InterMat Staff

San Francisco, Calif. -- San Francisco State University wrestling program will look to continue its tradition of having an All-American this season. The Gators streak is at 16 straight years and was continued by a pair of All-Americans including a National Champion last year. Senior 149 lb. wrestler Pacifico Garcia (Fresno, CA/Clovis HS) captured his weight class last season in Omaha, Nebraska, while now Assistant Coach Donald Lockett (Daly City, CA/Lowell HS) finished in third place at 141. As a team, SF State finished tied for 11th place at the Nationals with Central Oklahoma University. "This season we are looking to finish in the top three in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and in the top ten at Nationals in March in Findlay, Ohio," stated head coach Lars Jensen. In order to get there, Coach Jensen is looking for returnees Garcia, Eric Fitzpatrick (Sr, 141, Union City, CA/James Logan HS), Mikhail Higa (So, 125, Hilo, HI/Waiakea HS), and Kirk Fitzpatrick (Jr, 157, Union City, CA/James Logan HS) along with freshman Virgil Lockett (Fr, 133, San Francisco, CA/George Washington HS) to lead the way. Garcia finished his junior season with a 33-7 record. Besides being a returning National Champion, he is also a two-time All-American for the Gators. Eric Fitzpatrick finished last year with a 6-5 record and a placer at the 2003 RMAC/NCAA Division II West Regional Championships. Higa finished his first season as a Gator with a 8-13 record and also was a place at the RMAC/NCAA Division I West Regional Championships while Kirk Fitzpatrick red-shirted last season. Coach Jensen is also looking for newcomers Will Simmons (Jr, 174, Sacramento, CA/Sac City College), Richard Escobar (Jr, 197, Los Gatos, CA/West Valley College), and Sandeep Singh (Sr, 285, Union City, CA/Fresno State University) to play a major role in the Gators' upcoming season. In RMAC, Jensen is looking as Nebraska-Kearney, Adams State, and Fort Hays State as the top teams in one of the toughest NCAA Division II conferences in the nation. Other returnees for the Gators are: Cleveland Berto (Sr, 157, Winter Haven, FL/Lake Region HS), Alek Butler (Sr, 133, Sonora, CA/San Joaquin Delta College), RJ Clifford (Jr, 165, Huntington Beach, CA/Golden West College), Danny Dahl (Jr, 184, Modesto, CA/Grace Davis HS), Jeff Johnson (So, 141, Antelope, CA/Center HS), Tim Pridmore (So, 184, Napa, CA/Will C. Wood HS), Justin Switzler (So, 157, Elverta, CA/Rio Linda HS), Merrick Tan (So, 149, Union City, CA/James Logan HS), and Brian Watanabe (Jr, 125, Napa, CA/Vintage HS). SFSU's newcomers besides Simmons, Escobar, and Singh include Ben Lockett (Jr, 125, San Francisco, CA/Skyline College), Jamil Smart (Fr, 133, Pittsburg, CA/Pittsburg HS), and Nelson Um (Fr, 133, Oakland, CA/Oakland HS). The Gators will begin their 2005-06 on Saturday, November 19 in Ashland, Oregon, as they will participate in the Southern Oregon Open. Their first dual meet will be the following Tuesday, November 22 at 7pm against Bay Area rival Stanford University in SF State's Main Gymnasium.

Forecasting the career development of young wrestlers is sketchy at best. The list of wrestling prodigies who seemed fated to become legends, yet didn't pan out (some would say flopped), is a lengthy one indeed. By contrast, consider the humble beginnings of some wrestlers who did go on to become legends: Bruce Baumgartner never won state in New Jersey. John Smith never placed higher than fourth at Junior Nationals and failed to place at NCAA's his freshman year. Lee Kemp didn't even begin wrestling until he was a sophomore in high school, when he compiled a record slightly above .500. Mark Schultz had a losing record his junior year in high school. Nonetheless, it is perhaps second nature for wrestling fans to look for the young wrestler whose sheer dominance indicates that they may be the next transcendent star in our sport. This writer will not even attempt to predict who the next Gable, Smith, or Sanderson (insert your pick for greatest American wrestler of all-time here) will be. However, the following are wrestlers who are likely to at least be the next Dustin Schlatter, Brent Metcalf, or Troy Nickerson -- stars who transcend the sport at the high school level (Note: the wrestlers selected will not necessarily be those at the top of the Rev Power Rakings -- also compiled by this writer -- because those ranking focus on current skill level rather than long-term potential). Not since the aforementioned Dustin Schlatter has a wrestler entered Ohio with so much acclaim as the young David Taylor. Wrestling for St. Paris Graham (where Schlatter began his career, ironically). The result of nearly every Taylor match for the last three years has been Taylor winning by a technical fall. What separates Taylor from other great young wrestlers is that he is equally proficient on the mat as on his feet. A relentless competitor, he quickly transitions from a takedown to a tilt, arm bar, or other pinning combination, allowing him to pile up points in large quantities. Consider: In three years of competition at the Ohio Junior High State Tournament, Taylor never went the distance -- and nearly all of his wins (including the finals each year) were by technical fall, in 4 minute 30 second matches. At first glance, one might be inclined to be relatively unimpressed by victories at a Junior High State Tournament. However, the Ohio Junior High State Tournament is actually much tougher, relatively speaking, than the Ohio High School State Tournament, in that it is one division. It is truly a "state tournament" in that it truly contains all of the best competitors in the state. There are, in fact, countless examples of wrestlers placing higher in the Ohio State High School Tournament as freshmen than they had the year prior in the Ohio Junior High State Tournament. Taylor next dominated all comers at FILA Cadets and in Fargo at Cadet Nationals. Shockingly, Taylor was pinned once in Greco-Roman in his pool -- and also in the finals. However, Taylor's stock should not go down when you consider that Greco-Roman is a very different style -- and not Taylor's specialty by any means -- and in both situations he was approaching a tech fall in the first period when he simply got caught in headlocks. In freestyle, Taylor set things right by pinning or tech falling all opponents, including highly regarded BJ Futrell of Illinois in the finals. Taylor was also unscored upon in the freestyle competition. At FILA's in April, Taylor tech falled all but one opponent in every single period (the international system of a six-point lead being a "tech" for that period was used). You may be sensing a pattern here. Anthony Valles, who will be wrestling for Blair Academy this winter, dominated the field at Cadet Nationals at 98 lbs (photo by Wyatt Schultz).The biggest question mark for Taylor this year will be whether he is big enough for 103. Over the summer, he competed at 91 lbs, whereas most of his rivals for the coming year competed at 98 or 105 lbs. A big match-up for Taylor will be at Ironman against two-time Cadet Nationals champion Anthony Valles, who has recently transferred to Blair Academy. Valles dominated the field one weight class above Taylor (98 lbs). In addition, Cadet and Junior Nationals double champion Boris Novachov of California will be in the mix at this weight. If Taylor is the most anticipated freshman in Ohio since Schlatter, then Collin Palmer would have to be a very close second. The younger brother of three-time state champion and Junior Nationals third-place finisher, Lance Palmer. The reports for years have been that the younger Palmer brother was even better. It has become almost a cliché to hear a great wrestler's younger brother is even better than he is -- but in this case, it is apparently true. The younger Palmer's record of winning youth national titles is unmatched. Over the last three years, Palmer's only loss appears to be to Riley Adamson (the No. 4 rated freshman, who is the only wrestler who may have won more national titles than Palmer and also was FILA Cadet Nationals champion this past spring) at Tulsa Nationals in 2004. Palmer has since avenged that loss with two victories over Adamson. Palmer joined Taylor as a three-time junior high state champion. Palmer does not wrestle much freestyle and chose not to go to Cadet Nationals this past spring. However, Palmer has previously matched up against most of the high place finishers -- and beaten them all, mostly by large margins. He scored a 12-4 victory over Ben Sergent in the Ohio Junior High State Tournament in the spring of 2004. Sergent finished second at 98 lbs. Palmer owns wins over both finalists at 112 lbs, Graff and Moore. He also owns several wins over Jordan Oliver of Easton, Pennsylvania (also featured in this article), who will begin this season regarded by most as the No. 1 103 in the nation. Palmer will apparently be competing at 112 lbs for the storied Lakewood St. Ed's squad this season. This writer will make the prediction that Palmer wins both the Ironman and Beast of the East, provided that Juniors Nationals runner-up Aaron Hart of St. Paris Graham competes at 119 lbs -- rather than 112. If Hart should compete at 112, this writer views Palmer's match-up against Hart as a tossup, despite the fact that Hart is a senior and Palmer is a freshman. He is that good. This match-up would also be somewhat ironic in that Hart is a former rival of Palmer's older brother. Palmer could also match-up with highly regarded California state champion Trevor Machado and California state runner-up Filip Novachov at the Ironman. Eighth graders placing at Cadet Nationals above 119 lbs is exceedingly rare. In addition to the difference in physical maturity -- having 1-2 years of high school experience is obviously a huge advantage in Fargo. If you look at the names of those who have placed in Fargo above 119 lbs before beginning high school, they are consistently names like Brent Metcalf, Matthew Coughlin, David Craig, and Jason Welch. However, none of these competitors placed higher than the only eighth grader to accomplish that feat in 2005, Alec Ortiz of Oregon, who finished fourth. Ortiz's only losses were to one of the nation's top juniors, Luke Ashmore, and to Andrew Howe of Indiana (who finished 49-1 as a freshman at 130 with his only loss to three-time state champion Reece Humphrey). Ortiz pinned or tech falled the rest of his opponents. Even more impressively, Ortiz actually beat Luke Ashmore on his way to a second-place finish at FILA Cadet Nationals. The only wrestler who defeated Ortiz, Matt Ballweg, is a senior in high school this year. Ortiz also owns a win over highly regarded Cadet Nationals runner-up Johnny Koepp of Texas at the 2004 Tulsa Nationals. While Ortiz is ranked No. 3 in the Rev Power Rankings, a strong case could be made for him being No. 1, in the sense that while there is no freshman at Taylor and Palmer's weights who would stand much of a chance of beating them, this writer believes there is no other freshman middleweight who would be remotely competitive with Ortiz at this point. Unfortunately, Ortiz will be competing at none of the major folkstyle tournaments so we will not see him in action against national competition again until the freestyle season. The underclassman with the most upside potential at this point may be Jason Welch of California. A takedown artist, this sophomore piles up points in bunches. Moreover, this writer likes his approach of never shying away from a challenge. Welch bypassed what would have been an almost guaranteed Cadet Nationals title (with apologies to the outstanding trio of Civan, Stalcup, and Medina) to compete at the Junior Nationals in freestyle. By doing so, he thrust himself into arguably the toughest weight in the competition, a weight class laden with junior and senior stars. Entering the tournament -- most applauded the daring of this 15-year-old freshman, but gave him little chance of placing. Simply put, freshmen generally cannot compete with top upperclassmen in the middle weight classes. Welch proved everyone wrong, coming away with a fifth-place finish. Along the way he dominated highly regarded Wesley English and Sean Nemec. Ironically, Welch was defeated by another freshman in his own state, Louis Bland, in 2005. Welch moved up a weight from his usual 145 lb class to challenge Bland, who would go on to be the state champion at 152. Welch finished second to the highly regarded Luis Gonzales in the treacherous California State Tournament in 2005. Should Welch and Bland be in the same weight class this season, look for Welch to reverse the result of the previous year. Alex Meade, who moved from Delaware to Virginia to wrestle for Christiansburg, claimed a Cadet Nationals title over the summer (photo by Wyatt Schultz).Alex Meade, originally of Delaware, now of Christiansburg, Virginia, is another wrestler to watch. In the era of the "redshirt freshman," Meade is a young sophomore who won Cadet Nationals last summer as a first-year Cadet. Meade's record over the years is one of consistent excellence. Basically, he has won every national tournament he has entered -- whether is it Cadet Nationals, FILA Cadet Nationals, Tulsa Nationals, or the Ohio Super Tournament. Lightning fast, Meade is able to create his offense against anyone. Meade will be competing at both the Ironman and Beast, so there is a possibility of him matching up with a number of top upperclassmen. Perhaps the diamond in the rough of this year's sophomore class is Michael Mangrum of Washington. Certainly the least polished wrestler on this list, Mangrum epitomizes the word "explosive." After finishing third as an eighth grader at Cadet Nationals, Mangrum dominated both styles of Cadet Nationals this past summer with a very aggressive, powerful style. Mangrum hit the most impressive move of the finals when he lifted Utah state champion Jason Chamberlain completely into the air from a fireman's carry -- it was one of those things you had to see to believe. That finals match in freestyle was not nearly as close as the 7-3 score might indicate -- as Mangrum gave up two meaningless points near the end. In the Greco-Roman tournament, Mangrum did not yield a point until the finals- when he scored an 11-1 technical fall. Michael Mangrum of Washington dominated both styles of Cadet Nationals this past summer (photo by Wyatt Schultz).Once David Craig graduates, there will likely be a new upper-weight who stands out from the rest just as he has: Andy Thomas of West Virginia. Thomas completely dominated the Cadet Nationals in freestyle at the 171 lb weight class last summer -- while essentially wrestling folkstyle. In his 8-3 finals triumph, Thomas scored five takedowns while giving up just one -- showing an impressive array of leg attacks. Thomas took some lumps as a freshman -- as a freshman upper-weight wrestling at Ironman, Beast of the East, and Powerade might be expected to do, but came on enough by the end of the season to win the state title at 160 lbs. Obviously, freshman state champions at such a high weight class are exceedingly rare. Mario Mason of New Jersey, a sophomore, scored a huge win at the NHSCA Final Four Duals over senior Jordan Frishkorn of Virginia (photo by Wyatt Schultz).Other strong possibilities for greatness are sophomores Jordan Oliver, Mario Mason, and Louis Bland. The accomplishments of Bland (winning a California state title as a freshman at 152) have already been mentioned. Oliver was second in a donnybrook weight class in Pennsylvania to the No. 1 103 in the nation (Matt Kyler) -- despite being drastically undersized for 103. Oliver is also the last wrestler to defeat David Taylor in folkstyle, doing so back in the spring of 2003. Probably the most technically polished underclassman in the nation, Mario Mason, scored a huge win at the NHSCA Final Four Duals over Jordan Frishkorn, and also dominated highly regarded Johnny Koepp of Texas by a score of 7-0 to win Cadet Nationals in freestyle at 135 lbs. Predictions of future greatness lack reliability -- and many of America's great wrestlers had surprisingly humble high school careers. However, this writer will pretty much guarantee that the aforementioned young wrestlers will be heard from a lot in the near future. Who the next Dustin Schlatter, Brent Metcalf, or Troy Nickerson is remains to be seen -- but count on them being from this list!

