InterMat Staff

125: Junior Tony Hager became the starter a year ago and charted a 9-25 record and two pins. Of his 25 losses, eight were to national ranked wrestlers at either NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, or Division III. Hager finished seventh at the IIAC Championships. Hager is expected to be pushed by freshman Matt Koch. Koch finished fifth at the state meet as a senior for Indianola High School. A two-time conference champion, Koch won a district title as a senior. He ended his career with a 129-33 record. "Tony looks to improve upon a tough sophomore season," said Simpson head coach Ron Peterson. "He will be pushed hard by Matt for the varsity job." 133: Senior Dustin Brewer is expected to be the starter at 133. He will attempt to earn All-American honors for the third year in a row and at \ e on the national level," said Peterson. "He has beaten some of the better kids in the country. The key for Cole is to stay healthy." 149: Sophomore Geoff Murtha and freshman Ben Hektoen will battle it out to replace three-time All-American Clint Manny at 149. Murtha won the 149 pound Iowa Conference JV Tournament title last season. He went 8-6 with one pin in limited action a year ago. Hektoen is the only four-time state qualifier in Fairfield High School history. Hektoen placed third in the state meet as a junior, seventh as a senior, and eighth as a sophomore. A three-time conference and two-time district champion, he finished career with 111 wins. "Both Geoff and Ben will battle it out throughout season," Peterson said. "We need one of them to step up and take control." 157: Junior Kellen Delaney registered a 27-12 mark with seven pins after moving up from 141. He won the 157-pound title at the Citrus Open and was second at the Simpson Invitational at 157. Delaney finished fifth at the IIAC Championships at 157. "Kellen had an outstanding sophomore season, we feel that he should be an All-American this year. He has beaten some of the top kids in the country. 165: Three wrestlers; senior Bryan Llewellyn, junior Tom Koch, and freshman John Richman will vie for the starting position. Llewellyn transferred to Simpson from IIAC rival Central and went 6-9 in limited varsity action. He was third at the Iowa Conference JV Tournament at 165. Koch moves up from 157 where he won the Iowa Conference JV Tournament title. He charted a 19-11 record for the year. Richman graduated from Des Moines Roosevelt High School where he qualified for the state meet as a senior. Richman won the a district and conference championship as a senior. "Its going to be a dogfight at 165 for us. Bryan has proven to be competitive when he is healthy. Tom had a solid sophomore year and we look for him to be a factor. John comes from a great high school program and we hope he can add to our program." 174: Senior Cody Downing moves down from 184 to start at this weight. Downing led the Storm with 15 pins a year ago. He posted a 28-16 record and was fifth at the Iowa Conference Championships. He earned top five placings at three in season tournament last season. "Cody is one of our two captains," Peterson commented. "He's been on the verge of the making the national tournament and we expect him to make a run for nationals this season." 184: A trio comprised of three freshmen; Matt Jorgenson, Sean Miller, and Robert Zube will vie for the starter's position. Jorgenson was a three-time state meet qualifier for Pocahontas High School. He finished fourth at the state tournament as a senior and fifth as a junior. Miller won the 189 pound Missouri state wrestling championship as a senior for Park Hill High School. He finished fourth at the state meet as a junior at 189. Zube was named honorable mention All-Conference as a junior and senior for Viroqua (Wis.) High School. "This weight is going to be one that we look for someone to step up. Sean has performed very well in camp. He is going to be pushed by both Matt and Robert. 197: Sophomore Chris Downing should serve as the starter. The younger brother of Simpson's Cody Downing, Chris Downing transfers to Simpson from NAIA Morningside. He was finished third at the state tournament for Creston High School after going 49-6 with a school record 34 pins. He ended his career with 100 wins. "We are excited to have Chris in our program," said Peterson. "197 was our weakest weight class a year ago and Chris provides us with a solid starter who has a year of college experience under his belt." Hwt: Senior Brett Christensen earned All-American honors (sixth) for the first time as a junior. A three-time national tournament qualifier, Christensen charted a 29-15 mark with 10 pins. The 2005 Iowa Conference runner-up, seven of Christensen's losses were to opponents ranked in the Division III top eight. "Brett is our other senior captain," Peterson said. "He has been a great leader for us in the preseason. We believe that he can be in the top five in the nation this season."

Three seniors and a junior have been named as Captains of the 2005-06 Eastern Michigan University wrestling team. Coach John Lange announced that seniors Phillip Plowman, Chad Roush, and Charlie Walker, and junior Nick Conklin will lead the team this year. Plowman is a senior from Sunfield, Michigan and has started at 133 for the last two years. He had big conference wins last year over Kent State, Ohio and Central Michigan. Coach Lange said, "Phil was a member of our first recruiting class here 5 years ago and has done nothing but get better everyday. Phil is a quiet leader within the team, but his actions speak loud. His work ethic and determination will pay off come March." Roush is a senior from the powerhouse high school program in Davison, Michigan. He has been the starting 157 pounder for his entire time at EMU and has been on a number of awards stands in the MAC, the EMU Open and other tournaments. His big win against Buffalo last year led Eastern to a big dual meet victory. Lange said, "Chad came in 4 years ago and led the team in wins as a freshman and looks to do the same this year. I believe that Chad is now comfortable in the leadership role and it showed during the preseason training. He is ready to make that trip to nationals." Walker is a senior heavyweight from Romeo, Michigan who transferred to Eastern last year from Olivet College. He surprised a number of wrestlers with his intensity and finished 4th in the Mid American Conference last year. Of Walker, Lange said, "Charlie is new to the program only transferring in last year, but has made the complete transition quickly. His continued hard work in the spring and summer earned the team's, as well as the coaches', respect. Since placing in the MAC last season he has taken huge strides toward the top of the podium." Conklin is a junior from Milton, Wisconsin. After a late start last year, he placed 3rd in the MAC at 141 pounds, with big wins over Kent and Buffalo. Lange said, "Nick is the perfect example of what hard work can do. He is a nonstop wrestler and I feel it has rubbed off on the younger guys in the program. The greatest thing about Nick is that he backs up his words about working hard with his actions. He is going to make a great leader for our program."

Heading into the ninth year of National Collegiate Wrestling Association action, a few questions loom for the 2005-06 campaign: Can someone step up and stop Central Florida from a "three-peat"? Will the Apprentice School shed its bridesmaid label having four straight top four finishes at nationals? Will Grand Valley ride the emotion of wrestling at home to return to the NCWA championship stage? What unknown team will put it all together and make a run in March at nationals? Several tournaments throughout the year will be excellent tests for teams preparing themselves for a visit to Grand Rapids, Michigan in March for the 9th annual NCWA National Championships. Nov. 4-5: UCF Knight Brawl Duals and Central Florida Open The two-time defending national champions kickoff the 2005-06 season with a strong field for their Nov. 5 tournament. The Apprentice School will travel to Florida along with Marion Military Institute, Pensacola Christian College, Florida Atlantic, Florida, South Florida and Florida Gulf Coast, Central Florida and Sierra Community College from California for in the neighborhood of 120 participants in the Saturday event. Sierra is one of the top teams in California as they just finished second in the state dual meet championships in late October. The night before Central Florida will host the Knight Brawl Duals with Sierra Community College, Pensacola Christian and Apprentice School. UCF will take on Sierra at 6 p.m. and then a first-ever matchup with Apprentice School to follow. Apprentice will take on Sierra after that match. Nov. 11-12: UNCP Classic -- Pembroke, N.C. The NCAA Division II Braves have always been inviting top NCWA teams to their classic and this year is no exception. Central Florida, Mercer, Apprentice School, Pensacola Christian, Clemson University and the University of Florida join the field for a strong tournament. Nov. 19: SW Conference at UT-Dallas The Southwest Conference opens its slate with a pre-conference get together at UT-Dallas. Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech, Kansas, Kansas State, Colorado, Northwest Missouri State are among others slated to start the season with a pre-conference kickoff. Nov. 25-26: Rumble on the Hill at Chapel Hill, N.C. NCAA Division I North Carolina hosts a major tournament over Thanksgiving weekend that last year drew nearly 350 wrestlers from schools across the country. Mercer, Georgia, Southern Virginia, Clemson, Marion Military Institute and Central Florida will represent the NCWA at this prestigious tournament. Dec. 4: Maryville Duals -- Maryville, Tenn. The Fighting Scots are hosting a 12-team dual tournament the first weekend of December in the Great Smokey Mountains. The hosts finished second in the tournament last year and this year appears to be even stronger with the host Scots bringing in: Apprentice School, Mott Community College, Pensacola Christian, Southern Virginia, Marion Military Institute among others. Dec. 10: UT-Dallas Quad -- Dallas, Texas The previous hosts of the NCWA nationals have a quad match scheduled for December 10 with Texas A&M, TCU and Texas State coming to have a quad night. Holiday Season: Desert Duals, Lone Star Duals and Virginia Duals The NCWA will have a presence this year at three big NCAA dual tournaments. Apprentice School will travel to Las Vegas for the Desert Duals hosted by Wartburg College December 19. This tournament will have a lot of Division III teams including national powers Wartburg, Coe College and Luther College. On January 6-7, UT-Dallas and Central Florida will compete in the annual Lone Star Duals in Texas. This tournament is loaded with NCAA Division I teams like Army, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Purdue among others. The next weekend the Apprentice School will compete in the American College Division of the 26th annual Virginia Duals tournament. Other teams in this bracket include: Delaware State, Anderson College, SUNY Brockport, South Dakota State, Duquesne, Franklin & Marshall and Princeton. Jan. 15: NWCA National Duals This is the first year that the NCWA will have a presence at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals to be held this year at University of Northern Iowa. Central Florida, Grand Valley State, New Hampshire and a fourth team will participate in a four-team dual tournament during the second day of the NWCA National Duals. Jan. 22: Tropical Smoothie Classic -- Gainesville, Fla. The second annual Tropical Smoothie Classic appears to be headed into a powerhouse field. Central Florida won the event last year and returns to defend its title with a host of teams heading to sunny Florida. The field will possibly include: Pensacola Christian, Georgia Tech, Florida Atlantic, Georgia College, Univ. of Georgia, Florida A&M, Ohio State, Florida State, Mercer, South Florida, Auburn, Marion Military, Alabama, Yale University, Maryville College, Texas Tech, Bryant College, Texas A&M, Miami (OH), Florida Gulf Coast, Univ. of Texas at Dallas and Florida. Jan. 29: 26th annual Builder Invitational -- Newport News, Va. The Apprentice School hosts one of the stronger tournaments in the late stages of the season with a good mix of NCWA teams along with NCAA Division II and NAIA schools. This year's field should be no exception as defending champion UNC Pembroke is scheduled to return with: William & Mary, Maryland-Baltimore County, Clemson, Catawba, Washington & Lee, Newberry, Southern Virginia, VCU, NAIA new team King College, Williamson Trade School, Maryville, UNH, Middle Tennessee State and Belmont Abbey join the host Builders. Feb. 4-5: Doug Cherry Tournament -- Easton, Pa. This annual tournament hosted by Lafayette College shifts to Northampton Community College this year and is expanded to a two-day affair. A lot of NCWA teams will be participating including two-time defending champion Central Florida, runner-up Apprentice School and Northampton CC, Lafayette, Maryville, Ohio State Club, New Hampshire, Florida, Toledo, Lehigh club, UMass-Amherst, Valley Forge, Luzerne CC, USMA Prep, Army JV, Miami-Ohio, Northeastern, Delaware, Yale, Blair Academy, RPI, Williamson Trade, Frostburg State, Adirondack CC, Bryant, Mott CC and Florida State One good sign for the NCWA, and wrestling in general, is that the amount of new teams joining the association this year is increasing. New members as of October 26 include: Bowling Green State University, Dartmouth College, Darton College, East Georgia College, Florida Gulf Coast University, Northland Baptist Bible College, Northwest Missouri State University, Syracuse University, University of North Florida, University of Rio Grande and University of Southern Indiana. All of this leads into the weekend of Feb. 17-18 when the conference tournaments will be held and the weekend of March 3-4 with Grand Rapids, Michigan hosting the 9th annual NCWA Nationals.

