InterMat Staff

Darrion Caldwell loves to put on a show when he's on a wrestling mat. His wide-open style, skills, and athleticism not only made him a crowd pleaser, but also an NCAA champion in 2009 and one of the most successful wrestlers ever to compete at North Carolina State. A shoulder injury that forced him to default at the 2011 NCAAs hindered his chances to become the first North Carolina State wrestler to win two NCAA championships. Darrion CaldwellOver the last four years, Caldwell has beaten six NCAA finalists, a Dan Hodge Trophy winner twice (Brent Metcalf), a U.S. World Team member (Dustin Schlatter), and a U.S. Olympian (Doug Schwab). He made the U.S. National Team in 2009 after a third-place finish at the U.S. World Team Trials. Caldwell recently had surgery, which will keep him out of next month's U.S. World Team Trials. He is now focused on getting healthy, earning a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, and bringing home an Olympic gold medal in London. InterMat catches up with the 23-year-old Caldwell and talks to him about his recent surgery and when he expects to be back on the mat, Jordan Burroughs, Bubba Jenkins, Henry Cejudo, how much longer he plans on wrestling, MMA, and much more. I understand you're coming off surgery. What was the surgery you had? Caldwell: The surgery I had was a fully-constructed Bankart surgery. I got the surgery on April 11, so I'm about five or six weeks out right now. I'm in a sling, but I'll be out pretty soon. I actually just got out to the Olympic Training Center. I just started my rehab. Do you have a timetable for when you will be back on the mat? Caldwell: I won't be back on the mat this summer. I have a goal to be back drilling in October. Then we'll see. The NYAC tournament is in November. We'll see how I'm feeling for that. Darrion Caldwell (NC State Sports Information)What went into your decision to move to Colorado Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center? Caldwell: I feel like any wrestler who wants to win an Olympic gold medal and put themselves in the best position for that, the Olympic Training Center is the place to be. The proof is in the pudding with our last Olympic champion doing it. That played a big part in me coming out. You have the best coaches in Coach Zeke, Coach Slay, and Coach Zadick, best facilities, and the best training room. I feel like I'm putting myself in the best position to do some work for the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics. You missed the first half of your senior season and had only 12 matches under your belt heading in to the ACC Championships. Was the time off from competition more of a precautionary measure? Caldwell: No, not really precautionary. My shoulder just kept slipping out. We just kept having setbacks. The surgery was inevitable. The coach says I was wrestling with one arm. I had two arms, but my shoulder didn't hold up this season. I got hooked up with Dr. Andrews, who I feel is the best doctor in America for shoulders and joints. So I feel like things are really flowing. North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell was forced to injury default against Michigan's Eric Grajales at the 2011 NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)You suffered a shoulder injury in your second-round match at this year's NCAAs against Michigan's Eric Grajales. Describe what happened. Caldwell: Well, in my first match of the day against Lopouchanski, we were wrestling upper body, overhook, underhook ... and that put a lot of stress on my shoulder. That was a position I didn't want to be in ... but I happened to get there for whatever reason. So that kind of triggered the problem. So I went into the Grajales match and did a front headlock ... and it just dislocated. The crowd gave you a pretty loud ovation when you were helped off the mat at the NCAAs. Did you hear the ovation? Caldwell: I heard it, but there was so much going on that I couldn't really grasp it too much. I vaguely remember it. Coming into college, and still, my goal is to give the fans some excitement. Wrestling is popular, but we need to draw more fans to the sport. We need to keep these guys on a stage and consistently bring in guys who make the sport exciting so these younger guys want to continue to wrestle ... instead of join a basketball team or something. My big thing is wrestling for the fans and wrestling with a passion. I go out there and I wrestle with a passion. You finished your career as one of the most accomplished wrestlers ever to wrestle at North Carolina State. Do you have any regrets in your college career? Caldwell: That's a hard question. When we fall short of our goals, we always wish that we could have changed the outcomes. But the position that I'm in now is just unbelievable. I guess I did something right to be able to get here and be able to put myself in a nice house and be surrounded by guys who want to win gold medals. So you're living with other wrestlers? Caldwell: I'm actually living with Angel Escobedo right now. You and Jordan Burroughs are both New Jersey natives. Describe your relationship with Burroughs. Jordan Burroughs and Darrion CaldwellCaldwell: Jordan Burroughs and I grew up wrestling together. That's my boy. When we're in the same town, we're together. That's the type of friendship we have. I feel like he's going to make it happen in terms of the Worlds and Olympics. He's a good guy, just a real honest guy with a great heart. He's a good person. Those are the type of people I like to surround myself with. For him to be such an amazing wrestler on top of that, it inspires me. And then the fact that he's from Jersey ... He's African-American, which is not really popular in our sport. It's a pretty big deal that he's doing such a good job. We're the same age and it's great that we have a friendship like we have. When Burroughs was coming out of high school, did you envision that he could have the kind of career he had at Nebraska? Caldwell: I most certainly did. You can tell by the way he progressed throughout his years. When we were real young, he won a kids state championship. Throughout the years, he began to get on the scene a little bit. I don't know if he even made it out of his region his freshman year of high school. But you could see the progression he was making. When I watched him wrestle Molinaro his junior year at states, I felt like he had it in him to win it. But then he came back out the next year and won a state championship. Then he goes out and wins Senior Nationals ... You could just see progression and potential. If you were paying close attention, you could kind of see that he was headed in this direction. Many wrestling fans were shocked when Bubba Jenkins pinned David Taylor in the NCAA finals. What were your thoughts when you witnessed Jenkins pin Taylor? Caldwell: My thoughts were that's my dude. I know what he's capable of. A national championship is something he has talked about since I knew him. Just to see him get that was a blessing. I know how much it means to him, his family, and his friends. I don't know where he would fit in the U.S. lineup for freestyle ... because we have me at 145 and Burroughs at 163. But it's always fun to wrestle with that cat, my buddy. Hopefully we can get him back on the mat someday. Darrion Caldwell (NC State Sports Information)You attended the Beat Streets Gala 2011 in New York City. What did you think of that event? Caldwell: Oh, man ... It felt like a championship game and then afterwards a draft party. It was just amazing to see USA really dominate the way we did. It just showed how much potential we have with our young guys, how much work the coaches have been putting in, and how much we want it. These guys that I know from USA really want to place. They really want to win gold medals. They really want to be that guy on the Wheaties box. They really want to have their own wrestling shoes. It's great to see Americans doing what we do and dominating other countries. You graduated from high school the same year as Henry Cejudo. What are your thoughts about Cejudo returning to the mat? Caldwell: We wrestled in the Dapper Dan together, so that was the first time I had seen him wrestle. I was stoked to see him back on the mat. The guy knows how to get it done. To see him out there, it was a big boost for me. It definitely gave me some fire and made me want to be out there. I was like, 'Dang, those are all my boys. I need to be out there.' That's the team I envision myself on ... wrestling with guys like Cejudo, Bunch, Burroughs, Herbert, and Varner. The U.S. men's freestyle team failed to win a medal at the World Championships last year. What were your thoughts after that performance? Caldwell: It won't happen next year. We had a lot of young guys ... and we just didn't go out there and perform. Going out to New York and seeing the way we performed against Russia ... I feel like with that win, that should give our team much more confidence. We should be going into other countries, having fun, smacking up on them, and partying in their town. North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell defeated Iowa's Brent Metcalf in the 2009 NCAA finals (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Your name will be forever linked to Brent Metcalf because of your win over him in the 2009 NCAA finals. When was the last time you watched that match? Caldwell: Maybe last summer when I was about to get back into it. I usually show it at camps, but I haven't done any camps this summer yet. I usually show a move or two from that match. It was a great match. Metcalf made the U.S. World Team last year in your weight class. Teyon Ware won the U.S. Open this year, which included a victory over Metcalf. The weight class also includes Cary Kolat, Josh Churella, and others. What are your thoughts on the 66-kilogram weight class? Caldwell: It's wide open. I feel like I'm the guy when I get better. Right now that weight class is wide open until I get there. When you competed at the 2009 U.S. World Team Trials after your junior year of college, you hadn't competed in a freestyle match since high school. How much have you been able to focus on freestyle since you last competed at the 2009 U.S. World Team Trials? Caldwell: Unfortunately, it has mostly been college. But the upside is that I'm out here (Colorado Springs) for a whole year. I've never had that kind of time with freestyle. I feel like in this one year I'll be three or four times better than I was in 2009. John Smith won six World-level gold medals before retiring. Bruce Baumgartner won 13 World-level medals before retiring. Cael Sanderson won an Olympic gold medal at age 25 and then retired. Do you have aspirations of winning several World and Olympic gold medals? Or would you consider hanging up the shoes if you win an Olympic gold medal in 2012? Caldwell: I need to be competing. So God willing, if my body stays healthy, I'm going to be competing through at least the next Olympic cycle in 2016. Then it's maybe going to be over for me ... and I'll look at other options. I know your focus is on wrestling right now, but would you ever consider an MMA career? Caldwell: Right now I'm totally dedicated to wrestling. When I achieve these gold medals and other options open up I'll take it from there.

