InterMat Staff

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? View archives. I'm always tempted to answer in public the questions and comments that are sent in private. There have been rambunctious rants, vitriolic attacks and spirited defenses. They pour in from all corners of the country and I even have gotten a few from abroad. When readers and their comments are kept quiet, the tone of the emails can turn sour. But not to worry, if you've sent, or plan to send, one of these spirited emails, know that I appreciate your time and opinion and will always keep them confidential. I'm not always right, and I don't always carry the most popular opinion, but I'm writing because I love wrestling, which I recognize is also why you are writing. We are a little more than two weeks away from the season. Send in your questions and opinions and I'll do my best to answer every week. Final note. We postponed the release of the new podcast "Back Points with T.R. Foley" until next week. The podcast opens with Cal Poly head wrestling coach Brendan Buckley and continues the following week with another big guest. I'm hoping that out new format and logo will attract new wrestling fans. If not, we'll still be having fun and talking wrestling so feel free to give it a listen at work or on the road. Your mail ... Q: Why do we see all those empty prime viewing seats at the "sold-out" NCAA Championships year after year? Last year, plenty of lower level, center mat seats were empty for the semifinals and even the finals. -- Dick F. Foley: I haven't spent much time watching the NCAA Championships on television, but I can give three possible explanations for the empty seats. First, there is always a section reserved for wrestlers and coaches. Sometimes these seats are left vacant, especially in the semifinal rounds when some wrestlers are on the mat and others are in the back warming up. Second, there is always an exclusive sitting area by the mat made up of folding chairs and left for dignitaries from the city and heroes of our sport. Some don't show and there are always lots of empty seats. There are always empty prime viewing seats during critical rounds, like the semifinals and finals, of the NCAAs? (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The other theory is just what constitutes a sellout. For more information I turned to "Man, Economy & Sport," a blog that breaks down the financials of sports using statistics and lesser-known laws and regulations. According to ME&S the term "sellout" only refers to what the primary vendor is selling. For instance, if the host venue has 18,000 tickets and they sell all 18k then the venue is technically a sellout. However, those tickets are sold to secondary markets like fans from Ohio State or Virginia or Wyoming, and tertiary markets like eBay, StubHub and TicketMaster. Anyone who has tried to buy tickets a week before NCAAs knows that the tickets on the tertiary market are expensive and sold above face value. However, they don't sell all those tickets. To make a profit they might only need to sell sixty or seventy percent of their stock to turn a profit. Therefore you'd get a portion of the premium tickets which go unsold. MS&E did a nice write-up on the elasticity of the NFL marketplace for tickets after the Jets were recently scared into thinking that they might have a mostly empty Meadowlands. The political and economic issues are more complex, but it's an interesting read. Marshall PeppelmanQ: What is the word on Marshall Peppelman? Will he be in Cornell's lineup at 174 pounds? -- Andy P. Foley: Yes. I'd expect that he'd wrestle the whole year and I'd expect him to make the NCAA tournament. He's a top fifteen wrestler. Q: Are there too many college rankings? -- Jason S. Foley: No. Who am I to stop everyone from ranking their own wrestlers. It's a horribly difficult job because as the ranker worries about 770 starting wrestlers fitting correctly into 200 spots, the invested reader is worried about how ONE wrestler fits into a range of about ten wrestlers. Good rankings are very difficult to master, and though I'm biased, InterMat has the most trusted rankings every week of the season. It's also important to remember that rankings often have a stench of geographical biases. No harm, it's natural to rank the guys you know and have seen above those that you haven't. But like I said, we are the best in the business and have been for a very long time. Q: What do you think of Flo hosting the NWCA All-Star Classic? -- Brian H. Foley: Flo isn't hosting the event, but they are carrying it on their site. I LOVE the idea of Flo on the job. Last year was awful. Fans couldn't get the feed and when you the feed arrived it was choppy and mostly unwatchable. Assuming that the guys at Flo get the technical aspect correct I think it'll be a big success for their site and for fans. Video and video streaming are what Flo does and they do it better than any other company in wrestling. I think they're offering it to their Technique Wave subscribers, though I'd assume they'll let viewers buy a one-month subscription in order to watch the event. Another reader directed me to the Flo message boards which were filled with fans complaining about the company's business practices. Even a cursory glance at the 150+ comments showed frustration with Flo not only for charging $20 fee,but for doing so after so many years of talking about how they'd "do this for free." I'm more than willing to pay for the NWCA All-Star Classic, but I'd prefer not to give my credit card to the company and risk forgetting to cancel and being charged $20-a-month. That's the same business method as FreeCreditReport.com. But they have singing pirates on commercials during "American Idol" so maybe it'll create some cheddar for the Austin-based video company. I'd think the company will respond to the backlash by offering a one-time option as well, though I also read that some of their Tech Wave subscribers felt that they weren't getting enough value in the past and that this event would help make up for it. Tough business decisions ahead for Flo. What is more compelling to me is how much the NWCA earned in exchange for the rights. Will let you know if that answers bubbles up soon. Q: Haiku about Trev Alberts incompetence? -- @theawesomegood Foley: Leader's blonde crew cut Self-loving, narrow-minded Fire Trev Alberts Now

WATERLOO -- Iowa’s greatest sports figure and Iowa’s longest serving governor will be the focal point of a special presentation in Waterloo. Iowa governor Terry Branstad will declare October 25, 2012, as Dan Gable Day statewide with a special proclamation to be read at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Gable was born in Waterloo, Iowa, on October 25, 1948. He turns 64 on the day of the presentation. "Dan Gable embodies commitment, perseverance, and dedication—values that are the foundation of the great state of Iowa and its people,” said Branstad. “I am honored be part of this historic event." Gable won three individual state wrestling titles at West Waterloo (1964-1966) and compiled a 64-0 career high school record. He went on to win two individual NCAA titles at Iowa State University with a career college record of 117-1. Gable won an Olympic gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics without surrendering a point. Gable went on to lead the University of Iowa to 15 NCAA championships and 21 consecutive Big 10 titles in 21 seasons (1977-1997) during his tenure as head wrestling coach. In 2000, Sports Illustrated named him the top sports in the state. There are three statues throughout the state dedicated to Dan Gable’s legacy. The event begins at 9 a.m. with a reception at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. A short program will begin at 10 a.m. with comments from Governor Branstad and Dan Gable. The proclamation declaring October 25, 2012, as Dan Gable Day will be read aloud by Governor Branstad. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is located at 303 Jefferson St. in Waterloo. Contact the museum at (319)233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org with questions about the event. This event is free and open to the public.

BLACKSBURG -- It wasn't a conventional practice, but nothing Virginia Tech head wrestling coach Kevin Dresser does is conventional. Dresser, being the creative marketing strategist that he is, decided to give faculty and students a chance to get u! p close with Tech wrestling as he took the Hokies’ practice to the middle of campus Wednesday as the team held its first outdoor practice in an effort to promote the sport and team. “We have 35,000 students and faculty within a mile of Cassell Coliseum that we can tap into and this is a great way to show them what we’re all about,” Dresser said. This morning, staff members took two mats from the practice facility and put them on the grass of the historic Drillfield. There have been concerts, memorials, protests and rallies on the Drillfield, but this was the first wrestling practice. A good group of students, faculty and even some members of the Corps of Cadets stopped by to check things out. It wasn’t the ideal conditions on the bumpy terrain, but the weather was perfect and the goal was met as posters, shirts and more were handed out as music pumped and the wrestlers battled for an hour on a beautiful fall day in southwest Virginia. “Number one, we got lucky with the weather and number two, we had a good practice,” Dresser said afterwards. “In our sport, guys get really tired at the end of practice, but our guys pushed themselves. The crowd watching definitely gave them the feel of competing in front of people, so that was good. And third, I think we raised the awareness. Would I have like to have a thousand people out here? Sure, but we’re doing the right things and this is something I’d like to do on an annual basis, maybe on a Saturday before a home football game.” Tech will continue practicing until it holds a scrimmage next weekend. The Hokies will open the season on Sunday, Nov. 4, hosting the Hokie Open at the Salem Civic Center.

The unofficial kickoff to the high school wrestling season comes this Saturday and Sunday in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Super 32 Challenge. Saturday's wrestling will narrow the field in each weight class down to 16 total competitors -- eight in the championship quarterfinals, with eight also remaining alive in consolation. Then, on Sunday, a champion and seven other placewinners will be determined in each weight class. Many of the nation's elite wrestlers will assemble for a truly rigorous "pre-test" as they "Battle for the Belt." As of Wednesday evening, this field included 37 of the nation's Top 100 seniors, 17 of the Top 50 juniors, 18 of the Top 50 sophomores, 9 of the Top 25 freshmen, as well as two of the Top 15 junior high wrestlers. Most notable among these wrestlers include: Three Top 10 seniors: No. 3 Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.), No. 7 Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), and No. 9 Cody Wiercioch (Canon McMillan, Pa.) Four Top 10 juniors: No. 2 Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.), No. 5 Solomon Chishko (Canon McMillan, Pa.), No. 6 Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.), and No. 8 Josh Llopez (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.) Three Top 5 sophomores: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 2 Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.), and No. 5 Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.) Six Top 7 freshmen: No. 1 Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), No. 2 Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 4 Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), No. 5 Israel Saavedra (Modesto, Calif.), No. 6 Kyle Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.), and No. 7 Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) In addition the two-day high school tournament, the event also has a middle school division that will be wrestled on Sunday. Its field includes many of the nation's top junior high talent. When considering both the high school and middle school divisions, 11 of the top 15 ranked junior high wrestlers will be competing in Greensboro this weekend. No. 3 Spencer Lee (Saegertown, Pa.) and No. 4 Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) are in the high school tournament at 106 and 120 pounds respectively. Registered in the middle school tournament are the following nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 9 Colton Yapoujian (Colorado) and No. 15 Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania) at 80 pounds, No. 2 Cade Olivas (California) at 85, No. 5 Yianni Diakomihalis (New York) and No. 7 Daton Fix (Oklahoma) at 100, No. 6 Eric Hong (Pennsylvania) at 105, No. 11 Ty Lucas (Florida) at 112, and No. 8 Chase Singletary (Florida) at 145. This middle school division has grown into an excellent tournament with many elite competitors, and for the first time its field reached full capacity (at 400 wrestlers). The field for Sunday's tournament includes wrestlers from 33 different states. Three wrestlers seek repeat middle school division titles: Trent Snader (Pennsylvania) at 75 pounds, and then the previously mentioned Yapoujian and Olivas. And now shifting the focus towards the high school event ... Earlier this week we published a full, detailed weight-by-weight analysis, now let's look at five key questions for this year's Super 32 Challenge. How has the Super 32 Challenge grown into this "800-pound gorilla?" The event, in something of its present form, started in 1999 as a small-scale local tournament held at Morehead High School in North Carolina, where tournament co-director Dave Barker served as assistant coach. Barker was also the primary ranker for NCMat.com, the website run by the tournament's other co-director Sara Koenig. The name "Super 32" came from the statewide rankings, top eight wrestlers from each of four divisions in each weight class. Starting in 2003, the event has reached its capacity in all but one year. After having fields of approximately 700 wrestlers in 2003 and 2004 at Morehead High School, the move was made to the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center starting with the 2005 edition of the event. Over the next five years, the 1,250 wrestler capacity was reached every year, capped off in 2009 when the tournament sold out in just over 30 minutes. Those circumstances were the catalyst in changing to the present format of a two-day event, which has enabled more wrestlers to compete, as well as the integration of a middle school event on Sunday. From the last two Super 32 Challenge tournaments, the season ending InterMat rankings have featured just under 70 wrestlers which competed in the event (just under one-quarter of the 280 total weight class ranked wrestlers). Additionally, the tournament fields from 2010 and 2011 each included approximately 200 wrestlers that went on to win a state title, New England Regional title, or National Prep championship at season's end. The 2010 field featured four wrestlers that would end the high school season ranked number one by InterMat, while the 2011 field featured five wrestlers earning the same accomplishment. The legacy of excellence is long-standing, as manifesting in wrestlers that end up earning All-American honors at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. At the 2012 tournament, 22 of the 80 All-Americans had participated in the Super 32 Challenge while in high school. This included a quartet of NCAA champions and two others that finished as runners-up. In the 2011 NCAA tournament, five of the ten champions were former Super 32 Challenge participants. Which wrestlers are seeking to win an additional Super 32 Challenge title? There are eight wrestlers who have already won a "belt" (Super 32 Challenge title) and seek another this year. Three of these wrestlers are in the 126-pound weight class: Michael Kemerer, Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.), and Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.). Two-time runner-up Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.) is also featured in this weight class. When considering the pair of second-place finishes from Dance the last two years, these four wrestlers have accounted for seven total finals appearances in the Super 32. Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), a 2010 champion, is featured in the 120-pound weight class; Josh Llopez competes at 160; 2010 champion Cody Wiercioch is registered at 170; Matt McCutcheon (Kiski Area, Pa.) is at 195; while Thomas Haines is at 220. If you could only watch one possible match, what would it be? In most weight classes, it's going to be hard to narrow down to a singular matchup because of the depth in the field. The top two "on paper" wrestlers can be hard to determine and/or can easily be blocked from reaching the final because of the depth in these weight classes. However, when one looks at the 220-pound field, it would be the shock of the tournament if Kyle Snyder and Thomas Haines did not meet in the final. Through two high school seasons, Snyder has yet to lose a high school match and has finished in the top three in both styles in Fargo each of the last two summers. Snyder was a Cadet freestyle champion in 2011 and a Junior Greco-Roman champion this past year. Haines is the defending champion in this event, absolutely dominating his opposition along the way, and has won big-school titles in the state of Pennsylvania during his first two high school seasons. The remarkable thing about both of these junior superstars is their refined level of wrestling technique, physical maturity, and freakish athleticism. This match will not fit the traditional upper-weight stereotype of a "grind-it-out" slog-fest in the least. Can a freshman make history this year? Not since Ashtin Primus (Connelsville, Pa.) in 2002, when he won the 125-pound title, has a freshman won a Super 32 Challenge title above the opening weight class. However, there are a couple of freshmen that could easily be in the hunt for a "belt" when Sunday comes around in Mark Hall (152) and Aaron Pico (132). Hall won high school state titles each of the last two years in Minnesota's big school division; the Gopher State allows junior high wrestlers to compete in high school competition. He also was a Cadet National freestyle champion this past summer. Despite not wrestling a single in-season high school match, Pico is already a known commodity, having already doubled at the Cadet Nationals each of the last two summers in Fargo, N.D. He also had won a bushel of Roller World of Wrestling Championships over the years. Come Sunday afternoon, what should we expect? Based on the field composition as of Wednesday night, here are my top three wrestlers within each weight class: 106: Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) Hayden Lee (Garrett, Ind.) Austin Griffiths (Southmoreland, Pa.) 113: Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.) Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.) 120: Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) Dalton Brady (Chandler, Ariz.) J.R. Wert (Christiansburg, Va.) 126: Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.) Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.) Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.) 132: Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio) Jason Nolf (Kittaning, Pa.) Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 138: Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.) Neal Molloy (Danville, Ind.) Tyson Dippery (Central Dauphin, Pa.) 145: Solomon Chishko (Canon McMillan, Pa.) Colt Cotten (Benton, Pa.) Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.) 152: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.) Garrett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.) 160: Isaiah Martinez ((Lemoore, Calif.) Josh Llopez (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.) Tyler Askey (Northgate, Ga.) 170: Cody Wiercioch (Canon McMillan, Pa.) Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, Va.) Brett Harner (Norristown, Pa.) 182: Jacob Taylor (Bald Eagle Area, Pa.) Dakota DesLauriers (Burrell, Pa.) Taylor Jackson (The Villages, Fla.) 195: Matt McCutcheon (Kiski Area, Pa.) Raymond O'Donnell (Saucon Valley, Pa.) Payne Hayden (St. Johns, Mich.) 220: Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.) Eldon Valery (Landstown, Va.) 285: Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.) Luke Fleck (Franklin Regional, Pa.) Travis Boyd (Blanchester, Ohio) Be sure to follow InterMat throughout the weekend for updates on the Super 32 Challenge -- via Twitter (@JLowe_intermat), and recap articles updating competition after both Saturday and Sunday.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Fight Now TV Presents Takedown Wrestling from the Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio. Join Scott Casber and Brad Johnson this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. to noon ET. Listen on radio, on computer, your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeartRadio App. This week's guests: 9:03 Mark Churella Jr., Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational director 9:15 Kevin Dresser, Virginia Tech head wrestling coach 9:35 Glen Lanham, Duke head wrestling coach 9:50 Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:03 Andrew Pariano, Northwestern head wrestling coach 10:15 Andrew Hipps, InterMat owner & JJ Classic founder 10:40 Dylan Wanagiel, MSG sports events director 10:50 Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino and Resort GM

