InterMat Staff

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum has announced that five-time state high school champion Zach Sanders from Wabasha-Kellogg High School in Wabasha, Minnesota is the National winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award and will be invited to attend Honors Weekend to receive this award June 1 & 2 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Five Regional winners were selected from the 48 state-by-state winners announced last week. Each State and Regional winner is invited to attend the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Leadership Camp at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, June 18-21, 2007. In alphabetical order, the Regional winners are: * Cody Gardner of Christiansburg High School in Christiansburg, Virginia (Southeast) * Kellen Russell of Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey (Northeast) * Zach Sanders of Wabasha-Kellogg High School in Wabasha, Minnesota (Midwest/National) * Kirk Smith of Centennial High School in Boise, Idaho (West) * Sonny Yohn of Alamosa High School in Alamosa, Colorado (Central) The Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award is presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame annually to a high school senior who has demonstrated outstanding wrestling success, scholastic achievement, and citizenship or community service. This awards program is named in the honor of the late Dave Schultz, an Olympic and World champion, who set an example for excellence, both on and off the mat. Dave's wife Nancy Schultz has played an important role in supporting this award program. This year the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum will expand its Dave Schultz High School Excellence program to include a Leadership Camp for those individuals selected for the award. "Thanks to a grant from a private foundation, we are pleased to expand this program and provide the winners of our Dave Schultz Award with the opportunity to attend an all-expense-paid Leadership Camp at the United States Olympic Training Center from June 18-21, in Colorado Springs, Colo.," Smith said. The camp will be hosted and organized at the Olympic Training Center by USA Wrestling, the sport's governing body. A short biography of the Regional and National winners follows: SOUTHEAST: Cody Garder, Christiansburg High School, Christiansburg,Virginia Gardner is a four-time Virginia AA High School State Champion, with a 182-6 career record that includes a National Junior Freestyle championship in 2006 at 215 pounds. He also claimed championship titles at the Beast of the East in 2005 and 2006 and won the Ironman Tournament in 2005. He has a 3.1 grade point average and will attend Virginia Tech in the fall. He is a member of several student groups including SADD – Students Against Destructive Decisions, DECA – an association of Marketing Students, and FBLA – Future Business Leaders of America. He is also an active volunteer for Goodwill Industries. WEST: Kirk Smith of Centennial High School, Boise, Idaho Smith is a two-time Idaho High School State Champion with a career record of 122-24 at 171 pound weight class. He won the 2007 Junior FILA National Championships and National Senior High School Championship at 189 lbs. He was champion of the 2006 National Junior Freestyle Championships and Reno Tournament of Champions and was a FILA Cadet National Champion. He has a 3.9 grade point average and will be attending Boise State in the fall. He is a volunteer Kids and Middle School Coach for the local Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco Roman Club and is a USA Wrestling Licensed Official. He serves as a Teachers Aid for Spanish and is an active volunteer for the High School Booster Club. CENTRAL: Sonny Yohn of Alamosa High School, Alamosa, Colorado Yohn is a three-time Colorado High School State Champion at 189 pounds, with a career record of 153-15. He was a National Junior Freestyle runner up in 2006 and National Senior High School Runner-Up in 2007 at 215 lbs. He has a 3.8 grade point average and will attend the University of Minnesota in the fall. Yohn volunteers his time working with the local youth wrestling club in Alamosa. NORTHEAST: Kellen Russell of Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey His high school weight class is 130 pounds. Russell is a three-time National Prep School Champion with a career record of 145-7. He is a National Cadet and Junior Freestyle Champion, and the 2007 National Senior High School Champion at 135 lbs. Other major accomplishments include championship titles at the Beast of the East and Ironman Tournaments. He has a 3.2 grade point average and will attend the University of Michigan in the fall. MIDWEST: Zach Sanders of Wabasha-Kellog High School, Wabasha, Minnesota Sanders' high school weight class is 119 pounds. He is a five-time Minnesota High School State Champion, with a career record of 223-5. He is a National Cadet and Junior Freestyle Champion, the 2007 National Senior High School Champion at 125 lbs. and an Asics All-American First Team Member in 2006. He has a 3.5 grade point average and will attend the University of Minnesota in the fall. Sanders serves as an assistant coach for the elementary youth program and has officiated several youth tournaments in Wabasha. He has accumulated many hours of community service through the Kellogg Legion and the Faith Lutheran Church in Wabasha.

