InterMat Staff

Related Link: Cadet National Duals Greco-Roman Results DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A year ago, Illinois entered the Cadet National Duals as one of the favorites in the Greco-Roman competition after winning titles in two of the three previous years, but fell to Pennsylvania in the pool competition prior to the finals. The wrestlers from the Land of Lincoln were determined not to let that happen this year. On Thursday, Illinois captured the Cadet National Duals championship in Greco-Roman with a 39-32 victory over Pennsylvania Red in the championship match. "We won the little battles," said Illinois coach George Kirgan, who also coaches at the high school and club levels in Granite City, Ill. "We scored points when we needed to. We got the pins when we needed to. We stayed off our backs when we needed to. We did all the good things that make a good team." Illinois entered this year's event seeded sixth, but finished 9-0 en route to winning the championship. "We knew the seeding points weren't really true to the talent of our team," said Kirgan, who wrestled collegiately at Nebraska and Northern Illinois. "We just used that to motivate the guys." Illinois also had to overcome adversity after losing its 145-pounder, Zachary Pickering, who was disqualified earlier in the competition against Wisconsin. "The kids rallied behind each other, said Kirgan. "We had a great camp. That made us a team and helped allow us to win those close matches." In Thursday's championship match, Jabari Moody got things started for Illinois against Pennsylvania, winning in three periods at 84 pounds. Moody, an IL/USAW Cadet double champion and Cadet Nationals folkstyle champion, finished a perfect 8-0 in the Greco-Roman competition. "He's a tough kid," Kirgan said of Moody, the younger brother of seven-time national champion Nkosi Moody. "I really think he'll do well in Fargo. He'll be one of the frontrunners." Nicholas Koch received a forfeit at 91 pounds, which extended the lead to 8-1 in favor of Illinois. Pennsylvania bounced back to win the next two matches with Ethan Lizak and Darian Cruz, which cut the deficit to 8-7. Lizak, a PIAA state runner-up this past season for Parkland, shut out Austin Ryan, 3-0, 2-0, at 98 pounds. Cruz, a Super 32 Challenge champion, Beast of the East champion, and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion, blanked Matthew Rundell, 6-0, 1-0, at 105 pounds. Illinois then went on a six-match run, winning every weight class from 112 pounds through 140 pounds, outscoring Pennsylvania 22-1 during the run. That run started with Jon Marmolejo's 4-0, 2-1 victory over Cole Walter at 112 pounds. Darius Henry, a FILA Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman champion, continued his dominance at 119 pounds, beating Zach Kelly, 6-0, 6-0. Henry finished 7-0 in the Greco-Roman competition. At 125 pounds, Michael Sepke scored a shutout victory over Justin Staudenamyer, 1-0, 4-0. Jake O'Mara was dominant at 130 pounds, winning the first period 7-0 before pinning Demetri D'Orsaneo in the second period. "Jake O'Mara really wrestled his butt off," said Kirgan. "He was relatively unknown. His pin in the championship was huge for us." Xavier Montalvo picked up a shutout technical fall shutout victory 7-0, 6-0, over Seth Decker at 135 pounds. Mitchell Alexander registered a shutout victory against Garrett Hammond 8-0, 5-0, at 140 pounds, which gave Illinois a commanding 30-8 lead. Pennsylvania battled back, winning by forfeit at 145 pounds, and then getting victories at 152, 160, and 171 pounds to cut the deficit to 31-26 heading into the final three matches. But Illinois sealed the dual meet and national championship with victories from Sage Hecox at 189 pounds and Edgar Ruano at 215 pounds, before giving up a forfeit at 285 pounds to close the dual meet. "It's about getting momentum, where you get one win after another win," said Kirgan. "When we were losing, it was about stopping the bleeding and getting back to what we do best ... keeping it simple, controlling the positions, winning the one-point matches, and winning the position game." With this year's championship, Illinois has now won the Cadet National Duals title in Greco-Roman three of the past five years. "This is a huge event for Illinois," said Kirgan. "We take great pride in the Duals. We thank USA Wrestling for putting on a great tournament, giving these kids the opportunities to wrestle in these big national tournaments when they're young." Michigan Red defeated New Jersey, 41-24, to finish third in the competition. Michigan Red's only loss throughout the three-day event came to Illinois in the pool competition. Wisconsin claimed fifth place with a 46-26 victory over Utah. Last year's champion, Minnesota, finished seventh. Championship: Illinois 39, Pennsylvania Red 32 84: Jabari Moody (Illinois) dec. Luke Karem (Pennsylvania Red), 1-0, 0-2, 2-0 91: Nicholas Koch (Illinois) forf. Colin Mashack (Pennsylvania Red) 98: Ethan Lizak (Pennsylvania Red) dec. Austin Ryan (Illinois), 3-0, 2-0 105: Darian Cruz (Pennsylvania Red) dec. Matthew Rundell (Illinois) 6-0, 1-0 112: Jon Marmolejo (Illinois) dec. Cole Walter (Pennsylvania Red), 4-0, 2-1 119: Darius Henry (Illinois) tech. fall Zach Kelly (Pennsylvania Red), 6-0, 6-0 125: Michael Sepke (Illinois) dec. Justin Staudenamyer (Pennsylvania Red), 1-0, 4-0 130: Jake O`Mara (Illinois) pinned Demetri D`Orsaneo (Pennsylvania Red), 7-0, 1:16 135: Xavier Montalvo (Illinois) tech. fall Seth Decker (Pennsylvania Red), 7-0, 6-0 140: Mitchell Alexander (Illinois) dec. Garrett Hammond (Pennsylvania Red), 8-0, 5-0 145: Connor Burns (Pennsylvania Red) forfeit Zachary Pickering (Illinois) 152: Chance Marsteller (Pennsylvania Red) pinned Davonte Mahomes (Illinois), 1:49 160: Troy Hembury (Pennsylvania Red) dec. Richard Robertson (Illinois), 1-0, 3-2 171: Raymond O`Donnell (Pennsylvania Red) pinned Joey Ariola (Illinois), 2-8, 8-1, 0:39 189: Sage Hecox (Illinois) dec. Javon Reyes (Pennsylvania Red), 2-0, 4-2 215: Edgar Ruano (Illinois) pinned Austin Buttry (Pennsylvania Red), 1:16 285: Nazar Mirenenko (Pennsylvania Red) forf. Adarios Jones (Illinois) Third Place: Michigan Red 41, New Jersey 24 84: Brandon Paetzell (New Jersey) dec. Dalton Roberts (Michigan Red), 7-0, 1-6, 5-1 91: Lincoln Olson (Michigan Red) dec. Dan Boychuck (New Jersey), 0-1, 2-1, 1-0 98: Joe Garcia (Michigan Red) dec. Tyler Casamenti (New Jersey), 2-0, 2-0 105: Joseph Ghione (New Jersey) dec. Logan Griffin (Michigan Red), 7-1, 6-5 112: Joseph McKenna (New Jersey) dec. Zac Hall (Michigan Red), 6-1, 6-0 119: Cole Weaver (Michigan Red) dec. Xaviel Ramos (New Jersey), 0-6, 6-5, 4-1 125: Anthony Gonzales (Michigan Red) dec. Anthony Ashnault (New Jersey), 0-3, 3-3, 3-1 130: Zehlin Storr (Michigan Red) dec. John Van Brill (New Jersey), 2-0, 7-0 135: Riley Hanson (Michigan Red) dec. Myles Martin (New Jersey), 3-0, 1-0 140: Toby Hague (New Jersey) dec. Logan Marcicki (Michigan Red), 7-1, 4-1 145: TJ Barnes (Michigan Red) dec. Dillon Artigliere (New Jersey), 2-0, 4-0 152: Andrew Garcia (Michigan Red) dec. Dylan Milonas (New Jersey), 5-0, 4-1, 0-0 160: Johnny Sebastian (New Jersey) dec. Shon Powell (Michigan Red), 7-3, 5-3 171: Jadean Bernstein (New Jersey) dec. Teddy Warren (Michigan Red), 7-0, 3-2 189: Mitchell Tyler (Michigan Red) dec. Corey Damiana (New Jersey), 4-3, 1-0 215: Brian Moran (Michigan Red) pinned Jeff Miller (New Jersey), 0:57 285: Miguel Correa (Michigan Red) dec. Carmine Goldsack (New Jersey), 2-0, 2-2 Fifth Place: Wisconsin 46, Utah 26 84: Brock George (Utah) dec. Walker Christensen (Wisconsin), 2-0, 5-4 91: Joe Mondragon (Utah) dec. Dillon Koenigs (Wisconsin), 2-1, 5-0 98: Ty Pelot (Wisconsin) tech. fall Jaydon Rogers (Utah), 6-0, 9-2 105: Jens Lantz (Wisconsin) dec. Dusty Hone (Utah), 1-0, 1-0 112: Branson Ashworth (Utah) dec. Andrew Crone (Wisconsin), 1:11 119: Gabriel Grahek (Wisconsin) dec. Antonio Meikel (Utah), 3-1, 2-2 125: Jacob Armstrong (Utah) dec. Kyle Mezera (Wisconsin), 3-2, 3-1 130: Joseph Nelson (Wisconsin) dec. Landon Knutzen (Utah), 6-0, 5-2 135: Grant LaMont (Utah) dec. Mitchell Berenz (Wisconsin), 8-0, 2-1 140: Travis Hettinga (Wisconsin) pinned Dalton Harmon (Utah), 0:30 145: Kimball Bastian (Utah) dec. Jared Scharenbrock (Wisconsin), 0-3, 4-0, 5-0 152: Jared Schaaf (Wisconsin) dec. Jake Tolman (Utah), 2-0, 1-0 160: Jake Stilling (Wisconsin) tech. fall Nick Sorenson (Utah), 10-4, 8-1 171: Aaron Rothwell (Wisconsin) dec. Kohler Smoot (Utah), 3-1, 1-0 189: Quinn Faust (Wisconsin) pinned Daviaire Dickerson (Utah), 1:03 215: Dakota Johnson (Wisconsin) pinned Roy Nash (Utah), 8-1, 0-2, 0:58 285: Alex Lennartson (Wisconsin) dec. Zac Dawe (Utah), 1-1, 2-0 Seventh Place: Minnesota 37, Missouri 31 84: Double Forfeit 91: Gannon Volk (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Carter Behler (Missouri), 7-0, 6-0 98: Ke-Shawn Hayes (Missouri) tech. fall Blane Tschida (Minnesota Storm), 6-0, 7-0 105: Reid Lyden (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Matt Barmann (Missouri), 6-0, 6-0 112: Devan Richter (Missouri) pinned James Pleski (Minnesota Storm), 5-3, 0:13 119: Seth Gross (Minnesota Storm) pinned Seth Brayfield (Missouri), 4-3, 1:58 125: Brett Stolarczyk (Minnesota Storm) pinned Colston DiBlasi (Missouri), 4-0, 0:23 130: Aaron Trio (Minnesota Storm) dec. Montel Maggitt (Missouri), 7-1, 5-1 135: Mason Moreno (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Tyler Brown (Missouri), 6-0, 8-0 140: Grant Leeth (Missouri) dec. TJ O'Hara (Minnesota Storm), 1-0, 2-0 145: Dayton Racer (Missouri) dec. Jake Deutchlander (Minnesota Storm), 4-4, 3-0, 1-0 152: Austin Boniface (Minnesota Storm) pinned Tony Clinesmith (Missouri), 0:33 160: Brennan Johnson (Missouri) pinned Gus Phillips (Minnesota Storm), 1:12 171: Joseph Bradford (Missouri) dec. Isaac Josephson (Minnesota Storm), 6-5, 3-3 189: Matt McClimens (Missouri) dec. Will Balow (Minnesota Storm), 1-0, 6-0 215: J'den Cox (Missouri) tech. fall Nathan Preston (Minnesota Storm), 6-0, 8-0 285: Sam Stoll (Minnesota Storm) pinned Jacob Semple (Missouri), 0:32 All-Tournament Team 84: Jabari Moody (Illinois) 8-0 91: Gannon Volk (Minnesota Storm) 9-0, Isaac Jimenez (Texas) 7-0 105: Darian Cruz (Pennsylvania Red) 9-0 112: Joseph McKenna (New Jersey) 9-0 119: Darius Henry (Illinois) 7-0 125: Anthony Gonzales (Michigan Red) 7-0 135: Grant LaMont (Utah) 9-0, Bo Nickal (Texas) 7-0, Fox Baldwin (Florida Blue) 7-0, John Edwards (Georgia Red) 7-0 140: Mitchell Alexander (Illinois) 9-0 152: Chance Marsteller (Pennsylvania Red) 9-0, Andrew Garcia (Michigan Red) 7-0 171: Jadean Bernstein (New Jersey) 9-0, Kacee Hutchinson (North Carolina) 6-0 189: Tyler Andreason (Florida Blue) 7-0, Tyler Denova (Georgia Red) 7-0 215: Carter Shipley (Florida Blue) 7-0, Edgar Ruano (Illinois) 6-0 285: Nazar Mirenenko (Pennsylvania Red) 9-0, Sam Stoll (Minnesota Storm) 8-0