With UFC 153 in the books, what did we learn? Well, Anderson Silva is ridiculously better than Stephan Bonnar. Hopefully you didn't pay $60 for this kind of information. Regardless, Richard and John analyze the card, including Jon Fitch's impressive win over Erick Silva to get himself back into the welterweight title picture. They also talk about the controversy of VADA trying to take over drug testing for the upcoming heavyweight bout between TUF 16 coaches Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin. Should fans trust the supposedly independent testing agency? Speaking of TUF, the boys wonder whether the UFC's pairing of Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen as TUF 17 coaches make sense given Sonnen's lack of accomplishments in the 205 pound division. Also, joining the show is Demoreo Dennis, a 1-0 heavyweight training out of the Academy of Martial Arts in Oklahoma City. Demoreo, whose brother Myron has fought for Bellator, also trains at Team Takedown alongside several UFC veterans. Do you want to listen to a past episode? View archives.

Dan Chandler's impact on Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States cannot be overstated. As an athlete, Chandler was on three U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman teams, and competed in six World Championships, placing fifth in the 1979 World Championships. He earned three medals in the Pan American Games, including gold medals in 1975 and 1979. Chandler has been on the Olympic coaching staff for every Olympic Games since 1988 and coached many U.S. Greco-Roman greats. He has also coached several U.S. Greco-Roman World teams. Additionally, Chandler has served as the state coach for Minnesota/USA Wrestling and the Minnesota Storm, coaching wrestlers in the state on all age levels. InterMat caught up with Chandler and talked to him about Minnesota hosting a senior level event, Minnesota's streak of putting a wrestler on the Olympic Team for every Olympic Games since 1968, what needs to happen for the U.S. to get back on top of the world in Greco-Roman, MMA, and more. I understand there are plans to bring a major U.S. senior level event to Minnesota. Can you shed some light on that? Dan Chandler talks with Minnesota Storm wrestler Nikola Bogojevic at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Chandler: Minnesota/USA Wrestling is one of the best organizations in the United States and probably the world at tournament operations. They've always wanted to host a senior level tournament. The Sunkist Kids International was dropped this year, primarily because they don't run their Sunkist in the year of the Olympics. So we approached the Martoris about going into a rotation with the Sunkist so that every other year the Storm could host a senior level tournament similar to Sunkist, New York AC, and Dave Schultz Memorial. There is no prize money budgeted for this year. Usually USA Wrestling will help with prize money. But we will give away a cash prize for Outstanding Wrestler in each division, men's freestyle, women's freestyle, and Greco-Roman. We're holding it conjunction with the Minnesota Christmas Tournament in Rochester. So will it be an annual event? Or will it rotate with the Sunkist Kids International? Chandler: We don't know yet. We made a proposal to Sunkist. They're going to get back to us. If they're not interested in doing a rotation then I think we probably would be interested in doing it on a yearly basis. But we're just getting into it. We're going to try to put on the best tournament we can this year and see what kind of feedback we get. So will the event be on Friday and Saturday during the Minnesota Christmas Tournament on different mats than the high school competition, like how the Olympic Trials Qualifier in Las Vegas ran in conjunction with the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational last December? Chandler: There is an adjacent gym in the arena. It will hold four mats comfortably. This year we set the schedule because Northern Michigan committed to sending their whole team here, but they have to get around finals for the college, which are on Thursday and Friday. So Saturday will be Greco and women's freestyle. Friday will be men's freestyle. The Christmas Tournament doesn't start until 2 p.m. on Friday. So we'll run freestyle starting at 9 a.m. ... and it should just about be done by 2 p.m. Maybe we can highlight some of the championship matches during the Christmas Tournament. For an open event we also have to have video review capability on every mat. If we are to get on the FILA calendar, then we have some added costs. We would certainly have to have prize money and bring in a FILA official and provide other things. You were a member of three Olympic Greco-Roman teams as a wrestler, and you have been on the coaching staff for each of the Olympic teams ever since you stopped competing. Is each Olympic experience still new and exciting for you? Or does it sort of become old hat? Chandler: It's awesome. I'm so blessed that I'm able to do this. Every one is such a fantastic experience. It's hard to describe. Like I told Jake Deitchler when he made the Olympic Team, I said your life will never be the same because you've been a part of this. When you make the Olympic Team you're an Olympian for life. There are benefits going well into old age. Having been an Olympian you're part of a family, so that's really nice. Chas Betts earned a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman Team. Minnesota has put a wrestler on every Olympic Team since 1968. How much pride do you take in that particular streak? Dan Chandler and Brandon Paulson coached Jake Deitchler to the Olympics in 2008 (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Chandler: It's huge. We're like a family. We've been working on this thing for a lot of years. We have our disagreements, but I think everybody is extremely aware of that streak. Whenever I talk about this I go back to 2008, the year Jake Deitchler made the team. I was looking around the practice room and I didn't see that guy. I thought this might be the end of the streak ... and it would be on my watch. For Jake to make the team, that was just a huge thrill for all of us. This year we had 13 guys that qualified for the Olympic Trials, and we had two in the finals (at 84 kilos), so the pressure was off. Chas did a fantastic job. Out of all the guys on the team I don't think anybody trained any harder than he did. He did everything that was asked of him all year. He qualified the weight class. He lived in Romania, Turkey, Hungary ... The last couple years he traveled all over the world for extended periods of time. During that time he beat the 2008 Olympic champion and the Cuban who has won two medals. Chas is right there. Unfortunately, the pairing system now is a joke. He lost to one of the best guys in his weight at the Olympics, Pablo Shorey of Cuba. And then the next match was like a championship match. Two guys that had been in the finals had to wrestle in the second round of the tournament. Chas pushed the Cuban to the limit, and the Cuban didn't have enough left to win his next match. So Chas was eliminated after the Cuban lost. He did a phenomenal job. I can't say that about everybody on the team, but I can say that Chas gave it everything he had. He never missed a practice. He gave one-hundred and ten percent every day. The United States Greco-Roman wrestling team finished with zero medals at the 2012 Olympic Games. There has been a lot of discussion since the Olympics ended about things that need to change for the U.S. to become a Greco-Roman wrestling power again. What's the biggest issue that needs to be addressed for the U.S. to get back on top in Greco-Roman? Chandler: It's different for every country. It's a very complex problem. Folkstyle wrestling is huge in the United States, but it doesn't really prepare our kids for Greco. It's a lot closer to freestyle. You can have guys come off being an NCAA champion and then a couple years later they can win the Olympics. We just had that happen. It's a lot harder to do that in Greco. We don't have enough money to do all the things we need to do. We need to get our guys overseas a lot and it's extremely expensive and cost-prohibitive. We need to have more of a youth program. We have the program in Northern Michigan, but they're losing the battle for the best kids. You get a top recruit who could probably win both styles in Fargo, which is a guy you want, and Northern Michigan is competing against programs like Oklahoma State, Minnesota, and Penn State that are giving them everything, full scholarship and everything paid. To go to Northern Michigan they only have to pay in-state tuition, plus they have to find a club to transport them to all their tournaments, house them, and feed them. It's very tough to get the top kids. The Olympic medalists that I have coached, guys like Garrett Lowney and Brandon Paulson, those guys are like one in a million. But you've got to get them consistently. Right now we're kind of in a downward cycle. I'm a believer that everything goes in cycles. You can't stay on top all the time. We won the World championship five years ago, but after the 2008 Olympics everything changed. The rules changed, which really hurt us. The rules really benefit the better athletes and the guys with a lot of experience. When I wrestled it was a grind. It was a nine-minute match, and then it was a six-minute match. You could still use your conditioning to beat guys up and outhustle them and win by a point towards the end of the match. Now everything is so quick and short that it really favors the exceptional athlete with exceptional skills. That presents another problem for us because it's a factor of experience. We have to find a new way to get there. Money has a lot to do with it. We probably need to have a little better recruiting plan. Wrestling clubs are growing in popularity in the United States. But it seems like much of the emphasis in those clubs is placed on folkstyle and freestyle skill development. In your opinion, is there a shortage of Greco-Roman skill development in the United States? Dan Chandler serves as head coach of the Minnesota Storm (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Chandler: Absolutely. It's so few and far between. There are four or five states every year that are quite good in Greco-Roman in Fargo. If we could take the 50 best kids every year, we would be World champions every year. I can say that with no doubt in my mind. But we don't get any of them. Every year I take a team to Fargo. I'll have a couple kids who are just getting so good at Greco. They're starting to really feel it and see the angles. They go to Fargo and finish in the top three, maybe a really good kid wins the weight class. And then I never see them again. They go to St. Cloud State and wrestle folkstyle. They go to the U of M and their Greco-Roman participation is limited. Or they'll go out of state and then they're really done with Greco. It's a very complex problem. There are a lot parts to it that have to be fixed. The year we won the World championship, it was like a perfect storm. Everything went right. We had a bunch of really tough Division I guys ... Lindsey Durlacher, Joe Warren, Brad Vering. We had all those studs on our team. And then after the Olympics all of a sudden we have a perfect storm the other way. We've got a couple guys who are maybe a little bit too old, one guy is too young, a couple guys who aren't quite good enough athletes yet, and the competition gets tougher every year, especially with the new rules, so it went the other way. We haven't had that bad of an Olympic performance since the Munich Olympics in 1972. There seems to be mixed feelings in the wrestling community about MMA. One side of the argument is that MMA opportunities are causing wrestlers to leave the sport early. The other side of the argument is that MMA is helping wrestling gain in popularity and also giving wrestlers a chance to compete professionally in another combat sport. Do you have an opinion on MMA? Chandler: I love MMA. A lot of the guys I've coached have done extremely well in MMA. Danny Henderson was a Greco wrestler, Randy Couture, Matt Lindland. I coached Brock Lesnar a little bit when he was in college. I love MMA. I think it has really helped wrestling grow at the youth level. Everyone is seeing, wow, wrestling is a martial art and wrestlers are dominant in MMA. A lot of people see that and realize there is a lot more to it than they thought. So wrestling is getting a nice lift from MMA. After an Olympic cycle a lot of wrestlers reevaluate where they are in their careers and decide whether they want to continue training. Have you had discussions with some of the Minnesota Storm Greco-Roman wrestlers, like C.P. Schlatter, Jordan Holm, Chas Betts, and Andy Bisek about whether they plan to continue to competing? Chandler: C.P. Schlatter moved to Arizona for nursing school. Jordan Holm is committed for four more years. Chas Betts is thinking about it. He's doing a professional wrestling match this month in Chanhassen. Chas won a contest when he was younger where they stage a professional match. As his prize he got several days at a pro wrestling camp where he could learn moves and things. He's still up in the air about it. He's a very artistic guy. He's got a great degree, computer graphic and design. He did our website and he has made a lot of movies during his travels. Andy Bisek is committed for four more years. Paul Tellgren, Zac Nielsen, they both have one more year at Northern Michigan. We have several guys who took an Olympic redshirt. Travis Rutt is at Oklahoma. Pat Smith is at the U. Jake Kettler is at George Mason. You have worked with Jake Clark for a number of years. He's currently living and training in Hawaii. He has said that he plans to continue training and competing at least through 2016. In your opinion, what's it going to take for Jake Clark to get on the U.S. Olympic Team in 2016? Jake Clark has represented the U.S. at the Worlds twice (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Chandler: He's got all the talent in the world. He hasn't been able to push himself to the extent where he can be as successful as he should be. He has made the World Team. He won a couple matches at the World Championships. He was very close. He's got the athleticism. He's got the skills. I hope he does. He has own style. He likes to train a certain way, and I respect him for that because he has been very successful with it. I just wish that I could get him to work harder and have more passion about the training. As a coach you run across guys that you see have so much talent, but they can't push themselves to another level. He should have made an Olympic Team. He could have won a World medal. I didn't know he was going to continue training. I did give him all the information about the tournament we're going to host here in December. I hope to see him here. He said he was going to come and compete, but I'm not sure. The Minnesota Storm is one of the premier Greco-Roman wrestling clubs, so it's not uncommon to see two Minnesota Storm wrestlers competing against each other in major international events in the U.S. You were coaching Jordan Holm against Chas Betts in the finals of the Olympic Team Trials. What's it like for you coaching against another Minnesota Storm wrestler? Chandler: It's very hard. In the past we've sent wrestlers out there without a coach and told them we're going to be neutral, but that's not really fair to the kids either. Every wrestler deserves to have the best tactical, strategic advice from his coach during a match. It is hard. What we did was brought both the guys into the room and talked it through. Would you rather have nobody in your corner? Do you want a coach in your corner? Who do you want? What are the guidelines? Chas is very comfortable with Momir Petkovic. But it's very difficult. If you're his corner man, you've got to help him all you can, but also be careful and not go over the edge. This story also appears in the Oct. 12 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