Hello again. It's time for another look into my life as a wrestler. We finished up our preseason workouts last week and I have finally come to the realization that wrestling doesn't last forever. Almost every wrestler I have ever known, that no longer competes, preaches that you have to take advantage of every moment in wrestling, because it doesn't last forever. I always heard them saying it, but never really comprehended it. Now I do. I came to this realization as we were running what are known as Pioneer Hills. Pioneer Hill runs through our campus at about a 40 degree angle for about a quarter mile. We run this hill doing buddy carries (piggy back). We only do it four times, which doesn't seem like much, but is extremely difficult … especially when you get down to the last two. Returning All-American Jimmy Rollins pushes Burke Barnes up the hill.To get to the bottom of my epiphany, I have to take you back to last year's preseason, when Leister Bowling and I were doing the Pioneer Hill workout. I was struggling on the third one and Leister got off me and told me to get on his back. He then finished my turn to the top and we headed back down. Leister took his turn and we returned to the bottom for my fourth trip up. Once again, I just couldn't push myself up the hill, and Leister jumped off, and finished my turn himself. As I was on his back, I said to him, "You are crazy! How the heck can you keep going?" He simply stated, "You'll know how when you are a senior and it's all you have left." I guess I never understood exactly what he and everyone else meant, but as I was running the hill this year, I figured it out. You really don't have forever, and you have to take advantage of now -- not counting on what you will do tomorrow. You have to be willing to push yourself past the limit of exhaustion, and go further than you ever thought you could go. I think this is one reason that people are successful. The earlier you understand this theory, the faster you will become successful. Our last workout was a three-mile run through a park in Omaha, which finishes up with a set of 187 stone steps that seems to be straight up to the sky. This is actually a great run until the stairs, which as most of you could imagine is just plain nuts to run up five to ten times in a row. Leister showed our team the trail last year after he learned about it from Todd Meneely. Willie Parks, a former JUCO national champion for Iowa Central, is determined to get to the top of the hill.What was most intriguing to me about the run was not seeing guys on our team run up the stairs time after time, but the fellowship of my teammates. It is amazing to me to see 70 guys getting along and pushing each other, cheering and yelling for everyone else. It really made me feel proud to be a captain of this team. Some guys were struggling to make it, and others were relentlessly pushing them to the top. What really blew my mind, though, was seeing Willie Parks haul a 100-pound stone down the stairs and right back to the top. Granted, I thought he was going to die afterwards, but he did it, and it really makes you think about how you train, and if it's hard enough. To me, preseason is not just a time to start preparing yourself for the grueling hours of hard work ahead, but a time to see what you are made of. I learned a lot about myself and my teammates this past month, and I can only look forward to building on it over the next five months. Every year, I hear about all these teams that start the season with 50 guys and end up with 25, and I am happy to say that everyone on this team is still holding strong and has a good attitude. Coach Costanzo gathers the team for a breakdown after a preseason run.We are getting ready to get in the room this week and I can't wait. I know now that every time I step into that room, I have to make the most out of it. The fun part will be trying to portray this to everyone on the team, because that kind of attitude is what builds and makes champions. I will leave you this time with a quote that I heard in some movie I was watching last week: "If something comes easy, it usually isn't worth having. Are you ready to work for it?" Until next time, keep getting better. Marshall Marquardt Past Entries: Entry 1 (10/1/05)

California Junior College State Rankings: 125 1. Singh-Fresno 2. Hernandez-Santa Ana 3. Romero-Sierra 4. Naverrette-Palomar 5. Macalolooy-Chabot 6. Gibson-Bakersfield 7. Medina-Moorpark 8. Mendoza-Cuesta 133 1. Hambata-Mt. SAC 2. Gibson-Bakersfield 3. Justo-Santa Ana 4. Valdiva-Cerritos 5. Patterson-Santa Rosa 6. Velasco-Modesto 7. Durago-Chabot 8. Righi-Fresno 141 1. Garcia-Delta 2. Schantin-Santa Ana 3. Aparicio-Cerritos 4. Gonzales-Sierra 5. Owens-Modesto 6. Marquez-Cuesta 7. Castro-Palomar 8. Williams-Bakersfield 149 1. O'Hare-Santa Ana 2. Hull-Golden West 3. Pezzat-Fresno 4. Emmett-Sacramento 5. Morales-Bakersfield 6. Herrera-Bakersfield 7. Machado-West Valley 8. Aparicio-Cerritos 157 1. Lichinger-Sierra 2. Barrett-Mt. SAC 3. Taylor-West Valley 4. Thrall-Sacramento 5. Lowen-Palomar 6. Cruz-Santa Ana 7. Landois-Bakersfield 8. Castillo-Fresno 165 1. Sousa-Mt. SAC 2. Williams-Bakersfield 3. Davis-Cerritos 4. Wender-Fresno 5. Williams-Cuesta 6. Giffen-Sierra 7. Deshirlia-West Valley 8. Fernandes-Sacramento 174 1. Points-Bakersfield 2. Smith-Moorpark 3. Nejal-Palomar 4. Thomas-Santa Rosa 5. Eaton-Santa Ana 6. Ordoniez-Delta 7. Lightner-Golden West 8. Edwards-Cuesta 184 1. Mooney-Bakersfield 2. Judd-Santa Ana 3. Riggs-Moorpark 4. Schwartz-Sacramento 5. Hawkins-Mt. SAC 6. Audelo-Cerritos 7. Showaker-Santa Rosa 8. Hert-Victor Valley 197 1. Griffin-Fresno 2. Newton-Cerritos 3. Lara-Skyline 4. Starr-Cuesta 5. Brownbridge-Victor Valley 6. Collard-Santa Rosa 7. Compton-Sacramento 8. Jiminez-Moorpark Hwt 1. Moore-Sierra 2. Marquez-Bakersfield 3. McKay-Palomar 4. Rodriguez-Santa Ana 5. Doran-Cerritos 6. Carmago-Fresno 7. Arroyo-Rio Hondo 8. Whetstone-Fresno Team Rankings: 1. Bakersfield-88 2. Santa Ana-84 3. Fresno-63 4. Sierra-57 5. Cerritos-57

IOWA CITY, IA -- The University of Iowa wrestling team will hold open practices the next two Saturdays (Oct. 15 and 22) at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Practices will start at 8:30 a.m. and go for approximately 90 minutes. Takedown Wrestling Radio will do a live broadcast from the wrestling room on October 22 from 10 a.m.-Noon. Fans can tune in at AM-1460 or www.takedownradio.com at no cost. The Hawkeyes will also host their annual Coaches Clinic Friday, November 11, at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The clinic will feature instruction from former Iowa NCAA champion Cliff Moore, and former Minnesota NCAA Champion and Olympic and World Team alternate Jared Lawrence, as well as an opportunity to watch the 2005-06 Hawkeyes practice. For more information on the clinic, contact the Iowa wrestling office at (319) 335-9405. Iowa opens the 2005-06 season November 13 at the Dubuque Open.

MOUNT VERNON -- Mike Duroe, head coach of the 2005 U.S. Freestyle World Team and head coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Club since 2003, has been named interim head wrestling coach at Cornell College. "We're pleased to have someone of Mike's caliber available and able to join us on this interim basis," Cornell athletics director Tina Hill said. "We have an exciting group of wrestlers anxious to get the season started and we're very happy to have Mike's skills and qualifications leading our program." Duroe replaces Drew Pariano, who resigned in September to become an assistant coach at Northwestern University. Duroe, a native of Charles City, has been head coach at Northern Michigan University, an assistant at the University of Pennsylvania and head coach of the Northwestern University Wildcat Wrestling Club. He was a member of the coaching staff for the Pan American Games (2003) and the Olympic Games (2004). At Northern Michigan from 1980-84, Duroe compiled a record of 82-27 with 23 All-Americans and two NCAA champions. For two years he was in charge of the Northwestern Wildcat Wrestling Club before leading New Trier (Ill.) High School from 1986-98. He was named Illinois High School Athletic Association regional coach of the year four times. From 1998-2001 Duroe was national resident coach at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He was the head assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania from 2001-03 before joining the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in 2003. "I have extremely high expectations for this program," Duroe said. "My goals are always to win, and I'll work tirelessly to make this program better. I'm fired up about these kids, and my job will be to instill in them that they can achieve greater things." Cornell has won 43 conference championships with 57 NCAA All-Americans, eight individual national champions, seven Olympians and one NCAA national team championship. The Rams are in a rebuilding phase going 6-12 last season. Their last winning season (10-5) was in 1995-96 when they won the Midwest Conference championship. Cornell's 2005-06 preseason roster includes two seniors, 10 sophomores and 14 freshmen.

19-year old wrestler Kyle Maynard's new book, No Excuses, is listed on the New York Times Bestseller list at No. 20 for hardcover non-fiction for the week ending October 16. Maynard is a wrestler who has become a national hero for his inspiring life overcoming challenges in order to pursue his dreams. On September 29th, Maynard launched his autobiography No Excuses on the set with Oprah Winfrey. Within minutes, he had won the hearts of millions around the world, making his book an instant success and landing the young athlete a spot on the New York Times Bestseller List in its first week. In his book, inspired by his incredible journey as a congenital amputation (born with no limbs below the elbows and knees), Kyle Maynard shares valuable insight that he has learned and applied to his life, allowing him to overcome his physical obstacles to achieve his dreams. Driven by his will to succeed and supported by a devoted family, Kyle has excelled at nearly everything he has attempted in life. From playing middle school football to becoming a high school wrestling champion to breaking world records in weightlifting, Kyle Maynard has inspired millions around the world with his simple life's message: No Excuses. At just 19 years old, Kyle Maynard has already achieved greatness - on the wrestling mat and in life, including: - Receiving the Medal of Courage from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (June 2005) - Winning the world record in the modified bench press (March 2005) - Receiving the ESPY award for the Best Athlete with a Disability - Being honored with the President's Award for Courage - Joining the Washington Speakers Bureau as a motivational speaker - Being named to the Georgia chapter, National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Georgia State Wresting Hall of Fame Kyle Maynard has been featured on numerous television and radio shows this season, including ABC's 20/20 and CNN's Larry King Live. He will also be a guest on ABC's hit show Extreme Make-Over: Home Edition in November, where he will inspire a family to never give up hope. As a champion weightlifter and wrestler, Kyle Maynard is the real deal. But as a champion human being, he is one of the most inspiring people I've ever met. —Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger What People Are Saying About Kyle Maynard Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness says about Kyle: "Kyle Maynard's inspirational story is about succeeding against odds that most of us can't imagine. How does Kyle do it? His title says it all: ‘No Excuses.' That's a habit we could all adopt from this great book, written by a highly successful young man." Troy Aikman, former quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys, was also inspired by Kyle: "Significant achievement occurs to those who have the courage to overcome disappointment and setbacks to pursue their dreams. This is an inspirational book about the perseverance of the human spirit. Let Kyle inspire you!"