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! Join Takedown Wrestling Host Scott Casber and Brad Johnson with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News. Listen in this Saturday for Takedown Wrestling 9 to 11 AM CST/ 10 AM to 12 Noon Eastern. This weeks guests include: 9:01 Joe Heskett- Head Coach of Army's Black Knights 9:20 Troy Nickerson- Olympic Bound? 9:40 Jimmy May- Baker University Head Coach 9:50 Max Muscle Minute with Ty Barkley 10:01 Mark Branch- Head Coach of Wyoming 10:20 Jim Zalesky- Head Coach of the Oregon State Beavers 10:40 Mike Fussilli- World Wide Sport Supply 10:50 Amy Williams Wildrose Casino and Resort in Emmetsburg, Iowa Join us LIVE 9 to 11 AM CST for Takedown Wrestling. Listen on radio, on computer, your Blackberry or I Phone with the I Heart Radio App. KXNO.com, Takedownradio.com, I Heart Radio App

Imagine shadowing an NCAA champion wrestler 24/7. You'd learn how he trains ... find out what's going on in his mind during a match ... and discover how he deals with defeat, injuries, making weight and other challenges of the sport. Most of us don't have the opportunity to follow every move of a national collegiate mat champ and, rarer still, get inside his head. Here's the next best thing: Michael Bonora's brand-new book Wrestling With Your Destiny. Bonora was a two-time All-American for Rhode Island College who won the 141-pound title at the 2008 NCAA Division III Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In his book, Bonora shares his journey through the sport, from his early days in youth wrestling, through high school in New Jersey, and then in college, culminating at the nationals. It is what it is Wrestling With Your Destiny is something of a hybrid. It's not a traditional memoir or autobiography like those from, say, Olympic gold medalists Henry Cejudo or Rulon Gardner. Nor is it one of those how-to-wrestle books with step-by-step instructions detailing specific moves. Nor is it strictly a motivational book intended to fire up a competitor emotionally. Michael BonoraIn a way, Bonora's book brings elements from each of these types of books together in a compact, 126-page package. Wrestling With Your Destiny takes the reader through Michael Bonora's life, so it is something of an autobiography ... though just about all of it is through the lens of wrestling. The book does incorporate instructional material, but, in the sense of instructions on how to overcome various challenges that any wrestler at any age will face, no matter his or her skill level. And, while it's not one of those rah-rah, "you can do it!" books designed specifically to motivate and inspire athletes to greater performance, Bonora serves up plenty of genuine support and encouragement to which any athlete can relate ... especially in a solitary sport like wrestling. The back cover provides insight into the intention of the book: Join Michael Bonora as he recounts the inspiring moments of his wrestling career in hopes of helping you reach your goals. As you dive into this book, you will get a unique glimpse into the mental, emotional, and physical aspects of wrestling. Through unrelenting dedication, Bonora was able to reach his goals and now is passing his knowledge onto you. Wrestling With Your Destiny takes the reader through Michael Bonora's life in the sport, starting in first grade, and concluding with his last match in college. Michael Bonora works from the top (Photo/RIC Sports Info)Each chapter title is something of a landmark in his mat career: "High School" "Recruitment" "Rhode Island" "Midlands" "Adversity" "Cedar Rapids." Each chapter ends with "What You Can Take Away From This Chapter" -- a concise checklist that recaps the major lessons to be gleaned from that section of the book, and helps reinforce the "teachable moments" that Michael Bonora struggled through, learned from, and used as a foundation for the future. (Throughout the book there are situations where Bonora recalls a similar situation, thinks about what happened then, and, if a different outcome is desired, takes a different direction.) The book Bonora wishes he had in school What was the motivation for writing Wrestling With Your Destiny? "As a younger wrestler, I wanted a book to help me," said Bonora. As he wrote in the book's preface, "I could have used a book like this; to hear from someone who had been through an entire academic wrestling career and could share what he had learned. Throughout my career I often sought out sayings to express how I left and people to whom I could relate. I always wondered if I was doing everything possible to perform to the best of my ability. Was I thinking the right thoughts, drilling the correct way, lifting the most important muscles? On these pages, I hope I can show you what worked for me and at the very least point you in the right direction." Putting pen to paper, then getting it into shape Perhaps Michael Bonora knew he was destined to write this book. As he said in the interview for this article, "After all my matches, I wrote notes to myself, starting in eight grade ... Every match is a learning experience." Bonora didn't waste any time turning those notes into the beginnings of a book. Michael Bonora was an NCAA champion in 2008"The day after winning nationals, I flew to Italy," said the 2008 Division III champ. "I actually started writing it by hand on the trip." "I wrote it in three months, then started editing it over the course of three years," according to Bonora. "The original manuscript was twice as long as the finished book." "I originally thought my 90,000-word manuscript was great, but in talking to others -- like Alfred Martino (author of the wrestling novel Pinned) -- I decided it was too long, with too many personal references," Bonora disclosed. The trimming process wasn't that much different than the challenge of dropping those stubborn last pounds to make weight before a match. "It was especially hard to take things out," said the author. "I decided to only keep things that progressed the story, or taught a lesson." "I had a file I called 'Homeless Material' with things like a wrestler's diet, and workout ideas. I decided that much of this information was worth sharing, so I started a blog." (You can access his blog at www.michaelsmat.com) "I wanted to make it appealing and accessible to younger readers," said Bonora. "I kept thinking about how many wrestlers I know who don't read." "I wanted it to be relatable and readable for anyone from eighth grade through college ... I thought, perhaps people could relate to an average guy who puts in the time and effort and really wants to succeed." "I'd like to think someone who reads it is already a step ahead of the competition by being receptive to setting goals and achieving them." Destined to be a winner Wrestling With Your Destiny is sure to appeal to any wrestler who has dreams, is willing to set goals, learn from mistakes (and victories), and put in the hard work toward realizing those dreams. There are a couple specific aspects about the book that truly make it a winner. For starters, there's a powerful you-are-there perspective. Bonora has a gift for taking readers inside his world. His descriptions of some of his matches are especially strong -- not just an account of who's doing what on the mat, but also what's taking place inside his head -- his doubts, his analysis of what his opponent is doing, drawing from similar situations in the past. The book is also incredibly practical. This isn't pie-in-the-sky fantasy, nor is it heavy-duty philosophical navel-gazing. Instead, Bonora shares useful information that any wrestler at any age or skill level can put to work immediately, and throughout the course of his or her career. The end-of-chapter checklists guide the reader to think about what he's just read ... which reinforces learning. Whether your goal as a wrestler is to win Olympic gold, bring home a title from the NCAAs, be crowned a champ at your state tournament, or be the starter on your wrestling team, Michael Bonora's Wrestling With Your Destiny is a great guidebook on your journey to make your dreams a reality. Wrestling With Your Destiny is available for purchase online as a paperback as well as for Kindle from Amazon.com.

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State assistant wrestling coach and former two-time NCAA 190-pound champion Eric Voelker is resigning to pursue a call to the ministry. Voelker, a three-time NCAA All-American as a Cyclone from 1987-89, had joined the staff of Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson last fall. “Eric has been a valuable asset to our wrestling program,” Jackson said. “He is respected by our wrestlers, alumni and prep coaches in Iowa and across the country. He is a great leader, which will serve him well in the ministry.” Voelker will be joining the staff of his church, Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. “This past year has given me cause to refocus,” Voelker said. “For many years I have been moving been toward full-time ministry and believe that now is the time to go ‘all in,' to use our Cyclone language.” Voelker had high praise for Jackson. “Kevin is a great leader and working with him and the Iowa State wrestling program has been a special time in my life,” Voelker said. “The Iowa State wrestling program has a top-notch staff, a very supportive athletics department and a committed booster community. I am confident great achievements lie ahead.” Jackson knows that Voelker will continue to be a part of the Cyclone wrestling family. “More than anything, Eric made an impact on our wrestlers by example,” Jackson said. “They see him as an individual who wouldn't ask for any effort from another that he would not ask of himself. His place in Iowa State history is assured.” Jackson says a search for Voelker's replacement is underway.

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin associate head wrestling coach Donny Pritzlaff has resigned his position effective immediately, head coach Barry Davis announced Sunday. Pritzlaff, who wrestled at UW from 1998-2001, spent five seasons as a Badger assistant coach. “I want to thank Donny for the time he spent as an assistant in helping our program reach the heights we have,” Davis said. “He has decided to explore other options and we wish him the best.” With Pritzlaff's resignation, Jared Frayer will be promoted to the role of top assistant coach. Frayer has been an assistant on the wrestling staff for two seasons. Before joining UW's staff, he served as the strength and conditioning coach for the Iowa wrestling program for one season. Frayer was also an assistant coach at Harvard for three years. A two-time All-American at Oklahoma, Frayer brings a wealth of wrestling experience on the national level. He has four top-four finishes in the World Team Trials at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and has placed in the top five at the U.S. National Freestyle tournament five times. Frayer finished fourth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2008.

