InterMat Staff

Four All-Americans have been named captains of the 2011-12 University of Minnesota wrestling team. Seniors Zach Sanders and Sonny Yohn have been tabbed to lead the team, along with sophomores Tony Nelson and Kevin Steinhaus. The Gophers return seven of their nine competitors, from its NCAA Championship Team, which finished seventh overall last season. Minnesota will be looking to claim their fourth national championship this season. "Having great leaders is an important factor in achieving success here at Minnesota," assistant head coach Brandon Eggum said. "We are fortunate to have captains with great leadership and characteristics." Sanders, is a three-time All-American at 125 lbs, who has placed fifth at nationals the last two years. The Wabasha, Minn., native went 34-6 last season with seven pins. He holds a career record of 102-23 with 28 pins. Yohn enters his final campaign in the maroon and gold after coming off his second straight NCAA Championship appearance. Yohn, who hails from Alamosa, Colo., finished with 18 wins last season and a seventh place finish at nationals. He lost to Big Ten foe Matt Powless in the second round by split victory 3-5, but came back to defeat Powless 5-2 for the seventh place match in Philadelphia. The other two captains (Nelson and Steinhaus) as said before come from the sophomore class. This is something new to the Gopher tradition of having a couple sophomores take on the role, but Eggum and his staff feel pretty confident in their decision for this season. "It is a little unique to have two sophomore captains in Tony Nelson and Kevin Steinhaus," Eggum said. "These two have showed the skills on the mat and have shown the responsibility of being great captains. Nelson is coming off a very impressive freshman season. The Cambridge, Minn., native finished with a record of 33-8 and took seventh at the NCAA Championships to earn him All-American honors. He took second at the Big Ten Championships after falling just short to Iowa's Blake Rasing. Steinhaus, who picked up his first All-American honors with an eighth place finish at the NCAA Championships, finished with a record of 34-12 for the Gophers. Hailing from Pennock, Minn., Steinhaus also recorded 11 major decisions in the 2010-11 season. He placed second at the Big Ten Championships after falling 3-4 against the Nittany Lions Quentin Wright. Minnesota is set to open up practice on Monday October 10. The Gophers first competition of the season will be on Saturday November 12, as they will compete at the Bison Open.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum will give the Jim and Olive Morgan family its first Greco-Roman Legacy Award at the Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions. The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, at the Christensen Center Commons on the campus of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minn. The Morgan family is being recognized for their tremendous accomplishments in wrestling, specifically in the Greco-Roman discipline. A family of 12 kids, six boys and six girls, Jim passed along his boxing and wrestling skills to his boys. "It's a great honor," said Jim Morgan, father of the family. "I look forward to attending this event." Jim was one of eight boys in his family growing up in South Dakota where they had a boxing ring in their back yard. It's no coincidence all of the Morgan siblings were tough individuals. Jim became a barnstorming professional wrestler after leaving the Navy, spending over 20 years traveling the country. He took on all comers and worked with the likes of legendary wrestlers Red Bastein and Henry Korrum. John, Gordy and Marty -- sons of Jim and Olive -- won a combined 10 national Greco-Roman titles. They also competed in two Olympics and nine World championships. The Morgan brothers excelled in folkstyle wrestling prior to gaining fame in the Greco-Roman style. They combined for nine collegiate All-American honors; with John winning an NCAA Division II title at North Dakota State University and Marty winning NCAA championships for both NDSU and University of Minnesota. Jim and Olive's three oldest sons were boxers, all turning professional, including Danny Morgan, who twice fought for a world title. "Boxing and wrestling were something we grew up with," said Jim. "If you didn't do it, there must be something wrong with you." Alan and Gloria Rice, namesakes of the hall of champions, have been instrumental to the success of Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States. Alan Rice was a Big Ten champion and All-American for the University of Minnesota. In 1956 he won national titles in Greco-Roman and freestyle. He also competed at the 1956 Olympics and coached the 1972 Greco-Roman Olympic team. He and his wife, Gloria, helped form the Minnesota Wrestling Club. The Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions occupies a significant wing in the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo. Olympic and World champion Rulon Gardner will be inducted into this elite Hall. Gardner joins the inaugural 2009 class of Olympic champions Steve Fraser and Jeff Blatnick and World champions Mike Houck, Dennis Hall and Joe Warren. Festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. with a reception, followed by dinner at 7:00 and awards ceremony at 8:00. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at www.dgm-nwhof.ticketleap.com or by calling the Dan Gable Museum at 319-233-0745. Apple Valley to be recognized The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum will recognize the Apple Valley High School wrestling team for its outstanding accomplishments at the Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions ceremony. The event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, at the Christensen Center Commons on the campus of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minn. Apple Valley has been named the top high school wrestling team in the nation each of the past two seasons. They have also been dominant in their home state of Minnesota, winning 19 state team titles. The Eagles continually seek out nation-wide competition. Recent tournament titles include The Clash (32-dual team tournament in Rochester, Minn.), The Cheesehead (Wisc.) and the Keith Young Invitational (Cedar Falls, Iowa). Head coach Jim Jackson is entering his 17th season at the helm, and has been in the Apple Valley school system for 31 years. He began coaching at the junior level for five years after graduating from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Jackson's teams have captured 13 Class 3A championships in Minnesota. "Success breeds success," said Jackson. "We have a culture where kids pretty much train year round. The commitment from the parents and kids to do the work makes the difference. I've got great coaches on my staff." Apple Valley won six state championships under previous head coach Bill Demaray, the first in 1983. Demaray now works as an assistant coach and mentor to Jackson. Alan Rice, namesake of the Hall of Champions, will be honored with the Leadership Award. Rice was instrumental in the development of the American wrestlers in the Greco-Roman discipline for over half a century. He was an Olympian in 1956 and coached the 1972 Greco-Roman Olympic team. Along with his late wife, Gloria, Alan Rice helped form the Minnesota Wrestling Club. The Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions occupies a significant wing in the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo. Olympic and World champion Rulon Gardner will become the sixth inductee into this elite Hall. Gardner joins 2009 inductees Steve Fraser, Jeff Blatnick, Mike Houck, Dennis Hall and Joe Warren. The Jim and Olive Morgan family will receive the first Greco-Roman Legacy Award for their outstanding accomplishments. John, Gordy and Marty Morgan won a combined 10 national Greco-Roman titles and competed in two Olympics and nine World championships. The evening begins with a reception at 6:00 p.m. then dinner at 7:00 and awards ceremony at 8:00. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at www.dgm-nwhof.ticketleap.com or by calling the Dan Gable Museum at 319-233-0745.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum will honor Rulon Gardner as this year's inductee into the Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions. The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 1, 2011, at the Christensen Center Commons on the campus of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minn. Gardner is the most successful Greco-Roman wrestler in American history. He did the unthinkable at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia when he defeated 12-time World and Olympic champion Alexander Karelin from Russia in the finals. Gardner won a World title in 2001 and was a bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympics. "This is something really special," Gardner mentioned. "To be honored you have to be willing to put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into Greco-Roman wrestling. I'm just a simple person who wanted to be great and was committed and willing to do the hard work." Gardner carried the American flag in the closing ceremonies of the Sydney Olympics, an honor reserved for the biggest star of the Games. Gardner joins the Class of 2009 in this elite hall. The inaugural class included Olympic champions Steve Fraser and Jeff Blatnick, and World champions Mike Houck, Dennis Hall and Joe Warren. Alan and Gloria Rice, namesakes of the hall of champions, have been instrumental to the advancement of Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States. Alan Rice was a Big Ten champion and an All-American for the University of Minnesota. He placed fifth at the 1956 Olympics and coached the 1972 Greco-Roman Olympic team. The hall is located in the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. The Jim and Olive Morgan family will receive the Greco-Roman Legacy Award for their accomplishments in the Greco-Roman discipline. John, Gordy and Marty Morgan won a combined 10 national Greco-Roman titles and competed in two Olympics and nine World championships. Head coach Jim Jackson and his Apple Valley High School team will also be recognized. Apple Valley was the best high school team in the nation the past two seasons. The evening begins with a reception at 6:00 p.m. followed by a dinner at 7:00 and an awards ceremony at 8:00. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at www.dgm-nwhof.ticketleap.com or by calling the Dan Gable Museum at 319-233-0745.