Dear friends, Pinning Down Autism is made up of members of the community that is the sport of wrestling whose families are affected by autism. Since wrestlers are defined not only by their strength, endurance and perseverance, but their compassion, good will and responsibility, we are coming together to act on behalf of our kids that need the assistance that we can provide. Our mission is to develop a nationwide effort to take action against the epidemic of autism, primarily through our tournaments and functions. Learn more about us at www.pinningdownautism.com Special thanks to Danielle Hobeika for providing her energy and talents in creating our website and working to launch this effort. This endeaver of raising awareness comes from the grass roots as it is based on activities that involve our youth, their parents and educators. It also sets an example for other youth sports and activities that may wish to follow a similar path. Whether or not you are associated with the sport of wrestling, you most likely have a family member, friend or associate who has a child with autism. On behalf of that family, we ask that you take a moment to understand the national crisis that is autism. I hope you will find this message worthy of forwarding, and spreading as far as your network of contacts can take it. Sincerely, Jason Bross Pinning Down Autism

This is a huge weekend for TDR as we along with our friends at Extreme Contact Fighting are producing a LIVE iPPV MMA event featuring many former wrestlers. Over 19 bouts. Further information can be found on line at Fightsportglobal.com This week on the show we will talk with: Ryan Irwin of Nutri-Sport has a event coming up for Body Builders in Des Moines May 12th- we'll visit with him as he guest hosts with us in studio. James Yonushonis, Penn State Senior/Grad. Yonushonis came to Penn State five years ago from nearby Philipsburg-Osceola High School. A talented high school wrestler, Coach Troy Sunderland saw something in Yonushonis that had him excited about his inclusion on the Nittany Lion roster. We'll visit with him to discuss his career. Steve Martin, Head Coach of Old Dominion- We'll talk with Coach Martin on the passing of his father, a true legend in the sport. A man who always had time for his students and athletes. Greg Strobel, Head Coach Lehigh University. Summer Camps are around the corner. have you made your plans? Coach Strobel also has some new training DVD's available at Championshipproductions.com The following 4 athletes are all Mat.com-TDR Athletes of the Week- We'll do our best to get caught up on our athletes of the week by interviewing these fine kids. Seth Bregman, Bregman was selected by the officials as the O W in the men's division at the U.S. Sombo Nationals and World Team Trials, held in Las Vegas, Nev., April 7. He was the champion at 74 kg/163 lbs. In the championship finals, Bregman stopped Roman Mitichyan (Glendale, Calif./Hayastan), 5-3 for the gold medal. Bregman won four matches on the way to the title. He opened the tournament with a 13-0 technical fall over Robert Lusk of J.E.T.S./No Limits, then scored a submission of Enrique Manibusan of the Spartan WC in 5:00. In the semifinals, he had a 2:51 submission victory over Ara Muradyan of Hayastan. Bregman qualified to compete on his first USA Wrestling World Sombo Team with the victory. Winners in the tournament qualified to compete at the World Sombo Championships in Antalya, Turkey, Sept. 7-9. Sam Hazewinkel, Hazewinkel was named OW in Greco-Roman wrestling at the U.S. Nationals after knocking off World University champion Spenser Mango and World bronze medalist Lindsey Durlacher on April 7 in Las Vegas. The unseeded Hazewinkel beat the second-seeded Mango 0-8, 6-0, 6-4 in the quarterfinals before he downed the top-seeded Durlacher 2-1, 3-1 in the finals at 55 kg/121 lbs. Hazewinkel, who last month became a four-time All-American for the University of Oklahoma, finished second behind Durlacher at the 2005 and 2006 U.S. World Team Trials. Hazewinkel also won the U.S. Nationals in 2005. Hazewinkel rebounded to win in Las Vegas just two weeks after falling 3-1 in overtime to Nebraska's Paul Donahoe in the NCAA finals at 125 pounds. Mary Kelly, Mary knocked off a pair of past World champions at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. as the United States women's freestyle team placed fifth at the World Cup on March 22-23 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Kelly defeated World champion Xueceng Ren of China 3-1, 2-1 and downed World champion Brigitte Wagner of Germany 5-0, 1-0. Kelly went 2-1 in the dual-meet event. Kelly was a 2006 U.S. World Team member. Deanna Gilbert of Billy Joes will join us to promo the WWE PPV on Sunday Maureen Roshar will join us to promo the Mississippi Belle 2 in Clinton, Iowa for Wildrose Casino and Resorts What a packed show! Please be sure to join us LIVE or archived or subscribe to our Pod Casts at Itunes.com Its free of charge and sounds like its LIVE. That's pretty cool. Even cooler, thousands of you are doing this already each week. Thank you!

