InterMat Staff

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

Dan Gable

WATERLOO, Iowa -- Former University of Iowa wrestling All-Americans Daniel Dennis and Luke Lofthouse advanced to the U.S. World Team Trials after winning titles at the Northern Plains Senior Regionals Saturday in Waterloo, Iowa. Dennis, a two-time All-American, NCAA qualifier and Big Ten place-winner, defeated 2010 Junior World Team member Ryak Finch 0-6, 3-3, 2-0 in the 55kg/121 lb. finals. Lofthouse, a four-year UI letterwinner and 2011 NCAA All-American, defeated Kamarudeen Usman 1-1, 1-4, 1-0 in the 96kg/211.5 lb. finals. Lofthouse and Dennis will join former Hawkeyes Dan Erekson (96kg/211.5 lbs.), Brent Metcalf (66kg/145.5 lbs.), Ryan Morningstar (74kg/163 lbs.) and Mike Zadick (60kg/132 lbs.) at the USA Wrestling World Team Trials in Oklahoma City, Okla. The two-day event will begin Friday, June 10, 2011. The presentation of the World Championship teams will conclude the event. The winners earn the right to represent the United States at the 2011 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. Iowa City will host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials April 21-22 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The trials will determine which athletes will represent the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The event will be held April 21-22, 2012, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials go on sale Monday, June 6, 2011 at 9 a.m. Visit iowacitytolondon.com for more information.

CLEVELAND, Ga. -- Truett-McConnell College will be adding wrestling to its athletic program beginning fallcoach bailey wrestling 1 2011. National Wrestling Hall of Fame coach Jim Bailey has been appointed as the new wrestling coach. Bailey hails from Fayetteville, GA where he taught English and coached wrestling and football. He comes to TMC with 33 years of coaching experience and was one of five Hall of Fame Georgia inductees chosen to be featured in the national museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The newly appointed wrestling coach is excited about the upcoming program as well as the opportunity to coach college athletes. “It was a complete surprise; I wasn't expecting to start something on the collegiate level, but God shook me out of my comfort zone,” Bailey said. Jim BaileyCoach Bailey stated that he has already started recruiting and the news about the new program is spreading quickly. As far as his vision for the program, Bailey affirmed that his main goal is to create a solid team that stays united. TMC athletic director, Chris Eppling, looks forward to working with Bailey and establishing the new sport. “I think that having wrestling here will open up new horizons athletically for Truett-McConnell College. I am thrilled to have Coach Bailey as a part of the TMC family. I look forward to hearing the stories of how God has used wrestling and Coach Bailey in the lives of our TMC students in the future,” Eppling remarked. Additionally, Bailey emphasized that he desires to create a team that is bound together by strong relationships and to help students understand that God wants them find their best potential and develop it. “When I learn I can do more than I thought I could, I can take that and apply it to different areas in life. I desire to create good men to compete; wrestling is not something they are going to do after college. Hopefully, they will take away lessons to apply to their lives, as well as long-lasting friendships,” Bailey said. The coach said he is ready to face the challenge that comes in building a unified team in such an individual-based sport. He plans to build camaraderie in team training sessions and to encourage the athletes to work together as they compete in team matches. In addition, he aims to promote Christian athleticism in his program by encouraging athletes to do their best. “I encourage them to do the best they can, just like in our spiritual life, we do the best we can for God. I look at competition as bringing out the best in each other. I want the athletes to learn to respect each other and to respect themselves,” said Bailey. Coach Bailey is currently working on recruiting students, and the recruits will be visiting the campus this summer. Eppling and Bailey will host a meet and greet time for any prospective student at the Nix Center on May 21, from 10:00am-1:00pm. Though unsure of the date of their first match, Bailey stated that the team will most likely participate in early season tournaments. The Truett-McConnell College wrestling team plans to compete against teams in the southeast including Shorter University. Truett-McConnell College equips students to fulfill the Great Commission by fostering a Christian Worldview through a Biblically-centered liberal arts education.

Many of the nation's top high school recruits have always dreamed of winning NCAA Division I titles on the big stage ... or earning Division I All-American honors. Not Terrell Wilbourn. Wilbourn, a three-time state champion who is ranked as the No. 29 recruit in the country by InterMat, was recruited by several Division I programs, including Iowa State and Nebraska, but ultimately decided on Iowa Central Community College. He projects at 141 pounds in college. "I went to visit Iowa Central and liked the campus," said Wilbourn, who attends Francis Howell Central High School (Mo.). "I liked the small atmosphere. "Iowa State and Nebraska are really big, so I probably would have gotten lost." (Wilbourn's brother, Brandon, is a member of the Nebraska wrestling team.) Terrell Wilbourn won an NHSCA Senior Nationals titleWilbourn plans on wrestling two seasons at Iowa Central, but is uncertain after that. "I'm not sure if I want to do DI at all," he said. Wilbourn, a Cadet Nationals champion and Junior Nationals runner-up in freestyle, has aspirations of winning World and Olympic medals in freestyle. He says that he would consider training freestyle full time ahead of wrestling at the Division I level. "I'll be training (freestyle) a lot on and off at Iowa State (while attending Iowa Central), just getting ready for the next Olympic cycle," said Wilbourn, who has developed a relationship with Iowa State coach Kevin Jackson. Wilbourn suffered a knee injury last summer, just weeks before Junior Nationals in Fargo, that hampered him all season. Still, despite not being completely healthy, Wilbourn reached the Junior Nationals freestyle finals, claimed his third state title, and won an NHSCA Senior Nationals title. "I'm about eighty percent," said Wilbourn, who finished his prep career with a record of 176-5. "I can't even really run that long because my knee will give out." Wilbourn says that he does not think he will wrestle in Fargo this summer. "I might go out to Iowa Central as soon as possible, just to get in some summer classes," said Wilbourn.