With the high school wrestling season's start fast 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. For every wrestler who signs up for the team when they are in elementary or middle school, their ultimate goal is to be standing atop the podium at the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday during the month of March. Wrestling in the Keystone state has perhaps the deepest talent pool in the nation. With a population over twelve and a half million, the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) has only two classifications for wrestling. The small schools are in class 2A and the big schools are 3A. With its history-rich tradition, it is hard to set new records in PA. This season one wrestler will be looking to make history as Derry senior Jimmy Gulibon is aiming for his fourth individual state championship, becoming the 10th wrestling in the history of the state to win a gold medal in all four years competing in the PIAA individual state tournament. Gulibon would become the first wrestler in this millennium to win four championships. The last one to become a four-timer was McGuffey's Jeremy Hunter, who was first from 1993 through 1996. Hunter, now an assistant at Illinois, became an NCAA champion at Penn State in 2000 at 125 pounds. Gulibon, a Penn State commit, plans to compete at 125 pounds for the Nittany Lions when he becomes eligible. The question may be a coincidence, but will the next four-time state champion from Pennsylvania go on to become an NCAA champion for The Pennsylvania State University? The answer will result over the next four to five years. The following seniors are considered the 10 best in the Class of 2012. In all, they have accounted for 10 state championships, one Prep National title, and a total of 13 final appearances and two Prep National finals. Editor's note: "Words from the Corner"' come from the wrestler's coach. Jimmy Gulibon1. Jimmy Gulibon (Derry) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 126 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Words from the Corner: "Jimmy is a one in a million kind of kid both on and off the mat. The thing that makes Jimmy special is that he is never satisfied. No matter what the outcome or score is he wants to improve and get better. He wrestles to dominate and score points from the first second until the last. One of the things that makes Jimmy so rare is that he enjoys training as much as he does competing." -- Jody Strittmatter, Young Guns Wrestling Club Director/Coach Career Highlights: 2011 2A state champion (119) 2010 FloNationals champion (112) 2010 3A state champion (112) 2009 3A state champion (103) Verbal commitment to Penn State 2. Mitchell Minotti (Easton) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 152/160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Words from the Corner: "Mitchell Minotti is a classic example of what Pennsylvania wrestling is all about. At a young age he had great success in a variety of sports such as football and baseball, though always doing the PA wrestling circuit of state and national tournaments. Mitchell is very talented as an athlete, but in PA talent will only take you so far. Mitchell has a great work ethic, his goals are clear athletically and academically. He has faced great competition in the Easton wrestling room as well as our year-round schedule. With the lessons he has learned in the sport of wrestling on and off the mat, with the support he has given our youth wrestlers at Easton Gold Medal Wrestling Club, Mitchell has done us proud by becoming Easton's 35th state champion as a junior. No doubt Mitch will carry these experiences from Pennsylvania wrestling through his career at Lehigh University, as well as his lifetime, and continue to give back to the sport that has given him so much." -- Steve Powell, Easton Head Wrestling Coach Mitch MinottiCareer Highlights: 2011 NHSCA Junior National champion (140) 2011 3A state champion (140) 2010 Reno TOC champion (145) 2010 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals fourth-place finisher (140) 2010 3A state fifth-place finisher (130) 2009 3A state seventh-place finisher (119) Verbal commitment to Lehigh 3. Jason Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157/165 Words from the Corner: "He is perhaps the most physically-gifted athlete in the state of Pennsylvania, if not the entire country. His speed and quickness combined with his strength gives him the ability to score at any given time from any position on the mat. Off the mat, Jason is one of the kindest individuals to be around as he carries a very humble attitude. Jason has matured in the classroom as well achieving honor roll status last year as a junior. With major nationally-ranked tournament championships under his belt last year, including the Ironman and Beast of the East, he will be chasing the coveted PIAA AAA state championship this upcoming season." -- John Cortese, Central Catholic Assistant Wrestling Coach Career Highlights: 2011 3A state runner-up (160) 2010 Beast of the East champion (160) 2010 Walsh Ironman champion (160) 2010 Prep Nationals champion (152) (competed for The Kiski School, Pa.) 2009 NHSCA Freshman National champion (152) 2009 Prep Nationals runner-up (152) (competed for Blue Ridge School, Va.) As a freshman, Luster emerged as an immediate star when he placed third at Walsh Ironman while attending Woodberry Forest School, Va. He will wrestle collegiately for either West Virginia or Pitt. 4. Dominick Malone (Wyoming Seminary) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 126 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Words from the Corner: "Dom Malone is an exciting combination of physical talent, tireless work ethic, a high wrestling IQ, and passion for the sport. Plenty of wrestlers have one or two of these qualities, but Dom's the whole package which makes him a tough match up for anyone. As a freshman, he had a good repertoire, but his success was as much a product of his relentless attack and physical style as it was execution of effective technique. He set a fast and physical pace that sooner or later broke his opponents. That approach hasn't changed, but through hours of hard work, year-round, Dom has become a more complete wrestler. Now, in addition to being a special athlete, his setups, attacks and finishes on his feet are more complex and well executed. He has become very effective, in fact I would say dominant, on top ... whether riding or turning, and he wastes little time coming out of the bottom position. In my opinion, Dom's style and mentality are well suited for collegiate wrestling. I am confident that his best wrestling days still lie ahead of him. If you're curious about how he has progressed so impressively, stop by the wrestling room some weekday morning before school, or some Sunday afternoon or some hot July day and you will get your answer. Dom will be in the room training. In order to succeed in anything at a high level you need to be willing to do the hard things -- most people are not willing to -- Dom Malone is. He is good and he deserves to be good. He consistently does the hard things. Many don't realize that in addition to his wrestling talents, Dom is an honor roll student at Wyoming Seminary, a very rigorous college prep school. The faculty selected him to be a Levi Sprague Scholar in this his senior year. That is the highest student distinction that the school offers. He is a team captain and a leader on and off the mat. Dom is the whole package who approaches his academic pursuits and life off the mat -- with the same tenacity that he competes on it." -- John Gordon, Wyoming Seminary Former Head Wrestling Coach/Dean of Upper School Career Highlights: 2011 Prep National champion (119) 2010 Walsh Ironman runner-up (119) 2010 Cadet National freestyle third-place finisher (112) 2010 Prep Nationals runner-up (112) 2009 Cadet National freestyle fifth-place finisher (105) 2009 Prep Nationals third-place finisher (103) Malone is a three-time Beast of the East and Walsh Ironman placewinner. He has numerous college choices including: Northwestern, Missouri, Virginia, Illinois, Virginia Tech, and Indiana. Brian Brill5. Brian Brill (Central Mountain) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 152/160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Words from the Corner: "Brian Brill is a complete wrestler. He is very tough on his feet, but when he gets on the mat he is as good as I have ever coached. Brian has a natural feel for the sport and his body awareness makes him dangerous from any position on the mat. It has been great having him in our practice room. It is pretty obvious by looking at his success that Brian works hard, but the one thing that separates Brian is his ability and willingness to help his teammates. I sometimes think he gets as much pleasure in seeing his teammates improving as he does with his own achievements." -- Doug Buckwalter, Central Mountain Head Wrestling Coach Career Highlights: 2011 3A state champion (145) 2010 3A state fifth-place finisher (140) 2009 Cadet National freestyle runner-up (140) Brian Brill is deciding between Penn State, Lehigh, and Cornell as his college of choice. Nick Roberts6. Nick Roberts (North Star) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 113 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Words from the Corner: "Nick is a great competitor who wrestles his best when it matters the most. He has won at every age level that he has been at and he continues to improve as he gets older. He is also a great Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestler. He has won multiple national titles and has gained international experience representing the U.S. at the past two FILA Junior World Championships." -- Jody Strittmatter, Young Guns Wrestling Club Director/Coach Career Highlights: 2011 FILA Junior National freestyle champion (110) 2011 2A state champion (112) 2010 FILA Junior National freestyle champion (110) 2010 2A state third-place finisher (103) 2009 Cadet National freestyle and Greco-Roman champion (98) 2009 2A state champion (103) 2008 Cadet National freestyle and Greco-Roman champion (84) Roberts is your prototypical career 125 pounder in college. The Ohio State University and University of Michigan are his final college choices. 7. Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Words from the Corner: "Steve is a quick, powerful wrestler who stays low and attacks when someone comes out of their stance. His strongest position is neutral, but he has been doing a lot of spring and summer wrestling to improve his riding and tilting. Steve has been blessed with much natural ability and is a great scrambler." -- Shane McChesney, Erie McDowell Head Wrestling Coach Career Highlights: 2011 FloNationals fourth-place finisher (135) 2010 3A state champ (130) 2009 Cadet National freestyle 2nd (130) 2009 3A state third-place finisher (130) Spearman is undecided on where he wants to attend school. John Rizzo8. John Rizzo (Richland) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 285 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Words from the Corner: "Johnny is one of the most disciplined and dedicated heavyweights that I have ever been around. He is a very athletic heavyweight who uses his quickness and athleticism along with his strength and technique. He is extremely focused and driven to be the best he can be in all aspects of his life, whether it's on the mat, on the football field, in the weight room or in the class room." -- Jody Strittmatter, Young Guns Wrestling Club Director/Coach Career Highlights: 2011 2A state champion (285) 2010 2A state champion (285) 2009 2A state fifth-place finisher (215) He became the first Pennsylvania wrestler to capture heavyweight titles as a sophomore and as junior. Rizzo entered the state tournament with only one loss the past two seasons -- in both cases to Beth-Center's Jeff Tarley in the Southwest Regionals. He is multi-sport star on the mat and on the field for Richland's football team. John is undecided on which sport he will compete in college. 9. Corey Keener (Blue Mountain) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 126/132 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Corey KeenerWords from the Corner: "I have known Corey Keener since he was in sixth grade. Ever since I met him, you could tell that he was determined and had many goals that he wanted to fulfill. Corey is a natural leader and always displayed sportsmanship, win or lose. He has great work ethic in the room which has led to him being successful and it's also something that the younger wrestlers look up to. Corey spends time demonstrating technique and assisting the younger wrestlers in our program. One of my favorite things about Corey is that he is always respectful and is just an all around great kid who can also make you laugh. Some people would say that Corey won the most competitive weight class at last season's state tournament and I would have to agree. Throughout that process, Corey never backed down from a challenge and reached his goal on becoming a state champion. This was one of my proudest moments as a coach sitting in his corner and watching him win with class and outstanding character. I look forward to watching Corey compete in his senior season and as he enters college for Central Michigan University." -- Sam Julian, Blue Mountain Assistant Wrestling Coach Career Highlights: 2011 3A state champion (119) 2010 3A state runner-up (112) 2009 3A state fifth-place finisher (103) Verbal commitment to Central Michigan Keener is a three-time Schuylkill League Tournament champion, four-time Fargo placewinner, three-time Walsh Ironman placewinner, three-time District Eleven champion, and three-time Northeast Regional champion. 10a. Randy Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 126 Projected College Weight Class:133 Words from the Corner: "The best description of Randy is that he has tremendous natural ability, but also is mature and dedicated enough to always strive for improvement. I really believe in all my years of coaching he has been the most well-rounded student athlete that I have ever coached. Very goal-oriented beyond just wrestling. He strives to be the best in all aspects of his life. Very good in all positions on the mat (feet, top, bottom) and has shown tremendous growth from one season to the next. He has all of the skills to be very successful in Division I wrestling at the college level with some good mental toughness! He will graduate from Bethlehem Catholic with the most wins in school history and has an opportunity to be the only four-time regional champion/four-time state medalist." -- Jeff Karam, Head Coach Bethlehem Catholic Career Highlights: 2011 NHSCA Junior Nationals third-place finisher (125) 2011 2A state runner-up (119) 2010 Walsh Ironman seventh-place finisher (119) 2010 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion (112) 2010 2A state runner-up (112) 2009 NHSCA Freshman National champion (103) 2009 2A state sixth-place finisher (103) College choices: Penn, Virginia, Columbia, and Lehigh. He is also a three-time Beast of the East placewinner. 10b. Matt Cimato (La Salle) Projected 2011-2012 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Words from the Corner: "Matt has grown into a true team leader on and off the mat in his four years at La Salle. His work ethic is second to none. We have had some very successful wrestlers who wrestled for La Salle and Matt has the ability to be the best one ever. Matt has always sought out the best competition across the country. I look forward to his senior year and what lies ahead for Matt Cimato." -- Anthony Panzarella, La Salle Assistant Wrestling Coach Career Highlights: 2011 Junior National freestyle eighth-place finisher (140) 2011 FloNationals fourth-place finisher (140) 2011 3A state third-place finisher (140) 2010 POWERade champion (140) 2010 Junior National freestyle sixth-place finisher (140) Cimato is an accomplished folkstyle and freestyle wrestler who travels nationwide to seek out the best competition during the offseason of scholastic wrestling. He is choosing from Drexel, Rider, and Old Dominion for college.