Hempstead, NY -- Hofstra All-American wrestler Lou Ruggirello has been named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America University Division Men's At-Large third team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The Men's At-Large program for the Academic All-America(r) includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo and wrestling. Ruggirello's honor is the third Capital One Academic All-America award received by a Hofstra student-athlete during the 2010-11 academic year. Seniors Dana Bergstrom and Tiffany Yovino were both named to the Capital One Women's Soccer Academic All-America first team last November. Ruggirello becomes the 26th Hofstra student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA and is the first Pride wrestler to receive the award. Ruggirello, who won his second Colonial Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in April after receiving the honor in 2009, is both a four-time CAA champion and NCAA qualifier at 133 pounds. He earned his first All-America award this year by placing seventh at the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia in March. A senior majoring in finance, the Walden, New York native is a four-time CAA Commissioner's Academic Award recipient and a five-year member of the Hofstra Athletics Academic Honor Roll. Ruggirello, a Capital One Academic All-District I first team selection, is a two-time (2008-09) member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team. He posted a 32-5 overall record in 2010-11 including a 17-1 mark in dual matches with 13 wins by fall. In his Pride career, Ruggirello finished second on the Hofstra all-time career victory list with a 131-26 record including a 72-7 mark in duals. To be eligible for Academic All-America(r) consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. The Academic All-America(r) program has honored thousands of student-athletes since its inception in 1952. It encompasses all sports in which the NCAA conducts championships. There are separate teams selected in football, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball and men's and women's track and cross-country. For student-athletes in other sports, such as wrestling, lacrosse, swimming, tennis, golf, hockey, they are eligible for the men's and women's at-large programs. Currently, a Capital One Academic All-America(r) University Division (NCAA Division I participants) team and a College Division team (combining NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, Canadian, and two-year schools) are selected for each sport category. Beginning with the 2011-12 academic year, this national program will grow to four programs - with NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III teams and a separate College Division program combining NAIA, Canadian and two-year school honorees. The Capital One Academic All-America(r) Program is a highly selective scholar-athlete honor. Approximately 1,950 of the 12,000 student-athletes nominated annually receive "First-Team Academic All-District" honors, and only 820 currently gain the prestigious Capital One Academic All-America(r) honor; of those 820, only 288 earn prestigious Academic All-America(r) First Team accolades. The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA, www.CoSIDA.com), now in its 55th year as an organization, was founded in 1957-making it the second oldest management association in intercollegiate athletics. Today, it is a vibrant 2,700-plus member national association comprised of the sports public relations, communications and information professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. For more information about the Academic All-America(r) Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com. About Capital One Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., had $122.2 billion in deposits and $197.5 billion in total assets outstanding as of December 31, 2010. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. Capital One, N.A. has approximately 1,000 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.

Henry Cejudo, and Olympic gold medalist, has returned to wrestling, but opted not to compete at the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials. He tells Flowrestling why. Watch more video of World Team Trials 2011 on flowrestling.org

Patricia Fox of Colorado Springs, Colo, a volunteer leader and pairing official, has been named Woman of the Year by USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States. This award recognizes an outstanding woman for her contributions to the sport of wrestling. Fox currently serves on the National Age-Group Women's Council, representing the Southern Plains Region. She served as a voting member of the Junior Executive Committee representing age-group women's wrestling for five years, and currently remains on the committee in an ad-hoc basis. She served a term as a member of the USA Wrestling Marketing Committee. Patricia Fox is USAW's Wrestling Woman of the YearFox is a P-1C pairing official, and has worked as a pairing official on the national, regional and local level for over a decade. She has paired every USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle National Championships since the event was created. Fox also has paired every USA Wrestling Beach National Championships. She served as a pairing official for the 2009 FILA Grappling World Championships in Florida. Fox got involved in USA Wrestling as a parent, when her youngest son Kevin Fox began to wrestle on the local and state levels in New Jersey. As her son progressed in wrestling, she got involved more and more involved in helping conduct tournaments and organize wrestling programs within New Jersey. She was a member of the Board for USA Wrestling/New Jersey from 2000-2008. Among her official positions within New Jersey included Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer, Pairing Director, Women's Director, Membership Director, Club Director, Event Scheduler and Uniform Director. She served on five different committees within USA Wrestling/New Jersey. She also managed New Jersey's Developmental Training Centers, and set up many free technique clinics within the state using national-level instructors. She is an NCEP Bronze-level certified coach and instructor. She served as a director of The Order Wrestling Club in New Jersey for four years. She also volunteered at the 2003 Freestyle World Championships in New York City. Photography is among her hobbies, and Fox has taken photographs and shot video at numerous USA Wrestling events, providing content for USA Wrestling's publications and websites. “There is no greater reward than knowing that I may have made a positive impact in somebody else's life,” said Fox. “I am beyond humbled this honor. It is never something I would have thought I would ever be considered for. I want to thank all my friends in wrestling for their continued support. They are all a blessing in my life.” PAST USA WRESTLING WOMAN OF THE YEAR WINNERS 2010 – Patricia Fox 2009 – Ginger Lile 2008 - Sue Hesser 2007 - Dr. Lin Miller 2006 - Sharon Dowden 2005 - Kim Martori-Wickey 2004 - Patricia Miranda 2003 - Kristie Marano 2002 - Pat Short 2001 - Paula McGahee 2000 - Sandy Stevens 1999 - Sue Siar 1998 - Nancy Schultz 1997 - Tricia Saunders

Mike Novogratz of New York, N.Y., who has been an innovative leader in promoting wrestling and raising funds for the sport, has been named Man of the Year by USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States. This award recognizes an outstanding man for his contributions to the sport of wrestling. Mike Novogratz receives his USA Wrestling Man of the Year award from USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender and President James RavannackNovogratz serves as the Team Leader for Freestyle Team USA during the 2009-2012 quadrennium, and has been part of the staff at the last two World Championships. He will lead the freestyle delegation at the 2011 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, as well as the U.S. freestyle team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. He is the driving force behind the Beat the Streets Gala events, which raises money for youth and high school wrestling in New York City. Novogratz has developed a wrestling match as part of the Gala. In 2010, an all-star dual was held on the U.S.S. Intrepid aircraft carrier, raising $800,000. In 2011, a USA vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, the first sports event ever held in this famous setting, raising over $1 million. Novogratz has been a leader and major financial supporter of the Beat the Streets program in New York City, which has placed dozens of wrestling programs in high schools and junior high schools in the city. This program is now being launched in many other cities. Novogratz has been a leader in the development of the Living the Dream Medal Fund, which was launched in 2009, serving as a steward for the program, which established the fund and assists in its financial support. World and Olympic medalists for the United States receive bonuses from this fund, with a guarantee of $250,000 for any American gold medalist in wrestling at the 2012 Olympics in London. Novogratz was named as an Outstanding American by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a Virginia state runner-up as a high school wrestler, and competed for Princeton University in college, reaching the round of 12 at the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships. Professionally, he has been a major success in the financial services industry. “It is flattering and was not expected. It is a very nice honor,” said Novogratz. “I see my work in wrestling is to inject some energy into the sport. I got that mandate from Tom Brands years ago and I try to live up to it. Most of what I do is to get people excited about wrestling. It is also about the kids, so we can use the sport to make a difference in kids lives. That is where all the volunteerism comes in. My role is to shed some light, some resources and some enthusiasm. I love the sport. I grew up in it. You rarely meet a wrestler you don't like.” PAST USA WRESTLING MAN OF THE YEAR WINNERS 2010 – Mike Novogratz 2009 – Greg Strobel 2008 - Sonny Greenhalgh 2007 - Van Stokes 2006 - Steve Silver 2005 - Al Bevilacqua 2004 - Jeff Levitetz 2003 - Set Agonian 2002 - Al Kastl 2001 - James Ravannack 2000 - Rulon Gardner 1999 - Duane Morgan 1998 - Scott Beck 1997 - Rick Tucci 1996 - Dave Schultz 1995 - Leroy Evans 1994 - James E. Scherr 1993 - Arthur J. Martori 1992 - Bruce Baumgartner 1990 - Eugene Barone 1989 - John Vaughan 1987 - Dave Rudrud 1986 - Jeff Blatnick 1985 - Dr. Dan Gould 1984 - Gary Thompson 1983 - Don Sondgeroth 1982 - Frank Rader 1981 - John Roberts 1980 - Rick Bay 1979 - Ben Bennett 1978 - Werner Holzer 1977 - Vince Zuaro 1976 - Ken Kraft 1974-75 - Russ Hellickson 1973 - Jack Stanbro 1972 - Melvin Jones 1971 - Bud Linholm 1970 - Rex Peery

