the 2006-07 season return as do a number of key red-shirts. Add to that one of the nation's top recruiting classes and the Nittany Lions appear poised to start another journey towards Big Ten and NCAA glory. A total of seven starters from last year return along with a number of veterans who have started in years past. "We have a talented mix on this year's roster and our staff is looking forward to working with this group this year," Sunderland said. "With two All-Americans and a number of qualifiers returning, it gives our outstanding younger wrestlers the chance to work with - and learn from - the best." Leading the charge for Penn State will be three-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) at 197 pounds and returning All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.). Strayer was an All-American at 133 last year and will move up to 141 this season. In addition to that duo, national qualifiers Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) all return. McKnight is a three-time qualifier at 125, Jenkins qualified last year as a true freshman at 157 and will wrestle at 149 this season while Vallimont reached the `round of 12' as a freshman at 149 last season and will move up to 157 for the new campaign. WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT BREAKDOWN 125: McKnight went 23-11 last year, bolting out to a 16-1 mark and a No. 2 national ranking. The senior from McDonald, Pa., will look to negotiate the Big Ten season as well as the Big Ten Championships in order to prep himself for an All-America run in March. McKnight has a superb 88-34 career record, wrestling for two seasons at Buffalo before debuting for PSU last year. Backing McKnight up will be red-shirt freshmen Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.) and Adam Smetana (Valencia, Pa.) as well as true freshman Desmond Moore (Easton, Pa.). Caschera went 3-10 in unattached action last season while Smetana was 1-2. Smetana will be out for much of the first term recovering from surgery. Moore finished third at the PIAA championships last year for Easton High School. Part-time 2005-06 starter Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), who red-shirted last year, will utilize an Olympic red-shirt this season as he strives to make the U.S. squad that will compete in Beijing in 2008. 133: With All-American Strayer moving up to 141, this lower weight class will see a spirited battle for the starting spot. Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) will have a real shot at grabbing the starting spot here after taking an injury red-shirt in 2006-07. Haas was a starter throughout most of 2005-06 at 125 before an injury cut his season short just before March's tournament run. Haas, who was 5-0 in early season action last year, was 14-7 at 125 two years ago and has a 22-8 overall mark, including a 6-5 record in duals. Reserves at 133 could come from Penn State's talented group of 125-pounders or, perhaps, a member of a very deep corps of 141-pounders. Look for true freshman Chad Mitchell (Lilburn, Ga.) to compete at this weight. Mitchell was a Georgia State Champion in high school. 141: Strayer heads up a weight to the 141-pound class. The junior went 27-8 at 133 last year and walked away with a seventh place finish at nationals to earn his first All-America tag. He finished in the `round of 12' as a freshman a year prior. Strayer was 16-3 in duals in 2006-07 and was 7-4 in the post-season. He heads into his first year at 141 with a 53-14 career record. Five freshmen are in line to push Strayer for mat time as well. Mike Eagan (Morris Knolls, N.J.) is a red-shirt freshman who went 8-11 unattached last year. Matt Jacobs (Phoenix, Md.) Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.) and Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) are all true freshmen ready to take their shots at this weight. Jacobs won the 2007 Maryland State title at 141; Molinaro is a three-time New Jersey State Champion and was the National High School Runner-Up; Pisani (who could also wrestle at 149) had two top five finishes at PIAAs; and Scott was a three-time PIAA Champion during his high school days. Scott was not a full-time student nor on the wrestling roster at Penn State a year ago and heads into 2007-08 as a true freshman. 149: Jenkins, a qualifier at 157 a year ago as a true freshman, moves down to 149 this year, a more natural weight for the 2007 FILA Junior World Champion. Fresh off an outstanding summer of freestyle action, Jenkins heads into the new season looking to make a run at All-America laurels at a lighter weight. The Virginia-native went 23-12 last year, with a 7-5 dual match mark and a 4-4 record in Big Ten action. He was 4-5 in the post-season. Red-shirt freshman Christian Harr (Hollidaysburg, Pa.) will also compete at this weight. Harr was 6-5 in unattached action last year. Joining Harr as a contender for action at this weight will be sophomore Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.). Lynch was 4-4 at Navy last year and finished as high as third at the Pennsylvania championships. 