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! They're back! Burroughs brought back gold and Team USA's freestyle team landed a third-place finish. Istanbul, Turkey and the 2011 World Championships are over and it's time to get back to business! Join Hosts Scott Casber, Recruit A Wrestler.com's Bob Larson, Chad Kriz and Brad Johnson with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CST/ 10 a.m. to 12 noon ET. Saturday's guests: 9:01: Greg Strobel, Former head wrestling coach, now assistant athletic director at Lehigh University 9:15: Heath Grimm, Head wrestling coach at Upper Iowa University 9:40: Matt Pell, Assistant wrestling coach at University of Missouri 9:50: Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:01: Mike Mendoza, Head Coach of Cal State Bakersfield 10:15: Chad Smith, Head Coach Lindenwood University 10:20: Troy Smith, Long Island wrestler who helped save his program, featured in WIN Magazine as their wrestler of the month 10:20: Bill Smith, Father of Troy Smith 10:40: Othello Johnson, Head Coach at University of North Carolina-Pembrook 10:50: Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino and Resort Emmetsburg, Iowa 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.

The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) in conjunction with Dr. Coyte Cooper, Assistant Professor in Sport Administration at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, have developed the collegiate "Best of Brand" awards to recognize teams who are effectively using social media to build their program from a marketing standpoint. "One of the hot topics at the NWCA Convention since 2009 has been the use of social media to market the individual program. We want to incorporate that momentum by helping programs find an easy way to grow the number of spectators and fans, while maintaining a visible public image that will help to positively brand the wrestling team with the institution that they represent," said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. The NWCA has been working diligently to develop strategies that enhance the sustainability of wrestling programs across the United States. To help in this pursuit, the NWCA has created an innovative marketing program that will be unveiled at the 2012 NWCA Convention. In coordination with the introduction of a new Marketing Manual designed specifically for college programs, the convention will also feature a themed "Best of Brand" awards ceremony to honor the elite marketing programs in college wrestling. Each of the winning teams will be recognized in front of their peers at the 2012 NWCA Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, next August. A letter of achievement will also be sent to their Athletic Directors and academic institutions. The new "Best of Brand" awards will feature seven different individual categories in the inaugural competition (see specific information below). When asked about the new awards program, Dr. Cooper explained that, "This is a unique opportunity for college wrestling programs to differentiate themselves from other sports. For college wrestling to be sustainable in future years, coaches must embrace the opportunity to build their programs with key stakeholders. My hope is that all programs will get on board, because this has the opportunity to grow the sport moving forward." Daily Doses of Excellence Awards v Gotta Be Grassroots: For the program who develops the strongest base via Facebook and Twitter. In addition to followers, this will reward the team that encourages the most interaction among site consumers. v Intent to Innovate: For programs who have the most creative videos in three specific areas. a. The Highlight Reel (for top highlight video) b. Pure Entertainment (for videos created to entertain and engage fans) c. Solid Service (for videos best demonstrating community service outreach) v The Magical Mission: For the programs who best brand their mission via social network sites. The NWCA will award programs with well-rounded values that embrace the university mission. Annual Achievement Awards v Top Newcomer: For programs who storm onto the social network site scene and build their program's brand the right way. In essence, this award will be evaluated based on a program's ability to establish a well-rounded approach with the effective combination of content, visual appeal, and interactivity on social network sites. v The Gold Standard: For the program who best embraces innovative marketing strategies in college wrestling. The criteria for this award will be similar to the "Top Newcomer" category. However, this category is for established programs who are further along with their marketing efforts. For coaches who are interested in participating, please have a member of your staff contact Dr. Cooper (cgcooper@email.unc.edu) with your social network site information so we can include you on the NWCA program watch list. Any questions about the competition can also be directed to Dr. Cooper.

NORMAN, Okla. -- University of Oklahoma fans have the opportunity to spend a day and hit the links with the 2011-12 wrestling squad and legends on Friday, Sept. 30, at the annual Sooner Wrestling Golf Classic, held this year at the Westwood Park Golf Course in Norman. The four-person scramble format will kick off with a 1 p.m. shotgun start and prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place winners. Lunch will be served prior to the tournament at the same time as registration from 11:45 to 12:45 p.m. Dinner will be provided following the golf outing. Participants are then invited to watch the team practice on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 8 a.m. The outing offers a special opportunity for OU wrestling fans to get to know the new coaching staff – Michael Lighter, Tyrone Lewis, Jared Frayer and Head Coach Mark Cody. The entry fee is $125 which covers lunch, green fees, cart, range balls, gift bag and dinner. For $250, one can become a hole sponsor and receive all tournament benefits. Interested parties are asked to make checks payable to the Oklahoma Takedown Club