There is no one in amateur wrestling quite like Scott Casber. Casber, who founded Takedown Wrestling Radio six years ago, remains one of wrestling's greatest promoters and most colorful personalities. He generously gives his time, money, and energy -- all for the betterment of the sport. He also has a huge heart when it comes to helping people who are less fortunate. In 2003, Casber was named Wrestling Broadcaster of the Year by The National Wrestling Media Association. Takedown Wrestling Radio can be heard every Saturday morning from 10:05-11:58 CST on AM 1460 KXNO (Iowa), 101.5 FM KRRW (Minnesota), Clear Channel Broadcasting, and Fox Sports Radio. It can also be heard live (or archived) on the Internet at takedownradio.com. RevWrestling.com recently went one-on-one with Casber to discuss the past, present, and future of Takedown Wrestling Radio. Talk about the history of Takedown Wrestling Radio. When did it start? And how did the idea come about? Casber: It started six years ago. Originally, Takedown Wrestling Radio was called Saturday Night Slam. It was on a different radio station called The Jock, here in Des Moines, and it was played 10 p.m. to midnight. I had a partner named Scott McLin who wanted to do a professional wrestling show. The only way that I would agree to it -- the only thing that it would give it any kid of legitimacy -- is if we have a section or element of amateur wrestling, which is exactly what we did. My favorite guys to talk to in the pro ranks were the guys with the amateur backgrounds. I fell in love with the sport back at Iowa -- when I went to school there in the early 80's. The fresh recounting of it really started when we had Dan Gable on the show. He suggested that maybe we should do a show that is all amateur and no pro. And that's exactly what we did. What is your background in broadcasting? Casber: I've always been in radio and television. I started my career in 1975 in television. I went to Brown Institute in Minneapolis, then did three years at Iowa, and finished up at Drake University with degrees in public relations, advertising, and marketing. So I understand that this sport needs to be marketed. I understand that this sport needs to be promoted. Sometimes the best kind of promotion is through the art of public relations. My mentor in PR was the father of PR -- and he died at 103 -- his name was Dr. Edward Bernays. One of my very first big projects, against the wishes of my professors at Drake, was to bring the father of PR to Des Moines. He coined the phrase, "Wheaties -- Breakfast of Champions." He made up Betty Crocker. He turned a little vacuum company into Standard Oil. He represented seven Presidents of the United States. I mean, this cat really set the table for American business and politics for the next 100 years. He did it old school -- and that's how I've done it. That's how I've always been a promoter. I'm very proud to be a part of this sport because it's growing again. Maybe it's not growing as quickly as we would like it to, but it's growing smartly and efficiently. What has been the biggest change in the six-year history of Takedown Wrestling Radio? Casber: I think mobility. The fact that the show is able to get out and cover the major events live. I think we have a better level of communication with our listeners to find out what they're interested in hearing. We've never been about play-by-play. We've never been about calling a match for the sake of calling a match. There are a few things that we do each year that would resemble a play-by-play effort. Primarily, we're about the people, the history of this sport, the people who have made the history, the current athletes, their stories, and the future. We are at a really neat period of time in the history of wrestling right now, where we have quite possibly more young coaches today than any time over the last 50 years. These young guys are so assertive and so battle friendly. In other words, they're ready to get in there and fight for their sport. I'm very proud of the way that this sport has grown, the fact that we have all these young coaches out here who are busting their humps -- desperately trying to make a difference. And I think they are. I really do. I think their making a huge difference out there. Guys like Tom and Terry Brands, Kerry McCoy, Shawn Charles, Chris Bono, Sammie Henson, Carter Jordan -- all these young guys. Sure they may have been there five years as an assistant, but now it's theirs. Now they get to put their stamp on it and honor the guys that came before them. I think they're very cognizant of the fact that the guys that came before them are very, very important to the success of any team and the sport in the future. If you sit down and talk with these cats about the past and about where the teams are now or the future, it's not always about an NCAA title, although that is looming and lurking. It's about how can we best represent. I think that's pretty cool. What do you enjoy most about doing the shows? Casber: It's several things. Interaction with the fans … because I'm a fan. I'm not an expert, never have been, never will be. The day I become an expert will probably be the day I sign off the show. The people who come on the show are the experts -- and I enjoy talking with them. I may ask a better question today than I did six years ago. I guarantee I do. But when it comes to giving expert analysis or breaking down the possibilities of the team, I'm going to the coach. I'm not going to second guess these guys. These guys are the pros. They know what they're doing. I'm a radio guy. My ideal is to get a show of five or six guests, let them say their piece, and insert a little humor when we can. As a sport, we often take ourselves a little too seriously. But I also believe that there is room for this sport to continue to invite in new guests, new fans, new participants, and new sponsors. We've been very closed off and very protective for a number of years. In some cases, rightfully so. But now I think it's time to throw our doors wide open and invite in the American public. We need to reintroduce them to wrestling, make it fun again for everybody. It might mean that we have to teach. Gosh, why did they just give that guy two points? Why is he holding up his right hand as opposed to his left? I think there are some very simple things that we can do. You have been involved with amateur wrestling for a number of years. Is there a specific show, event, or experience that sticks out more than the others? Casber: I think the one particular event sticks out more than the others is giving a motivational read prior to the NCAA Championships two years ago at Savvis Center in St. Louis. Right before we went live to ESPN, I had a United States Marine hold a clipboard as I stood amongst the masses in the stands with a remote microphone -- with the music of 2001: A Space Odyssey building in the background. It was my job to charge this crowd with passion. As their fever, as their temperament, as their excitement grew, mine did as well. Once I reached the crescendo or the pinnacle of both my speech and the music, I knew right then and there that I would never, ever find another sport that I would be able to call home. That may be one of my fondest memories. I've had coaches and athletes cry on my show, break down emotionally. And it's not because I've asked mean questions, or asked good questions in a mean-spirited way, it's because wrestling is an emotional sport. And for some, they have no other release. I find that very intriguing. I, too, have cried on broadcasts before. I've broken down and become emotional. In some instances, I think it's because I never did wrestle. It's because I've never been able to feel what these guys feel. It's because I know that they understand now that they have reached the end of their physical ability. They can do no more. This is as good as it gets. They understand that they must ask for help from a coach or from a higher power. They have to figure where to draw more strength from. You have worked side-by-side with Steve Foster for the last few years. What has it been like working with him? Casber: Working with Steve Foster has truly been a dream. He is somebody who understands that there is no money in what we do. He doesn't expect to be paid. As we've grown together, he expects to be a bigger part of the picture. But at the same time, he understands how the picture is being drawn. He knows that this is not about making money. This is about promoting the sport for the love of it. For the love and appreciation of the people in it. There's no greater moment than when I'm asked to MC or host an event where I get to salute guys who have done their best -- and have earned a gold medal or an NCAA title. Steve understands that. Steve has been with me the last three or three and a half years. Steve has been a lot of fun. He's willing to travel for the sport. He has an incredible memory. He has an incredible wealth of friends. And he has a huge, huge heart. He personally gives thousands of dollars to this sport every year -- with no expectations ever of getting anything back. He will never tell people that. He will only share that he loves the sport. He just likes to be a part of it. Steve has found salvation and calling, like I have, in this sport. With your show is based in central Iowa, near a lot of college campuses, is it tough trying to stay neutral -- not giving the Iowa schools more attention? Casber: No, not really. We do one show a year for each of the Division I schools in Iowa -- Iowa, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa. We're as interested in them as they are in us coming to see them. Other than that, I don't think we spend an inordinate amount of time with those coaches throughout the balance of the year -- whether we are live on location at an event or on the phone. We just don't. There are 86 or 87 Division I level coaches out there who desperately need attention -- all of them do. It's to the sport that I owe my program to, not an individual coach. And my coaches understand that. There are some out there who don't quite get what we do yet -- and that's okay. I don't think they look at us like we're a weekly news magazine, when in fact, we are. Just like print, you have to pay your bills for radio. We buy our time. So we're very unique in the world of broadcasting. It's almost like leasing a space in the mall. We have to pay our bills. When someone doesn't pay, it can kind of screw up the whole thing. But one day he'll pay. I truly believe he will. Scott CasberTakedown Wrestling Radio gets on the road and travels to various wrestling programs and events throughout the country? What event is your favorite one at which to broadcast? Casber: I think Vegas. The Cliff Keen is a good one because it really signifies the beginning of the year. I think midyear, one of my favorites to attend is the Midlands because of it's historic significance. Certainly there are other good tournaments happening at the same time, but Midlands has historic significance and history, which is very important to me and the sport. I think the National Duals can be a real good event if it's done in an appropriate building, an appropriate place. So I'm looking forward to the event happening up at the UNI Dome, where they will draw well. How about the NCAA Division I Championships? How many times have you broadcast there? Casber: We've done it four times. They can be expensive for us, though. We've had to pay airfare, hotel, phones lines, and computer lines. The average NCAA Tournament can cost us two, three, four grand. And for a little show like ours, that's quite pricey. What is your vision for the future of Takedown Wrestling Radio? Casber: I'd like to see us on more radio stations, reaching more of the general public. In other words, wrestling fans are going to find us. I want more people to tune into us, like they do throughout Iowa and southern Minnesota on radio. I would like to see more stations carry us. They can have our show for free. They can take out all of my local commercials and plug in their own stuff -- sell their own time. The bottom line is getting it out there for more people to hear it. That would be my ultimate goal -- get it out there to more radio stations in the hotbeds of Pennsylvania, Ohio, upstate New York, the Virginias. What about getting Takedown Wrestling Radio on XM Satellite Radio? Is that something you've thought about? Casber: Oh, absolutely. But trying to get through to them, trying to get a specialty product like this on is tough. They view wrestling as north of the Mason-Dixon line. They view wrestling as a seasonal sport. It's tough. I've turned down opportunities to broadcast our show on ESPN.com and CSTV.com. I don't know that I want to say turned down … better terms might be, 'We have not been able to come to an agreement.' And these people contacted us. I didn't contact them. The reason is because they want to charge for it. I feel that if we're going to do the sport justice, we have to make it available to anybody and everybody that we can, to constantly inform, educate, and entertain. Those are our three goals. But we also provide another service, we counsel young coaches that we have become friends with. Young assistants that are struggling to make decisions. Or even head coaches who want to make a move back to their alma mater -- and recently that happened. Sometimes just a sounding board is a good thing for these guys -- and we provide that. They are my friends. We are a very small family, this family of wrestling. Family means brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, parents. I hope we respect each other enough to be able to move forward. In June, you did the announcing for the World Team Trials in Ames, Iowa. Do you have plans to do the announcing for any major amateur wrestling events in the near future? Casber: Yeah, I'll be doing the NWCA National Duals in January with Sandy Stevens in Cedar Falls. I've been asked to do other events like the World Team Trials, Olympic Team Trials, things like that. Nothing is firm. I'm a professional announcer as it is. I announce professional boxing and mixed martial arts. I just love announcing. If that means putting together a broadcast team, I'll do it because I know that they're doing a good job. They have a passion for doing it. They love to sit and talk about what they see and do the interviews -- just like I do. Once in a while, a little break for me is not bad. Let's face it -- I don't take a Saturday off. I can tell you how many shows I've missed since we've been on the air -- and it's all on one hand. I think that's all I have for you. Is there anything else you would like to add? Casber: I can only ask that our sport continue to give thanks to all of the wonderful supporters we have out there. And also continue to remind our graduating seniors that your obligation to this sport is only beginning. Don't forget wrestling. Always come back. Wrestling will never abandon you, so don't abandon wrestling.