Former Oklahoma State stars Jake Rosholt and Johny Hendricks recently made the decision to forgo their international wrestling careers to train and compete in mixed martial arts (MMA) events. Both have signed on with Team Takedown, a company of elite fighters based out of Dallas, Texas. RevWrestling.com recently caught up with the two Cowboy greats and spoke to them about why each made the decision to enter MMA, John Smith's reaction, their current training situation, their MMA goals, and much more. Jake, you capped off a remarkable career at Oklahoma State in March of 2006 with your third NCAA title. How have you spent the last year since your collegiate wrestling career ended? Rosholt: I basically spent the last year just in a whirlwind of different things, doing wrestling camps, coaching a wrestling club in Dallas, which is how I met the owners and the people behind Team Takedown. I was at Oklahoma State the first couple moths of the fall semester, working out and helping coach. That's when I decided that wasn't what I wanted to do. I took a job coaching a wrestling club in Dallas � and that's how I came to meet the guys in Team Takedown. Johny, you won NCAA titles at Oklahoma State, but lost in the NCAA finals this year to Mark Perry of Iowa. How much did that loss bother you � and does it give you extra motivation as you begin your MMA career? Hendricks: Yeah, definitely. It bothers me just because of the way things happened. I'm not going to say exactly what bothered me. Certain things do bother me, but life goes on. All that you can do is learn from the past and get better at whatever you're going to do. That's the way I'm looking at it. When was the decision made to get into MMA? How did it come about? Rosholt: It has always been in the back of my mind. I always kind of thought it would be fun to do. I was always interested in it, but I never had totally decided that was what I wanted to do. I met Ted Ehrhardt. I was coaching the wrestling club, and his kids wrestled in it, so I met him through that. He talked to me about MMA and getting into it. When he first talked to me about it, I was like, 'Nah, I've thought about doing it, but I don't know.' The more I thought about it, the more I got interested in it. The more I thought about it, the better it sounded. I went and tried it � and loved it. So that's where I am right now. Hendricks: A while back, I wanted to do it. I've been watching it and looking at it. I thought I would be very good at it. So, probably about five or six years ago. Did you grow up watching MMA? Rosholt: I have hardly watched any of it. I mean, I know what it is. I've watched some of the bigger fights. All of my friends watch every Ultimate Fighter show and all the fights, but I was never somebody who was like, 'I have to watch every fight that comes on.' Hendricks: No. John Smith obviously had a big influence on your career. What was his reaction when he found out that you were getting into MMA? How did you take the news? Did it bother him that you weren't continuing on in freestyle? Rosholt: I had made the decision quite a while before getting into MMA not to continue wrestling, so that wasn't an issue at all. It wasn't like I was giving up wrestling to go into MMA. It wasn't an issue at all. I think Coach Smith might have been a little bit surprised about my decision to get into MMA, but I believe he knows that it's a good opportunity for me and a good opportunity for wrestling. Hendricks: Yeah, it got to him because he wanted me to compete internationally. But other than that, now that it's over, he's happy for me. He says, 'I hope you do well. Best of luck. And I hope everything goes the way you want it to go.' Is wrestling completely out of the picture now, Johny? Or do you think you could make