After last year's 22nd-place finish at the Freestyle World Wrestling Championships, some people wondered if Team USA was on a decline in the international wrestling scene. This year's third-place finish shows that American freestyle wrestling is not. Jordan Burroughs' remarkable gold medal run led a U.S. performance which saw Jake Varner win a bronze medal, five of seven weights qualify for the Olympics, and six of seven athletes score team points. U.S. coach Zeke Jones hoists Team USA's third-place trophy (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)One cannot overstate how difficult this tournament has become. The talent level is exceptionally high -- arguably higher than it has ever been -- and the margin for error is non-existent. The Worlds have increased in difficulty over the last decade as the programs of the former Soviet republics have grown into powerhouses. Before the breakup of the Soviet Union, wrestlers falling short of being starters for the Russian team were still very, very good. Many Russian wrestlers watching from the stands were skilled enough to medal -- they just didn't have the opportunity. After the breakup, it has been common practice for wrestlers not making the Russian National Team to switch citizenship and gain world-level experience year after year. "Russia" has numerous medal threats at each and every weight, they just compete for various countries. U.S. heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev faced opponents from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Georgia in the tournament. Not an easy match in the lot. Interestingly, the heavyweight from Belarus, Aleksandr Shemarov, beat the standing World champion from Russia in the finals. Indeed, this was really the first year since 2003 that Russia seemed even the slightest bit vulnerable. Russia's dominance since 2004 is remarkable considering that the world talent pool got tougher for them as well. Perhaps the rest of the world is catching up. Tervel Dlagnev suffered some tough breaks at the Worlds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Specifically, what makes the current landscape of senior level international wrestling so difficult is counter-offense. It is easy for Americans to preach an attacking, aggressive style, but this can easily result in points for opponents. At this tournament, Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria scored twice off of Simmons' shots, Jake Varner got thrown after tying up in the bronze medal match, and Tervel Dlagnev gave up a point in his bronze medal match off his own shot. Even the amazing performance of Burroughs saw him getting rolled through twice off a double leg takedown widely considered to be unstoppable. Success at this event demands intelligent aggression. Scoring is about picking the right times and seizing opportunities that present themselves. By and large, Team USA did that very well. We live in an age where video of wrestling matches are ubiquitous. Technical analysis is a integral part of wrestling at the world level. Numerous press releases mentioned the studying of video and American freestylers indeed seemed well-prepared for what they were up against in each round. Team USA was helped greatly by the fact that six of the seven wrestlers scored points. The team scoring system for the Worlds is not without its flaws. One thing it rewards is balance. The first-place finisher gets 10 team points, the 10th-place finisher gets one point. A team could have no medalists, but if all seven wrestlers took fifth, they would score 42 points. This year's Worlds saw Russia win with 43 points and Iran take second with 41. USA's bronze medal was the result of 38 points scored. Nick Simmons scored off several leg attacks at the Worlds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Nick Simmons (55 kilos, fifth place) Simmons' strongest asset in his recent competitions has been a balance between fundamental wrestling and funk. Despite being very tall for the weight class, he finished several low leg shots but also earned a pin in the second round with a spladle. Simmons faced Velikov of Bulgaria in the semifinals -- an opponent he pinned at the Ziolkowski International over the summer. While the experience was invaluable for Simmons, it also allowed Velikov to make some adjustments since their first meeting. Velikov is a past World champion and wrestled like one against Simmons. Simmons' four wins and fifth-place finish showed a lot in his World Championship debut. He can only continue to improve. Reece Humphrey (60 kilos, ninth place) Humphrey looked strong in his first two matches -- confident and prepared. Arguably the best thrower on the team, Humphrey also demonstrated patience in not looking to force a big move. In the quarterfinals, he was winning the first period 1-1 against France's Didier Pais due to the fact that he scored last. As the period was winding down, Humphrey got inside tripped to his back. In looking back at Team USA matches throughout the tournament, that moment probably stings the most. Humphrey won the second period, but lost the third period in a leg clinch and therefore lost the bout. Had he not gotten inside tripped, won the period and then the match, he would have jumped from his ninth-place finish to at least fifth place, which would have been four more team points. That would have leapfrogged the U.S. over Iran for the silver and put them only one point behind Russia. While Team USA certainly had some things go their way this year, and while Pais set up the move very well, the fragile nature of success at the Worlds makes it difficult not to go back, point to moments and say "if only." Teyon Ware (66 kilos, DNP) Ware did not get a good draw, having two-time World medalist Andriy Stadnik of Ukraine in his first round match. Ware lost and Stadnik went on to fall in the quarterfinals, thus eliminating Ware. Formerly at 60 kilos, Ware looked a bit small for the weight. In his match he tried the front headlock turn that he successfully scored on Brent Metcalf at the U.S. World Team Trials, but it did not work at the Worlds. However, it is difficult to place too much stock on going 0-1 at the Worlds. Henry Cejudo did the same in 2007 and won the Olympics in 2008, Jamill Kelly did not make it out of his pool in 2003 and went on to win Olympic silver the following year. Jordan Burroughs was offensive throughout the Worlds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Jordan Burroughs (74 kilos, gold medal) Burroughs did not shut out his opponents, nor did he win every period. But his attacks were so crisp, so dynamic, and so relentless that it seemed like no one could keep up with him. His gold medal run did not come without distractions. Two-time World champ Denis Tsargush of Russia continually tried to unsettle him by pulling on his singlet and Burroughs' cauliflower ear exploded in the semifinals against Ashraf Aliyev of Azerbaijan. To those who have followed Burroughs' career for a while, it always seemed like a World title was a possibility. But it is a testament to his dedication to the sport of wrestling that he put the work in needed to make it happen. Being undefeated in freestyle while still being so new to senior world scene makes one wonder just how many titles Burroughs can rack up. Cael Sanderson (84 kilos, fifth place) The transition from folkstyle to freestyle is not always easy and it was not in the case of Cael Sanderson. Leading up to the 2004 Olympics, Sanderson had two losses to Yoel Romero of Cuba, two losses to Sajid Sajidov of Russia and a loss to Khadzhimurat Gatsalov of Russia. These losses were crucial to his development as a freestyle wrestler. They exposed him to situations, positions, scrambles and (as mentioned previously) counter-offense that he simply did not experience against domestic opponents. Seven years later, it would seem the main thing his comeback lacked was significant international competition leading up to this event. He competed in the Corneanu tournament this summer, won all three matches, but the field featured none of the top names in the weight class. Cael Sanderson dominated Mexico's Alejandro Gallardo Ocampo (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Sanderson looked solid and determined in the four matches he won and in need of a few tactical adjustments as well as slightly better conditioning in the matches he lost. Making the improvements he needs to in order to become a two-time Olympic champion next summer seems very doable, but it is complicated by his coaching duties at Penn State. There is an argument to be made that the best thing Cael did at the Worlds was show up. His commitment to the comeback as well as to the sport itself is remarkable. One of the biggest problems USA Wrestling faces is early retirement. It results in us not fielding the best teams we can. A folk hero sticking with it imparts a valuable lesson to the young wrestlers who look up to him today and attempt to represent our country tomorrow. Jake Varner (96 kilos, bronze medal) There was a general consensus that 96 kilos was the most stacked weight class at the event. Sanderson's protege, Jake Varner, proved himself to be in the mix with the very best. Working out so regularly with Sanderson has obviously been beneficial to him and the sky is the limit for him as he continues to improve. He gutted out a number of wins against very talented and decorated opponents. Tervel Dlagnev (120 kilos, fifth place) The current rules of freestyle wrestling sometimes feel more than slightly arbitrary. At the top of the list of controversial elements of freestyle is the dreaded ball grab/leg clinch. Dlagnev had no luck with the ball grabs in Istanbul and lost six in a row. He defended a third period leg clinch against two-time Olympic champion Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan, which gave him a thrilling win, but lost the other five in his final three matches. More so than any other class, 120-kilo wrestlers have to be very picky about their shots. A shot which gets a wrestler extended and he cannot finish results in a lot of weight on top of you. Dlagnev was active when he should have been and that helped him. That he did not earn a second medal to go with his 2009 bronze was more a result of bad luck than any kind of mistake on his part. Team USA (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)After the dismal performance by the U.S. freestyle team in 2010, it seemed too unrealistic to try and dethrone Russia this year. There were too many specific areas that needed work. Too many mistakes, too many questions about the system overall. Although Team USA was within reach of the title (Humphrey winning in the quarterfinals and Cael winning the bronze would have done it) beating a team as decorated and dominating as Russia was a pipedream. After America's performance this past week, it no longer is.

With the high school wrestling season's start fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From August 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. Minnesota (Oct. 28) Illinois (Oct. 18) Nevada (Oct. 5) Ohio (Sept. 30) Indiana (Sept. 28) Nebraska (Sept. 27) Pennsylvania (Sept. 23) North Carolina (Sept. 12) New York (Sept. 8) California (Sept. 7) Tennessee (Aug. 29) Montana (Aug. 26) New Hampshire (Aug. 18) Kansas (Aug. 11)