Brute-Adidas/NWCA Division III Rankings: Team: 1 Augsburg College (MN) 2 University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse 3 Wartburg College (IA) 4 State University of New York at Brockport 5 Luther College (IA) 6 College of New Jersey 7 Ithaca College (NY) 8 Loras College (IA) 9 Springfield College (MA) 10 Delaware Valley College (PA) 11 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point 12 Simpson College (IA) 13 John Carroll University (OH) 14 Lycoming College (PA) 15 Johnson & Wales University (RI) 16 Cortland State University of New York 17 St. John's University (MN) 18 York College (PA) 19 Norwich University (VT) 20 Coe College (IA) 21 Elmhurst College (IL) 22 Thiel College (PA) 23 Augustana College (IL) 24 Ohio Northern University 25 Mc Daniel College (MD) 26 Buena Vista University (IA) 27 Rhode Island College 28 Oswego State University of New York 29 Heidelberg College (OH) 30 North Central College (IL) Individual: 125 lbs. 1 Terry Morgan Sr. Loras College 2 Brian Dempsey Sr. College of New Jersey 3 Derek Goduto Sr. Montclair State 4 Ty Klofta Sr. Ohio Northern University 5 Brandon McDonough So. Johnson & Wales University 6 Nate Hansen Jr. Luther College 7 Kyle Kemmerer Jr. Ithaca College 8 Ian Gorham Sr. Stevens Institute of Technology 133 lbs. 1 Tony D'Ambra Sr. SUNY Brockport 2 Mike Lopez Sr. Luther College 3 Justin Hulegaard So. Buena Vista University 4 Sean Cullen Jr. Lycoming College 5 Jordan Kolinski So. UW La Crosse 6 Joe Jewett Fr. Oswego State 7 Jim Fracetta Sr. Millikin University 8 Brian Zane . Norwich University 141 lbs. 1 Dustin Hinschberger Sr. Wartburg College 2 Dustin Brewer Sr. Simpson College 3 Mike Gaeta Jr. Springfield College 4 David Silva Sr. Elmhurst College 5 Mike Rohewetz So. UW La Crosse 6 Joel Burdick Sr. UW Stevens Point 7 Dennis McSweeney Jr. Montclair State 8 Dan Hall Jr. Delaware Valley College 149 lbs. 1 Matt Pyle Jr. Luther College 2 Jason Rousch Jr. Mount St. Joseph College 3 Jacob Naig So. Wartburg College 4 Jared Evans Jr. Augsburg College 5 Mike Kembel Sr. Thiel College 6 Dan Song Sr. US Merchant Marine Academy 7 Pat Brady Jr. College of New Jersey 8 Steve Hult Sr. New York University 157 lbs. 1 Marcus LeVesseur Sr. Augsburg College 2 Joe Gallante Jr. College of New Jersey 3 Shaheim Bradshaw So. SUNY Brockport 4 Carl Amerine Sr. Wilmington College 5 Brad Bishop Sr. Loras College 6 Ross Needham Jr. UW LaCrosse 7 Jake Tyler So. Springfield College 8 Tyler Ludwig Sr. Elmhurst College 165 lbs. 1 Ryan Valek Sr. Augsburg College 2 Derek Sikora Jr. UW-Eau Claire 3 John Dolan Jr. Williams College 4 Corey Murphy Jr. Thiel College 5 Steve Martell So. Johnson & Wales University 6 Brian Daly Sr. Augustana College 7 Cole Williams Sr. University of Dubuque 8 Dustin Blevin Sr. Wartburg College 174 lbs. 1 Stephon Sair Jr. Cortland State 2 Tony Howard Sr. McDaniel College 3 Josh Chelf So. UW LaCrosse 4 Jeff Harrington So. College of New Jersey 5 Matthias Keib Sr. Ithaca College 6 Ryan Heagerty Sr. Loras College 7 Travis Birhanzl Sr. Augsburg College 8 Jake Beitz Sr. Montclair State 184 lbs. 1 Duane Bastress Sr. York College 2 Ryan Summers Jr. John Carroll University 3 Brad Tupa Sr. Augsburg College 4 Jason Lulloff Sr. UW LaCrosse 5 Mike Troutman Sr. Ursinus College 6 Mitch Hager Sr. Loras College 7 Ben Dictus Sr. Lawrence University 8 Robert Stubbs Sr. Ithaca College 197 lbs. 1 Akeem Carter Sr. Wartburg College 2 Jamall Johnson Sr. Delaware Valley College 3 Willie Weiss Sr. SUNY Brockport 4 Matt Loesch Jr. Muhlenberg College 5 Justin Sorrenson Sr. Augsburg College 6 Devin Carmen Sr. Baldwin Wallace College 7 Dan Fiecke Sr. St. John's University 8 Thomas Sanders Jr. Case Western Reserve 285 lbs. 1 Ryan Allen Sr. UW - LaCrosse 2 Blake Gillis Jr. Wartburg College 3 Mike Blair Sr. Trinity College 4 Mike Hayes Sr. UW Stevens Point 5 Brett Christensen Sr. Simpson College 6 Tommy Snyder Sr. Lycoming College 7 Pat Bennett Sr. SUNY Brockport 8 Derek Ankney Sr. John Carroll University

Well, it's been two weeks since I last wrote to everyone, and there has been much going on here at Dana. We had our preliminary wrestle-offs two weeks ago and there I was somewhat surprised at many of the matches. We do our wrestle-offs like the Olympic Team Trials, where there is a No. 1 guy designated at each weight, and everyone else at the weight is seeded into a bracket. The winner of the bracket then wrestles the No. 1 guy in our annual Black/Red Classic. This year it is set for Friday, Oct. 28. The last two weeks of practice have been very good. We have a somewhat different workout schedule than most, wrestling a designed practice on Tuesdays and Fridays, an open room practice on Mondays and Thursdays, and getting an alternative workout on Wednesday. Right now, we are lifting four days a week, which is hard to do. This is simply because it wears you out. If you lift before practice, you seem to have a little less energy when it comes time to get in the room, and if you lift after practice, it is hard to get everything out of your lift. Last Tuesday, we had our hardest workout to date, grinding out a 45-minute match. This can be a very fun experience or a mentally breaking one. The object of wrestling a grind-match is to break your opponent mentally. If you can do this, the rest of the match seems like a walk in the park, but if you are the one that gets broken, the last 20 minutes can seem like an eternity. One thing many of our guys try to do is pace themselves through this match. These are usually the guys that get broken, and then beat on for the second part of the match. The guys who are successful in grind matches are those who break their opponent in the first 10 to 15 minutes, then continue to destroy the guy for the remaining time. It seems like the guys who get tired are the guys who are broken, while the guys who break their opponent never get tired. I believe this is because they know they can do whatever they want to their opponent. The draw upon their opponent's weaknesses and capitalize, never thinking about their conditioning. Anyways, I am sure many of you have done these types of matches before, but if you haven't, you should try it -- as it is a great way to gain confidence in your abilities as a wrestler, deepen your wrestling conditioning, and strengthen your mental capabilities. Last weekend, we went on our annual team retreat. This year we loaded up into vans and headed out to Valentine, Nebraska, where a wrestler on the team (Chancy Hansen) lives. His parents own a ranch up there, and there are many things to do. We arrived late Friday night to the sight of a huge campfire burning. We ate hamburgers grilled by Chancy's parents -- and then sat down for a little motivational speech by Jason Kelber, a three-time All-American and national champion for Nebraska. It was very interesting, as he talked about team unity, as well as the decisions he made as a collegiate wrestler. He also talked about beating both the Brands brothers and other big wins in his career. We then headed off to bed around 12:30 a.m, sleeping in cabins, tents, or in a sleeping bag around the fire. Talk about roughing it, I just had to laugh when I saw these guys sleeping with no shelter in the 35-degree weather. A fire can only keep you so warm for so long. Anyway, Coach Costanzo kept his own tradition alive by putting on a "biker" mask and trying to scare the freshmen as they were going to sleep. Some were scared, while others went on the attack and began wrestling him. It was quite a site, seeing 4-5 scared freshmen trying to wrestle a three-time All-American coach who is still in good shape. I think they got the best of him, but he kept his dignity, not letting the mask fall off and revealing his true identity. The next morning, we woke up to blistering cold weather and went on what was supposed to be an easy three-mile nature jog led by Chancy's father on horseback. I think the run ended up being about five miles, but it was very interesting. We got to see one of the few places in the world where there are six different ecosystems that meet. We also got to see a fully operational trout farm. The worst part about the run was playing "dodge the cowpies", which just happened to be about everywhere. Marshall Marquardt helps Jimmy Rollins up a wall.After the run, we embarked on a much better task, an obstacle course. The course had been made throughout the week by Chancy's dad, Kelber, and a few others. It was awesome. It reminded me of the show "American Gladiators," but we didn't have the cool music. There was a 10-foot wall, wheelbarrow race, pull-up station, push-up station, and a tractor-tire flip. There was also a 60-foot rope strung between two poles we had to climb across, and a set of barricades we had to go under and over, including a 6-foot crossbar we had to get over. In total, there were about 15 stations we had to complete. We did this in teams of four, and it was one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed. Watching our heavyweights try to get over the six foot crossbar or climb the rope was great, as well as seeing out five foot tall 125-pound wrestlers trying to leap to the top of the ten-foot wall, hit the wall and be sent flying backwards. It has been a long time since I laughed that hard. After we completed the course as teams, there was a challenge made. (As there usually would be when dealing with competitive wrestlers.) Ben Henderson challenged Scott Taylor to a race on the course. Ben teamed up with Bryan Scrambler, while Scott teamed up with Terrance Almond. In the end, Scott and Terrence came out ahead, but it was fun to watch and jeer at our fellow teammates. However, the unofficial winner of the team race, according to Coach Costanzo, was my team of course, which included Willie Parks, Jimmy Rollins, Costanzo, and me. After the races and then a great Subway lunch, we headed to the Niobrara River for a canoe trip. The trip was a two-hour journey in the freezing cold river. I know it was freezing because as we (Rollins and I) were racing down it in a solid third place, we decided to cut to the inside corner around a bend to take over second place. We both started paddling on the same side and I guess we leaned a little too much. We ended up fully soaked in the river, our canoe half-full of water and sinking, and our clothes and shoes soaked. We were in the middle of the river by the time we got our feet under us and our things gathered up (our clothes and shoes tried to float away in the current). We made our way over to side to regroup, turned our canoe over to empty the water, and headed back down the river. Then we hooked up with another canoe paddled by Zach Loberg and Clinton Dale (mostly Loberg, though). We tied our boats together and tried to paddle as a team. After I realized we weren't in the hunt for the win, I proceeded to lay back and get some sun. It was a well-deserved break. Besides, Loberg wrestles 197 and really enjoyed paddling two canoes down river. We heard all kinds of falling in the water stories, but most of them came by way of someone tipping over someone else. Even Costanzo got tipped into the freezing cold water, and believe me, he was not happy about it. After the canoe trip was over, it was time to head back to Blair and continue on our quest for greatness. The weekend was a great time and an experience I will never forget. Its amazing how much better you get to know people when you spend the night with them outside in the freezing cold weather. Until next time, keep getting better. Marshall Marquardt Past Entries: Entry 2 (10/13/05) Entry 1 (10/1/05)

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army wrestling head coach Chuck Barbee will host the sixth annual Fall Wrestling Clinic for wrestlers and coaches Saturday, Nov. 5. The clinic will be conducted inside the sparkling new wrestling room at the newly-renovated Arvin Gymnasium at West Point. Barbee, a three time All-American during his college days at wrestling power Oklahoma State, will serve as one of the featured presenters. Barbee's staff, including assistant coaches, Mike Clayton and Bill Maldonado, will help with the training. The clinic will cover topics ranging from peaking and technique to nutrition, drilling and live situations. The cost of the clinic is $30 per coach or wrestler. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. and run until 5 p.m. Participants are encouraged to stick around following the event and watch the Army Black vs. Gold intra-squad dual meet, which is slated to begin at 6 p.m. Admission to the Black vs. Gold dual is free. Wrestlers and coaches interested in attending can fill out the registration form, which is included at the top of this release. Coaches may pre-register a team by calling Maldonado at 845-938-5028 or by emailing him at ww2373@usma.edu. Click here to download flyer Click here to register

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Oklahoma wrestling team kicks off the 2005-06 season with its annual Red/White ranking match this Thursday Oct., 27, at 7 p.m., in the Howard McCasland Fieldhouse. The evening begins at 6 p.m., with an hour-long free wrestling clinic conducted by current Sooner coach and 2001 National Champion Michael Lightner. All participants in the clinic must wear wrestling shoes. At 7 p.m., the Sooners square off with one another in their annual Red/White ranking match to determine the starters at each weight for the 2005-06 season. The Sooners come into the season ranked No. 2 nationally. They return four All-Americans in Sam Hazewinkel, Teyon Ware, Matt Storniolo and Joel Flaggert. "This is a great oppurtunity for the fans to come and see the second-ranked Sooners open our season, said head coach Jack Spates. We have six wrestlers ranked in the top six in their weight division, and four returning All-Americans." "There are also a lot of Oklahoma boys on the roster which should excite the home crowd as well," Spates said. With a new season that also brings some new faces in the lineup highlighted by 2004 Junior National Champion Jarrod King. This should also be exciting for UCO as they have their intrasquad scrimmage right along side of us. It's going to be an exciting evening of wrestling." The Sooners open the regular season Nov. 12, in Brockport, N.Y., for the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. Oklahoma opens the dual portion of the schedule against the University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m., in Edmond, Okla. The matchups for the scrimmage are as follows: 125 pounds, Sam Hazewinkel vs. J.J. Anderson, 133 pounds, Trey Blakely vs. Joe Comparin, 141 pounds, Teyon Ware vs. Kyle Terry, 149 pounds, Matt Storniolo vs. Will Rowe, 157 pounds, Jerome Featherstone vs. Shane Vernon, 165 pounds, Jarrod King vs. Jake Jackson, 174 pounds, Wes Roberts vs. Cody Hilbun, 184 pounds, Justin Dyer vs. Josh Hinton, 197 pounds, Joel Flaggert vs. Matt Cole, and Heavyweieght, Jake Hager vs. Austin David. Admission to the event is free. For more information on OU wrestling, visit www.soonersports.com.