Related Link: The Clash X: Introducing the first 11 teams The Clash National Wrestling Duals recruiting committee is proud to announce six more entrants to The Clash X, which will take place Dec. 30-31 at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. With the announcement of these six teams, 17 teams have now been officially announced for The Clash X. The six teams introduced in this article join Apple Valley (Minn.), St. Paris Graham (Ohio), Clovis (Calif.), Simley (Minn.), Carl Sandburg (Ill.), Kasson-Mantorville (Minn.), St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.), Arrowhead (Wis.), Hastings (Minn.), Baylor (Tenn.), and Vacaville (Calif.). The remaining 15 teams will be introduced leading up to the event. 12. St. Edward, Ohio Record at The Clash: 4-2 Appearance at The Clash: 2nd Returning State Champions: 3 Returning State Placewinners: 10 Greg Urbas of St. Edward (Ohio) is a coaching legend (Photo/Bob Tuneberg, BuckeyeWrestling.com)About St. Edward: You would be hard-pressed to find a high school with a richer wrestling tradition than St. Edward. Greg Urbas has been at this school for a total of 33 years, 22 as head coach. Here are some of the unparalleled stats: St. Ed's has 26 state team titles in its trophy case. As a team, in the last 35 years, the Eagles have five runner-up finishes, two third-place finishes, one seventh-place finish, and one eighth-place finish. The rest are gold medals. Coach Urbas is another master motivator who had a less than stellar wrestling career as a competitor. In his words: "I was terrible." His coaching sure isn't. Last season this team had 10 state qualifiers. All of them placed. St. Edward had three state champions and three runner-ups, one third, one fourth, and two fifths. Here's the scary part: All 14 starters return. St Edward has a grand total of 54 college All-Americans. The school has produced four NCAA individual champions. The Eagles have won 11 mythical national high school wrestling titles. When asked what motivates him today, Urbas replies, "I still love teaching the sport. It gets me excited to get out of bed." This will be St. Ed's second appearance at The Clash. 13. Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Record at The Clash: 32-16 Appearance at The Clash: 9th Returning State Champions: 2 Returning State Placewinners: 10 Devin Peterson of Wisconsin Rapids won a FILA Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title this spring (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)About Wisconsin Rapids: Mention the name Benitz in Wisconsin wrestling circles and you will likely hear one word: Rapids. This is another father-son duo who seems to have been around forever. Lewie (father) started coaching at Rapids in 1966. He held that spot until 2008 when his son, Scott, took the lead. But Lewie is still a huge part of the team as an assistant to his son. This longevity and dedication has produced 15 out of the last 17 state titles in Wisconsin and 20 overall. Last season, Rapids qualified 12 for the state tournament, placed 10, and had four in the finals. Wisconsin Rapids recently acknowledged its 55th year of high school wrestling. Next season could possibly be the most talented team the program has produced. There will be nine seniors from 138 to 285. This small town team produced Jack Reinwand, a 1976 NCAA champion (Wisconsin) and a bronze medalist at the 1977 World Championships. 14. Christiansburg, Virginia Record at The Clash: 4-2 Appearance at The Clash: 2nd Returning State Champions: 5 Returning State Placewinners: 9 Christiansburg's Joey Dance, a two-time state champion, is ranked as the No. 17 sophomore in the country by InterMat (Photo/Bob Tuneberg, BuckeyeWrestling.com)About Christiansburg: Christiansburg is making its second trip to The Clash next season. In Clash VII, the Blue Demons managed to make it into the championship bracket and finished fourth with an overall record of 4-2. This national powerhouse recently won its 10th straight state title in Class AA. Coach Daryl Weber attributes the success to traveling to national events and taking on the best talent in the nation. Weber knows a little about competition. He was an NCAA champion and three-time All-American at the University of Iowa. Christiansburg qualified all 14 wrestlers to the state tournament this past season and ended with seven state champions. Twelve of the qualifiers will be returning along with five state champions. This team will be led by five seniors. Devin Carter, who now wrestles at Virginia Tech, is likely the most recognizable alumni. He made it to the round of 12 at the NCAAs this past season as a true freshman. 15. Colonial Forge, Virginia Record at The Clash: 0-0 Appearance at The Clash: 1st Returning State Champions: 0 Returning State Placewinners: 5 About Colonial Forge: Colonial Forge is a new entrant to The Clash. Bill Swink started teaching and coaching in 1999 when this school opened its doors. It didn't take long for the "newcomer" to explode onto the Virginia wrestling scene. The lowest this team has ever placed at the state tournament is sixth. Virginia has three class sizes and Colonial Forge is in the largest (AAA). The program went on a tremendous run a few years ago, winning the state team title in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Colonial Forge finished third in 2010. Next year's team will be strong with 12 returning starters, nine state qualifiers, and five state placewinners. A few notable alumni include Max Huntley (Michigan) Shane Gentry (Maryland), and Mike Garofalo (Nassau). 16. Archbishop Moeller, Ohio Record at The Clash: 6-6 Appearance at The Clash: 3rd Returning State Champions: 1 Returning State Placewinners: 5 Archbishop Moeller's Joey Ward raises his arms in celebration after becoming the program's ninth state wrestling champion (Photo/Bob Tuneberg, BuckeyeWrestling.com)About Archbishop Moeller: Archbishop Moeller returns to Minnesota for its third crack at The Clash. Jeff Gaier took over this storied program 26 years ago and has guided his team to three runner-up finishes in Division I in Ohio. Winning the title in that division in Ohio is a tall order with St. Ed's dominating that top spot for the last several decades. Like many top coaches, Gaier does not come with lofty credentials as a competitor. His main claim as a coach is the ability to bring some recognition to Southwest Ohio, which isn't known for producing top wrestling programs. Archbishop Moeller qualified eight wrestlers to the state tournament, placing five, with one state champion. For the next three years this team will be on everyone's radar. Archbishop Moeller had a record five junior high state champions who will be sophomores next season. 17. Forest Lake, Minnesota Record at The Clash: 4-2 Appearance at The Clash: 2nd Returning State Champions: 1 Returning State Placewinners: 3 Forest Lake coaches Billy Pierce (left) and Gordy Morgan (right) were All-Americans at the University of Minnesota (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)About Forest Lake: Minnesota's favorite son, Billy Pierce, will be bringing back the Rangers of Forest Lake. We would be remiss if we didn't mention that Pierce was a two-time state champion heavyweight before embarking on a successful college wrestling career at Minnesota, where he won a Big Ten title as a freshman and earned All-American honors three times. He took the reins at Forest Lake during the school's 50th year. Prior to that, this longtime Minnesota powerhouse was coached for 32 years by current State Representative Bob Dettmer. Forest Lake returns 12 wrestlers to the lineup with five state qualifiers. Many wrestling historians argue the 1993 Forest Lake team was one of the best the state has ever produced with seven state finalists and five state champions. Steve Elwood can be reached at steveel@rstransportinc.com. This story also appears in the May 20 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