Watch more video of 2011 World Championships on flowrestling.org

Watch more video of 2011 World Championships on flowrestling.org

Watch more video of 2011 World Championships on flowrestling.org

ISTANBUL, Turkey - COMPLETE RECAP COURTESY GARY ABBOTT, USA Wrestling -- Jake Varner has made huge gains in his wrestling since his first trip to the World Championships in 2009. That was clearly apparent at the 2011 World Championships on Saturday night at the Sinan Erdem Dome. The bigger, stronger and much-improved Varner capped a superb day by delivering the winning move late in the match to capture a bronze medal at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Varner's mentor and close friend, 2004 Olympic champion Cael Sanderson, fell just short of a medal after placing fifth at 84 kg/185 lbs. Varner knocked off Taimuraz Tigiyev of Kazakhstan 0-3, 3-2, 2-1 in the bronze-medal match at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Varner countered a Tigiyev shot late in the third and exposed his back to the mat for two points en route to earning the clutch victory. "I knew I had to keep attacking obviously to win the match," Varner said. "I knew he would get tired and I just kept wrestling hard. I was upset when I lost today, but I knew I had to go back out there tonight like I was wrestling for the gold." Tigiyev beat Olympic and World champion Khadismourad Gatsalov of Russia earlier in this tournament. Tigiyev won an Olympic silver medal in 2008. Varner reached the quarterfinals before falling to Turkey's Serhat Balci 1-0, 1-0 before a boisterous Turkish crowd at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Balci advanced to the finals to pull Varner back in for the repechage. Balci fell to Iran's Reza Yazdani in the finals at 96 kilos. Varner took advantage of his opportunity, pinning Rustam Iskandari of Tajikistan in 1 minute, 50 seconds in the repechage to advance to the bronze-medal match. The 25-year-old Varner reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 Worlds before finishing ninth in his first trip to this event. Varner (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) was a two-time NCAA champion for Iowa State. Sanderson dropped a controversial 1-0, 3-0 decision to Russia's Albert Saritov in the bronze-medal match at 84 kg/185 lbs. Sanderson was on the attack the entire bronze-medal match, peppering the defensive-minded Russian with an array of leg shots. The Russian never took a shot in four minutes as both periods went to ball draws. Sanderson lost the first period 1-0 after the Russian won the ball draw and finished in the leg clinch. Sanderson won the ball draw in the second period and appeared to finish for a point in the leg clinch, but the referee allowed the match to continue. Saritov countered and was awarded two exposure points. The U.S. challenged the call, but it was upheld and the Russian was given an additional point on the challenge. "I was a little rough. I got what I deserved," Sanderson said of his performance. "I'm glad I went through this process. One thing is the weight is qualified for the Olympics, but that's not what you come to the World Championships for." The 32-year-old Sanderson won his first match of the day before dropping a 4-1, 4-3 decision to Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan, who placed third in the European Championships this year. Sanderson shot in for a quick early takedown, but was unable to generate much more offense in the match. Sharifov advanced to the finals to pull Sanderson back in for the repechage. Sharifov went on to win the World title at 84 kilos on Saturday night. Sanderson pinned Chan-Uk Yoon of Korea in just 50 seconds in his first repechage match before pulling out a tough win over Yermek Baiduashov of Kazakhstan 4-3, 0-1, 2-1. He then downed Alireza Goudarzi of Iran 6-0, 1-0 to reach the bronze-medal match. Sanderson scored on a pushout with three seconds left in the second period, clapping his hands as he finished off the impressive victory against the Iranian. Sanderson (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) won a World silver medal in 2003. The head coach at Penn State returned to competition this year after nearly a seven-year absence. Sanderson became emotional when asked about the performance of Varner, a wrestler he has coached collegiately and internationally. "I'm really happy for Jake," Sanderson said. "That's awesome. I'm very proud of him. That's the first of many for him. He's the man." The U.S. is tied for third with Iran in the team race with 22 points apiece. Russia leads with 28 points and Kazakhstan is second with 23 points. Sanderson and Varner qualified the U.S. for the Olympics in their weight classes by virtue of clinching top-six finishes at the Worlds. Reece Humphrey won his first two matches before falling to France's Didier Pais in the quarterfinals. Pais won the match 4-1, 3-3, 4-0 at 60 kg/132 lbs. The third period was scoreless and went to the ball draw. Pais won the draw and finished in the leg clinch to advance to the semifinals. Pais lost to World champion Besik Kudukhov of Russia in the semifinals. That eliminated Humphrey, who placed ninth at 60 kilos on Saturday. Humphrey (Columbus, Ohio/New York AC) was wrestling in his first Senior World Championships. He is a past World University silver and bronze medalist. Puerto Rico's Franklin Gomez, a past NCAA champion for Michigan State, won a World silver medal at 60 kg/132 lbs. Kudukhov beat Gomez 5-0, 1-0 in the finals. Kudukhov won the ball draw and executed a five-point lift and plant to the mat to win the first period. He added a second-period takedown to win his fourth straight World title. Gomez qualifies Puerto Rico for the Olympics in his weight class by virtue of clinching a top-six finish. Americans Teyon Ware (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC), Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) and Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) will compete for the U.S. in freestyle on the final day of the event on Sunday. Ware competes at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Burroughs wrestles at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Dlagnev at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Ware and Burroughs are competing in their first World Championships. Dlagnev won a bronze medal at the 2009 Worlds in Denmark. Wrestling is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. local time on Sunday. WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS at Istanbul, Turkey, Sept. 17 Men's freestyle results 60 kg/132 lbs. 1 Besik Kudukhov (Russia) 2 Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico) 3 Kenichi Yumoto (Japan) 3 Dauren Zhumagazyyev (Kazakhstan) 5 Didier Pais (France) 5 Malkhaz Zarkua (Georgia) 7 Alejandro Valdez Tobier (Cuba) 8 Zelimkhan Huseynov (Azerbaijan) 9 Reece Humphrey (USA) 10 Rizvan Gadzhiev (Belarus) 84 kg/185 lbs. 1 Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan) 2 Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine) 3 Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia) 3 Albert Saritov (Russia) 5 Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia) 5 Cael Sanderson (USA) 7 Alireza Goudarzi (Iran) 8 Shinya Matsumoto (Japan) 9 Alex Dolly (Ireland) 10 Yermek Baiduashov (Kazakhstan) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. 1 Reza Yazdani (Iran) 2 Serhat Balci (Turkey) 3 Ruslan Sheikhau (Belarus) 3 Jake Varner (USA) 5 Sinivie Boltic (Nigeria) 5 Taimuraz Tigiyev (Kazakhstan) 7 Rustam Iskandari (Tajikistan) 8 Gergely Sandor Kiss (Hungary) 9 Jozef Jaloviar (Slovakia) 10 Kurban Kurbanov (Uzbekistan) U.S. RESULTS FROM SATURDAY'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Men's Freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs. - Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC) - 9th WIN Guillermo Cervantes Torres (Mexico), 2-1, 2-0 WIN Bilel Douissa (Tunisia), 6-0, fall 0:46 LOSS Didier Pais (France), 1-4, 3-3, 0-4 84 kg/185 lbs. - Cael Sanderson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) - 5th WIN Alejandro Gallardo Ocampo (Mexico), 6-0, 7-0 LOSS Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan), 1-3, 1-4 WIN Chan-Uk Yoon (Korea), fall 0:50 WIN Yermek Baiduashov (Kazakhstan), 4-3, 0-1, 2-1 WIN Alireza Goudarzi (Iran), 6-0, 1-0 LOSS Albert Saritov (Russia), 0-1, 0-3 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) - 3rd WIN Krassimir Kochev (Bulgaria), 1-0, 5-0 WIN Yunbilige Wu (China), 7-0, 6-0 LOSS Serhat Balci (Turkey), 0-1, 0-1 WIN Rustam Iskandari (Tajikistan), fall 1:50 WIN Taimuraz Tigiyev (Kazakhstan), 0-3, 3-2, 2-1

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! As the men and women of Team USA battle it out in Istanbul, Turkey at the 2011 World Championships, Bob Selby takes over the show for this week's edition of Takedown. Join Hosts Bob Selby, Chad Kriz and Brad Johnson with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/ 10 a.m. to noon ET. Saturday's guests: 9:01: Donny Pritzlaff, Assistant coach at University of Michigan 9:15: Brad Johnson, Takedown Wrestling Headline News 9:26: Tom Erickson, Assistant coach of Purdue University 9:40: Kevin Jackson, Head coach at Iowa State University 9:50: Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:01: Tom Minkel, Head coach at Michigan State 10:20: Teague Moore, Head Coach at American University 10:40: John Halverson, UFC Vet, Broadcast voice of Midwest Cage Championship 10:50: Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino and Resort Emmettsburg, Iowa 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.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa wrestling program will have a conference-best three matches televised by BTN in 2011-12. Big Ten Network announced its national broadcast schedule today. Dual matches at Nebraska (Jan. 13) and Penn State (Jan. 22), and a home match against Minnesota (Jan. 29) will be televised the same day tape-delayed. All three matches will air at 9 p.m. (CT). BTN will also televise the Big Ten Championships, live from West Lafayette, Ind., March 3-4. Iowa opens its season Nov. 19 at the Lindenwood University Open. The Hawkeyes open at home Nov. 25 when Baker University, Cornell College and Iowa Central visit Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the Iowa City Duals. Iowa wrestling season tickets are now available at the UI Ticket Office. Fans interested in purchasing tickets should contact the UI Ticket Office at 1-800-IA-HAWKS or (319) 335-9323 to pick out your seats and place your order.