State College, Pa. -- The Troy Sunderland Show will debut on Wednesday, Nov. 2, on WBLF Radio (970 AM). Co-hosted by Jeff Byers, voice of Penn State wrestling, and Troy Sunderland, head wrestling coach, the thirty-minute call in show airs form 7 to 7:30 p.m. nearly every Wednesday night throughout the season. The show, which will feature in-depth interviews with Coach Sunderland and other guests throughout the season, will give Nittany Lion wrestling fans a chance to call in and ask the coach questions. Fans wishing to take part simply call 814-272-9700. "This show gives fans a chance to get some insight into our team's development throughout the year," Sunderland said. "I'm very pleased that we have the chance to give our fans something on a weekly basis that they can look forward to and get excited about." The weekly show will also be streamed live on www.GoPSUsports.com, the official website of Penn State Athletics.

MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 15 Wisconsin wrestling team kicks off the 2005-06 season with intersquad wrestle-offs on Oct. 28 at the UW Field House. The event is set to start at 3:30 p.m. Five weight classes with more than one wrestler on the depth chart will be contested as the Badgers form their starting lineup. The action begins with Josh Crass (Medford, Wis.) taking on Dan Sneider (Northbrook, Ill.) at the 133 lbs. weight class. Both Badgers are freshmen looking to break into the line-up after redshirting the 2004-05 season. Vying for the spot at 141 lbs. are two fifth-year seniors, Ed Gutnik (Iselin, N.J.) and Tony Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.). Gutnik is a two-time NCAA qualifier at 149 lbs. and 133 lbs. and holds a 34-15 career record. Turner wrestled to a 6-5 record last season which contributed to his 27 career wins. Slated to wrestle in the 149 lbs. wrestle-off are Mike Metzger (Columbus, Wis.) and Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.). Metzger redshirted last season but wrestled unattached at a number of open events last season earning three pins. Turner is ranked ninth by Amateur Wrestling Magazine and 15th by InterMat in the 2005-06 preseason polls. A two-time team captain, Turner earned his second trip to the NCAA championship in 2005, posting a 23-11 overall record last season. Matt Maciag and Justin Peterson will wrestle for the 184 lbs. spot following the Metzger-Turner battle. "The only unproven weight class we have is 184," said head coach Barry Davis. Maciag, a Sussex, N.J., native, wrestled at both 184 lbs. and 197 lbs. last season, compiling a 9-9 record. Peterson is a redshirt freshman from Comstock, Wis., and is a two-time high school state-qualifier. Wrapping up the event will be Dallas Herbst and Lee Kraemer. Herbst, a redshirt freshman, was tabbed as one of the top recruits from Wisconsin in 2004. Kraemer, a senior who wrestled out of his natural weight at heavyweight last season, qualified for the NCAAs at 197 lbs. in 2003. Friday's wrestle-offs are free and open to the public. For those unable to attend check uwbadgers.com to follow the action with live stats. http://www.uwbadgers.com/live/wrst/snapshot.aspx )The Badgers begin their 2005-06 campaign on Nov. 4, traveling to Green Bay, Wis., to take on UW-Oshkosh.