157: Vallimont had an outstanding season last year, reaching the NCAA `round of 12' as a freshman at 149. The New Jersey native will move up to 157 where he will look to improve upon that, take the next step and become an All-American for the Nittany Lions. Vallimont went 22-12 in 2006-07, including a 12-7 mark in duals and a 5-3 record in Big Ten action. He was 6-4 in post-season action as well. Vallimont ended the year ranked No. 12 in the nation. Junior Jon Clemens (McVeytown, Pa.) is coming off an 11-8 season last year and has a 15-10 career record. Craig Owsiany (Phoenixville, Pa.) returns for his sophomore season at 157 as well. Owsiany was 0-2 last year. Joining the trio of veterans at this weight will be a stable of talented newcomers. Freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.), who could also wrestle at 165, was a Bronze Medal winner at High School Nationals and a PIAA Runner-Up. Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) is a three-time PIAA State Champion and won the High School National Championship as well. Shane Everett (Saylorsburg, Pa.), who could also wrestle at 165, was a state qualifier at Pleasant Valley High School. 165: Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) returns for his second go-round at 165 pounds after a solid freshman season. The talented Ohio-native went 21-13 as a true freshman. He posted 19 dual match points and three Big Ten wins. This year, the sophomore will be looking to earn his first trip to nationals and make some noise at NCAAs. Junior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) will also look to be a factor at this weight. Friend saw action as a starter for Penn State last year as well, going 6-5 overall, including a 3-2 dual match record. Friend heads into his junior year with a 9-7 career record. Red-shirt freshman Michael Lorenzo (Bellefonte, Pa.) rounds out the returning veterans at 165. Lorenzo posted a 1-9 mark in unattached action in 2006-07. Both Bollinger and Everett could move up from 157 to battle at 165 as well. 174: Gone is All-American James Yonushonis, but looking to fill those rather impressive shoes is red-shirt sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio). Erwin started as a true freshman at 165 in 2005-06, putting together an outstanding freshman campaign before an injury in the Big Ten Tournament kept him from advancing to nationals. The talented Ohio-native red-shirted last year and is now bigger, stronger and more driven to have an impact up at 174 pounds. Erwin went 23-8 as a true freshman, including a 10-2 dual match record and a 5-1 mark in Big Ten action. Looking to challenge Erwin at 174 is junior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.). Decker has started in each of his freshman and sophomore years (with a red-shirt in between) and has the potential to be an impact wrestler for Penn State as well. He has a 30-30 career record, including a 10-6 mark last year and a 20-24 record as a true freshman at 149 in 2004-05. 184: Junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) and sophomore Mike Ward (Mayfield, Ohio) split time at 184 last year and the talented duo returns to battle for a starting spot again this season. Bomberger went 8-14 overall and has a 16-20 career record. Ward was 14-11 last season, which was his red-shirt freshman campaign. Junior Neil Bretz (Carlisle, Pa.), who has been plagued by injuries, returns this season. Bretz went 1-5 as a starter in duals in 2005-06. 197: Senior All-American Davis will embark upon his journey to become only Penn State's fourth four-time All-American and to grab the national title that has slipped away from him for three years. Already owner of a Big Ten title, will carry a 90-19 record into his final season after last year's 28-5 mark. He was a perfect 8-0 in Big Ten duals and was 7-0 in pins. Davis has a superb 41-5 career dual match record, is 22-1 in pins and has collected 169 career dual match points. Redshirt freshmen Nathan Andrews (Spring Mills, Pa.) and Justin Hepburn (Williamsport, Pa.) return at 197 as well. Andrews went 6-10, splitting time at 197 and HWT, last year in unattached action while Hepburn did not see any action. Joining the upper-weight wars will be freshman Jared Platt (Blairstown, N.J.). Platt won two Pan American Junior Gold Medals over the summer, was a two-time prep national champion and a junior national runner-up. HWT: With 2007 national runner-up Aaron Anspach denied another year by the NCAA, the heavyweight position will be one of the most hotly contested weight classes in the Penn State wrestling room. Sophomores John Laboranti (Scranton, Pa.) and Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.) will return after transfer seasons last year. Laboranti did not wrestle in 2006-07 while Tighe went 8-3 in unattached action and competed in the FILA Junior World Championships this summer. Laboranti transferred prior to last season from Virginia Tech while Tighe transferred in from Nebraska. Joining that veteran duo will be fellow sophomore Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.) posted a solid 7-8 mark last season as a red-shirt freshman. True freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) comes in ready to compete for mat time as well. Wade was a two-time