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RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State wrestling head coach Pat Popolizio has announced that Frank Beasley and Jamill Kelly will join the program as assistant coaches. Beasley was a member of Popolizio's staff at Binghamton and Kelly joins the Wolfpack after serving as assistant coach at California-Polytechnic. "I‘m extremely excited to have both of them join our staff here at NC State," Popolizio said. Frank BeasleyA native of Odin, Illinois, Beasley joins the program after serving as an assistant on Popolizio's staff at Binghamton. Prior to that he served as the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Buffalo, where he helped lead the Bulls to three of its best seasons in program history. Beasley was also an assistant coach at his alma mater Bloomsburg for two seasons, producing nine national tournament qualifiers and two All-Americans. In 2006-07, Bloomsburg won 12 dual meets which was the most wins for the program in 16 seasons. "I couldn't be more excited to be here," said Beasley. "This is a program and administration that has made a huge commitment to wrestling, with a focus on developing the athletes that are here and bringing in the right kind of athletes to develop into a national championship team." Beasley enjoyed a decorated wrestling career while attending Lincoln College, before transferring to Bloomsburg. He recorded more than 80 wins while wrestling at the 157, 165, and 174-pound weight classes. Almost half of Beasley's wins were recorded by pin fall. Considered by most wrestling coaches to be a recruiter extraordinaire, four of his recruiting classes have ranked among the best in the country, with last year's class at Binghamton ranked as the 11th best class in the nation. "I’m extremely excited to have him come down here to NC State with me,” Popolizio said. “We built a great relationship up at Binghamton and I know his work effort and the quality of person he is and the character that he will bring to this program.” Kelly, a silver medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, brings a wealth of experience as well as personal accomplishments to the Wolfpack wrestling program. Kelly wrestled for Oklahoma State and was a two-year starter as well as team captain. He finished second at the 2000 Big 12 Conference championships. Jamill Kelly coaching with Donny Pritzlaff in 2010 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)In 2004, Kelly won the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials wrestling at 66kg (145.5 lbs) to represent the U.S. at the Olympics in Athens, Greece. Last season Kelly was as an assistant coach at California-Poly, helping the Mustangs send four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, two of which earned All-America honors. Kelly has a great deal of coaching experience, having served as coach for the U.S. Junior World Freestyle Team in 2007, U.S. Freestyle Tour Team in 2006, and also assisted with many other junior-level teams while in Massachusetts. Other coaching positions for Kelly include assistant coach at Harvard and also head coach of Dallas Dynamite Wrestling Club in Texas. Kelly began his coaching career as head coach of the Cowboy Wrestling Club in Stillwater, Okla., helping with the development of the club as well as more than 100 area youth. "I'm excited to have Jamill on our staff as well," Popolizio said. "We were teammates in college for a few years so I know he brings a tremendous work ethic and wealth of knowledge in the sport of wrestling."
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue head wrestling coach Scott Hinkel filled out his staff on Friday, hiring former Boilermaker standout Chris Fleeger as an assistant coach. Fleeger was a three-time All-American for the Boilermakers and most recently was the head coach at Darton College in Albany, Ga. “It’s exciting to bring one of your own back,” said Purdue wrestling head coach Hinkel. “You can’t put a price tag on someone who wants to be here, and Chris really wants to be here. It’s not a job for him, it’s a passion, it’s an opportunity and it’s a chance for him to come home. This is where he wants to be.” Chris FleegerHinkel continued, “Chris can help us take the program somewhere it hasn’t been in a really long time. He did it as an athlete, and now he has the chance to do it as a coach.” Fleeger competed for the Boilermakers from 2002 to 2006 and is one of three wrestlers in school history to earn All-America honors three times. He placed third at the national championships at 125 pounds as a freshman in 2002, was the NCAA runner-up at 125 pounds in 2003, and took home second place at the 2006 NCAA Championships at 133 pounds. He was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Championships in 2003 after capturing the conference title at 125 pounds, putting together the second-best single-season record in school history (32-1). Fleeger still owns the second-best winning percentage in Purdue history (.905/86-9), and he also owns spots on the career record lists for falls and back points. His success on the mat is not limited to his time as a Boilermaker, as Fleeger had several impressive showings on the international scene. He earned bronze medals at the 2002 World University Wrestling Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, and at the 2001 Pan American Championships, and won the 60 kg/132 lb. weight class at the 2006 Sunkist Kids Arizona State International Open in Tempe, Ariz. “It’s always been a dream of mine to coach at Purdue and to coach alongside Coach Hinkel, and now I get to live that dream,” said Fleeger. “I’m excited about the potential that we have on our team at Purdue, and I can’t wait to get back in there with some of the guys I’ve worked with in the past, as well as get to know the rest of the team. We have great things in store.” Fleeger has had coaching stints at Purdue and Darton, mentoring a combined three All-Americans. As a volunteer assistant at Purdue, he helped rising junior Cashé Quiroga to become just the third true freshman in Purdue history to earn All-America honors, placing sixth at 125 pounds in 2010. He also worked with 2009 Boilermaker All-American Jake Patacsil, who took fifth place at 149 pounds and rewrote the Purdue back point record books. As the head coach at Darton, Fleeger was named the NJCAA Eastern District “Man of the Year” after leading six Cavalier wrestlers to the NJCAA Wrestling Championships in 2012. Under Fleeger’s guidance, sophomore Trey Hicks earned All-America honors with an eighth-place finish at 184 pounds, becoming just the second national honoree in Darton history. A native of Trout Run, Pa., Fleeger will start his assistant coaching duties immediately.
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Fight Now USA 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 with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. to noon ET. This week's guest: 9:03 Al Bevilacqua, Beat the Streets co-founder 9:20 Carl Adams, Boston head wrestling coach 9:40 Stephany Lee, U.S. Olympian in women's freestyle at 72 kilos 9:50 Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:03 Randy "Lewboo" Lewis, Olympic champion 10:20 Terry Steiner, United States head women's freestyle wrestling coach 10:40 Clarissa Chun, U.S. Olympian in women's freestyle at 48 kilos 10:50 Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino and Resort Fans, athletes, coaches: Join in the conversation live by calling 866-333-5966 or 515-204-5966. Listen on radio, computer, Blackberry, or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app.
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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. Q: Rutgers has made great strides these last couple of years but what do you think it will take for them to get some All-Americans and secure some top recruits? -- Frank P. Foley: The Rutgers coaching staff came into the 2007-2008 season with a lot of hopes for the program. Scott Goodale was a wildly-successful high school coach with ambitious plans for New Jersey's biggest Division I program (Coincidentally Goodale was hired about the same time as other high school coaches Kevin Dresser at Virginia Tech and Steve Martin at ODU.) His first classes were loaded with talent, including #2 overall recruit Scotty Winston who is headed into his senior season without visiting the podium. Still the program has continued to recruit talent with the elephant remaining their inability to transition high school talent into All-American statues. Scott Goodale (Photo/Tom Ciszek)The lack of All-Americans in New Brunswick has bothered Goodale, that much I've seen first-hand. He's a passionate coach and not finding the podium has put a on the staff, his wrestlers and much of central NJ. Maybe it' because I like Goodale and the coaching staff, but I'm optimistic about their upcoming chances to place. In fact I think they'll be in a position soon to have All-Americans on a seasonal basis. Dresser was in a similar predicament for the past three seasons: big classes, great regular seasons, subpar performances at NCAAs. Now, after a two All-American season which saw his former high school team Christiansburg honor its first Division I All-American (Devin Carter), the program seems on solid ground and positioned for even better outcomes in the years to come. The same will happen fro Rutgers. Goodale and Rutgers will be producing AAs very soon (especially if they land little Ashnault) and all the worry will dissipate. They've hired NCAA champion Frank Molinaro, which should add some fire to the room, but it'll still ultimately come down to Goodale. Good coaches are good coaches even if they're in a slump. Expect Goodale to right the Grease Trucks and start cranking out the hardware over the next three seasons, especially if they land Little Ashnault. Q: What happened to Derrick Borlie? He seemed to drop off the face of the wrestling planet this year. I know that he left Wisconsin and heard a few murmurs/rumors that he might end up at Virginia Tech, but nothing since and nothing official. This kid wrestled extremely well in Trevor Brandvold's injury absence a couple seasons ago at Wisconsin. Can you offer any insight into why he left Wisconsin and if his wrestling career if over or just on hold one year due to NCAA regulations regarding school transfers? -- Merris S. Foley: Word 'round the Commonwealth is that we can expect to see Borlie wearing the Virginia Tech singlet in 2012-13. I don't think he'll have to sit out a season, unless he has an academic eligibility issue, which can arise when you transfer credits between schools. Q: Who do you see in the starting lineup for Ohio State next year with Chris Philips and Nikko Triggas back and some more good freshman coming in? -- Tom S. Foley: How many young dudes can Tom Ryan stuff onto one roster? Yes, Chris Phillips has reemerged with the Buckeyes after a short-lived stint outside of wrestling. As one Ohio observer noted to me when Phillips was in high school, "He could place right now at NCAAs." Phillips was 16, but I nodded in agreement. Nikko Triggas is expected to return to the Buckeye lineup after back-to-back redshirt seasons (Photo/Kevin Schlosser, BuckeyeWrestling.com)Whatever had been driving Phillips to compete in high school seems to have been misplaced the past two years. Now reunited with Team Monroeville, and under the tutelage of a very serious-minded head coach in Tom Ryan, Phillips should be motivated to compete this year, or next. I'm no longer in the coaching business and I'm not sure what was holding Phillips back from competing, but I trust that Coach Ryan will make the right assessment and either place him directly into tough competition to reignite that competitive spark, or hold him back and let him regain his bearings. Either way, I'm happy to see such a talented wrestler coming back to the sport. I imagine he's still a threat to place at NCAAs. Nikko Triggas will be competing next year as the oldest non-LDS wrestler in Division I (fact check me). The 2010 All-American has taken consecutive redshirts, the first was the common NCAA-allotted redshirt, followed by his Olympic redshirt. There was significant grumbling in 2008 when several wrestlers took Olympic redshirts, even as they seemed far from competitive. Triggas finished fourth at the Trials. Overall the Buckeyes are a stronger team with Triggas in the lineup, while 2011-2012 starter, freshman Johnni Dijulius will benefit from time