Colorado Springs, Colo. -- USA Wrestling has announced its tentative rosters for the Henri Deglane Challenge, which will begin on Nov. 24 in Nice, France. The U.S. will send wrestlers from all three Olympic styles of wrestling. All the athletes competing in this event are being sent by their respective clubs. This annual event features many talented athletes from European nations. U.S. National Team members Joe Heskett (Grover Beach, Calif./Gator WC) and Chris Pendleton (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) will lead the men's freestyle squad. Heskett, competing at 74 kg/163 lbs., is a two-time U.S. Nationals runner-up and was a U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up last year. He has won two silver medals at the Henri Deglane Challenge (2003-04). Pendleton, wrestling at 84 kg/185 lbs. placed third at this year's U.S. World Team Trials. He was a two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma State Univ. (2004-05). Another former NCAA champion, Aaron Holker (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Holker recently finished serving one year in Iraq. He won an NCAA title in 2002 at Iowa State Univ. Competing at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. will be Nik Fekete (Blacksburg, Va./New York AC), who placed third at this year's U.S. Nationals and fourth at this year's U.S. World Team Trials. Angel Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), a resident-athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, will round out the men's freestyle roster by competing at 60 kg/132 lbs. The team will be coached by USA Wrestling Freestyle Resident Coach Terry Brands (Colorado Springs, Colo.). The U.S. men's freestyle team had a strong finish last year, winning five medals at this event as the team finished first. Jesse Jantzen won a gold medal. Winning bronze medals were Scott Schatzman, Heskett, Nick Preston and Ryan Tobin. The U.S. Greco-Roman squad will feature three U.S. National Team members from this year – Willie Madison (Metairie, La./USOEC/Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Mark Rial (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Adam Wheeler (Lancaster, Calif./USOEC/Gator WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Madison placed third at this year's U.S. World Team Trials and fifth in the U.S. Nationals. Rial also placed third at the U.S. World Team Trials and was fourth in the U.S. Nationals. Wheeler was a runner-up in both the U.S. World Team Trials and the U.S. Nationals. Madison and Wheeler are both student-athletes at the U.S. Olympic Education Center (USOEC) at Northern Michigan Univ. John Wecher (East Lansing, Mich./Sunkist Kids), who placed fourth at this year's U.S. World Team Trials and fifth in the U.S. Nationals, will compete at 84 kg/185 lbs. Rounding out the Greco-Roman squad will be another USOEC wrestler, Jake Fisher (Platte City, Mo./USOEC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. In the Greco-Roman competition last year, Justin Ruiz won a silver medal and Joe Warren won a bronze medal leading the U.S. to a second-place finish behind only Ukraine. Ruiz and Warren both competed in this year's World Championships, with Ruiz winning a bronze medal. The U.S. women's freestyle squad will be led by two-time World champion and seven-time World medalist Kristie Marano (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Also on the U.S. women's freestyle team are 2005 World University Games bronze medalists Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Alaina Berube (Escanaba, Mich./New York AC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Both Marano and Berube U.S. women competing at the Henri Deglane Challenge placed second at this year's U.S. World Team Trials. Brands will also coach the U.S. women's team at this event. In last year's women's competition, Tela O'Donnell won a gold medal and Laura Felix captured a bronze medal as the U.S. team placed third behind Spain and France. Henri Deglane Challenge at Nice, France, Nov. 24-27, 2005 U.S. Rosters: Men's Freestyle: 60 kg/132 lbs. - Angel Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Aaron Holker, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Joe Heskett, Grover Beach, Calif. (Gator WC) 84 kg/185 lbs. - Chris Pendleton, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Nik Fekete, Blacksburg, Va. (New York AC) Coach: Terry Brands, Colorado Springs, Colo. Greco-Roman: 60 kg/132 lbs. - Willie Madison, Metairie, La. (USOEC/Gator WC) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Mark Rial, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Jake Fisher, Platte City, Mo. (USOEC) 84 kg/185 lbs. - John Wechter, East Lansing, Mich. (Sunkist Kids) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Adam Wheeler, Lancaster, Calif. (USOEC/Gator WC) Coach: Brian Church, Columbus, Ohio Women's Freestyle: 59 kg/130 lbs. - Marcie Van Dusen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Alania Berube, Escanaba, Mich. (New York AC) 67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) Coach: Terry Brands, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Wrestling fans could argue endlessly as to who the greatest high school wrestler of all-time is. To compare the high school wrestlers of all eras is more of a challenge than this writer would take on. However, this article is the first of a two-part series which will settle, once and for all (tongue firmly in cheek), the debate as to who is the best high school wrestler over the past 20 years. In fact, it will list the top 20 over the past 20 years. The starting point for making such a list is to ask how does one determine the best? For instance, how does one compare a dominant heavyweight to a dominant 119-pound wrestler? In this writer's view, the criteria has to be this: If you took the best 10-20 guys from a weight class and had them wrestle 10 mythical matches against each other, who would emerge with the best record? In other words, who was the best relative to the other top competitors in their weight? Furthermore, it is important to note that for these purposes, how good a wrestler was at the pinnacle of his high school career (i.e. his junior and senior seasons) is the key factor. In other words, having a relatively unaccomplished freshman and even sophomore year would not disqualify one from this list if they were dominant at a national level their last two seasons. One final note: This list will go above and beyond simply listing who has the best overall accomplishments of the last 20 years. Such a list would be unimaginative, and in my view, not worth reading. Rather, who a competitor beat to win titles and how dominating they were will be considered over sheer titles won. Special Mention (40-31): Jeremy Hunter (Pennsylvania) Troy Letters (Pennsylvania) Harry Lester (Ohio) Teague Moore (Pennsylvania) Garrett Lowney (Wisconsin) Luke Fickell (Ohio) Chris Fleeger (Pennsylvania) Matthew Coughlin (Indiana) Michael Poeta (Illinois) Joey Gilbert (Illinois) Honorable Mention(30-21): Stephen Abas (California) Cael Sanderson (Utah) TJ Williams (Illinois) Mark Perry (Oklahoma/New Jersey) CP Schlatter (Ohio) Mark Angle (Pennsylvania) Jesse Jantzen (New York) Eric Larkin (Arizona) Mark Smith (Oklahoma) Adam Mariano (New York) 20. Ray Brinzer (Pennsylvania) More known for his colorful antics than for his wrestling, Brinzer was as dynamic an upperweight as has ever taken the mat in high school wrestling. Hailing from powerhouse North Allegheny High, Brinzer accomplished the extremely rare feat of winning three Pennsylvania AAA state crowns in the middle-to-upperweights. What's even more impressive, though, is the fact that he won back-to-back Junior Nationals freestyle crowns and a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title. Brinzer had a unique philosophy on the sport to say the least. Viewing wrestling as a martial art, he refused to warm-up before his matches -- under the theory that if in a fight, he would not have a chance to warm-up. His trademark was bringing a Gumby doll to every match for good luck. Perhaps he was on to something -- since Blair Academy's Adam Frey brought a similar doll to Junior Nationals in 2005 and also won both styles. Brinzer would go on to finish third in the NCAAs twice for the University of Iowa, after transferring from their arch-rival, Oklahoma State. 19. Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma) Hendricks dominated in Fargo like few have before or since. Consider: In 2001, his junior year in high school, he scored technical falls over now NCAA champion Troy Letters and current two-time NCAA runner-up Ben Askren -- just to win his pool. In the finals, he registered a first period technical fall over highly regarded Matt Herrington. The following year, Hendricks again crushed all opponents in his pool before registering a solid 3-0 win over the outstanding Mark Perry in the finals. Ironically, Hendricks won his first NCAA title in 2005 with a win over Perry in the finals as well. Hendricks also tallied three Oklahoma state titles after a runner-up finish his freshman year. Wrestling with a fire in his eye that made many compare him to a young John Smith, Hendricks was particularly unstoppable in freestyle with his gut wrench. Less than a year removed from wrestling at Junior Nationals, Teyon Ware won an NCAA title at 141 pounds as a true freshman for Oklahoma (Photo/Danielle Hobeika).18. Teyon Ware (Oklahoma) Although Ware rarely dominated against elite competition, there was a familiar theme to his matches -- his arm getting raised at the end. In fact, Ware never tasted defeat while winning four Oklahoma state titles. He had very little freestyle experience going into the freestyle season after his sophomore year in high school, yet managed to win the Junior Nationals title in freestyle at 132 pounds that summer, defeating a Senior Nationals champion along the way. Ware then repeated as Junior Nationals champion his junior year in high school. A one-point upset loss to Todd Meneely his senior year in the finals of Junior Nationals was perhaps his only significant blemish. Ware has since captured two NCAA titles, including as a true freshman. 17. Zack Esposito (New Jersey) "Espo" won everything there was to win his senior year in high school -- and usually in dramatic fashion: Ironman, Beast of the East, Prep Nationals, Dapper Dan, High School Nationals, and Junior Nationals. Few have been as exciting to watch as this highly aggressive competitor. Perhaps most impressive about Esposito's dominance that year is that he was essentially wrestling up a weight for the team, as Blair Academy had another great 145 -- Mark Perry. In fact, although he wrestled 152 his senior season, he was actually at 141 the next year as a freshman in college. 16. Jeff McGinness (Iowa) Very few wrestlers have ever been as technically polished in high school as this competitor from Iowa City. While McGinness is part of the mega-exclusive undefeated four-time state champions club, he also had very impressive accomplishments in freestyle, including being Cadet and Junior Nationals champion as a sophomore in high school, and finishing a lofty third place at the Junior Worlds. He culminated his career by winning the Outstanding Wrestler award at High School Nationals his senior year. Before Eric Guerrero won three NCAA titles at Oklahoma State and represented the U.S. in the Olympic Games, he was a three-time state champion in California (Photo/Danielle Hobeika).15. Eric Guerrero (California) Guerrero joined the very small list of three-time California state champions by winning 225 of the 229 matches he wrestled. After finishing second, third, and third his first three years at Junior Nationals in freestyle, Guerrero climbed to the top spot on the podium by defeating defending champion Scott Schatzman his senior season. Perhaps his most impressive feat was at High School Nationals, where he captured Outstanding Wrestler honors. Those in attendance were heard to use the analogy that his opponents appeared so helpless it looked as though Guerrero was merely drilling. 14. Dan Knight (Iowa) Another of the rare four-time undefeated state champions from 1983-1986, Knight may have been the most highly regarded of his era. An Iowa product, he captured three Junior Nationals titles in four finals appearances -- including winning a double title his senior year with little difficulty. He would go on to be a two-time All-American at Iowa State. 13. Ty Moore (Pennsylvania) His collegiate career was a disappointment. He is certainly overshadowed today by his younger brother, NCAA champ Teague Moore. However, Ty Moore was as tough as they come in high school. A rare four-time Pennsylvania AAA state champion, Moore hailed from the vaunted North Allegheny wrestling team -- which at the time, was co-best program in the nation along with Lakewood St. Edward. Perhaps the best phrase to characterize Moore's style would be "just plain mean." Physical and relentless, his greatness is probably best demonstrated by his match in the Dapper Dan following his senior season. In that match, he scored a fall in less than a minute -- against Junior Nationals champion and future three-time NCAA champion T.J. Jaworsky. In college, Moore seemed to simply burn out. As a true freshman, he was a one point loss away from All-American status. He was destined to never improve upon that finish for the remainder of his career. 12. Jacob Newby (Oklahoma) Slick and quick, Newby's only place in Fargo was at the top of the podium. Although he won Cadet Nationals after his freshman year, it was his big upset of defending champion Chad Renner in the finals of Junior Nationals after his junior year that really vaulted him to stardom. The following year, Newby not only repeated in dominating fashion as Junior Nationals champion at 154 pounds, but also won FILA Junior Nationals (20-and-under age group), defeating Marcus Mollica, who would go on to win NCAAs the following spring. After finishing fourth in the NCAAs as a redshirt freshman, Newby gave up wrestling to pursue a music career. 11. David Kjeldgaard (Iowa) The winner of the inaugural Dave Schultz award for high school excellence in 1996 was the kid from Iowa with the funny name. There was nothing funny about his accomplishments, however -- as Kjeldgaard finished 173-4 en route to winning three Iowa state titles, and much more impressively, a still-unsurpassed (although it has been tied) record of six Junior Nationals titles. A true scholar-athlete, Kjeldgaard graduated valedictorian of his class with a 4.0 GPA. Kjeldgaard's collegiate career was solid but unspectacular due to being slowed by a variety of severe knee injuries. However, to assess just how good he was in high school, it is perhaps useful to look at who he beat to win his Junior Nationals crowns in freestyle. His junior year, he defeated TJ Williams, who would go on to win two NCAA titles while posting a record of 98-1 at the University of Iowa. His senior year, he defeated future NCAA champ and four-time top-three finisher Joe Heskett just to reach the finals -- where he triumphed over a kid from Utah by the name of Cael Sanderson. 10. Lincoln McIlravy (South Dakota) While his skills truly blossomed in college under the tutelage of Dan Gable, "Mac" was pretty tough in high school too. Not only was McIlravy a five-time state champion -- he captured Cadet and Junior Nationals titles as well, going through Chris Bono, John and Russ Hughes, Tony Pariano, and Mark Smith, among others, to capture his titles. Mac next won NCAAs as a true freshman with one of the most electrifying comebacks in NCAA history. Troy Nickerson won a record five New York state titles and compiled a record of 214-6 (Photo/Danielle Hobeika).9. Troy Nickerson (New York) Simply put, Nickerson won everything there was to win, generally by a large margin. While he won a record five New York state titles, his greatest achievements were in Fargo. An upset loss to Matt Fisk as a freshman (subsequently avenged numerous times) was the lone blemish on Nickerson's Fargo credentials -- as he captured five titles in six tries. The pinnacle for Nickerson probably came his junior year at Fargo. That year, he moved up from his previous double Cadet National title to winning both styles at Junior Nationals, never going the distance in the process. Nickerson capped off his career by winning Senior Nationals in impressive fashion. 8. Pat Smith (Oklahoma) The first four-time NCAA Champion, Smith was possibly more dominant in high school than college. Winner of back-to-back Junior Nationals in dominant fashion, he actually scored a technical fall over Sean Bormet to win his senior year. Ironically, it was Bormet he would face to win his fourth NCAA title -- winning this time by a slim 5-3 margin. Smith was also part of an illustrious group who won NCAAs as a true freshman. Only three wrestlers were able to do this in the past 20 years: Smith, McIlravy, and Teyon Ware. 7. Brent Metcalf (Michigan) Never before did middleweights stand out as the best in the nation from their sophomore year on as Metcalf and his archrival Dustin Schlatter did. Metcalf vaulted to superstar status following his sophomore year, when he not only won both styles at Junior Nationals, he only went the distance once in approximately 20 matches -- scoring a quick technical fall in the freestyle finals. His junior year, it was more of the same. Metcalf dominated the much-heralded Alex Tsirtsis of Indiana, 5-0, to repeat as Junior Nationals champion. He had previously knocked off former champion and two-time finalist Craig Henning just to make the finals. All other opponents he either pinned or tech falled on his way to winning both styles. In Metcalf's senior year, he wrestled two epic bouts with the great Dustin Schlatter (No. 6 below). While many observers thought Schlatter beat the buzzer with the winning takedown in regulation (including this writer), Metcalf showed himself to be made of pure steel in riding out Schlatter in double overtime to maintain his undefeated high school career. At the Dapper Dan classic that year, wrestling a very tough opponent (Matt Dragon) who was a weight class bigger, Metcalf uncharacteristically found himself in a quick 4-0 hole. Again, he showed that he had ice water in his veins as he methodically fought back to an 8-7 lead -- and then showed incredible presence of mind in fending off the match-winning takedown attempt by Dragon. In Fargo, Metcalf made it six straight titles by dominating and pinning Dragon, after Dragon dropped to 145 to gallantly take one more shot at Metcalf. Metcalf's spring also included repeating as FILA Junior Nationals champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Among his wins that spring were a shellacking of 2005 Junior Hodge winner Jeff Jaggers of Ohio -- and a huge win over NCAA fourth-placer finisher Eric Tannenbaum (although Tannenbaum did win the series two matches to one). 6. Dustin Schlatter (Ohio) Although he was already a four-time Cadet Nationals champion and a returning state champion, Dustin Schlatter's sophomore season started inauspiciously as he tasted defeat for the first time -- losing twice at the Ironman. Much as Gable's loss to Larry Owings seemed to drive him to new levels, so it was with Schlatter. After crushing the competition at state that year -- Schlatter had probably the finest postseason of any sophomore who ever took the mat. In that season, he faced a gauntlet of top junior and senior opponents, who seemingly all gravitated to the 135-pound weight class in the high school wrestling equivalent of the movie Highlander. While pundits were debating which upperclassmen superstar would emerge as the best out of Ryan Lang of Ohio, Dan Frishkorn of Virginia, Alex Tsirtsis of Indiana, Josh Churella of Michigan, and Charles Lloyd of Illinois, young Schlatter had other ideas and beat every single one of them. Only Ryan Lang was even close, as Schlatter beat this Senior Nationals champion, 6-4. At the time, Tsirtsis was coming off very impressive showings against collegiate competition and considered virtually untouchable. Schlatter dismantled him -- giving up only a takedown in the closing seconds of a 5-1 win. Schlatter also shut down Frishkorn, 3-0, at Fargo that year. For good measure, Schlatter scored technical fall victories that spring over the runner-up and third-place finishers at Fargo at 140 -- CJ Ettelson and Carter Downing. Schlatter junior season just added to his legacy, as he beat 2005 NCAA All-American Michael Keefe, 3-1, and top-12 finisher Frank Edgar, 7-4, at the West Virginia Open. At the Beast of the East that year, he faced a great opponent in three-time California state champion Troy Tirapelle of California, the brother of NCAA champion Adam Tirapelle and NCAA runner-up Alex Tirapelle. Schlatter showed himself to be on another level once again, winning by a score of 14-6. The match was worse than the score, with Schlatter scoring seven takedowns and letting Tirapelle up six times. While a showdown with Metcalf didn't materialize in Fargo that summer due to Schlatter breaking his wrist -- Schlatter avenged his controversial loss by winning a 4-3 decision over Metcalf for the Senior National title. Prior to that -- his closest bout in this loaded weight was 17-4. Perhaps most impressive was that as Schlatter closed his senior season, he had wrestled against five NCAA All-Americans (Frishkorn, Keefe, Churella, Drew Headlee, and Coleman Scott) and beaten all of them, as well as four wrestlers who had reached the All-American round of NCAAs (Ryan Lang, Frank Edgar, Rob Preston, and Mark McKnight) and beaten all of them as well. Joe Williams was a four-time state champion in Illinois who tasted defeat only once (photo by John Sachs).5. Joe Williams (Illinois) An aura of invincibility surrounded Joe Williams in high school. A four-time state champion, Williams tasted defeat just once -- when he was disqualified for an illegal slam. Williams also won a Junior Nationals title his senior year -- and dominated at the Dapper Dan Classic. Perhaps his most notable victory, however, came following his junior year in high school. At the Junior World Team Trials that spring, he claimed an 8-5 victory over a graduating senior who would go on to be his teammate at the University of Iowa, Lincoln McIlravy. 4. Steve Mocco (New Jersey) If one wrestler personified the word intimidation, it is the top high school heavyweight of all time -- Steve Mocco. Relentlessly intense and punishing, Mocco was on an entirely different level than any heavyweight who every competed on the high school level. After dominating three years in Fargo -- Mocco won a Senior Nationals title as well. He tasted defeat just once in his career, a fluke pin when he was going for a lateral drop. Mocco was able to step in as a freshman and easily defeat NCAA All-Americans right off the bat. Only being inexplicably ridden out in double overtime in the finals by Tommy Rowlands kept him from winning as a true freshman (and being on his way to four titles). Clearly, Mocco was good enough to be an NCAA All-American at least since his senior year in high school, if not sooner. Damion Hahn of New Jersey was said to be a "man among boys" in high school -- before going on to capture two NCAA titles for Minnesota (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)3. Damion Hahn (New Jersey) A "man among boys" might be the best way to describe Damion Hahn in high school wrestling. The winner of three state titles in single-division New Jersey, Hahn also won three junior national freestyle titles, dominating almost all of his opposition. After his sophomore season, Hahn even defeated Cael Sanderson, who had just completed his senior year. It was his performances against older competition that really distinguished Hahn, however. After his junior year in high school he entered the U.S. Open -- and very nearly placed. Most impressively, though, Hahn unthinkably crushed two-time NCAA champion Mark Branch by a score of 10-5. As a freshman on redshirt, Hahn very nearly gave Cael Sanderson his only collegiate loss (a 4-3 loss). So good was Hahn coming out of high school that many considered his collegiate career -- two-time NCAA champion, four-time All-American -- to be a disappointment. 2. Alan Fried (Ohio) If Mocco personified the word intimidation, Fried personified the word intensity. The first four-time Junior Nationals freestyle champion, Fried's opponents appeared to be stuck in slow motion while he was in fast forward. Fried's most impressive victory may have been defeating NCAA champion Clar Anderson after his junior year in high school. Fried competed in the Olympic Trials that summer, where he would face his future coach, John Smith. Those who were there report that young Fried actually scored the first takedown against America's greatest freestyle wrestler ever. Perhaps most interesting was that on the way to winning Junior Nationals as a sophomore, he actually scored a technical fall over a senior from Iowa by the name of Tom Brands -- his future nemesis in college. Even as a redshirting freshman at Oklahoma State University, Fried defeated Brands at an open tournament. Brands would go on to win his first NCAA title -- and repeat the following two years with victories over Fried in the finals. 1. Cary Kolat (Pennsylvania) While picking the top 20 among so many worthy contenders was difficult, picking No. 1 was actually quite easy. None have excelled so early as Cary Kolat. First, there is the fact that Kolat racked up a 137-0 ledger on his way to four state titles in wrestling-rich Pennsylvania. Moreover, Kolat placed at the Midlands as a sophomore and as a junior, back when that tournament was as tough as the NCAAs. Among his great achievements in that tournament were pinning NCAA All-American Shawn Charles -- and actually wrestling a 1-0 bout with Olympian Ken Chertow his junior year. Chertow, ironically enough, had a much easier time with NCAA champion Terry Brands in the finals that year than he did with the junior in high school from Rices Landing, Pennsylvania. Kolat even showed he could compete at the very highest level by placing at the U.S. Open. Beating top senior level competition in high school was almost commonplace for Kolat. For example, as a junior in high school, in an open tournament, Kolat won easily over NCAA champion Sean O'Day. Kolat had a mystique about him in high school that made it inconceivable that he would ever lose. Even other great wrestlers seemed to say his name with what might be described as reverence. Like Hahn, Kolat was so good coming out of high school that many would consider collegiate career -- two-time NCAA champion, four-time top-three finisher, and his international career -- Olympian, two time world medalist -- a disappointment. He was two upset losses away from being a four-time NCAA champion, and an entire article could be written about how he was robbed by FILA out of being a multiple-time world and Olympic champion. Clearly, however, in measuring the high school careers of all wrestlers, Kolat is my pick for best of the past 20 years.