With the high school wrestling season' start approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From now until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top high school senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to future college and senior level stars. The 2011-2012 wrestling season was a year of reunion and rebirth in Montana. Fans, coaches, and athletes alike were "over the moon" to reconvene at the Metra in Billings and be a part of the spectacle that is the all-class state wrestling tournament. In Class AA, Kalispell Glacier was making history. Glacier, second a year ago, won the championship in just its fifth season as a school. In an exciting semifinal round, Billings Skyview pulled within eight points of Glacier, 200-192. However, the Wolfpack had a strong showing in the consolation rounds and were able to outlast Great Falls and Skyview to earn the championship trophy. The Wolfpack tallied 253 points and 13 state placers. Great Falls was second with 238 and Skyview came in third with 224. Meanwhile, in Class A, Laurel went to a photo finish with Corvallis for the Class A wrestling title. In the last match of the day, Laurel's Tommy Cooper battled Havre's Eli Hinebauch in the 152-pound finals. A win would give the Locomotives the first-place trophy. Hinebauch, a four-time finalist, held off a last-second surge from Cooper for a 3-0 decision. His win clinched the team title for the Blue Devils and kept the Locomotives from winning their second consecutive crown. Corvallis finished with 222.5 points. Laurel was second with 219. The Locomotives trailed the Blue Devils by 21.5 points entering the championship round and almost pulled off the comeback. "It came down to the final seconds," said Laurel coach Ted Hill. On the Class B-C mats, the squad from Forsyth showed its dominance. The Dogies won five individual titles and three third-place medals en route to their second consecutive B-C championship. Forsyth came into the final round leading Choteau by just 10 points, but swept its title matches to blowout the Bulldogs. Forsyth finished with 211 points, while Choteau placed second with 161.5. Chinook, behind national consecutive pins record holder (101) Ben Stroh, scored 98.5 points and came away with its fourth consecutive Class C team title. The 2012-2013 season will have much to live up to, as last year's Wrestling 49 class saw seven of ten athletes sign Division I letters of intent. Let's take a look at the "Big Sky's" top talent for the upcoming year. Please note: This Wrestling 49 also includes non-seniors. Barrett Stanghill (Photo/USOEC)1. Barrett Stanghill High School: Drummond (Class B-C) Projected 2012-13 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Analysis: After a fifth-place finish as a freshman, Stanghill won state titles as a sophomore and junior in dominating fashion. Only Jacen Paterson was able to somewhat contain Stanghill. Stanghill will not compete in Montana this year, as he accepted an invitation to work out and finish high school in the USOEC Greco-Roman program at Northern Michigan. 2. Gabe Schroek High School: Helena (Class AA) Projected 2012-13 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: Schroek has been a dominant force at the lower weights, earning back-to-back state titles as a freshman and sophomore. Rumor has it that his family moved to Iowa this fall. If so, the Hawkeye State better prepare itself. 3. Taylor French High School: Forsyth (Class B-C) Projected 2012-13 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: This fiery redhead has aggressively brutalized his opponents on route to winning two state titles. He triggers memories of Eric Dunmire and Mike Zadick-type style on the mat. Pretty good company to keep! 4. Grant Boggs High School: Helena (Class AA) Projected 2012-13 High School Weight Class: 119 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: Boggs will no doubt lead the Bengal wrestling team this year. A two-time state champion, his junior campaign will be fun to observe. He will be on a collision course to meet Skyview's Justin Waterson at the Holiday Classic early in the 2012-2013 season. 5. Justin Waterson High School: Billings Skyview (Class AA) Projected 2012-13 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: This Skyview Falcon will have sky-high expectations entering his senior season. His best wrestling seems to be in front of him. With all three Malia boys (Nebraska, Iowa State, Oregon) guiding his progress, the best seems yet to come. 6. Gresh Jones High School: Sidney (Class A) Projected 2012-13 High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: This sophomore finished the 2012 season 48-0 en route to a state title. He looks to join in the great tradition that Coach Guy Melby has built at the eastern Montana powerhouse. 7. Brandon Weber High School: Forsyth (Class B-C) Projected 2012-13 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Analysis: If it was possible to be the best wrestler a weight class below and above 157, this Dogie could by all means be the best in the heard. A second-place finish as a freshman only motivated his sophomore campaign to dominance. The son of Forsyth head wrestling coach Scott Weber, Brandon has been part of the fabric that has seen Dogie wrestling hold steady at the top of the podium. 8. Matt Weber High School: Forsyth (Class B-C) Projected 2012-13 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Analysis: Younger brother of the aforementioned Matt continues in the line of great Forsyth wrestlers. His sophomore season should be a head turner and expectations will be Montana sky-high. 9. Casey Dobson High School: Great Falls (Class AA) Projected 2012-13 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: A loss in the state finals in the waning seconds will only make the fire burn hotter for this Bison sophomore. The depth in GFH's room will push his skills to the max. Watch closely as he develops in 2013. 10. Joe Malchuski High School: Skyview (Class AA) Projected 2012-13 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Analysis: Winning a state title as a freshman at 145 is matter to scoff at. This Falcon will have a major target on his back as he begins his sophomore quest and drive for his second title. Honorable Mention: Jacen Paterson (St. Ignatius), Jake French (Choteau), Matt Welch (Skyview), Chris Nile (Forsyth), Jake Lienwiend (Billings West), Austin Shupe (Great Falls), Vito DeGidio (Bozeman).

WASHINGTON D.C.-- The 149 pound weight class bout at the 2012 NWCA All-Star Classic will feature All-American Nick Lester of the University of Oklahoma wrestling against Jason Chamberlain of Boise State University, a third place medalist at the 2011 NCAA National Championships. For Lester, a redshirt junior, the 2011-2012 season was one of many firsts. He qualified for his first NCAA Championships with a third place finish at the Big 12 Championships. Lester then went on to earn his first All-American honors, with an eighth place finish in the 149 weight class. Lester also finished fourth in the prestigious Midlands. Lester finished the 2011-2012 season 23-13 overall and 11-7 in duals. He led the Sooners in technical falls and had the third most wins of the season. He wrestles alongside his twin brother, Matt, who is also a redshirt junior for the Sooners. Jason Chamberlain competed at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Chamberlain, returns to the Boise State program after taking a redshirt last season. Chamberlain is a three-time NCAA Qualifier and a two-time Pac 12 Champion. The redshirt senior, had an outstanding 2010-2011 junior season where he finished third at the NCAA Championships earning his first All-American honors. Chamberlain enters his senior season with a career record of 77-21. Chamberlain kicked off his 2012 season by representing the United States as a member of the World University Team at the World University Games in Finland earlier this month. The All-Star Classic will mark the first time that Lester and Chamberlain have met each other in collegiate competition. The NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps will occur on November 3, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in Bender Arena on the campus of American University in Washington D.C. The NWCA All-Star classic is hosted by the DC Athletic Club and Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network and is also sponsored by Balance Bar. For more information on the event, visit the NWCA website and follow the NWCA Facebook and Twitter pages. The NWCA Classic serves as a premier event to help grow the sport of wrestling. Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the sport in the Washington DC area. About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling. About the United States Marine Corps On November 10, 1775, the Marine Corps was established by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since then, the Marine Corps, through service on land, in air, and at sea, have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term “Marine” has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue. Whether facing our nation’s foes or conducting humanitarian relief and disaster recovery operations at home or abroad, today’s Marine Corps stands ready to continue in the same proud tradition of faithful service to the United States. For more information, visit http://www.Marines.com. About Balance Bar Founded in 1992, Balance Bar, one of America’s original nutrition/energy bars, inspires consumers to lead active, well-rounded and balanced lives by providing great-tasting, healthy and convenient nutrition for lasting energy. Balance Bars are available in seven unique product lines (Original, Gold, Bare, Café, CarbWell, nimble and mini) and all 23 flavors are based on the 40/30/30 nutrition model (40% of calories come from healthy carbohydrates, 30% from quality protein and 30% from dietary fat). For more information, visit www.Balance.com. Follow Balance Bar for tips and nutritional information on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Balancebar) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/Balancebar).