Thad Benton is on track to become one of the most accomplished wrestlers in University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown (UPJ) history. But if you ask Benton about his place in school history, he suddenly shifts gears. The two-time Division II All-American and defending NCAA champion at 141 lbs, would rather talk about his team. Thad Benton"To be honest, I'm more concerned this year about bringing the team title back to Johnstown, than where I stand," said Benton. "I already have my individual title." UPJ, which sits less than 70 miles east of Pittsburgh, has an extremely rich wrestling tradition. The Mountain Cats have captured 18 regional titles since 1976, including the last three, and 10 in a row from 1992 through 2001. They claimed the Division II national team title in 1996 and 1999. Carlton Haselrig is, without question, the most accomplished wrestler to come through the program. He won an unprecedented six NCAA titles at heavyweight from 1987 to 1989 (three in Division I and three in Division II). Haselrig later went on to play professional football in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The other household name, at least in wrestling circles, is Jody Strittmatter. Strittmatter was a two-time Division II NCAA champion for UPJ (1998 and 1999), before transferring to the University of Iowa, where he placed third as a junior, and was an NCAA runner-up as a senior. In two seasons as a Mountain Cat, Strittmatter compiled a .967 winning percentage, which ranks second all-time at UPJ, only behind Haselrig. UPJ coach Pat Pecora, who has coached 106 All-Americans and has twice been named NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year, believes Benton could solidify his place in school history, just behind Haselrig and Strittmatter, by adding another national title to his already impressive wrestling resume this season. "We've had some great ones," said Pecora, who has coached 29 seasons at UPJ. "From Carleton Haselrig to Jody Strittmatter to John Strittmatter to Lee Schickel. Thad is right up there. Carleton Haselrig obviously has to be at the top because he won six national titles. Jody Strittmatter has to be the next one in line because he won two Division II national titles and placed twice in Division I. We've had eight other national champions, but each of those guys only won it once. If Thad repeats, then you have to put him right up there as the third best wrestler to ever come out of our school, with the only ones ahead of him being Jody and Carlton. That isn't too bad." Pecora believes that Benton has all of the ingredients necessary to be a great wrestler. "He has a lot of physical tools," said Pecora. "He's good on top. He's good on bottom. He's good on his feet. He's good on attacking legs. He's good with upper body. He's very flexible. So he has a lot of good things in terms of wrestling skills. His body fat is low. I always say he has ice in his veins. He's very cool in big match situations. He's not intimidated by anybody." In high school, Benton placed three times in the rugged Pennsylvania AA State Tournament (5th, 2nd, 3rd), and compiled a record of 132-15 while wrestling for Claysburg-Kimmel High School. Through the years, Claysburg-Kimmel has created a pipeline with UPJ -- sending numerous wrestlers to the Division II powerhouse. Their coach, Dave Marko, is a former UPJ wrestler who wrestled for Pecora. So when Benton made the decision to attend UPJ, he already had an idea of what to expect from his new coach. "When I got up here, he was exactly like how my high school coach explained him," recalled Benton. "He'll push you to the limit and won't let you stop short of any goal you have. He'll push you as hard as you can to achieve your own goals. He's just a great guy and a great coach." Benton arrived on the UPJ campus in the fall of 2001, and redshirted his first season. "It kind of let me mature a little bit in terms of my school work and with wrestling," said Benton. "I thought I was ready to start in the lineup right away, but after wrestling a few tournaments, I was glad that I did redshirt that season." The next season, as a redshirt freshman, Benton not only found a spot in the UPJ lineup, but he also found a spot on the All-American podium -- placing fifth at 133 lbs. He finished the season with an impressive 25-9 overall record and led team in pins with 17. As sophomore, Benton had hoped to improve upon his fifth-place finish. After compiling a 16-2 record, he appeared to be on the right track. But suddenly, in a midseason practice, while wrestling live, his knee popped out of place, and he ripped the tendon. He immediately began rehab with hopes of returning to the lineup. But his rehab made it tough for him to maintain his weight. UPJ already had senior All-American Jason Nestor at 141, so moving up a weight class was out of the question. Pat Pecora"We just got to the point where rather than hurt his knee or push the senior out, we decided that it would be best to take the rest of that season off," said Pecora. "Then he could move you up to 141 and get ready for the next season." Benton spent that off-season lifting and training like a madman. He gained a lot of muscle. His knee had healed. And he had come back in great shape. Last season, he rolled through the regular season with a 22-5 record, with four of the five losses coming to Division I wrestlers. At the East Regional Tournament, Benton pinned all three of his opponents to capture the title and advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament. "He just got to the point where he was starting to dominate people," said Pecora. "You just had a feeling about him. You just knew something good was going to happen. I always said that he was going to be the next national champ we had." Two weeks later … it happened. At the NCAA Tournament, Benton won his first three matches to advance to finals. In the finals, Benton faced the highly touted Eli Dominguez of Nebraska-Omaha. Benton wasted little time against Dominguez -- taking him down 45 seconds into the match -- and putting him on his back to go up 5-0. That would be enough to propel him to an easy 9-4 victory and the national title. "When I put him to his back in the first period, I knew that it was over," said Benton. "There was no way that I was going to lose that big of a lead. The match just went on and on. He started scoring a few points. I knew what my cutoff point was for points, so when he started getting close, I started wrestling harder. Next thing I know … I got my hand raised." Added Pecora, "More than him winning nationals, was how he won it. He dominated that national tournament. He was basically tech falling national runner-ups from the year before. He was breaking people. The dominance of the way he won the national tournament performance was very impressive." During his time at UPJ, Benton has formed a close friendship on and off the mat with Strittmatter, who serves as an assistant coach under Pecora. "Jody and I grew a lot closer this past summer," said Benton. "We were hanging out all the time. We were practicing all summer long. I can call him and talk to him about anything. He's not the kind of guy who is going to run off and tell everyone. He is just a nice, down-to-earth guy who you can just talk to about wrestling, non-wrestling, or anything." Pecora sees Strittmatter as a symbol for the UPJ program. "Jody has helped tremendously with the development of a lot of the wrestlers on the team," said Pecora. "He is just a great asset to have both as a coach and as a workout partner. I also think with the mental side -- he has helped a lot. With Jody being a two-time national champion for us, and an outstanding wrestler, and then moving on to Iowa, I think all the kids really admire him. He is one of them. He wrestled for me. He wrestled at UPJ. He was in this uniform. But yet he also wrestled for Iowa and was a Division I national runner-up. And he was ranked third in the United States in freestyle at one time. And he's one of them -- a local boy from Cambria Heights. Jody represents every UPJ wrestler's dream. They can identify with him because he is from their hometowns. He has a real big impact on our program. I'm just delighted to have him." Thad Benton pinned all three of his opponents at the 2005 Eastern Regionals.As Benton begins his senior season, he is focused on defending his national title and bringing the team title back to Johnstown. He's not yet certain of his post-collegiate plans. Pecora believes that he has the potential to continue his wrestling career in freestyle. "He's a very good freestyler," said Pecora. "I think if he wanted to, he's somebody who might be able to take it to the next step. But that step is such a big one for anybody. We'll wait and see. We'll worry about that later. We always sit down and talk about those things at the end of the year after they get their degrees. With Jody here, he has someone he can talk to about it. He went that route for a while and knows what it's like."

The University of the Cumberlands (Formerly Cumberland College) Women's Wrestling Team went on the road to engage in a pre-season scrimmage. The Patriot ladies traveled to London, Ontario to practice and contend against ladies from the University of Western Ontario. Western's coach Ray Takahashi and UC's Kip Flanik set up the scrimmage for all the ladies to practice together and get a few matches over the course of the weekend. Coach Flanik and twenty-four wrestlers traveled to Canada to get any available mat time before their intra-squad dual on October 14, 2005 and their season opener, Sunkist Open, in Phoenix, Arizona on October 21-23, 2005.

In a press conference attended by wrestling legend Dan Gable, the University of Sioux Falls announced the addition of wrestling to Cougar Athletics. In 2006, Cougar wrestling will begin its first year of competition since the program was cut following the 1972 season. Also announced was the hiring of Tim Homan as the new head coach of Cougar wrestling. "This is a very exciting day for Cougar athletics," said Athletic Director Willie Sanchez. "The sport of wrestling attracts the type of student-athletes that the USF strives to recruit." In Homan's presentation, he spoke about his commitment to the program and expectations of the future student-athletes involved. "I call it a 16:3 commitment," said Homan. "This comes from Proverbs 16:3, ‘Commit unto the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.'" Homan begins his collegiate coaching career after a decorated high school career. Homan's coaching career began in the Webster school district. From 1981-83, he served as the head wrestling coach and an assistant coach on the football and track teams. In his final year at Webster, Homan was nominated for the South Dakota Wrestling Coach of the Year award. In 1983 he moved to Brandon, South Dakota. At Brandon Valley High School he was the assistant wrestling coach until 1990 and head coach until 1995. In 1986, Homan was named the South Dakota Assistant Coach of the Year. Homan was also an assistant football coach from 1983 to 1995. From 1995-2004, Homan led Roosevelt High School's wrestling team. There he was named Sioux Falls Coach of the Year in 2000, 2003, and 2004. He earned Greater Dakota Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2003 and 2004. Homan was named Region I Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2004. Homan is a 1981 graduate of Augustana College. As a Viking, Homan was an All Conference Academic Team selection, a three-time NCC wrestling place winner, and a two-time NCAA D-II All American. Homan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education and also studied geography as a minor. Homan continued his education at the University of South Dakota, where he earned his Master of Arts in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.