OREGON CITY, Ore. -- Clackamas Community College head wrestling coach Josh Rhoden announced today that the wrestling team has added three additional recruits to the 2011-12 list in Patrick Downey (North County HS, MD), Nick Sierra (Lemoore HS, CA) and Sage Ornelas (Safford HS, AZ). "All three of these kids are big time additions to the program," said Rhoden. "We are very excited about their ability to have an immediate impact on our program." Downey projects at 184 pounds and will fill the shoes of graduating sophomore and two-time All-American Brett Sanchez. Patrick was a two-time undefeated state champion in Maryland and won the NHSCA Senior National championship this year at 189 pounds. Currently he is the fourth-ranked 184-pound prospect by The Open Mat and No. 80 overall recruit in the country. "Pat is a great addition to our program and we look forward to helping him further his wrestling career during his time with us here at Clackamas," said Rhoden. Sierra was the 2010 California ctate champion and Dave Schultz Champion of Champions at 152 pounds. He will fill in at 157 pounds for the Cougars as he transfers from Division II Grand Canyon University. “Nick has a ton of wrestling experience and is really tough. He is a proven winner and will continue to help us reach the levels that we hope to here.” Ornelas finished his prep career as a four-time Arizona state finalist and three-time champion. He was a two-time FILA Cadet All-American in 2009 and 2010. Sage has a lot of wrestling under his belt and will compete at the 125-pound weight class with 2011 starter Kegan Handlovic. "We are looking forward to the depth we are adding at 125 and are excited to add a kid of Sage's caliber to the roster," concluded Rhoden. This year's recruiting class figures to be one of the very best in recent years for the NJCAA national champion Cougars as they have added numerous nationally-kamasranked wrestlers to the 2011-12 roster. The team looks to be well on their way to making a run a repeat performance in 2012!

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Freshmen Derek Papagianopoulos (Burlington, Mass.) and Nick Sulzer (Cleveland, Ohio) of the Virginia wrestling team each took second place Friday in their respective weight classes in the freestyle competition at the FILA Junior World Team Trials in Franklin, Ind. Competing at 74 KG (163 pounds), Sulzer dropped two narrow matches to Taylor Massa of the Michigan Wrestling Club in the best-of-3 finals. He fell 2-0, 2-1 in the first round, then dropped a 3-0, 4-3 decision in the second round. Papagianopoulos lost a pair of bouts to Daniel Miller, who was competing unattached in the 120 KG class (264.5 pounds). Miller won the first round 3-0, 2-1 and clinched the berth in the FILA Junior World Championships by taking the second round 4-3, 4-0. Sulzer defeated three opponents to reach the finals. He topped Dakota Friesth of Gator Wrestling Club, 5-0, 3-0, in the opener before rolling past Michael Kelly of Hawkeye Wrestling Club, 2-0, 7-0, in his second bout. Sulzer then defeated Nick Moore of Hawkeye Wrestling Club, 4-2, 1-0, to earn the opportunity to take on Miller, who earned a bye to the finals after winning Junior Nationals back in April. Papagianopoulos advanced to the World Team Trials championship by downing Carl Buchholz of Rutgers, 1-0, 2-0, before falling to Miller. The Cavalier duo reached the World Team Trials after each earning All-America status at University Nationals in April.