The 2012 Super 32 Challenge takes place on Saturday and Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. InterMat will be providing coverage throughout the two-day event. Below is a weight-by-weight preview of this year's event. Weight class information is based on participant registration as of Wednesday, October 10th. 106: Freshman Luke Pletcher (Greater Labrote, Pa.), ranked third in the Class of 2016 by InterMat, leads the way in this weight class coming off his fourth-place finish in this weight at last year's Super 32 Challenge. Last year, he also placed third at the FloNationals and won a record-tying fifth PJW championship. Eclipse-trained Kyle Bierdumpfel was a Cadet National double finalist in Fargo (Photo/Dave Jedlicka)He is joined by four other nationally ranked Class of 2016 wrestlers in this weight -- No. 7 Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 10 Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), No. 17 Kyle Bierdumpfel (Don Bosco Prep. N.J.), and No. 20 Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa.). Suriano won the Super 32 Challenge middle school division each of the last two years, and captured a Tulsa Nationals 15-and-under title this past January; Karam was a Cadet freestyle runner-up in 2011; Bierdumpfel was a Cadet National runner-up in both styles this past summer; while Curry has won PJW titles each of the last two years. Including Karam and Bierdumpfel, at least fourteen wrestlers in this weight class have earned All-American honors in Fargo at the Cadet and/or Junior Nationals. Among them is Tyron Klump (Nazareth, Pa.); Devon Brown (Steubenville, Oh.), who also finished third in his state tournament; Tommy Aloi (Forest Park, Va.), a state runner-up and NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up; Darek Huff (Broomfield, Colo.); and state placer Jacob Cottey (Perry Meridian, Ind.). Others to watch include Hayden Lee (Garrett, Ind.) and Austin Griffiths (Southmoreland, Pa.), each of whom took third in their state tournaments last year; Ricky Cavallo (Hempfield, Pa.), one match away from placing at the Super 32; Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.), champion of the middle school Super 32 last year; and Spencer Lee (Saegertown, Pa.), who is ranked third nationally among junior high wrestlers. 113: Four Cadet National champions are featured in this weight class, led by Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.), who is ranked first nationally in the Class of 2015 according to InterMat. Valencia won a freestyle title at 113 pounds this summer, and during the scholastic year was a state champion and FloNationals champion. Other Fargo champions included Kyle Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.), Scott Parker (Pennridge, Pa.), and Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.). Norstrem is ranked sixth in the Class of 2016, and was Greco-Roman champion at 106 pounds; Parker was the freestyle champion at 106, and also was runner-up to Valencia at the FloNationals; while Ozias was Greco-Roman champion at 113, fourth in freestyle at the same weight, and finished sixth in the Super 32 last fall. In addition to Ozias, three other wrestlers in this weight class placed at the Super 32 Challenge last year. Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.) was third at 106 pounds, and went on to win a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals title at 113 in early April; Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.) was fifth at 106, and won a second state title in as many seasons; while Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.) was seventh at 106, and later earned a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals title at 106 and was fifth in Junior National freestyle at 113. Among the additional Fargo All-Americans in this weight class are Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.), Drew Romero (Broomfield, Colo.), and A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.). Joseph is ranked 30th in the sophomore class nationally, was runner-up at the Beast of the East and champion at the Powerade as a freshman; Romero is now a two-time state champion; and Headlee is ranked 50th in the sophomore class nationally. Other past FloNationals placers include two-time state placer Luis Gonzalez (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.); Israel Saavedra (Modesto, Calif.), ranked fifth nationally among freshmen; and two-time Indiana state finalist Nathan Boston (Woodford Country, Ky.). Additional notable state champions in this weight class include David Bavery (Massillon Perry, Ohio), Lance Hill (Parkersburg South, W.V.), and Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville, N.Y.). 120: Nathan Tomasello won his second Junior National freestyle title this past summer in Fargo (Photo/Dave Jedlicka)This weight class is anchored by four InterMat Top 100 Class of 2013 wrestlers. Leading the way is two-time Junior National freestyle champion Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio), who is ranked 23rd and also is a two-time Super 32 Challenge runner-up. Three-time state champion Dalton Brady (Chandler, Ariz.) was a FILA Cadet freestyle champion in 2011, and is ranked 30th in the senior class. FloNationals champion J.R. Wert (Christiansburg, Va.) placed third at the Super 32 last year, is a three-time state champion, and ranks 42nd in the senior class. Finally in this group, it is 2010 Super 32 champion Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), who earned an elusive state title this past year, and is ranked 55th in this class. In addition, this field also features four wrestlers ranked among the top 50 in the Class of 2015. Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.) is fifth among all sophomores after winning the Super 32 last year at 106 pounds, finishing as a state runner-up, and earning fifth place in Cadet freestyle. Dylan Lucas (Brandon, Fla.) ranked 19th after winning a second state title and a FILA Cadet Greco-Roman title. Brandon James (Perry Meridian, Ind.) had just one loss in finishing third at his state tournament before earning a second consecutive Cadet freestyle All-American finish, and is ranked 21st in the sophomore class. Last in this group is Sam Krivus (Hempfield, Pa.), who was sixth in the Super 32 Challenge, third at the state tournament, fourth at the FloNationals, and 25th in the Class of 2015. At least thirteen wrestlers in this field have earned an All-American honor in Fargo over the years. In addition to those listed above, includes Josh Terao (Mid-Pacific, Hawaii), two-time state champion Jaret Singh (Kearney, Mo.), three-time state champion and returning Super 32 placer James Flint (Brandon, Fla.), two-time state champion Brendan Calas (Seton Hall Prep, N.J.), 2010 Super 32 placer Dalton Macri (Canon McMillan, Pa.), Adam Burchett (Klahowya, Wash.), and two-time state champion Josh Albert (Dakota, Ill.). Others to watch include NHSCA Junior National runner-up Phillip Anderson (Milton, Ga.) and NHSCA Freshman National champ Boo Lewallen (Yukon, Okla.). Also in this weight is FloNationals placer Nick Lee (Mater Dei, Ind.), who ranked fourth overall among junior high wrestlers. 126: Despite what relatively speaking is a lack of a broad-base of depth, this weight class certainly packs a punch at the top with a pair of wrestlers that have won Super 32 Challenge championships in the past. Leading the way is three-time finalist Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.), who won a title in 2009 before finishing second each of the last two years. Dance is a three-time state champion, won a Junior National freestyle title in 2011, and was a FILA Junior freestyle champion this past spring; he is ranked 15th overall by InterMat in the Class of 2013. Also here is 2011 champion Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.), who is ranked 29th in the senior class, and is now a three-time state champion. Diehl had some very excellent wins in 2011-12, including his Super 32 finals win over George DiCamillo, the end of season number one ranked wrestler; and a state semifinal victory over defending state champion Jason Nolf, who was undefeated in his career prior to that match. Four FloNationals placers from this past year also feature in this weight class: Ken Bade (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Emilio Saavedra (Modesto, Calif.), Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen, N.J.), and Theirno Diallo (Duval, Md.). Bade is a two-time state champion and ranks 77th in the Class of 2013, Saavedra is a two-time state placer and ranks 31st in the Class of 2014, Giraldo is a two-time state placer, while Diallo was also a Junior National Greco-Roman All-American. Two-time Cadet National freestyle champion Seth Gross will be a contender at 126 (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Others to watch in this weight class include Junior National freestyle All-American Tate Robinson (Baylor School, Tenn.), ranked 37th in the junior class; two-time state placer Michael Pongracz (Delaware Valley Regional, N.J.); two-time Cadet freestyle champion Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked 47th in the junior class; three-time state champion Brock Ervin (Union County, Ky.); two-time state finalist Kyle Springer (Davenport Assumption, Iowa); and state placer Zach Hertling (Ocean Township, N.J.), ranked 32nd in the Class of 2014. 132: An extremely deep weight class here that includes six members of the InterMat Top 100 Class of 2013. It is led by Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio) and Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.). Ranked 13th in the senior class, Heil is a three-time state champion, 2011 FloNationals champion, multi-time Disney Duals gold medalist, and was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Walsh Ironman this past year. Jeske ranks 17th in the senior class, is a four-time Super 32 placer (including second-place finishes in 2009 and 2010), three-time Beast of the east top three placer (runner-up in 2009 and 2011), and a Junior freestyle runner-up in 2011. Other nationally ranked seniors include No. 57 Javier Gasca (Kingsburg, Calif.), No. 74 Jacob Schmitt (St. Johns, Mich.), No. 82 Andrew Atkinson (Liberty Christian Academy, Va.), and No. 94 Corey Stasenko (South Plainfield, N.J.). Gasca was third in the state tournament this past year and a FloNationals runner-up; Schmitt is a three-time state finalist (two-time champ), five-time Fargo All-American, and placed fifth in the 2010 Super 32; Atkinson is a three-time National Prep placer, and placed third in the Super 32 this past year; while Stasenko placed fourth in the Super 32 and was a state placer this past year. Aaron Pico, the nation's No. 2 freshman, was dominant in Fargo this past summer (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)However, it is a pair of underclassmen that serve as the primary challengers to Heil and Jeske in this weight class. Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.) ranks 20th in the Class of 2014 after winning state as a freshman, finishing third as a sophomore, and earning Outstanding Wrestler honors along with a gold medal at the Disney Duals. Two-time Cadet National double champion Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, Calif.) ranks second among all freshmen according to InterMat. Also among the class ranked wrestlers are three sophomores: No. 14 Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.), state runner-up and third in Cadet freestyle this past summer; No. 18 Josh Marcua (Franklin Regional, Pa.), fifth at state and third in Cadet freestyle this past summer; and No. 42 Cole Water (Mifflinburg, Pa.), third at state and fifth in Cadet Greco-Roman. Others to watch in this weight include state champions Scott Delvecchio (South Plainfield, N.J.), Jon Townsend (Comanche, Okla.), Nate Rodriguez (Neosho, Mo.), Will Steltzen (Collinsville, Okla.), and Clay Walker (Eastside, S.C.); state runners-up Cody Lecount (Perry Meridian, Ind.), Chris Garcia (Montini Catholic, Ill.), and Jonce Blaylock (Berryhill, Okla.); state third-place finishers George Weber (John Carroll, Md.), Jason Estevez (Livingston, N.J.), and Dennis Gustafson (Forest Park, Va.). Also to note are NHSCA Junior National champion Chris Araoz (Wantagh, N.Y.) and returning Super 32 placer Bryce Killian (Middletown, Pa.). 138: Like the weight before, the stars of the national wrestling landscape have come out to play here as well, led by five InterMat Top 100 seniors. Anchoring this weight is Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), who has clearly been the nation's most productive wrestler since the high school season ended. Ranked seventh in the Class of 2013, Retherford has won the following tournaments -- NHSCA Junior Nationals, FILA Cadet National freestyle, Junior National freestyle, and FILA Cadet World freestyle. Additionally, he was state champion as a freshman and is a three-time Super 32 placer. Other ranked seniors are No. 38 Neal Molloy (Danville, Ind.), a 2011 state champion who was fifth in Junior freestyle this summer; 2009 Super 32 placer Tyson Dippery (Central Dauphin, Pa.), ranked No. 41 in the class, NHSCA sophomore and junior national champion, Junior Greco-Roman runner-up, and a two-time state placer; No. 62 T.J. Miller (Camden Catholic, N.J.), three-time state placer and 2011 state champion; and No. 68 Darick Lapaglia (Blue Springs, Mo.), a two-time state champion and seventh in Junior freestyle this summer. In addition, there are nine underclass wrestlers ranked in their grade per InterMat. In the class of 2014, there are four: No. 33 Tyler Berger (Hermiston, Ore.), who has twice won state titles, placed at the FloNationals, and finished fourth in Cadet freestyle; No. 39 Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs, Mo.), a two-time state champion; No. 41 Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Okla.), a two-time state champion and 2011 Cadet freestyle runner-up; and No. 46 Joe Galasso (Father Judge, Pa.), a two-time state placer and FloNationals runner-up this past year. Fox Baldwin won a Cadet National freestyle title this past summer in Fargo (Photo/Dave Jedlicka)From the Class of 2015, there are four as well: No. 2 Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.), a two-time state champion, who this past year won FloNationals and Cadet freestyle titles; No. 9 Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.), a state champion, FloNationals champion, and Cadet freestyle champion; No. 13 Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.), sixth at state and fifth in Cadet freestyle; and No. 29 Ronnie Gentile (Paulsboro, N.J.), who was third in Cadet freestyle. Others to watch include two-time state runner-up Troy Heilmann (South Plainfield, N.J.); state champion Lawrence Otero (Volcano Vista, N.M.), who was one match away from placing at the Super 32 last year; state champions Sal Annoreno (Bartlett, Ill.), Brandon Brunner (Baylor School, Tenn.), Scott Akers (Flower Mound, Tex.), and Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio); Junior Greco-Roman All-American Daniel Sanchez (Georgetown Prep, Md.); state placers Gary Dinmore (Hunterdon Central, N.J.), Brian Hamann (Jackson Memorial, N.J.), and Christian Pagdilao (Northview, Calif.); as well as with Austin Kraisser (Centennial, Md.), who ranks 11th overall in the Class of 2016. 145: Three-time Super 32 Challenge placer Solomon Chishko (Canon McMillan, Pa.) is the leader of the pack in this weight class. Ranked fifth overall in the Class of 2014, Chishko was a POWERade champion this past year, has placed third two times at the state tournament, and was a Disney Duals gold medalist this summer. Among those challenging for the title in this weight will be ten past Fargo All-Americans. The two most notable among them are Colt Cotten (Benton, Pa.) and Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.). Ranked 66th overall in the senior class, Cotten is a three-time state placer, took fifth in Junior Greco-Roman, and was second at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Leeth ranks 32nd in the junior class, was a Cadet National freestyle champion in 2011, earned a state title this past year, and was a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals runner-up. Among the others are three-time state finalists Reed Van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.) and Alexander Aniciete (Las Vegas, Nev.); National Prep runner-up Toby Hague (McDonogh, Md.); nationally ranked sophomores No. 16 Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) and No. 37 Colston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.). Others meriting mention in this weight are Chad Walsh (Camden Catholic, N.J.), fourth at the FloNationals; two-time state placer Victor Lopez (Poway, Calif.); state third placer Tommy Forte (Mishawaka, Ind.), ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2015; state champions Jordan Marshall (Troy Christian) and Alec Pantaleo (Canton, Mich.); as well as state runner-up Paul Hamilton (Campbell County, Ky.), who was one match away from placing at last year's Super 32. 152: Mark Hall is a two-time state champion going into his freshman season (Photo/The Guillotine)Both of the Fargo freestyle champions from the 152 pound weight class this summer will be among the field here. Cadet Nationals champion Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) has already won a pair of high school state titles before his freshman year, and is ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2016 per InterMat. Junior Nationals champion Josh Llopez (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.) ranked fifth in the Class of 2014 and is the defending Super 32 Challenge champion in this weight class, also a two-time state champion, and was runner-up at the FloNationals this past spring. However, this is not a two-man show in the least, as there are five wrestlers in this weight residing in the Top 100 of the Class of 2010. Leading that group is No. 58 Garrett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.), a state champion who placed fourth in the Super 32 last year. No. 61 Joey Lavallee (Reno, Nev.) was fifth at the FloNationals and was fifth in Junior freestyle in 2011; No. 63 Shayne Tucker (Bella Vista, Calif.) placed in the 2009 Super 32, was a state runner-up this past year, and took eighth at the FloNationals; No. 80 Nick Gravina (Northern Highlands, N.J.) is a two-time state placer and was third at the NHSCA Junior Nationals; while No. 90 Eric Hoffman (Northern Calvert, Md.) took eighth in both styles at the Junior Nationals and was fifth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Also present in this weight is Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.), a FILA Cadet freestyle champion this spring, who took fourth in Junior freestyle this summer, and ranks 19th in the Class of 2014; Kevin Cooper (Simon Kenton, Ky.), a two-time state champion who placed third at the FloNationals; 2010 Cadet freestyle All-Americans Nick Hall (Thomspon, Ala.) and Wayne Stinson (Northern Burlington, N.J.); and Ryan Niven (Tyngsboro, Mass.), a New England Regional champion who took fifth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Others to watch include state champions Aaron Calderon (Brighton, Mich.), Chad Pyke (Woodward Academy, Ga.); state runners-up Kyle Barnes (Hughesville, Pa.), Vinny Corsaro (Indianapolis Catherdral, Ind.), Josh Farrell (Greenfield Central, Ind.), Luke Kreich (Franklin, Ind.); along with Dayton Racer (Apple Valley, Minn.), a state runner-up and Cadet Greco-Roman All-American who is ranked No. 34 in the Class of 2015. 160: Isaiah Martinez, a two-time state champion, has committed to Illinois (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)A trio of nationally ranked senior and junior wrestlers is among the field in this weight, which is anchored by Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.). Martinez ranked third overall in the Class of 2013 per InterMat, is a two-time state champion, and was both a FloNationals and Junior freestyle champion this past year. The two other ranked seniors are No. 48 Tyler Askey (Northgate, Ga.), a three-time state champion, 2010 Super 32 place-winner, who this past spring won the NHSCA Junior Naitonals before taking second at the FloNationals; and No. 51 Daniel Woiwor (Apple Valley, Minn.), a three-time state placer and 2010 state champion. Nationally ranked juniors include No. 26 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.), who this past year was a state champion and placed fifth at the Super 32; No. 36 Jonathan Schleifer (East Brunswick, N.J.), a two-time state placer and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion; along with No. 38 Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.), a two-time state champion who was a Junior Greco-Roman runner-up this summer as well. Among the other notable seniors to watch are state champion and FloNationals placer Isaiah Bradley (Muncie Southside, Ind.); 2011 state placer and Super 32 placer Ty Walter (Mifflinburg, Pa.); state runner-up and FloNationals placer Cody Law (Forest Hills, Pa.); two-time state champion Jacob Haydock (Brandon, Fla.); state champion Abraham Rodriguez (Hermiston, Ore.); 2011 state champion Drake Dudley (Flower Mound, Tex.); state (or National Prep) placers Austin McCloskey (Western Boone, Ind.), Greg Bacci (Malvern Prep, Pa.), Archie Colgan (Pomona, Colo.), Bryce Pappas (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.), Tony Parks (Davenport Assumption, Iowa), and Zach Voytek (Greensburg Salem, Pa.) Underclassmen to watch include 2011 state champion Logan Marcicki (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) as well as state placer and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals runner-up Seth Williams (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio). 170: Five Top 100 Class of 2013 wrestlers make this an excellent overall weight class. That group is led by two-time state champion Cody Wiercioch (Canon McMillan, Pa), who is also ranked 9th overall among seniors and was a Super 32 champion in 2010. Three-time state champion Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, Va.) is ranked 24th among seniors, placed fifth in last year's Super 32, and was fourth in the Junior freestyle competition this summer. No. 53 Brett Harner (Norristown, Pa.) is a three-time state placer; No. 70 Nick Vonegidy (Piedmont, N.C.) is a two-time state champion, placed sixth in the Super 32 last year, was seventh at the FloNationals, and is a 2011 Cadet freestyle runner-up; while No. 99 Nick Kee (Scotland, N.C.) was runner-up at the Super 32 last year, runner-up at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, and is a two-time state champion. Drew Garcia, a state champion, won a title at the Grappler Fall Classic on Saturday (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)Seven additional wrestlers in this weight have earned All-American honors in Fargo over the years. Among them is state runner-up Peter Renda (Brandywine Hts., Pa.), state champions Drew Garcia (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) and Matthew Gancayo (Patuxent, Md.), NHSCA Junior National runner-up Travis Berridge (Brandon, Fla.), and 2011 state placer Nick Corba (Beavercreek, Ohio). Others to watch include two-time state placer Keaton Subjeck (Oak Ridge, Calif.), New England Regional champion Christopher Chorzepa (Newington, Conn.), state placer Corey Griego (Sultana, Calif.), National Prep placer Terrell Forbes (St. Benedict's Prep, N.J.), and NHSCA Junior National placer Brett Stein (Forest Park, Va.). 182: Three Top 100 Class of 2013 prospects per InterMat are featured in this weight class. First among the trio is No. 50 Jacob Taylor (Bald Eagle, Pa.), who placed third at state, fourth at the Super 32, and was a FloNationals champion. Ranked 69th is three-time state placer Dakota DesLauriers (Burrell, Pa.), while two-time state champion and Disney Duals gold medalist Taylor Jackson (The Villages, Fla.) is ranked 95th. Other notable seniors in this weight class include Immanuel Barber (Canyon Springs, Calif.), who took third in the state tournament and at NHSCA Junior Nationals; two-time state champion Jared Haught (Parkersburg, W.V.), who was fourth at NHSCA Junior Nationals; state champion B.J. Toal (Troy Christian, Ohio); state runners-up Shayne Brady (Carthage, N.Y.), Miles Hammerlund (Delano, Minn.), and Ryland O'Brien (First Colonial, Fa.); state (or National Prep) placers Nicholas Shawley (Bellefonte, Pa.), Nick Zak (Jackson Liberty, N.J.), Troy Murtha (Georgetown Prep, Md.), and Liam Korbul (North Hunterdon, N.J.); as well as 2011 double Cadet National fourth-place finisher Aaron Rothwell (Sheboygan North, Wis.) Key underclassmen in this weight include two-time state champion Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.), a Cadet freestyle runner-up and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals third-place finisher; state placer Travis Linton (Rootstown, Ohio), champion at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals; and state runner-up Armani Robinson (Greenview, Ohio), a Cadet freestyle All-American. 195: Defending Super 32 champion Matt McCutcheon (Kiski Area, Pa.) added a state title at season's end, and is the 35th ranked Class of 2013 wrestler nationally per InterMat. The other Top 100 prospect in this weight class is No. 64 Raymond O'Donnell (Saucon Valley, Pa.), a two-time state placer who finished seventh in Junior freestyle this summer. Payne Hayden, fourth in last year's Super 32 Challenge, is coming off a title at the Grappler Fall Classic (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)Other notable seniors in this weight include three-time state placer Payne Hayden (St. Johns, Mich.), who was fourth in last year's Super 32; state runner-up Jacob Hart (Hampton, Pa.); state placer Matthew Moore (Brick Memorial, N.J.), who was fifth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals; state placer Rory Bonner (West Deptford, N.J.), who was eighth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals; state placer Zach Roseberry (Brentstville, Va.), a NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up; state champion Jesse Stephanos (Jupiter, Fla.), third at the NHSCA Junior Nationals; Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Alen Turcinhodzic (North Hills, Pa.); National Prep placer Spencer Neff (Good Counsel, Md.); and state champion Nathan Dawson (Brooke, W.V.). A notable underclassman in this field is state champion Sam Davis (Stuarts Draft, Va.). 220: Undefeated Maryland standout Kyle Synder is the nation's No. 2 wrestler in the Class of 2014 (Photo/Rob Preston)Two of the nation's absolute elite and dynamic upperweight talents are present in this weight class. Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) ranks second in the Class of 2014, and has yet to lose a high school match. The two-time National Prep champion, and a FloNationals champion this past year, gave up playing football on a perennial national power this year to focus on his wrestling exploits. Those further include double All-American finishes in Fargo each of the last two summers -- he was a Junior Greco-Roman champion this past summer and a Cadet freestyle champion in the summer of 2011. Joining him is defending Super 32 Challenge champion Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.), who ranks sixth in that same junior class, and has already won a pair of big-school state titles in Pennsylvania. Two other wrestlers in this field return from placing at last year's Super 32 -- Trevor Stevens (Pope, Ga.) placed sixth, and is a two-time state placer having also placed eighth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals; while Trent Allen (South Brunswick, N.C.) placed eighth. An additional pair of wrestlers placed at the NHSCA Junior Nationals last year -- state runner-up Eldon Valery (Landstown, Va.) placed third, while state champion Kacee Hutchinson (Enka, N.C.) placed sixth. Also meriting attention in this weight class are state placer Mauro Correnti (Holy Cross, N.J.), who placed sixth in Junior freestyle, and Christian Jenco (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), who was third in both styles at the Cadet Nationals. 285: Putting it mildly, there will be a lot of opportunity here for wrestlers to increase their visibility on the national landscape. Most notable among the field here is Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.), who has placed fifth at the New England Regional in each of his first two high school seasons and earned titles at the NHSCA Freshman and Sophomore Nationals. Also meriting attention is 2011 state qualifier Luke Fleck (Franklin Regional, Pa.); state placers Travis Boyd (Blanchester, Ohio), Logan Turner (Martinsville, Va.), Ivan Deleon (Seven Lakes, Tex.), and Robert Coe (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.); state placer and NHSCA Sophomore runner-up Patrick Garren (Bishop Ready, Ohio); state qualifier Dre'k Brumley (Akron SVSM, Ohio); and 2011 Cadet freestyle All-American Kyle Kania (Westfield, N.J.).

Steve Costanzo

Related Content: Results | Videos Zac Hall was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2012 Grappler Fall Classic (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com) BATTLE CREEK, Mich. -- Chalk ruled the day in the high school division of the Grappler Fall Classic held in Battle Creek, Mich., on Saturday. Of the 15 weight classes contested, 11 were won by the top seed, and 11 of the championship matches featured the top two seeds facing off. Additionally, the two most powerful high school programs in the host state of Michigan dominated the proceedings. In the tournament's best match, it was a battle of two-time state champions as Zac Hall (St. Johns, Mich.) defeated Ken Bade (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) 9-8 for the 130 pound weight class championship. Hall, also a Junior National freestyle runner-up, is ranked No. 25 overall in the junior class; while Bade is positioned No. 77 overall in the senior class. Joining Hall as champions from St. Johns were Jacob Schmitt (135), Logan Massa (140), and Payne Hayden (189). Ranked No. 74 overall in the senior class, Schmitt dominated his way to a championship with four falls in five matches. This included one at the 2:11 mark in the championship match against fellow two-time state champion Justin Oliver (Davison, Mich.). The nation's No. 14 ranked sophomore Massa won six matches comfortably to take home the 140 pound weight class title, including a 7-3 championship match victory over multi-time state champion Jayce Carr (Union County, Ky.). Hayden made it a quartet of Redwings champions with an 8-6 finals victory over Garrett Stehley (Lowell, Mich.). Bade was one of four Detroit Catholic Central wrestlers to appear in the finals of the Grappler Fall Classic. Joining Bade as a runner-up was Robert Coe at 285 pounds, who fell to a 4-3 defeat against Gage Hutchison (Buchanan, Mich.). Champions for the Shamrocks were a pair of juniors in Logan Marcicki (160) and Andrew Garcia (171). Marcicki earned his title with a 6-1 victory of Dean Vettese (Rochester, Mich.) in the final, while Garcia beat Robert Steveson (Merrillville, Ind.) 2-1 in an overtime match featuring excellent underclass wrestlers. Two-time state finalist Garcia was a Cadet double All-American in 2011, and a FILA Cadet freestyle third place finisher this spring, while Steveson is ranked No. 20 nationally in the sophomore class after a third place finish in Cadet freestyle. Mark HallOther top seeded wrestlers to win championships included Andrew Gorman (Madison Hts. Lamphere, Mich.) at 112 pounds, Mitch Rogaliner (Bedford, Mich.) at 119, Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) at 152, and Brandon Sunday (Bedford, Mich.) at 215. Hall faced a significant challenge in the championship match from two-time state champion Kevin Cooper (Simon Kenton, Ky.), but it was the nation's top freshman coming out on top 5-3. A pair of second seeded wrestlers came home with championships -- Trae Blackwell (Union County, Ky.) at 125 pounds and Max Rohskopf (West Holmes, Ohio) at 145. Each emerged with their championship by beating a number one seed. Blackwell pinned Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.) at the 1:05 mark in a battle of state champions, while two-time state placer Rohskopf outlasted state champion Jake Spengler (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) by a 3-2 score. Rounding out the weight class champions were Lucas Hall (Lowell, Mich.) at 98 pounds and Caleb Smith (Stoughton, Wis.) at 105.