a comeback at some point? Hendricks: Probably not. My attitude is, I'm going to do the best I can at this and become very good at it. With that in mind, I want to hold the belt. That is where my mind is set. If I hold that belt, I'll probably never wrestle again. What's your current training situation? Where do you live? And who do you train with? Johny Hendricks and Jake Rosholt with Ted Ehrhardt of Team Takedown Rosholt: I just moved to Las Vegas like two weeks ago. I'm living in Las Vegas � and all I'm doing is working out. I work out at Randy Couture's gym. Depending on the day, there are 10 to 20 different pro fighters in there working out. So there are a lot of different people to learn from. Right now, I'm just trying to get in shape and learn as much as possible. I don't know anything but wrestling, so I'm just trying to get everything figured out. Hendricks: I live in Stillwater. Training wise, it's very hard to find people. I practice around and do stuff on my own. I'm just trying to practice what I've learned from going out to Randy Couture's gym. I'm practicing everything on my own, really, because it's hard to find partners around this area. Editor's Note: He and his wife will be moving to Las Vegas on May 15. Couture also wrestled in college at Oklahoma State. Did you know Couture on a personal level prior to getting into MMA? Rosholt: No. But when I became very interested in MMA, obviously I knew of Randy Couture. He's one of the best fighters ever. And I knew he wrestled at Oklahoma State. So I did a little looking around, got his phone number, got in contact with him, came out to Las Vegas, and sat down and had lunch with him. I just talked to him about the idea of me getting into MMA and what he thought about it. I just kind of got his personal opinion as to whether he thought it was a good idea, if he thought my wrestling would be a good transition to MMA. That was the first time I ever met Randy. Hendricks: No. I did not. I heard the name and knew he wrestled at OSU. Coach told me about him and how he is a great guy. I haven't really followed him much, but I have realized what type of person he is. And hearing things about him through his gym, he's everything that Coach told me he is. Is it more physically demanding to go through a wrestling match or an MMA fight? Rosholt: I have no idea. I've never been in a fight. I've never been in the cage, so I don't know. I don't have any grounds to decide that on. Hendricks: Um � I would have to say � I don't know. I've been through two MMA practices. It was hard, but I would have to say that wrestling was 10 times harder than that training. And it's broken up in sessions. That's why I didn't think it was as hard as wrestling. It is demanding, but I would say that I would rather fight than go through a wrestling practice. Is there a timetable as to when your first fight will be? Rosholt: I'm just trying to learn everything I can right now, get in shape, and get ready to fight. I'm anxious to get my first fight. I'm really anxious to get my first fight. But I want to be smart. And I want to be ready. Basically, I'm just going off people's feedback that they give me from working out. When I get down the road a little ways, and they say, �You look ready. You look like you're ready to fight.' More than that, that I feel ready. And I know that I'm ready to get in there and that I've had enough training and enough time to adjust from wrestling to fighting. Then we'll go out and find a fight. I'm looking at next fall sometime, whether it's as early as August, or a little bit later than that. Hendricks: I'm just trying to learn, train, and become the best I can. What are your MMA goals? Jake RosholtRosholt: My MMA goal right now is just to learn everything I can. I don't want to be just one dimensional. I don't want to be just a wrestler. I want to be good on my feet. I want to be good on the ground. I want to dictate where the fight is at. My ultimate goal is to win a title, to hold the UFC title. I'm not just doing it just to win a few fights or be average. I want to be the best. Hendricks: Well, like I said, hold the belt. That belt means everything to me now, just like that national championship was. That's the way I'm looking at it. That's what I'm going to strive for. How much do you weigh now? And in which weight class do you plan to compete? Rosholt: I weigh about 210 right now, but I'm going to fight at 185. Hendricks: I weigh about 185, 188, but plan to compete at 170. What part of your game do you think needs the most work at this point? Rosholt: My standup, like the boxing and the kickboxing. Those sorts of things. I've never done it before. I started out working on that � and working really hard at it. I want to be good on my feet. Obviously, I want to be able to not get knocked out by getting punched or kicked, but I also want my hands to be good. I want to be able to dictate if I want to fight on my feet or take them down. Hendricks: Probably submissions and striking. Those two. I believe that if I know how to strike, I can take anybody down. What I need to do is be able to get in close to them. And once I get in close to them, be able to overpower them, keep lifting the way that I do and keep my strength up. Obviously, MMA has greatly risen in popularity in recent years. Do you think we'll see a trend in the coming years of successful collegiate wrestlers forgoing their international careers to train MMA? Rosholt: I hope so. I think it's a good opportunity. It gives something else for wrestlers to do. It gives them another option after college. Johny HendricksHendricks: I don't know. It depends. Obviously, I felt like I was someone who could compete for that World title. I really did see myself as that. But I looked at other things. I've wanted to fight for a long time and also help my family. Now I have to provide for a family. This is a better opportunity to provide for my family. Plus, I can become bigger than I ever thought I could. If I do everything I say that I want to do � How many people know all these fighters? It's a growing sport. I can help myself out that way. That's the way I'm looking at everything right now. I can provide for my family and one day not have to worry about anything. Through wrestling, I didn't see myself being able to do that. Some people can, but I just didn't see myself that way. Are there any other recent college wrestlers training MMA that you know of? Rosholt: I know just the three names that come to mind: Rashad Evans, Josh Koscheck, and Gray Maynard. Gray Maynard actually trains here at Randy Couture's gym. And Johny will be moving out here soon. Hendricks: Other than Jake, I don't know who is in it and who is not. Johny, Ben Askren has expressed interest in getting into MMA. What are your thoughts about him getting into the MMA arena? Knowing the type of competitor he is, do you expect him to be successful if he gets into MMA? Hendricks: I don't know. I don't know what type of person he is. If he is the type of person for it, things are going to have to work out, just like for me. I know my mentality. And I know that whatever I do, I put one-hundred and ten percent into it. I believe that I have the meanness to do it. Those are all things that play a factor in getting into MMA. I don't know what type of personality he has, so I can't say anything on him. Please Note:If you would like to read more about Jake Rosholt and Johny Hendricks and follow their MMA careers, check out their MySpace.com pages at the links below. Jake Rosholt's MySpace Johny Hendricks' MySpace

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature former college coaches Kaye Young and Chuck Patten. Young was the head coach of North Iowa Area Community College from 1967 – 1976. During a four-year stretch between 1969 and 1973, NIACC placed second on three different occasions at Nationals before winning the title in 1973, when Coach Young earned National Junior College Coach of the Year honors. After dropping the program in 1976, NIACC announced that it would be reinstating wrestling this season under the guidance of Rich Fergola. NIACC is hosting a "Celebration of Excellence" that will honor the 1973 championship team with Dan Gable as the keynote speaker. The event will take place on Sunday, April 29, in the NIACC gymnasium at 4 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Patten was the head coach at the University of Northern Iowa from 1965-1982. During his tenure with the Panthers his teams won two NCAA Division II titles and placed in the top three on nine other occasions. By the end of his 18-year career Patten had compiled a 217-87-8 dual meet record and had coached 58 All-Americans. "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. -- Nine University of Oklahoma Sooner wrestlers competed at the University Freestyle Nationals on the campus of