FRANKLIN, Ind. -- Northwestern freshman Lee Munster (Fox Lake, Ill./Grant) wrestled his way to one of seven spots on the United States Junior World Team when he won the FILA Junior World Team Trials Friday in Franklin, Ind. Munster will compete at the 2011 FILA Junior World Championships this summer, set for July 26-31 in Bucharest, Romania. Lee MunsterMunster, a two-time University Nationals champion, rolled past Oregon State freshman Taylor Meeks in the 84-kg freestyle finals of the Trials without surrendering a point in a two-period victory (5-0, 5-0; 2-0, 3-0). Munster, a finalist at the event last year, is the first Northwestern representative on the Junior World Team since Anthony Pariano -- older brother of head coach Drew Pariano -- back in 1993. Munster was joined at the Junior World Team Trials by freshman teammates Colin Shober (Reading, Pa./Schuykill Valley), Kaleb Friedley (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill) and Alex Polizzi (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial). Polizzi entered the field in the Greco Roman competition and advanced to the finals at 96 kg, which proved to be a grueling three-period match against Marcus Finau. Polizzi won the first period 1-2, 3-0, 1-0, but lost the next two by scores 1-0, 3-0 and 2-0, 1-0. Shober and Friedley eventually met in the wrestlebacks of the 66 kg freestyle bracket, where Friedley won by fall in 1:28. Friedley then faced Steven Hernandez of Boise State in the consolation finals, with Hernandez notching a 4-0, 5-0 victory. Visit TheMat.com, linked at the top of the page, to find more information on this weekend's Junior World Team Trials.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Thirteen state qualifiers, including nine who made the field multiple times, will join the Cleveland State wrestling program for the 2011-12 season. Head coach Ben Stehura made the announcement on Friday (May 20). Joining the Vikings are Andrew Brown (who will wrestle at either 125 or 133 pounds), Narcisco Inchaurregui (125), Mike Carlone (133/141), Jared Beatty (133), Tanner Lemon (149/157), Sheldon Brandenburg (165), Xavier Dye (165), John Sims (165/174), Micah Kullman (174/184), Bobby Blankenship (184/197), Troy Benjamin (184/197), Nathan Silvus (197) and Mitchell Gross (197). All 13 signees will enter Cleveland State as freshmen with four years of collegiate eligibility. "I'm very excited about this incoming class," Stehura said. "Many of these guys are coming off accomplished high school careers, and I think all of them have the chance to contribute to our success over the next four years." Brown, a two-time state qualifier from Uniontown, Ohio, finished seventh in the state wrestling at 130 in 2011. Inchaurregui is a three-time state qualifier from Lorain, Ohio. In 2008 he placed seventh in the 112 pound division at the Ohio High School Division I State Wrestling Tournament. Carlone, who wrestled at Mayfield High, was the state runner-up in the 130 weight class as a senior. He also qualified for the state tournament in 2010, placing seventh. Beatty also qualified for the state tournament in 2010, finishing in eighth place. He won a sectional championship during his senior year at Arcanum High before an injury at the district tournament put an early end to his season. A two-time state-placer out of Massillon Perry High, Lemon finished second in the state in the 152 division as a senior. He finished eighth in the state in 2010. Brandenburg is another state runner-up, placing second in the state in the 160 class during his senior season at Wadsworth High. He also placed fifth in the state tournament in 2010 while helping Wadsworth win the team championship. A cadet All-American who placed fifth in Fargo, Dye qualified for the Ohio state tournament four times during his career at Patrick Henry High in Hamler, Ohio. Dye was the state runner-up in the 160 class in 2011, following a fourth-place showing during his junior season in 2010. Sims, who wrestled at Mater Dei High in Evansville, Ind., is also a four-time state qualifier, placing all four years, including a runner-up finish in the 160 class as a senior. Kullman, a 2010 FILA Junior Greco-Roman National Champion, qualified for the state tournament twice while wrestling at Minerva High. His highest finish was a sixth-place showing in the 171 weight class as a junior. Blankenship posted back-to-back fourth place finishes at the Ohio Division II State Tournament wrestling at 189 pounds. He helped Jonathan Alder High place 19th out of 84 schools in the 2011 tournament. As a senior out of Mexico, N.Y., Benjamin placed fifth in the 171 class at the 2011 New York State Public High School Athletic Association Wrestling championship. Silvus, who wrestled at 215 at Springfield Shawnee High, also placed fifth in the 2011 Ohio Division II State Tournament. A sixth-place finalist in the 189 division at the 2011 Ohio Division III State Tournament, Gross wrestled at Norwalk St. Paul High.

It is often true that money, or lack thereof, can drive life decisions. The old adage 'follow the money' is often heard. But for Jake Clark and Joey Clark, it is wrestling, not money, that has driven their life decisions. One could say the two brothers from South Saint Paul, Minn. have chosen to 'follow the wrestling.' "Wrestling has always provided for me," said Jake, who has won national titles in every age group. "Not necessarily financially because wrestling is not a sport that is going to provide financially for you, but it has provided so many opportunities. The opportunity to travel. The opportunity to meet so many different people. The opportunity to do so many different things. It is my sport." Jake Clark and Joey Clark have remained best friendsThe Clark brothers, who are best friends, were teammates on the All-Marine Wrestling Team in the early 2000s. They became two of the nation's top Greco-Roman wrestlers in their weight classes. Jake, who is 31, has been on the U.S. National Team six years and has made the U.S World Team twice. He is currently ranked No. 1 in the U.S. at 84 kilograms (185 pounds) in Greco-Roman. Joey, who turned 35 last month, placed several times at the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials, but hung up his wrestling shoes in 2002 and transitioned to an MMA career. He found immediate success in MMA and began headlining MMA events. Shortly after beginning his MMA career, Joey received a call out of the blue from UFC star B.J. Penn. Penn had spent some time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center with wrestlers and was looking to learn more wrestling skills to help him in his MMA career. While at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Joey's name was given to Penn by Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler Kevin Bracken. Joey recalled his initial phone conversation with Penn. "He says, 'Hello, this is B.J. Penn. I got your number from Bracken. Do you want to come help me train?' I was like, 'When?' He says, 'In two weeks.' I was like, 'Sure.'" Just like that Joey became a training partner for B.J. Penn. Jake joined as a training partner for Penn after he finished up in the military. The Clark brothers have traveled to Penn's native Hawaii several times to help him train for fights. "I haven't scratched the surface with what Jake and Joey Clark can teach me," said Penn, who is only the second fighter in UFC history to win titles in two different weight classes (Randy Couture was the first). "We have a good relationship and get along great. I have much to learn from them. They make me better and my camps so much better." For Jake, training with MMA fighters is a much-needed change of pace from the daily grind of wrestling training. "It's just a good experience for me," said Jake who has trained with several MMA fighters (in addition to Penn), including Kendall Grove, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt, Mo Lawal, and Bobby Lashley. "It changes up my training a little bit, which I think helps in my wrestling too. After 25-plus years of wrestling and working out, it's good to change it up a little bit and it brings a whole new fresh side of training." B.J. Penn paid a visit to Ambition MMA last monthIn 2008, Joey Clark, along with business partners Mark Dale and Teri Dale, founded Ambition MMA, a state-of-the-art training academy and fight club located in Eagan, Minn. The academy offers a variety of training services, including wrestling training. Jake and Joey put wrestlers through workouts a couple times a week, attend wrestling tournaments, and take notes on matches to help the wrestlers tweak their technique. "One thing that is important to us is that we don't want to take them from their clubs or hometowns," said Jake. "So we came up with a schedule that usually works. Usually their practices are Tuesdays and Thursdays in the summer, so we went with Fridays and Sundays." Jake missed this year's U.S. Open due to injury, but plans to compete at the U.S. World Team Trials, which take place June 10 in Oklahoma City, Okla. "When I'm competing now I want my body to be at a hundred percent," said Jake. "I don't feel that I have things to prove to anybody. I know that I'm the No. 1 guy at 84 kilos. As long as my body is healthy and I'm able to train the way I need to train, then everything will go my way." Jake Clark (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Jake has represented the U.S. at the World Championships, Pan American Championships, World Cup, and may other international events. But he has yet to wrestle in the Olympic Games, which has been his goal since he was a little boy. "My main goal right now is the Olympics," said Jake. "I've been on some World Teams. I've won nationals at every age group. I'm a World Cup champion. I've accomplished quite a bit and I'm happy with what my wrestling has done. But I've always had that dream to be an Olympian and that's what I really need to concentrate on. Not that I'm looking past this year's World Team Trials, but everything I'm doing right now is in preparation for 2012." So would Jake retire from wrestling competition if he wins an Olympic medal in London? "That would definitely be a great way to go out," said Jake. "To get the medal, you have to make it there. I'm trying to make sure I'm concentrating on the Trials prior to that. If I really can do this game plan that I have in my mind, I don't see why I wouldn't be able to get a medal. "To get a medal in the Olympics in wrestling ... I'm going to be honest, the stars have to align. That day everything has to be right." Regardless of whether the stars align or not for Jake, the Clark brothers will be forever grateful for the opportunities wrestling has provided and continue to give back to the sport. "Wrestling has been unreal for all the things that it has brought to my life and my brother's life," said Jake. "We're very grateful for everything that it has done. For us to have a chance to give back, we want to take advantage of that. We want to bring to others what the sport has brought to us."