MOUNT PLEASANT -- The Central Michigan wrestling team has added an NCAA Championships qualifier and two-time Southern Conference runner-up heavyweight to its roster for the 2011-2012 season. Senior Peter Sturgeon, formerly of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, will be eligible to join the Chippewas immediately after being displaced by UNCG's decision to cut its wrestling program, per NCAA guidelines. He has one season of eligibility remaining. "We're very excited to add a heavyweight the caliber of Peter to our program," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "He's a returning national qualifier, and we expect him to have an immediate impact on our program." Sturgeon (Winter Park, Fla./Winter Park HS) qualified for the 2011 NCAA Championships, but finished 0-2 in two closely contested matches. He was the runner-up at the Southern Conference Championships each of the past two seasons, and has a 62-26 record as the heavyweight starter at UNCG. During the 2010-11 season, Sturgeon finished with a third place finish at the N.C. State Invitational, and a fifth place showing at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. At Las Vegas, Sturgeon went 0-2 against now-teammate and fellow heavyweight Jarod Trice. Trice, meanwhile, plans to apply for an Olympic redshirt and is expected to sit out the 2011-12 season at CMU. He will have one season of eligibility remaining.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri wrestling team has finalized its 2011-12 schedule, announced Tuesday morning by head coach Brian Smith. The Tigers will host the 2012 Big 12 Championships in Columbia, the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, and compete in four other tournaments over the course of the season. The Tigers will open the regular season at home on Nov. 13 with a matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers, with Missouri looking to avenge an 18-15 loss last year to Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. From there, Mizzou hits the road for their first two of six conference meets. They'll first travel to face Oklahoma on Nov. 18 and then to Stillwater, Okla., on Nov. 20 for a matchup with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The following week, Missouri heads west for a pair of Pac-12 matchups, beginning with Oregon State on Nov. 25. The Tigers fell to Oregon State last year at home, 19-13. Two days later, Mizzou will face off with Stanford, who finished 11th at the NCAA Championships last year with 44.0 points. From there, the Tigers will compete in their first tournament of the season, as they stay in-state and head to Maryville for the Kaufman-Brand Open. The following weekend Missouri will travel to Kent State, who the Tigers defeated by a 19-15 score in Columbia last year. Mizzou returns home to close out 2011, hosting the Iowa State Cyclones at the Hearnes Center on Dec. 18. Missouri opens 2012 at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Jan. 1-2, hosted by the University of Chattanooga. This year's Scuffle will feature seven of last year's top-25 teams, including National Champion Penn State and runner-up Cornell. A week later, Missouri will face off with Iowa State again, this time in Ames, for their second and final meeting of the season. The Tigers will hit their second tournament of the month from Jan. 13-14, when they travel to Virginia Beach, Va., for the Virginia Duals. Two weeks after the Virginia Duals, Missouri will travel to Edwardsville, Ill., for a tri-meet against SIU-Edwardsville and Eastern Michigan. The next weekend, the Tigers play host to both Oklahoma schools on back-to-back days to close out the regular season Big 12 schedule. Missouri and the Cowboys will battle on Feb. 4, with the Tigers and Sooners facing off on Feb. 5. The regular season comes to a close with the 2012 NWCA National Duals, which have taken on a new format this season. There are now four, six-team regions participating in the National Duals on the weekend of Feb. 11-12, with each region's winner advancing to the Final Four round held at one of the remaining team's campus the following weekend. Missouri will head to Piscataway, N.J., for the opening round of action, where they'll compete against host Rutgers, Minnesota, Michigan, Kent State and Cal Poly. This year's National Duals includes 22 of last year's final top-25. On March 5, the University of Missouri will host the Big 12 Championships for the third time in program history, welcoming Iowa State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to the Hearnes Center. The Tigers look to capture their first conference crown after matching their best finish (second) last season. For the fifth time since 2003, Missouri will co-host the NCAA Championships, held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis from March 15-17. Members of the Missouri Wrestling Takedown Club get first dibs at tickets for the event in the Mizzou section. For more information about Missouri wrestling as the season gets close, visit mutigers.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Nine home dual matches, including a bout with Virginia Tech at John Paul Jones Arena, highlight the 2011-12 Virginia wrestling schedule, announced today by UVa head coach Steve Garland. Virginia and Virginia Tech will square off on Sunday, Nov. 27, at 1 p.m. at JPJA. "We couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to wrestle Virginia Tech in John Paul Jones Arena," Garland said. "Ever since the 2011 ACC Championships concluded, I have been scratching, clawing and begging to get back in there. In my opinion, that facility provides the most beautiful, first-class wrestling experience our student-athletes could ever have. "I can say without a doubt that this is going to be a wonderful event for the friends and families of both programs, alumni, current UVa students and of course the local community." The dual with Virginia Tech will mark the Cavaliers' first wrestling dual at JPJA. The wrestling match also will cap a weekend of rivalry action in Charlottesville, as the UVa and Virginia Tech volleyball teams play Friday (Nov. 25) and the Virginia and Virginia Tech football teams battle Saturday (Nov. 26) at Scott Stadium. Tickets for the Virginia Tech dual are $7 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under), seniors and staff and will go on sale Oct. 10 through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office. All tickets are general admission. The remaining eight home bouts will be contested inside Memorial Gymnasium; there is no admission charge for matches at Mem Gym. Virginia's schedule takes on a different look this year. UVa has cut down on its number of dual meets, with a dozen duals on the 2011-12 schedule (from 26 in 2010-11). The Cavaliers' season opens Nov. 5 with a tri-meet against Campbell and Anderson. "Overall we are very happy with the schedule we have planned for our team," Garland said. "Every year our goal is to perform our very best at ACCs and NCAAs, so no matter what happens during the year, our focus won't shift. We want to bring home another ACC team championship and have multiple All-Americans again this year. We feel this approach can help us do that." In addition to the Anderson, Campbell and Virginia Tech duals, Virginia will face Duke (Jan. 20), North Carolina (Jan. 21), Maryland (Jan. 29), Rutgers (Feb. 4), Old Dominion (Feb. 19) and George Mason (Feb. 19) at home. Maryland and Rutgers joined UVa among the top 30 teams in the final standings at the NCAA Championships last season. "I am very much looking forward to our home dual meet schedule this year," Garland said. "We have nine home duals planned and we hope that will please our friends, fans and student body. Some other highlights of the year should be the Cornell Invitational, which features two top-five nationally ranked teams (Cornell and Minnesota), and the Southern Scuffle, which always boasts some of the toughest competition in the country." UVa will wrestle Drexel (Dec. 18), NC State (Jan. 13) and Appalachian State (Feb. 11) on the road in dual action. The ACC Championships will be contested in Chapel Hill, N.C., on March 3. The NCAA Championships return to the Scottrade Center in St. Louis March 15-17. UVa will participate in Cornell's Body Bar System Invitational for the first time this season. Joining the Cavaliers in the invitational are Army, Binghamton, Buffalo, Clarion, Cornell, Drexel, Ithaca College, Kent State, Lock Haven, Minnesota and Sacred Heart. Cornell was the national runner-up at the 2011 NCAA Championships, while Minnesota took seventh. The Cavaliers again will compete in the Southern Scuffle this year (Jan. 1-2). The tournament moves to Chattanooga, Tenn., this season.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- CSU Bakersfield head wrestling coach Mike Mendoza has announced the addition of Riley Orozco to the CSUB coaching staff as an assistant coach. Orozco became the 12th Roadrunners' wrestler to win at least 100 matches in a career as he wrapped up his time at CSUB with a 100-48 a year ago. He became the first four-time NCAA Division I qualifier from CSUB since 2002 (Matt Sanchez, Efren Ceballos) a year ago when he finished third at the 2011 Pac-10 Championships. Orozco took home the 197-pound title at the Pac-10 Tournament as a junior. Orozco earned first team Academic All-Conference honors as a junior and was selected second team Academic All-Conference as a freshman and as a sopomore. :We are excited to add Riley to the coaching staff,: Mendoza.:It is great to add someone to the program that is familiar with the program's history and has been a part of it. He has a great skill set that will compliment our current coaching staff. With a young group, he will have an immediate impact as he works to develop our upperweights."

"I sustained a major head injury and my life had been tragically altered forever. I will never have that pre-accident swagger again." Those are the words of Richard "Dickie" Bouzakis, a former high school and college wrestler who survived a serious car accident in 1986 that killed the driver, and put the former matman from Orange County, New York in a coma for nearly two months. The past 25 years has been a series of challenges for Bouzakis, who shares his story in a brand-new book, Comeback: A Wrestler's Story of Triumph and Tragedy. Before the accident Bouzakis was introduced to wrestling as a fifth-grader, getting involved with his younger brother Troy in the Orange Crushers kids wrestling club. At Pine Bush High School, Bouzakis crafted an impressive mat career. As a freshman, he compiled a 27-3 record; as a junior, he earned Outstanding Wrestler of the Orange County League tournament. In his senior year, Bouzakis placed second in the New York State Championships. After graduating from Pine Bush High in 1985, Dickie Bouzakis headed to James Madison University in Virginia to continue his wrestling career. However, the transition to college was rough one for Bouzakis on and off the mat. As Bouzakis told Scott Casber of Takedown Wrestling in a recent audio interview, "In college I learned to party. I didn't always make the right decisions." Richard BouzakisThat may describe what happened in July 1986, when Dickie Bouzakis left one party in search of another. Bouzakis climbed into a car with a friend; that friend lost control of his car, crashing at high speed. The driver was dead at the scene; emergency crews arriving on the scene saw no sign of Bouzakis for a while, until they found him attached to a shoe that was the only portion of him visible in the wreckage. The outward signs of injury to Bouzakis were serious -- a broken jaw and dislocated elbow were among the obvious injuries -- that would heal in time. Doctors credit Bouzakis' survival to his wearing a seatbelt, and being in peak condition as a wrestler. (At the time, Bouzakis was in training for the Empire State Games in New York.) However, the upper brain stem injury was a more formidable opponent. Coming out of a cocoon into recovery Bouzakis opens his book Comeback: A Wrestler's Story of Triumph and Tragedy describing his time in the hospital immediately after the accident. In his recollection of coming out of the two-month coma, Bouzakis compares the process to a "human butterfly" as it emerges from a cocoon. Being comatose for nearly 2 months in the summer of 1986, it was much like a dream world to me. I was dreaming thus my mind was working trying to explain my surroundings. I was non-verbal, non-communicative and non-functioning ... I had no physical functioning to do much more then twist and arch in bed. I could not speak due to a wired jaw or a problem in the motor area of speech communication. Diagnosed with an upper brain stem injury, a severe closed head injury, I was a mere blueprint of my former self. My motor skills, my coordination, my balance and control centers were severely damaged. In his interview with InterMat, Bouzakis said, "I poured my heart and soul into coming out of the coma." When asked if his wrestling background was a factor in his recovery, Bouzakis responded, "The physical pain I could deal with, no big deal. The mental pain was the roughest part. I had to keep telling myself, 'I'm going to remake myself.'" During the coma, Richard Bouzakis lost 35 pounds of muscleThe opening chapter -- appropriately titled "Emerge" -- goes into incredible detail of Bouzakis' long process of recovery and rehab from the near-fatal accident. One of the byproducts: during the coma, Bouzakis lost 35 pounds of muscle. Some basic skills that we all take for granted -- talking and walking, for example -- had to be relearned. Not to mention seemingly small "activities of daily living," such as discovering that the purpose of a toothbrush is not to comb your hair ... or that drinking out of a regular glass or cup was perilous without a lid and a straw. Bouzakis also had to learn to control tremors in various parts of his body that prevented him from sitting still while unsupported. It required all the focus and concentration he could muster -- and then some. While at the Hillcrest Head Injury Recovery Center in Milford, New York, therapy became Bouzakis' full-time job. Seemingly endless hours of physical, occupational and speech therapy. As he writes in his book, "Wrestling gave me an internal drive and an iron will." There were times the frustration threatened to win out. Bouzakis told of a time when he was working on an exercise inserting pegs into a pegboard, describing it as "like trying to put a football into a golf hole." His therapist -- who went on to become a boxer -- sensed the frustration, and took the wrestler to a room with a mat on the floor, and let Bouzakis take out his frustration and aggression using a pugil stick, a long pole with padding at the ends, used in military training for hand-to-hand combat. Putting into words When asked how the book came together, Richard Bouzakis responded, "Once I wrote the first chapter, discipline was no problem." "The whole thing was my idea," said Bouzakis. "With my disability, I can spend hours at the computer." The entire process took approximately a year and a half. As Bouzakis puts it, "I went to college to study health. I'm not a writer." That said, Bouzakis followed up by saying, "Head injury people often discover a creative talent. Writing was mine. I really enjoy writing poems." "I don't believe any head-injury guy has written a book about coming out of a coma and his life since." "(Writing is) a form of therapy," Bouzakis continued. "I wanted to get my story out." And, he wanted the story to be his, down to the way he put words together for his book. "I'm very aggressive, and that's the way my story is, and it's staying that way." He asked a former girlfriend -- who is now a newspaper writer -- to go over what he had written. "She said I should keep it in my own words. She didn't make any structure or grammar changes." A story worth sharing Now 44 years old, Richard Bouzakis wants to share his story. Not just with his new book, but in other ways as well. Olympic champion Ed Banach visited Richard Bouzakis"I speak at monthly victim-impact panel meetings," said the author of Comeback of his presentations to various groups in the hope of changing risky behaviors and making smart choices by stopping and taking time to think before acting. "I don't want people to feel bad for me, but I want people to be safer." "I know that I'm getting through to these guys." Bouzakis is also passionate about letting others know the importance of getting proper care for head injuries of any type, no matter the cause -- whether it's a car accident, or from participating in sports. "Once you've sustained a head injury, it's important to get a medical report to document the situation," Bouzakis told Takedown Wrestling's Scott Casber as he talked about advising a woman whose son had suffered a concussion during a wrestling match. "If you have problems in the future, that documentation could help in terms of getting better care in the future, when you're not able to communicate for yourself." Even with time spent writing the book and sharing his experiences with others, Bouzakis still finds time to be active in the sport he loves. He serves as a volunteer coach at Pine Bush High School, saying, "I coach every day of the season." He also has made his presence felt at clinics put on by Cornell University, and at the New York State Wrestling Championships. "They can appreciate me for my wrestling prowess, but I'd rather be doing what I'm doing." Richard Bouzakis with his motherComeback: A Wrestler's Story of Triumph and Tragedy tells the story of one former wrestler's life since a near-fatal car accident, overcoming obstacles tougher than any opponent on the mat. Richard Bouzakis shares his story in a very honest, unflinching way. His writing style is very conversational; in fact, as a reader, you feel as if you're listening to Bouzakis -- or reading a private journal -- as he shares details of the most recent 25 years of his life, painful and challenging as they are. Yet, in the tragedy and challenge and frustration, there is triumph and success and inspiration, too. All of these elements make Comeback especially vital reading for wrestlers, coaches and fans. The book resonates beyond the world of wrestling. Awareness of brain injuries has increased in recent years, with news stories about concussion dangers in various sports, including football, soccer, and, yes, wrestling ... as well as reports from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan involving soldiers suffering trauma in battle, along with the well-publicized stories of injured TV war correspondents Bob Woodruff and Kimberly Dozier. Bouzakis' background as a wrestler may have made him uniquely strong for the challenges he continues to battle to this day. "From my days on the mat, my life has changed dramatically and I never foresaw this injury happening to me," Bouzakis writes. "Believe me, it can happen to you, too. It feels as if it has taken my whole life to get to this point. Throughout my life, the one thing that remains constant is competition. An inbred brain mechanism such as competition needs no prompting, no cueing, no learning at its basic level. It is done without thinking ... Despite brain injury, competition indeed fuels my cells and is no doubt responsible for my survival. When my brain is ready to function, my body will be ready. Even as I sit here today, I cannot wait for tomorrow.'' Comeback: A Wrestler's Story of Triumph and Tragedy is available for purchase online as an entire book, or on a chapter-by-chapter basis, by visiting the official website, www.AcomebackStory.com.