BOULDER, CO -- Arno Niemand, longtime wrestling proponent, historian and member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and author of “The Dream Team of 1947” will join Scott Beck as a recipient of the USA Wrestling Lifetime Achievement Award during the Colorado Night of Champions taking place at the Denver Athletic Club on May 20. “Arno Niemand has greatly contributed to the sport of wrestling, from his early days as a wrestler to his current role as author and historian, and he is deeply respected and admired by the wrestling community,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling executive director. “Plus, his leadership has helped the United States become a world power in women's freestyle wrestling.” “I am tremendously pleased be a USA Wrestling Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and delighted to be sharing this experience with Scott Beck,” commented Mr. Niemand. “To be recognized by this esteemed organization is truly an honor for which I am very grateful.” The Colorado Night of Champions benefits the missions of USA Judo, USA Wrestling and Excel Wrestling. The Honorary Chairman of the event is Honorable U.S. Senator Hank Brown of Colorado. Brown, a former wrestler, also served as the president of the University of Colorado system for a number of years. 2011 NCAA Div. I wrestling champion Anthony Robles will be the keynote speaker. Leonard “Buck” Wessell and Dr. Dennis McGuire will also receive USA Judo Lifetime Achievement Awards during the event. About Arno Niemand Mr. Niemand is a 1956 graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca NY, where he was on the wrestling team. He was later inducted into the Cornell Hall of Distinguished Wrestling Alumni. He went on to earn his MBA in 1958 from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia. Throughout his life, Mr. Niemand has continued to support the sport of wrestling, and in 2008 received the FILA Gold Star, which is the highest award given to an individual by the world governing body of wrestling. In 2009, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, earning the Order of Merit. In 2011 he was named Honorary Cornell College Alumnus. Mr. Niemand's book, “The Dream Team of 1947” chronicles the extraordinary story of the 1947 wrestling team of Cornell College. It is the true story of a dedicated and talented coach named Paul Scott, a nurturing small college and town, three young superstars fresh out of high school, and five service veterans who all bonded as a team to defeat all comers. The team was the first school outside the state of Oklahoma to win the NCAA team championship, and two weeks later went on to win the equally prestigious National AAU championship, winning the “grand slam” of amateur wrestling, something no other private school before or since has accomplished, The Great Depression, World War II, the GI Bill, struggles with scholastic achievement and a serious car crash all affect the team's future in this real-life drama. More details can be found at (http://dreamteam47.com). The book is available at (www.Amazon.com) and select book stores. As previous owner and chairman of Body Bar Inc., Niemand has sponsored the USA Wrestling Women's National Team since 2003.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Jenna Burkert celebrated her 18th birthday a week ago. Now she has something else to celebrate ... making her first Junior World Team. Jenna BurkertBurkert, who was fifth at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, dominated the competition at the 2011 Body Bar FILA Junior Women's Nationals in Kissimmee, Fla. on Sunday. The Rocky Point, N.Y. native went unscored upon in five matches en route to capturing the title at 59 kg, which included a two-match victory over Gabrielle Klein in the best-of-three finals. She also earned Outstanding Wrestler honors. Burkert will now represent the U.S. at the 2011 FILA Junior World Championships in Bucharest, Romania, July 26-31. Three past Junior World medalists, Victoria Anthony (48 kg), Helen Maroulis (55 kg), and Adeline Gray (67 kg), cruised to titles on Sunday. Anthony and Maroulis are returning Junior World medalists, which gave them automatic berths in the best-of-three finals. Gray won a Junior World title in 2008, failed to medal in 2009, and did not try out for the team last year due to injury. Anthony, a two-time Junior World champion, won her best-of-three series over Kristi Garr in two straight matches, 6-0, 7-0/10-2, 5-0. Maroulis, who claimed her second U.S. Open title earlier this year, dominated Shauna Isbell in the best-of-three finals at 55 kg. The 19-year-old Moroulus won the first match 5-0, 6-0, and then pinned Isbell in the second match. Gray, a two-time U.S. Open champion, won two matches to win the Challenge Tournament before handling Demi Strub, 6-0, 5-1/6-0, 6-0 in the best-of-three finals at 67 kg. Gray outscored her opponents 47-2 throughout the competition. Erin Golston, a USOEC athlete, made her second straight Junior World Team with a 5-1, 6-3/5-0, 6-0 victory over Emily Webster in the best-of-three finals at 48 kg. Golston placed fourth at the U.S. Open this year at 48 kg. Other champions crowned on Sunday included Carlene Sluberski (51 kg), Alli Ragan (63 kg), Anneliese DeAragon (72 kg), and Mei Ling Keiki (79.5 kg). The 79.5 kg weight class is not a FILA-sanctioned weight class. Final Placement Results 44 kg: 1st: Erin Golston (USOEC/New York AC) def. Emily Webster (Mules WC), 5-1, 6-3/5-0, 6-0 3rd: Brianna Rahall (OCU/Gator WC) 48 kg: 1st: Victoria Anthony (New York AC) def. Kristi Garr (OCU/Gator WC), 6-0, 7-0/10-2, 5-0 2nd: Kristi Garr (OCU/Gator WC) pinned Tatiana Perez (King), 1:17 4th: Shannon Constantine (King) pinned Lilian Salinas (Cali Girls), 1:13 6th: Karley Speer (Team Georgia) pinned Mary Catherine (Missouri Valley), 1:47 51 kg: 1st: Carlene Sluberski (USOEC/New York AC) def. Jasmine Yanez (Gilroy), Pin 1:14/6-0, Pin 0:45 3rd: Kalin Knight Alvarez (No Mercy School of Wrestling) dec. Chloe Ivanoff (SFU/KKWC), 8-3,3-3 5th: Samantha Klingel (Advantage WC) dec. Lauren Richardson (Northwest Washington (NWWC), 4-1, 5-1 55 kg: 1st: Helen Maroulis (New York AC) def. Shauna Isbell (Lindenwood), 5-0, 6-0/Pin 1:52 2nd: Shauna Isbell (Lindenwood) pinned Natalie Rutt (Minnesota Storm), 1:51 4th: Jacarra Winchester (Missouri Valley) dec. Monica Hovermale (Lady Eagles WC), 0-2, 1-0, 6-4 6th: Sophie Hertz (Coronado/Rough House) pinned Victoria Nguyen (King), 1:20 59 kg: 1st: Jenna Burkert (USOEC/New York AC) def. Gabrielle Klein (Waldorf), Pin 1:15/8-0, 5-0 3rd: Alexia Moreno (Turlock Wrestling) dec. Haylee Childs (King), 3-0, 5-1 5th: Kerstin Harmon (UC) inj. def. Amanda Hendey (SD Hot Beaches) 63 kg: 1st: Alli Ragan (King) def. Rachael Shannon (Lindenwood), 5-2, 6-0/4-3, 7-0 3rd: Tanya Kusse (Lindenwood) dec. Brieana Delgado (Carolina Khaos), 1-0,6 -0 5th: Morgan Yamaguchi (Team Hawaii) dec. Stephany-Sarara Mix (Team Hawaii), 5-5, 3-1 67 kg: 1st: Adeline Gray (New York AC) def. Demi Strub (Team Indiana), 6-0, 5-1/6-0, 6-0 3rd: Kasey Kruczek (WOW) 72 kg: 1st: Anneliese DeAragon (USOEC) def. Kimberly Spiegel (USOEC), 5-0, 4-0/4-0, Pin 0:47 3rd: Brittany David (St. Charles) pinned Mary Westman (Nieves Wrestling), 1:19 5th: Julia Salata (Advantage WC) dec. Brittany Jones (Missouri Valley), 3-0, 3-0 79.5 kg: 1st: Mei Ling Keiki (Collum Trained) 2nd: Morgan Pittsford (Yorktown WC) 3rd: Jasmine Grant (Evolution)