ROME -- The Shorter University wrestling program secured another key addition to its 2011 recruiting class on Thursday, announcing the signing of Florida prep standout Wally Figaro. Wally FigaroFigaro, a native of Brandon, Fla., and star grappler at Brandon High School, is the overall No. 58 ranked recruit in the country and the nation's No. 6 ranked high school recruit at 160 according to InterMat. "Wally is an outstanding pickup for us," said Shorter head coach Josh Henson, who guided his Hawks to a 20th place finish at the NAIA Wrestling National Championships this past season to cap an enormously successful inaugural campaign. "When you are building a program, you look for student-athletes who can put you on the map athletically, and at the same time, serve as a cornerstone for the future," the coach added. "Wally has the ability to do that for our team." Figaro was a Double Junior National All-American -- he placed third in Greco-Roman and fifth in freestyle -- in 2010, placed second in the 2010 Super 32 and is a Florida state champion and four-time placewinner during his high school career. Figaro has been groomed by one of the nation's premier prep program in Brandon High and Henson believes that Figaro has a bright future ahead with the Hawks. "Wally is the complete package -- athletically, academically and socially -- and would be a great addition to any wrestling program," Henson said. "I am very excited that he has ended up at Shorter University." Figaro figures to join a rapidly up-and-coming program with the Hawks, who enjoyed a banner first season in 2010-11. Shorter supplemented the Top 20 national finish by winning the 2011 NAIA Team Sportsmanship Award. Shorter also produced its first-ever Mid-South Conference individual champion in freshman Robbie Collum, who garnered Mid-South Freshman of the Year honors after taking the title at 149. Shorter's Raleigh Abbott was a Mid-South Academic All-Conference selection and was ranked as high as No. 3 in the country at 165 during the season.

After Northwestern fifth-year senior Brandon Precin suffered the most devastating loss of his college wrestling career -- a 3-1 loss in the semifinals of the 2011 NCAAs to Iowa's Matt McDonough -- it was gut-check time. "In my mind, I had a decision to make," said Precin, a three-time All-American for the Wildcats. "Either I could take third or I could take sixth. I just had to buckle down." Northwestern's Brandon Precin finished his college wrestling career as a three-time All-American at 125 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Precin did just that. He rebounded to win his final two matches the following day to finish third at the NCAAs for the second time in his career. It was by no means the way Precin wanted -- or envisioned -- his college wrestling career ending, but he was not going to be ungrateful. "It was bittersweet," said Precin of his third-place finish. "I was pretty emotional. I was happy that I went out there and gave it my all." Precin had climbed to No. 1 in the rankings at 125 pounds earlier in the season after beating McDonough, a 2010 NCAA champion, in the finals of the Midlands Championships. Precin and McDonough met again a month later in a dual meet at Northwestern. In that match, Precin controlled the action through the first two periods and led 3-0 late in the match before McDonough threw a headlock and secured a pin. McDonough edged Precin in the Big Ten finals and finally in the NCAA semifinals. "I went into each match (against McDonough) thinking I would win," said Precin. "That's the way you have to go into each match. You have to respect your opponent, but you have to know going into the match that you're going to win. Obviously, it didn't go my way, but I went into each match thinking I was going to win. "We both have respect for each other. I think we both knew coming in that it was going to be a battle and there weren't going to be any easy points scored." Northwestern's Brandon Precin and Iowa's Matt McDonough get in a scramble in their semifinal match at the 2011 NCAAs (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Precin's weight class was won by Arizona State's Anthony Robles, who defeated McDonough in the NCAA finals. "I would have liked to have wrestled Robles," said Precin. "We were 1-1 against each at the 2009 NCAAs. He beat me the first time and I beat him the second time. We established some competitiveness against each other. I definitely would have liked to have another shot at him. But as the saying goes, you have to wrestle the guy in front of you." Precin graduated from Northwestern with a history degree in March. He will walk at Northwestern's graduation ceremony in June. "It was a world-class experience, athletics, academics, socially," Precin said of his college experience. "It was a great experience for me. I learned a lot by going to Northwestern. I don't have any regrets in that sense. Even though I finished third, instead of first, I put forth as much effort as possible." Northwestern's Brandon Precin defeated Utah Valley's Ben Kjar to finish in third place at the 2011 NCAAs at 125 pounds (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Precin's focus has now shifted to freestyle wrestling. Last year he placed seventh at the U.S. Open and true fourth at the U.S. World Team Trials. He chose not to compete at this year's U.S. Open, which took place in April 8-9, because he says it was too close to the end of the collegiate wrestling season and he wanted to "work out some kinks" while making the transition from folkstyle wrestling to freestyle wrestling. Instead, Precin opted to compete at the 2011 University Nationals in Akron, Ohio, which took place two weeks after the U.S. Open. He dominated the competition in Akron, winning a University Nationals title at 55 kg, which included a victory in the finals over Cornell's Frank Perrelli, a fifth-place finisher at the U.S. Open. By winning University Nationals, Precin qualified for the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials, which are set for June 10-11 in Oklahoma City, Okla. In addition to Perrelli, Precin has beaten other top contenders on the senior level at 55 kg, including 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Hazewinkel. Precin defeated Hazewinkel in the seventh-place match at last year's U.S. Open. "Being able to compete with all the top guys last year gave me confidence that I can go out there, compete, and beat these guys," said Precin. "I feel at last year's U.S. Open I did pretty well and that helped propel me at the World Team Trials." Precin currently divides his time between Northwestern and the Overtime School of Wrestling in Naperville, Ill. He says that it's a lot of "flip-flopping," but he feels it gives him the best opportunity to succeed. For Precin, there is no shortage of wrestling brains to pick. His coaches include Northwestern coaches Drew Pariano and Tim Cysewski, as well as Overtime coaches Sean Bormet, Kerry Boumans, Ed Giese, and John Kading, among others. Precin has not only had to make a quick transition from folkstyle to freestyle, but also adjust to the 55-kg (121-pound) weight class, which is four pounds lighter than his collegiate weight class of 125 pounds. However, in college wrestling, competitors weigh in an hour before competition. In freestyle wrestling, competitors weigh in the day before competition. Northwestern coaches Tim Cysewski and Jake Herbert talk to Brandon Precin before the 2011 Big Ten finals at 125 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"The weight cut is definitely different," Precin said of the difference between his college weight class and freestyle weight class. "There is a different plan of attack for cutting weight. In folkstyle, you have to keep your weight low all the time. In freestyle, there's a little bit more leeway, but you still have to keep your weight somewhat low. You have to be able to cut the weight safely and be within striking distance." Precin has his immediate sights set on winning the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials. He has aspirations of winning World-level medals, like his former Northwestern teammate and coach Jake Herbert, who captured a silver medal at the 2009 World Championships. "To have Jake bring home that medal and actually see it, it made it real," said Precin. Soon a World-level medal could become even more real to Precin.