spent on the redshirt circuit. Triggas scored 15 falls in 2010 and with an extra few years of training, fans should expect him to come up with bonus points in many of their toughest matches. Q: What do you think Penn State's starting lineup will look like next year? With Molinaro and Wade graduating and the transfer of Lawson plus the incoming freshman, it should be interesting. My guess is Nico Megaludis, Jimmy Gulibon, Luke Frey, Andrew Alton, Dylan Alton, David Taylor, Matt Brown, Ed Ruth, Quentin Wright, Jimmy Lawson/Jon Gingrich. -- J.T. Patkalitsky Foley: Your guess is as good as mine, and I like your guess. Q: Any word on Josh Dziewa of Iowa? Will he have a chance to make the lineup next year or end like the Moore brothers? -- Robert S. Foley: He's in a tough spot, but if Hawkeye fans think he's the answer at 149 pounds they might be misled. I've talked to a few coaches who wrestled against him this year and they all kinda said the same thing, that they think the best weight for him is 141 pounds. Yes, but is he willing and/or able to make the cut? I don't know, but Dziewa is certainly gifted. But in the Iowa system you advance not by talent, but by being more hard-nosed than the guy in front of you. So far Dziewa hasn't shown the type of gumption that earns the ass slap and "go get 'em" from the Brands bros. Next year is a another chance for Dziewa crack the lineup, and I hope to see him competing for the chance to wrestle at Big Tens and NCAAs.. Q: I heard Fresno state might try to bring back wrestling, Have you heard anything on this? -- Eric B. Foley: Former head wrestling coach Dennis Deliddo and the Fresno State alumni are always working to find solutions to bring back their program, but from what I've been told nothing new seems to be in the works. I hope I'm wrong. The whole thing is sad, Fresno was a great program the provided educational opportunities to lots of California men who otherwise might not have had the chance. Q: Has there been any college wrestling teams that has had three or more of its wrestlers go undefeated during a season? How many times has it been done? -- Rick S. Foley:You, of course, are referring to what Frank Molinaro, David Taylor and Ed Ruth were able to accomplish this season fro Penn State. Yes, they were the first trio to pull off such a feat. I did some research to make sure and this is what I found. The closest trios I could find were on the 1992 and 1997 Iowa Hawkeyes. The 1992 team as led by undefeated performances by Terry Steiner and Terry Brands. However, Tom Brands was pinned by Alan Fried at Midlands. (Please turn on the volume and listen to Sandy Stevens! Hall of Famer!) In 1997 the team was also very close with undefeated NCAA champions Lincoln McIlravy and Mark Ironside. But it was Joe Williams who upended your dream, losing to Ernest Benion of Illinois in the Big Ten finals. In 1998 Joe Williams and Mark Ironside were both undefeated NCAA champions, but Jeff McGinness had four losses on the season. (**If you really want to talk about incredible, read this stat. Among the Penn State trio that went undefeated only Frank Molinaro had a match closer than three points, his 6-5 defeat of Oregon State's Scott Sakaguchi at NCAAs. The trio was 95-0 and only that once did an opposing wrestler come within a takedown of the upset.**) Q: Better wrestler: Louden Swain or Kyle Timmons? Better Wrestling Movie: Vision Quest or Win Win? Best use of singlet: With a collared shirt or to show your man strength? -- C.B. Foley: Kyle Timmons ALL DAY. Don't mess with Coach from Vision QuestVision Quest. I see it as a motivational piece with wrestling in the foreground, while Win Win was a movie about family and money troubles in middle America set with the backdrop of wrestling. I think of it like this: Exchange basketball for wrestling in both movies. In Vision Quest it makes no sense, but in Win Win the story could survive. Collared shirt, whistle and clipboard means "I didn't come here to f&@# around!" Don't mess with that man. Do not do it. Q: The Mullet vs. The Mohawk -- Jason B. Foley: Anyone can grow a mullet. Italian soccer players grow them because they think it'll land them bed with Spanish models. It takes real commitment to grow out your hair, buzz your sides, then use product to spike your hair. I like commitment, therefore the easy winner is the mohawk (Also it's essentially Joe Dirt versus Mr. T and Mr. T, well, he ain't no fool.) How about the coifed combo created by this Portuguese heartthrob. Might his hairstyle defeat them both?? The faux-hawk mullet. Yes, that just happened.
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Iowa Western Community College has landed Devin Peterson (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.), the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestler at 195 pounds. Devin Peterson (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Peterson originally committed to Wisconsin, but had a change of heart. Peterson is the nation's No. 11 overall senior recruit by InterMat. He was a Junior National double champion last summer in Fargo. This past season he went 40-0 en route to winning a Wisconsin state title at 195 pounds. Peterson is the second InterMat Top 100 recruit that Iowa Western has landed this spring. Earlier this week Roland Dunlap (WI), who is ranked as the nation's No. 78 senior recruit, signed with Iowa Western. Iowa Western has also signed three-time state champion Tyler Nation (Scottsbluff, Neb.), two-time state champion Derek Geddings (South Sioux City, Neb.), state champion John Jude (Milwaukee Bradley Tech, Wis.), two-time state finalist Nolan Oviatt (Logan-Magnolia, Iowa), and state placewinner Greg Jacquez (West Aurora, Ill.).
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Related Link: The MMA Outsider Podcast Archives With the UFC's third network-televised show going down this weekend, Richard and John preview the four main card bouts at UFC on FOX 3. After that, John talks with UFC welterweight Chris Clements, who picked up a win over Keith Wisniewski at UFC 145 in his promotional debut.
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Nineteen wrestlers with college eligibility remaining competed at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the freestyle competition. Let's examine how each performed in Iowa City, and what's ahead. Matt McDonough College: Iowa Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 55 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 1 Olympic Team Trials Performance: McDonough, wrestling in front of his home crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, opened with a victory over college rival Brandon Precin. In the Challenge Tournament quarterfinals he was blanked by 2011 U.S. World Team member Nick Simmons in two periods. McDonough bounced back to beat Frank Perrelli, before being knocked out by 2010 U.S. World Team member Obe Blanc. Looking Ahead: McDonough will be in search of his third NCAA title. He will be the prohibitive favorite if he stays at 125 pounds. Earl Hall College: TBD Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 55 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 4 Earl Hall battled Henry Cejudo tough in his first match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Olympic Team Trials Performance: Hall went 2-2. He battled Henry Cejudo tough in the opening round and even registered a takedown, but lost the match in two periods. His most notable win came over four-time All-American Zach Sanders of Minnesota. It's a pretty impressive result for an 18-year-old who has not yet wrestled a college match. Looking Ahead: Hall spent this past year at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs after a prep career in Florida. He plans to wrestle in college, but is still undecided on where. Iowa State and Oklahoma State are at the top of his list, but he has not completely ruled out the possibility of spending another year at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Logan Stieber College: Ohio State Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 60 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 3 Olympic Team Trials Performance: Stieber, who entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed, reached the finals, before losing to Coleman Scott. He had wins over Jimmy Kennedy and Mike Zadick. Looking Ahead: Stieber will enter the season as the favorite at 133 pounds after winning an NCAA title as a redshirt freshman. Tyler Graff College: Wisconsin Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 60 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 2 Olympic Team Trials Performance: Graff opened with a three-period loss to two-time NCAA champion Matt Valenti, but battled back to finish third. His victories came over Derek Moore, Justin Pearch, and Andrew Hochstrasser. Looking Ahead: Graff is expected to be back in the Badger lineup at 133 pounds after taking an Olympic redshirt this past season. The two-time All-American will be in the hunt for an NCAA title, but will have his work cut out for him with seven of the eight All-Americans at 133 pounds returning. Jason Chamberlain College: Boise State Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 66 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 1 Jason Chamberlain defeated Cary Kolat in his first match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Olympic Team Trials Performance: Chamberlain turned some heads when he defeated U.S. freestyle great Cary Kolat in the opening round. He then lost a close match to Josh Churella in the quarterfinals. Chamberlain came back to defeat 2005 NCAA runner-up Joe Johnston, before being eliminated by 2010 NCAA runner-up Chase Pami. Looking Ahead: Chamberlain, a 2011 All-American, will be one of the favorites to win a national title, most likely at 149 pounds. He was 29-2 in 2010-11, losing only to Frank Molinaro of Penn State and Jamal Parks of Oklahoma State. Jordan Oliver College: Oklahoma State Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 66 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 1 Olympic Team Trials Performance: Oliver was originally slated to wrestle at 60 kilos, but did not make that weight and moved up to 66 kilos. He wrestled Brent Metcalf right out of the gate, and battled the former Hawkeye tough, but fell in three periods. Oliver then faced Adam Hall in the consolation bracket and lost in two periods, 1-0, 1-1. Looking Ahead: Indications are that Oliver will move up from 133 pounds to 141 pounds for his senior season. He proved at the Trials that he can hang with the bigger, stronger wrestlers. (Metcalf was a 149-pounder in college; Hall, a 157-pounder.) With the top-three NCAA finishers at 141 pounds graduating, Oliver would be a prohibitive favorite to win his second NCAA title. Andrew Howe College: TBD Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 74 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 1 Olympic Team Trials Performance: Howe put together a strong performance, winning the Challenge Tournament at 74 kilos, which includes victories over NCAA champion David Taylor, NCAA runner-up Tyler Caldwell, and 2009 U.S. World Team member Trent Paulson. In the best-of-three finals he faced defending World champion Jordan Burroughs. The first match went to Burroughs in three periods, but Howe suffered an injury in the match and was forced to default to Burroughs. Looking Ahead: Howe has compiled a gaudy 94-8 record in three seasons at Wisconsin. He is an NCAA champion, two-time NCAA finalist, and three-time All-Americans. He is coming off an Olympic redshirt season, which he spent in Ann Arbor, Mich., training with the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. It remains to be seen whether Howe returns to Madison for his senior season, or whether he transfers to another program. Either way, Howe will be a frontrunner to finish his career on top of the podium. Kyle Dake College: Cornell Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 74 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 1 Kyle Dake had two wins over Nick Marable at the Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Olympic Team Trials Performance: Dake registered wins over past NCAA All-Americans Colt Sponseller and Nick Marable, before losing in the semifinals to Trent Paulson in three periods. Dake came back to finish third, earning a fall over David Taylor and beating Marable for the second time in the tournament. Looking Ahead: All eyes will be on Dake this coming season as