Glory Days. The Rider University wrestling team has certainly had its share. Multiple All-Americans, a Top 10 national ranking, countless top 20 national rankings, conference championships. With the return of four national qualifiers and seven conference place winners, the young 2005-06 Broncs are looking to return to those Glory Days. "That's what we're working on now, getting back to those days," said Rider head Coach Gary Taylor. "We've rounded the corner, and we have a good, young team with a good attitude. We need to get back to being a conference champion, to having All-Americans, and with enough hard work and health, this could be the time to do it." The last two seasons the Broncs placed second in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship tournament to nationally ranked Hofstra. Hofstra is again one of three top 12 teams on Rider's schedule this year, but Taylor feels the Broncs can once again rise to the top. "In order for those goals to occur, several people need to have a breakthrough year," Taylor said. "Several need to take that next step, from being competitive on the national level to winning at that level." The Broncs will be led by four wrestlers who begin the season nationally ranked, junior 141 Don Fisch (ninth), sophomore 184-197 T. J. Morrison (17th ), senior 157 Dave Miller (18th ), and sophomore 133 Tim Harner (20th ). "We're very excited about having four of our 10 wrestlers ranked in the top 20 in the country," said Taylor, who has compiled 299 victories at Rider, and has guided 118 Broncs to Nationals, coming home with 11 All-Americans. "We're all looking forward to the upcoming year." Last year Fisch was named Rider's Most Outstanding Wrestler, winning his 141 pound weight class at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships and coming within one win of All-America honors at the NCAA Nationals Championships, winning three of five bouts. Fisch finished second in the nation in pins last year. "Donnie is extremely talented and explosive, and strong,: said Taylor. "I believe he has the ability to be an All-American, and if he continues to improve he could be a national champion. That's how good I think he is and can be." Morrison received the Fred Henson Memorial Award last season, presented to "the individual who demonstrates hard work and positive attitude on and off the mat." Morrison placed third in his 184 pound weight class at the CAA Championships and won a bout at Nationals, and could move up to 197 this year. "Morrison came back bigger this year," said Taylor. "He has a big frame, and may be even better at 197, where he can just concentrate on wrestling, not cutting weight. He's a hard worker who wants to be good. He will need to continue to improve to be what he's capable of. Last season he was very competitive with some of the best wrestlers in the nation." Miller finished runner-up at the CAA Championships after a 13-0 dual meet season, and won a match at Nationals, finishing sixth in the nation in pins. "Dave got a little banged up at the end of last year, which affected his performance at the CAAs and at Nationals," Taylor said. "We're getting him 100 percent healthy and getting him better on his feet. If we can do that he can be an All-American." Harner won 26 matches last season as a rookie, including one at Nationals. Other key returnees include sophomore Ryan Smith at 125, junior Ryan Cunningham at 165/174, sophomore Michael Palma at 141/149, sophomore Jeff Black at 184/197, heavyweight Tyler Rees, sophomore Zack Cunliffe at 133, senior Chris Marold at 165-174, junior Joe Maroney at 165/174, and freshman Doug Umbehauer at 174. Smith finished seventh in the nation in pins among 125 pounders last season as a rookie, winning 23 matches. "Ryan had a very good freshman year, and he showed he can compete with some of the best wrestlers in the country," Taylor said. "He works hard. Last year he had a year to mature and to grow. He should be a lot better this year. He knows now the price you have to pay to be great at this level. He was so talented coming in, he never had to pay that price before. Now he's ready to make that next step." Cunningham was a Freshman All-American in 2004, and won three bouts at the CAA Championships last year. "Cunningham finished strong last season after a rough year," Taylor said. "We hope he picks up where he left off last year. He suffered a high ankle sprain last year that he never really recovered from until the end of last season. Palma and Black were both named to the CAA All-Rookie team last year, with each winning six of eight CAA duals. "Mike is pretty tough, and really improved last year," said Taylor. "He was our most improved wrestler last year as a red-shirt freshman and has really showed signs of making the adjustments needed to be good at the Division I level. He's still growing." Black placed third at the CAA Championships last season, winning three of four bouts. "Jeff had an injury-riddled season, but certainly came on strong at the end of last year," said Taylor. "He could drop down to 184 this year. We're hoping he will picks up where he left off. This could be a break out year for him." Rees also was a member of the CAA All-Rookie team last year, winning 17 matches, including 5-1 in CAA duals. "Rees had a good year last season but a disappointing finish," said Taylor. "He was very competitive during the season. Our hope is he gets more offensive in scoring this year. He will be very good if he can do that." Cunliffe won six bouts as a rookie, and placed fourth in his weight class at the Keystone Classic. "Zack had an adjustment year last season, and filled in nicely when Harner was out," said Taylor. "He's a strong, quick, competitive kid, who is tough on top." Marold won 10 matches last season after a 17-win sophomore year. "Chris moved down a weight class, where he thinks he can be more competitive, and will look to challenge for that spot this year," Taylor said. Maroney placed second at the Keystone Classic last season. "Joe will also be a strong candidate for 165," Taylor said. Umbehauer wrestled three times before being injured and received a hardship waiver for his freshman season. Wrestling unattached, Umbehauer won the Penn State Open last season. "I think Doug has shown that he can compete regionally and nationally for us this year," Taylor said. The newcomers are led by James Garrett at 125, Tim McGoldrick and Eric Vinores at 141, Michael Kessler at 149, Michael Miller at 165/157, and Peter Reid at heavyweight. Garrett was a New Jersey State place winner at Egg Harbor Twp., finishing fourth at 125. "James is very talented, quick and explosive," said Taylor. "This will be a valuable learning year for him." McGoldrick was a Cadet Greco-Roman National Champion and a Junior Freestyle All-American. "Tim is a tough Pennsylvania kid who had an outstanding high school career," Taylor said. Vinores was a Maryland State Champ at 140 pounds last season. "Eric is a smart and talented young man," said Taylor. "He's a Presidential Scholarship winner, so along with helping us on the mat, he will help us climb from being 30th in the nation in team grade point average." Kessler was a four-time Maryland State Place winner, wining the 152 pound title as a senior, and is the younger brother of former Bronc and conference champion Gregg Kessler. "Mike is very competitive, very talented, and was the most outstanding wrestler at the Maryland State Championships," Taylor said. "The future looks bright for Mike if he can make adjustments quickly. He could make an impact immediately." Miller won the 171 pound Delaware State title last year after finishing runner-up the year before. "Mike is a gifted athlete who beat the state champs from Pennsylvania, Ohio and New Jersey last year, and reached the finals of the Beast of East tournament as the 11th seed," said Taylor. "He's a legitimate contender at 165." Reid was a Junior National Freestyle All-American last season, placing eighth in the nation at the tournament in Fargo. "Peter is a late bloomer and a hard worker, and if he makes the proper adjustments he will be a solid kid." The schedule features duals with there top 12 teams in Lehigh, Cornell and Hofstra, along with the Virginia Duals, and continues to include the Keystone Classic, Lock Haven's Mat Town, and the CAA Duals. Some of the wrestlers will again compete at the prestigious Midlands tournament, while the rest of the team travels to the Southern Scuffle at UNC-Greensboro. "The good news is we have a lot of home meets when the students come back from winter break," said Taylor, but the bad news is we're on the road until the end of January. But overall I'm happy with the schedule." Over the years the team goals have not changed much. "As always, we want to be in the top 20, we want to have All-Americans, and we want to have conference champions again," said Taylor, "and we're heading back to that." Heading back to the Glory Days.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference wrestling coaches announced the preseason weight class individual rankings in conjunction with the league office today. The rankings will be released on the second Tuesday of each month throughout the season, with one additional ranking system (two total) coming in January and February. The preseason rankings, voted on by the league's head coaches in an open forum, are as follows: 125 pounds (1) Luke Smith, R-So., CMU (30-10 overall, 4-1 MAC in 2004-05; Individual MAC Champion) (2) Chad Vandiver, So., Northern Illinois (14-9 overall, 3-2 MAC) (3) Caleb Metcalf, So., Ohio (11-20 overall, 2-3 MAC) (4) Chad Sportelli, Fr., Kent State 133 pounds (1) Jason Borrelli, Jr., Central Michigan (22-9 overall, 2-0 MAC; Individual MAC Champion) (2) Mark Budd, Jr., Buffalo (23-16 overall, 4-1 MAC) (3) Drew Opfer, R-Jr., Kent State (19-10 overall, 2-3 MAC) (4) Phillip Plowman, R-Sr., Eastern Michigan (9-8 overall, 3-2 MAC) 141 pounds (1) Josh Wooton, Sr., Northern Illinois (8-4 overall, 5-0 MAC; Individual MAC Champion) (2) Nick Conklin, R-Jr., Eastern Michigan (1-5 overall, 0-4 MAC) (3) Dana Gingerich, So., Buffalo (17-19 overall, 1-4 MAC) (4) Brandon Carter, R-So., Central Michigan (26-20 overall, 2-3 MAC) 149 pounds (1) Mark DiSalvo, R-Jr., Central Michigan (35-8 overall, 5-0 MAC; Individual MAC Champion) (2) Mike Grimes, Jr., Northern Illinois (16-10 overall, 2-3 MAC) (3) Jason Bake, R-Jr., Kent State (18-4 overall, 3-2 MAC) (4) Jermaine Thompson, Jr., Eastern Michigan (16-4 overall, 4-1 MAC) 157 pounds (1) Eric Neil, R-Fr., Central Michigan (29-14 overall, 4-1 MAC) (2) Kurt Gross, R-So., Kent State (18-17 overall, 1-4 MAC) (3) Chad Roush, Sr., Eastern Michigan (16-12 overall, 2-2 MAC) (4) Scott Rendos, So., Buffalo 165 pounds (1) Johnny Galloway, Jr., Northern Illinois (25-6 overall, 4-1 MAC) (2) Jake Blowers, Jr., Buffalo (16-17 overall, 2-2 MAC) (3) Scott Vaughn, So. Eastern Michigan (Transfer) (4) Jason McGee, So., Kent State (20-14 overall, 3-2 MAC) 174 pounds (1) Danny Burk, Jr., Northern Illinois (17-16 overall, 1-4 MAC) (2) Nate Rock, So., Buffalo (10-16 overall, 1-1 MAC) (3) Aaron Miller, So., Kent State (16-13 overall, 1-3 MAC) (4) Ryan Knapp, So., Ohio (5-9 overall) 184 pounds (1) Alex Camargo, Jr., Kent State (32-6 overall, 3-2 MAC) (2) Garrett Hicks, Sr., Buffalo (22-18 overall, 3-2 MAC) (3) Brian Cesear, Jr., Ohio (13-22 overall) (4) Christian Sinnott, R-Fr. CMU 197 pounds (1) Wynn Michalak, R-Fr., Central Michigan (34-10 overall, 4-2 MAC; Individual MAC Champion) (2) Kyle Cerminara, Sr., Buffalo (3) Ben Rings, Jr., Kent State (14-16 overall, 1-1 MAC) (4) Derek Hunsinger, So., Northern Illinois (15-9 overall, 2-1 MAC) Hwt (1) Marcus Adelman, Sr., Ohio (14-8 overall) (2) Bubba Gritter, R-So., Central Michigan (Redshirt Freshman) (3) Charlie Walker, R-Sr., Eastern Michigan (10-20 overall, 1-4 MAC) (4) Harold Sherrell, Sr., Buffalo (22-17 overall, 3-2 MAC) The preseason team rankings were also decided in the same forum. The six schools were ranked based on the number of first through fourth-place votes that were earned in the individual voting system. A first-place vote was worth four team points; a second-place vote earned three team points; third-seeded votes were worth two team points, while a fourth-place tally earned that team one point in the team ranking system. Central Michigan was picked to win the MAC Championship for the eighth consecutive season. The Chippewas return five individual MAC Champions from a squad that finished 60.5 points ahead of second-place finisher Northern Illinois. CMU has won five straight MAC Tournament titles. Buffalo and Northern Illinois both earned 19 votes, tying for second-place in the preseason poll. The Huskies will field a young team that includes just two seniors, but have three individual wrestlers ranked as the league's top performer in their respective divisions. Northern Illinois garnered 59 total points at last year's MAC Championships. Buffalo may be one of the most improved and experienced teams in the MAC. Finishing sixth at last year's championship, the Bulls return nine starters this season, including 2003-04 All-American Kyle Cerminara, a redshirt last year. Kent State, collecting 17 points, was picked fourth in the preseason poll. The Golden Flashes return seven starters from last year's team, all of which were seeded in the top-four of their respective weight classes for the upcoming campaign. Kent State finished third at last season's MAC Championships, collecting 46.5 total points. Eastern Michigan garnered 11 team points in the voting process, and was slated as the league's fifth-best team overall. The Eagles had key losses in seniors J.J. Holmes and Ed Magrys (both NCAA qualifiers last season), but return the remaining eight other starters from a team that went 7-10 overall. The Eagles finished fifth at last year's MAC Championships with 33.5 team points. Picked sixth in the league was Ohio. The youngest team in the MAC, the Bobcats have 22 combined freshmen and redshirt freshmen on the roster. Key returnees for Ohio include sophomore Caleb Metcalf (125 lbs.), Ryan Knapp (174 lbs.) and Marcus Adelman (285 lbs.), who enters the season as the top-ranked heavyweight in the MAC. The preseason team rankings are as follows: MAC Team Rankings (1) Central Michigan 25 (T-2) Buffalo 19 (T-2) Northern Illinois 19 (4) Kent State 17 (5) Eastern Michigan 11 (6) Ohio 9