American University Director of Athletics and Recreation Keith Gill has announced the hiring of Teague Moore as the university's new head wrestling coach. Teague Moore (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Moore was the head coach at Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania for five seasons. He led the Golden Eagles to a fourth-place finish at the 2011 Eastern Wrestling League Championships and the program's first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship since 1994. He was named the 2011 PSAC Coach of the Year. "We are very excited to welcome Teague Moore to American University as the new head coach of our wrestling program," Gill stated. "Teague has the skills, experience and drive to lead our student-athletes to continued success on the mat and in the classroom. His values are in alignment with our institution's principles of commitment to academic and athletic achievements." Moore sent eight student-athletes to the NCAA Division I Championships in five years at Clarion and this season was one win shy of crowning the program's first All-American since 2005. Sophomore James Fleming won the 157 lbs. title at the EWL Championships and was named the Outstanding Wrestler, marking Clarion's first EWL Champion since 2005 and first OW since 1980. Moore's squad also boasted this year's PSAC OW in 197 lbs. sophomore Alex Thomas and three PSAC Champions. Moore inherits a team coming off a program record fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. American return two All-American's in national runner-up Ryan Flores and fourth-place finisher Ganbayar Sanjaa, two EIWA Champions in Flores and Matt Mariacher and nine of 10 starters from a team which won a program record 14 dual meets in 2010-11. Moore replaces Mark Cody, who after nine seasons at American, was named the head coach at Oklahoma. "I am grateful to the American University Athletics Department for their support and confidence with this decision," commented Moore. AU's wrestling program has proven to be a strong national contender with a very successful record in academics. Both of those elements have been the key to my approach and focus. I'm eager to continue building upon the recent successes of the American program." Moore was a four-year starter at Oklahoma State under Head Coach John Smith, winning the 1998 118 lbs. NCAA Championship with a pin of Michigan State's Dave Morgan in the finals. A three-time All-American, he also placed third in 1999, fourth in 1997 and qualified for Nationals as a freshman. Moore was a two-time BIG XII Champion and runner-up as a senior, and currently ranks 18th in Cowboy history with a career record of 118-25. Moore continued his wrestling career at the international level following his graduation from Oklahoma State, placing third at the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and winning the 2000 University World Freestyle Championship and 2002 U.S. Open National Championship. He was a three-time member of the National Team, earning a silver medal at the 2003 World Cup and placing second at the 2002 World Team Trials. He also took third place at the 2003 World Team Trials, 2003 U.S. Open National Championships and 2004 U.S. Open National Championships. Prior to being named head coach at Clarion, Moore spent the 2005-06 season as an assistant at Harvard. In 2003-04 he was the director of film and facilities for the Oklahoma State program which won the 2004 NCAA Team Championship, BIG XII Championship and National Duals Championship. He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma, helping the Sooners to a third-place finish at the 2003 NCAA Championships, after beginning his career as an assistant at Pittsburgh. Moore was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008. Wrestling for North Allegheny High School he was a three-time Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association placewinner and 1995 State Champion. He was also a three-time Pennsylvania State Freestyle Champion, three-time Junior National Freestyle Champion and National High School Champion in 1995. Moore is a 1999 graduate of Oklahoma State. He and his wife, Mary Alice, have three daughters and one son. American University is located in Washington, D.C., at the top of Embassy Row. Chartered by Congress in 1893 to serve the public interest and build the nation, the university educates active citizens who apply knowledge to the most pressing concerns facing the nation and world. A college-centered research university, American's rigorous curriculum challenges students to combine serious theoretical study with meaningful, real-world learning experiences. American University's Department of Athletics and Recreation sponsors 16 NCAA Div. I varsity sports. The wrestling team competes in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association while American's 15 other sports compete in the Patriot League. The Teague Moore File 2006-11 Clarion University, Head Coach 8 NCAA Qualifiers 2011 EWL Outstanding Wrestler 2011 PSAC Outstanding Wrestler 1 EWL Champion 5 PSAC Champions 2005-06 Harvard University, Assistant Coach 2 EIWA Champions 4 EIWA Finalists 2003-04 Oklahoma State University, Director of Film and Facilities 2004 NCAA Team Champions 2004 BIG XII Team Champions 2004 National Duals Team Champions 2001-03 University of Oklahoma, Assistant Coach 2003 NCAA 3rd Place 2003 BIG XII 3rd Place 2003 University Nationals 2nd Place 2002 NCAA 3rd Place 2002 BIG XII Team Champions 2000-01 University of Pittsburgh, Assistant Coach

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on Wednesday approved changes in wrestling regarding granting an escape, stalling, injury timeouts and video review rules for the 2011-12 season. The new granting-an-escape rule will take effect before a restart. The offensive wrestler will signal to the referee that he chooses to start in a neutral position. The defensive wrestler is awarded a point, and competition begins in the neutral position. The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee, which proposed all the changes, believes this rule will speed up the action in matches by eliminating time to position wrestlers and eliminating any cautions that may occur. High school wrestling adopted this rule recently, and it has received favorable reviews from referees and coaches at that level. Some in the wrestling community equate the change to an intentional walk in baseball or softball. If a wrestler feels his chances are better from a neutral-position start, then the option to grant the escape saves time. Stalling The panel also approved the new criteria that better define the stalling rule, which should help ensure its consistent enforcement. Stalling is defined as one or both wrestlers attempting to avoid wrestling action as an offensive or defensive strategy. Wrestlers who consistently retreat to the edge of the mat, make no effort to move back into the wrestling area and fail to initiate action will be cited for stalling. The rule will be applied in the following instances: A wrestler is not permitted to continually back away from the opponent without creating offensive action. A wrestler near the edge of the mat cannot step out of bounds unless it is to sprawl from an opponent’s takedown attempt or when interlocked. A participant will be called for stalling if he kicks out from a lower leg hold and as a result of this action the defending wrestler goes out of the wrestling area. A wrestler who flees or attempts to flee the wrestling area as a means of avoiding being scored upon will be called for stalling. The committee considers fleeing as an attempt by a wrestler to avoid wrestling action; thus, it is considered a form of stalling and should be similarly penalized. Wrestlers, whether on offense or defense, must make an attempt to sustain active wrestling and remain inbounds. Stalling will be called in the following instances: An offensive wrestler who does not aggressively attempt to break down the opponent will be called for stalling. Either wrestler pushing his opponent out of bounds to prevent scoring will be cited for stalling. The offensive wrestler grasping the defensive wrestler’s leg(s) with both hands or arms will be called for stalling, unless such action is designed to break down the opponent for the purpose of securing a fall or to prevent an escape or reversal. Any wrestler who repeatedly grasps or interlocks his hands around a leg without attempting an offensive move will be called for stalling. A defensive wrestler must initiate action to escape or reverse the opponent, or he will be called for stalling. A wrestler who repeatedly applies the legs while in the rear-standing position is stalling. There is no longer a disqualification penalty involved in the stalling rule. Injury timeouts The panel also approved the recommendations regarding non-bleeding injury timeouts. The first time a non-bleeding injury timeout is called, his opponent will be awarded the choice of position on the restart. The second time a non-bleeding injury timeout is taken; the opponent is awarded a point. A third non-bleeding injury timeout will result in the termination of the match and the opponent is awarded the victory by default. The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee is concerned that wrestlers have been using the injury timeout rule as a strategy to avoid wrestling action or being scored on. Committee members want to eliminate this type of gamesmanship from the sport. Video review At individual-advancement tournaments, a coach may request a review only of recording points, timing, match results or procedural errors. The request for the video review should be made to the official scorer at the end of the match and before the bout sheet is removed from the scorer’s table. It is up to the referee if the video review request is granted. If granted, the review will only use the official mat-side video. The official video must be designated by the tournament director before the competition begins. For timing and scoring reviews, the official video should include a clear view of the time and score.