he looks to become just the third four-time NCAA champion in Division 1, and the first to accomplish the feat without a redshirt season. His titles have come at three different weigh classes. Dake may or may not move up again for his senior season. He says he will do what is best for Cornell. David Taylor College: Penn State Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 74 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 2 Olympic Team Trials Performance: Taylor opened with a three-period victory over Moza Fay, but was sent to the consolation bracket when Andrew Howe shut him out in two periods, 1-0, 5-0. He came back to defeat Mike Poeta and Colt Sponseller, which set up the much-anticipated showdown with Kyle Dake. The match was controlled Dake, who earned a second-period fall. Looking Ahead: It will be difficult for Taylor to have another season as dominant as the one he had this past season. He was 32-0 with 30 bonus-point victories. Taylor has stated that he is planning on staying at 165 pounds next season, a weight class that could be one of the toughest in NCAA wrestling history if Andrew Howe and Tyler Caldwell return to the weight class, and Kyle Dake moves up. Tyler Caldwell College: TBD Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 74 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 2 Olympic Team Trials Performance: Caldwell topped Matt Brown in his first match, before falling in two periods to Andrew Howe in the Challenge Tournament semifinals. Caldwell then dropped a match to Nick Marable in the consolation semifinals. Looking Ahead: Caldwell is coming off a productive Olympic redshirt season in which he placed in a handful of international events. After finishing as an NCAA runner-up at 165 pounds to Jordan Burroughs in 2011, Caldwell announced after the coaching change at Oklahoma that he would be transferring to Nebraska. He has since reconsidered, but has yet to announce where he will wrestle next season, and whether he will compete at 165 pounds or 174 pounds. Matt Brown College: Penn State Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 74 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 3 Olympic Team Trials Performance: Brown went 1-2, defeating Ryan Morningstar, before falling to Tyler Caldwell and Colt Sponseller. Looking Ahead: Brown, widely considered the best backup in college wrestling this past season, is expected to step in the Nittany Lion lineup at 174 pounds this coming season, with Ed Ruth moving up to 184 pounds. Quentin Wright College: Penn State Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 84 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 1 Quentin Wright opened with a victory over Bryce Hasseman (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Olympic Team Trials Performance: Wright started his day by defeating Bryce Hasseman in two periods, before being blanked by Keith Gavin, 7-0, 4-0. He was then eliminated from the competition after losing by fall to Mack Lewnes. Looking Ahead: Indications point toward Wright moving up to 197 pounds for his senior season. The top three finishes at 197 graduate, but NCAA champion Dustin Kilgore could be returning to the weight class. Ed Ruth College: Penn State Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 84 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 2 Olympic Team Trials Performance: Ruth dropped his first match to Phil Keddy in three periods. In the consolation bracket he defeated Joe LeBlanc, before being eliminated by Raymond Jordan. Looking Ahead: Ruth, InterMat's Wrestler of the Year in 2012, is expected to move up to 184 pounds and into a weight class that returns five All-Americans (not counting teammate Quentin Wright), including NCAA champion Steve Bosak of Cornell. Dustin Kilgore College: Kent State Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 96 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 1 Dustin Kilgore gets instruction from Brandon Slay and Bill Zadick (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Olympic Team Trials Performance: Kilgore, who took an Olympic redshirt this past season, was the No. 1 seed in the Challenge Tournament. He reached the semifinals with a win over Trevor Brandvold. In the semifinals Kilgore lost in two periods to Chris Pendleton. He bounced back to defeat David Zabriskie in the consolation semifinals, before dropping the third-place match to fellow Ohioan J.D. Bergman. Looking Ahead: Kilgore will return to Kent State for his senior season in search of his second NCAA title. His biggest challenge at 197 pounds will likely come from another 2011 NCAA champion, Quentin Wright of Penn State. Tanner Hall College: TBD Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 96 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 4 Olympic Team Trials Performance: The 19-year-old Hall lost his first match to David Zabriskie in two periods, and then was knocked out of the tournament after losing his second match to Trevor Brandvold in three periods. Looking Ahead: Hall, who has spent the past year at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, plans to make his college decision within the next month or two. However, don't expect to see him in college competition for a few years. Hall plans on taking a two-year mission with his church before he enrolls in college. Jarod Trice College: Central Michigan Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 120 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 1 Jarod Trice defeated Dom Bradley in three periods (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Olympic Team Trials Performance: Trice finished fourth in the Challenge Tournament at 120 kilos. He opened with a three-period victory over longtime rival Dom Bradley, but was sent to the consolation bracket after losing to Tervel Dlagnev. Trice came back to shut out Chad Hanke, before losing his third-place match to Steve Mocco. Looking Ahead: Trice, a two-time All-American, took an Olympic redshirt this past season and will be back in a Chippewa singlet for his senior season. He will look to improve upon his fourth-place NCAA finish in 2011. Dom Bradley College: Missouri Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 120 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 1 Olympic Team Trials Performance: After dropping his first match to Trice, Bradley, a 2009 Junior World champion, rebounded to defeat Justin Grant. He was then eliminated by Steve Mocco. Looking Ahead: Bradley split time with 2009 NCAA champion Mark Ellis for two seasons before eventually becoming the full-time starter in 2010-11. In his first season as the full-time starter, Bradley finished third at the NCAAs, losing to eventual NCAA champion Zack Rey of Lehigh. Bradley will be one of the top contenders to finish on top of the NCAA podium in 2013. Chad Hanke College: Oregon State Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 120 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 1 Olympic Team Trials Performance: Hanke went 1-2. He lost his first match to Les Sigman, rebounded to defeat John Helgerson, and was then knocked out of the competition by Jarod Trice. Looking Ahead: Hanke has one more season of eligibility remaining at Oregon State. He has had an underwhelming college career to date, but has improved tremendously over the past year and should be in the hunt for an NCAA title at heavyweight. This past season Hanke wrestled unattached as a redshirt and was the only wrestler to defeat Oklahoma State's Alan Gelogaev. Justin Grant College: Bloomsburg Olympic Team Trials Weight Class: 120 kilos College Seasons Remaining: 2 Olympic Team Trials Performance: Grant opened with a 32-second fall over James Friedrich, but dropped his next match to Tervel Dlagnev in two periods. He came back to defeat Charles Fish, but his run ended after losing his next match to Dom Bradley. Looking Ahead: Grant started his college career at Kutztown, a Division II program, and spent two seasons there before transferring to Bloomsburg last year. He posted a record of 18-15 while redshirting this past season. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
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Before participating in the NY/NJ Charity Challenge in late March, Dylan Palacio was discussing his college decision-making process. He said he was undecided but volunteered that "the Cornell coaches feel like family." With the importance Palacio places on family, it's no surprise that he announced after a trip to Ithaca this weekend that he has chosen the Big Red for his academic and wrestling future. Dylan Palacio (TheMatSlap.com)"I felt like I belonged there," he said. "There's definitely a feeling that I won't be just another wrestler. I'm a family member. All the coaches -- they care about me and want me to thrive. Besides, what's not to love about Cornell? It's a beautiful campus with great academics and people. It felt like home to me." The Long Beach senior comes from a long line of successful wrestlers. His father Leo was a county title winner. His uncle Al (a teammate of Rob Koll at North Carolina) was a three-time state champion and a two-time NCAA All-American for the Tar Heels, while his uncle Luis also earned All-State honors and was a multi-time league champion. "I wrestle with them all the time and sometimes we don't talk for weeks it's so competitive," he said. "When I was in the state finals, I looked at my family. That's who prepared me; that's who made me a champion. I had to win for them." Palacio did a lot of winning in 2011-12. In fact, he was an undefeated state champion, topping fellow Big Red recruit Brian Realbuto to win the Eastern States title in January at 152 pounds. He steadily climbed the national rankings with a dominant campaign, going 41-0 with 37 bonus victories. If his 11-4 triumph over Tyler Grimaldi in the 160 pound title bout in Albany wasn't enough, Palacio followed it up with a pin over unbeaten New Jersey champion Raamiah Bethea in the Charity Challenge and then a national title at the NHSCA tournament in Virginia Beach. Now, InterMat's No. 64 recruit in the nation will turn his focus to a new challenge -- the Junior Nationals in freestyle and Greco in Fargo, North Dakota in July. While he has made the podium there in the past, he is looking to do more than that this time around. "I'm humble about Fargo, but very hungry," he said. "I'm not going out there to place. I want to be under the spotlight with New York on my back, adding championships in Greco and Freestyle to the one I won in Virginia Beach." According to a recent article in WIN Magazine, Cornell has the No. 2 recruiting class in the country this year (before Palacio's commitment). The Big Red will bring in highly regarded talents such as Blair Academy's Mark Grey, four-time California state finalist Alex Cisneros, three-time Empire State victor Realbuto, and state champions from Illinois (Steve Congenie and Angelo Silvestro) and Michigan (Gabe Dean and Taylor Simaz). Palacio is excited to be joining such a distinguished group. "I think we'll be like murderers row," he said. "I think we're the best class in the country and I'm not afraid to say it." The All-State soccer player will enroll at Cornell in the fall of 2013, spending the next year training with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club in Ithaca under the tutelage of coaches such as All-Americans Clint Wattenberg, Cam Simaz and Frank Perrelli and competing in open tournaments. He came into his final high school campaign with goals of winning at both the state and national levels. He accomplished those things and said he's sure of what he hopes to achieve wearing a Big Red singlet. "My next dream is to be a national champ in college," he said. "I know it's a totally different world in college. I know I'm at the bottom and I'll need to climb back to the top. I know I'll have to earn every win I get. But I've told myself, 'don't get bitter, just get better' and I've lived by that. I believe I'll outwork everyone. I'm willing to put in the blood, sweat and tears to get to my goals like I did this year." It's unclear at what weight class he will attempt to make his mark. "I never lifted weights in my life. I could wake up next year and be wrestling at heavyweight," he said with a laugh. "Who knows where I'll end up?" Whatever weight it turns out to be, Dylan Palacio feels confident that he will be spending his next several years among family. This story was originally published on NewYorkWrestlingNews.com.