At age 23, Jesse Jantzen already has an impressive wrestling resume. First four-time New York high school state champion. 2004 NCAA Division I champ at 149 pounds. Three-time NCAA All-American. Three-time EIWA conference champ. One of eight wrestlers in his weight class selected to compete in the inaugural season of Real Pro Wrestling. Subject of a four-page spread in Exercise and Health magazine. Gold medalist at the 2005 World University Games. Jesse Jantzen is focused on his goal of representing the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.But that's all in the past. Despite these incredible accomplishments, Jesse Jantzen is not looking back. When asked about previous achievements and honors, Jantzen is rather modest -- and almost reluctant -- to discuss them. Instead, he's looking forward to the next freestyle event, and the next, and the next … all with the idea of gaining experience to prepare for his ultimate goal of wrestling in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In fact, at the time of the interview, Jantzen was getting ready to travel to Budapest, Hungary for the 2005 World Wrestling Championships. Not to compete, but, according to Jantzen, to "support the U.S. team." Jantzen adds, "I want to observe the wrestlers from other countries in my weight class, and learn by seeing them in action in person. It's also helpful for me to travel overseas, and gain additional firsthand experience in the differences in food, accommodations, training facilities and officiating so that these won't be as much of a factor for me in international competition." An Emerging Force in Freestyle Jantzen is fairly new to the international freestyle wrestling scene, having graduated from Harvard University in 2004. In a little more than a year, the 66kg/145 lb Jantzen was crowned champion of the Henri Deglane International … was runner-up at the NYAC (New York Athletic Club) Open … placed third at the Dave Schultz Memorial … sixth at the U.S. Nationals … and fourth at the 2005 World Team Trials, the event that determined who would take to the mats for the U.S. at the Worlds in Hungary. Jantzen's most recent -- and arguably most significant -- freestyle accomplishment was winning the gold medal at the World University Games in Turkey this past August, a prestigious tournament open to wrestlers under age 28. Jantzen defeated Russia's Kelaxsaev Berding 4-0, 2-0 in the finals to become only the third U.S. wrestler to win gold at this international event, joining mat legends Wade Schalles (who was champ in 1977) and Bruce Baumgartner, who earned gold in 1981. (Later in the tournament, U.S. wrestlers Nate Gallick and Tommy Rowlands also earned gold at the University Games.) Jantzen did not lose a single period in the entire event, and shut out his opponents in seven out of ten periods. "I didn't know any of these guys, being kind of new to international (competition)," Jantzen said in a published interview after winning the gold. "Sometimes I think that is good for your wrestling style. Fortunately, I just had those two periods each time, which definitely helps in this environment and with only 15 minutes between matches." When asked about the World University Games for this profile, Jantzen said, "This year, there was a University Team Trials qualifying event in Colorado Springs in the spring of 2005. I think that resulted in having one of our stronger teams ever at the Games." Back to the Beginning: Writing Wrestling History in New York State Jesse Jantzen was born and raised on Long Island, a long-time hotbed for amateur wrestling. "My dad was a wrestler, and introduced me to the sport when I was five or six years old," said Jantzen. "When I was in grade school, I also played soccer and baseball, but, by ninth grade, I decided to concentrate on wrestling." While competing at Shoreham Wading River High School, Jantzen built an impressive 221-3 record … with those three losses coming in seventh and eighth grade. In the state of New York, qualifying seventh and eighth graders are allowed to compete at the state wrestling tournament. Jantzen took advantage of this rule, and placed third both years. "It provided me with good experience in competing at that kind of event," according to Jantzen. In fact, that experience served Jantzen well in subsequent trips to the state tournament. Jesse Jantzen competed for the New York Outrage in the inaugural season of Real Pro Wrestling.He became the first wrestler to win the New York high school championship four times (1997-2000). Adding to the luster of Jantzen's accomplishment: Unlike most states with wrestling championships conducted in multiple divisions based on school enrollment, New York had only one state champ in each weight class at the time Jantzen claimed his titles. And, making it all sweeter was the fact that Jesse was coached by his father Don, who was head wrestling coach at Shoreham Wading River. When asked if there was pressure to achieve an unprecedented fourth state championship, Jantzen said, "Yes, but most of it was self-imposed. Overall, it was a pretty exciting year, but it was a relief to win the title senior year." And, as if four state titles weren't enough, Jantzen accomplished even more as a wrestler while still in high school. He was a three-time All-American and two-time national champ … was named ASICS Wrestler of the Year … and National Most Outstanding Wrestler in 2000. Coming to Harvard With all these achievements as a high school wrestler, it's no surprise that Jantzen was heavily recruited. However, Jantzen's dream was to attend Harvard University. "A friend of mine, Andrew McNerney, is a volunteer coach at Harvard," said Jantzen, referring to the 1983 Harvard grad who earned NCAA All-American honors that year. "I was immediately impressed with the coaches, and how Harvard brought together the best of both worlds in terms of athletics and academics." "Early in my coaching career at Harvard, one of our alums told me about this eighth grader in New York," said Jay Weiss, head wrestling coach for the Crimson. "Through this alum, Andrew McNerney, I met Jesse during his high school career. I told him that we could help him become a national champion." In 2004, Jesse Jantzen defeated Zack Esposito to claim the NCAA title at 149 pounds.That NCAA title came in Jantzen's senior year, a capstone to a great career at Harvard. An Inspiration in the Ivy League Even as a freshman, Jantzen accomplished great things. He posted a 17-7 record, placed second at the EIWA championships, and was an NCAA qualifier. His achievements were recognized by others, being named Ivy League Rookie of the Year, and first team All-Ivy … and selected to the 2001 All-Rookie team by Amateur Wrestling News. And, as a portent of things to come, Jantzen was named Most Promising Freshman, and earned his team's Hardest Worker Award. "I've never had a more dedicated wrestler than Jesse," said Weiss. "His work ethic is incredible. He's a quiet leader, one who inspires others in the wrestling room to work harder and do more on a daily basis. He's a prime example that hard work pays off." At the 2004 NCAA Tournament, Jesse Jantzen earned Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament honors for his efforts.As a sophomore, Jantzen was crowned EIWA champion at 149 pounds, and was named the conference's Most Outstanding Wrestler. At the 2002 NCAAs, he placed third -- the best finish of a Harvard wrestler since 1953 -- and earned All-American honors. In his junior year, Jantzen claimed his second EIWA title, and again took third place at the NCAAs that year. He also earned Academic All-American honors in 2003 -- the only Harvard athlete to do so that year. Senior year was the pinnacle. Jantzen earned his third straight EIWA title, earning a trip to the 2004 NCAAs. In St. Louis, the top-seeded Crimson wrestler worked his way through the talent-rich 149-pound bracket to make it into the finals, where he achieved a 9-3 win over second-ranked Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State. For his performance at the NCAAs, Jantzen earned Outstanding Wrestler honors. When Jesse Jantzen won the NCAA title in 2004 -- he became the first Harvard wrestler to accomplish the feat since John Harksness won the title in 1938.Jesse Jantzen was the first NCAA champ from Harvard since John Harkness won the 175 pound title in 1938. Harkness was in the stands, cheering for Jantzen. "We made sure he would be there," said Weiss. "He was so thrilled to be a part of the event." Having a Go at Real Pro Wrestling In addition to his freestyle wrestling career, Jantzen was selected to compete in the first season of RealProWrestling, shown on Fox Sports and PAX-TV in the spring of 2005. One of eight competitors in the 66kg/145 lb weight class, Jesse wrestled for the New York Outrage team. "I'm glad to have been a part of it," said Jantzen. "I liked the rules that made it easy to score points, and encouraged action. I would do it again." What's Ahead Jesse Jantzen continues to focus on the future. A member of the New York Athletic Club freestyle team, Jantzen lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts and continues to work out in Harvard's wrestling room, providing guidance and inspiration to other wrestlers … and preparing himself for the long road towards the 2008 Olympics. "I try to go to every tournament, to gain more experience and learn by wrestling and observing." said Jantzen. "Jesse makes a strong impression on all he meets, whether through wrestling, or off the mat," according to Weiss. "He's inspiring on a daily basis."

Well, here it comes again … another wrestling season. I will have to say that this is without a doubt my favorite time of the year. I would like to thank Andrew (Hipps) for asking the Wisconsin-La Crosse Wrestling team to document our season for RevWrestling.com. We will be writing by committee throughout the season and I was elected to do the first of our blog entries. I have been asked to submit a season outlook for you all to read. All I can truthfully say is that for now we are working hard as we prepare to meet our high expectations and we are hoping for health and resilience to follow us throughout the season. I am assuming that everyone reading these articles is somewhat of a diehard wrestling fan, and since that is the case I feel very hesitant in writing a clichéd scenario of our team's goals and expectations. Rather, I would like to share some thoughts that are going through my head as I prepare for the season. This weekend I drove to Albert Lea, Minnesota -- a great wrestling town. I grew up on a farm outside of AL and went to high school there. My brother is building a shed on his property so I went there to help him pour the concrete slab. Mark Indrelie joined Alex and me in the task. Mark was a state champion in 1981 for the Tigers and had been a key workout partner for Alex and me throughout our years in high school. As we sat around waiting for the cement to set, we got to talking about wrestling … as usual. We brought up stories about my dad, Neal, who coached all of us, about Larry Goodnature, the current coach who was also in the program when we were going through. The Albert Lea team looks pretty salty this year and we are eager to see them perform. We talked about old takedowns and old matches, past workouts and future battles, technique and philosophy, coaching, strategy and everything else that wrestlers discuss on a cold morning sitting around a slab of wet cement on overturned drywall buckets. My brother brought up the story of him and Dean Bolte back in 1991. They were college teammates who hung a board in the wrestling room to keep track of takedowns throughout the season. At times they would go through many pounds of sweat before one of them would walk across the room to tally up a mark on the takedown chart. I'm not sure, but I think the other guy was forced to do the tallying for the guy who just took him down … talk about insult to injury. Mark reminisced about the days when he would come into the wrestling room at Albert Lea High School after putting in a full day at work. It was pretty much my every day goal to take him down my entire senior year. He recollected that my takedowns were few and far between, but the cuffs to the back of his head seemed to be a dime a dozen. To look at all three of us, you wouldn't see any physical similarities between us whatsoever, besides our ratty looking ears. The conversation got around to the age-old question of what makes a good wrestler. I got to thinking about my team and the individuals that are in our room. Whatever the ingredients for success in wrestling are, I don't assume to hold any secrets. All I can say from my observations is that you need to be a competitive being, willing to push yourself beyond the limits that your body has set for your mind. You need to demonstrate the ability to defy your muscles, your lungs, and those voices that crop up whenever you are tired. I recently heard Rob Koll of Cornell University speak about those voices. He brought up Andre Metzger and the mantra that pulsed through his mind to squelch the voices …"score, score, score." Controlling the mind over the matter, that pretty much sums up a wrestler to me. I feel very fortunate to be around a pack of guys who are striving to improve these qualities within themselves. I could run up and down our lineup and quote the accolades these guys have already acquired, but it doesn't have much to do with what's to come, does it? There is a big difference between "can" and "do." These guys are pondering their goals, writing them down, and creating individual plans that they will follow in order to meet their expectations. They are anticipating our schedule and visualizing moments of execution, moments of intensity, flurry, scramble, one more takedown, get another takedown, get riding time, score, score, score. Nate SkaarI feel very lucky to be a wrestler, to be acquainted with such an army of warriors. I remember being in the Junior High program at Albert Lea and having Chuck Jean as our part-time coach. I am convinced that he was a grizzly bear dressed up as a human being. He taught me and the other guys in that hot, tiny room under the bleachers about attitude without having to say a thing. He showed us a double leg, a crossface cradle, and he tried to convince us that both of them should work every time we hit them. He would grin as he demonstrated moves that were guaranteed to be effective … every time. As my dad would say, "He has a humble arrogance about him." What a quality to have, perhaps one of the foundations underneath every good wrestler. You need to be competitive to the core. You have to be disgusted with losing a game of Yatzee to your grandmother. Among the stories told around our cement slab was one from 1993. I was at the National Tournament the night before weigh-ins in a hotel room in Connecticut. My teammates and I had just finished our workout and decided to play a game of scrabble to pass the time. There were four of us in the room: Heath Grimm, Ryan Kittelson, Mark Bell and me. We were down to the end of the tiles, and the scores were very close. I pulled out "auk" with my last three tiles for the win. If memory serves me correctly, Kittelson went looking for a dictionary in protest to my claim that an "auk" was some type of penguin. He was disgusted to find out that I was right and that he in fact lost. Whenever we get together, the mention of that bird mysteriously crops up in our conversations. We weren't just playing scrabble to play scrabble; we were playing to win. As wrestlers we share competitiveness, we share stories of cutting weight (except for most of you heavyweights who in my humble opinion are a completely different species of human being … sorry Allen), we share tales from the busses, the hotels, the battles, the losses, the victories, the takedowns, the escapes, all of it. I am pretty eager to add another chapter in the book with the upcoming season. I have a great bunch of guys that I am looking forward to going into battle with. As for a season outlook? I am hoping that the individuals on my team all realize their goals. If that happens, then I am sure that my goals as a coach will be satisfied. When I think about making plans and creating a shared vision, I am reminded of what my old college coach used to say. Davis Johnson, aka "The Silver Fox", would always chuckle when things went our way and say, "I love it when a plan comes together!" This weekend my brother, Mark, and I had a plan, and it came together. We got the cement down and finished the job -- probably better than it needed to be. After all, it's just for a wood shed anyway -- it doesn't need to be perfect does it? Right. We had that thing smooth, level, square, and built to last. Of course we did, we are wrestlers. If you are going to do something, do it to the best of your ability. And if that still isn't good enough, improve your ability. Oh yeah, and remember … an "auk" is a stocky black-and-white diving seabird that breeds in arctic regions … it might just come in handy someday. Nate Skaar