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The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced its annual Division I All-Academic Top 30 Teams and the NWCA Individual All-Academic wrestling team for the 2010-11 wrestling season. Harvard is honored as the nation's top academic wrestling program for the second year in a row, while three NCAA Champions also made the individual list. On this year's Individual All-Academic Team there are 92 total athletes, three NCAA Champions, five NCAA Runner-Ups, 28 All-Americans and 83 NCAA Qualifiers. The NWCA All-Academic Team records go back to 1991, which until this year the 2001 Princeton team held the highest team GPA of 3.43. This year that was broken by two teams who hold the No.1 and No.2 spots respectively. The Harvard University Crimson lead this year's team with a 3.51 GPA. This is the second year in a row that Harvard, lead by head coach Jay Weiss, has taken home top honors. Mark Cody's team at American had another outstanding season as well, placing Top 5 at the NCAA Championships and for the second year in a row finishing No. 2 as an All-Academic Team with a GPA of 3.48. Both Harvard and American improved their Team GPA's to lead this year's Top 30 teams. Finishing out the Top 10 Teams are: Harvard, American, Columbia, South Dakota State, Old Dominion, Princeton, Chattanooga, Nebraska, Utah Valley and Cornell. Ten of the eleven Division I Conferences are represented in the Top 30. The EIWA has the most teams with nine. "Being able to recognize our coaches and their teams for the accomplishments that they have made academically is always a high point at the end of the season for our staff. All of the athletes that have made this year's team are setting themselves up for success once they leave college, they are becoming leaders of the future," said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. For teams to be eligible for consideration, the team GPA is comprised of 12 student athletes, including the 10 wrestlers that were the entries in the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. If teams had less than 10 entries for their respective qualifier, they may fill those spots with wrestlers that competed in at least one varsity dual during the season. The Individual All-Academic Team also has qualifying standards by GPA and season record/accomplishment. Ninety-two wrestlers take this honor home with them; out of that group 83 of them competed at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 2011 individual with the highest GPA is North Dakota State's Tyler Johnson who has 4.0, while majoring in Biology. This year's NCAA Elite 88 Winner Nick Amuchastegui, comes in at No. 2 with a 3.979 GPA at Stanford University where he is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. The Elite 88 Award is presented to the top athlete qualifying for a post-season championship in each of the NCAA's 88 national championship events. Rounding out the Top 5 highest GPA's are Ryan Flores of American with a 3.94, Nebraska's Tucker Lane with a 3.937, and Daniel Mitchell of American with a 3.927. The three NCAA Champions on this year's Individual Team are: Penn State's Quentin Wright, Kyle Dake of Cornell, and Lehigh's Zachery Rey. American University sets another record this year with six individuals making the team, prior to this the individual team record set was five athletes. All six of these individuals qualified for the NCAA Tournament, while three of them earned the title of All-American, they are: Steve Fittery, Ryan Flores, Patrick Graham, Matthew Mariacher, Daniel Mitchell and Ganbayar Sanjaa. Both Cornell University and the University of Oklahoma had five individuals named to the team, both with three All-Americans. 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.

FIGHT! Magazine's managing editor Jim Casey shares his favorite Doug Blubaugh moments. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga: Summer, 1998 I was a 133-pound sophomore wrestler at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, working our summer wrestling camp when I first had the pleasure of meeting Doug, one of our camp's featured clinicians. I was slated to be Doug's handler while he was at the camp, moving him from session to session, acting as his technique dummy, and taking him to lunch. To say I was immediately mesmerized by Doug is an understatement. Doug had driven through the night from Oklahoma to make it to the camp on time. He showed up in a conversion van and asked me to help him unload his gear, which consisted of his 1960 Olympic gold medal and 400 posters of him pinning Emam-Ali Habibi of Iran. He traveled light. Doug BlubaughDoug was an immediate hit with the kids. They couldn't get enough of him. They loved his old-school wrestling moves and his candid conversation. He would show the campers a neck crank they had never seen, talk about mail-order brides, and then walk on his hands across the mat. He was a 63-year-old, one-man comedy show. After the last technique session of the day, Doug would go over to a table and autograph posters. One of the kids got the Olympic champion laughing so hard that Doug -- who suffered from narcolepsy -- fell asleep on the table and drooled on one of the posters. When Doug woke up, he gave me the poster (which I still have), telling me that if he ever died, his DNA was on the poster and to clone him. That was Doug -- always cracking a joke. And, this brings me to my favorite Doug moment. One the third day of camp, we decided to break up the monotony of wrestling by going to the pool and having a high-dive contest, with the winner receiving all sorts of UTC wrestling gear. We asked Doug to be a judge. He immediately declined. Instead, Doug wanted to enter the competition. Who was I to say no? So, Doug got in line with a bunch of kids. After about 20 or so lackluster backflips and one-and-a-half dives, a round, little, chubby 10-year-old, whose name was Goldberg, climbed the ladder. Goldberg was one of the big hits of the camp. Whenever he entered the arena, hundreds of campers would shout, "Gooooolllllllddddddd Beeeeerrrrrrrg, Gooooolllllllddddddd Beeeeerrrrrrrg," which was in reference to the enormous popularity of professional wrestler Bill Goldberg. Chubby, little, Goldberg waved to the onlookers, ran off the board, and did a flawless belly flop to the delight of the crowd. He emerged from the water with perfect 10s across the board -- and everyone chanting, "Gooooolllllllddddddd Beeeeerrrrrrrg." The 1960 Olympic Gold medalist was undeterred. He climbed the ladder and poised himself. Doug took a deep breath, ran a few steps, and jumped high into the air. He bounced his butt off the diving board (spank the baby) and immediately went into a handstand with his back facing the water. It was magical. However, Doug had problems holding the handstand and he teetered off the side of the board, still trying to complete his inverted one-and-a-half dive. He managed to nail the flip, but he couldn't stick the dive, and he landed on his stomach, causing a huge splash. After a few tense seconds, Doug popped up from the water unscathed, probably because he had the skin of a bull elephant. He looked at the scores -- 10s across the board, except for an 8. There was a Goldberg sympathizer on the judge's panel -- one of his classmates. Doug was irate, pleading his case that not only did he spank the baby, nail the handstand, and complete a flip, but also his inadvertent belly flop was far more substantial than Goldberg's. There was nothing I could do. The scores were tallied, and Doug finished third. Here was a man who won an NCAA Championship, Olympic gold medal, and Outstanding Wrestler of the world, and he was getting third in the 1998 UTC Wrestling Camp Diving Contest. At lunch, Doug told me that he was more mad at himself than the kid who gave him the 8. "I know I could nail that dive if I had another chance," he said. I agreed. At the end of the week, I tried to give Doug a bag of UTC wrestling gear. Doug refused it, saying, "I didn't earn it." That was Doug. He never wanted anything that he didn't earn. My former teammates and I still talk about Doug every time we get together for reunions. He was an amazing man. Doug Blubaugh will be missed.

ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio Wrestling added six newcomers to its stable of student-athletes, the program announced Wednesday afternoon. Five student-athletes have achieved state titles and all have placed in their various state tournaments multiple times. Combined with its fall class, the recruiting class projects to cover most of the weight classes on the roster and includes many talented wrestlers and academic achievements. "We are extremely excited to welcome this class to Ohio,” said Ohio head coach Joel Greenlee. “This is an outstanding group of student-athletes and it is one of the finest our staff has ever assembled. This group is really exciting from the perspective of, not only the obvious athletic talent, but from the perspective of the type of students and quality young men we have recruited. Collegiate wrestling success starts with a commitment and dedication to the classroom and to the sport and that is exactly what this group exudes. They will all be fantastic additions to, not only Ohio Wrestling, but the University as well." The bios of the six newcomers are below: Tyler Heminger - Galion Northmor, OH (2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 1st) - Ranked 14th at 119 lbs. by USA Wrestling Magazine, earning him All-America honors…He is a four-time state finalist and capped off a terrific senior year with an Ohio state title…He is a two-time conference Wrestler of the Year, 2010 Central District Division III Wrestler of the Year and 2011 Central District Wrestler of the Year…He finished with an outstanding 190-16 career record, which is a Galion Northmor High School record and lands him in the top 20 in Ohio High School History for most wins…Almost as impressive are his academic accomplishments as he is a three-time Academic All-Ohio member and a member of the National Honor Society…Heminger is projected to wrestle either the 125 or 133 lb. weight classes for Ohio. Nick Goebel – Elmwood, OH (1st, 3rd, 2nd) - Goebel is another highly successful Ohio high school wrestler, as he has a career record of 175-17…He has placed among the top three in the state three times and his career is highlighted by an Ohio state title and undefeated season in 2009…Goebel is also a strong academic performer as he was an honor roll student at Elmwood High School for all four years…He is projected to wrestle at the 125 lb. weight class for Ohio. Spartak Chino - Wheaton, IL (5th, 5th, 1st) - A three-time Illinois high school state place winner, Chino finished off his senior season with a state title and was named HM All-America at 152 lbs. in Wrestling USA Magazine…While at Wheaton High School, he was named All-Conference the past four years and finished with a career record of 142-18…He took fourth at Folkstyle Nationals and has also been a member of the Cadet/Junior Illinois National Dual Team the last three years…In addition to his wrestling prowess, Chino was an All-Conference performer for his high school football team that won the Illinois state title the past two years and was ranked in the top 10 nationally this year…Chino is another excellent student, as he was named to the Illinois Academic All-State Team the last three years as well…He is a member of his high school's athletic leadership council, as well as in the prestigious J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation, a nationwide leadership group composed of 20 high school senior boys who demonstrate good character and leadership through athletics in their community…Chino is projected to wrestle at the 157 lb. weight class for Ohio. Cody Rodgers – Mechanicsburg, OH (4th, 6th, 3rd) - Rodgers finished his high school career with a 175-25 record, going 45-3 his senior year on his way to a third-place state tournament finish…Rodgers is a four-time Ohio State Tournament entrant and a three-time state place winner…In addition to wrestling, he was a four-year starter in football and is another academic standout, having been on the Mechanicsburg High School honor roll all four years, while also being a National Honor Society Member…Rodgers is projected to wrestle at the 197 lb. weight class for Ohio. Keith Johnson – Dover, OH (7th, 3rd) - Johnson is a three-time state entrant and two-time Ohio state place winner, after placing third as a senior…He finished his career with a 146-24 record and is Dover's career wins and takedowns leader, while being a two-year team captain…In addition to wrestling, the two-sport student-athlete excelled in football, earning All-Ohio honors while playing running back and serving as a team captain…He is projected to wrestle at the 184 lb. weight class for Ohio. Marshal Willet – Brecksville, OH (3rd) - Willet has a career record of 103-32 and placed third in the Ohio state tournament at 171 lbs. this year…He was named Brecksville Wrestling MVP and a team captain…Other athletic accolades include being a 2011 two-time freestyle AAU bronze medalist, two-time freestyle state runner-up, four-year letterman in wrestling and a two-year letterman in football…Yet another academic standout, Willet was a four-year honor roll member for Brecksville High School, an Academic All-Ohio selection for 2011 and a two-year National Honors Society Member…He is projected to wrestle at the 174 lb. weight class for Ohio. This group will join Ohio's five newcomers that were announced in the fall: Garret Garness (Hayfield, Minn.), Daniel Mirman (Wadsworth, Ohio), Zach Rohr (Hastings, Minn.), Andrew Romanchik (Independence, Ohio) and Cody Walters (Macedonia, Ohio).