the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio April 21-22. Four Sooners finished in the top eight which earned them All-America status. At 154 pounds sophomore Will Rowe finished fifth, freshman Jeff James finished sixth at 174 pounds and freshman Nathan Fernandez finished fourth at 264.5 pounds. Also competing for the Sooners were freshman Greg Cannon at 121 pounds, junior Trey Blakely at 138 pounds, sophomore Jake Jackson at 163 pounds and sophomore Blake Allen at 174 pounds. Former Sooner and two-time National Champion Teyon Ware competed for the New York Athletic Club and won the 145,5 pound title. With the victory Ware qualifies to compete in the U.S. Senior World Team Trials in Las Vegas June 8-10. For more information on OU wrestling visit www.SoonerSports.com

AKRON, OH –- The University at Buffalo wrestling squad sent 20 of its best last weekend to Akron, Ohio to compete in the ASICS Men's FILA Cadet and University National Championships hosted by the University of Akron at the Athletics Field House. Comprised of top-notch competitors from across the nation at both the FILA Cadet Division as well as the University Division, two Bulls successfully earned All-American status while two others were on the verge. At 145.5 lbs., junior Ryan Needle (Newfane, NY/Newfane) bounced back in dramatic fashion following a sub-par 2006-07 season to claim fifth out of 60 participants. New York State Section VI's all-time winningest wrestler advanced to the semifinals after defeating four straight opponents, including Michael Keefe of Chattanooga, who was crowned the SoCon Championship at 141 pounds. However, Needle met stiff competition from Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska, who took the decision 4-2, 3-2. A second consecutive defeat positioned Needle for a fifth-place finish, as he decisioned Nathaniel Holt of Central Michigan, 1-0, 3-0. Junior Mickey Moran (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Area) entered the weekend's festivities after having redshirted this past season. Moran shook off the rust by winning seven matches in the 185 lbs. bracket, en route to a seventh-place finish. Moran's first loss came in the form of Matt Pell of Missouri, who placed third at the NCAA Championships this past March. Pell decisioned Moran, 3-1, 1-1, sending the junior Bull into the wrestleback. After battling past five straight opponents, Moran met Pell once again, who in turn sent Moran to the seventh-place match with Kent State's Eric Chine. Having never faced his Mid-American Conference adversary, Moran earned the decision, 1-0, 2-1. Redshirt freshman Dan Bishop (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) and freshman Jimmy Hamel (Natick, MA/Natick) were both on the verge of earning All-American finishes, providing strong efforts in the wrestlebacks. Bishop was handed his first loss against 2007 NCAA All-American Obe Blanc of Lock Haven, 2-0, 3-0, before earning two victories in the wrestlebacks. Bishop would be denied an All-American placing after falling to Matt Steintrager of Central Michigan, 2-1, 9-0. Hamel was another Bull who redshirted the 2006-07 season, providing a glimpse of next season as he went 4-2 on the weekend. Hamel fell to Kent State's Eric Chine, 2-0, 2-0 in the wrestlebacks. The Bulls finished the 2006-07 season with a 8-7 record

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -– Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) continued his outstanding year by claiming the 2007 University Freestyle National Championship at 63 kilograms. Strayer was one of seven Penn State place-winners at the national championships held in Akron, Ohio, this past weekend. Strayer claimed his title by going 6-0 at 63 kg, downing Cody Cleveland 2-3, 3-3, 2-1 in the title bout. Strayer earned his first NCAA All-America tag this past March with a seventh place finish at the NCAA Championships. He went 27-8 in 2006-07. Three-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) went 4-1 at 96 kg to take third place as well. Davis earned his third All-America honor this past season after his fifth place finish at nationals. He posted a 28-5 overall record. Dave Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), who started as a freshman two years ago and red-shirted last year, finished third at 79 kg. Erwin went 5-1 to claim the bronze medal. Erwin went 23-8 at 165 as a true freshman for Penn State at 165 in 