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The Iowa Western wrestling program made two of its biggest signings on Monday, claiming the talents of two Wisconsin big men as Roland Dunlap (Muskego, Wis.) and John Jude (Milwaukee, Wis.) both pledged to wrestle for the Reivers. Roland DunlapRoland Dunlap brings national acclaim to Iowa Western's 2012 recruiting class as the No. 78 overall recruit in the nation as ranked by InterMatWrestle.com landing him ninth ranked in the nation at 182 pounds and fifth ranked at 195 pounds by TheOpenMat.com. Dunlap capped off his near perfect senior year claiming his second state title with a 46-1 overall record with his only loss coming to the top ranked wrestler nationally Devin Petersen by only two points. The Muskego High School product tallied an impressive 159-9 career record and claimed fifth and third-place medals his freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively, in addition to his two state titles. Dunlap will wrestle 197 pounds for the Reivers. Dunlap chose Iowa Western over Iowa Central, North Idaho, Edinboro, Campbell, and Lindsey Wilson. John Jude also stood atop the podium at the Wisconsin state tournament in the heavyweight division. Jude, who missed his junior season due to a transfer rule, dazzled the crowd with a pin in the state finals followed by a cartwheel into the splits. Nearly untouched his senior year, John racked up a record of 49-1 with 43 pins. Jude went on to earn All-American honors at the NHSCA Senior Nationals, arguably the toughest tournament in the nation, with an eighth-place finish. The Milwaukee Bradley Tech High School product also has claimed All-American honors with his sixth-place finish at the Fargo Cadet Nationals in freestyle, and a sixth-place finish at the Junior Nationals in folkstyle, both in 2010. Jude chose Iowa Western over Ellsworth, NIACC, Minnesota State-Mankato, and Augsburg.
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Jake Kettler wrestled at the 2012 Olympic Team Trials in Greco-Roman (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Jake Kettler, a 2012 Olympic Team Trials qualifier in Greco-Roman at 120 kilos, informed InterMat that he will be transferring from the University of Minnesota to George Mason University. Kettler, a 2009 graduate of Anoka (Minn.) High School, took an Olympic redshirt during the 2011-12 season. He has been among the nation's top Greco-Roman heavyweights on the senior level over the past two years. Kettler placed sixth at the U.S. Open this year and fourth at the U.S. Open in 2011. He has placed in the top four at several international wrestling events, including the Haavisto Cup (Finland), New York AC International, and Sunkist Kids International. As a redshirt in 2009-10 for Minnesota, Kettler posted a 17-4 record, which included tournament titles at the Kaufman-Brand Open and North Country Open. He followed that season up by posting a 14-7 mark as a redshirt freshman. Kettler was a Minnesota state champion in 2009. He was also a Junior National double All-American in Fargo, finishing runner-up in the Junior National freestyle competition. Kettler is the second high-profile upperweight to commit to George Mason this spring. On April 11, Matt Meadows, who is ranked ninth at 220 pounds by InterMat, announced his plans to wrestle for George Mason.
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The University of Minnesota wrestling team held their annual team awards banquet on Sunday night at the Ramada Inn in Minneapolis. Over 200 guests were attendance to honor the 2011-12 team well as individual honorees, who were presented with their awards at the event. Minnesota capped off the season with a second place finish at the 2012 NCAA Championships. The Gophers were also crowned NWCA/Cliff Keen National Dual Champions and were named the Big Ten Regular Season Dual Co-Champions. The team finished the regular season with an overall record of 14-3 and 7-1 in the Big Ten. Minnesota defeated both Iowa (16-15) and Oklahoma State (18-13) en route to their National Dual title. Four-time All-American Zach Sanders was named Most Valuable Wrestler of the Year for the second straight season. Sanders closed out his career with a third place finish at NCAA championships and finished ranked sixth on the all-time wins list (134-27) for Minnesota. The Wabasha native was also awarded the Upperclassman Academic Award for his work in the classroom. Sonny Yohn was voted as the Verne Gagne “Leadership Award” winner. Yohn wrapped up his career as a three-time All-American and finished with 111 career wins in the Maroon and Gold, which puts him in a tie for 25 on the all-time list. 2012 Heavyweight National Champion Tony Nelson was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler award. The redshirt sophomore defeated the last year’s champion (Zach Rey) on the grand stage by a 4-1 decision. Nelson finished the season with an overall record of 32-2 and finished the season on a 25 match winning streak. The Cambridge native also captured titles at the Bison Open, Southern Scuffle and the Big Ten Championship. Kevin Steinhaus led the Gophers with 34 wins this season. The Pennock native was named the Most Dedicated Wrestler of the Year after picking up his second straight All-American honor. The redshirt sophomore was also the Big Ten Champion this season and was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week after defeating Quentin Wright of Penn State by a 6-1 decision. Jake Deitchler who entered the 2011012 season as the favored Gopher wrestler at 157 pounds, was forced to end his career shortly into the season. Deitchler wrestled in seven matches this past season with only one loss before being forced to retire due to multiple concussions over the course of his career. The Anoka native and 2008 U.S. Olympian was named the Fraser Dean Most Courageous Wrestler Award. Redshirt freshman Dylan Ness, who finished runner-up at 149 pounds in the country, was named the Most Outstanding Freshman of the Year. Ness upset then undefeated Jamal Parks of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals in St. Louis. The Bloomington native led the team in wins by fall this season (eight), which also gave him the Most Falls Award for the season. True freshman Logan Storley was named the Most Exciting Wrestler of the 2011-12 season. Storley capped off an All-American season in his first year wearing the Maroon and Gold. The South Dakota native finished the year with a record of 25-9 and a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships. Storley also finished the Big Ten regular season with a perfect 7-0 record. Chris Dardanes was named the Most Improved Wrestler of the season. Dardanes earned his first All-American honor after placing fourth at the NCAA championships. The Chicago native joined the starting line-up midway through the season and finished with 25 wins. Freshman Brenton Beard was named the Freshman Academic Award Winner of the Year.
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Fight Now USA Presents Takedown Wrestling from the Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! Congrats to our new Olympians and coaches. Well done, Iowa City, well done! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio. Join Scott Casber and Brad Johnson with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CST/ 10 a.m. to noon ET. This week's guests: 9:03 Ben Askren, Bellator champion, 2008 U.S. Olympian 9:20 Joe Bastardi, Penn State insider 9:40 Joe LeBlanc, Indiana assistant coach, former Wyoming wrestler 9:50 Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:03: Dan Gable, 1972 Olympic gold medalist and legendary coach 10:20 Duane Goldman, Indiana head coach 10:40 Mo Lawal, MMA fighter 10:50 Maureen Roshar Wildrose Casino and Resort Fans, athletes, coaches: Join in the conversation live by calling 866-333-5966 or 515-204-5966. Listen on radio, computer, Blackberry, or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app.