Tom RyanHEMPSTEAD, NY -- Hofstra Pride Wrestling Coach Tom Ryan has enjoyed competition, both as a wrestler and as a coach. The 11th-year coach will get plenty of it this year as he announced the 2005-06 Hofstra Wrestling schedule Friday. The Pride will face the Top 4 teams from last year's NCAA Championships, and will have five Top 40 teams visiting Hofstra Arena including national runners-up Michigan, #18 West Virginia and #30 Pennsylvania. The Pride will also battle defending national champions Oklahoma State, #3 Oklahoma, #4 Cornell and #8 Lehigh on the road and will face numerous other Top 40 teams at the 24th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December, and at the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, in mid-January. Hofstra's six-match home schedule at Hofstra Arena begins on Thursday, November 17 when the Pride will host Oregon State University at 7 p.m. Hofstra will host two Ivy League programs on December 11 as Harvard University and Columbia University will provide the competition beginning at 5 p.m. The Pride will open 2006 in fine fashion by hosting the Wolverines of the University of Michigan, who placed second at last year's NCAA Championships, on Monday, January 2 at 7 p.m. The always tough Mountaineers of West Virginia, who placed 18th at last year's Championships, will come into Hofstra Arena on January 6th at 7 p.m. The Pride will wrap up its home schedule on January 25 at 7 p.m. against the Quakers of Pennsylvania. Penn finished 30th at the NCAA Championships and are led by 2004 U.S. Olympic Freestyle Coach and former West Virginia Assistant Coach Zeke Jones. Coming off their fifth consecutive conference championship and a school-best 17th place finish at the 2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Ryan will be looking to move into the elite air this season with, quite possibly, the deepest roster in school history. Hofstra, which sent nine wrestlers to the NCAA Championships last year after capturing its fourth straight Colonial Athletic Association crown, return 12 letterwinners including seven starters, seven NCAA qualifiers and five conference champions. Leading the Pride is two-time All-American Jon Masa. The senior from Long Beach, New York, captured his third CAA championship and placed third at the NCAA Championships at 149 pounds. Senior Mike Patrovich also returns after winning the CAA title at 165 pounds and just missing All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. Senior Ricky LaForge was a CAA finalist at 141 pounds and made his second NCAA Championship appearance last year. The underclassmen are talented and experienced. Junior James Strouse won his first CAA title at 157 and made his second nationals appearance last season. Sophomores Charles Griffin, Joe Rovelli and Dave Tomasette are also coming off outstanding seasons. Griffin, the CAA Rookie of the Year, captured the conference title at 133 pounds and finished the year at 27-6. Rovelli, who challenged Griffin for top CAA newcomer honors, captured the conference title at 184 pounds and finished the year at 23-9. Tomasette was a conference finalist at 125 pounds and posted a 19-14 mark while making his first national championship appearance. Junior John Manarte, a CAA finalist and a NCAA qualifier in 2004, is also expected to challenge for a starting role in 2005-06. The Pride newcomers are also expected to create some excitement this season. Junior college transfer Chris Weidman, who red-shirted last season, was a two-time All-American at Nassau Community College and is expected to fill the shoes of graduated All-American Chris Skretkowicz at 197 pounds. Another Nassau CC All-American Jon Andriac, the top-ranked heavyweight on the junior college circuit last season, is expected to fill the spot that was vacant most of last season for the Pride. Senior Mike Parziale, a three-time Most Valuable Wrestler at Franklin and Marshall College and a three-time New England scholastic champion at Woburn (MA) High School, is expected to challenge at 157 pounds. Freshman Alton Lucas, who was a high school All-American at West Babylon (NY) High School and the top-ranked senior wrestler in the country in his weight class, will battle junior Chris Vondruska for the starting role at 165 pounds. Six-time Junior National All-American Mitch Smith, from Ripley High School in West Virginia, and Senior Nationals champion Mike Pucillo, from Walsh Jesuit High School in Ohio, will make Hofstra a more formidable power in 2005-06.

Russ HellicksonCOLUMBUS, Ohio -- Russ Hellickson, Ohio State's wrestling head coach, announced the addition of Jim Humphrey, a former Buckeye and Ross Thatcher to the OSU wrestling staff. Humphrey replaces four-time OSU All-American Tommy Rowlands as the volunteer assistant coach and will head the Ohio International Wrestling Club based in Columbus. Rowlands will move to Director of Program Operations and Thatcher is the Program Director for Recruiting and Conditioning. "The changes in our staff give our team phenomenal depth," Hellickson, who is entering his 20th year at the helm of the Buckeyes, said. This expertise will impact our athletes who are a part of the Ohio State team and the local wrestling club." Humphrey owns an extensive wrestling background that includes All-America honors and a 1972 Big Ten Individual Championship. A member of the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, Humphrey is a five-time freestyle national champion, as well as the 1977 World Games silver medalist. Humphrey also holds an impressive head coaching resume that consists of leading the 1984 Canadian Olympic Team and the 1988 U.S. Olympic squad. In the collegiate ranks, Humphrey was the head coach at Indiana from 1984-1989. Both of Humphrey's sons, Jordin and Reece, are members of the 2005-06 Buckeye squad. "Jim was a contemporary of mine as an athlete and a coach and has been extremely successful at all levels of competition in his career," Hellickson said. "I don't believe there is a person in the United States who could bring more wrestling knowledge and experience than Jim." "It is an honor to come back and help Russ and his efforts to make this the finest collegiate program in the country," Humphrey said. "It always has been a goal of mine to come back and coach at Ohio State since I graduated in 1972." While assisting the Buckeye program, Humphrey also will lead the Ohio International Wrestling Club, with Thatcher serving as Humphrey's assistant. "I think the Ohio International Club will have a dramatic effect on our program," Humphrey said. "It will provide opportunities for our athletes to improve their wrestling skills at numerous domestic and international events. The team's ability to work out with four or five post graduate wrestlers will take them to another level." Thatcher was a Penn State letterwinner from 1997-2000 and served as an assistant coach at PSU from 2000-2003. While with the Nittany Lions, Thatcher was named captain and garnered All-America honors. Following his time at Penn State, Thatcher wrestled for the New York Athletic Club, where he was a two-time Sunkist International Open Champion, New York Athletic International Open Champion, Dave Schultz International Open Champion and North East Regional Outstanding Wrestler and Champion. A two-time Ohio state champion and a three-time Ohio state finalist at Bishop Ready High School in Columbus, Thatcher won bronze as a member of the 2001 U.S. Pan American team and was a member of the U.S. University World squad. "I am looking forward to working with this great staff and team," Thatcher said. "We have a great group of young student-athletes who are willing to pay the price to reach their goals. I am very fortunate to get the opportunity to learn from such a legendary coach like Russ Hellickson. I am back in the city where I grew up and closer to my family. I am finally a Buckeye and I love it." "Ross has worked tirelessly in impacting the wrestling community at the collegiate level while at Penn State," Hellickson said. "He adds great enthusiasm and has great drive in participating in recruiting." Rowlands, who is training as an Olympic hopeful for the 2008 games, graduated from Ohio State as the most decorated wrestler in the history of the program with four All-America accolades and two heavyweight national championships (2002 and 2004). Recently, Rowlands won gold at the World University Games, becoming the fifth U.S. wrestling gold medalist in the history of the games. Rowlands also competed in the 2004 Pan American Games, scoring a silver medal, before falling short of an Olympic bid at the U.S. team trials. In 2005, Rowlands earned a silver medal at the Yarygin Memorial tournament in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, and followed his second-place performance with a bronze medal showing at the Cerro Pelado tournament in Cuba. "I think it is a great step in the right direction for the program," Rowlands said. "I'm excited to work with Jim and Ross and everyone a part of the 2005-06 team." "Tommy had the most success of any OSU wrestler as a four-time All-American, two-time NCAA champion and World University Games gold medalist," Hellickson said. "We all know Tommy will run a tight ship as Director of Program Operations. The obvious goal is helping him make the 2008 team and the new staff arrangement is flexible enough to help him make that goal." Mitch Clark and Ken Ramsey return as Buckeye assistants. Clark will enter is eighth year and Ramsey will serve his 12th. Ohio State will kick off its 2005-06 campaign at the Michigan State Open Nov. 12-13 in East Lansing, Mich.

To all Nebraska and Iowa High School wrestling fans! Starting this March, a rivalry will begin! The best of the best seniors from the Husker state will take on the best of the best seniors from the Hawkeye state in the 1st Annual Border Brawl! The Border Brawl will be held on the campus of Dana College in Blair, NE on Friday March 10, 2006. The 1st Annual Border Brawl will be the first All-Star Dual of its kind in this area! The top seniors from both states will be invited to defend their state pride in a dual of all duals! Two coaches from each state will be selected to coach their respective states as well. The Border Brawl will follow IAHSAA and NSAA rules. Wrestling fans mark your calendars for the most exciting All Star Dual of the year! Stay tuned for more information. Call or check website for ticket information at http://www.dana.edu/wrestling or Coach Fergola at 402-426-7374 or by e-mail at rfergola@dana.edu.