2005-06. Junior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) went 3-2 at 55 kg and took home fourth place at the event. McKnight lost a close three period decision in the semifinals before bouncing back to claim fourth place. He went 23-11 at 125 pounds this past season. True-freshman Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) posted a strong 5-2 mark at 74 kg and took home fifth place. Rella, who went 21-13 this past season, claimed a three-period win over Iowa State's Trent Paulson in the process of taking fifth place. Senior All-American James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) also went 5-2 and placed fifth at 84 kg. Yonushonis, a 2006 All-American, went 30-6 this past year, leading Penn State in wins. Sophomore heavyweight John Laboranti (Scranton, Pa.) was strong at 120 kg, going 4-3 and taking home sixth place. Laboranti red-shirted this past year after his transfer from Virginia Tech. True freshman Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) had a solid showing at 70 kg. Jenkins went 2-2 and did not place. Red-shirt freshman Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.) went 2-2 at 120 kg; freshman Mike Eagan (Wharton, N.J.) went 2-2 at 63 kg; freshman Michael Lorenzo (Bellefonte, Pa.) went 2-2 at 74 kg; sophomore Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) went 3-2 at 74 kg; Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) went 0-1 at 79 kg and Joe Farina (Denville, N.J.) was 0-1 at 120 kg.

PHOENIX –– Grand Canyon University (GCU) Head Wrestling Coach R.C. LaHaye has chosen the inaugural recruiting class to kick-off the wrestling program at GCU for fall 2007. Class standouts include 14 individual prep state champions and seven transfer students with previous college wrestling experience. GCU is still actively recruiting out-of-state wrestlers and training will begin at the start of the fall semester. "We couldn't have asked for a better class," said Coach LaHaye. "We have a great balance of local high school standouts along with a few guys with previous college wrestling experience, we couldn't be happier." Prep standouts expected to compete for the Antelopes include 2007 State champions Eric Garcia (Coolidge). Andy Jay (Mesa), David Leaphart and Ricky Abril (Thunderbird), Justin Felix and RJ Rios (Safford), Harley Feinrich (Sunrise Mountain), Tony Colvert (Mesa Mt. View), and Nick Peidmont (Suahrita). Transfer students expected to make an impact at GCU include NJCAA All-American Efrain Escudairo (Pima CC) along with NJCAA National Qualifiers Adrian Rios (Pima CC), Adam Barnett (Glendale CC) and Anthony Birhcak (Pima CC). Other standout transfers to note are former three-time state champ Jose Palencia (ASU), along with former state champs Clint Casteneda (Mesa CC), Mike Abril (Glendale CC) and Lonnie Brunson (Pima CC), also included is California Community College finalist Jack Porter (Cerritos CC). Out of state recruits also committed to GCU include 3x Texas State placer Daniel Caraveo (El Paso, TX), and 2x Indiana State Placer Chris Pingleton (Greencastle, IN). Chris is the brother of Indianapolis All-American Charlie Pingleton. Rounding out the recruiting class are prep athletes and state medal winners Sonny Esquivel (Maryvale), Brandon Wendt (Centennial), twins Corey Cross and Casey Cross (Centennial) Josh Calteaux (Hamilton), Julian Hamilton (Boulder Creek), and Tim Carillo (Desert Vista). Also expected to compete for GCU are Daniel Rubio and Vince Arollo (Ceasar Chavez), Nick Caprario (Millennium), Cale Errigo (Thunderbird), Juan Aquayo (Dysart), Matt Gordon (Dobson HS) and Lowen Sniff (Saguaro). About Grand Canyon University Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon University is a one of Arizona's leading higher learning institutions and one of the nation's fastest-growing. Based in Phoenix, the regionally accredited, private, non-denominational Christian university offers online and campus-based bachelor's and master's degree programs through the Ken Blanchard College of Business, College of Education, College of Nursing, and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The school was recently ranked as having the top online education program by OEDb (Online Education Database). With a total enrollment of approximately 13,000 students, GCU emphasizes individual attention for both traditional undergraduate students as well as the working professional. For more information visit www.gcu.edu.