Related Link: InterMat Coverage Section OKLAHOMA CITY -- In 2004, Cael Sanderson walked away from competitive wrestling at the age of 25 after winning an Olympic gold medal. He was no longer having fun with the sport. Cael Sanderson defeated World silver medalist Jake Herbert (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Now, seven years later, Sanderson, who went 159-0 as a college competitor at Iowa State, is back competing, and having fun with it. As Sanderson put the finishing touches on a two-match victory over 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert at the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials on Saturday night, he winked at those positioned matside. "I'm just trying to have fun with it," said Sanderson after outscoring Herbert 13-3 in two matches. "That's the trick." Sanderson won three matches in the Challenge Tournament on Saturday afternoon, prior to facing Herbert. His final win in the Challenge Tournament came over Jon Reader, a wrestler he recruited and coached at Iowa State. "That was very strange," said Sanderson of facing his former wrestler. "Reader is somebody I have a great deal of respect for. I've spent a lot of time with him and around him. I consider him a really great friend. So it was weird. That was a weird match for me. It wasn't who I was hoping to wrestle." Sanderson, who coached Penn State to a national championships this past season, is one of three wrestlers with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club to make the 2011 U.S. World Team. The others are Jake Varner and Teyon Ware. Varner earned a spot on the U.S. World Team on Friday night, while Ware secured his spot on Saturday night by defeating returning U.S. World Team member Brent Metcalf in the best-of-three finals series. Ware, a 2011 U.S. Open champion, topped Metcalf in the opening match. Metcalf, though, came back to win the second match. In the third and deciding match, Ware got on a roll and outscored Metcalf 9-1 in two periods to take the match and make his first U.S. World Team. "I'm very excited," said Ware, who won two NCAA titles as a college competitor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, 20 miles from Oklahoma City. "This is the easy part. The easy part is done. I've got to take it up a notch and bring home a medal for the World Team." Teyon Ware made his first U.S. World Team by defeating Brent Metcalf (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Ware's journey to the top of the U.S. freestyle ladder at 66 kilos has not been without bumps in the road. He failed to win a match at the 2007 and 2008 Trials at 66 kilos. He then switched styles from freestyle to Greco-Roman and dropped down a weight class to 60 kilos. Ware failed to place at the 2009 U.S. World Team Trials in Greco-Roman. He then made the decision to switch back to freestyle, return to 66 kilos, and move from Ohio, where he had been training, to Pennsylvania to wrestle for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. "It was a tough decision," said Ware of his move to State College, Pa. "But I got the phone call from Cael. I saw it as an honor. He gave me a call and asked me to train with him. If you want to be the best, you have to train with the best." Tervel Dlagnev, a 2009 World bronze medalist, is back on the U.S. World Team at 120 kilos, after finishing runner-up at the U.S. World Team Trials a year ago. Dlagnev defeated 2008 Olympian Steve Mocco two matches to one to earn the spot, two months after winning his first U.S. Open title. "I'm just excited to have this opportunity to go back to the Worlds," said Dlagnev, who trains at the Ohio RTC in Columbus, Ohio. "Second World Team. Finally won the Open. Great season so far. I've got to cap it off with a World gold medal." An emotional Nick Simmons gets his hand raised after beating Sam Hazewinkel (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Nick Simmons rebounded from a disappointing 2011 U.S. Open, where he finished sixth, to make his first U.S. World Team at 55 kilos. He came from behind in the best-of-three finals series to beat 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Hazewinkel. The first match went to Hazewinkel, but Simmons battled back to win the final two matches, both in three periods, over the former Oklahoma Sooner. "I had a bad performance at the U.S. Open," said Simmons, who trains in Corvallis, Ore."We sat down with all my coaching staff at Oregon State and readjusted everything ... how I was training, my diet, and everything. That helped tremendously. I owe those guys everything." Greco-Roman wrestlers Joe Betterman, Jake Fisher, and Justin Ruiz earned spots on this year's U.S. World Team with victories on Saturday night. All three are past Trials champions. Betterman, who was on the U.S. World Team in 2007 and won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2008, defeated two-time returning U.S. World Team member Jeremiah Davis in two straight matches at 60 kilos. "I feel like I'm right there with the top guys in the world," said Betterman, who has won every international event he has entered this season except two. "I've beaten the top guys in the world in the Olympics, so I'm right there. I think this year is my year for a medal." Fisher made his second straight U.S. World Team at 74 kilos by avenging a loss from this year's U.S. Open finals to Ben Provisor. Fisher won the opening match in the best-of-three series finals, but Provisor came back to win the second match. The third and deciding match was a seesaw battle that went three periods before Fisher emerged with the hard-fought victory. "It just came down to a hard fight and me defending," said Fisher. "That's pretty much how I won. Ben's tough." Justin Ruiz, a 2005 World bronze medalist and seven-time U.S. Open champion, made his sixth U.S. World Team (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Ruiz, a World bronze medalist in 2005 and seven-time U.S. Open champion registered two shutout victories over John Lorenz at 96 kilos to make his sixth U.S. World Team. So what does it mean to Ruiz to be back on the U.S. World Team? "It means another shot to go wrestle the world's best and it gives me a shot to qualify the weight class for the Olympic Games, so it's big, real big," said Ruiz. Four of the seven Greco-Roman wrestlers on this year's U.S. World Team were a part of the team that won the world championship as a team in 2007. "I think we've got a great shot to make some waves at the World Championships," said Ruiz. In the women's freestyle competition, a pair of past World finalists, Clarissa Chun and Elena Pirozhkova, came out victorious on Saturday night. Chun, a 2008 World champion, dominated Alyssa Lampe in two straight matches to win the title at 48 kilos. Lampe defeated Chun a year ago to make the U.S. World Team. "I'm just so focused," said Chun, who battled injuries last year. "Every day in practice I make promises to myself. Those promises are for me. I just have a good group of people helping me." World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova defeated Adeline Gray in two matches (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Pirozhkova, a returning World silver medalist, defeated Adeline Gray in two straight matches. "We know each pretty well," Pirozhkova said of Gray, who won the U.S. Open this year at 67 kilos. "We both train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs together. I know everything she does. She knows everything I do, basically, so it's just whoever brings it to the mat that day." Saturday Night Finals Results Men's Freestyle 55 kg: Nick Simmons (Sunkist Kids) def. Sam Hazewinkel (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 1 Hazewinkel dec. Simmons, 0-1, 3-1, 1-0 Simmons dec. Hazewinkel, 0-4, 3-3, 5-3 Simmons dec. Hazewinkel, 2-6, 8-1, 6-1 66 kg: Teyon Ware (Nittany Lion WC) def. Brent Metcalf (New York AC), 2 matches to 1 Ware dec. Metcalf, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1 Metcalf dec. Ware, 2-1, 0-6, 2-0 Ware dec. Metcalf, 2-0, 7-1 84 kg: Cael Sanderson (Nittany Lion WC) def. Jake Herbert (New York AC), 2 matches to 0 Sanderson dec. Herbert, 4-1, 2-0 Sanderson dec. Herbert, 5-2, 2-0 120 kg: Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids) def. Steve Mocco (New York AC), 2 matches to 1 Mocco dec. Dlagnev, 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 Dlagnev dec. Mocco, 1-0, 3-0 Dlagnev dec. Mocco, 1-0, 1-0 Greco-Roman 60 kg: Joe Betterman (Sunkist Kids) def. Jeremiah Davis (U.S. Army), 2 matches to 0 Betterman dec. Davis, 2-0, 0-6, 4-0 Betterman dec. Davis, 0-2, 3-0, 1-0 74 kg: Jake Fisher (New York AC) def. Ben Provisor (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 1 Fisher dec. Provisor, 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 Provisor dec. Fisher, 1-0, 3-0 Fisher dec. Provisor, 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 96 kg: Justin Ruiz (New York AC) def. John Lorenz (U.S. Army), 2 matches to 0 Ruiz dec. Lorenz, 2-0, 1-0 Ruiz dec. Lorenz, 1-0, 2-0 Women's Freestyle 48 kg: Clarissa Chun (Sunkist Kids) def. Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 0 Chun dec. Lampe, 6-0, 4-1 Chun dec. Lampe, 7-0, 7-1 63 kg: Elena Pirozhkova (Gator WC) def. Adeline Gray (New York AC), 2 matches to 0 Pirozhkova dec. Gray, 2-0, 1-0 Pirozhkova dec. Gray, 2-0, 1-0

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Cael Sanderson is back. Sanderson, an Olympic gold medalist and widely considered the greatest college wrestler ever, showed that he's still got it, even after a seven-year layoff, by winning three matches at the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials to advance to tonight's best-of-three finals series against 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert. The 31-year-old Sanderson, who coached Penn State to a national championship this past season, opened with a victory in three periods over Raymond Jordan. He followed that up with a second-period pin over Chris Pendleton in the Challenge Tournament semifinals. Sanderson then defeated one of his former wrestlers at Iowa State, Jon Reader, in two straight periods in the finals of the Challenge Tournament. He will now face 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert in tonight's best-of-three finals series. Returning U.S. World Team member Brent Metcalf was pushed in the Challenge Tournament, but prevailed to advance to the best-of-three finals series. He beat Kyle Ruschell in three periods in the semifinals and then needed three periods to beat Josh Churella in the finals. Metcalf will now get another shot at Teyon Ware, the wrestler who beat him in the quarterfinals of the 2011 U.S. Open. Nick Simmons pinned returning U.S. World Team member Obe Blanc in the Challenge Tournament finals at 55 kilos. He will face 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Hazewinkel in the best-of-three finals series. For Simmons, it will be his second appearance in the best-of-three finals at the Trials. He was a U.S. World Team Trials runner-up in 2009. Hazewinekl has won three U.S. Open titles (two in Greco-Roman, one in freestyle), but has yet to make a U.S. World Team. The other freestyle wrestler to come through the Challenge Tournament was Steve Mocco at 120 kilos. Mocco defeated Junior World champion Dom Bradley and 2007 U.S. World Team member Tommy Rowlands. A pair of 2011 U.S. Open champions in Greco-Roman, Joe Betterman and Ben Provisor, cruised through the Challenge Tournament on Saturday to advance to the best-of-three finals series. Betterman, who won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2008, was unscored upon in his two matches during Saturday's first session. He will battle two-time returning U.S. World Team member Jeremiah Davis in the best-of-three finals series. Betterman defeated Davis in this year's U.S. Open finals, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0. Provisor had wins over Aaron Briggs and Andy Bisek in the Challenge Tournament. He will wrestle Jake Fisher in the best-of-three finals series. Top-seeded John Lorenz won the Challenge Tournament at 96 kilos, beating Justin Millard in the finals. Lorenz will now face Justin Ruiz, a seven-time U.S. Open champion and 2005 World bronze medalist, in the best-of-three finals series. In the women's freestyle competition, Adeline Gray defeated nine-time World medalist Kristie Davis to win the Challenge Tournament at 63 kilos by injury default. Davis took the first period of the match, but suffered an injury early in the match. She continued to wrestle, but was clearly in pain. Gray came back to win the second period to force a third period. Gray jumped out to an early lead in the third period and ultimately Davis was forced to injury default. Gray will now take on 2010 World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova in the best-of-three finals. Alyssa Lampe came through the Challenge Tournament at 48 kilos, beating Whitney Condor, C.C. Weber, and Victoria Anthony. Lampe will take on 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun for a spot on the 2011 U.S. World Team. Tonight's best-of-three finals series matches are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CDT. Saturday's Best-of-Three Finals Matchups Freestyle: 55 kg: Sam Hazewinkel (Sunkist Kids) vs. Nick Simmons (Sunkist Kids) 66 kg: Teyon Ware (Nittany Lion WC) vs. Brent Metcalf (New York AC) 84 kg: Jake Herbert (New York AC) vs. Cael Sanderson (Nittany Lion WC) 120 kg: Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids) vs. Steve Mocco (New York AC) Greco-Roman: 60 kg: Joe Betterman (Sunkist Kids) vs. Jeremiah Davis (U.S. Army) 74 kg: Ben Provisor (Sunkist Kids) vs. Jake Fisher (New York AC) 84 kg: Justin Ruiz (New York AC) vs. John Lorenz (U.S. Army) Women's Freestyle 48 kg: Clarissa Chun (Sunkist Kids) vs. Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids) 63 kg: Elena Pirozhkova (Gator WC) vs. Adeline Gray (New York AC)