Head coach Jim Beichner knew that 2004-05 was going to be a season of growing pains even before it began. He made the decision to redshirt 2003-04 All-American Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter), leaving a gaping hole in the lineup that had produced three Mid-American Conference champions. The team struggled, as a new core emerged of four freshmen starters and one first-year starting sophomore were thrust into some of the toughest schedules in the country, wrestling six nationally-ranked teams and participating in the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational. Now a year older and much more seasoned, that core of nine starters has been around the block once, plus Cerminara re-enters the fold and is aiming for a national title. With three other wrestlers who finished in the top 25 in the nation in wins in their weight classes and four MAC placewinners in 2004-05 on the roster, the Bulls already have a core that will make some noise in the conference. Add onto that a Bulls' recruiting class that features two junior college All-Americans, three high school state champions plus two transfers from Ohio State including Ryan Needle (Newfane, NY/Newfane), a three-time New York State High School champion, and the Bulls are ready to become an elite program in the country. 125 pounds The Bulls took a hit when they lost their only starter at this weight class, when after his sophomore year and two NCAA Championship berths, Mark McKnight left the program for Penn State. However, Beichner quickly remedied the situation by bringing in five recruits, including two-time New York State champion Dan Bishop (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall). Bishop was ranked 10th by Intermat at 112 pounds in the magazine's 2004-05 senior rankings. Freshman Tyler Laracy (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) also has state champion on his resume, winning the Massachusetts championship in 2003-04. Also adding depth in the weight class will be Andrew Stella (Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home), who was a four-time Section VI champion, and Evan Veney (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), who won 87 matches in high school. 133 pounds Junior captain Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) has a hold on the starting position heading into the season, after going 23-16 in 2004-05. He finished the year on a 10-2 run that included a third-place finish at the MAC Championships. Budd went 4-1 in MAC dual meets and was sixth in the nation in wins by sophomores at 133 pounds. Budd also placed in three tournaments, including winning the New York State Collegiate Championship title on Jan. 24. "He's a captain because he leads by example," Beichner said of Budd. "He is absolutely one of our hardest workers. He's got a great attitude. You very rarely see him down." Also looking for time at 133 are Derek Eamer (Watertown, NY/General Brown) and New York State High School qualifiers Tim Higgins (Merrick, NY/Chaminade) and Luther Ruben (Ithaca, NY/Ithaca). 141 pounds Sophomore Dana Gingerich (Spring Grove, PA/DeLone Catholic) will fight to keep his starting slot with six other wrestlers. Gingerich finished his first season as a starter by going 17-19 and earning a fourth-place finish at the MAC Championships after battling illness in the first half of the season that ended when he had his tonsils removed in December. "He's come in healthy, heavy and strong," Beichner said. "We hope that's going to be the difference for him getting to the national championships. Dana can score points faster than anybody on our team. Our expectations are for him to be a leader on this team in many statistical categories." Senior Cliff Smith (Merrick, NY/Calhoun) comes back from a redshirt year and will fight for a spot in the starting lineup at either 141 or 149 pounds after going 26-16 in 2003-04 at 133 pounds. "Pound for pound, he may be one of the strongest kids on the team," Beichner said. Junior Mike Shannon (Albany, NY/Colonie) will look for time on the mats after going 4-6 in his first year at Buffalo after transferring from Binghamton. Shannon started for one season at Binghamton, going 4-16. "He prepared all summer long," Beichner said. "Keep an eye on him because he may find a way to make a dent." Freshmen Josh Taylor (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) and Jason Hilliard (Genoa, NY/Southern Cayuga) will also find time on the mats along with junior Gus Manzur (Cheektowaga, NY/Oakton), a former member of the El Salvador national team. 149 pounds Junior Pat Lloyd (Middletown, NY/Valley Central) has started the past two seasons for the Bulls and even placed fourth at the MAC Championships as a freshman, but the transfer of Needle from Ohio State plus Smith also making a run for the starting job in the weight class makes it one of the most contested in the wrestling room. "There's three guys in there right now that are all very good," Beichner said. "Whoever wins that weight class is going to be a very solid Division I wrestler, just because there's so many good guys in the weight class." Lloyd went 16-21 overall and 3-10 in dual meets as a sophomore, but he placed in five of the seven tournaments he wrestled in, including earning a second-place finish at the New York State Collegiates. Needle, a three-time New York State High School champion, transfers in after compiling a 9-7 record and a 1-2 mark in Big 10 dual meets in his redshirt freshman year at Ohio State. Sophomore Samuel Hermon (Byron, NY/Byron-Bergen) spent a year at West Virginia before transferring closer to home. He could also make an impact in the weight class along with senior Todd Feinkind (Irvington, NY/Irvington). 157 pounds Sophomore Scott Rendos (Brockway, PA/Brockway) placed in three tournaments his freshman year, good for an 18-23 overall record. The former two-time state champion was 12th in the country in wins by freshmen at 157 pounds and looks to keep his starting slot this year. "We think he improved a lot over the summer," Beichner said. "We expect a lot from him." The competition for the spot will be fierce, however, with incoming two-time NJCAA All-American John Cummings (Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore) and Ohio State transfer Steven Muldrow (Cincinnati, OH/Summitt Country Day). "This is what good Division I programs look like," Beichner said. "Depth is so important and this year we have depth. It's going to be a tightly-contested weight class and you want that. You want people fighting for those spots." Cummings spent two seasons at Nassau Community College, finishing fourth in the country at 157 pounds in each season. He also was a New York State High School finalist in 2003, losing to teammate Ryan Needle in the championship. "Thus far, in the season, he's impressed us very much as far as work ethic and attitude," Beichner said. "You can tell he loves the sport. He will beat people throughout the year by grinding them out. By the end of a match, people get tired, but that's not John." Muldrow wrestled to a 1-4 record in two years at Ohio State, redshirting in one of the seasons. He won 112 matches at Summit Country Day. Also in the mix for the starting job are junior Chris Nebelecky (Tonawanda, NY/Tonawanda) and sophomore Jeremy Sheffer (Colonie, NY/Colonie), a transfer from Air Force. 165pounds Three wrestlers each flashed brilliance at 165 pounds last year and all three are back to compete for the starting slot once again in 2005-06, as sophomores Mickey Moran (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Area) and Mike Ragusa (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) and junior Jake Blowers (Johnstown, NY/Broadalbin-Perth) will all contribute during the season. "We think those three guys are going to give us a great deal of depth," Beichner said. "We feel comfortable sending any of those three guys out on the mat." Moran went 7-23 in his first year as a starter, splitting time at 165 and 174 pounds, but he did finish second at the New York State championships and fourth at the UB Open and won the starting slot in 2004-05 during wrestle-offs with Blowers and Ragusa. Blowers entered the lineup in December when an injury moved Moran up a weight class. Blowers excelled in his first year as a starter, going 16-17 overall, earning five falls and finishing third at the MAC Championships. He earned two of those pins at crucial points in dual meet wins against North Dakota State and Kent State. Ragusa, a former Massachusetts state champ, finished sixth at the Oklahoma Gold Classic, but was injured later that week to force him out for the season after redshirting in 2003-04. 174 pounds The last time sophomore Nate Rock (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) stepped on a mat, he delivered one of the most dramatic wins of the year for Buffalo, as he battled with a strained LCL and beat Kent State's Aaron Miller, 7-2, to secure an 18-16 dual meet win. He's back this year after finishing his injury-shortened rookie campaign 10-16 overall. Competing with Rock are two strong transfers, as junior college All-American Hanif Abdush-Shahid (Uniondale, NY/Ithaca) and Drexel transfer Ray Lamb (Mays Landing, NJ/Absegami) will each look for time on the mats. Abdush-Shahid finished third at the 2004 NJCAA Championships and was also a Junior Greco-Roman All-American in 2002, finishing third at the Junior Nationals. "Those two guys are both very capable," Beichner said. "They're very strong and very competitive. Either of them will do a nice job for us." Lamb, who will wrestle at either 174 or 184 pounds, started one season for the Dragons, splitting time between 157 and 165 pounds and going 9-21 overall and 2-3 in Colonial Athletic Association duals. 184 pounds Senior Garrett Hicks (Chautauqua, NY/Chautauqua Lake) will serve his first year as a captain after having just completed his first full year as a starter in 2004-05. Hicks went 22-18 overall, finishing 23rd in Division I in wins. He beat MAC Champion Alex Lammers of Central Michigan, 7-2, in a dual meet on Feb. 5. He also placed at three tournaments and won his first collegiate tournament, claiming the UB Open title on Dec. 30. "He's turned himself into a very valuable member of the program over the years," Beichner said. "He's someone who's turned himself into a leader, a quiet leader. He's not outspoken, but he does what he's supposed to do." Freshman Ricky Scott (Walden, NY/Valley Central), a two-time state champion, was ranked third in the nation's seniors by Intermat at 171 pounds. The highly-touted recruit could also make an immediate impact with the Bulls. Freshman Ben Carbrey (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville North) also will look for time on the mat. 197 pounds Senior All-American Cerminara will search for a national title after redshirting in 2004-05, and he can reach quite a few milestones along the way. Entering his senior year, Cerminara is two wins shy of becoming just the third UB wrestler to reach 100 wins in his career. He is 16 wins away from breaking Gary Cooper's (1998-03) mark of 113 career wins. In 2003-04, Cerminara set a school single-season record with 41 wins as he went on to place eighth at the NCAA Championships to become the first male All-American in UB's Division I era. He was recently ranked sixth in USA Wrestling's annual freestyle rankings at 96 kilograms. "We think we've potentially got one of the best Division I wrestlers in the country," Beichner said of Cerminara. "Very few people work as hard as Kyle. He's got his goals set in front of him and he knows where he wants to be at the end of the year." Hwt Senior Harold Sherrell (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) will adjust to his third weight class in three years as he will be the starter for Buffalo at heavyweight this year. In 2004-05, wrestling at 197 pounds, Sherrell went 22-17 to finish in the top 25 in the nation in wins and also placed third at the MAC Championships. He also placed at five of seven tournaments he wrestled in, including a second-place finish at the Beast of the East Collegiate Invitational on Dec. 17, at which he beat All-American Phil Davis of Penn State, 7-6. "Harold Sherrell has been a workhorse for us," Beichner said. "He's been a dedicated, loyal wrestler. Everything we've asked of Harold, he has done. He's improved himself as a person and an athlete over the years in a way that I haven't seen over the years. He has single-handedly turned himself into a Division I wrestler." Junior Jeff Parker (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) is the only redshirt that Beichner has announced before the season, allowing the former Massachusetts state champion a year to develop, after going 17-24 overall and 1-4 in MAC competition as a sophomore after transferring from Binghamton. Senior Greg Thomas (Baldwin, NY/Uniondale/Nassau CC) could also see time on the mats. Schedule The Bulls have six dual meets scheduled for Alumni Arena three versus Mid-American Conference opponents along with the third annual UB Open. The Bulls kick off their season with the Slippery Rock Open on Nov. 5 before heading to the Oklahoma Gold Classic, held in Brockport on Nov. 12. UB opens its dual meet and home portion of the schedule Nov. 20, facing Gardner-Webb, Findlay and Bloomsburg who recently named former UB standout John Stutzman its head coach. The Mat Town USA Invitational (Nov. 26) and the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 2-3) are once again included on the Bulls' slate. UNC-Greensboro head coach Tom Shifflet will be making a return visit to Western New York on Jan. 15 when his Spartans stop by Alumni Arena. The Amherst native and Sweet Home High School graduate is entering his fourth season at the helm of the UNC-Greensboro program. The remaining dual-meet opponents coming to UB include Appalachian State and Mercyhurst (Dec. 19); Ohio University, Ithaca and Delaware State (Jan. 28); Eastern Michigan (Feb. 4); and Central Michigan (Feb. 5). The Bulls' other MAC matchups take place at Northern Illinois (Jan. 6) UB's conference opener and at Kent State (Feb. 10). The MAC Championships are scheduled for March 4-5 at Northern Illinois, while this season's NCAA Championships will take place March 16-18 in Oklahoma City.

Nick SimmonsEAST LANSING, Mich. -- Seniors Darren McKnight and R.J. Boudro, along with junior All-Americans Nick and Andy Simmons, will serve as team captains for the Michigan State wrestling team for the 2005-06 season. The four upperclassmen had a combined record of 114-32 in 2004-05. "Seldom has MSU had more leadership than it does this year," head coach Tom Minkel said. "These four men have not only had great success on the mat, but they have demonstrated outstanding leadership skills as well." McKnight will serve as a captain for the second straight season after making his second appearance at the NCAA Championships in March 2005. He was an NWCA Academic All-American last season, and improved on his 2003-04 finish at every tournament. McKnight led the team in takedowns and finished second in major decisions with seven. Boudro will make the drop from 174 pounds to 165 pounds after taking fourth at the 2005 Big Ten Championships. Despite sustaining various injuries through the course of the season, Boudro persevered to finish the season ranked as high as No. 12 in the polls. Nick Simmons will once again compete for a national title at 125 pounds. He took fourth at the 2005 NCAA Championships and claimed State's first Big Ten Championship since 2000. Simmons wrestled competitively throughout the summer, winning the Freestyle University National Championship, taking third at the U.S. Senior National Championships and fifth at the University World Games. He was also named MSU Male Athlete of the Year for the 2004-05 season. Andy Simmons claimed All-American honors for the first time in 2005 despite suffering a knee injury late in the season. Simmons took second at 141 pound at the 2005 Big Ten Championships, and defeated third-place finisher Cory Cooperman of Lehigh by fall in the national quarterfinals before having to injury default his final two matches. He tied his brother, Nick, for the team lead in victories with 32. Official practices begin for the team Tuesday, Oct. 11, and the first competition of the year will be at the Eastern Michigan Open on Nov. 5 in Ypsilanti, Mich.

In every collegiate season there are key head-to-head match-ups that wrestling fans anxiously await. They circle dates on calendars, breakdown the matches months in advance, and make travel arrangements to see these great match-ups. Two seasons ago, it was Jesse Jantzen vs. Zack Esposito and Troy Letters vs. Tyrone Lewis. Last season, it was the continuation of two great rivalries -- Ryan Bertin vs. Alex Tirapelle and Chris Pendleton vs. Ben Askren. So with the season just upon us -- let's take a look at the top-10 match-ups you won't want to miss (from 10 to 1). 10. Nick Simmons (Michigan State) vs. Kyle Ott (Illinois) Why it's intriguing: These two Big Ten foes are two of the top-four 125-pounders in the nation -- with the other two being NCAA champion Joe Dubuque of Indiana and third-place finisher Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma. Simmons and Ott split two matches last season. However, Ott won the all important one, in overtime, in the NCAA semifinals. Kyle Ott of Illinois and Nick Simmons of Michigan State split two matches season. Ott, however, won the most important one -- in the NCAA semifinals.Where they could meet before the postseason: While there is a chance they could meet at the All-Star match on Nov. 21 -- it's unlikely unless Dubuque and/or Hazewinkel decline the invitation. Both Michigan State and Illinois will be at the Midlands on Dec. 29-30 -- so there is certainly a possibly that Simmons and Ott could meet there. On Feb. 12, Michigan State heads to Champaign to wrestle the Illini, where Simmons and Ott will wrestle an important match to determine seeds for the Big Ten Championships. 9. Steve Mocco (Oklahoma State) vs. Matt Fields (Iowa) Why it's intriguing: When Mocco transferred from Iowa to Oklahoma State -- he went from savior to betrayer, literally overnight in the Hawkeye State. His transfer to Oklahoma State ruffled the feathers of a lot of his now ex-teammates. But not Fields. When Fields signed with Iowa, many questioned why he would choose a school where he wouldn't be assured a spot in the lineup for at least two years. His response was, "I'm going to have to beat him anyway, so it's not much of an issue." Last season, as a true freshman, Fields wrestled Mocco three times -- and was shutout all three times (5-0, 4-0, and 4-0). But word out of Iowa City is that Fields believes that he can beat Mocco this season. Where they could meet before the postseason: On Jan. 7, Oklahoma State comes to Iowa, which will be Mocco's first appearance at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City since his transfer to Oklahoma State. The only other potential meeting place between these two could be Jan. 14-15 at the National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. 8. Pacifico Garcia (San Francisco State) vs. Jason Rhoten (Minnesota State-Mankato)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- This year's NC State Fall Wrestling Clinic and Red-White scrimmage will feature a little added sizzle with four-time national champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Cael Sanderson slated to serve as one of the clinic's instructors. The clinic will be held on Sunday, November 13, at Reynolds Coliseum. Registration will be from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., with the clinic running from 1-4 p.m. The day's events will wrap up with the annual Red-White scrimmage from 4 o'clock until 5:30. The wrestling clinic will be geared towards club, middle school and high school wrestlers of all abilities and experience. Coaches are invited to attend free of charge. The clinic should give wrestlers and coaches an opportunity to receive instruction on technique, while meeting and interacting with the NC State wrestlers and Sanderson, one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the sport. His popularity has grown world-wide since winning a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. As a collegiate competitor, he became the first wrestler in history to win four NCAA titles while also completing an undefeated career (159-0) from 1998-99 through 2001-02 at Iowa State University. In 2001 and 2002, he also earned spots on the U.S. Men's Freestyle World teams. However, in 2001 he was unable to compete when the September 11 attacks on New York City postponed the event to a date that conflicted with his college schedule. USA Wrestling decided not to attend the 2002 World Championships in Tehran, Iran, due to a credible threat placed against the team. Sanderson was vindicated in 2003, when he won a silver medal at the World Championships held in New York City's Madison Square Garden before achieving wrestling greatness with his gold medal in 2004. Currently, Cael resides in Ames, Iowa with his wife Kelly where he is an assistant wrestling coach at Iowa State University. Originally from Heber City, Utah, Sanderson was coached by his father Steve with great support from his mother Debbie. His two older brothers, Cody and Cole, both excelled as wrestlers at Iowa State as well. Cael's younger brother Cyler is a freshman at Iowa State and will wrestle for the Cyclones beginning with the 2005-06 school year.