Iowa head coach Tom Brands guided the Hawkeyes to a third-place finish at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships after winning three straight NCAA titles from 2008 to 2010. Brands, a 1996 Olympic gold medalist, 1993 World champion, and three-time NCAA champion as a competitor, has compiled an overall dual meet record of 97-6-1 (.938) in his five seasons as head coach of Iowa. The Hawkeyes are currently riding a 77-dual meet unbeaten streak. InterMat caught up with Brands and talked to him about a variety of topics, including this past season, Matt McDonough, Tony Ramos, Doug Schwab, Mark Perry, Brent Metcalf, Henry Cejudo, Dan Gable, Nebraska joining the Big Ten, potential rule changes, and more. I saw your quote where you said, "We got what we earned (this season). Third place -- we got what we earned. No champions -- we got what we earned." Obviously, the expectations at Iowa are to win national titles. But at the same time, there are only four programs that bring home team trophies every year. How much pride does the program take in third place? Tom Brands talks to Montell Marion at the 2011 Big Ten Championships at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Brands: Here's the thing, there are positives and negatives. Wrestling is a unique sport team-wise ... because even with a title that you ran away with there's going to be somebody that didn't get what they went out for. When you have 10 weight classes that you're trying to win, there's going to be disappointment every year unless you run the table ... and that's maybe not real realistic, but that's what you're shooting for as a coach ... to get guys to believe they're going to win their weight class. You're going to enter 10 guys going in, so you want to win 10 weight classes. All that being said, I'm not answering your question probably as thoroughly as you would like, but the bottom line is that you take the bad with the good, the good with the bad, and the next day when you wake up you're going back to work regardless of if you blew the competition away or you ended up with a third-place trophy. You're still going to go ahead and keep working. Your program came under scrutiny this past season for electing not to wrestle in the National Duals. Some coaches even publicly criticized the decision. Did it bother you that others were suggesting how you should run your program? Brands: No. It's part of the landscape with athletics. Everybody has an opinion. I simply don't pay a lot of attention to it. Of course you hear it and are aware of it. We had some fans that were a little bit in disagreement as well ... I'm talking about die-hard Hawkeye fans. Enemy programs and fans don't agree, that's their prerogative and I respect that. When they're vocal, I respect that as well. They can weigh in with whatever they choose to weigh in with. I'll tell you one other thing. We had a lot of fans that were in agreement as well. How I describe it is that I don't really care because we're making the best decision on what's best for our program. At the time we were trying to replace nine weight classes with new guys. Some of them had experience, but basically you're trying to replace nine weight classes. So regardless of whether you agree with the decision to wrestle in the National Duals or not, at the time we did it for the best reason ... and that what we thought was best for our program. How has Matt McDonough responded from the setback of losing in the NCAA finals? Brands: Matt McDonough is a very smart wrestler and he's a very motivated young man. He's top-notch in every way. He didn't miss a beat. He was analyzing it right after the match. We sat back there and talked for a long time. It reminded me of the Metcalf match ... when Metcalf was a junior two years before that, where a lot of things are running through your head. You just lay them out and it's time to go forward. From the minute he walked off the mat he was going forward. That's a tribute to his mentality. There has been some speculation that Matt McDonough and Tony Ramos could switch weight classes next season. Is there a chance we could see Ramos at 125 and McDonough at 133? Matt McDonough is a two-time NCAA finalist at 125 pounds, winning an NCAA championship in 2010 as a freshman (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Brands: I think there's a chance for a lot of things. Right now that's not important in our program, what guys are going what weights. There is also speculation with St. John ... whether he stays at 157 or moves up. Right now it's not a priority in our mind. In McDonough's case, I would say he would be back at 125. If Ramos wants to go 125 and challenge, then good for Ramos. If Ramos is at 133 and McDonough wants to move up and challenge Ramos at 133, then good for McDonough. Right now it's not a priority. Our priority is getting better every day. By the way, Tony Ramos is headed to Germany for the first-ever FILA Junior World Cup, along with Bobby Telford and a young team going to Germany for that 20 and under World Cup championship. One of your former staff members and athletes, Doug Schwab, just completed his first season as head coach at Northern Iowa. How has your relationships changed, if at all, with Schwab since he took over his own program? Brands: It hasn't changed at all, except that I don't see him every day and we're not on the same team. My respect for him is still at a high level. It always will be. I know that he's going to get the job done there. He has done a great job. He'll continue to do a great job. UNI was on the map when they hired him. That's not the way he wants them on the map. I believe that he'll put them on the map how he wants to put them on the map ... and that's with results. Another one of your former wrestlers, Mark Perry, recently accepted an associate head coaching position at Illinois. What are some of the attributes Perry possesses that make him a successful coach? Brands: I think he's a student of the sport. He's probably geared strategy-wise and preparation-wise as good as anybody in the country. That being said, there's still a lot of work to do. Good for Mark Perry. He has a pretty strong case to be a head coach at the next major opening based on his experience at Cal Poly and now going to Illinois. Brent Metcalf fell in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open to Teyon Ware, but came back to finish third. He recently had a win over Magomedmurad Gadzhiev of Russia at the Beat the Street Gala 2011. Where does Metcalf need to make his biggest gains to accomplish his goals of winning World and Olympic titles? Brent Metcalf finished third at the 2011 U.S. Open (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Brands: I think he needs to continue to stay on the course that he's on. Youth is not an excuse ... and certainly not with his mentality and the way he has been brought up in the sport. But you have to remember that he's still young. Whoever wrestles Brent Metcalf is going to have their hands full, not because he lost and is super motivated now. He's always super motivated. I wouldn't say that those results at the U.S. Open are going to be the norm for him. There are some things that have to be ironed out. They're being ironed out and he is moving forward very well ... and he proved that with the win against the Russian. Actually, the Russian beat him earlier ... so good turnaround there and good progress. Nebraska will be joining the Big Ten next season. What are your thoughts on Nebraska joining the Big Ten from a wrestling perspective? Brands: Well, the first thing I'll say is a little bit in jest. They've been trying get us on the regular season schedule for a long time. Now we have no choice. They've been saying that we've been avoiding them. I'm just speaking in jest ... I'm not trying to start anything here. So now we have to wrestle them. They're one of our common rivalries, so we'll wrestle them every year. This year we go to Lincoln ... and I believe that is the first time since the National Duals when it was held in Lincoln (1997) . We're headed to Lincoln. We're excited to have Nebraska in the Big Ten. I'm good friends with Coach Manning. They do a good job. I know their past has been strong results, but not the results they want ... meaning they want to win championships. They're not about having strong finishes every year and coming out with a healthy average at the end of 4, 5, 6, 7 years. They want to win championships. Now they're in the Big Ten. I think they have the resources to do it. You mentioned going to Lincoln. Any idea when your season schedule will be finalized? Brands: The Big Ten schedule is finalized. I don't know if there is anything released. I can't comment on it. But our Big Ten schedule is finalized. If it's not, the only holdup would be maybe a meeting we're waiting on for the athletic directors or whoever would be voting on the finality of it before it's released to the press. But it's pretty much final. There has been some talk about college wrestling potentially exploring the idea of implementing instant replay in light of some questionable calls that were made at the NCAAs. Where do you stand on that issue? Tom Brands at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Brands: I think first of all you have to have your athletes ready to wrestle hard for seven full minutes and be able to put guys down hard so it's beyond a doubt ... so it leaves no doubt in the referee's mind what the right call is. I don't know if instant replay is the right way. It seems like you're getting into a lot of unintended consequences if you go that way ... It might not be a bad idea, but you better really think it through. Number one is I put it on our coaching staff. We have to get our guys ready to go and be able to execute the right way and be able to finish matches the right way. On the topic of changes to the sport, Bobby Douglas has suggested that folkstyle wrestling should tweak its rules and scoring to closer resemble freestyle wrestling. Would you be in favor of that? Brands: Absolutely disagree. There's no better sport. There's no healthier rules than in folkstyle wrestling. Here's the thing ... When you look at college wrestling, you're looking at programs being dropped. Programs aren't being dropped because of excitement levels. Programs are being dropped because of other reasons. What we have to do is continue to get coaches in programs that are going to push exciting wrestling and put good, competitive teams on the mat. Along with that, you have to be healthy socially and healthy academically. Even though that goes without saying, that's the bulletproof formula. To tweak rules and things of that nature, I don't agree with that. A seven-minute match with riding time is a pretty good formula for excitement. When you talk about developing excitement, maybe they need to get a clearer definition for staying in the center of the mat. You look at some of the rules in wrestling that they've come up with to try to create excitement, they have not enforced those, at least consistently. If they can maybe get a clearer definition for stalling, I think you're on your way. I'm not sure what that is. But to shorten a match, to try to create parity, to save a sport, I respectfully disagree. It's about building what we have and making it better. I put it on the coaches first and foremost to be able to do that. Henry Cejudo recently announced his intentions to train in Iowa City as he prepares for the 2012 Olympics. What kind of impact, if any, will that have on the Iowa wrestling program? Henry Cejudo won in his return to the mat at the Beat the Streets Gala 2011 at Times Square in New York City (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Brands: Well, the first thing is that we haven't seen him. We need to get the details ironed out. He had a good experience with Terry Brands. If he's going to get serious, I know that he feels the most comfortable with Terry training him. But Henry Cejudo is a pretty motivated guy on his own as well. If he decides that this is a priority in his life, he's going to be able to get it done in other places as well. So he's going to have to make up his mind on whether or not he wants to live in Iowa City. He has announced that. I don't know what his timeline is. There have been no detailed conversations. I'm a fan of it. As far as impact on the Iowa wrestling program, the NCAA rules say him being a non-alum, he would have the biggest impact on our club for guys like Dan Dennis, Brent Metcalf, and Mike Zadick before our team. But we welcome him. Terry had a good relationship with him ... and that relationship has continued, but there haven't been any detailed conversations to really lay down a plan about when he's coming and how engaged he will be. You're going to be speaking at Gable's Gold: A Celebration of Dan Gable's Legacy. What does that opportunity to speak at that event mean to you? Brands: I think it's probably a natural that I'm a speaker. I'm not going to say they picked me because I'm some celebrity. I'm not putting myself in that category. I'm in a unique position where I wrestled for him and now I coach at Iowa, where he coached. My relationship with him continues today. It never went away, even when I was at Virginia Tech. And it never will go away. I think it's probably a no-brainer that the head coach at the University of Iowa, whoever it is, would speak at Gable's retirement. But I'll tell you what, I'm an advocate for my coach. I'm an advocate for the Gable philosophy. His impact in the sport is far and wide. I'm a very grateful man for him.