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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. Q: When is the last time a college has qualified two (2!) wrestlers for the Olympics like Oklahoma did this year? -- @drube Foley: Boomer Sooner! Coleman Scott and Sammie Henson jumped in on Twitter to help answer this question, which unfortunately for your school pride has many answers. Okie State had three wrestling Olympians in 2004 (Eric Guerrero, Jamill Kelly, Daniel Cormier) and Iowa had three in 2008 (Doug Schwab, Mike Zadick and Steve Mocco). Sam Hazewinkel (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)What made the Okahoma connection interesting to me was that both the wrestlers were from Florida ... Frayer having grown up in Clearwater and Hazewinkel in Pensacola. Also interesting is that both wrestlers had a reputation for being bridesmaids, consistently coming up short in championship performances. Frayer lost to Minnesota's Jared Lawrence in the 2002 NCAA finals and to Brent Metcalf for a spot on the 2010 World Team. Hazewinkel finished third at NCAAs three times before placing second in 2007. He finished second in the Greco-Roman Olympic Team Trials in 2008 and second in the 2011 freestyle World Team Trials. Being second is something Hazewinkel is very conscious of, telling ESPN.com, "I don't even remember the last time I was No. 1." So what changed in 2012? Both have personal lives and off-the-mat motivations, and both are veterans facing the prospect of 2012 being their last chance to make an Olympic team. But motivations exist for everyone on the cusp of making an Olympic team and several other wrestlers nearing the end of their career had similar motivations to make it happen in 2012. The difference? In my opinion it was Oklahoma head coach Mark Cody. The first-year head coach was in the corner for both Frayer and Hazewinkel, who train in Norman. He's not as celebrated for his freestyle coaching as he is collegiate success, but when you're the commander-in-chief, winning (and losing) are easily associated with your guidance/presence/coaching. It's unclear what he did to motivate his wrestlers, but for me effective coaching comes from confidence, and it's evident in all of Cody's wrestlers that they compete with his full trust. This is anecdotal, but I remember watching Ganbayar step off the mat after his last match at the 2011 NCAA tournament and give Cody a full-on, head-in-the-shoulder hug. Ganbayar loved his coach, and when imbued with that type of confidence from someone who demands respect, wrestlers tend to perform. Whatever the X factor, one thing is certain: Frayer and Hazewinkel wrestled their asses off last weekend. Q: My question for you this week is do you think our current Olympic team qualification process ultimately provides us with the team with the greatest potential for success at the Olympics? I hate to raise this question because one of my favorite aspects of wrestling has always been the fact that one controls their own destiny. More specifically, one has complete control over making a team unlike in many other sports where making the team is at the sole discretion of the team's coach. With this being said, I wonder if we would be more successful at the Olympics if were to combine the current qualification process with some sort of discretionary component. The discretionary component could basically be structured as a panel consisting of the nation's top coaches or former athletes that would vote to determine the wrestler with the highest potential in each weight class. If a wrestler were to receive an overwhelming majority of the panel's votes, he would be given the spot on the team, regardless of his final placement at the trials. My concern with the current structure, which lacks a discretionary component, is that an athlete could have the worst tournament of his career at the trials and lose to an athlete with far less potential to medal at the Olympics. With a discretionary component, we would also limit situations where our most capable wrestler at a given weight class loses to an inferior competitor simply due to a bad matchup of styles. I would like to note that this question isn't directed at the results from any specific weight class from this past weekend and my hat is off to all of the athletes that competed in the tournament and especially to those who will be headed to London. I just think this could be an interesting concept for discussion. -- Rick T. Foley: USA Wrestling did a lot to adjust the rules after the team's disastrous performance at the 2008 Olympics. The best-of-three format and mandate that a returning medalist must also be out-competed at an international tournament were adjustments that eliminated some of the fallout from guys losing due to a bad matchup. Nick Simmons defeated Henry Cejudo in a wild three-period match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Don't shrink away from a little controversy! Right or wrong, there are some people who saw this weekend as a setback for 55 kilos. Henry Cejudo seemed capable to place on the World stage, but he isn't going and Nick Simmons, who can score bunches in bunches, lost to eventual Olympian Sam Hazewinkel. The former Greco wrestler has some people doubting he can make an impact on the international stage. I'd think that your panel would have been employed to "right" this weight class. Maybe send the two overseas for another competition? Select Simmons outright? The better question might be: How would a panel affect the motivations of our wrestlers aspiring to compete for a spot on the World level? Would it de-motivate those trying to climb from No. 2 or No. 5 to the top spot? Wouldn't it seem silly to compete if you knew that No. 1 was being selected regardless? Let's assume Cejudo had stayed active in wrestling over the past few years, we'd have seen a vacant 55 kilos weight class. Cejudo is too popular (profitable even?) to USA Wrestling to not take him to London should the opportunity arise. The same can be said for Jordan Burroughs at 74 kilos. Who in America, given the chance, wouldn't have sent Burroughs to the Olympics if he'd lost to Howe in the finals? Howe had Burroughs breathing hard, but ultimately I could never see an Olympic panel choosing Howe over Burroughs. Those type of big brother selections disincentives our athletes from competing, which in turn would lessen our stars' in-country competition, and ultimately make for a weaker team. Not to mention it seems wholly and completely un-American. This isn't Russia! Wait, maybe that was your point ... ? Q: As a former college wrestler, you know the importance of administrative support in building a wrestling program. However, how come when a program is not succeeding, it's always about the lack of administrative support the program gets? Is this really a reason some programs don't succeed or a part of a number of other issues? Sure, when a program does not have the full allotment of scholarships that can affect a team, but, do you think administrative support is overblown? What exactly is administrative support anyway? Is it the AD showing up at wrestling meets? Is it helping the team get a bigger budget? What role does the administration really play in a program? And for those who don't succeed, is it really the administration, the coaching, the kids or a combo of all? -- Matt K. Foley: I think that the heart of your question is essentially a definition of the idiom "administrative support," and once defined, can we determine whether or not it impacts a program. In my opinion administrative support comes down to how often the associate athletic director looks at the head wrestling coach and says "Yeah, I think we can push for that." That's a simple answer, but for programs that aren't in the top five, the main frustration for many coaches is having an excellent idea squashed by a pear-shaped bureaucratic. Everybody needs an advocate and a wrestling coach's job is much easier when they have a direct boss willing to push for their needs to the head athletic director. I've seen administrators willing to double leg higher-ups to get a few grand extra into the wrestling budget. Likewise, I've seen admins who reflexively reply "no," often as a misplaces exertion of their power, or to show the AD that they know how to "manage" their coaches. The programs with advocates tend to do better, and those advocates tend to fall under the umbrella of "administrative support." Wrestling coaches tend to be entrepreneurial and their ideas are aggressive and unique, without an advocate those ideas become stymied, but with administrative support they can create an atmosphere where they feel comfortable and fulfilled, which should lead to more wins for their wrestlers. Q: I currently live in Florida, but despite high school wrestling being quite popular and competitive in Florida, the college wrestling programmatic scene, other than at the club-NCWA level, is practically non-existent. Yet, many DI, II, and III teams sponsor or participate in tournaments and duals in Florida each year, e.g. The Citrus Duals and the UCF Open. Do you foresee any kind of progressive evolution in Florida college wrestling? Do you see, or have you heard anything, about change? -- Scott C. Foley: Florida has had five Division I wrestling programs (year dropped in parenthesis): UCF (1986), Stetson (1986), Florida (1979), Florida State (N/A), Jacksonville Univ. (N/A). That's the history of Division I wrestling in the state, now the question becomes how to regain traction. Football is king in Florida, they produce some of the highest quality players in the nation and the college teams win NCAA titles, which are highly lucrative for the state-run universities. The Univ. of Alabama is reported to have net more than $75-million in profits this season, which if used wisely can help reduce the financial burden on students (or just go into building a bigger stadium). The problem with Florida is that while many people living outside the state think of it in terms of Orlando, Miami and Naples the reality is that much of the state is impoverished. As recent at 2010 the state had one of the five lowest-ranked educational programs in the nation (public). Of course money helps solve educational woes and the best way many of these schools can think to improve their financial health is to roll the dice on a creating a profitable football program. The University of Central Florida is a good example of how wrestling is challenged in Florida. The school has one of the most successful club wrestling programs in the country (Oviedo High School, one of the best in the state is five minutes from campus), but receives no support and has been given no indication that it'll become a sanctioned sport. Meanwhile UCF football an also-ran and habitual under-performer has received tens of millions in support, starting with their top-dollar pursuit of head coach George O'Leary in 2004 (I lived in Orlando when he was hired and remember being confused when I saw a life size cut out of paunchy O'Leary at a local Dominos ... showing me an overweight man is not the way to get me to buy a pizza.) Since hiring the once-maligned coach, UCF is 50-51 in nine seasons and is paying O'Leary an annual salary of $1.4 million dollars. His online profile proudly boasts that the ball coach was also instrumental in having "lobbied for new facilities." You can bet those came at a price tag in the millions. Wrestling doesn't generate income. Money means influence in college athletics and because the UCF program can't show the administration that their program would be value-added, they'll never earn a fair shake at becoming a full Division I program. The problem exists not just in Florida, but across the country and the enemy is football. I know that's not a popular assertion but the problem with the reduction of men's sports isn't Title IX, but football