Ohio State Champion and a three-time finalist at St. Peter Chanel High School. THE SCHEDULE AHEAD The Nittany Lions will face one of the nation's toughest schedules once again. Penn State will face eight of the nation's best in its usual swing through the Big Ten this year. In addition, Penn State has put together a daunting non-conference slate that includes a return to the National Duals and a trip to Oklahoma State. The season begins with Wrestle-Offs on Nov. 4 and kicks off with a home dual against Maryland on Sunday, Nov. 11. Eastern power Hofstra comes to Rec Hall for a dual on Saturday, Nov. 17. Penn State will then take part in the Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, Dec. 2. The Nittany Lions hit the road for the first time with a dual swing that takes them to Lehigh (Friday, Dec. 7) and Oklahoma State (Sunday, Dec. 9). The dual in Stillwater will be the last of the fall semester. The spring session begins with the yearly match-up with Cornell. This time, Penn State and the Big Red will tangle in Rec Hall on Friday, Jan. 4. The next weekend, the Nittany Lions will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take part in the 2008 National Duals. The annual dual match tournament once again features a field of the country's best collegiate programs. The only other non-conference dual on the schedule is the season finale at Lock Haven on Saturday, February 23. Penn State's eight-dual Big Ten schedule begins with a trip to Iowa on Sunday, Jan. 20. The Lions then visit Ohio State on Friday, Jan. 25, before returning home for a Rec Hall meeting with Indiana on Sunday, Jan. 27. A two dual swing through Illinois starts at Northwestern on Friday, Feb. 1, and concludes at Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 3. The Nittany Lions then host Michigan on Friday, Feb. 8, Michigan State on Friday, Feb. 15, and Purdue on Sunday, Feb. 17. Wisconsin and Minnesota rotate off the conference schedule this year. "We've created a very challenging schedule this season, one that will test us from the start and prepare us well for the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments," Sunderland said. "We face some of the East's top programs early on and return to the National Duals. Then, in the Big Ten portion of the schedule, we once again dive into the rugged conference battles that really prepare you mentally and physically for March. I'm very pleased at the make-up of the schedule and that our fans will once again be able to see the nation's best in Rec Hall." THE GOALS "Our goal, every year, is to win the Big Ten title and NCAA crown," Sunderland said. "That is what every team begins every season focusing on. To make runs at those goals, we need to focus on each portion of the season as a rung on a ladder, as a single step in our path towards becoming champions. The generous support of the Penn State Wrestling Booster Club enabled us to travel to Romania as a team this summer, and that experience helped this unit bond early and had them excited to return for the start of the new campaign. The pre-season needs to be focused and intense. We then need to attack the non-conference portion of our schedule with fire and balance. We can't peak too soon, yet we need to have early success to maintain our level of confidence. The Big Ten season is where things really ramp up and it's a gut-check time in terms of stamina, both mental and physical. The entire season builds up to the two tournaments in March and we need to focus on every little aspect of the journey."

DURHAM, N.C. -- Head coach Clar Anderson and the Duke wrestling team released their 2007-08 schedule today. The slate includes six regular season tournaments and upwards to 20 dual meets. All dates have been finalized, yet the times of some meets are still to be announced. The Blue Devils will have their annual exhibition Blue-White meet on Sat., Oct. 27, to determine rankings of their wrestlers in each weight class. The season kicks off on Sat., Nov. 3 in Charleston, S.C. at the Freshman and Sophomore Open hosted by the Citadel. That is followed by two more weekends of tournaments: Nov. 9-10 at the UNC Pembroke Open and Nov. 17 at the East Stroudsburg Open. Duke heads to Bloomington, Ind., on Sat., Nov. 24 for the Indiana Duals. Indiana, Oregon St., Ohio and Liberty will all be at the competition. Three more tournaments (two in the first weekend of the month and one in the last weekend) await the Blue Devils in December, with a four-week break in between. January and February are loaded with dual meets. The home opener is a dual matchup with ACC rival N.C. State on Wed., Jan. 9 at 7 p.m., in Cameron Indoor Stadium. At home, Duke also faces Virginia on Sun., Feb. 10 at 6 p.m., Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. and VMI at 4 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 16, and Duquesne on Sun., Feb 24 at 6 p.m., which will also be senior night. The ACC Championship will be hosted by the University of Maryland on Sat., March 8 in College Park, Md. The NCAA Tournament takes place March 20-22 in St. Louis, Mo. The Blue Devils are coming off of a 7-9 season and return seven of 10 starters to their lineup.