Fight Now USA Presents Takedown Wrestling from the mobile Brute studios brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! Takedown Wrestling Hosts Scott Casber, Jeff Sitler, and Kevin Schlosser as we broadcast Live From Buffalo Wild Wings in Powell, OH for the Wrestle Against Autism event. Join in this Saturday for Takedown Wrestling 9 to 11 a.m. CST/ 10 a.m. to 12 Noon Eastern. This week's guests include: 9:01 to 9:15 Tommy Rowlands- Conquest Performance Apparel 9:20 to 9:35 Tervel Dlagnev Preparing for the World Team Trials 9:40 JD Bergman Preparing for the World Team Trials 9:50 Max Muscle Minute with Ty Barkley 10:01 to 10:15 Scott Nordblom - Texas 10:20 Jeff Sitler- Wrestle Against Austim 10:40 Kevin Schlosser- Buckeye Wrestling 10:50 Amy Williams 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, and Takedownradio.com.

InterMat staff writers Mark Palmer and T.R. Foley got together this week to discuss Foley's attempt to join together the worlds of wrestling and adventure travel with a brand-new website and book. You were an All-American wrestler for Virginia in 2004 and then an assistant coach at Columbia until 2008. What have you been up to the past few years? Foley: Lots of traveling and writing. I was fortunate to have earned my master's in journalism while coaching at Columbia and I took that education and became a full-time freelancer. My college teammates were raving about Chicago, so I moved out in 2009 and haven't really looked back. In addition to the writing, I still get in the Northwestern room sometimes during club and I also teach wrestling at Valko BJJ in downtown Chicago. You mentioned writing. Anything outside of wrestling? Foley: I write primarily for FIGHT!, which is all about MMA. In fact, I landed my first cover story last month with a feature on UFC fighter Clay Guida -- a former high school and JUCO wrestler. I also write a lot for ESPN and occasionally for Bicycling and Men's Journal. Writing is a cut-throat and competitive world. Some of the more difficult days remind me of wrestling. You've been traveling and wrestling over the past few years. Is that what inspired this new set of projects? Foley: Absolutely. Last summer I wrote a long series of blog entries about my adventures trying to find traditional wrestling in Vietnam and readers seemed to enjoy the concept. About the same time I had started reading Born To Run by Christopher McDougall -- an adventure-travel and sports book about the world's greatest long-distance runners and learning their secrets -- and it got me to thinking about wrestling in a more organic or sustainable way. What are the primal secrets of wrestling? What does wrestling mean in terms of communication, masculinity, and cultural identity? The more I researched, the more I realized that there was a story to tell. You say primal and organic. Explain. Foley: I believe wrestling is the first social activity that humans instinctively reach for. I use two metaphors all the time. You'd never see toddlers in a crib get out a ball and create the rules of soccer. They love to grapple -- it's basic. They're communicating and sharpening their balance, strength, and awareness. The second is that there are three naturally-occurring sports on the planet: running, swimming, and wrestling; and only wrestling requires another person. So this all led you to the website and book project? Foley: Yeah, basically I connected some dots and used the friendships I developed with Mongolian natives Ganbayar Sanjaa and Turtogtokh Luvsandorj to investigate the possibility of competing in Nadaam, the Mongolian wrestling festival held every summer from July 11-13. So you decided to go and wrestle. Are you showing up alone? T.R. Foley wrestling in VietnamFoley: No. I have a few sections to my trip and characters dipping in and out. My girlfriend is traveling with me for a few weeks in China, where I hope to spend time in the Shanxi region. Then I head north to Ulaanbaatar to train with Turtogtokh before competing in Nadaam. I'm capping the trip with a nomadic three-week journey to wrestle in sports palaces across Northern Mongolia with a few old wrestling buddies. What will come from these travels? Foley: In the short term I'll be sharing some of the joys and miseries of travel on my blog at WrestlingRoots.org. I'm going to capture some insane video and hopefully some quality photographs as well. When I get home I want to sit down in my living room, ice my body, and get to the business of writing an adventure travel book that will change the way the majority of the public views wrestling. Writing a book is a lofty goal ... Foley: Absolutely. But the way I see it with all the money the wrestling community pours into protecting wrestling and saving programs, all we really do is maintain the status quo against powerful foes. I want my book to reach a new and larger audience and change the conversation about wrestling away from Hulk Hogan and making weight -- things most people associate with wrestling -- and towards the idea that the sport is an inextricable aspect of a productive and healthy life. I want decision-makers to look at wrestling as something all schools must have, not the sore thumb it's being treated as now. Why do you feel qualified? Foley: I'll be celebrating my 30th birthday while wrestling in Mongolia. I'm not too old to wrestle and I have just enough travel and writing experience to pull this thing off. There are plenty of better wrestlers, and plenty of better writers, but right now I feel uniquely positioned to live this adventure as a wrestler and report back to my readers about the experience as a writer. How are you funding the trip? Foley: I've written enough the past year or so to save a little bit of cash and self-fund my travel. Flights, gear, and money on the ground is coming in around $10,000. What I need money for is to come home and write the book. Explain what you mean. Foley: I'm using a sponsorship website called Kickstarter to raise funds. The site allows for writers, musicians and filmmakers to generate income for their creative processes by pre-selling their books, or offering other prizes so they can finish their projects. For example, an individual who likes my project can lay down $25 and receive back a Conquest t-shirt, e-book, and email updates. For the fans who want to give more there are camps and authentic Mongolian wrestling gear available in the $500 to $3,000 range. The funds raised through Kickstarter will make it possible for me to write a book. There is one catch with Kickstarter: If you don't reach your fundraising goal, you don't get any of the money. What drives you to travel, create a website, and work on a book? Foley: Wrestling will take you places and the more I'm around wrestlers I see that they know something about communication and companionship that the rest of the world could benefit from understanding. Of course I also want to become a best-selling author and be the authority on these traditional wrestling styles from around the world. More than all that I want what most fans want: I want to protect wrestling; I want school administrators to see the value of a pure, no-nonsense sport; I want to inform and influence the general public. You leave in less than two weeks. Are you ready? Foley: I don't think you can ever be fully ready for a trip like this. All I can do is plan my route and prepare my body. I'm nervous. To be honest at times I'm scared. But this is an enormous project that needs doing and I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be. Interested in sponsoring the project, buying a book, or attending a wrestling camp? Check out T.R. Foley's website, Kickstarter page, and Facebook page. If you have any questions or just want to wish him a safe trip, T.R. Foley can be reached at tim@intermatwrestle.com.