Donny AltmanBLAIR, Neb. -- Dana College Head Wrestling Coach Steve Costanzo is pleased to announce the commitment of Derby (Kan.) High School senior Donny Altman to the Viking Wrestling program. Altman, a standout for Class 6A Derby, announced his decision early this fall. He will compete at 125 pounds for the Vikings in 2006-07. Altman brings a wealth of wrestling accomplishments and accolades to the Dana program. Most recently, he won his first Kansas State Championship as a junior in 2005, claiming the 103-pound Class 6A title. On the national scene, Altman has placed five times at the prestigious Cadet/Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D. As a cadet, Altman became a four-time All-American, claiming two Greco-Roman National titles and two Freestyle All-American honors. In 2005, Altman placed sixth in his first year at the junior level in freestyle at 112 pounds.

Every year, the debate rages in wrestling circles: Who is the best high school wrestler in the nation? Perhaps by coincidence, in recent years there has been a clear-cut consensus top three whom fans debated between as the top wrestler -- yet their status as the top three was never really disputed. In 2002, wrestling fans argued amongst Zack Esposito, Teyon Ware, and Johny Hendricks -- all NCAA champions today. In 2003, they debated between Mark Perry, Roger Kish, and CP Schlatter. In 2004, it was Alex Tsirtsis, Michael Poeta, and Matt Fields that captured the most attention. Never was there a better example of the "big three" phenomenon than the top trio of 2005, where Dustin Schlatter, Brent Metcalf, and Troy Nickerson entered the season with stunning resumes of success against older competition in Fargo and elsewhere. Metcalf and Schlatter split two epic bouts that settled little other than their equality. 2005-2006 appears to the exception to the "top trio" phenomenon. At the start of this season, there are two competitors who clearly stand out from the pack: David Craig and Henry Cejudo. David Craig, hailing from the Brandon (Florida) High School juggernaut has been the top 171 in the nation since his sophomore year. In 2005-2006, to paraphrase Shakespeare, he "stands over all others at his weight class like a colossus." The odds of Craig losing a match this year are approximately the same as the odds of FILA (International Wrestling's beleaguered governing body) making a rationale decision. In other words -- zero. David Craig of Florida has been the best 171-pounder in the nation since his sophomore year.Consider: The likely third best 171 in the nation, Clayton Foster, was pinned in Fargo by Craig. The nation's second best 171 is clearly Brent Chriswell. Chriswell pinned or teched all foes in Fargo other than Craig, including a pin over Asics All-American First Team David Erwin, and tech falls over Clayton Foster and Jeff James (likely the fourth best 171). Chriswell also won FILA Cadets all the way up at 187.5 in dominating fashion in April. Chriswell, it may have seemed, posed a legitimate threat to Craig. It was no contest. Chriswell was simply outmatched, as Craig narrowly missed a tech fall, prevailing 8-0. That Craig would stand head and shoulders above the field at 171 is hardly a surprise. He has been the top 171 in the nation since he was a sophomore -- in a weight class dominated by upperclassmen. Simply put, for a sophomore to be the best in the nation at such a high weight class is unprecedented. Following up a dominating performance in winning Cadet Freestyle at 160 the year before, Craig quickly established himself as possibly the best 171 in the nation that year by defeating defending 171 Cadet Nationals champion Hudson Taylor and defending 171 Junior Nationals champion Rocco Caponi back-to-back in winning the Ironman. Although the nation's best 160, Jarrod King, moved up to 171 and beat Craig that summer in Fargo, Craig merely served to solidify the argument that he was the best at 171 by toppling Pennsylvania's Kurt Brenner for third place. Perhaps the most impressive, and easy to overlook thing about Craig's performances the last two years is that he has been outsized (although certainly not overpowered) at 171. Anecdotal reports are that his natural weight is around 170 -- that he would have been at 160 but wrestles 171 in deference to his older (former) teammate and fellow multiple-time national champion Rocky Cozart. This has been supported by the fact that even in preseason and post season open tournaments, Craig has not been seen competing higher than 171. Henry Cejudo of Colorado was a double champion at Junior Nationals in 2004, but was held out of Fargo in 2005 because of an injury.If Craig is No. 1, Henry Cejudo of Coronado, Colorado, would have to be No. 1a. Whereas Craig is an upper-weight, Cejudo is on the other end of the spectrum, competing at 119. The stock of this competitor just keeps rising. For years, Cejudo was merely "Angel Cejudo's brother" (his older brother has been a four-time state champion, Cadet Nationals champion, Junior Nationals champion, and FILA Junior Nationals champion among other accolades)." Now, it is Angel Cejudo who may come to be known in wrestling circles as "Henry Cejudo's brother." The younger Cejudo made his mark in 2004, winning both styles at Junior Nationals in convincing fashion in a loaded weight. Cejudo knocked off the highly-decorated Mike Grey and Franklin Gomez just to make the finals. In fact, Cejudo unthinkably tech falled Grey and pinned Gomez to add to his double title in 2003 at the cadet level. Cejudo further raised his stock in the spring of 2005 with a triumph at FILA Junior World Team Trials. At that tourney, he first crushed Obe Blanc, a 2003 Senior High School Nationals champion, and then 2004 Senior Nationals champion/multiple Junior and Cadet Nationals champion Paul Donahoe, twice in a row. None of these matches were really close, with Cejudo actually pinning Donahoe in one of the matches. The real impressiveness of these victories was that these accomplished competitors were two and three years older than Cejudo respectively. Cejudo added to his resume with an impressive showing at the super-tough FILA Junior World Tournament. Unfortunately, he was injured while competing there, and was thus unable to add to his title count in Fargo this summer. In his absence, rivals Gomez and Grey won titles at 119 and 125 in dominating fashion. The Best of the Rest: The remaining contenders for best high school wrestler in the nation might be described as the "super seven." They are, in no particular order: Zach Bailey, Mike Grey, Garrett Scott, Billy Murphy, and Lance Palmer. Some wrestling fans may feel that Zach Bailey has dropped off the elite list after his failure to place at Junior Nationals in 2005. They would be mistaken. Bailey was reportedly hampered by an injury. Regardless, his other victories in 2005 showed that his surprise win at Juniors in 2004 was no fluke. This season alone he defeated Mitch Mueller, Sean Nemec, and Ashtin Primus among others. Mueller dominated in winning a Junior Nationals title in freestyle in 2005 at Bailey's weight class. Nemec was a Junior Nationals All-American two weight classes higher than Bailey competed. Mike Grey has a chance to become the first four-time state champion ever in the state of New Jersey.Only one state has never had a four-time state champion, that being single-division New Jersey. That will likely change this year when Mike Grey is crowned for the fourth year in a row. Grey has amassed over a hundred victories with only a single overtime loss -- to High School Nationals and Junior Nationals double champion Franklin Gomez. While he is a folkstyle specialist, Grey has also shown talents in freestyle. In four trips to Fargo, he has come away with All-American honors all four times, adding a Junior Nationals title to a Cadet Nationals title won in 2002. The enigma of the "super seven" is Garrett Scott of Pennsylvania. Many wrestling fans in Pennsylvania feel that Scott is the best to come out of their state since Cary Kolat, no small statement in the nation's premier wrestling state. Scott made two appearances in Fargo, winning Cadet Nationals titles in freestyle after his eighth and ninth grade seasons. The list of wrestlers who have won Cadet Nationals titles in freestyle before entering high school at weights above 100 lbs is short and illustrious. Scott has not lost since freshman year, and his only two losses that year were 8-7 and 10-8 in overtime, respectively. As a junior, he captured his third state title with a technical fall in the finals. However, Scott has not competed in Fargo since winning his second Cadet Nationals title after his freshman season. The only national competition against which he has competed since then was at FILA Juniors this past spring, where he finished a disappointing eighth place (in the same weight where Bailey finished third, although they never met). The bet here is that Scott will return to form in 2005-2006. Perhaps the most intriguing of the super seven is Billy Murphy. It is safe to say that no other member of the "super seven" is less technically polished than Murphy. Perhaps the best phrase to describe Murphy would be "bull in a china shop". Incomparably quick, powerful, and aggressive, Murphy rarely sees a risk he doesn't want to take on the mat. Moreover, Murphy is the last wrestler you will ever see be content to win a close match. Indeed, after winning 19-5 in the finals of the NHSCA Junior National Championships in April, Murphy threw his headgear and anklet aside in disdain, apparently disgusted by his inability to score a tech fall in the national finals. Murphy reminds this writer of a young Tom or Terry Brands (Editor's note: Subsequent to the submission of this article, ironically, Murphy verbally committed to wrestle for Tom Brands at Virginia Tech). Justin Kerr's Top 10 Seniors: 1. David Craig, Florida 2. Henry Cejudo, Colorado 3. Billy Murphy, California 4. Garett Scott, Pennsylvania 5. Mike Grey, New Jersey 6. Zach Bailey, Missouri 7. Lance Palmer, Ohio 8. David Rella, Ohio 9. Jordan Frishkorn, Virginia 10. Jonathan Reader, MichiganOne thought that comes to mind watching Murphy's "go-for-broke" style is that the nation's true elite would capitalize on the mistakes of this talented yet raw wrestler. However, in 11 matches at the super-tough California one-division state tournament and the NHSCA Junior Nationals, Murphy failed to score a major decision only once, and he prevailed 12-5 in that bout. Perhaps even more telling, Murphy defeated Zach Bailey at the 2004 Brute Folkstyle Nationals by a score of 3-1 (it is difficult to imagine Murphy wrestling a match this low-scoring). However, Murphy does lack the national freestyle credentials that the other members of the "super seven" have: he has been to Fargo just once, finishing second in Cadet Freestyle in 2004 to Mike Benefiel of Illinois. Still, even this showing is impressive given Murphy's relative lack of freestyle experience. Rounding out the "super seven" is Ohio's Lance Palmer. Palmer is a folkstyle specialist who is probably the toughest wrestler in the nation from the top position. As powerful as any wrestler in the nation pound-for-pound (except for maybe Murphy), his power half with the legs in is possibly the most feared combination in the nation. So dominating is Palmer from top that he actually pinned 12 of 12 in Sectionals through States in Ohio. However, it was his match with fellow three-time Ohio state champion Cameron Doggett of St. Paris Graham that vaulted Palmer to superstar status. In that match, Palmer found himself in a quick 4-0 hole. Against a wrestler of Doggett's credentials (two-time Ironman champion, two-time Beast of the East champion, Cadet Nationals champion, Junior Nationals third), this deficit would have seemed insurmountable. However, Palmer showed true grit in clawing his way back to a 6-4 victory. The best was yet to come, however. Despite having competed very little in freestyle since his youth wrestling days, Palmer moved up from 125 to 140 and finished third at the Junior Nationals. His lone loss was a 4-3 decision to the much-heralded Cyler Sanderson. Jordan Frishkorn of Virginia is one of the many top wrestlers who will be competing at the Walsh Ironman in December.While Craig and Cejudo are on opposite ends of the spectrum, most of the remaining members "super seven" will fall between 130-140 pounds this season. Scott, Palmer, and Murphy will all be competing at the Walsh Ironman in December, along with Junior Nationals runner-up Jordan Frishkorn. Also in the mix will be dominating Cadet Nationals champions Mario Mason, Alex Meade, and Kellen Russell. Given that all of the competitors will be bunched between 130-140 pounds, wrestling fans can look forward to multiple elite match-ups. A dominating performance by one of the remaining "super seven" may raise their stock to the level of Craig and Cejudo -- creating a new "top trio" just as we've had in years past. Stay tuned.