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 along with special in studio guest host UFC and MMA star Joe Brammer. Join in this Saturday for Takedown Wrestling 9 to 11 a.m. CT/ 10 a.m. to 12 noon ET. This weeks guests include: 9:01 to 9:15 Heath Eslinger, head coach at Chattanooga 9:20 to 9:35 Bucky Maughan, retiring head coach of NDSU Bison 9:40 Mike Garrow, head of the NEW Fight Now USA Network 9:50 Max Muscle Minute with Ty Barkley 10:01 to 10:15 Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling's Abbott of wrestling 10:20 Kevin Dresser, head coach at Virginia Tech 10:40 Joe Brammer, "The Hammer" UFC, MMA Star Elite Edge Training Center 10:50 Maureen Roshar Wildrose Casino and Resort in Clinton, Iowa Join us LIVE 9 to 11 AM CST for Takedown Wrestling. Listen on radio, on computer, your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio App, KXNO.com, or Takedownradio.com.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- 2008 Olympic gold medalist and author Henry Cejudo joins a distinguished group of Olympic and Paralympic champions and hopefuls as one of Coca-Cola's “Ambassadors of Active Living” to inspire people to lead active and balanced lives. The high-profile athletes form the Coca-Cola “Eight-Pack” as part of the brand's London 2012 Olympic Summer Games program. Coca-Cola is the longest continuous corporate partner of the Olympic Games since 1928 and the 2012 Games will be the third consecutive time in which Coca-Cola has included a collection of athletes as part of its Olympic program. The 2012 Coca-Cola “Eight-Pack” consists of Henry Cejudo (wrestling), Shawn Johnson (gymnastics), David Oliver (track and field), Jessica Long (Paralympic Swimming), David Boudia (Diving), Marlen Esparza (boxing), John Isner (tennis) and Alex Morgan (soccer). Coca-Cola will highlight Cejudo as a member of Coca-Cola's “Eight-Pack” in a variety of creative initiatives including in-store materials and advertising targeting all consumers including specific programs for Hispanic and African-American consumers. Details about how Cejudo and the athletes are to be featured will be available in the future. “I am extremely honored to be a Coca-Cola Ambassador of Active Living and a member of its Olympic Eight-Pack. Coca-Cola has given so much to the Olympic program over the years, and has a long tradition of inspired community involvement. It is exciting to be involved with a company of Coca-Cola's caliber and to participate alongside such amazing athletes,” Cejudo stated. About Henry Cejudo Olympic gold medalist and author, Henry Cejudo, achieved his dream of becoming an Olympic gold medalist at just 21 years old. Henry made history by becoming the youngest American wrestler to bring home the gold. The American born son of undocumented immigrants from Mexico, Cejudo spent his early years in fear of his criminal father and immigration officials. He struggled to find consistency in his chaotic world as he fought for survival on and off the wrestling mat. His amazing story of determination and triumph has won the hearts of America. A story that was captured by Henry Cejudo and Bill Plaschke in a book titled “American Victory.” Henry continues to achieve his dreams with another book deal, adidas shoe endorsement and inspiring millions of young athletes and troubled youth through his work with numerous charities. Many have expressed that Cejudo represents everything that is right with this country and that his journey embodies the ethos of the American Dream. To learn more about Henry Cejudo visit his website at www.henrycejudo.com. About The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. The Company's portfolio includes 15 billion dollar brands, including Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, as well as Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia. Globally, they are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.7 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, Coca-Cola is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where they operate. For more information, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

HUMBOLDT, Iowa -- The hometown of world wrestling champion Frank Gotch, one of the nation's best-known athletes in the early part of the 20th Century, is making plans to honor its most famous citizen with a statue to be placed in Bicknell Park. The park occupies the site where Gotch trained for his most important match. The project is being run by a not-for-profit organization called the Frank Gotch Statue Committee. “Frank Gotch was arguably the top athlete in America in the 1908 to 1915 era,” said co-chair Steve Reimers, a lifelong resident of the city located in the northwestern part of the state. “Frank brought great recognition to this town and to all of Iowa. Many of us feel it is time to pay a special tribute to Gotch and the great legacy he left behind.” Bicknell Park was the site of Gotch's training camp prior to his epic match with George Hackenschmidt, known as The Russian Lion, on September 3, 1911, in Chicago. Gotch set up camp by the small bluff on the Des Moines River and spectators flocked to watch the world champion in training. Sports reporters from around the nation converged on Humboldt the month prior to the match. One reporter estimated that one day there were nearly 2,000 fans down by the park watching Gotch train. The camp consisted of a large ring, handball courts and an area for wall pulleys and punching bags. Several of the top wrestler in the world came to the camp at various times to serve as workout partners for Gotch. His training was supervised by Farmer Burns, considered the greatest professional wrestling instructor of all time. Bicknell Park was donated to the city in 1920. The project will include a brick walkway around the pedestal the statue stands on. The statue will be made of bronze and stand eight-foot tall, depicting Gotch in a familiar pose with hands on hips while attired in a wrestling uniform. It will be placed on a two-foot high pedestal, with accompanying information on his career and life in Humboldt. Gotch was undefeated during his seven-year rein as world champion and won his last 88 matches in a row. He owned a considerable amount of land in Iowa and Minnesota and was active in the community in a variety of ways. He was part owner of an automobile dealership in Humboldt and served on several civic boards. He was even being considered to star in a movie in Hollywood and the Republican Party of Iowa was looking at him as a possible candidate for governor in 1920. But Gotch fell ill in early 1917 and died on December 16, 1917, at the age of 39, of kidney failure. His death was front-page news all around the nation and an estimated 2,000 people attended his funeral. He is buried in a large mausoleum in Union Cemetery, two miles west of town. According to the author Mac Davis, in the book 100 Greatest Sports Heroes, Gotch was a bigger star than any boxer or baseball player. “As the idol of millions in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Gotch made wrestling a big-time sport in his day. Babies had been named in his honor, as had buildings, toys, farm implements and a hundred other things. The word ‘Gotch' was a synonym for quality and strength.” The statue committee is comprised of various members of the Humboldt community, as well as two noteworthy “outsiders.” Frank Gotch III is the grandson of the legendary wrestler and currently lives near Austin, Texas. He has agreed to serve as an honorary member. Mike Chapman is one of the nation's leading wrestling historians and the author of 22 books, including three on Gotch. One of them, Gotch: An American Hero, has been purchased by Empire Film Group in Los Angeles and is under development as a major motion picture. “We are delighted that the grandson of Frank Gotch and a well-known historian are helping us with the project,” said Reimers. Other members of the committee are Ron Wasoba, former Humboldt High School wrestling coach, who is co-chair; Tonya Harklau, former executive director of the Humboldt Area Chamber of Commerce; Maurey Abens, Chad Beaman, Jana Bratland, Ken Bratland, Kent Clendenen, Todd Lee, Phil Monson and Bruce Reimers, a former NFL football player from Humboldt who played in a Super Bowl as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. “In an effort to make this project all inclusive, we are reaching out to the citizens of Humboldt, and also to wrestling fans across the state and the entire nation,” said Wasoba. “Frank Gotch helped created a strong interest in wrestling in America in the early 1900s. We believe many fans across the nation will want to be a part of this effort to honor his memory and his impact on the sport, both amateur and professional.” “I think part of the reason this is such a wonderful project is because Frank Gotch had a very powerful love of this community,” said Chapman. “After he became world champion, many promoters and managers tried to get him to leave Iowa and move to the big city. But he never was tempted. He told them he was born an Iowa farmer, was raised an Iowa farmer and would die an Iowa farmer. And he was true to his word.” There are various levels of support offered to donors, beginning at $125 and going up to $3,000, and beyond. Anyone wishing more information should contact the Frank Gotch Project, c/o Friends of the Park, PO Box 247, Humboldt, Iowa, 50548, or call Tonya Harklau at 515-332-3285 (or harklauj@goldfieldaccess.net) for further details. Donations are tax deductible to the extent offered by the law.