Pembroke, NC -- The University of North Carolina at Pembroke wrestling team will host its annual Black & Gold intrasquad match on Thursday, October 27 at 6:30 pm in the Jones Center. The public is welcome to attend and admission is free. The match will feature current UNCP wrestlers at each of the ten weight classes, as the coaching staff will evaluate each weight division, which will help determine the 2005-06 probable starters and reserves. Coach PJ Smith, who is entering his 25th season as Pembroke's head coach, will look to several newcomers to step up and fill the void left by All-Americans Dwayne Coward, Curry Pickard and Aaron Gunning, as well as by team captain Lewis Polley, who is now playing football in the AFL. The Braves return five starters from last year's squad, including Adam Dedmon (125), Devon Daniels (133), Justin McIntire (174), Derek Brunson (184) and Alfonzo Richardson (197) that finished seventh in the nation in 2005. Brunson is UNCP's top returner, while Andrew Steed (149), who lost in last year's All-American round at Nationals, will redshirt this season. The UNCP cheerleading squad and dance team will also be on hand to perform, while the Lumberton Gymnastics Club will also be performing at various times during that event.

EASTON, Pa. -- The National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) has reached an agreement to move its signature event, the National High School Wrestling Championships and Convention, to the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. The 17th annual Championships and Convention will be conducted March 20-26, 2006. Only three years old, The Petersen Events Center seats over 10,000 and is a fabulous facility to host a top wrestling event. The new site was approved by the NHSCA Board of Directors last week. "We are excited to bring our most prestigious event to wrestling-rich Pennsylvania," said NHSCA associate executive director Joe Boardwine. "The Petersen Events Center is a new, first-class facility that is ideal for a major wrestling event. Pittsburgh is easily accessible from every major city in the country. This event was very successful in Cleveland Ohio, and we would like to thank the Ohio wrestling community state-wide for all of its support." The National High School Seniors Wrestling Championships, convention and banquet will be conducted March 23-26. Only seniors, who are high school state champions and runners-up in their state tournament or the National Prep Championships during their careers are automatically eligible for the prestigious event. Exceptions are made in four states which have only a single class: California, where the top eight placewinners qualify, and Indiana, New Jersey and New York, where the top four qualify. A wild card system is in place to allow for limited numbers of highly accomplished wrestlers to enter via a petition process. Preceding the National Seniors championship is the second annual High School Junior Nationals Wrestling Championships and the inaugural High School Sophomore Nationals Wrestling Championships March 21-24. The championship and consolation finals will take place on the evening of March 24, immediately following the conclusion of Day 1 wrestling in the Senior Nationals. "The National High School Wrestling Championships has truly transformed high school wrestling in the United States," NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. "Not only has the tournament provided outstanding scholastic-style competition, but it has provided valuable opportunities for high school wrestlers and college coaches to meet and connect. The field in last year's National Juniors Championships exceeded everyone's expectations. It was such a big success that our member coaches requested we add sophomores to the action. With the addition of this year's National Sophomores Championships, we look forward to extending our competition opportunities even further." Unlike the Seniors championship, the Juniors and Sophomores championships are open to all juniors and sophomores, respectively, with no state placement prerequisite. Nevertheless, last year's Juniors event still attracted a top-quality field. Nearly 80 per cent of the nearly 400 entries from 35 states were state champions, placewinners or qualifiers. The High School Sophomore Nationals are expected to attract a field of similar quality in its first year. These events give the state champion and novice wrestler alike an equal opportunity to prove on the mat who truly is the top wrestler in each weight in a graduating class. At the same time, it allows them to showcase their talents before college coaches, many of whom are already on hand to watch the top seniors in America compete. Entry information is available by visiting the NHSCA's web site at www.nhsca.com. The NHSCA selects Coaches and Senior Athletes of the Year in 20 boys and girls sports, and sponsors more than two dozen national championship events in 11 sports. The 16th annual National High School Seniors Wrestling Championships attracted nearly 800 entries from 47 states and three European countries to Cleveland, Ohio in April, and the NHSCA conducted 16 championship events in Virginia Beach, Va. this summer. The NHSCA, in partnership with the NFL Coaches Association, conducted the National High School Football Coaches Convention in January in conjunction with the U.S. Army All-American Bowl All-Star Game and recently completed a fabulously successful inaugural National High School Talent Search competition to rave reviews. For a complete list of this year's programs and events, visit the NHSCA's web site at www.nhsca.com. Founded in 1989, the National High School Coaches Association is a not-for-profit 501c3 service organization providing support and leadership programs for the nation's 500,000 high school coaches and 10 million high school athletes. 3276 Nazareth Road · Easton, PA 18045 · (610) 923-0900 · Fax (610) 923-0800 · E-mail: nhsca@nhsca.com · Web: www.nhsca.com

The University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College) women's wrestling team traveled to Tempe, Arizona October 20-22, 2005 to compete in the Sunkist Kids International Open. Throughout the tournament, UC ladies had the opportunity to compete with top wrestlers from around the world. Patriot ladies returning home with medals include: Jessica Medina (Pomona, CA) with a fourth place finish in the 48 kg division; Othella Lucas (San Diego, CA) winning the gold in the 59 kg weight class; Krystal Kiyuna (Aiea, HI) finished fourth at 59 kg; Alaina Berube (Escanaba, MI) placing second in the 63 kg class; Heather Martin (Lagrange, OH) securing a fifth place finish in the 72 kg division; and Tabetha Golt (Chesapeake, VA) with a sixth place finish in the 72 kg weight class. Also competing for the Patriot ladies were Antonesia Giles (Chino, CA), Christina Selover (Moraga, CA), and Warry Woodard (Smithfield, VA) in the 52 kg weight class; Tara Williams (Kingston, WA) and Jessica Jauck (Ramona, CA) at 55 kg; Krisha Childress (Goddard, KS) in the 63 kg division; and Shelly Ruberg (Harrison, OH) in the 67 kg class. The UC women's wrestling team will travel to Hamilton, Ontario on November 4-5, 2005 to compete in the McMaster University Dual and Open.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Three members of the Navy wrestling program all claimed victories at the 21st annual Sunkist Kids International Open held over the weekend on the campus of Arizona State University. Junior John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.), sophomore Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) and assistant coach Scott Owen all had success at the prestigious event. Cox, a 149-pounder, posted a 3-2 record in the 66-kilogram competition, coming one match short of a top-eight finish. In the first round, Cox defeated Patrick Sharp of the Highlands Wrestling Club, 8-5, 4-0. His hopes for a title were cut short in the round of 16, as eventual semifinalist JaMarr Billman of the New York Athletic Club held off a Cox rally for a 4-1, 3-7, 2-0 triumph. However, Cox rebounded in the consolation bracket, defeating Will Rowe, 6-5, 0-6, 5-3, and Drayton Woods, 6-0, 7-0. Jason Johnstone ended Cox's tournament with a 7-2, 7-0 decision in the consolation quarterfinals. Cox, who enters the season as the top-ranked EIWA wrestler at 149 pounds, reached last year's NCAA Tournament and is ranked No. 13 in the national preseason poll. Stolpinski competed in the 84-kilogram competition, posting a 1-2 record. Stolpinski won his first match of the tournament, a 2-0, 2-3, 2-0, victory over Jake Cranford of the Sunkist Kids. Stolpinski was then defeated by Gregory Parker of the New York Athletic Club by fall in 1:05. In the consolation bracket, C.B. Dollaway of the Sunkist Kids pinned Stolpinski in 49 seconds. Stolpinski enters the 2005-06 season with Navy after an outstanding freshman campaign that saw him record a 25-17 mark and a sixth-place EIWA finish. He is ranked No. 30 in the WrestlingReport.com national preseason rankings. Lastly, newly-hired assistant coach Scott Owen had the most success of the trio that made the trip. Owen recorded a 5-1 mark, garnering a third-place finish in the 74-kilogram weight class. Owen won his first three matches by a combined score of 25-4, before falling to the eventual champion, Tyrone Lewis, in the semifinals, 2-0, 0-1, 1-0. Owen rebounded in the consolation bracket to knock off Jim Mederios, 3-0, 7-0, and Jared Frayer, 3-0, 2-0, to earn the third-place showing. The event is seen as one of the top preseason competitions for NCAA wrestlers and one of the first competitions to kick off the international wrestling season. The Navy wrestling season gets underway this Saturday, Oct. 29, with the Blue-Gold Challenge Matches, beginning at 1:00 p.m., in Halsey Field House.

Hello Wrestling Fans! This week we head to The Home of the Wildcats of Northwestern University. We'll check out the New Ken Kraft Center, the night life and some crab cakes with head coach Tim Cysewski and new head Asst. Drew Pariano. Next week we push on to The Mocs of Tennessee Chattanooga for a special Friday show. and then its on to THE Ohio State and more. Join Steve Foster and I 10 AM to 12 Noon CST at Takedownradio.com for LIVE shows and for archived shows as well. My thanks to all Coaches and SID's who have invited us to broadcast room shows or tournaments at their sites. We are doing as many as we can and next year plan to do more. Want us at your school or tournament? Let me hear from you as we are putting together next years calendar already. Man this is fun and I LOVE IT! It's Wrestling!