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Jordan Burroughs has been told by his coach Mark Manning that he has the potential to be one of the best wrestlers in the world. Now the 22-year-old Burroughs will get his first chance to put his skills to the test against the world's best wrestlers. Burroughs was one of nine champions crowned on Friday night at the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. Eight of the nine champions crowned, including Burroughs, earned spots on the 2011 U.S. World Team that will represent the United States at September's World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. Jordan Burroughs made his first U.S. World Team with a two-match victory over Andrew Howe on Friday night (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Burroughs displayed his rare combination of speed, power, and athleticism to defeat 2010 U.S. Open champion Andrew Howe in two straight matches to claim the title at 74 kilos in men's freestyle. The first match in the best-of-three finals series was a seesaw battle that went three periods, with all three periods decided by a point. Burroughs then closed out the victory by winning the second match in two straight periods, 3-1, 1-0. Burroughs had previously beaten Howe in the finals of the 2010 Midlands Championships. "I was a little tense, as you could see, the first match," said Burroughs, who also won his second NCAA title and first U.S. Open title this year. "I gave up a lot of takedowns. I just opened up a little bit the second match. Coach Manning just told me to relax and do what I came here to do." So what is Burroughs' thought process heading into his first World Championships? "Keep winning," said Burroughs. "When I enter any tournament, that's what I do ... I go to win, no matter what I'm doing. I'm a competitor and that's what I love to do is win. I've been doing this for a long time. This is my craft. This is my sport. This is my lifestyle." Burroughs was not the only first-time Trials champion crowned in men's freestyle. Reece Humphrey captured his first Trials title with a two matches to one victory over Ohio RTC training partner Shawn Bunch at 60 kilos. Reece Humphrey won the U.S. World Team Trials on Friday night, defeating Shawn Bunch in the best-of-three finals series (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Bunch, a 2009 U.S. World Team member, took the first match in two straight periods, outscoring Humphrey 9-1. But the resilient Humphrey battled back to win the final two matches and take the three-match finals series. "We train together pretty much every day," Humphrey said of Bunch. "He's a good friend of mine. I have nothing against him. He's a great wrestler. We just both want to win." Humphrey was the lone champion crowned on Friday night who did not earn an automatic berth on the 2011 U.S. World Team. Because Bunch won the Alexander Medved International in March, Humphrey and Bunch will be entered in an international event in July, and the highest finisher will earn on a spot on the 2011 U.S. World Team. "To be honest, I'm excited about it," Humphrey said of having to earn his spot at the international event in July. "I haven't proven myself on the World level except for University and Junior stuff. So I'm excited. The tournament that got him into that position I went 0-1 in and he won the whole thing. I realized I had to change something. I got really dedicated to the sport. I changed a lot of things. Now I've beat him three times. The results should be the same." The other champion crowned in the men's freestyle competition on Friday night was Jake Varner, who made his second U.S. World Team in three years at 96 kilos. Varner won his title by defeating surprise finalist Chad Hanke, an NCAA qualifier at Oregon State, in two straight matches without surrendering a point. Jake Varner proved to be too much for Chad Hanke (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"I went out there, wrestled my match, felt really good, and stuck to my plan," said Varner. Varner has trained under Penn State coach Cael Sanderson for most of his college and post-college career, first at Iowa State and now with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. "He's a big reason why I'm at where I am today," said Varner, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA finalist at Iowa State. Sanderson, an Olympic gold medalist in 2004, made headlines earlier this week when he announced that he would be wrestling at the Trials. He competed at the Brockport Regional in March, which he said was "just for fun." Now Sanderson, who went 159-0 as a college competitor at Iowa State, has his sights on becoming the best in the world again. Varner is excited about Sanderson's return. "I think it's awesome," said Varner. "I'm excited to watch him wrestle. I was lucky to watch him wrestle at the Brockport tournament. It's just fun watching him wrestle. People go YouTube him ... and it's just awesome. It's something else. I'm excited." Spenser Mango made his fourth straight U.S. World or Olympic Team on Friday night, beating Paul Tellgren (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Three of the four Greco-Roman champions crowned on Friday night -- Spenser Mango, Justin Lester, and Dremiel Byers -- have been multiple-time Trials winners. Mango and Byers were on last year's U.S. World Team. The other Greco-Roman champion crowned, Cheney Haight, made his first U.S. World Team. Mango won in two straight matches over Paul Tellgren to make his fourth straight U.S. World or Olympic Team at 55 kilos. It was a rematch of the U.S. Open final. Mango won four of five periods in the best-of three finals series and outscored Tellgren 14-2. Mango is a past Junior World medalist, but he is still looking for his first World-level medal on the senior level. So what does he need to do to medal at this year's World Championships? "You need to put about four good matches together," said Mango. "You can't just beat a World champ and then come back and lose to a guy that's not that good. You have to put all these matches together and go out there and don't give anybody too much respect." Lester and Byers both registered shutout victories over U.S. Army teammates to make the U.S. World Team. Lester, a two-time World bronze medalist defeated Glenn Garrison in two straight matches to win the title 66 kilos. Byers, a three-time World medalist and World champion, topped Timothy Taylor in two straight matches to win the championship at 120 kilos. Haight put together an impressive tournament, beating 2009 U.S. World Team member Chas Betts in the semifinals, before taking out 2011 U.S. Open champion Jordan Holm in the best-of-three finals series, two matches to one, to capture the title at 84 kilos. Cheney Haight needed three matches to defeat U.S. Open champion Jordan Holm (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Haight used to compete at 74 kilos, but moved up to 84 kilos, which he says has helped his wrestling immensely. "I've been able to place a little higher the last couple years after I moved up a weight just because I don't focus on losing weight anymore," said Haight. "It's all about wrestling. I think just my overall wrestling has been getting better." Haight won in the absence of returning U.S. World Team member Jake Clark. "I didn't even notice that he wasn't at weigh-ins," Haight said of Clark. "I didn't know that he didn't come to the tournament until I looked at the brackets. I was surprised. I still don't know why he's not here. I think it was some kind of injury or something." Helen Maroulis and Ali Bernard were the two champions crowned in the women's freestyle competition. Maroulis handled Ashley Hudson two matches to zero to take the title at 55 kilos. The 19-year-old Maroulis previously made the U.S. World Team in 2008. She is excited to have another opportunity to wrestle at the World Championships. "It's definitely an honor and a privilege," said Maroulis, a two-time Junior World medalist. "I really appreciate that I can do what I love and people support me." Bernard, who was fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games, defeated 2005 World champion Iris Smith at 72 kilos to make her third U.S. World or Olympic Team in four years. Saturday's competition is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. CDT. Friday Night Finals Results Men's Freestyle 60 kg: Reece Humphrey (Columbus, Ohio/New York AC) def. Shawn Bunch (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC), 2 matches to 1 Bunch dec. Humphrey, 5-0, 4-1 Humphrey dec. Bunch, 2-0, 1-0 Humphrey dec. Bunch, 3-0, 3-0 74 kg: Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) def. Andrew Howe (Cedar Lake, Ind./New York AC), 2 matches to 0 Burroughs dec. Howe, 1-0, 1-2, 3-2 Burroughs dec. Howe, 3-1, 1-0 96 kg: Jake Varner (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) def. Chad Hanke (Dayton, Ore./NWRTC), 2 matches to 0 Varner dec. Hanke, 3-0, 2-0 Varner dec. Hanke, 3-0, 2-0 Women's Freestyle 55 kg: Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) def. Ashley Hudson (Wildwood, Mo./Gator WC), 2 matches to 0 Maroulis dec. Hudson, 1-0, 2-0 Maroulis, dec. Hudson, 6-2, 3-0 72 kg: Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) def. Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), 2 matches to 0 Bernard dec. Smith, 1-0, 1-1 Bernard dec. Smith, 3-1, 1-3, 1-0 Greco-Roman 55 kg: Spenser Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) def. Paul Tellgren (Anoka, Minn./Minnesota Storm), 2 matches to 0 Mango dec. Tellgren, 6-0, 0-2, 2-0 Mango dec. Tellgren, 2-0, 4-0 66 kg: Justin Lester (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) def. Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), 2 matches to 0 Lester dec. Garrison, 2-0, 3-0 Lester dec. Garrison, 4-0, 2-0 84 kg: Cheney Haight (Boise, Idaho/New York AC) def. Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm), 2 matches to 1 Holm dec. Haight, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0 Haight dec. Holm, 3-0, 1-0 Haight dec. Holm, 1-0, 0-1, 2-0 120 kg: Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) def. Tim Taylor (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), 2 matches to 1 Byers dec. Taylor, 3-0, 1-0 Byers dec. Taylor, 1-0, 2-0

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The 2011 U.S. World Team Trials kicked off on Friday morning at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. The 18 champions crowned over the two days will earn spots on the 2011 U.S. World Team and represent the U.S. in September's World Championships, which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey. The first session saw four returning U.S. World Team members fail to advance to tonight's best-of-three finals. Those wrestlers included Mike Zadick and J.D. Bergman in the freestyle competition; Faruk Sahin in the Greco-Roman competition; and Kelsey Campbell in the women's freestyle competition. Zadick, who entered the event as the No. 3 seed, fell to second-seeded Coleman Scott in the semifinals of the Challenge Tournament at 60 kilos. Scott took the first period, but Zadick battled back to win the second. In the third and deciding period, Scott scored a three-point takedown and added a late pushout to win the final period, 4-0, and take the match. Scott's run came to an end in the finals of the Challenge Tournament when he fell to 2009 U.S. World Team member Shawn Bunch in two straight periods. Bunch will now battle Ohio RTC teammate and training partner Reece Humphrey in the best-of-three finals. Humphrey defeated Bunch in the U.S. Open finals, 0-4, 1-0, 2-0. The 96-kilo weight class in men's freestyle was turned upside down when the top three seeds, including Bergman, lost before the semifinals. The 26-year-old Bergman, who has battled injures all year and missed the U.S. Open, was knocked out of the championship bracket in the quarterfinals by 2011 NCAA champion Dustin Kilgore. Chad Hanke, a University Nationals champion, eventually emerged as the Challenge Tournament at 96 kilos, beating Kilgore in the finals. Sahin was defeated C.P. Schlatter in the Challenge Tournament. Glenn Garrison then took out Schlatter in the Challenge Tournament finals, setting up an all-Army final at 66 kilos between two-time World medalist Justin Lester and Garrison. Campbell, who placed fifth at last year's World Championships, was upset by Ashley Hudson in the Challenge Tournament semifinals at 55 kilos, 0-1, 1-1, 1-0. Hudson, a collegiate star at Oklahoma City University, then went on to beat Sharon Jacobson in the Challenge Tournament finals, 6-0, 1-4, 5-3. Timothy Taylor lived up to his No. 1 seed in the Challenge Tournament at 120 kilos in Greco-Roman. Taylor beat Brandon Rupp in the Challenge Tournament finals. Taylor will now face U.S. Army teammate Dremiel Byers in the best-of-three finals. The two have met several times throughout their careers, including in this year's U.S. Open finals, a match won by Byers, 2-0, 1-0. Jordan Holm will face Cheney Haight in the best-of-three finals at 84 kilos in Greco-Roman. The two met in the U.S. Open finals, with Holm coming out on top 1-0, 0-1, 1-0. Iris Smith, a World champion in 2005, won the Challenge Tournament at 120 kilos in women's freestyle. Smith will now battle Ali Bernard in the best-of-three finals. Bernard pinned Smith in the U.S. Open finals. Andrew Howe put together an impressive run to win the Challenge Tournament at 74 kilos in freestyle. Howe, an NCAA champion and three-time All-American at Wisconsin, defeated a quartet of NCAA All-Americans -- Matt Moley, Colt Sponseller, Kirk White, and Nick Marable -- en route to reaching the final. Howe will now face U.S. Open champion Jordan Burroughs in the best-of-three finals. Burroughs, a two-time NCAA champion at Nebraska, won 10-7 over Howe this past college season at the Midlands Championships. Tonight's best-of-three finals matches are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CDT. Friday's Best-of-Three Finals Matchups Men's Freestyle: 60 kg: Reece Humphrey (Ohio RTC) vs. Shawn Bunch (Ohio RTC) 74 kg: Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids) vs. Andrew Howe (New York AC) 96 kg: Jake Varner (Nittany Lion WC) vs. Chad Hanke (NWRTC) Greco-Roman: 55 kg: Spenser Mango (U.S. Army) vs. Paul Tellgren (Minnesota Storm) 66 kg: Justin Lester (U.S. Army) vs. Glenn Garrison (U.S. Army) 84 kg: Jordan Holm (Minnesota Storm) vs. Cheney Haight (New York AC) 120 kg: Dremiel Byers (U.S. Army) vs. Timothy Taylor (U.S. Army) Women's Freestyle: 55 kg: Helen Maroulis (New York AC) vs. Ashley Hudson (Gator WC) 120 kg: Ali Bernard (Gator WC) vs. Iris Smith (U.S. Army)

Related Link: InterMat Coverage Section Mat 2: Mat 3: Interviews:

Three leading organizations dedicated to the sport of wrestling – USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum – have agreed to initiate a national “Wrestling Alliance.” This new cooperative effort was announced at a State of the Wrestling Forum, which was held at National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. on June 7. Participating in the announcement were Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling, Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. The mission of the Wrestling Alliance is to protect, promote, and strengthen wrestling in the United States, with particular focus on high school and collegiate wrestling opportunities for young men and women. Each organization will continue to function independently, with its own mission, vision and strategic plan, and will fulfill its specialized responsibilities within the sport. However, the organizations in the Wrestling Alliance recognize the value of collaboration in the promotion and development of the sport, as well as the importance of communication with broad constituencies of wrestling participants, including athletes, coaches, volunteers, and fans. Working together, the sport will benefit from the collective vision, dedication, and leadership of the organizations. High school and collegiate wrestling plays an integral role in the success of the sport. For that reason, the three organizations have dedicated their initial cooperative efforts in this area. “USA Wrestling stands proud and committed to join forces with these outstanding organizations to strengthen our planet's greatest sport. We all have a significant responsibility to work together for the greater good of wrestling. We are confident that this Alliance will serve our sport well and we work hard to eliminate duplication of efforts and create efficiencies to move wrestling forward,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. “The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum is proud to be a contributing partner in the Wrestling Alliance. The mission of our organization aligns well with the purpose for what the Alliance will attempt to achieve. We look forward to working with USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Coaches Association in developing a plan that will grow and sustain the sport for future generations,” said Lee Roy Smith, Lee Roy Smith, National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Executive Director. “There has never been a more important time in the history of wrestling to be united. Some of our challenges are formidable and will take considerable effort to address. We look forward to working with the other two members of the Alliance, and any other entities within wrestling, to strengthen our sport and work towards common goals,” said Mike Moyer, National Wrestling Coaches Association Executive Director. In the future, additional organizations with a shared vision and commitment may be invited to participate in the Wrestling Alliance, and the scope of its interests may expand accordingly. The efforts of the Wrestling Alliance are focused on sport development and promotion, with full recognition that there are many organizations that have provided great support to the sport for a long time, and with full intent to encourage their continued participation.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum has announced a new campaign to raise funds for key priorities now and into the future. The campaign is called: Beyond the Walls: Reaching Tomorrow's Wrestlers Today. It was announced during a special press conference on the first day of 2011 Honors Week at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum “Several years ago, our board went through a lengthy process of developing a long range plan that would advance the Hall's mission well into the 21st century. We are announcing a campaign this week that will fund these long range priorities and move us into the future,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Board of Governors has identified and adopted four initiatives which this campaign is seeking to fund. As part of this plan, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's museums in Stillwater, Okla., and Waterloo, Iowa are slated for renovation. Both museums will be reconfigured and redesigned to include the latest interactive displays to entertain visitors, honor champions, engage youth and, most importantly, expand outreach. Always present in that decision was a passion to perpetuate the future of our sport. “We are going to package our sports heritage with new media and technology and deploy it to target audiences everywhere,” said Smith. INITIATIVE I - Expand and update the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Our urgency is not just to renovate, but to reinvent this tribute to the greatest sport on earth. We'll do this by attracting younger visitors with interactive exhibits and vivid media. Imagine children walking through the renovated Hall of Honors … by way of a technique theater encountering exhibits about heroic everyday Americans who became Olympic and NCAA wrestling legends. Touch-screen displays and movies will enable them to relive thousands of years beginning with the first Olympic Games held in Greece. “We are excited to announce that we have raised $2.3 million toward the $3.4 million renovation of the Museum in Stillwater. We anticipate completing our funding drive for this initiative by the end of this year,” said Stan Zeamer, Chair of the Beyond the Walls Campaign Committee. INITIATIVE II – Renovate the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum The Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, is ready for a modern look. The focus will be on engaging children with interactive exhibits, artifacts and media. What will remain here is an impressive, existing outreach program that gathers hundreds of children annually from nearby communities to on-site wrestling clinics and programs, truly in the spirit of Dan Gable. “We plan to upgrade the Dan Gable Museum with the same technology in Waterloo, Iowa that we have in our Stillwater facility. Iowa and Dan Gable are authentic to our sports heritage,” said Smith. INITIATIVE III - Outreach With this initiative, we take wrestling beyond the walls of our museums – way, way beyond the walls. We are going to digitize our museums – our photographs, our films, our records and written words and then broadcast it – all the riveting intensity of two interlocked wrestlers and all the inspiring stories of our champions into cyberspace so that anyone anywhere can tap into the rush of wrestling that has captured generations. “We intend to fund this item by year end,” said Smith. “The focus on our renovation will be to incorporate digital technology into our visitor experience and package our sports heritage with new media so we can expand our outreach to target audiences everywhere.” INITIATIVE IV - Mobile Museum We will take the Hall of Fame on the road, spreading the word about wrestling on the back of a burly 18-wheeler. Interactive exhibits, live demonstrations and storytelling will be taken to audiences that we could not have reached before. Young and old wrestlers will be able to “weigh in” and see who they'd wrestle from a list of past champions in their division. The Mobile Museum will have its own interactive “trivial pursuits” for wrestling. The big-rig will also carry a set of mats so young people can watch demonstrations of hall of fame wrestlers and step on the mat themselves for a hint of the sport's excitement. “Our goal is to equip a mobile museum with a state of art visitor experience. A 52 foot big rig will take our sport's heritage across the country over at least a three year period. We intend to secure the funds for this initiative by the end of 2012,” said Smith. The leaders of the wrestling community have expressed support of these initiatives, and are excited about how they can impact the sport moving forward. “Once these initiatives are funded and implemented, it will allow the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum to reach over three million people around the country on an annual basis,” said Smith.

Minnesota seniors Mike Thorn (wrestling) and Kaylee Jamison (swimming) have been named winners for this year's Big Ten Medal of Honor award-given annually to the top male and female student-athletes at each conference institution. Mike Thorn (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Thorn (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) closed out his Gopher career by posting a 39-5 record and earning All-American honors for his third-place finish at the 2010-11 NCAA championships at 144 pounds. He captured the Big Ten title in 2010 and was the runner-up this past spring as a senior. A two-time All-American, Thorn closed out his stellar career in maroon and gold by recording 27 pins and compiling an overall record of 125-59. Academically, Thorn was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I All-Academic Team and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. "Anytime you get honored amongst your peers is one of the greatest honors you can receive. Of all the great scholar-athletes to come out of the University of Minnesota, to be picked as the number one male is a great honor and a statement that shows how great his academics, athletics and character are," Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson said. "As a society we are looking for leaders today. When you are looking for leaders in your school, Mike has the character that will be very positive for the University of Minnesota. This is an award that he will carry for the rest of his life."

InterMat will be providing coverage throughout the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials, which take place Friday and Saturday at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. A women's freestyle preview was released on Monday, followed by a Greco-Roman preview on Tuesday. This preview looks at the men's freestyle competition. All eyes are fixed on U.S. freestyle coach Zeke Jones and Team USA after last year's disappointing World Championship performance where the team failed to win a medal. But there are plenty of reasons for optimism. The U.S. has had some positive results in international events over the past year, like beating Russia at the Beat the Streets Gala and putting five wrestlers in the Pan American Championship finals. There are also indications that Olympic gold medalists Henry Cejudo and Cael Sanderson may be returning to the sport, which would be a huge boost to the freestyle program. With five of the seven U.S. Open freestyle champions being first-time winners this year, there are new names emerging that have many fans excited about the future. Ultimately, though, as the coaching staff and athletes understand, the success of the U.S. freestyle team will be measured through performance at this year's World Championships and next year's Olympic Games. Below is a weight-by-weight preview of the freestyle competition at this year's U.S. World Team Trials. 55 kg: Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo, who came out of retirement this year, is the heavy favorite to win this weight class. Cejudo competed at the Beat the Streets Gala on May 5, which was his first match since winning an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He looked very sharp in his return, beating Russia's Rasul Mashezov in two straight periods. Cejudo did not have to make 55 kilos for that event, so this will be his first time down to his competition weight in almost three years. Sam Hazewinkel captured the U.S. Open title to earn an automatic berth in the best-of-three finals. He will have a large contingent of fans in Oklahoma, the state where did he did his collegiate wrestling and currently trains. Hazewinkel has performed well overseas this season, winning medals at the Medved International, Cerro Pelado International, and Pan American Championships. Troy Nickerson, a former collegiate standout at Cornell, was runner-up to Hazewinkel at the U.S. Open. Nickerson has had a tremendous amount of age-group success in freestyle, but is now beginning to make his mark on the senior level. Obe Blanc made his first U.S. World Team last year and wrestled well at the World Championships, but finished a disappointing fourth at this year's U.S. Open. Nick Simmons is a veteran that cannot be counted out. This weight class is filled with young and talented up-and-comers like Danny Mitcheff, Angel Escobedo, and Frank Perrelli, Daniel Dennis, and Brandon Precin, and Zach Sanders. Prediction: Cejudo over Hazewinkel Reece Humphrey (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)60 kg: Reece Humphrey broke through and won his first U.S. Open title in April, which included victories over past U.S. World Team members Mike Zadick and Shawn Bunch. By winning the U.S. Open, Humphrey put himself in the driver's seat to make his first U.S. World Team. He will await the winner of the Challenge Tournament. Humphrey is a past University World silver and bronze medalist. Bunch, a U.S. World Team member in 2010, fell to his Ohio RTC training partner and teammate, Humphrey, in the finals of the U.S. Open. Bunch performed better in international events than Humphrey. He won the Medved International this season and has proven that he can compete with the world's top wrestlers at 60 kilos. Zadick was a World silver medalist in 2006, but has not been able to get back to that level in recent years. He went 0-1 at the World Championships last year and placed fourth at this year's U.S. Open. Zadick and Bunch have developed a rivalry over the years ... and could very well meet again at the Trials. Coleman Scott, a past NCAA champion at Oklahoma State, has been knocking on the door in this weight class and is one to watch. He finished a strong third at the U.S. Open, beating Zadick and losing only to Bunch. He has the tools to win at this level ... He just needs to put it all together. Drew Headlee, Matt Valenti, Nick Fanthorpe, Tyler Graff, Logan Stieber, and Derek Moore should figure into the mix. Prediction: Bunch over Humphrey 66 kg: Teyon Ware surprised many by knocking off returning U.S. World Team member Brent Metcalf in the semifinals at this year's U.S. Open. Ware, who trains with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, then defeated U.S wrestling great Cary Kolat in the finals to win his first U.S. Open title. Ware's U.S. Open title put him in the best-of-three finals where he will await the winner of the Challenge Tournament, but he admitted after the U.S. Open that Metcalf is still the No. 1 wrestler in the weight class. Metcalf has placed in the top five at several international events this season. He also notched a win over a very solid Russian, Magomedmurad Gadzhiev, at the Beat the Streets Gala. Kolat is the oldest competitor in this weight class at 38 years old, but do not let his age fool you. He is still among the nation's best, as he showed at the U.S. Open with his runner-up finish. Josh Churella was on the U.S. National Team this past year after finishing third at last year's Trials. He lost to Kolat in the semifinals of this year's U.S. Open before defaulting to sixth place. U.S. Open placewinners Chase Pami, Kyle Ruschell, and Phillip Simpson cannot be overlooked. Prediction: Metcalf over Ware Jordan Burroughs (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)74 kg: Jordan Burroughs finished his collegiate career at Nebraska in March, winning his second NCAA title, and then claimed his first U.S. Open title less than a month later. The 22-year-old Burroughs is an explosive athlete who many believe has the talent to eventually win World-level medals. If Burroughs continues progressing like has over the past few months, those World-level medals could come sooner than later. Burroughs' toughest competition may come from past U.S. World Team members Trent Paulson and Dustin Schlatter, two wrestlers he did not see at the U.S. Open. Paulson did not compete at the U.S. Open, while Schlatter suffered an injury in the U.S. Open quarterfinals and defaulted to sixth place. Paulson, a U.S. World Team member in 2009, won the New York AC International this year. Schlatter was on the U.S. World Team in 2009 and missed 2010 while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. Paulson and Schlatter are both very strong and tough to score on. Nick Marable has been wrestling well of late. He reached the finals of the U.S. Open, losing to Burroughs in three periods, and then won a gold medal at the Pan American Championships. Kirk White is a veteran who has shown that he can be in the mix by his third-place finish at the U.S. Open. Andrew Howe, an NCAA champion for Wisconsin, is one of the top contenders at this weight class. He won the U.S. Open last year. Howe did not compete at this year's U.S. Open, but did capture a University Nationals title, beating another NCAA champion, Kyle Dake. Indications are that Dake will be wrestling at the Trials as well. Others who could make noise in this weight class include Ryan Morningstar, Mike Poeta, Lloyd Rogers, and Moza Fay. Prediction: Burroughs over Paulson 84 kg: Indications are that Olympic gold medalist Cael Sanderson will be wrestling at the Trials. He has not officially entered as of Wednesday morning, but a source familiar with the situation confirmed on Monday that Sanderson plans on wrestling ... but "it's just for fun." Fun for Sanderson maybe, but not for the other competitors in this weight class. Sanderson wrestled at the Northeast Regionals in late March, which he said he did "just for fun," and destroyed the competition. He has not competed at the Trials in seven years, but would still be an overwhelming favorite to win a weight class that includes a World silver medalist in Jake Herbert. The 26-year-old Herbert gets an automatic berth in the best-of-three finals after winning the U.S. Open where he will await the winner of the Challenge Tournament ... likely Sanderson. Herbert's international results have been mixed since he won his World silver medal. Keith Gavin, who was runner-up at the U.S. Open has always battled Herbert tough. Gavin was runner-up at the Dave Schultz Memorial and placed third in the Cerro Pelado in Cuba. Andy Hrovat, Bryce Hasseman, Max Askren, Brandon Sinnott, Raymond Jordan, and Chris Pendleton will battle for spots on the U.S. National Team. Prediction: Sanderson over Herbert Jake Varner (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)96 kg: This is expected to be a two-horse race between Jake Varner and J.D. Bergman. Varner won the Trials in 2009, while Bergman came out on top at the Trials a year ago. The two have developed a rivalry that will likely continue at this week's Trials. Bergman has the upperhand in the rivalry of late, winning meetings at last year's Trials and at the New York AC International. But Varner, who placed fifth in the Ivan Yarygin, is in the top spot right now after winning the U.S. Open. Bergman, who missed the U.S. Open due to injury, will have to battle through the Challenge Tournament to get an opportunity wrestle Varner. Dan Erekson had a strong showing at the U.S. Open, reaching the finals before losing to Varner. Jack Jensen, David Zabriskie, Tyler Lehmann, Brent Jones, Wynn Michalak add depth to the weight class. Prediction: Bergman over Varner 120 kg: This is arguably the deepest of the seven freestyle weight classes. It includes four past U.S. World Team members, including 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev, who came out on top at the U.S. Open. Dlagnev, who won the Buryatia Republic President's Cup in Russia, will await the winner of the Challenge Tournament. Steve Mocco, Tommy Rowlands, and Les Sigman are the other past U.S. World Team members who will be in contention to win the Trials. Mocco, who represented the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic games, was runner-up to Dlagnev at the U.S. Open. Rowlands, a fifth-place finisher at the 2007 World Championships, has wrestled well in international events this season, winning the Sunkist Kids International, Hargobind International, and Cerro Pelado. Sigman is the returning U.S. World Team member at this weight class. He suffered an injury in the semifinals of the U.S. Open against Mocco, which forced him to injury to default to sixth place. Collegiate star Dom Bradley, a past Junior World champion, was on the U.S. National Team this past year and has proven that he can be in the mix. Potential spoilers in this weight class include Jarod Trice, Aaron Anspach, and Tyrell Fortune. Prediction: Dlagnev over Rowlands