Alan Rice, coach of the 1972 Greco-Roman Olympic wrestling team, and Dave Whitsett, professor emeritus at the University of Northern Iowa, will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, September 14. “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 PM Central on AM 1650, The Fan. An archive of the show can be found on www.themat.tv. Email radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. During the months of August and September the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum will conduct “champions” interviews with champions outside the sport of wrestling. There will also be regular interviews with wrestlers and coaches. Rice coached the 1972 Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team. He won double national titles (freestyle and Greco-Roman) in 1956, and placed fifth at the Olympics that year in Greco-Roman. Rice is also the namesake of the Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions. The Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions induction ceremony will take place on the campus of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 1. This week's champion interview is with Dave Whitsett. Whitsett is a professor emeritus at the University of Northern Iowa. He taught psychology from 1974 through 2001, and worked with the Northern Iowa wrestling team during the 1970s and 1980s. Whitsett co-authored a book called “The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer”.

With the high school wrestling season's start fast 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. North Carolina has four nationally-ranked senior wrestlers for the 2011-12 season. All four have claimed success at top national tournaments last spring. They represent each high school classification in the state. These young men come from the foothills of the Appalachians to the sand hills of the eastern part of the state. Most of these wrestlers live along the I-40/I-85 corridor that has become a wrestling hotbed the last several years. Two of the wrestlers are high school teammates, while two others are former teammates that competed against each other last season. One wrestler is coached by his father. He and his two brothers have earned individual state championships, high placings and most outstanding wrestler honors in state tournament competitions the last several years. Three of these wrestlers have earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors after winning their first high school state championship. Nine have achieved their goal of becoming a state champion. One other, having come up short twice, gets ready for his final attempt to achieve this elusive honor. Meet North Carolina's Top 10 wrestlers from the Class of 2012. 1. Jesse Doyle (Wheatmore) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 182/195 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Jesse DoyleAnalysis: Doyle has garnered more high school All-American honors than any other North Carolina wrestler entering high school this year. He has competed at 189 pounds since his freshman season. With the new weight classes for high school he will compete at 182 pounds and 195 pounds during the 2011-12 season. Dolye is very strong and possesses the balance and quickness that makes him a great high school wrestler. He stays in good position and usually controls the pace of the match. He has a good shot, but with his Greco-Roman experience he will not hesitate to go for a throw. Due to his All-American placings at Fargo, FILA Cadet and FILA Junior Nationals, he has earned funded-athlete status and can go to the U.S. Training Center in Colorado Springs for training sessions. So far Doyle has taken two training trips to the OTC. Doyle finished his freshman season as a state qualifier and earned his first All-American honors the following spring as the tournament runner-up in the NHSCA Freshman Nationals. During his sophomore season Doyle had a third-place finish in the high school state tournament and again earned All-American honors in the spring. During the summer of 2010 Doyle was a Cadet National finalist in Fargo, placing second in Greco-Roman. In the fall of 2010 Doyle placed eighth in the prestigious Super 32 Challenge. At the conclusion of the 2010-11 season Doyle won his first high school state championship and was awarded the Most Outstanding Wrestler award for the 2A state tournament. He finished the season with a 45-1 record. During the spring Doyle finished third at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, was a double All-American at FILA Cadets, placing fifth in Greco and fourth in freestyle. At the FILA Cadet Nationals in April Doyle pinned two-time Fargo Cadet freestyle and Greco-Roman champion Mitch Silga of Indiana en route to his fourth-place finish. Doyle also competed in the FILA Junior Nationals in Cleveland, Ohio. There he wrestled up an age group and earned All-American honors, placing eighth. Last summer Doyle was off to a great start in the Junior Greco-Roman tournament in Fargo, but had to injury default from the tournament after getting a bad cut across his nose while throwing his opponent. Doyle is just now getting back to training from that injury and he plans to start off the season by competing in the Super 32 Challenge in October. Doyle has received many letters and phone calls from college coaches yearning for his services. His academic accomplishments are on par with his wrestling achievements. He carries a weighted 3.9 GPA and has scored 1150 on the verbal and math portions of the SAT. Doyle recently gave a verbal commitment to Iowa State. 2. Tony Deangelo (Southern Alamance) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Tony DeangeloAnalysis: If you are getting ready to wrestle Southern Alamance's star wrestler Tony Deangelo you better be in good physical shape! His matches are usually a crowd-pleasing whirl of action. Deangelo is a very quick with an aggressive style of wrestling. He is constantly attacking and looking to score. This held true at last year's 140-pound state tournament final where he scored a major decision over three-time state finalist and current Appalachian State wrestler Tom Puckett. The 16-8 decision was the only loss of the year for Puckett. This impressive win earned Deangelo (37-1) his first state championship and the 4A Most Outstanding Wrestler award at the state tournament. As a freshman Deangelo was a state qualifier and a NHSCA Freshman Nationals All American, placing eighth. In 2010 he placed fourth at the state tournament then elevated his wrestling six weeks later to win the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. He defeated New York's three-time state champion Quinton Murphy in the finals. At the NHSCA Junior Nationals last spring Deangelo again was a finalist, but dropped a decision to Pennsylvania's state champion Mitch Minotti. Deangelo comes from a highly-competitive wrestling family. He is coached at Southern Alamance by his father Randy Deangelo. His older brother Joey was a two-time state finalist, a state champion in 2010, and is currently a wrestler for Nassau Junior College. Deangelo's younger brother Jake has placed third in the state tournament both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Deangelo is still undecided about where to attend college. This fall he plans to take official visits to UNC-Chapel Hill, Missouri, Indiana and Appalachian State. Deangelo plans to compete at the Super 32 Challenge again this fall. 3. Chris Caton (Northside Christain) Academy Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 126 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Chris CatonAnalysis: Caton's high school competes in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. He has won three NCISAA state championships and should finish his career as a four-time state champion. Last fall Caton wrestled in the prestigious Super 32 Challenge and placed seventh. Caton has proven that he can win at any level of competition. During the 2010-11 season he defeated two-time North Carolina 3A state champion Garrison White by a major decision at the Rock Hill Invitational. He was even more impressive at The King of the Mat Tournament, where he defeated NHSCA Senior Nationals finalist Antwan Davis in the semifinals and two-time North Carolina 4A state champion and current Penn State wrestler Michael Waters by a 12-1 major decision in the finals. He also competed in the prestigious Walsh Ironman, placing seventh. Caton is a two-time Prep All-American, placing fifth last season. Until last spring Caton was a three sport athlete at Northside playing football and baseball along with wrestling. Because of this he did not compete in spring and summer national events. Last spring he gave up baseball and competed in the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Caton breezed to the 125-pound finals where he lost a hard fought 4-2 decision to four-time Florida state champion Rossi Bruno. Caton is perhaps the most athletic of North Carolina's top ten wrestlers this season. He has a very aggressive style of wrestling and is at his best when in the neutral position. Caton has scheduled four official visits to colleges so far and is inclined to prefer one of the service academies. His top choices are: Air Force, Navy, UNC-Chapel Hill, Virginia and Appalachian State. 4. Garrison White (JR Robinson) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 126/132 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Garrison WhiteAnalysis: White has been a high school state finalist every year he has been in high school. He placed second as a freshman and won his first state championship as a sophomore. He did it in dramatic fashion by pinning defending state champion and current Gardner-Webb wrestler Ray Farnsworth. This helped to earn him the 2010 3A state tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler award. Last year was not as dramatic, but he scored a 7-0 decision, earning him his second state championship and finishing with a 61-2 record for the season. During the season White notched a couple of notable victories. He won a major decision over 119-pound 4A state champion and NHSCA Senior Nationals runner-up Antwon Davis. He also won a decision over two-time 125-pound 4A state champion Michael Waters. Last spring white earned All-American honors placing third in the FILA Cadet tournament in Akron, Ohio. He was a USA Wrestling Southeast Regional champion in Atlanta, Georgia and was a champion at the Brockport, New York tournament. In the Southeast Regional he defeated Fargo National third place winner Sammy Jones of Louisiana. White lost his first match in the FILA Cadet tournament in Akron, Ohio, but then won five straight matches to finish third. Since this was a world team trail tournament, he next defeated Fargo Greco All-American Jacob Scmitt of Michigan for true second. This earned White first alternate status for the FILA Cadet World Team. At Fargo White had a sold 4-2 record in freestyle. White is a very good technical wrestler that stays in good position and is always looking to score points. White, a member of the Arrichion Wrestling Club, wrestles and practices year round. He is also an excellent student. He carries a 4.8043 weighted GPA, unweighted 3.9348. He has 1930 SAT and 30 ACT scores. He plans to take his talents to either Stanford or Northwestern next year. 5. Cameron King (Trinity) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 195/220 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Analysis: King placed third in the state tournament at 171 pounds his sophomore season. As a junior he was a 215-pound state champion. When King was a freshman he was a teammate of Jesse Doyle at Trinity. The next year a new school was opened in their county and Doyle started going to this school. Last season Doyle bumped up to 215 pounds to wrestle King in an important dual meet. King won a hard-fought decision, giving Doyle his only loss of the year. King went on to win his first state championship and finish with a 50-3 record. Last spring King earned All-American honors at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, placing seventh. King is a dedicated wrestler with good takedown skills. He has been a NCUSA Fargo team member a couple of times, but has yet been able to break into those tournaments All-American ranks. King is a year-round wrestler, traveling to many off season tournaments with his Arrichion team members and coaches throughout the year. 6. Joey Moon (Southern Alamance) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: There is a saying in wrestling circles that most great wrestling champions have great wrestling workout partners. At Southern Alamance this holds true. Joey Moon and Tony Deangelo have been friends and workout partners for some time now. Last season both won their first state championships and both were NHSCA Junior National All-Americans. Moon placed fourth in the NHSCA Junior Nationals last spring. Moon was a North Carolina high school state fourth-place winner in 2010. Last season he dominated in the state tournament, scoring a tech fall and three major decisions. During the 2010-11 season, Moon lost only one match where he finished the year with a 41-1 record and the 4A 135-pound high school state championship. His only loss was a 3-2 decision to 4A senior 130-pound state champion Jovontae Coleman. Both Deangelo and Moon compete for the Hurricane Wrestling Club in the offseason. 7. Dustin Roemer (Pinecrest) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149/157 Analysis: Roemer was a state qualifier his freshman year and placed sixth as a sophomore. Last season he won his first state championship and finished the season with a 49-1 record. Roemer is an old school "pinner." He scored 33 pins and four tech falls last season. In the state tournament he dominated scoring a tech fall, a pin and a major decision. In the state finals match he won by a decision, avenging his only loss of the season. Roemer should make a nice addition to most any college wrestling team. 8. J.J. LaPlante (West Wilkes) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 132 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: Another good prospect, LaPlante is a solid wrestler with good technical skills. He has a lean body style with good reach and balance. He was a state runner-up as a freshman and has won his first state championship as a sophomore. Last season, competing at 125 pounds, Laplante won his second state championship and finished the season with a 41-4 record. 9. John Sparks (Green Hope) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 120 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Analysis: Sparks was a state qualifier as a freshman and again as a sophomore. As a junior, Sparks had a dominating season. He won his first state championship and finished the season with a 47-0 record. Of these he scored 30 pins. Only four of Sparks' wins this past season were decisions. Sparks wrestled at 112 pounds his junior season. He could be a career 125-pounder in college. 10. Joseph Anders (Trinity) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 132 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: Anders placed sixth in the state tournament as a freshman. He was a state runner-up as a sophomore and again as a junior. The state finals was his only loss of the year. He finished the season with a 32-1 record. Honorable Mention: Carson Joyce (Chatham Central), Two-time state champion Hayden Albert (Fred T Foard), State runner-up Tyrone Mason (Cedar Ridge), Two-time state runner-up Alex Cabrera (South Caldwell). Placed third as sophomore, runner-up 2011 John Grigg (East Gaston), Has been fourth, state qualifier, and was third last season

Beginning Monday, ESPN3 will carry exclusive coverage of the FILA Wrestling World Championships live from Istanbul, Turkey. The first six to place in each Olympic weight category will qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games. From the U.S., 2004 Olympic gold medalist and Penn State wrestling head coach Cael Sanderson will return to the event in the 84-kilogram weight class. The schedule:

Save 50% Off Site Wide at Omaha Steaks! Valid 09.06.11 - 10.05.11. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- University of Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan announced that three-time All-American Cory Cooperman will join the Fighting Illini coaching staff as a volunteer assistant and Illini Wrestling Club coach. Cooperman comes to Illinois from Rutgers, where he served as assistant coach from 2009-11. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Cornell from 2006-09. Cory Cooperman (Photo/Tom Ciszek)"Cory has an enormous amount of energy, experience and , and will make an immediate impact on our student- athletes," Heffernan said. "He is exceptional technically and his strengths will enable us to become a more well-rounded team. His goals and focus are to help make Illinois a championship-caliber program." Cooperman helped guide Rutgers to a school-record 21 dual wins and a No. 9 national ranking in 2010-11. He also saw 165-pounder Scott Winston take home an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association title and guided seven Scarlet Knights to NCAA berths, the most since 1960. During Cooperman's three years at Cornell, the Big Red produced three EIWA and Ivy League team titles, 12 All-Americans and two national champions. As a standout wrestler at Lehigh, Cooperman was a three-time EIWA champion in the 141-pound weight class, won the Southern Scuffle title in 2006 and was an alternate for the 2002 Junior World Team.

Related Link: 2011-12 George Mason Wrestling Schedule First-year head coach Joe Russell has officially released the schedule for the 2011-2012 George Mason wrestling season. The schedule features conference matchups on the road against Binghamton and Drexel, as well as matchups against Maryland and Virginia just before the CAA and NCAA Championships. "The early Open tournaments will let us evaluate and prepare for the dual meet season," said Russell. "The guys will be tested and hopefully it will help them grow so they will be ready for the dual meet season and tournament time in March." Mason will look to take advantage of their seven home matches this season, beginning with American on December 10th and ending with a February 16th match against Maryland. "It's always good to wrestle at home, so to have that many competitions at the RAC is going to be a big benefit to the guys," remarked Russell. "The conference tournament is on the road this year at Binghamton which will be an exciting time for the guys. We want them to be prepared to compete to qualify for the NCAA Championships in St Louis. Our home matches in the middle of the year will do a lot to help prepare our team for the conference and national tournament." With the beginning of the season less than 60 days away, Russell is looking for physical improvements in the weight room and mental preparation for the long season that is quickly approaching. "I want them to have a sense of urgency to get ready for these early competitions," said Russell. "Right now we're doing strength and conditioning in the morning. Guys are also starting to get themselves back on the mat and get their legs underneath them again. I see the countdown to the first match everyday on the website and it gets me excited. I want the team to be excited and fired up for the season to start as well." Tickets for all wrestling meets are $5 for adults and $2 for youth (18 & under). Tickets are available for purchase near the entrance to the RAC Gym beginning one hour prior to the start of the meet. Groups of 15 or more can purchase discounted tickets in advance through the Athletic Ticket Office. For information on group sales, please call 703-993-3270 or e-mail icatix@gmu.edu.