Steve Marianetti Steve Marianetti has tasted success both as a wrestler and as a coach. Since taking over as head coach at Elmhurst College (Illinois) in 2002, Marianetti has built the program into a Division III national power. Last season, he guided the Bluejays to their first CCIW title since 1958 and an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championships. For his efforts, Marianetti was honored as the Division III Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). As competitor, Marianetti became one of the most accomplished wrestlers ever at the University of Illinois. He was a three-time All-American and won the NCAA title at 150 pounds in 1995 -- defeating University of Iowa all-time great Lincoln McIlravy in the NCAA finals. He holds the Illinois single-season record for wins with 44 during the 1992-93 season. Marianetti ranks second on the school's career wins list with 120. After his collegiate career, he earned a gold medal at the 1997 Pan-American Championships, silver medals at the 1998 Goodwill Games and World Cup, and a gold medal at the 1998 U.S. Nationals. He also represented the United States at the 1998 World Championships in Tehran, Iran. RevWrestling.com recently went one-on-one with Marianetti to discuss his expectations for the season, his future outlook, and his memories of beating McIlravy. You were the second assistant at Illinois before coming to Elmhurst. How did you become interested in the Elmhurst position? Marianetti: A few things happened. My wife and I are from this area, so we eventually wanted to get back here. It was a combination of my wife finding a job in this area and me wanting to have my own program. While you were at Illinois -- you were coached by Mark Johnson and Jim Heffernan. And then you spent seven years on the same coaching staff. What did you take away from that experience of working with them? Marianetti: They formed the foundation of my coaching philosophy. When I first got to Illinois, they weren't there. They came my sophomore year. My freshman year, I had a record of 13-9. The year they came, I had a record of 44-9 and finished fourth in the country. That's when it really hit me how important coaching was. That's when I first even became interested in coaching -- and it really seemed like a pretty rewarding career. Last season, you had a 16-3 dual meet record. You guided your program to its first conference title since 1958 and an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championships. What are your expectations from a team standpoint this season? Marianetti: I think we're going to be good again. I have goals for my team. After last year, we have high goals and high expectations now. We have some very good kids on the team. But we also lost quite a few of our starters. We have some young wrestlers who will have to step up, so I'm interested to see how they're going to do in competitions. Last March, you were named Divsion III Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). What does that honor mean to you? Marianetti: It's certainly an honor to be recognized by your peers. It told me that we're at least on the right track and that we can have a successful program at Elmhurst College. What was the biggest change coming from a Division I program to a Division III program? Marianetti: I think initially it was expectations -- expectations of success and expectations of work ethic. But now that I've been here a few years, a lot of those differences have changed. You've got kids who want to be successful wrestlers. At both places, you've got guys who are working very hard. So a lot of the differences have lessened greatly. The Elmhurst program has made great strides since you took over in 2002. What was the program like when you took over in comparison to where it is now? Marianetti: The good news is that I had nowhere to go but up. I think there are a lot of wrestlers out there who want to be a part of a competitive program. But at the same time, there just aren't enough scholarships. Now we're starting to get some outstanding wrestlers who are looking at us -- and want to wrestle in our program. Steve MarianettiIllinois has great high school wrestling. Is that where you do most of your recruiting? Marianetti: Yeah, I mostly focus on Illinois. I'll have some kids contact me from other states. Just from a numbers perspective, I know Illinois well. There are only so many hours in a day to be recruiting, so I really focus on our state. What are some of the key attributes you look for in high school wrestlers when you recruit? Marianetti: Obviously, they have to have good grades … because it's a good school. The biggest thing, though, is finding out from coaches what their work ethic is like. Certainly you want success, but if I get guys who have strong work ethics, I'm confident that I can teach them to be better wrestlers. But they have to want that. So the desire is the biggest thing I look for. And I look for that by talking to their coaches. You have had a lot of success coaching in Division III, but you came from a Division I program. Do you have aspirations of becoming a head coach at a Division I program? Marianetti: I would say that I haven't given it much thought. So the answer to that question is no, not necessarily. I want to be somewhere where I can be successful. If we continue to be successful at Elmhurst College -- that's where I want to stay. In 1995, you defeated Lincoln McIlravy of Iowa in the NCAA finals -- in one of the most historic matches in NCAA history. What was your mindset like going into that match? And what were your emotions like after you won? Marianetti: I had been an All-American for two years before that -- and it just wasn't enough anymore. I know there is big chasm between being an All-American and being a national champion. So there was a certain sense of urgency. I didn't want to make excuses and decide that, 'Well, I shouldn't win this match and second place is really good.' I really felt it and built it up in myself that excuses weren't going to be good enough. Winning a match like that, it was a culmination of a really long, stressful year -- one that was focused on one specific goal. To see all of the mental preparation, all of the physical preparation come down to a seven minute match, and for it to go your way, it's obviously just an incredible experience. When was the last time you watched your match against McIlravy? Do you ever pull out the video -- just to relive some of those memories? Marianetti: I don't. But my wrestlers do. So I end up seeing it every once in a while. But it's not something that I go back to very often. My guys enjoy watching it. When the new recruits come in, somehow the older guys usually show it to them. After your collegiate career was over, you wrestled on some national teams with McIlravy. Did you workout out with him much? And did you get to know him on a personal level? Marianetti: Yeah, we competed at the World Cup together, at the Goodwill Games together, and at the World Championships together. We didn't necessarily train so much together. But I got to know him better. He's really a fantastic guy and a very sincere guy. As a wrestler, I have unbelievable respect for him. I think he is an amazing wrestler. I think I was very fortunate to beat him on that given day. He's not somebody that I would want to have a rematch with in the national finals. Buvaisar SaitievDuring your international career, you wrestled against Buvaisar Saitiev of Russia, a two-time Olympic champion, six-time World champion, and one of the best technicians ever. What was it like wrestling Saitiev? Marianetti: As far as going from college to international, he was the first superstar that I wrestled. Frankly, I was a little starstruck when I wrested him and very intimidated. I think it would have been different if I would have wrestled him a second time. He is very unorthodox and he destroyed me. Last question, who was the toughest wrestler you ever wrestled here in the United States? Marianetti: I've definitely wrestled some good guys. Well, the toughest guy had to be McIlravy because wrestling him is not just a battle of wrestling -- it's a battle of wills. He takes you to a place physically where you've probably never been. I wrestled him three different times throughout college. The first time I wrestled him was when he was a freshman and I was a sophomore. Then I wrestled him once in the Big Ten finals and once in the national finals. Wrestling McIlravy was pure torture.

Eric LarkinTEMPE, Ariz. -- The final day of the 21st Sunkist Kids/Arizona State University International Open came to a close Saturday afternoon with a trio of former Sun Devil All-Americans reaching the finals of their respective weight classes at the longest running international open in the United States being held Oct. 21-22 at Wells Fargo Arena. Eric Larkin won the 66kg event while Aaron Simpson and Kellan Fluckiger placed second at 84kg and 120kg, respectively. Larkin, the 2003 NCAA Champion and Dan Hodge Award winner, defeated Cliff Moore, 2-1, 6-3, to win the event held on his former home mat. Simpson, who also is an assistant coach with Larkin this season at ASU, dropped a tough 7-1, 5-3 decision to Andy Hrovat (NYAC) in the finals of his tournament. Kellan Fluckiger, a former heavyweight student-athlete and coach with the Sun Devils, fell to Pat Cummings (NYAC), 1-0, 2-0, in the final bout. Current Sun Devils also competed in the tournament with five competing on the day. Jeremy Mendoza placed fifth at 55kg after falling to Henry Cejudo (Sunkist Kids), 1-0, 4-0. Teammate Alex Contreras, who defeated Mendoza in the consolation quarterfinals, lost a 7-0, 3-0 decision to Matt Azevedo (Sunkist Kids) in the third place bout to finish fourth in the event, the highest finish for a current Sun Devil this year. Ryan Bader finished sixth at 96kg following a pair of close loses on the day, first dropping a 1-0, 2-1 decision to Steve Snijders of Canada before Mike Neufeld (Canada) handed down a 2-0, 4-3 decision in the fifth-place bout. C.B. Dollaway, competing at 84kg, did not place in the event as he was pinned by Greg Parker in the consolation fifth round. Quinton Pruett, the lone Sun Devil to compete in the Greco-Roman event, fell in the consolation third round at 96kg after Phillip Johnson of the US Army scored a 7-0, 6-0 technical fall. The 2005 collegiate season gets underway for the Sun Devils in three weeks as the team heads to Portland, Ore., Nov. 12 for the Portland State Duals. ASU will face Pacific at 10 a.m. before meeting Southern Oregon at 11:30 a.m. The final dual of the day will see the Sun Devils and host Vikings meet at 1 p.m. in a Pac-10 Conference contest.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced the lineups for the 40th annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps to be held inside Oklahoma State's Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla. on Nov. 21. Twenty All-Americans will be wrestling, including five defending national champions. Two weight classes will have a rematch of the 2005 national title match. Host Oklahoma State will be represented by its four returning champions. Oklahoma will send three wrestlers to Stillwater to compete in the event as well. Oklahoma's two-time All-American Sam Hazewinkel will meet Michigan State's Nick Simmons. This is a rematch of the consolation final that Hazewinkel won at the 2005 NCAA Championships. Hazewinkel defeated Simmons, 2-0, in last year¹s All-Star Classic. In a rematch of last year¹s national title match at 141, two-time national champion Teyon Ware of Oklahoma will meet Big 12 rival and two-time Big 12 champion Nate Gallick of Iowa State. OSU¹s defending national champion at 149, Zack Esposito, will square off with Hofstra¹s three-time All-American Jon Masa. Esposito defeated Masa four times last season, including the national quarterfinals. Masa went on to finish third in the tournament. Masa is the only wrestler not represented by the Big Ten or the Big 12. Johny Hendricks is the second Cowboy to take the mat. Hendricks, a two-time All American and defending national champion at 165, will face Michigan¹s Ryan Churella in a rematch of last year¹s national semifinal. It will be Bedlam at 197 when OSU¹s two-time national champion Jake Rosholt will meet OU¹s Joel Flaggert. Rosholt won his second national title last season, while Flaggert went on to earn his first All-America honor with a fourth-place finish. Rosholt won their only meeting last season with a major decision in a dual back in December. Steve Mocco will be the last Oklahoma State wrestler to trot out onto the mat when he faces Minnesota's Cole Konrad in a rematch of last year¹s national title match. Mocco beat Konrad three times last season, all in overtime. At 133, there will be rematch of the consolation finals when Wisconsin¹s Tom Clum meets Minnesota¹s Mack Reiter. Clum defeated Reiter for third-place last season and both wrestlers will be making their first appearance in the NWCA All-Star Classic. Returning national runner-up Joe Johnston of Iowa will meet Illinois¹ two-time All-American Alex Tirapelle. Johnston defeated Tirapelle, two-time Big Ten champion, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Tirapelle is the only wrestler in the classic who did not place in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Two more Iowa Hawkeyes will be wrestling at consecutive weights. Stillwater native Mark Perry will take the mat at 174. Perry, 2005 national runner-up at 165, will face Northwestern¹s Jake Herbert. Herbert is coming off of a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Paul Bradley will be the third Hawkeye to take the mat when he faces Illinois' Pete Friedl. Bradley finished fifth at the 2005 NCAA Championships, while Friedl is bumping up a weight after he finished fourth at 174. Central Oklahoma¹s Josh Leadingfox will take on three-time national champion Les Sigman of Nebraska-Omaha in the NWCA All-Star Classic¹s traditional exhibition match. The honorary coaches for the event are OSU¹s own John Smith, Northwestern¹s Tim Czyewski, Dana College¹s Steve Costanzo and Labette Community College¹s Joe Renfro. 40th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by the Unites States Marine Corps Gallagher-Iba Arena -- Stillwater, Okla. November 21, 2005 125- Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma) vs. Nick Simmons (Michigan State) 133- Tom Clum (Wisconsin) vs. Mack Reiter (Minnesota) 141- Teyon Ware (Oklahoma) vs. Nate Gallick (Iowa State) 149- Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State) vs. Jon Masa (Hofstra) 157- Joe Johnston (Iowa) vs Alex Tirapelle (Illinois) 165- Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) vs. Ryan Churella (Michigan) 174- Mark Perry (Iowa) vs. Jake Herbert (Northwestern) 184- Paul Bradley (Iowa) vs. Pete Friedl (Illinois) 197- Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) vs. Joel Flaggert (Oklahoma) 285- Steve Mocco (Oklahoma State) vs. Cole Konrad (Minnesota) Exhibition: 285: Josh Leadingfox (Central Oklahoma) vs. TBA Note: Lineup is subject to change. 2004 Results: At Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville 125 Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma) Defeated Nick Simmons (Michigan State), 2-0 133 Mark Jayne (Illinois) Defeated Sam Hiatt (Northern Illinois), 3-1 141 Teyon Ware (Oklahoma) Defeated Cory Cooperman (Lehigh), 2-1 OT 149 Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State) Defeated Dustin Manotti (Cornell), 8-3 157 Jake Percival (Ohio University) Defeated Ryan Bertin (Michigan), 11-7 165 Troy Letters (Lehigh) Defeated David Bolyard (Central Michigan), 3-2 174 Chris Pendleton (Oklahoma State) Defeated Ben Askren (Missouri), 6-3 184 Greg Jones (West Virginia) Defeated Paul Bradley (Iowa), 3-2 197 J.D. Bergman (Ohio State) Defeated Scott Barker (Oregon), 8-3 285 Steve Mocco (Oklahoma State) Defeated Cole Konrad (Minnesota), 2-1 OT

The National Wrestling Coaches Association announced Thursday the matchups for the 40th annual NWCA All-Star Classic. Dana College Wrestling Coach Steve Costanzo was selected as honorary coach for this prestigious event. Steve CostanzoPresented by the United States Marine Corps, the NWCA All-Star Classic pits the nation's top collegiate wrestlers against each other in challenge matches that are often seen as a preview of the NCAA championships. The event will be held at historic Gallagher-Iba Arena on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., on November 21 at 7 p.m. This year's lineup ranks as one of the best of all time, as five NCAA Champions and six pre-season number one ranked wrestlers will take to the mat. There are currently four matches scheduled featuring the number one and two ranked wrestlers in the nation according to the NWCA Division I Coaches poll. "This is a great event at a place steeped in wrestling tradition -- Oklahoma State has 33 national championships. I am excited to coach in the Gallahger-Iba arena," said Costanzo. "I attribute this opportunity to the kids that have gone through the Viking wrestling program." Other Honorary coaches for the event are John Smith of the host Cowboys, Northwestern's Tim Czyewski, and Labette Community College's Joe Renfro. 2005 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps * 125: Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma) vs. Nick Simmons (Michigan State) * 133: Tom Clum (Wisconsin) vs. Mack Reiter (Minnesota) * 141: Teyon Ware (Oklahoma) vs. Nate Gallick (Iowa State) * 149: Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State) vs. Jon Masa (Hofstra) * 157: Joe Johnston (Iowa) vs. Alex Tirapelle (Illinois) * 165: Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) vs. Ryan Churella (Michigan) * 174: Mark Perry (Iowa) vs. Jake Herbert (Northwestern) * 184: Paul Bradley (Iowa) vs. Pete Friedl (Illinois) * 197: Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) vs. Joel Flaggert (Oklahoma) * 285: Steve Mocco (Oklahoma State) vs. Cole Konrad (Minnesota) * Exhibition 285: Josh Leadingfox (Central Oklahoma) vs. TBA Note: Lineup is subject to change.

Upper Iowa University will open its 2005-06 wrestling campaign by hosting national power Iowa State University Sunday, Nov. 6. The dual meet begins at 2 p.m. in Dorman Gymnasium in Fayette, Iowa. Tickets for this historic event go on sale Monday, Oct. 24. All seating is general admission. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students with student IDs. For more information or to order tickets, contact the UIU Ticket Office at 563-425-5700. Tickets are also good for the Iowa State and Wisconsin-La Crosse dual, which immediately follows the UIU-ISU match-up. Upper Iowa University, located in Fayette, is the only NCAA Division II institution in the state of Iowa.

University of Minnesota All-Americans Mack Reiter and Cole Konrad have been selected to participate in the 40th annual Marines All-Star Classic on Monday, Nov. 21, on the campus of Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. The event attempts to pit the top two ranked wrestlers at each weight class in a dual meet format. College Sports Television will air the event tape-delayed on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 7:30 p.m. Reiter will face Wisconsin senior Tom Clum at 133 pounds. Clum won a pair of tight decisions last year, including a 2-1 victory in the consolation finals at the NCAA Championships. A native of Gilbertville, Iowa, Reiter was the 2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year after compiling a 40-7 overall record. Reiter was also named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Big Ten Championships after winning the title at 133 pounds. In a rematch of last year's NCAA heavyweight final, Konrad will meet two-time NCAA Champion Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State. Mocco won all three meetings between the two wrestlers with a pair of those wins coming in overtime. Konrad is ranked second in the nation entering his junior season. With a 41-3 record last year, he posted the fourth- highest win total in school history. Konrad is also the defending Big Ten Champion. Minnesota opens its 2005-06 season on Nov. 12 at the Bison Open. The Golden Gophers begin their dual meet season on Dec. 2 at Northern Iowa. 2005 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps 125: Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma) vs. Nick Simmons (Michigan State) 133: Tom Clum (Wisconsin) vs. Mack Reiter (Minnesota) 141: Teyon Ware (Oklahoma) vs. Nate Gallick (Iowa State) 149: Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State) vs. Jon Masa (Hofstra) 157: Joe Johnston (Iowa) vs. Alex Tirapelle (Illinois) 165: Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) vs. Ryan Churella (Michigan) 174: Mark Perry (Iowa) vs. Jake Herbert (Northwestern) 184: Paul Bradley (Iowa) vs. Pete Friedl (Illinois) 197: Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) vs. Joel Flaggert (Oklahoma) 285: Steve Mocco (Oklahoma State) vs. Cole Konrad (Minnesota)

HEMPSTEAD, NY -- The Hofstra University Wrestling Team will preview its 2005-06 season this Sunday, October 23 when the Pride conduct its annual Fall seminar and wrestle-offs at the Hofstra Arena. Former Olympic champion and current Greco-Roman United State National Team Coach Steve Fraser will open the day by holding a mental toughness seminar. The seminar will start at 9:30 am with the wrestle-offs to follow at 11:00 am. There will be eight wrestle-offs as the Pride prepare for its season opener at Army on November 15. The match-ups for the wrestle-offs are: 125 lbs Dave Tomasette vs. Jon Fennell 133 lbs Ricky LaForge vs. Charles Griffin 141 lbs John Manarte vs. Mitch Smith 149 lbs Jon Masa vs. Winner of Chris Booth/ Mike Martini 157 lbs James Strouse vs. Winner of Anthony Tortora/Mike Parziale 174 lbs Chris Vondruska vs. John Rothman 184 lbs Joe Rovelli vs. Mike Pucillo HWT Jon Andriac vs. Gus DelVecchio The cost of the clinic and wrestle-offs is $10 while the cost of just the wrestle-offs is $5.

Once the mats were put away at the 2005 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, only one wrestler from the U.S. brought home gold. This U.S. freestyle competitor had never won a World championship, an NCAA title, or a state high school crown. That said, Iris Smith has accomplished much in her mat career, including winning titles at the 2000-02 and 2005 U.S. Nationals, as well as the Pan American Games in 2000 and 2001. Now Smith has added the 2005 World Championship -- and its gold medal -- to her list of list of honors. A Day to Remember in September Friday, September 30 was an incredible day for Iris Smith. On her way to the gold medal in the 72kg/158.5 lb women's freestyle competition, Smith had to wrestle four opponents -- all in one day. Iris Smith defeated five-time World champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan, 3-1, 1-1 and 1-0, to win the 2005 World title at 72 kg (photo by Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling)."All through the tournament, I was incredibly focused," said Smith in an interview for this profile. "I felt like I was in the zone from the moment I weighed in. I kept my concentration, and wrestled one match at a time. I felt comfortable and confident." Throughout the day, Iris Smith kept her eyes on the prize. In her first bout, Smith stopped Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria, 3-1, 1-0 … followed by a shut out of Angnieska Wieczczek of Poland, 2-0, 6-0 to win the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Smith defeated Anita Schaetzle of Germany, 3-1, 2-0. The Finals Outcome Those three bouts were the prelude to the finals, where Smith faced off against five-time World champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan. In only her second appearance in a World championship, Smith upset the veteran 3-1, 1-1 and 1-0 to win the 2005 World title in Budapest. And it all played out in an exciting finals bout that could have been straight out of a Hollywood movie. Smith opened up the best-of-three-periods title match in spectacular fashion, scoring a three-point takedown to take the first period. The next period ended in a 1-1 tie, but Hamaguchi won it because she scored the last point. In the first fifty seconds of the third and deciding period, Smith scored a takedown at the edge of the mat which had to be reviewed by the officials while the wrestlers, coaches and audience waited in nervous anticipation. The point stood, and Smith held Hamaguchi scoreless the rest of the period to claim victory -- and the gold. Basking In a Golden Glow In a published interview conducted immediately after winning the championship, Smith said, "I wrestled (Hamaguchi) at the World Cup five months ago. She beat me. But I felt I could beat her. I decided to do my own thing. (U.S. Army coach) Shon Lewis helped me out to get prepared. My strategy was to keep moving. (National women's coach) Terry Steiner had everything ready, and he told me what to do. It worked." Smith was one of four U.S. women to medal in the tournament, helping the team to place third in the standings at the Worlds. "I think my gold was important to the team," Smith said in a post-match interview. "I wanted to hear the national anthem and see my flag raised. I love my country. It motivated me. I wanted to get my country another gold medal." Reflecting on the gold-medal match two weeks after bringing home the World championship, Smith noted, "In the finals, I was so focused, I didn't even realize I had wrestled three periods. In fact, I wasn't completely sure I had won until I looked over at Terry Steiner and Shon Lewis." "I felt like a kid at Christmas," said Smith. "This has been a lifelong dream of mine, a dream that I've had since I first started wrestling." Georgia: The First Step on the Road to Gold Born twenty-six years ago in Albany, Georgia – located in the southeastern part of the state -- Smith came to wrestling a bit later than most world champions. She first took up the sport at Darsey Private High School where she also played basketball and served as student council president, according to her USA Wrestling biography. "I went to my brother Kenderson's wrestling matches to support him, to cheer him on," said Smith. "His coach, Anthony White, tried to talk me into going out for the team. Then my mom started working on me, too. So I decided to check it out." Smith got a rather rude introduction to the sport. "On the second day of practice, I broke my ankle! I spent the whole summer in a cast." In June, Iris Smith defeated Ali Bernard to win the World Team Trials in Ames, Iowa.But that injury didn't stop Smith from returning to the mats. She wrestled as a middleweight on the boys' varsity team, where she was immediately accepted by her teammates. "It helped that coach White had recruited me, and that my older brother was on the team." When asked if she encountered much resistance to wrestling boys in high school from those outside the team, Smith replied, "I really didn't hear too much in the way of negative comments. I did get some folks saying things like ‘ladies don't wrestle.'" "As I started to win, I got a bit more flack," according to Smith. "A couple times I heard from parents whose sons lost to me. But that was pretty much the extent of it." Go West, Young Wrestler! Immediately after high school, Smith stayed in Georgia for a while, continuing her wrestling training. Then she headed west to the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs … even though they didn't have a specific program for women at the time. "The OTC is the perfect place for me," said Smith. "It has tremendous facilities, you get expert coaching, and experienced workout partners. And the scenery! I have an incredible view of the mountains from my house. I love the outdoors, so Colorado is great for me. I can go hiking in the mountains whenever I want." Smith singled out her coaches for special praise: "I could not have won the Worlds without them. Shon Lewis, with his background as a Greco-Roman wrestler, is a great motivator. And Terry Steiner is the technician, helping me improve my technique. Their unique skills, personalities and backgrounds compliment each other, and make a great coaching team for me." She's In the Army Now In her third year at the Olympic Training Center, Smith joined the U.S. Army, where she is a sergeant. She is based at Fort Carson, Colorado, only a few miles from the OTC and her house. "I'm part of their World Class Athlete Program," said Smith. "I am a soldier, trained as a transportation specialist, but my mission is to represent the Army as a wrestler in international competition." Smith points out that a number of U.S. wrestlers are part of this program, including Dremiel Byers, Keith Sieracki, Oscar Wood, and Tina George. Building a Ladder… With her gold medal, Iris Smith joins a very exclusive club: only three other U.S. women -- Tricia Saunders, Kristie Marano, and Sandra Bacher -- have ever won a World wrestling championship. "As a young woman, I always looked up to Tricia Saunders as my inspiration," said Smith. "She paved the way for women like me to go out for the sport and work hard to be successful at it." Smith likens her wrestling career to building a ladder over the ten years of international freestyle competition. "Winning the U.S. Nationals is one step in building a ladder to the Worlds, which then serves as a ladder towards the 2008 Olympics," said Smith. "Of course, the ladder includes many elements beyond competing, including working out, staying in shape, and having the right people around me." As for the top rung of the ladder? "After I reach my other goals, I might consider a career in coaching," said Smith. "It would be a great way to give back to the sport that has given so much to me."