WASHINGTON D.C. -- The 133 pound weight class bout at the 2012 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps will feature Chris Dardanes of the University of Minnesota wrestling against Aaron (A.J.) Schopp of Edinboro University, rekindling a rivalry from the 2012 NCAA Championships between the redshirt sophomores. Chris Dardanes earned All-American honors as a freshman (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Dardanes began his rookie season outside of the Gopher starting lineup. It was not until Dardanes won the Southern Scuffle that he earned the starting spot at 133 pounds. Following his placement as a starter, Dardanes mounted a successful season placing sixth at the Big 10 Championships and fourth at the NCAA Championships, earning himself All-American honors. Dardanes was named Most Improved Wrestler of the Year by his teammates and received Big 10 All-Academic honors. Dardanes finished the 2011-2012 season 25-12 overall, 7-4 in duals and 5-2 in Big 10 competition. Dardanes registered 6 pins, 1 technical fall and 7 major decision wins during the 2011-2012 season. Schopp began his rookie season with a title win at the UB Open. Schopp finished his season winning three additional titles: MSU Open Champion, PSAC Champion, and EWL Champion. With his win at the EWL Championships, Schopp qualified for the NCAA Championships. Schopp was named Freshman and Rookie of the Year by his teammates for the 2011-2012 season. Schopp finished the 2011-2012 season 39-6 overall and 12-1 in duals. Schopp registered 19 falls, the third most by any wrestler on his team, 7 technical falls and 2 major decision wins during the 2011-2012 season. Dardanes and Schopp will face off at the All-Star Classic for the first time since their last meeting at the 2012 NCAA Championships. In the second round of the NCAA Championships, Dardanes, the tenth seed, defeated Schopp, the seventh seed, in a 7-3 decision. The NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps will occur on November 3, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in Bender Arena on the campus of American University in Washington D.C. The NWCA All-Star classic is hosted by the DC Athletic Club and Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network and is also sponsored by Balance Bar. For more information on the event, visit the NWCA website and follow the NWCA Facebook and Twitter pages. The NWCA Classic serves as a premier event to help grow the sport of wrestling. Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the sport in the Washington DC area. About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling. About the United States Marine Corps On November 10, 1775, the Marine Corps was established by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since then, the Marine Corps, through service on land, in air, and at sea, have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term "Marine" has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue. Whether facing our nation's foes or conducting humanitarian relief and disaster recovery operations at home or abroad, today's Marine Corps stands ready to continue in the same proud tradition of faithful service to the United States. For more information, visit http://www.Marines.com. About Balance Bar Founded in 1992, Balance Bar, one of America's original nutrition/energy bars, inspires consumers to lead active, well-rounded and balanced lives by providing great-tasting, healthy and convenient nutrition for lasting energy. Balance Bars are available in seven unique product lines (Original, Gold, Bare, Café, CarbWell, nimble and mini) and all 23 flavors are based on the 40/30/30 nutrition model (40% of calories come from healthy carbohydrates, 30% from quality protein and 30% from dietary fat). For more information, visit www.Balance.com. Follow Balance Bar for tips and nutritional information on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Balancebar) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/Balancebar).

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? View archives. I've decided to kill off Cheap Tilt Radio in favor of a new podcast name and format. The response has been very positive, so I brought in a few friends with big podcasts and asked how we could make a more marketable program. The ideas were impressive, and we've made some changes. The show will now be focused on a weekly conversation with someone in wrestling. The topics might be timely, but mostly this will be fan's chance to see them outside the lens of their opinions of current events and focus more on their journey and ideas. It's a dissimilar format, but I am reminded of the warning announced before ESPN's B.S. Report, "This is a free-flowing conversation that occasionally touches on mature subjects." The weekly conversation will be followed up with a few minutes talking news of the week with Mike Rioridan and capped off with some lines set by Brian Muir. The name has been changed to "Back Points with T.R. Foley" and will be published on InterMat and also available on iTunes every Tuesday. On to your questions ... Trying to figure out if the sellout of the All Star Match is a good thing? Anyone know the real number of sold tickets? Is it only 3,000-4,000 or so? Any attendance figures from the past? For example, if another venue that did not sold out had 4,000 fans, is a 3,000 fan sell out that newsworthy? Considering most Iowa, Penn State, and Oklahoma regular dual meets get more than 3,000 fans. What are your thoughts? -- WrestlingGear.com (Facebook Status) Foley: I like the implied zing of this question. Nobody disputes the fact that the 2011 NWCA All-Star Classic was a failure, partially because nobody actually showed up to the event. That lack of a crowd at the event made the matches feel less important to online viewers (those who actually had a watchable feed). The NWCA decided to kick this tourney to Washington D.C. to pull on more populations center and ensure that more programs could participate. What WrestlingGear.com wants to know is should we consider a sold-out crowd of 3k a victory, or could we have gotten more? Spicy. The NWCA made the perfect move in choosing American University and their 3k seat arena. There is an intimacy that will come into play, but it's not an overreach, there was never a legitimate concern that they'd be unable to fill the seats. By ensuring a crowd they can now look at the live feed more thoroughly, and work on producing a more entertaining event. Its largest test run of the event they could do without risking another total failure. Putting the meet at Carver-Hawkeye wouldn't guarantee 15k fans, especially since Iowa chooses not to participate. The best events are the ones where the action is showcased. The NWCA All-Star Classic will put the spotlight on the wrestlers and the fun they're having in competition. I see the event turning into a Daytona 500-like experience -- wrestling's kickoff affair, something for everyone to get excited about months before the names of the competitors are even announced. This may never be as lucrative as the National Duals, but I think it can build excitement and interest in the sport. In last week's mailbag you talked about Flowrestling's moronic ideas. How do you feel about Flowrestling's immaturity? I see them as trying to appeal to a younger crowd, though I do admit they come up with some weird ideas. Do you think they are a bad influence on wrestling? -- Dom P. Foley: Flo provides a different service to their customers than we here at InterMat. I respect and like Martin. He's sharp and engaging and his idea has allowed the wrestling community a chance to grow and to have an online resource for watching more of the sport we love. He also makes a ton of money running the site, which proves that this sport isn't entirely broke! There are times, like what happened with the #bulging on Twitter, and the influence the company had on Duke wrestling video, that I find their immaturity grating. But you're right, they focus on high school kids as a method of growing their base of subscribers. FloInsider ($100 annually) and Technique Wave ($7 monthly) aren't cheap but when you get the kids, you get their parents, too. It's smart business. Grabbing the attention of high school wrestlers on Facebook and Twitter takes relating to your audience, which is why they use sophomoric tactics to attract, well, sophomores. That's Flo's business. Ours is journalism. Where we do overlap is rankings, but I obviously side with the talent here at InterMat. Nobody will ever be a better judge of high school wrestling talent than Josh Lowe. Ever. The guy's brilliant. We've also been putting out the best collegiate rankings for almost 20 years. Bad for wrestling? Of course not. Just different. Q: Have you heard anything regarding former three-time Michigan state champion and national champion Freddie Rodriguez? He did not wrestle his senior season in Michigan where he would've been competing for a fourth state title. He should be a freshman or sophomore now in college. He was verbally committed to Michigan State. -- Dreux N. Freddie Rodriguez originally committed to Michigan State (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)Foley: (Work, work, work.) I looked at this message board post and was convinced that every answer might be right, and guess what, most of them were! I called Iowa City High School head wrestling coach Cory Connell on Thursday morning to ask him about Freddie Rodriguez and learned that he IS enrolled in the school. He did NOT graduate from high school in Michigan. He is NOT currently eligible. He DID fight an MMA fight in 2011. The school is in an appeal process, but they won't know anything for few weeks. Rodriguez is signed up to wrestle at 126 pounds at the Preseason Nationals in Iowa. Q: What is the status of Austin Ormsbee, the Blair grad who went to Oklahoma State and did not make it to the wrestling season? --Dave D Foley: According to Kutztown assistant wrestling coach Kriss Bellanca, "Austin Ormsbee, Blair Academy, 2011, has signed a scholarship letter and enrolled in school at Kutztown University, Pa., and will have four years of eligibility left." The Monroeville Four: Logan Stieber, Hunter Stieber, Chris Phillips, and Cam Tessari (Photo/Mark Ransick)Q: I was wondering if you knew anything about what's going on with Chris Phillips? He's arguably the greatest upperweight in Ohio history, and from what I understand has really gained his fire back while training with Ohio State. I could really see him as someone who would make a massive impact for the Buckeyes at either 165 or 174. The thing is he's not listed on their roster. Do you know what's up with that? -- Mike, Cleveland Foley: My guy in Ohio (I HAVE A GUY) tells me that the dream is over for Chris Phillips. He saw all his pals wrestling in Columbus and gave it his best shot, but ultimately grades became an issue. He won't be wrestling for the Buckeyes and regardless of the reason, it's unfortunate because he was a big talent and will be missed. Q: Over the years, there seems to be a recurring question that is almost always asked to my college wrestling coach John Oostendorp at the end of his interviews. If he had the opportunity for an MMA fight pitted against Rulon Gardner, would he take it. They had some history with one another in college and after in Greco. Call me biased, but I have to go with Coach O! Thoughts? -- Kohawk Tough Coach O was a hammer at IowaFoley: Ha! I don't know Coach O, but I like his chances. Being good in wrestling isn't always an indicator of future success in MMA. In Rulon's case although he actually has the very best background for entering MMA (NCAA and Greco-Roman) but I think he lacks the athleticism necessary to carry him past another wrestler. If Coach O is anywhere from 190 pounds to 280 pounds and has even a modicum of mobility I think he'd come out on top. Ooh, does Coach O know BJJ? Q: I just wanted to thank you for saying what you did about Trev Alberts. We need more writers like you letting the public know what a snake he really is (snake being the nicest word I can use). I asked Craig Sesker to write an article about the whole UNO situation, but there seems to be a hold up on that. I think there is book that could be written about it also, there is a lot of stuff that has been hidden to the public and if it got out he would be done. Thanks again for words about Trev. -- A.M. Foley: My pleasure. Fire Trev Alberts. He's a no-good, cold-hearted wimp.

Fight Now TV Presents Takedown Wrestling from the Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio. Join Scott Casber and Brad Johnson this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/ 10 a.m. to noon ET. Our guests include: 9:03 Kerry Volkmann, John Carroll head wrestling coach 9:20 Donny Pritzlaff, Michigan assistant head wrestling coach 9:40 Casey Brewster, College of Mount St. Joseph head wrestling coach 9:50 Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:03 Steve Costanzo, St. Cloud State head wrestling coach 10:20 Brendan Buckley, Cal Poly head wrestling coach 10:40 Mark Hawald, Case Western Reserve head wrestling coach 10:50 Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino and Resort GM Fans, athletes, coaches: This is your sport. Join in the conversation live. Ask questions. Call 866-333-5966 or 515-204-5966. Takedown Wrestling is available on radio on AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa, online at Livesportsvideo.com, or on your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app. (Click on KXNO under Sportsradio.)

WASHINGTON D.C. -- The 197 pound weight class bout at the 2012 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps will feature a pair of Pennsylvania All-Americans in Quentin Wright of Penn State University wrestling against Matt Wilps of the University of Pittsburgh. Penn State's Quentin Wright defeated Lehigh's Robert Hamlin in the 2012 NCAA semifinals at 184 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Wright, a three-time All-American and the 2011 NCAA Wrestling champion, will be looking to become a four-time All-American as he moves up to 197lbs for his senior season. Wright enters his senior season with a career record of 84-23. Wright had an outstanding junior season going 30-4 on the year while finishing 3rd in the Big Ten Championships and 2nd in the NCAA Championships. Wright earned his third All-American status, and became the twentieth three-time All-American in Pennsylvania State University history. In his sophomore season, Wright had an outstanding post-season run going from the 8th seed in the Big Ten tournament to capturing both the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. As a freshman, wrestling at 174 pounds, Wright finished second at the Big Ten Championships and sixth at the NCAA Championships, earning his first All-American status. As a redshirt sophomore, during the 2010-2011 season, Wright wrestled up at 184 pounds and won both the Big 10 Championships and NCAA Championships, earning two-time All-American honors. Wright was third at the Big 10 Championships in 2012 as a redshirt junior, and finished second at the NCAA Championships after losing to Steve Bosak of Cornell by a score of 4-2. Wright is currently 11th All-Time in Pins at Penn State and 15th in NCAA Tournament wins. Wilps had a break out 2011-12 season winning his second EWL Championship and finishing 4th in the NCAA Championships to earn his first All-American honors. Wilps completed his junior season with a 34-5 overall record. Wilps led his team in wins, dual wins, dual points, and longest win streak. Wilps further won Wrestler of the Week honors and was named MVP by his team Wilps has a career record of 104-34 and is a three-time NCAA qualifier. Wright and Wilps also both wrestled high school in the state of Pennsylvania at Bald Eagle Area and Chartiers Valley respectively. The NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps will occur on November 3, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in Bender Arena on the campus of American University in Washington D.C. The NWCA All-Star classic is hosted by the DC Athletic Club and Greater Washington Business Network and is also sponsored by Balance Bar. For more information on the event, visit the NWCA website and follow the NWCA Facebook and Twitter pages. The NWCA Classic serves as a premier event to help grow the sport of wrestling. Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the sport in the Washington DC area. About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling. About the United States Marine Corps On November 10, 1775, the Marine Corps was established by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since then, the Marine Corps, through service on land, in air, and at sea, have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term “Marine” has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue. Whether facing our nation’s foes or conducting humanitarian relief and disaster recovery operations at home or abroad, today’s Marine Corps stands ready to continue in the same proud tradition of faithful service to the United States. For more information, visit http://www.Marines.com. About Balance Bar Founded in 1992, Balance Bar, one of America’s original nutrition/energy bars, inspires consumers to lead active, well-rounded and balanced lives by providing great-tasting, healthy and convenient nutrition for lasting energy. Balance Bars are available in seven unique product lines (Original, Gold, Bare, Café, CarbWell, nimble and mini) and all 23 flavors are based on the 40/30/30 nutrition model (40% of calories come from healthy carbohydrates, 30% from quality protein and 30% from dietary fat). For more information, visit www.Balance.com. Follow Balance Bar for tips and nutritional information on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Balancebar) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/Balancebar).

Michigan's wrestling program has been the model of consistency since Joe McFarland took over as head coach in 1999. McFarland has helped keep Michigan's wrestling program among the nation's premier programs in his 13 seasons as head coach, with 12 top-15 NCAA finishes, including six top-seven finishes. The Wolverines earned a runner-up trophy at the NCAAs in 2005. McFarland has coached 19 different wrestlers to five NCAA championships, 42 All-American honors, and 17 Big Ten titles. InterMat caught up with McFarland and talked to him about recruiting, Midlands, freshmen, key returners, dual meet championship proposal, matside review, and more. Joe McFarland is in his 14th season as Michigan's head coach (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Official practice kicked off on Wednesday. What's the focus of these early-season practices? McFarland: A number of things ... getting those young guys meshed in with the older guys, building that conditioning base that you need, and working on those things that you think your team needs to be working on this time of the year. You have had a strong recruiting season. I know you can't speak specifically about unsigned athletes, but can you talk a little bit about how recruiting is going from your standpoint? McFarland: From our standpoint the recruiting is going very, very well. We're going to have an outstanding class coming in behind a strong freshman class that we have here. I think our staff is pretty excited about it. How much has the recruiting process changed since you have been head coach at Michigan? McFarland: It has changed a lot ... No question about it. Years ago you would have to go to a tournament to see a kid. Now you can actually watch a lot of their matches from Junior Nationals and all these different tournaments online. It has definitely changed a lot. But you've still got to do some of those same things ... You've still got to get out to see these guys and have them on campus. All that stuff has stayed relatively the same. But technology has definitely changed the game. I think it has been great for wrestlers because they're able to get themselves out in front of coaches. Joe McFarland (second from left) was on the world television broadcast production crew for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, along with Jim Humphrey, Russ Hellickson, Tim Johnson, and others (Photo courtesy of Doug Brooker) I know you were at the Olympics this summer working on the television production crew for Doug Brooker. What was your biggest takeaway from the London Games? McFarland: It gave me a whole new perspective. Working the Games and being matside, it's a little different. I'm not used to that kind of thing. Just seeing the other end of it -- the production side of it -- was pretty neat. Getting a chance to work with guys like Doug Brooker and the other people on the production crew was great. Also, being able to work with Jim Humphrey and Russ Hellickson was great. I go back a long way with those guys. It was a good experience for all of us. But it was an experience from a side that I'm not always used to. This year you have the Midlands Championships on your schedule. That's not an event that has been on your schedule in recent seasons. What went into the decision to attend the Midlands? McFarland: Ken Kraft had been talking to us about it being the 50th year. Michigan was one of the original teams. We had gone to the Midlands for a long time. We went there when I was a student-athlete here at Michigan. So our coaching staff just felt like it would be a good change for us. Obviously, it's a very competitive tournament. We want to get back there for the 50th anniversary and be a part of it. We think it's going to be really good for our team. Sean Bormet and Donny Pritzlaff were hired in 2011 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Last year you hired Donny Pritzlaff and Sean Bormet on to your staff. What kind of impact have they had on the program? McFarland: They've had a big impact on this program ... everything from our in-room training sessions to our recruiting. They've just brought a lot of new energy to our program. Those two are very close. I've always been very close with Sean. I've always had a lot of respect for Donny, and have gotten to know him from when he was coaching at other places. I really like my staff right now. I like the energy that these guys bring, the knowledge that they bring. They're going to continue help Michigan wrestling and bring it to new heights. Many of the top college wrestling programs, including Michigan, have regional training centers. How important is the training center to your program? McFarland: Very important. I think to be a top program you need to have something like that in place. You mentioned Sean and Donny ... Those guys have been instrumental in helping us build this to where we're at right now. We have obviously revamped our Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. Having guys like Andy Hrovat and Kyle Massey coach the club has been a wonderful thing. I think it's a necessity. You've got to have it if you want to be a top program. Those are the kind of things that top recruits are looking to be a part of. They've got aspirations of going on and someday being a World and Olympic champion. The programs that have those pieces in place are going to have an advantage. You brought in a very strong 2012 recruiting class, a class that includes Taylor Massa, Rossi Bruno, and Jordan Thomas, among others. You have wrestled true freshmen before who have been successful right out of the gates, like Kellen Russell. What is the likelihood that we see any or all of the true freshmen wrestlers mentioned vying for starting spots this season? McFarland: I think there's a good possibility you might see a couple of those guys in the starting lineup. We're still evaluating these guys. We're just getting into practice. We've been very impressed with all of them. But I think you'll see a couple of them in our starting lineup this year, and we're pretty excited about that. I think these guys could bring a lot of energy to our lineup. Taylor Massa, a four-time undefeated Michigan state champion, was the nation's No. 2 overall recruit from the Class of 2012 (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)When will the decision be made on whether they wrestle in the lineup or redshirt? McFarland: That's interesting because I'm doing some stuff for wrestle-offs right now. I'm just getting all the information up on the board. Obviously, we've got to have wrestle-offs just to make things official. We won't be completed with our wrestle-offs until Oct. 25. That's when our final championship matches are going to be held. Just from what we have seen so far in the room, like I said, you might see a couple of those guys in our starting lineup this year, and the other guys will probably end up redshirting. What do you like about Taylor Massa? McFarland: Everything. He's just everything that I expected and more. He's very competitive. He's attentive to everything that the coaches are talking about. He's absorbing everything. He's a great worker. He's doing well in the classroom. He's been doing all the right things. He has obviously been a great addition to our program. I think he's just going to continue to get better and better. He doesn't look like a freshman in our room. He's got all the tools, so we're pretty excited about it. When Eric Grajales was a freshman at Michigan he initially tried to make 133 pounds, but couldn't maintain the weight and ultimately moved up two weight classes to 149 pounds because Kellen Russell was occupying 141 pounds. Now that Russell has graduated, is there a chance Grajales could wrestle 141 pounds? Or is the plan still to keep him at 149 pounds? McFarland: We're going to keep him at 149. 141 is still to be determined. Steve Dutton transferred in. We'll have to go through the wrestle-offs at 141, along with all the other weight classes. But Eric is certified at 149. Eric Grajales has reached the round of 12 at the NCAAs in each of the past two seasons as Michigan's 149-pounder (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Grajales has reached the round of 12 at the NCAAs in each of the past two seasons. What's going to be the key for Grajales to take that next step to not only get on the All-American podium, but contend for an NCAA championship at 149 pounds? McFarland: Consistency is going to be a key for him, being consistent in his training, being consistent in everything that goes into that championship lifestyle. Being focused on all the right things, pushing hard in practice, listening to coaches. He's got all the tools. Eric has been working hard and been pretty focused. But we need to keep him focused on the right things throughout the course of the season. I think if he does that, good things will come because he's very talented. He's got all the tools to do it. Dan Yates is moving up from 165 pounds to 174 pounds. What went into that decision? McFarland: I actually wanted to move him up the year before. He had to be very, very disciplined to make 165. I just see how much more horsepower and grind he has in our room when he's feeling good and he's up heavy and strong. I actually wanted to move up him up to 174 last year ... It just didn't work out that way. With Justin Zeerip, he wanted to stay at 174. I wanted to actually bump him up to 184. But I'm excited about Danny moving up to 174. I think it's going to be a great weight class for him. Sean Boyle is coming off a redshirt season. What kind of impact do you expect him to make this season at 125 pounds? McFarland: It's going to be an interesting weight class. We've got a number of guys in there battling in that weight class. Sean is coming back off that surgery ... He's coming back very strong. He has been looking great in our room. He has had absolutely no issues with that shoulder. And then we have Conor Youtsey too. So those two have been scrapping pretty good in the room, so we're pretty excited about the wrestle-off at that weight. Sean has shown a lot of signs of maturity in all aspects, so I think he's going to be a big part of our program this year. Joe McFarland coaching at the 2012 NCAAs in St. Louis (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The topic of potentially moving to a dual meet championship to crown the NCAA team champion was hot top topic in August and September. Where did the Michigan staff stand on the dual meet championship proposal? McFarland: We had a lot of discussions about it. To be quite honest with you, we were a little bit divided. I think initially I was on the fence. Until I saw a full laid-out plan, I wasn't comfortable with moving in that direction. But I think in the end it's going to be a neat thing that we've got to support. Of course we've got the coaches' summit coming up in Chicago later this month where we're going to do some more work on that. I think that's going to be very helpful. We were a little bit divided on it, but we had really good discussions here on it. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions on it. There was a lot of information put out on it. But in the end we voted for it. The NCAA recently approved matside video review. You have been on the wrong some side of some controversial calls in big matches. Do you have an opinion on matside video review? McFarland: If we can keep the flow of the match going and be efficient with the matside video, then I think it could be a great thing. You hate to see kids pour their lives into the sport and come out on what I would consider an extremely bad call that would cost them a match, possibly a championship match ... I think back to one of our formers wrestlers, Ryan Churella. I think that's going to be a great thing that's needed in our sport. At the same time I think we've got to be careful that it doesn't interrupt the flow of the match and that it's not abused.

WASHINGTON D.C. -- The 2012 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps will be held in front of a sold-out crowd of over 3,000 spectators at Bender Arena on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C. This marks the first time the event has had an advance sell out since 2001 when the event was held on the campus of Franklin & Marshall University in Lancaster, PA. The D.C. Athletic Club (DCAC) and the Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network (GWWBN) announced no more tickets, outside of corporate sponsorship tickets, are left for the event. While this year’s complete line up as not been officially released, the event is quickly shaping up to have one of the best fields in the past 15 years. Fans will be treated to what is called the match up of the year when Kyle Dake of Cornell and David Taylor of Penn State compete for the All-Star Classic title at 165 pounds. Both wrestlers were undefeated in the 2011-2012 season and claimed the NCAA Championship title in their respective weight classes. For Dake, he will look to win his fourth NCAA championship and dethrone Taylor at 165 pounds after competing collegiately at 157 pounds last season. “The field at this year’s All-Star Classic is outstanding,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “Fans truly have a reason to be excited about the start of this year’s wrestling season.” NWCA officials additionally attribute the sold-out status of the event to be in part caused by the event being held in Washington D.C., our nation’s capital. Washington D.C. further boasts a wide variety of entertainment and tourism options in addition to the All-Star Classic, providing ticket holders the opportunity to turn attending the event into a weekend of entertainment rather than just a night. While the event is sold out, there is still the opportunity for corporate sponsors to become involved with the All-Star Classic and receive tickets to attend the event. There are four levels at which a corporate partner can become involved with the event at, ranging from the $1,000 to more than $10,000 level, and giving the partner from 2 to 15 general admission tickets in addition to a varying number of VIP passes, reserved passes and other benefits. The NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps will occur on November 3, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in Bender Arena on the campus of American University in Washington D.C. The NWCA All-Star classic is hosted by the DC Athletic Club and Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network and is also sponsored by Balance Bar. For more information on the event, visit the NWCA website and follow the NWCA Facebook and Twitter pages. The NWCA Classic serves as a premier event to help grow the sport of wrestling. Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the sport in the Washington DC area. About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling. About the United States Marine Corps On November 10, 1775, the Marine Corps was established by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since then, the Marine Corps, through service on land, in air, and at sea, have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term “Marine” has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue. Whether facing our nation’s foes or conducting humanitarian relief and disaster recovery operations at home or abroad, today’s Marine Corps stands ready to continue in the same proud tradition of faithful service to the United States. For more information, visit http://www.Marines.com. About Balance Bar Founded in 1992, Balance Bar, one of America’s original nutrition/energy bars, inspires consumers to lead active, well-rounded and balanced lives by providing great-tasting, healthy and convenient nutrition for lasting energy. Balance Bars are available in seven unique product lines (Original, Gold, Bare, Café, CarbWell, nimble and mini) and all 23 flavors are based on the 40/30/30 nutrition model (40% of calories come from healthy carbohydrates, 30% from quality protein and 30% from dietary fat). For more information, visit www.Balance.com. Follow Balance Bar for tips and nutritional information on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Balancebar) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/Balancebar).