Kevin Dresser

Jim Raschke

Bob Steenlage

Tom Brands

Mike Chapman

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Brown University wrestling team is proud to announce its class of 2015, consisting of seven distinguished student-athletes: Kenny Staub (Dalton Gardens, Idaho), Tyler Orfe (Palmyra, N.J.), Zach Rees (Kearney, Neb.), Ricky McDonald (Carson City, Nev.), Zack Tanenbaum (Overland Park, Kan.), Tanner Hough (Johnstown, Pa.) and Ophir Bernstein (Allen, Texas). "These seven distinguished young men will be a great addition to College Hill," said assistant coach John Clark. "They exemplify what it means to be a student-athlete here at Brown University." Geographically speaking, this is one of the most western oriented incoming classes in Brown wrestling history. Leading the group that will be traveling eastward to Providence is Texan, Ophir Bernstein, ranked eighth nationally at 189 pounds. Bernstein is a two-time State finalist for Allen High School, placing second in 2010 and first in 2011, and was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Texas State tournament this past year. Bernstein finished his high school career with a career record of 147-19 (including an undefeated 44-0 his senior year), and was a two-time All-American at USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals in Iowa. From Idaho, Kenny Staub brings four state tournament placements to Brown (third in 2011, second in 2010, fifth in 2009 and fifth in 2008). Staub finished with an impressive 148 career victories for Coeur d'Alene High School, a school record for the Gem State powerhouse, while leading the Vikings to two team state championships. From Nevada, the Bears welcome NHSCA Senior Nationals All-American Ricky McDonald, a two-time state champion at Bishop Manogue High School. McDonald was also a four-time state place-winner, amassing 193 career wins, while placing four times at the state tournament (first in 2011 and 2010, second in 2009 and third in 2008). Showcasing his athletic ability, McDonald was also an All-State defensive back for his football team. Also strengthening this incoming class is Nebraska's Zach Rees, who was a three-time state place-winner for Kearney High School, placing second as a senior, fourth as a junior and third as a sophomore, while compiling a career record of 108-20. Showing his strengths in the classroom as well as on the wrestling mat, Rees was an academic All-American in all four years of high school. Joining the Bears from Kansas is Zack Tanenbaum, a three-time state champion and 2011 Kansas 6A wrestler of the year. Tanenbaum's accomplishments include four region and district titles, and a championship at the Brute Adidas Nationals. The incoming freshman carried a perfect 40-0 record his senior year for Overland Park High School, and was awarded the prestigious NAIA Champion of Character award. Rounding out this years class are two wrestlers hailing from two states that are mainstays at the top of the national high school rankings, Tanner Hough from Westmont Hilltop High School in Pennsylvania and Tyler Orfe from Bishop Eustace Prep in New Jersey. Orfe was a four-time district champion and three-time New Jersey Region place-winner (second in 2009, fourth in 2010 and 2011). Orfe was twice named all-conference, and finished with 125 career wins. Hough was a three-time Pennsylvania state medal-winner (second in 2011, fourth in 2010 and sixth in 2008), and a three-time district champion. Hough compiled a career record of 143-31; a school record for the Hilltoppers, and placed four times at the Powerade Tournament.

Josh Watts has already built one successful junior college wrestling program from scratch. Now the former three-time prep champion from Iowa is about to try to again. Watts was named the first wrestling coach at Iowa Western on Monday. The Reivers will compete at the NJCAA Division I level and will begin competing for the upcoming 2011-12 athletic season. Watts has been the head coach at Darton College in Albany, Ga., for the past four years. He guided the Cavaliers from a fledgling club program to a No. 6 ranking in NJCAA Division III during his first three seasons while producing 30 national qualifiers in all. Previously, Watts was an assistant coach at Loras College, where he wrestled for two years after beginning his collegiate career at the University of Northern Iowa. He won three state prep titles at Davenport Assumption, where he amassed a then-record 190 wins. Watts was selected from a strong pool of nearly 50 applicants, said IWCC athletic director Brenda Hampton.

Mike Denney, former head wrestling coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, May 18. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show will be available on themat.com. This Wednesday's show will run from 5 p.m. to 5:35 p.m. Central. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Denney coached the University of Nebraska-Omaha to six NCAA Division II team titles in the past eight seasons. UNO recently announced that it will eliminate its wrestling and football programs as a result of joining NCAA Division I athletics next year. ESPN aired a feature on "Outside the Lines" about Nebraska-Omaha dropping its program. Maryville University in St. Louis announced that it will begin a new wrestling program effective June 1, 2011. Mike Denney was hired as the wrestling program's first head coach.

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota State head wrestling coach Bucky Maughan announced his retirement today after 47 seasons at the helm of the program. “The NDSU wrestling program is synonymous with the Maughan name,” said Director of Athletics Gene Taylor. “Bucky has built a standard of excellence for our program over his 47 years that we will be eternally grateful for. He will be missed in the wrestling room but we look forward to his continued involvement as an ambassador for wrestling and our wrestling alumni.” Bucky MaughanA National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, Maughan led the Bison to four NCAA Division II national championships in 1988, 1998, 2000 and 2001 as well as six national runner-up finishes. During the Division II era, he coached 21 wrestlers to 30 NCAA Division II national championships and had 19 wrestlers compete in the Division I Championships, including six placewinners. Maughan also led NDSU to 17 North Central Conference titles, including a span of nine straight from 1982-1990, and coached 88 NCC individual champions. He was inducted into the Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1997. He also successfully guided the Bison into the Division I era. Since making the move to Division I in 2006, he has coached five Western Wrestling Conference champions and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Divison I Championships. Maughan, the winningest coach in NDSU history, finished his career with a record of 467-157-13. He led the Bison to three undefeated seasons in 1984-85, 1991-92 and 2003-04. A native of Canonsburg, Pa., Maughan was a Pennsylvania state champion during his high school career. He was a two-time NAIA national champion at Minnesota State Moorhead in 1962 and 1963 and also claimed the 1963 NCAA Division I 115 pound championship. Bucky and his wife Leota have two sons, Jack and Bret, who were both two-time All-American wrestlers at North Dakota State.

Jack Spates