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson and his outstanding staff of assistant coaches has announced the newest class of Nittany Lion wrestlers. Eight talented young men are set to join the defending NCAA National Champions for the 2011-12 season (the incoming class could expand over the summer as well). Morgan McIntosh (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The class features a number of top-ranked high school wrestlers, including Intermat's National High School Wrestler of the Year, and the eight incoming wrestlers combined to win 15 individual state championships during their prep careers. "We are very pleased with the recruiting class that we have coming in," Sanderson said. "We believe that this class has the talent and, most importantly, the attitude to keep moving Penn State Wrestling forward." The incoming class includes (listed alphabetically): Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), Collin Campbell (Hurdle Mills, N.C.), Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.), Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), Scott Syrek (Chester Springs, Pa.) and Michael Waters (Advance, N.C.). Brown comes to Penn State after a two year Mormon mission. The three-time Utah High School State Champion was a red-shirt during the 2008-09 season at Iowa State for Sanderson before his two year mission. He posted a 22-6 record as a red-shirt at both 157 and 165. Brown amassed a superb 149-4 career record at Cyprus High School in Utah, won three state titles, finished fourth as a freshman and was a two-time high school All-American. He will be red-shirt freshman in 2011-12. Campbell is one of two North Carolina natives in this year's recruiting class. The two-time North Carolina state champion wrapped up a stellar high school career with a second-straight heavyweight title in 2011. Campbell went 31-0 as a senior to win the crown for Person High School. A year prior, he posted a 37-0 mark to claim his first state title and leaves PHS with 119 career wins. An accomplished freestyle wrestler, Campbell was a Fargo All-American this past summer. Conaway is coming off an outstanding senior season at New Oxford High School. Conaway claimed his first Pennsylvania state title at 112 this past March, capping off a 38-3 senior season. The title follows a strong finish in 2010 that saw Conaway claim third place laurels at 103. Conaway continued his prep ascent this spring with a win over his Team USA opponent at the 2011 Dapper Dan Classic. Conaway leaves New Oxford with a 146-20 career record. Frey comes to Penn State from Montoursville High School where he was a Pennsylvania state champion and took second, third and fourth during four stellar high school years. Frey, the No. 39 ranked recruit in the nation at any weight by Intermat, leaves MHS with a 157-5 career record. He won the 103 pound title as a freshman, going 42-1. Frey took fourth at 112 the next year with a 41-2 mark and then placed second at 135 in 2010, finishing the year with a 33-1 record. Last year, Frey placed third at 140 and concluded his senior season with a 41-1 record. McIntosh, a California native, comes to Penn State as the No. 1 ranked recruit at any weight by Intermat. Named the national High School Wrestler of the Year by Intermat, McIntosh won three state titles in California, capped off by a 189 pound crown this past season. The Calvary Chapel High School product also won the 189 pound title in 2010 and the 171 pound crown in 2009. He took fifth at 160 as a freshman. McIntosh comes to Penn State after posting a stunning 189-5 career record (including 128 pins), will all five losses coming his freshman season. McIntosh went 41-5 during his first year of high school wrestling, and then reeled off three straight undefeated seasons (43-0 in 2009, 59-0 in 2010 and 46-0 in 2011). McIntosh also won the 2011 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, named in honor of the Olympic and World Champion and given to the top wrestler in the nation based on athletics, academics, character, citizenship and community service (future teammate and All-American David Taylor won the same award in 2009). An outstanding freestyle wrestler, McIntosh won the Fargo Junior National Championship this past summer. Megaludis, like McIntosh, comes to Penn State with a lofty overall national ranking. The Pennsylvania product is the No. 5 ranked recruit in the nation at any weight by Intermat. Megaludis was a three-time Pennsylvania State Champion, finishing his stellar high school career with a 170-1 career record. Megaludis began his career by posting a 37-1 record and taking third place at 103 as a freshman. A year later, the Franklin Regional product began a string of undefeated seasons that would lead to three straight PIAA titles. He went 46-0 in 2009 and took first at 112 and followed that up with a 36-0 campaign in 2010, taking the crown at 119. This past March, Megaludis capped off his high school career by winning the 125 pound championship in Hershey, ending the year with a 51-0 record. Megaludis joined future teammate McIntosh on the list of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award finalists. He won the Northeast Regional honor, one of only five finalists for this year's honor. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in athletics, academics, character, citizenship and community service. Syrek had his senior year at Owen J. Roberts High School cut short by injury but looks to be ready to go for the start of the 2011-12 season. Despite only wrestling in 12 matches this past year (going 9-3 at 215); Syrek compiled an impressive 112-30 career record with 45 pins. He went 33-7 as a junior, 31-10 as a sophomore and 39-10 as a freshman. Waters, Penn State's other North Carolina native in this class, had an outstanding career at Davie High School. The Advance, N.C., native capped off his stellar prep run by posting a 55-5 record as a senior and winning the 125 pound North Carolina state title. Waters won the 112 pound crown as a junior in 2010 and took second at 112 as a sophomore in 2009. As a freshman, Waters took sixth. The Nittany Lions are coming off a thrilling 2010-11 season that saw them post a 17-1-1 dual meet record, claim their first ever Big Ten Championship and win the 2011 NCAA Championship for the first time since 1953. Fans wishing to purchase 2011 Penn State Wrestling NCAA Championship gear can do so now by visiting the online store at www.GoPSUsports.com/store . Season tickets for the 2011-12 season are disappearing fast as well. Fans may make deposits on new season tickets by following the information available online at is www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html . Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2010-11 Penn State Wrestling season has been presented by The Family Clothesline.