Columbia, Mo. -- Missouri wrestling Head Coach Brian Smith announced today that this year's TigerStyle Wrestling Clinic will be held Sunday, Oct. 14, beginning at 10 a.m. (CT) in the Missouri wrestling facility located on the fourth floor of the Hearnes Center. The entry fee is $40 and includes three technique sessions followed by an open mat/scrimmage and autograph session. Lunch is also provided as well as a wrestling camp t-shirt. The six-and-a-half hour clinic is open to athletes between the ages of seven to seniors in high school. Smith, along with assistant coaches Shawn Charles and Lee Pritts, volunteer assistant and two-time National Champion Ben Askren and members of the nationally ranked wrestling squad will be on hand to teach their unique TigerStyle method. Held in the state-of-the-art 60x104 foot wrestling facility, participants will experience training sessions with the coaching staff as well as have the opportunity to meet and get autographs from some of the nation's finest wrestlers. To register for the Oct. 14 camp, please visit www.mutigers.com for a registration form or contact Pritts at 573-673-8845. Pritts can also be reached by email at prittsl@missouri.edu.

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa Assistant Wrestling Coach Dan Gable has decided to step down from that position. The announcement came today from Head Wrestling Coach Tom Brands. Brands said Gable will remain fully engaged in the day-to-day operations of Iowa's wrestling program, but without the title or on-the-mat responsibilities that come with the title of assistant coach. "Dan has been my coach and my mentor. What's important to me is that he's going to remain involved in the Hawkeye wrestling program and will continue to play a significant role as we continue to make progress toward the goal of domination," said Brands. "My assistant coach's role was always temporary and I'm not going anywhere. I'll be directly involved in our wrestling program as much as NCAA rules allow me to be," said Gable. Gable, arguably the state of Iowa's most successful student-athlete and coach and the architect of one of college athletics' longest running dynasties, will return to his role as special assistant to the director of athletics effective Oct. 1. Another full-time coach will be added to the wrestling staff. "Dan has been my coach and my mentor. What's important to me is that he's going to remain involved in the Hawkeye wrestling program and will continue to play a significant role as we continue to make progress toward the goal of domination." UI Wrestling Coach Tom Brands "I'm very excited for everyone who loves the sport of wrestling and cares about wrestling at the University of Iowa and worldwide. I feel good about the direction of our program and the leadership and the young men who are involved in our program," he continued. "What isn't temporary, and what will never be temporary, is the respect and appreciation I have for Tom, his drive and determination, and the love he has for wrestling. We're in very, very good hands and there is absolutely no doubt that we're headed in the right direction." "The wrestling team is very lucky to have two great coaching minds like Coaches Brands and Gable available every day to help make us better," said senior Mark Perry, the defending Big Ten Conference and NCAA champion at 165 pounds. "I look forward to working with both of them again this year in helping our team win championships." Perry added. Brands said he has no timetable for the hiring of a full-time assistant coach. "I have great guys around me including Coach Gable. They are all totally committed. At some point down the road, we'll get the position filled with someone who shares my commitment to developing young student-athletes to win championships," said Brands.

NIACC has announced today that current University of Iowa Assistant Coach and 2007 World Team member, Doug Schwab will be headlining the NIACC Fall Wrestling Clinic. The clinic is slated for Saturday October 20th at 9:00 am. Schwab was also the 2006 Pan Am Gold medalist and a 3x All-American and 1999 NCAA Champion for the Hawkeyes. Other clinicians will be the NIACC Coaching Staff and athletes. The clinic is open to grades 1-12 and all coaches. The cost will be $55 and includes, 4 Technique sessions, clinic t-shirt, lunch, USA Wrestling DVD, Copper Certification for coaches and a 2007-08 USAW membership card. Registration form can be found at http://www.niacc.edu/athletics/wrestling/2007NIACCFallClinicFlyer.pdf

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Wade Schalles. Schalles is one of the most dynamic and dominant wrestlers ever. While wrestling at Clarion University, Schalles won two NCAA titles and became the first wrestler to ever pin 100 opponents during his college career. He is in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for recording the most wins (821) and most pins (530) for a career. Each year Wrestling International Newsmagazine gives out the Schalles and Junior Schalles Awards to the most dominant college and high school wrestlers in the nation. Schalles is currently working with Media Sports Productions, a non-profit organization with the sole purpose of helping promote the sport of wrestling. The goal of the organization is to get wrestling on television on a consistent basis. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.