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern head coach Drew Pariano has announced the addition of four-time Illinois state place-winner Jameson Oster to the Wildcat wrestling program as an incoming freshman in 2011. Oster won a 2009 IHSA state championship at 119 pounds and completed his prep career as the all-time wins leader at Lockport High School (Ill.) with a record of 153-12. Oster also has enjoyed success on the national level, last month winning an Illinois state freestyle championship. In 2009 he was a Cadet Freestyle All-American and FILA Cadet All-American as well as a member of the Illinois team that defeated Minnesota for the Cadet National Duals freestyle championship, winning his match without being scored on in two periods. He is the last in a line of four brothers who made a significant impact on the Lockport wrestling program, with the oldest Oster, Josh, recent taking over the school's head coaching position after eight years as an assistant. While at Lockport, Jameson Oster was a teammate of rising Northwestern junior Kevin Bialka. Oster projects to compete at 133 pounds for Northwestern. His complete bio can be found below: Jameson Oster Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport 5'8" • 133 pounds High School: Finished top-four at the IHSA state tournament all four years of his career and won the 2009 state championship at 119 pounds ... Four-time regional and sectional champion ... Overall career record of 153-12, setting the all-time wins record at Lockport High School ... Helped Lockport win first-ever regional championship in 2010 ... 2011 Illinois Freestyle state champion at 135 pounds ... Cadet Freestyle All-American (fifth place) and FILA Cadet All-American (sixth place) ... Member of Illinois team that defeated Minnesota for Cadet National Duals freestyle championship in 2009 ... Trained at Overtime School of Wrestling. Personal: Born Jameson Michael Oster ... Son of Martin and Cathy Oster ... Three older brothers ... Brother Jake was a four-time Division III All-American and a national champion at Elmhurs College ... Oldest brother Josh was an assistant coach at Lockport for eight years and took over as head coach following the 2011 season ... High school teammate of NU's Kevin Bialka ... Chose Northwestern over Illinois ... Anticipated major is undecided. ••••••

InterMat will be providing coverage throughout the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials, which take place Friday and Saturday at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. Previews will be released leading up to the event. The women's freestyle preview was released on Monday, followed by this Greco-Roman preview. A men's freestyle preview will be released on Wednesday. The U.S. Greco-Roman Team won a World team championship just four years ago, but has not been able to break into the top 10 at the past two World Championships. The U.S. failed to bring home an individual medal at last year's World Championships. This year's field at the U.S. World Team Trials includes a mix of World medalists, seasoned veterans, and young rising stars looking to break through. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the Greco-Roman competition. Spenser Mango (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)55 kg: Spenser Mango, a three-time U.S. World Team member, is the class of the field. Mango, who joined the Army's WCAP program last year, has dominated his U.S. competition in recent years, but is still looking for his first World-level medal. Mango is a heavy favorite to come out on top this weekend, but the rest of the weight class is relatively wide open. The next group of wrestlers in this weight class includes Jermaine Hodge, Nate Engel, and Paul Tellgren. Hodge and Engel, like Mango, wrestle for the Army. Hodge is a past U.S. Open champion who has won medals in some prestigious overseas events. He competed at 60 kg for this year's U.S. Open, but is expected to drop to 55 kg for the Trials. Engel, like Mango, wrestled in the USOEC program at Northern Michigan before joining Army's WCAP program. He placed third at the U.S. Open. Tellgren, a 21-year-old rising star, was runner-up to Mango at the U.S. Open. He was also a Sunkist Open champion this past October and has won medals overseas. Tyler Erdman, Nikko Triggas, Dmitry Ryabchinskiy, and Max Nowry add depth to the weight class. Prediction: Mango over Hodge 60 kg: This weight class appears to be a three-way battle between Joe Betterman, Jeremiah Davis, and Joe Warren. No wrestler outside of those three has won the Trials at this weight class since 2004. Betterman, who won the Trials in 2007 and 2008, has had the most productive season of the three, winning the Sunkist Kids International, New York AC International, Dave Schultz Memorial, and the U.S. Open. He defeated Davis in a very tight match in the U.S. Open finals. Betterman was coming off a torn ACL at last year's Trials and was beaten by Davis in the Challenge Tournament. Davis will be looking to make his third straight U.S. World Team. Warren is a 2006 World champion and easily the most experienced and accomplished of the three, but has not been as active as Betterman and Davis over the past few years. Warren was out of wrestling for almost three years while pursuing an MMA career. He has not yet been able to get back to the level that made him one of the best in the world, but should get stronger as he gets more mat time. Others to keep your eye on in this weight class include Marco Lara, Chad Vandiver, Matt Holt, and Jesse Thielke. Prediction: Betterman over Davis Justin Lester (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)66 kg: Justin Lester, a two-time World medalist, is the prohibitive favorite in this weight class. Lester cruised to his third U.S. Open title in April, beating Army teammate Glenn Garrison in the finals. Lester is an explosive athlete with a lot of tools. Garrison is a tough, savvy veteran who has shown that he can push Lester. C.P. Schlatter is a well-known name in the wrestling world for what he accomplished as a high school and college wrestler, but has now begun to make his mark as a Greco-Roman wrestler on the senior level. Schlatter won the New York AC International Open and placed third at the U.S. Open. Faruk Sahin has won the Trials the past two years, but his inactivity this year makes him a bit of a wildcard. Another wrestler who will be in the mix to earn a spot on the U.S. National Team in this weight class is University of Minnesota wrestler Pat Smith. The 20-year-old Smith placed fourth at the U.S. Open and is a past University Nationals champion. Others to watch in this weight class include Ben Sanchez, John Cox, and RaVaughn Perkins. Prediction: Lester over Garrison 74 kg: This is arguably the most wide-open weight class with three to four wrestlers who could challenge for the title. Ben Provisor, a three-time Junior World Team member, broke through to win his first U.S. Open title in April. The 20-year-old Provisor dropped down from 84 kg this season and has continued to progress under the tutelage of U.S. Greco-Roman great Dennis Hall. Jake Fisher, the returning U.S. World Team member at this weight class, has put together a strong season, winning the Dave Schultz Memorial and New York AC International. He dropped a close match to Provisor in the U.S. Open finals. Andy Bisek has been one of the top contenders in this weight class over the past few years, but is still looking to make his first U.S. World Team. Bisek won the Sunkist Kids International and earned a bronze medal at the Hungarian Grand Prix this past winter. He placed third at this year's U.S. Open, losing to Provisor in the semifinals. Steven Forrest is a solid veteran who has shown that he can battle with the best in this weight class. He was a runner-up to Fisher at last year's Trials and won a bronze medal at the Grand Prix of Slovenia. Kendrick Sanders is young and explosive wrestler who could do some damage. Aaron Sieracki and James Johnson are solid veterans who add depth to this weight class. Prediction: Fisher over Provisor Jake Clark (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)84 kg: This is one of the deeper weight classes. It includes three past U.S. World Team members, Jake Clark, Chas Betts, and Keith Sieracki, plus this year's U.S. Open champion, Jordan Holm. Clark has been on two U.S. World Teams, including the last one. Clark missed the U.S. Open due to injury, but is now healthy and poised to make his third U.S. World Team. Betts, a 2009 U.S. World Team member, has put together a nice season, winning medals in some prestigious overseas events, including a bronze medal at the Ivan Podubbny Grand Prix in Russia. He did not compete at this year's U.S. Open. Holm has been coming strong of late. After winning the U.S. Open in April, Holm earned a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships, and then defeated reigning world champion Hristo Marinov of Bulgaria at the Curby Cup. Sieracki, who will turn 40 years old later this summer, is a very tough veteran who could be in the mix. Another one of the top contenders in this weight class is Cheney Haight, who has been in the U.S. Open finals in each of the past two years. He won the Sunkist International and New York AC International this season. Peter Hicks, Mark Stenberg, and Travis Rutt will be in the hunt to place. Prediction: Clark over Holm 96 kg: Justin Ruiz is the man to beat at this weight class. Ruiz captured his seventh straight U.S. Open title in April. He was a World bronze medalist in 2005 and placed fifth at last year's World Championships. By winning the U.S. Open, coupled with a top-five finish at the World Championships, Ruiz earned an automatic berth in the best-of-three finals. Robbie Smith and R.C. Johnson are the top contenders to win the Challenge Tournament and earn a shot at Ruiz. Smith, a New York AC International champion, battled Ruiz tough in the U.S. Open finals, losing in three periods. Johnson, a 2009 U.S. World Team member, won the Sunkist Kids International this past October. John Lorenz, a third-place finisher at this year's U.S. Open, has been wrestling well and should be in the hunt. Others who figure into the mix include Pete Gounaridis, Justin Millard, and Zac Nielsen. Prediction: Ruiz over Smith 120 kg: Dremiel Byers has owned this weight class since 2005. The 36-year-old Byers has won three World-level medals, one in each of the three colors. His most recent World-level medal came in 2009 when he captured the silver. That achievement, along with his recent U.S. Open title, puts Byers in the best-of-three finals. Byers' Army teammate Timothy Taylor is one of the top contenders in this weight class. He was second to Byers at the U.S. Open and has been among the top heavyweights for several years. Brandon Rupp is a past U.S. Open champion who should be in the hunt. Rupp lost to Taylor at the U.S. Open before defaulting to sixth. Steve Andrus, Jake Kettler, and Pete Kowalczuk will be battling for spots on the U.S. National Team. Prediction: Byers over Taylor

Fight Now USA Presents Takedown Wrestling. This week the Brute studios will be in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the Cox Convention Center and the World Team Trials. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! Join Takedown Wrestling Host Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Jeff Murphy and Brad Johnson with Takedown Wrestling's Headline News. Listen in this Saturday for Takedown Wrestling 9 to 11 a.m. CST/ 10 a.m. to 12 noon Eastern. This weeks guests include: A who's who of the wrestling world as we gather to witness the competition of who will make the teams for the USA. Join us LIVE 9 to 11 a.m. CST for Takedown Wrestling. Listen on radio, on computer, your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio App. on KXNO.com and Takedownradio.com.