expenditures and the appeal of making massive amounts of money from viewership, attendance and bowl game appearances. Title IX is flawed, but it's the money grab of football that plays a large role in distorting the priorities of a university. If the powers within college athletics suddenly decided to eliminate the relationship between football and the university system, the educational system would have the incentive to focus on promoting lifestyle-based sports. They'd do it at a loss, but that loss would be an investment in the final product: healthy and happy students. A non-football sports university could provide students a diversity of athletic opportunities on campus by promoting healthy and sustainable sports like swimming, track and wrestling. Instead, with costly entertainment sports like football driving the decisions of administrators little is done to promote healthy living among students. When you factor in the booze, sugar water and processed foods consumed in celebration of a football program (not to mention the needless weight gain of football players, concussions, lifelong injuries ...) the sport is in sum unhealthy for both fans and participants. America has an obsession with football and its allowed that passion to muddle what should be a focus on the founding principles of physical education. Profit should never be what guides the decisions about athletics in education, but it's become the only factor. Until that changes we'll keep seeing .500 coaches with million dollar salaries at football programs nobody gives a damn about. Q: If you could wrestle any one person from history who would it be? -- Matt M. Foley: Cael Sanderson. I'd love to feel the pressure on his ankle pick and find out if my shot has a chance of scoring (it doesn't). Since you probably meant historical figure, I'm going with Milos of Croton. Yes, he is rumored to have off'ed a few wrestlers, but I'd love to see how much wrestling had progressed since the 6th century B.C. Also, Milos of Croton was rumored to have been killed by a pack of wolves while trying to upend a tree. I repeat: A pack of wolves while trying to upend a tree ... Q: What have you heard regarding the rumor that David Thorn of Minnesota will attempt to go down to 125 pounds? -- Kevin W. Foley: I can confirm that David Thorn has decided to make the cut to 125 pounds. He's committed, but it's going to be a bit of a cut. He hasn't made the weight since high school. Q: Do you think Slippery Rock will ever re establish their wrestling program? -- Richard R. Foley: Unfortunately, no. The competition for athletic dollars is too high and there are still issues at Slippery Rock with complying to Title IX statues of proportionality. Greg WarrenQ: Can you look at Wes Wesley's (Greg Warren) march to becoming an All-American? He beat top high school coaches Roy Hall of Michigan State (Metcalf, Reader, etc) and Sean Bormet of Michigan (Overtime, Jake Herbert). Shows how awesome wrestling is when a future comedian can beat two of the most intense coaches currently in the sport. -- Robert S. Foley: That's pretty incredible. I'm a big fan of Bormet and what he's able to do with his athletes and Hall has produced some of the best prep wrestlers in the country. Greg Warren deserves some respect! Q: I'm not certain many wrestling fans are into pop culture, that's why they're wrestling fans. If they liked popular things, then they would probably be watching basketball. With that said: Who is the best wrestler in MMA today? Not necessarily the most accomplished because we can all look that up, but who would you currently have at the top of your list? Me, in the UFC probably Johny Hendricks but in all of MMA, it's tough to ignore Askren. -- Trena H. Foley: You're being tough on our little niche, Trena. It's true that the wrestling community isn't always the first to adopt popular trends, but our conservative approach to change can be to our advantage. Point in case would be the premise behind your question regarding wrestling in MMA. If collegiate wrestlers were more liberal with what they enjoyed many more would be hopping to their backs in an effort to look as cool as their Brazilian counterparts. Instead wrestlers, always the last to change, have decided that they'd prefer to just wrestle, ground-and-pound and throw haymakers from their feet. So far it's working out pretty well for our boys (and girls). Who is the best MMA wrestler? No question it's Ben Askren. I wrote a list of the best MMA wrestlers last year for FIGHT! Magazine and put Askren No. 2 behind Georges St. Pierre (remember it's effective MMA wrestling, which GSP has executed on the very best wrestlers in MMA, including Josh Koscheck). Now, I would absolutely promote Askren to No. 1 on the list. The Bellator champion could change MMA with his wrestling dominance. He blankets opponents, guys who normally earn submissions from their back or else escape with ease have spent entire fights on their backs. Two weeks ago Askren embarrassed Douglas Lima by staying on top of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt for the full 25 minutes of their title fight. That's simply ridiculous. Here's a prediction for you. Put Askren in the cage with GSP, and the former would be walking away with the UFC belt. He's that good at wrestling in the cage. Q: Fantasy match: Tom Cruise vs. Jose Reyes. -- Frank P. Foley: I don't know if it's that I don't see the relation between Reyes and Cruise, or if it's that I'm envisioning Reyes in full Mets (now Marlins) uniform and Tom Cruise dressed as a German officer in "Valkyrie" but reading this matchup had me belly laughing. As with all matchups, we'll need a Tale of the Tape to help us breakdown the physical forms of the MLB All-Star and legendary actor. Reyes is the younger of the two, coming in fresh-faced at 28 while Cruise is six months shy of his 50th birthday (we share the birth date July 3). The Marlins shortstop is significantly larger than Cruise, weighing in at 195 pounds and measured at a height of 6'1," while Cruise is rumored to be 5'7," 170 pounds. Those are significant athletic advantages for Reyes. Can Cruise overcome the younger Reyes' strength and athleticism? If Cruise can overcome Reyes athleticism it'll have to be from better technique. Lucky for Cruise, he was a high school wrestler at Glenn Ridge High School in New Jersey. Not much is written about his record, but we do have this awesome photo and rumors that he knows how to "hit a high crotch." From what I could find, Reyes has a limited wrestling background. However he is from the Dominican Republic, where recently discovered cave drawings showed wrestling among the indigenous people of Hispaniola. As a celebrity Tom Cruise is as well known for his odd behavior off-screen as he is his impressive resume of hits. He's a renowned scientologist, has an awkward marriage to Katie Holmes and once jumped up and down on Oprah's couch. But, he's also an action hero and on several occasions has performed his own high flying stunt, like running down the outside of the Burj Khalifa -- the world's tallest building -- for "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol." In addition to his wrestling career in New Jersey, Cruise is arguably the greatest sprinter in movie history. Don't believe me? Did you see "Far and Away"? A chilled and desperate Tom is dashing through the New York City winter to save his darling Nicole Kidman from the clutches of a Irish crime boss Colm Meaney? "Ghost Protocol" has Cruise running from -- then through (!) -- a sandstorm. As Mitch McDeere in "The Firm" Cruise outlasts the Quaker Oats guy on a dash to the window of his Memphis law practice, where he eventually jumps into a truck filled with recently plucked cotton, a commodity I highly doubt is toted around downtown in the back of a single pickup truck. Not enough to prove he's the greatest movie runner of all time? Cruise also scuffs KEDS in "Collateral," "War of the Worlds," "Minority Report," "Knight and Day," "Days of Thunder," "Born of the Fourth of July," and all the previous "Mission Impossible" movies. He's sprinted in all but 9 of his almost 40 movies! The guy even found space in the "Jerry Maguire" script to break into his patented nose-breathing gallop. (The definitive history of Tom Cruise running in the movies). So what does Cruise's incredible history of sprinting on film have to do with wrestling? Nothing, but where else will I ever be able to write about my obsession with Tom Cruise's habit for running on screen? Who wins: The all-star baseball player with youth and vigor on his side, or the famous movie actor with a wrestling past? Cruise is expecting early aggression by Reyes, who he's figured will try and earn an early lead. As someone who understands the physical limitations of sprinting, and the cardio necessary to be a good wrestler, Cruise plays it safe. A head snap by Reyes puts Cruise's head on the mat and Reyes grabs what looks to be a front headlock. He whips back and forth, but Cruise maintains good positioning, though Reyes ultimately spins behind for the takedown. One minute into the first period and Reyes is up 2-0. Cruise is taken out of bounds, but on the restart explodes into a standup and escapes with little problem. Back on their feet the actor and the ball player are both battering heads with open palms. Reyes' mouth is now open, the strain of the match is already wearing on him. Cruise circles, Reyes mimics, but as the period comes to a close, there's been little action. It's 2-1 Reyes headed into the second. Reyes defers and Cruise chooses bottom. Again, Cruise escapes. On their feet with the score tied 2-2, Reyes reaches up to snap Cruise's head but get's too high and the smaller Cruise sees an opportunity for offense and hits an ugly, but effective high crotch. Cruise sits the shortstop to his butt and finishes off to a double. It's immediately clear that Reyes is extremely uncomfortable on the mat. Cruise stays on top and with :45 left in the period begins working an arm bar. Reyes, who initially tried to maintain a base, is now riding out the period on his belly, unaware of the dangers this might cause him should Cruise run the arm bar. Cruise looks to nudge the arm bar into place, but gets too excited when Reyes sits into the pressure, and the actor looks for an arm bar stack. It proves too ambitious as Reyes sits out, causes a minor scramble and gets an escape. The score is 4-3 heading into the third. Confident he can escape, Reyes chooses bottom. He looks to stand up off the whistle but Cruise snags an ankle and a waist (that crafty bitch!), and drives Reyes to the mat. Once flat, Reyes takes a deep breath and puts his forehead on the mat. Cruise dawdles on top, grabbing wrists, but staying parallel, eventually earns a stalling warning near the edge of the mat. With one-minute remaining and with 1:30 of total ride time advantage on the clock, Cruise and Reyes head back to the center of the mat for a restart. Reyes escapes! Cruise is taken off-guard by the sudden burst of energy and can't get to Reyes' ankles. The duo are now back on their feet, the score tied 4-4, with Cruise expecting a ride time point. Reyes is told he needs to score to win and begins to mount a furious hand fighting attack. Cruise, with a stalling call against him tries to avoid the danger and simply drops his stance and controls Reyes' elbows as he slows down. Reyes reaches for Cruise's leg with 15 seconds remaining, but Maverick avoids the danger zone and executes a perfect down block. Time ticks to zero, and Cruise is awarded the 5-4 victory. The celebration would have to combine stunts and running. Preferably lots of running. Another note on Cruise. Jay Mohr told his podcast a few months ago that Cruise claims his dream role is to play Dan Gable in a biopic. Playing a 20-something Olympian might've sailed for the 49-year-old actor, but his heart is in the right place.
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STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum has selected its 2012 state and regional winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. The award is part of the Hall of Fame’s Educational Outreach Program. Forty-nine seniors from those states that sponsor high school state wrestling championships have been chosen for the honor. The high school excellence award is named in honor of the late Olympic and world champion Dave Schultz. Each award recipient is evaluated on excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service. A graduate of Palo Alto High School in California and the University of Oklahoma, Dave Schultz was regarded as a tireless competitor and a supreme technician on the mat. He was beloved throughout the world of amateur wrestling for his friendliness and his eagerness to lend help or advice to teammates and opponents alike. Schultz was tragically murdered in 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997. “Dave Schultz was one of the most respected wrestlers the United States has ever had as a high school, collegiate, world and Olympic champion ,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Since the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award’s inception in 1996, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame has recognized 726 student-wrestlers. The national award winner will be chosen from the regional winners and announced on April 30. The winner will attend the annual hall of fame induction ceremony on June 1 and 2 to accept the award. “These student-wrestlers are role models who influence young people in a very meaningful way,” said Smith. “Statistics show that both male and female students are more likely to stay in school, graduate and become more productive citizens when they participate in extra-curricular activities and after school programs like wrestling.” The five regional winners are: Central Region: Kyle Crutchmer is a two-time Oklahoma High School State Champion with a career record of 155-19 with 78 career pins at Tulsa Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He claimed four USA Wrestling Junior National Freestyle All-American honors and a 2011 National Jr. Freestyle title. He also earned two FILA Cadet All-American honors. He was selected to the 2012 Dapper Dan USA Team and is a member of the Tulsa Union High School Leadership Program and Redskin Aid Opportunity Team. He maintains a 3.3 GPA and will be attending Oklahoma State University this coming fall as a projected 165-184 pounder. Midwest Region: Taylor Massa is a four- time Michigan High School State Champion with a record of 231-0 at St. John’s High School in St. John’s, Michigan. He is a two-time USAW Junior FILA National Champion and a 2011 FILA Junior Freestyle World Team member. He claimed four Cadet National titles and was an Asics first team All-American. He is also a member of the St. John’s High School Renaissance Club, multiple trimester Honor Roll member, and Catholic Confirmation Cadet Sponsor. He maintains 3.67 GPA and will attend the University of Michigan this coming fall as a projected 165-174 pounder. Northeast Region: Jimmy Gulibon is a four-time Pennsylvania High School State Champion with a career record of 137-4 at Derry High School in Derry, Pennsylvania. He claimed an individual title at the 2011 Ironman Championships and was selected for the 2012 Dapper Dan Pennsylvania Team and USA Dream Team Classic. He is a member of the Derry High School Honor Roll and spearheaded a fundraising effort for pediatric cancer patients this past wrestling season in Derry. He volunteers his services with local youth at the Young Guns Wrestling Club. He maintains a 3.5 GPA and will be attending Penn State University this coming fall as a projected 125-133 pounder. Southeast Region: Rossi Bruno is a five-time Florida High School State Champion with a career record of 248-3 at Brandon High School in Brandon, Florida. He was selected for the 2012 USA Dream Team Classic. He was a 2011 and 2010 USAW Junior Greco-Roman National Champion and a 2011 Junior Freestyle All-American. Bruno is a certified USA Wrestling Official and has officiated for the Florida Armature Wrestling Association in State Tournaments. He is a member of Brandon High School National Honor Society and maintains a 4.3 weighted GPA. He will be attending the University of Michigan this coming fall as a projected 125-133 pounder. West Region: Jordan Rogers is a three-time Washington High School State Champion at Meade High School in Spokane, Washington. He was selected to the 2012 USA Dapper Dan and USA Dream Team Classic. He’s earned USAW Junior and Cadet Freestyle and Greco-Roman All-American honors and claimed a Silver Medal at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in freestyle. He’s a member and leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Meade H.S. and is an Athlete Representative for USA Wrestling Washington, Volunteer Coach for the Big Cat Youth Wrestling Club, and Associated Student Body Member at Meade High School. He maintains a 4.0 GPA and will attend Oklahoma State University this coming fall as a projected 184 pounder. The 2012 Winners by State, Name and School: Alabama, Dillon Campbell, Oak Grove High School Alaska, Jared Miller, Dillingham High School Arizona, Trey Andrews, Safford High School Arkansas, O’Dell Lee, Bryant High School California, Alex Cisneros, Selma High School Colorado, Dwight Howes, Arvada High School Connecticut, R.J. LaBeef, Pomfret School Delaware, Kaleb LeMaire, Cesar Rodney High School Florida, Rossi Bruno, Brandon High School Georgia, Dalvin Tomlinson, Henry County High School Hawaii, Cassidy Oshiro, Maryknoll School Idaho, Raymond Evans, New Plymouth High School Illinois, Zane Richards, Carbondale Community High School Indiana, Jason Tsirtsis, Crown Point High School Iowa, John Meeks, Roosevelt High School Kansas, Matthew Reed, Wichita Heights High School Kentucky, John Fahy, Trinity High School Louisiana, Scott Gibbons, Archbishop Rummel High School Maine, Ethan Gilman, Massabesic High School Maryland, Nathan Kraisser, Centenial High School Massachusetts, Jeffery Ott, Belmont Hill School Michigan, Taylor Massa, St. Johns High School Minnesota, Brandon Kingsley, Apple Valley High School Missouri, Austin Roper, Kirksville High School Montana, Ben Stroh, Chinook High School Nebraska, Thomas Gilman, Skutt Catholic High School Nevada, Jace Billingsley, Lowry High School New Hampshire, Zack Bridson, Timberlane High School New Jersey, Mark Grey, Blair Academy New Mexico, Eric Montoya, Volcono Vista High School New York, Brian Realbuto, Somers High School North Carolina, Tony DeAngelo, Southern Alamance High School North Dakota, Jared Reis, Napoleon High School Ohio, Nick Tavanello, Wadsworth High School Oklahoma, Kyle Crutchmer, Tulsa Union High School Oregon, Zack Brunson, Churchill High School Pennsylvania, Jimmy Gulibon, Derry High School Rhode Island, Stephen Jarrell, East Greewich High School South Carolina, Jordon Wigger, Summerville High School South Dakota, Alex Kocer, Wagner High School Tennessee, Zach Watson, Baylor School Texas, Nicholas Herrmann, Tascosa High School Utah, Brandon McBride, Olympus High School Vermont, Zak Hale, Mt Anthony Union High School Virginia, Brooks Martino, Robinson Secondary School Washington, Jordon Rogers, Mead High School West Virginia, Dylan Cottrell, Roane County High School Wisconsin, Jarod Donar, Cuba City High School Wyoming, Jordon Hanson, Lander Valley High School
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Related Link: The MMA Outsider Podcast Archives With UFC 145 in the books, Jon Jones is still the light heavyweight champion, and Rory MacDonald and Michael McDonald (no relation ... and different name spellings) established themselves as serious future contenders in the welterweight and bantamweight divisions, respectively. Richard and John discuss that and two other major news items -- Bellator champion Hector Lombard's move to the UFC and the Nevada State Athletic Commission's hearing to determine the punishment for heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem's elevated testosterone levels from a surprise urine test. In a bonus interview, Xtreme Couture featherweight prospect Jimmy Jones joins the show. Since his last appearance, he improved his professional record to 4-1. He spoke with John about when he plans to fight next, a possible future move to bantamweight, why the Boston Red Sox stink at the moment, and how to be handsome on Twitter. Bonus: Jimmy Jones Interview
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Gardner-Webb signed seven wrestlers Boiling Springs, N.C. -- The Gardner-Webb athletics department, in conjunction with the Gardner-Webb wrestling team, is pleased to announce the signing of seven student-athletes - Tyler Ziegler (Cincinnati, Ohio), Ryan Mosley (Stone Mountain, Ga.), Austin Trott (Kingsland, Ga.), Kyle Ash (Tulsa, Okla.), Hunter Gamble (Stockbridge, Ga.), Gray Jones (Kingsland, Ga.) and Boyce Cornwell, Jr. (Conyers, Ga.) -- to National Letters of Intent to continue both their academic and athletic careers at GWU. "We are extremely excited about the group we have coming in this fall," stated new head coach Daniel Elliott. "On paper this is one of the best classes we have had sign here at GWU. We have signed some of the best kids out of the Southeast, as well as, some quality student-athletes from the Midwest and some of the best high school programs in the country as four of our signees are from top-40 nationally ranked high school teams." Ziegler, who comes to GWU from Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, which finished the season ranked 18th in the nation overall among the team rankings, posted a 40-13 overall record and finished sixth in the state at 126 pounds last year as a senior. Ziegler, who recorded an overall career record of 85-37 on the mat at Moeller High School, is a two-time First-Team All-GCL selection and an Academic All-Ohio honoree. Last year during his senior season, Ziegler, who served as the Team Captain, was a District Champion. He was named to the First-Team All-District Team, was tabbed as a SWOWCA All-Star, and was awarded the Crusader Award which is given to the individual who best displays the qualities of the wrestler and individual which the program aspires to produce: honesty, loyalty, respect, unselfishness and class. Off the mat, Ziegler is a member of the National Spanish Honor Society and a four-year member on the honor roll. Mosely, a 141-pound grappler from Shiloh High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., posted a perfect 59-0 record during his senior campaign last season. The all-time record holder for wins at Shiloh H.S. with a career record of 198-18 completed a perfect season last year by winning the Class AAAAA 138-pound state championship. Mosely was also the Area 8-AAAAA Champion, the Sectional Champion, the Gwinnett County Coaches Wrestler of the Year and the Gwinnett Daily Post Wrestler of the Year. The four-time Team MVP, placed third in the state at 130-pounds and was an Area 8-AAAAA Champion in both his junior and sophomore seasons to earn him All-Gwinnett County recognition both years. The four-year Five Star General Award Winner also lettered in football and baseball where he was the starting quarterback for two years and both a catcher and pitcher on the baseball team for three years. Trott, who came in at the end of the season ranked #14 in the nation