Jim Makovsky and Mark Matzkek will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, October 10. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments about the show. Makovsky is his 20th year as the head wrestling coach at Minnesota State-Mankato. He has coached 10 NCAA champions during his tenure. Matzek is in his fifth year as the head wrestling coach at Augsburg College. He led the Auggies to an NCAA Division III wrestling championship in 2010. He was also a two-time NCAA champion for Augsburg.

UFC 153 lost its three biggest fights due to various injuries, but the boys over at Zuffa scrambled to put together a main card led by middleweight champion and MMA legend Anderson Silva against Rockyesque longshot Stephan Bonnar. Richard and John break down the main card and make their fight picks. Also, with Strikeforce's November 3 show riddled with injuries, exasperating the cancelation of last month's show, the discussion turns to whether the promotion has a future. Do you want to listen to a past episode? View archives.

Shane Roller

125: 1. Kyle Vexler – Palomar College 2. Silverio Esparza – West Hills College 3. Eddie Estevez – Palomar College 4. Paul Rodriguez – Sacramento City College 5. Matt Corea – Cuesta College 6. Gabe Ballestros – Cerritos College 7. Dieuminse Dore – Lassen College 8. Christian Bettencourt – Mt San Antonio College Honorable Mention: Brian Santana – Chabot College Emerson Jimenez – Fresno City College Josh Plottzke – Sacramento City College Justin Martin Del Campo – Sacramento City College Mike Perez – Cerritos College Yubini Barerra – Chabot College 133: 1. Juan Jaime – Santa Ana College 2. AJ Valles – Fresno City College 3. Emilio Rivera – Palomar College 4. Rudy Delgado – Cerritos College 5. Sean Melton – Sacramento City College 6. Jake Lincoln – Cuesta College 7. Jeshua Avino – Chabot College 8. Darrin Salazar – West Hills College Honorable Mention: Alex Greybill – Sierra College Brock Remington – Rio Hondo College Dominic Cesena – Chabot College Rey Andrade – Fresno City College Yasier Alvarez – Lassen College 141: 1. Steven Melara – Mt San Antonio College 2. Jose Maldanado – Rio Hondo College 3. Aaron Ceballos – Delta College 4. Michael Ruiz – West Hills College 5. Travis Roberts – Sierra College 6. Racelis Cardenas – Fresno City College 7. Max Ramierez – Bakersfield College 8. Julian Purdy – Cuesta College Honorable Mention: Adam Blank – Sacramento City College Anthony Rubio – Chabot College Enrique Barajas – Sacramento City College Jimmy Zhen – Skyline College Josh Ewing – Cerritos College Michael Behnke – Cerritos College Miguel Rodriguez – Fresno City College Regugio Rodriguez – Victor Valley College Spaso Illich – Cuesta College 149: 1. Spencer Hill – Fresno City College 2. Cody Rodebaugh – Sierra College 3. Able Avila – Rio Hondo College 4. Blake Borges – Santa Rosa Junior College 5. Robert Mata – Palomar College 6. Terry Matthews – Shasta College 7. Christian Pham – Cerritos College 8. Simon Olguin – Palomar College Honorable Mention: Dylan Garrioit – Cerritos College Eddie Rodgers – Cerritos College Jacob Bohland – Chabot College Naemon Taylor – Sacramento City College Omar Ochoa – East LA College Paul Coronado – West Hills College 157: 1. Shervin Irnaiha – Palomar College 2. Brady Bersano – Fresno City College 3. Aaron DeMay – Sierra College 4. Bryant Wood – Sacramento City College 5. Francisco Rueda – West Hills College 6. Yuuki Muria – Cerritos College 7. Nick Morelli – Sacramento City College 8. Salvador Osorio – Chabot College Honorable Mention: Brian Barrocio – Rio Hondo College Erik Figueroa – Santa Rosa Junior College Jacob Blackwell – Santa Ana College Jacob Dunning – Palomar College Marcus Gebhart – Skyline College 165: 1. Michael Joseph – Palomar College 2. Matt Hickman – Fresno City College 3. Robin Callas – Sierra College 4. Owen Kraugh – Lassen College 5. Kevin Corbett – Fresno City College 6. Alex Cruz – Mt San Antonio College 7. Carlos Arana – Santa Ana College 8. Shawn Porter – Sacramento City College Honorable Mention: Adam Busch – Sacramento City College Amir Bashki – Cuesta College Dylan Clark – Cerritos College Johnny Padrazza – West Hills College Kaden Martin – Santa Rosa Junior College Marcus Ford – Sierra College Roman Orrea – Victor Valley College Von Borges – Santa Rosa Junior College 174: 1. Ryan McWatters – Victor Valley College 2. Jonathan Urango – Cuesta College 3. Tyler Brown – Sacramento City College 4. Joshua Newman – East LA College 5. Chris Bascon – Palomar College 6. Nathan Zarate – West Hills College 7. Bradley Beaudette – Cuesta College 8. Ryan Soto – Victor Valley College Honorable Mention: Ashton Morales – Santa Rosa Junior College Gabriel Fuentes – Sacramento City College Greg Robinson – Santa Rosa Junior College Paul Aurre – Sacramento City College Sergio Guerrero – Mt San Antonio College Vince Paloanco – Chabot College 184: 1. Kenny Breaux – Mt San Antonio College 2. Tyree Cox – Cerritos College 3. Erik Gomez – Modesto Junior College 4. Will Gockel-Fiagge – Fresno City College 5. Quentin Becker – Sierra College 6. Matt Dakin – Sacramento City College 7. Lance Casteneda – Bakersfield College 8. Justice Cortez – West Hills College Honorable Mention: Alex Shea – Victor Valley College Blair Kittle – Sacramento City College Bryan Argueta – Fresno City College Juan Valladores – Cuesta College Logan Whalen – Sacramento City College Michael Anderson – West Hills College Tyler Wood – Sierra College 197: 1. Elder Cruz – Mt San Antonio College 2. Khymba Johnson – Sierra College 3. Tyler Smith – Cerritos College 4. Paul Lujano – Fresno City College 5. Geoff Merker Cuesta College 6. Matt Read – Palomar College 7. Alex Campos – Sacramento City College 8. Alonzo Ruiz – Fresno City College Honorable Mention: Chad Rodriguez – Santa Ana College George Knight – Cerritos College Henry Campos – West Hills College James Windom – Chabot College Roman Ermolov – Skyline College Ryan Mackey – Modesto Junior College Steven Whiteman – Delta College Tony Denison – Lassen College 285: 1. Daniel Gusev – Sierra College 2. Derrick Lee – West Hills College 3. Paul Buchanan – Sacramento City College 4. Bud Guinn – Santa Rosa Junior College 5. George Pacheco – Mt San Antonio College 6. Brandon Rucker – Mt San Antonio College 7. Julian Zuniga – East LA College 8. Daniel Ochoa – Modesto Junior College Honorable Mention: David Ali – Fresno City College Elmer Hamidy – Chabot College George Portillo – Fresno City College Kyle Clark – Sierra College Mark Trevino – Fresno City College Michael Robles – Modesto Junior College Timo Cervantes – Skyline College Travis Smith – Modesto Junior College Weston Hawkins – Cerritos College

Related Content: Brackets | Photos SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J. -- At first glance of the brackets for the 8th annual Iron Horse Invitational, one may ask, "Where are the weight classes?" There were 31 brackets and all competitors weigh in before the invitation-only event. In each bracket, the wrestler's weigh near the same as one another, but talent is also a factor in grouping. It is a round robin of five where all in the bracket will wrestle one another. The wrestler with the best record is recognized as champion of the bracket. Mike Pongracz (Delaware Valley, N.J.) defeated Scott DelVecchio (South Plainfield, N.J.) en route to winning the championship in Bracket 14 (Photo/Rob Preston)Take Bracket 14. It consisted of a state champion, a state third and fifth-place finisher, and state qualifier, all from New Jersey ... oh and an NHSCA Junior Nationals champion from the state of New York. Mike Pongracz (Delaware Valley, N.J.) came out on top of that talented bracket by having the day of his life on Sunday. A fifth-place finisher in the New Jersey state tournament in 2012 at 126 pounds, Pongracz, after a first round bye, methodically defeated NHSCA Nationals champion Chris Araoz (Wantagh, N.Y.) in his first match 2-0. In Round 3 he upset 132-pound New Jersey state champion Scott DelVecchio (South Plainfield, N.J.) in the tiebreak of overtime 4-2. He was not done impressing onlookers as he beat Zach Hertling (Ocean Twp., N.J.) 13-0 in the fourth round of the round robin. Hertling placed third in the state as a freshman at 120 pounds last season. His day was over after he won his final match by forfeit. Pongracz defied the odds and swept through a "Who's Who" among Mid-Atlantic region wrestlers to have a fine start to his senior year. Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) returned to the South Plainfield Police Athletic League gym after winning his bracket in 2011. Cruz is a recent Lehigh University commit and added weight to his frame for his senior year. Planning to compete in the 120-pound weight class in less than two weeks at the Super 32 Challenge in North Carolina, Cruz dominated his competition in Bracket 7 with a fall, major decision, and two decisions that were not indicative of the scores. Cruz, who won a Cadet National title in Greco-Roman in 2011, was joined by a new face to the tournament in fellow Fargo champion Josh Llopez (St. Mary's Ryken, MD). Llopez placed first in the Junior National freestyle competition in July of this year at 152 pounds. After competing for LaPlata High School in his first two years of high school, Llopez transferred to a private school and will compete in the National Prep tournament this season. In the first round of Bracket 23, Llopez was opposed by senior Wayne Stinson (Northern Burlington, N.J.). In a back-and-forth match, Stinson was victorious by a score of 8-5. Stinson is a previous Beast of the East placewinner who has 100 career victories in high school. That would be the only bout for Llopez as he was diagnosed with dehydration and did not compete the rest of the day. Bracket 1 featured three InterMat top 20 freshman. In the first bout of the morning, two InterMat Top 10 freshman squared off when No. 7 Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) scored a 5-0 decision over No. 10 Luke Karam (Bethlehem, Catholic, PA), a Cadet National freestyle runner-up in 2011. In the second round, Suriano defeated No. 20 Gage Curry (North Hills, PA) 5-1. Highly regarded, Suriano is a three-time Tulsa Nationals champion, which is considered the top youth wrestling tournament in the nation. Karam and Curry had their match in the fifth round with Karam winning by a 2-1 margin. Winning the Most Outstanding Wrestler award was Troy Heilmann (South Plainfield, N.J). His key victories were over New York state champion Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa, N.Y.) and New Jersey state fourth-place finisher Brian Hamann (Jackson Memorial). Heilmann was a state runner-up in 2012 at 120 pounds. He recently verbally committed to wrestle at the University of North Carolina. The Iron Horse Wrestling Club is directed by Gary Mezzacapo. He works tirelessly year-round to put the best field together by keeping the tournament to a low number of competitors, while keeping the level of competition at its highest. His work showed this year as wrestlers from as far north as Vermont and as far south as Florida, wrestled in this prestigious regional classic. It has come a long way in eight years and he continues to make the tournament tougher as time passes. His eventual goal is to have the top five wrestlers in the country at their weight class to attend. That sounds like a tall order but knowing Gary Mezzacapo, he will find a way to achieve it through his network of connections throughout the country.

Anthony Robles

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The 50th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships will take place Saturday, Dec. 29-Sunday, Dec. 30, inside Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena and more than 30 Division I teams, along with an assortment of national champions and finalists from Division II and III programs, are participating in this historic event. The annual tournament regularly features some of the top programs in the country. Of the 32 Division I teams at this year’s Midlands, 14 of them placed in the top-25 at the 2012 NCAA Championships. Northwestern also welcomes several newcomers to Midlands this year. Michigan, who won the first edition of the tournament in 1963, returns to Midlands for the first time since 2002. Oregon State, North Carolina and Binghamton were also added to the 50th anniversary field while Big Ten foe Nebraska returns after a year absence. Seven conference squads will be represented at Midlands as Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Purdue and Wisconsin are included in this year’s field. Northwestern placed second at the 2011 Midlands Championships, its best finish in school history. NU Midlands Champions Jason Welch (two-time All-American, 157 lbs.) and Lee Munster (174 lbs.) return to this year’s field, along with 2012 All-American heavyweight Mike McMullan. A complete list of Division I teams participating in the 50th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships can be found below: Division I Teams: Binghamton Buffalo Central Michigan Clarion Columbia Eastern Michigan Edinboro Harvard Hofstra Illinois Indiana Iowa State Kent State Lehigh Maryland Michigan Nebraska North Dakota State Northern Illinois Northern Iowa Northwestern North Carolina Oklahoma Oregon State Penn Pittsburgh Purdue Princeton Rider Stanford Virginia Tech Wisconsin