The United States team won nine of 14 matches to defeat an all-star team from Ohio at the Cliff Keen/Wrestling USA Dream Team Classic on April 21. The event was held at Austintown Fitch High School in Youngstown, Ohio. This is the smallest margin of victory by a USA team in the 11-year Cliff Keen/ Wrestling USA Dream Team history. While in Ohio, the USA team had an opportunity to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and had an outstanding time. USA 27, Ohio 16 140: Luke Silver (USA) won 8-2 over Matt Reedy (Ohio) 145: Kevin Hardy (Ohio) won 7-3 over Luke Ashmore (USA) 152: Thomas Straughn (Ohio) won 2-1 OT over Albert White (USA) 160: Colt Sponseller (Ohio) won 20-9 over Ryan Smith (USA) 171: Kirk Smith (USA) won 5-4 over Justin Kilgore (Ohio) 189: Clayton Foster (USA) won 9-4 over Chris Honeycut (Ohio) 215: Jared Platt (USA) won 5-1 over Justin Powell (Ohio) 285: Dom Bradley (USA) won 10-6 over Brenden Barlowe (Ohio) 103: Sam White (Ohio) won 12-6 over Joey Farnsworth (USA) 112: Eric Olanowski (USA) won 1-0 over Bo Touris (Ohio) 119: Zach Sanders (USA) won 5-2 over Cordell Longstreath (Ohio) 125: Boris Novachkov (USA) won 4-2 over Bryan Dean (Ohio) 130: Kellen Russell (USA) won 3-0 over Darrin Boing (Ohio) 135: Jeff Pelton (Ohio) won 3-1 OT over Vincente Varela (USA)

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota State wrestling head coach Bucky Maughan has announced that Tyler Steinwand of Mandan (N.D.) High School has signed a National Letter of Intent to wrestle and continue his education for NDSU. Maughan also announced that Taylor Nagel of Corvallis (Mont.) High School has informed the Bison wrestling coaches that he has been accepted to North Dakota State and plans to wrestle for them starting in Fall 2007. These two wrestlers join Tyler Hemmesch of Elk River (Minn.) High School, Kirk Anderson of Barnesville (Minn.) High School and Shannon Fettig of Napoleon (N.D.) as incoming freshmen to the wrestling team. Hemmesch, Anderson and Fettig signed National Letters of Intent earlier this month. North Dakota State is a member of the Western Wrestling Conference and finished with an 8-5-1 record overall. The Bison became eligible for NCAA Championships in the 2006-07 season, qualifying three wrestlers in their first year. TYLER STEINWAND Mandan, N.D. (Mandan H.S.) Won three consecutive North Dakota Class A State Championships from 2005-07 and placed third as a freshman in 2004...Four-time North Dakota state Freestyle champion...Earned fourth-place honors at the 2006 Brute-Adidas Nationals...Compiled a high school record of 151-19, including a perfect 42-0 senior season at 135 pounds...Son of Terry and Mary Steinwand...Undecided on a major. TAYLOR NAGEL Victor, Mont. (Corvallis H.S.) Four-time placewinner at the Montana Class A State Championships that won the title at 145 pounds as a senior...Placed third in 2006, sixth in 2005 and fourth in 2004...Won the state Freestyle championship and was runner up in Greco-Roman in 2006...Finished his high school career with a 136-39 record...Son of Jeff and Lisa Nagel...Father coached Taylor in high school...Clay Nagel, Taylor's uncle, coaches for Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn...His cousin, Travis Nagel, was an All-American for Minnesota State-Moorhead and other cousin, Matt Nagel, was an All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier at the University of Minnesota...Intends on majoring in pharmacy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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