among high school wrestlers at 152-pounds by InterMat Wrestling and was named as an InterMat All-American, comes to GWU from Camden County High School in Kingsland, Ga., which finished the season ranked 40th in the nation among all high school teams. In his senior season, Trott went 47-1 overall at 152-pounds and was a NHSCA Senior Nationals Runner-Up as well as a Georgia State Champion. As a junior, Trott went 52-0, was a Georgia State Champion and took fifth-place at the NHSCA Junior Nationals event. The three-time Team Captain was a Georgia State Champion as a sophomore and both a Georgia State Runner-Up and a Fargo Greco-Roman All-American during his freshman season. Over his four-year high school career, Trott, who was a four-time State Finalist and a three-time State Champion, posted a record of 193-8 in which he competed at 103-pounds, 130-pounds, 140-pounds and 152-pounds. Ash, who hails from Tulsa Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, posted a record of 42-6 last year during his senior season. Ash, who is a state champion, a two-time state placer and a two-time Geary Champion, won the Outstanding Senior Award last season and helped to lead his team to a top-20 national ranking by InterMat Wrestling. The Cadet All-American and Junior All-American in Fargo posted a career record of 158-24 over his four years at Union High. He is a four-time state placer who took second-place at the Reno Tournament of Champions in 2011 and fourth-place in 2010. Ash twice posted the most falls on his team and won both the Outstanding Junior and Outstanding Freshman Awards. DIcollegewrestling.net ranked the senior grappler the 97th overall recruit in the class of 2012. Gamble, another grappler from the state of Georgia, comes to GWU from Union Grove High School in Stockbridge, Ga. The three-time state finalist posted an overall career record of 194-28 during his four seasons at Union Grove. Last year as a senior, Gamble went 49-1 overall and won the AAAA State Championship at 160-pounds. The two-time Team MVP and two-time Wolverine Award winner, was a AAAA State Runner-Up his junior season and a AAAAA State Runner-Up as a sophomore. The 2012 NWCA Dream Team selection was also a recipient of the 2012 Coca-Cola Scholar Athlete Award. Jones, a high school teammate of Trott at the nationally ranked Camden County High School in Kingsland, Ga., is a two-time state champion and a state duals champion. Jones, who went 40-2 during his senior season at 182-pounds, won the Georgia State Championship in both his senior and junior seasons, after finishing as a state qualifier his sophomore year. Jones, who recorded 40 wins or more in each of his three years on the varsity team, also lettered in football for one year at Camden County. In the classroom, Jones graduated 13th overall in his class, was on the A-Honor Roll all four years and has already accumulated college credits from the College of Coastal Georgia. Cornwell, Jr., a 197-pound grappler from Heritage High School in Conyers, Ga., posted a record of 44-3 last year as a senior at 195-pounds. Last season, he was a State Champion, a East Sectional Champion, an Area Champion and a Flonationals All-American. Cornwell, Jr., who was also named to the GWCA Dream Team in 2012, is a three-time Team MVP and Team Captain. The two-time All-Area Honorable Mention, placed sixth at the state championships at 215-pounds and won the Area Championship, earning First-Team All-Area recognition as a junior. Cornwell, Jr., who posted 117 wins overall during his four-year career at Heritage H.S., is a National Honor Society member and ranks in the top-10 percent of his senior class academically. "We are looking forward to working with and helping to develop these athletes both in the classroom and on the mat," continued Coach Elliott. "While we are ecstatic about this class already, we still have some loose ends to tie up with recruiting and hope to add some more kids to this class."
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InterMat has released updated grade level (recruiting) rankings. The Top 100 seniors, Top 50 juniors, Top 50 sophomores, Top 25 freshmen, and Top 15 junior high wrestlers are ranked. InterMat Platinum is required to view all the rankings. Below is a sneak peek at the top wrestlers in each grade. Senior (Top 10): 1. Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Ind.) 2. Taylor Massa (St Johns, Mich.) 3. Jimmy Gulibon (Derry, Pa.) 4. Jordan Rogers (Mead, Wash.) 5. Mark Grey (Blair Academy, N.J.) 6. John Meeks (Des Moines Roosevelt, Iowa) 7. Joey Davis (Santa Fe, Calif.) 8. Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) 9. Alex Cisneros (Selma, Calif.) 10. Thomas Gilman (Skutt Catholic, Neb.) Ben Whitford (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)Junior (Top Five): 1. Ben Whitford (St. Johns, Mich.) 2. Bo Jordan (Graham, Ohio) 3. Brooks Black (Blair Academy, N.J.) 4. Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Mich.) 5. Dean Heil (St. Edwards, Ohio) Sophomore (Top Five): 1. Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) 2. Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) 3. Bryce Brill (Mount Carmel, Ill.) 4. Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) 5. Solomon Chisko (Canon McMillan, Pa.) Freshman (Top Five): 1. Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 2. Michael Johnson Jr. (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 3. Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.) 4. Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) 5. Matthew Kolodzik (Miami Valley School, Ohio) Junior High (Top Five): 1. Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) 2. Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 3. Mason Manville (Apple Valley, Minn.) 4. Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) 5. Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville)
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University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Heath Eslinger announced the addition of Jon Sioredas to the coaching staff today. A former All-American for the Mocs, Sioredas spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Old Dominion. Jon Sioredas (Photo/GoMocs.com)Sioredas (pronounced suh-REE-duss) was a two-time Southern Conference Champion and NCAA qualifier at Chattanooga from 2004-05. The 2005 SoCon Wrestler of the Year and SoCon Tournament MVP placed fifth at 165 at the 2005 NCAAs to claim All-American status. "Jon is going to be a great addition to our staff," stated Eslinger. "The fact that he is an alum and believes in what we are doing is a big deal to me. He brings a lot of intensity and energy to the wrestling room, but he is also really polished as a recruiter." Sioredas helped coach four All-Americans and an NCAA National Finalist is his last five seasons at ODU. He also helped the Monarchs reach a top-25 national ranking in three of the past five years. ODU also performed well in the classroom during his tenure, earning 10 Academic All-NWCA individual honors as well as being ranked in the top-10 in the nation in grade-point-average in 2011. "Chattanooga and Old Dominion are very similar in their successes on the mat and in the classroom," added Eslinger. "We were seventh in the nation in g.p.a. last year and they were fifth. Jon understands that being Chattanooga Strong means a commitment to comprehensive excellence - academically, athletically and socially - and that is very important to me." Sioredas was recently inducted into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame. After transferring from Missouri prior to the start of the 2003-04 season, he went 20-8 his first year at Chattanooga and was an All-Southern Conference honoree. As a senior in 2005, he was 29-4 overall with five pins and was named the SoCon Wrestler of the Year and Most Outstanding Wrestler at the SoCon Tournament. At the 2005 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., Sioredas pinned Minnesota's Matt Nagel in the fifth place match to earn All-American honors. The Mocs went on to finish 21st, tying for the second-best showing in school history at the Division I level. "After seeing the job that Coach Eslinger has done with our alma mater over the last three years, I knew that it was something that I wanted to be a part of," stated Sioredas. "They are moving forward in every aspect of the program and I want to be a part of building Chattanooga Strong into a nationally successful brand." Sioredas graduated in 2005 with a degree in Sociology & Anthropology. He earned his Master's in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University in 2009. A native of Chesapeake, Va., and a 2000 Great Bridge High School graduate, Sioredas was a Virginia state champion, All-American and National Champion. He amassed a 181-13 career record, becoming the fourth winningest wrestler in Virginia High School history. He and his wife, Michele, have a one-year-old son, Braden.
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Tervel Dlagnev and Kevin Wulff will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, April 25. “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. An archive of the show can be found on www.themat.tv. E-mail kklingman@nwhof.org with questions for any of the guests. Dlagnev recently made the Olympic team in freestyle wrestling at 264.5 pounds. He was a World bronze medalist in 2009 and a two-time NCAA Division II champion for Nebraska-Kearney. Wulff is the CEO of ASICS America. He will was recently at the Olympic Trials in Iowa City to presenting their “Stop at Never” athletic exhibition. ASICS has been long-standing supporter of wrestling.
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Five wrestlers with Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling ties competed at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials over the weekend. The group represented the Minnesota Storm and competed hard in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle, at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Former Golden Gopher C.P. Schlatter highlighted the weekend for the Minnesota Storm. Schlatter finished runner-up in the 66kg Greco-Roman division. He defeated RaVaughn Perkins (Ready RP Nationals) by a count of 4-0, 0-1, 1-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals he picked up a 0-1,7-0,5-0 decision against Faruk Sahin (Army) to advance to the championship. Schlatter would fall to Justin Lester (Army) in the championship in a best of three series. Dustin Schlatter recorded one win in the men’s 66kg freestyle division. He scored a 5-0,3-0 decision over Todd Meneely (UNA) in the first round, before falling to Jared Frayer (Gator Wrestling Club) 1-0, 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Schlatter ended his weekend in the consolation round after sustain an injury that forced him to forfeit. Pat Smith also wrestled at 66kg and left with two victories. He scored a 0-2, 1-0,1-0 over Josh Castellano (USOEC) in the first round and a 0-1,1-0,5-1 decision against John Cox (U.S. Marines) in the consolation round. Fresh off his fourth straight All-American accolade, Zach Sanders went 1-2 at 55 kg in the freestyle division. Sanders started off the weekend with a 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 decision against Angel Escobedo (NYAC) before coming up short in the quarterfinals. Also competing over the weekend were Kevin LeValley, who is a volunteer coach for the Gophers and Jake Kettler, who was taking an Olympic year for Minnesota.