Tyler Caldwell

Manheim, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholastic Board of Directors is proud to announce the annual National Scholastic Award Winners. The NWCA presents awards in three categories: National Coach of the Year, National Assistant Coach of the Year and National Senior Wrestler of the Year. In each category, an individual is selected from their state association, as is a winner from the National Preps. The 2011 NWCA National Head Coach of the Year is Paul Morina of New Jersey. Morina is the longtime head coach at Paulsboro High School. This season, Morina and his Red Raider team accomplished a rare feat -- becoming just the third high school in the country to win 1,000 matches. For the last 26 years at the helm at Paulsboro, Morina’s teams have won 25 class state championships, 24 district championships and 25 conference titles. He’s coached 168 district champions, 72 regional champions and 13 state champions. In 26 years, Morina has coached over half of Paulsboro’s 1,000 victories. He’s 529-30-4 at Paulsboro as well as the principal at the school. “I am very honored and proud to be recognized for doing something I love,” said Morina. “Coaching is one of the most rewarding activities not because of winning, but because of the gratifying feeling you get watching kids achieve and some over achieve in the most demanding sport. Wrestling gives kids the opportunity to meet so many different people from all walks of life and make contacts they may never make otherwise.” “I am very fortunate to be administrator and coach at a small high school, in a blue color town that has such a strong wrestling tradition and community support,” said Morina. “This award is a credit to our head coaches, assistant coaches and wrestlers who have ever worn a Paulsboro wrestling singlet in the last sixty eight years. Dan Gable once said ‘Once you’ve have wrestled everything else in life is easy,’ I truly believe that.” Jeff Buxton of Blair Academy was named the National Prep Coach for the second time in his career. Buxton has led the Bucs to 26 straight National Prep Championships, coached 145 individual champions and has claimed titles at the prestigious Ironman and Beast of the East tournaments a combined 25 times. Buxton’s team has perennially been the nation’s top-ranked program the last two and a half decades. “It was a very exciting season for Blair Wrestling. This was one of the most improved teams I have ever coached, our young athletes developed throughout the season meeting the demands of our schedule which also helped them to develop,” said Buxton. “We went to many exciting events having a different line up almost every match or tournament and it was rewarding to see the number of kids jump so many levels as we finished the season with a very good performance at the National Preps. This was one of those teams that energized me as they wanted more knowledge and technique as they improved. Each week was a testimony of buying into a winning culture.” “Coach Morina and Coach Buxton have both accomplished many great things in their careers, not only preparing their athletes to be accomplished wrestlers, but also teaching them that education is just as important. Both of these coaches have been a great ambassador to our sport and to the NWCA.” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. The National Assistant Coach of the Year goes to Kirk Skiles from Lincoln East High School in Nebraska. An assistant wrestling coach for 31 years, as well as serving as the cross country coach at both the high school and middle school levels, Skiles has helped Lincoln East win three consecutive state championships and has helped the program to 10 top-ten finishes at the state tournament. Twenty of Skiles’ years matside have been with Marty McCurdy at East. McCurdy has helped shaped Skiles’ coaching philosophy. “My philosophy, like many coaches is that the journey is more important than the destination. I would hope that all of the athletes on the team feel like they are part of something larger than themselves and that the teams and their friend’s struggles become more important than their own,” said Skiles. “There is nothing more rewarding in coaching than to watch teammates go through the blood, sweat, and tears of four years of training and then become friends for a lifetime because of the experiences they have shared.” Assistant Coach Adam DeCosmo of Archbishop Spaulding in Maryland receives this year’s National Prep Assistant Coach of the Year Award. He has served in the role of assistant coach for the past four years. His team this year went 33-0 on the season, were Maryland Independent Schools State Champions, broke into the Fab 50 National Team Ranking and ended the season with a third place finish at the National Prep Championships. DeCosmo credits a lesson taught to him by his former college coach that has helped him succeed. “Coach Pat Santoro taught me to always put yourself in your athletes shoes before making a decision on how to approach that person,” said DeCosmo. Minnesota’s Destin McCauley is the NWCA’s Senior Wrestler of the Year. The Apple Valley High School senior won is fifth state championship, completing a 51-0 senior season. McCauley, who will spend next year at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs before enrolling at the University of Wisconsin, finished with a 286-7 career record, with 198 victories coming by fall. Evan Silver of Blair Academy, is this year’s recipient of the National Prep Wrestler of the Year Award. He won his fourth consecutive National Prep this year, and is one of five wrestlers who have ever accomplished the feat. He holds a career record of 131-10 along with being a Beast of East, Ironman and Maccabiah Games Champion. He has committed to wrestle at Stanford University next year. “Both Destin and Evan have finished outstanding high school careers both individually and as a part of successful teams (Apple Valley and Blair Academy). We look forward to seeing them excel at both the collegiate and Olympic levels,” said Moyer. “Our goal as a coaches association is to continue to recognize coaches and wrestlers for their outstanding accomplishments, both on the mat in competition, academically and in life.” We would also like to recognize the award recipients of the NWCA Regional Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Senior Wrestlers of the Year. In order to be considered for National Honors, the nominee must have been selected as a Regional Award Winner: Region Regional Award Recipient Nominee School (State) 1 Assistant Coach of the Year Billy Daveys John Glenn HS (NY) 1 Head Coach of the Year Paul Morina Paulsboro HS (NJ) 1 Senior Wrestler of the Year Andrew Campolattano Bound Brook HS (NJ) 2 Assistant Coach of the Year John Heffernan Lakewood St. Edward HS (OH) 2 Head Coach of the Year Jeff Jordan St. Paris Graham (OH) 2 Senior Wrestler of the Year Nico Megaludis Franklin Regional HS (PA) 3 Assistant Coach of the Year Sal Basile Springstead HS (FL) 3 Head Coach of the Year David Perry Croatan HS (NC) 3 Senior Wrestler of the Year TJ Duncan McCallie School (TN) 4 Assistant Coach of the Year Stan Granger Holt Public Schools (MI) 4 Head Coach of the Year Mark Hahn Glenbard North HS (IL) 4 Senior Wrestler of the Year Jesse Thielke Germantown HS (WI) 5 Assistant Coach of the Year Kirk Skiles Lincoln East HS (NE) 5 Head Coach of the Year Mike Hagerty Blue Springs HS (MO) 5 Senior Wrestler of the Year Destin McCauley Apple Valley HS (MN) 6 Assistant Coach of the Year Stephen Burak Coronado HS (CO) 6 Head Coach of the Year Steve Davis Flower Mound HS (TX) 6 Senior Wrestler of the Year Connor Medbery Loveland HS (CO) 7 Assistant Coach of the Year Russ Winer Dobson HS (AZ) 7 Head Coach of the Year Mike Rippinger Box Elder HS (UT) 7 Senior Wrestler of the Year Morgan McIntosh Calvary Chapel HS (CA) 8 Assistant Coach of the Year Lorne Stills Culver HS (OR) 8 Head Coach of the Year Brent Barnes Lake Stevens HS (WA) 8 Senior Wrestler of the Year Jade Rauser Broadwater HS (MT) Region National Award Recipient Name School 1 National Head Coach of the Year Paul Morina Paulsboro HS (NJ) 5 National Assistant Coach of the Year Kirk Skiles Lincoln East HS (NE) 5 National Senior Wrestler of the Year Destin McCauley Apple Valley HS (MN) NP Head National Prep Coach of the Year Jeff Buxton Blair Academy (NJ) NP Assistant National Prep Coach of the Year Adam DeCosmo Archbishop Spaulding (MD) NP Senior National Prep Wrestler of the Year Evan Silver Blair Academy (NJ) 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 Coaching Development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling.

USA Wrestling executive director Rich Bender and WIN Magazine editor Mike Finn will be radio show guests this week. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum and 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 time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Bender has served with USA Wrestling for over 20 years and has been the executive director since 2000. Finn is the editor of WIN Magazine and is one of the most respected wrestling journalists in the nation.