InterMat will be providing coverage throughout the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials, which take place Friday and Saturday at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. Previews will be released leading up to the event, starting with this women's freestyle preview, followed by a Greco-Roman preview on Tuesday, and a men's freestyle preview on Wednesday. The U.S. women's freestyle wrestling team is coming off a fifth-place finish at the 2010 World Championships. Elena Pirozhkova and Tatiana Padilla earned World medals last year. Pirozhkova won a silver medal at 63 kg, while Padilla took home a bronze medal at 55 kg. Several U.S. women wrestlers have performed well in international events this year. Because the 2011 World Championship is a qualifying event for the 2012 Olympic Games, a decision was made to have only the four women's freestyle Olympic weight classes be contested at this year's Trials. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the women's freestyle competition. Clarissa Chun (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)48 kg: Clarissa Chun, a 2008 World champion, gets an automatic berth in the best-of-three finals after cruising to her fourth U.S. Open title in April. Chun, who battled a shoulder injury last year, came up short of making the 2010 U.S. World Team, losing to Alyssa Lampe in the best-of-three finals. Lampe did not compete at this year's U.S. Open, but is expected compete at the Trials. She has won medals in international events this season, including a gold medal at the Guelph Open in Canada. Nicole Woody, a past Junior World champion, was runner-up at this year's U.S. Open to Chun. Sara Fulp-Allen is a past U.S. Open champion who has the tools to challenge at this weight class. Whitney Conder, a past Junior World champion, won the U.S. Open at 51 kilos and will be one of the top contenders in this weight class. Jessica Medina, who was runner-up to Condor at the U.S. Open, is also dropping from 51 kilos and will be looking to make her third straight U.S. World Team. Another wrestler to keep your eye on in this weight class is Mary Kelly, who is expected to compete for the first time since suffering an injury at last year's Trials. Kelly, a 2006 U.S. World Team member, has been a top contender for more than a decade and is still only 27. Others who could figure into the mix include C.C. Weber, Erin Golston, and Victoria Anthony. Prediction: Chun over Lampe 55 kg: Helen Maroulis came out victorious at this year's U.S. Open, which automatically puts her in the best-of-three finals. Maroulis was a member of the 2008 U.S. World Team and won the U.S. Open in 2009. She has been successful in age group events, winning two Junior World bronze medals and two WCWA women's college championships. Tatiana Padilla, who has represented the U.S. at the past three World Championships, is not expected to compete due to injury. Kelsey Campbell, who won both the U.S. Open and U.S World Team Trials in 2010 at 59 kilos, has put together solid season. She won the Sunkist Kids International this season and was runner-up to Maroulis at the U.S. Open. Schuyler Brown, who has been on the Junior World Team twice and placed third at the U.S. Open, is another contender in this weight class. Sharon Jacobson, a past U.S. Open champion, should figure into the mix, as should Shauna Isbell and Michaela Hutchison. Isbell and Hutchinson, both college wrestlers, placed fifth and sixth respectively at the U.S. Open. Others to watch if they compete in this weight class include Trinity Plessinger, Katherine Fulp-Allen, and Ashley Hudson. Prediction: Maroulis over Campbell 63 kg: Elena Pirozhkova captured the U.S. Open title at this weight class and will face the winner of the Challenge Tournament. Pirozhkova had a tremendous year in 2010, winning a World silver medal, a second University World title, and a Pan American title. She is looking to make her fourth straight U.S. World Team. Kristie Davis and Adeline Gray are two of the frontrunners in the Challenge Tournament. Davis, a two-time World champion and nine-time World medalist, was runner-up to Pirozhkova at this year's U.S. Open. Davis made the U.S. World Team last year at 67 kilos. Gray, who placed fifth at the 2009 World Championships, was out of competition most of last year because of a knee injury, but has looked strong since returning to the mat this year. Gray claimed the U.S. Open title at 67 kilos, and won gold medals at the Dan Kolov International in Bulgaria and Mongolian Nationals. Davis and Gray are the clear frontrunners, but others like Alli Regan, Othella Lucas, and Veronica Carlson could figure into the mix. Regan, a member of the King College women's wrestling team, placed third at this year's U.S. Open. Lucas, who is a part of the U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program, placed fourth at this year's U.S. Open. Carlson, a 2009 Junior World bronze medalist, was runner-up to Pirozhkova at the Trials a year ago. Another wrestler who could challenge in this weight class if she enters is Erin Clodgo, who was runner-up to Gray at the U.S. Open at 67 kilos. In 2010, Clodgo won a U.S. Open title and was runner-up to Davis at the Trials. Prediction: Gray over Pirozhkova Ali Bernard (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)72 kg: Stephany Lee entered this season as the top wrestler in this weight class after finishing eighth at the World Championships a year ago. However, Lee did not compete at this year's U.S. Open, clearing the path for Ali Bernard to win her third U.S. Open title and earn an automatic berth in the best-of-three finals. Iris Smith, a 2007 World champion, finished runner-up to Bernard at the U.S. Open. Lee, if she competes, and Smith will likely be the top two seeds in the Challenge Tournament. Others who could make noise in this weight class include Kendra Lewis, Melissa Simmons, Emma Randall, and Brittany Delgado. Prediction: Bernard over Lee

CORALVILLE, Iowa -- The University of Iowa announced Saturday it will display a bronze statue of former Iowa wrestling coach Dan Gable outside the main entrance to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The announcement was made by University of Iowa Director of Athletics Gary Barta at the “Gable's Gold” celebration. The seven-foot statue is being sculpted by Larry Nowlan -- the same artist commissioned by the UI to create the Nile Kinnick statue in the Krause Family Plaza, the bronze Nile Kinnick display located in Kinnick Stadium's south concourse, and the butterfly stroke bronze relief inside the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The sculpture will have the same look -- finish/color -- as the Nile Kinnick statue and will reflect an iconic image of Gable coaching the Hawkeyes. It is expected to be in place when Carver-Hawkeye Arena hosts the 2012 USA Wrestling Olympic Trials on April 21-22, 2012. “Coach Gable stands in a class on his own in terms of the contributions he's made to the University of Iowa and the sport of wrestling,” said Barta. “Fifteen NCAA Championships and 21 Big Ten titles in 21 years is a remarkable feat, but his progressive contributions go well beyond the numbers. He produced the sport's greatest wrestling environment inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena; and we believe this statue is a fitting and well deserved tribute that honors his legacy.” As the University of Iowa's all-time winningest wrestling coach, Gable compiled a career record of 355-21-5 from 1976-1997. He coached 152 All-Americans, 106 Big Ten Champions, 45 national champions, and 10 Olympians -- including four gold, one silver and three bronze medalists. During his tenure, the Hawkeyes averaged more than 17 wins and just one loss per season and posted a 95-1 record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Gable retired as Iowa's head wrestling coach in 1997. He later held the position of Assistant to the Athletic Director before retiring from that post Dec. 31, 2010. The Hawkeyes won 25 consecutive Big Ten championships from 1973-1998, 21 while Gable was a head coach and four while he was an assistant coach and administrator. Aside from assisting with Iowa athletics, Gable aids the university in its fundraising efforts to promote the sport of wrestling worldwide. He also coaches potential Olympic wrestlers in the local club sports, gives motivational and performance speeches nationwide and does color commentary for televised collegiate wrestling events.

Steve Fraser

The National Wrestling Coaches Association is pleased to announce the recipients of the Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Awards for the 2010-11 season. The award is presented annually to one coach across each division of collegiate wrestling. It's intended to recognize an outstanding coach who epitomizes the qualities and characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing young student-athletes. This year's winners are: Brendan Buckley (Columbia – Division I), Steve Costanzo (St. Could State – Division II), Ron Beaschler (Ohio Northern – Division III), Tim Jager (Morningside - NAIA), Scott Norton (Highline - NJCAA), and Mike Tellez (Rio Hondo - CCC). “Since the inception of the Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award, we've been able to recognize and honor those coaches who go above and beyond when it comes to more than just coaching,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “This award is designed to recognize coaches who totally embrace the concept of educationally-based athletics.” Brendan Buckley, The Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling, at Columbia University has been the leader of the lions since 2000. His team finished 7th at the EIWA Championships, with two wrestlers earning trips to the NCAA Championships. He had six wrestlers earn All-Ivy League Recognition as well this season, including one first team selection in Kevin Lester. In each year since Buckley has been the head coach his team has successfully made the All-Academic Team, five of those years were in the Top 10. St. Cloud State head coach Steve Costanzo garners the honors for Division II, he was also Bob Bubb Award Winner in 2003 when he was the head coach at Dana College. His team placed second at the NCAA Championships in 2010-11, which is the best they have done in team history. They also earned a third place finish at the 2011 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Costanzo's thirteen year career holds 47 All-Americans which is almost even to his record of 46 NWCA All-Academic Athletes. In the past four seasons his team has finished the year in the Top 20 Academically. Representing Division III is Ron Beaschler, the head coach at Ohio Northern, who wears many hats other than just coach. He is currently serving as the chairperson of the Department of Human Performance and Sports Sciences, he is an assistant professor in the Health and Physical Education Department and coordinates the sport management program at Ohio Northern. Amidst those jobs he also will be starting his term as the NCAA Secretary Rules Editor a longtime position that was held by Bob Bubb until 2011. Beaschler is currently the all-time winningest coach in school history and also holds the longest tenure as head wrestling coach at ONU. Tim Jager of Morningside College has been coaching at the NAIA school for seven seasons. He is currently the President of the NAIA Coaches Association. He was also the 2011 GPAC and NAIA North Region Coach of the Year after he guided the Mustangs to their first-ever GPAC and NAIA North Region Championships Jager's team also came in No. 2 on this year's NWCA/NAIA All-Academic Team with five wrestlers receiving individual honors. Highline Community College head coach Scott Norton has been with their program since 2003. He had four All-Americans for the second year in a row, with his team placing 10th at the NJCAA Championships. The Highline team placed third in their region behind the eventual first and second place teams at the NCAA Championships Clackamas CC and North Idaho College. Mike Tellez of Rio Hondo Community College has been the head coach for the past five years; he has had 13 All-Academic Wrestlers in that time. He has also won three conference championships and has seen a dramatic improvement with his team in his time at Rio Hondo. This year his team faced adversity at their first tournament of the year when one of his wrestlers, Jesus Cruz, collapsed during a match and went into cardiac arrest, he passed away after arriving at the hospital. Coach Tellez kept his team together during this difficult time and they finished the season placing 20th at States. “I want to personally congratulate my fellow coaches who are receiving the Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award this year. They are all tremendous ambassadors for our sport and they represent the highest standard in coaching,” said NWCA President Brian Smith. The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: Coaching Development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling.