InterMat Staff

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Liberty University and Director of Athletics Jeff Barber announced today the reclassification of the sport of wresting from NCAA Division I status to a club program, effective immediately. The University has a legal obligation to comply with federal law relating to gender equity. Although the law allows for three methods to meet its requirements, the University has chosen proportionality as its preferred method. While the University has added three new women’s athletics programs (women’s lacrosse in 2009, women’s swimming in 2010 and field hockey in 2011), these additions alone are not enough to enable the University to meet proportionality. As such, the University was left with two options: either to continue to add NCAA Division I women’s athletics programs or adjust their current NCAA Division I men’s participation opportunities. “This decision is very painful for the entire Liberty University community, as we all understand that this change affects not only the lives of many individuals but also their families,” stated Barber. “Words cannot express my appreciation to Jesse Castro, Joe Pantaleo, our current wrestling student-athletes and all those that have invested their lives in the Liberty wrestling program through the years.” “This decision will never take away from the accomplishments of our current wrestlers, nor those who helped establish the program during the early years of the University,” added Barber. “Liberty wrestling was part of a core group of programs that helped launch the Liberty University Athletics Department. This program’s success will always be a vital part of our history and will never be forgotten.” Liberty University will honor its scholarship commitments to all current wrestling student-athletes and signees. The Liberty University club sport program is an integral part of the student body experience. The University currently offers 11 men’s club sport programs and nine women’s club sport programs.

With respect to our memories of Columbia Wrestling, we look back on a great many everyday experiences, both in the gymnasium and outside. But more importantly, by keeping active with Columbia Wrestling, we have the good fortune of experiencing new memories every year. -David and Michael Barry Family can mean so many things to so many people. For David and Michael Barry, they were actual brothers on the Columbia wrestling team in the mid-1980's. But beyond that, they were also part of the Columbia wrestling family, a family they have stayed in close contact with over the years. Columbia University has announced that David Barry '87CC and Michael Barry '89CC have generously committed to establishing a new endowment in support of an Assistant Wrestling Coach Position. This endowment will add significant stature to our wrestling program and will allow us to retain and recruit assistant coaches of the highest caliber which will pay tremendous benefits for the student-athletes in our wrestling program. "We are thrilled to announce that we will be establishing the Michael and David Barry Assistant Coach of Wrestling position," said Dr. M. Dianne Murphy, Director, Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education. "This endowment will be the first endowment of an assistant coach position in the athletics program. We thank David and Michael for their tremendous generosity. Their leadership gift provides the critical resources necessary to build and sustain a championship wrestling program." "To say Dave and Mike have been instrumental in the progress of our wrestling program would be an understatement," said Brendan Buckley, the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling. "Since the day I arrived on campus in 2000, they have financially supported us, provided professional internships for our student-athletes, and demonstrated a strong presence at our wrestling events. We are incredibly grateful for them taking a big step to endow the first assistant coaching position." Their partnership on the wrestling mat continued after graduating from Columbia, as both brothers continue to work together, this time on a new team. David is President of Ironstate Development Company, while Michael is President of Ironstate Holdings LLC, (and Applied Property Company), both part of a privately held real estate development and management company based in Hoboken, New Jersey. The company engages in the development of large-scale residential and hotel projects in the Northeast United States. Michael was a four-year letter-winner for the Lions while David was a first-team All-Ivy League selection as a sophomore, a two-time EIWA place winner, and team captain as a senior. For both of them, wrestling was a huge part of what defined their college experiences. "Wrestling for Columbia was the cornerstone of my college experience," explained David. "The dedication and commitment required to be a varsity athlete at Columbia greatly enriched the college experience for me and provided me with skills and confidence for being successful in life. Giving back to the program helps ensure that future students will have similar meaningful opportunities." Endowed coaching positions are so valuable because in addition to showing continued alumni support for the program, they provide resources that will allow Columbia to continue to build a championship wrestling program. This gift made by the Barrys, which marks the second wrestling coach endowment in the last six years, will truly have a lasting impact on the program, and will create a legacy that will continue to support Columbia wrestling now and in perpetuity. "I am appreciative of the opportunities and experiences Columbia afforded me," explained Michael. "Part of what makes Columbia one of the world's great universities is the caliber and diversity of its offerings. By contributing to Columbia, specifically to the wrestling program, I can help to ensure that the institution will continue to provide the highest level undergraduate experience, with specific focus on the facets of Columbia that are most important to me." On Friday, February 11, David and Michael Barry will be honored in a reception at the New York Athletic Club following the team's match against Princeton.

EDINBORO, Pa. -- Edinboro University’s Chris Honeycutt (North Ridgeville, OH/St. Edward) has been named the Eastern Wrestling League Wrestler of the Year. It marks the third straight year and fifth time in the last six years that a Fighting Scot wrestler has received the honor. Bloomsburg’s John Stutzman was voted the EWL Coach of the Year and Max Thomusseit of Pittsburgh was recognized as the EWL Freshman of the Year. Honeycutt finished fifth at 184 lbs. last weekend’s NCAA Division I National Championships in Philadelphia. The junior ended the year with a 31-2 record after going into Nationals as the number one seed. While making his third trip to Nationals, he earned All-American honors for the first time. He won back-to-back matches to reach the quarterfinals before suffering his first loss of the season, 7-3 to eventual national champion Quentin Wright of Penn State. He came back to defeat tenth-seeded Josh Ihnen of Nebraska 4-3 to assure All-American honors, then handed fourth-seeded Travis Rutt of Wisconsin 6-5 in the consolation quarterfinals. He would lose to Scott Bosak, the third seed, in the consolation semifinals before taking home first place with a medical forfeit over fifth-seeded Joe LeBlanc of Wisconsin. Earlier in the year Honeycutt won his second EWL championship with a 7-2 decision over Thomusseit, one of two wins he had over the EWL’s top frosh. He also captured his PSAC Championship, and won the Southern Scuffle for the second straight year. In the Southern Scuffle he defeated Bosak 7-2 in the title match. Honeycutt will enter his senior season with a 90-20 career record.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Maryland coach Kerry McCoy was voted the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year, sophomore Josh Asper was named ACC Wrestler of the Year and five other Terrapin grapplers earned conference honors, the league announced Friday. Jon Kohler, Kyle John, Mike Letts, Corey Peltier and Spencer Myers joined Asper as Maryland’s conference-leading six All-ACC selections. Myers also was named ACC Co-Freshman of the Year alongside Virginia Tech’s Devin Carter. “I am very excited for our program,” said McCoy. “I am so proud of our guys. This is a great way to cap off an incredible year. I am especially grateful to my coaching staff, support staff, our fans and supporters, because without their commitment and dedication none of this would be possible.” McCoy guided the Terps to a strong 2011 finish in which three Maryland grapplers earned All-America status and the team won the ACC Championship and placed 18th at the NCAA Tournament. A three-time All-American himself, McCoy also earned the conference’s top coaching honor in his first season in College Park when he led Maryland to a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. At 165 pounds, Asper went undefeated within the conference in 2011 and won the individual title at the ACC Championship by topping Virginia Tech’s Peter Yates 9-3 in the finals. With a team-leading 35-5 record, the Parkton, Md., native went on to place sixth nationally at last weekend’s NCAA Tournament. Myers won the ACC heavyweight title by defeating Tech’s David Marone 3-2 in tiebreakers and became Maryland’s first true freshman to earn All-America status after stringing together five wins over top-20 opponents at the NCAA Tournament. The Selinsgrove, Pa., native placed sixth nationally and finished the season with a 30-13 record. Kohler, John, Letts and Peltier round out Maryland’s all-conference selections, which were voted upon by the league’s six head coaches. Kohler finished 2011 with a 24-8 record and his second ACC title, thanks to his 3-1 sudden victory win against NC State’s Darrius Little in the 141-pound finals. John earned 32 wins on the season and placed second in the ACC at 157 pounds. He also qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. Letts, the ACC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, upset fourth-ranked Chris Henrich of Virginia in the 174-pound ACC finals and earned a seventh-place national finish and All-America status after handling seventh-ranked Ben Bennett of Central Michigan in his final collegiate match. Peltier picked up his first conference title at 184 pounds after topping Duke’s Diego Bencomo 3-1. The Exeter, R.I., native finished the year with a 22-10 record and won six of his last eight matches.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith was tabbed as the 2011 Big 12 coach of the year, it was announced today. This year’s honor marks the ninth time he has secured that recognition. Dating back to OSU’s days in the Big Eight Conference, Smith has now been singled out as his conference’s coach of the year 11 times. Despite coaching the youngest team in the league – the Cowboys’ starting lineup consisted of five freshmen and a sophomore – Smith led the Pokes to their second straight Big 12 team title and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2011. Sophomore Jordan Oliver won the NCAA title at 133 pounds and placed second in the voting for the Hodge Trophy given to the nation’s top wrestler. The 2010-11 season provided Smith with an individual milestone, as he became the first coach in the storied history of Oklahoma State wrestling to eclipse the 300-win mark for his career when the Cowboys handed No. 24 Arizona State a 40-4 beating in Tempe on Jan. 2. That win over the Sun Devils was one of 10 Cowboy wins over ranked opponents in 2010-11. One of the elite coaches in the nation, Smith’s career body of work is second to none. The 1988 Oklahoma State graduate boasts a 311-46-6 career record and has five NCAA team titles and 12 conference team titles to his credit. He has coached 24 NCAA individual champions, 92 All-Americans and 70 conference individual champions. Smith is a two-time selection as the NWCA national coach of the year.

Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs came back from a potential career-ending injury in December 2009 to win the 165-pound title at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships, and the 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy. The senior from Sicklerville, N.J. concludes his college mat career with yet another honor: the InterMat Wrestler of the Year award for 2011. This award is presented each year to the nation's top wrestler across all divisions of college competition, based on a vote of InterMat writers and executives. 2011 InterMat Wrestler of the Year 1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska, 106 (8) 2. Anthony Robles, ASU, 88 (5) 3. Jordan Oliver, OSU, 66 (1) 4. Jon Reader, ISU, 28 5. Kellen Russell, Michigan, 24 6. Kyle Dake, Cornell, 12 7. Dustin Kilgore, KSU, 7 8. Bubba Jenkins, ASU, 6 9. Mario Morgan, UNO, 4 T10. Donovan McMahill, WSU, 3 T10. David Taylor, PSU, 3 T12. Myanganbayar Batsukh, SJU, 1 T12. Ashley Hudson, OCU, 1 T12. Matt McDonough, Iowa, 1As InterMat's 2011 Wrestler of the Year, Burroughs is in top-flight company. Among the previous honorees are some of the most accomplished amateur wrestlers of the past decade: Jayson Ness of Minnesota in 2010, Northwestern's Jake Herbert in 2009, Brent Metcalf of Iowa in 2008, and Missouri's Ben Askren, 2006 and 2007. Burroughs came in first in the balloting, with eight first-place votes, for a total of 106 points. Arizona State's Anthony Robles, crowned the 125-pound champ at the 2011 NCAAs, came in second, with 88 points, and five first-place votes. Jordan Oliver, the 2011 NCAA 133-pound titlewinner from Oklahoma State, was third in the voting, with 66 points and one first-place vote. A bit of history was made this year, as Ashley Hudson of Oklahoma City University became the first woman to receive votes in five years of InterMat Wrestler of the Year voting. Here's why InterMat senior writer Andrew Hipps considers the two-time Nebraska national champ worthy of Wrestler of the Year honors: "Coming into this season, there were questions surrounding Jordan Burroughs. How would he do coming off a serious injury? How would he do moving up a weight class? Could he get past the defending NCAA champion? But after a dominating senior campaign, there are no more questions. Jordan Burroughs was the most impressive wrestler in college this season. Period." Jordan Burroughs finished his senior season a perfect 36-0 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)After winning the 157-pound title at the 2009 NCAAs, Jordan Burroughs was derailed from his quest to win a second title last season when he suffered a serious knee injury during a match in December 2009, and was unable to compete. However, this season, the fifth-year senior came back with a vengeance, moving up to 165, and dominating that weight class. Burroughs was undefeated the entire 2010-2011 season, with a 36-0 record, winning all but three matches by fall, technical fall, or major decision. Among the highlights: a 10-7 win over Wisconsin's Andrew Howe (defending NCAA champ and top-ranked at 165 at the time) ... and his third Big 12 conference title. Burroughs continued that dominance at the 2011 NCAAs by winning all his matches by major, including his 11-3 finals win over Oklahoma's Tyler Caldwell to become the first two-time NCAA champ in the 100-year history of wrestling at Nebraska.

Related Link: Main Event Recap PITTSBURGH -- History was made in last night's undercard match at the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic in multiple ways. The WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League) won all thirteen of the bouts to secure a 42-0 dual meet victory over its opponents from the state of Michigan. This shutout was the first ever in the history of the event, either main event or undercard. The previous low for points occurred by the OVAC (Ohio Valley Athletic Conference) in 2002, when they went 2-11 in dual matches as part of a 36-6 defeat against the WPIAL. In addition, a trio of wrestlers from Burrell High School were among the match winners for the WPIAL squad, marking the first time in the undercard dual meet history that one WPIAL school had three wrestlers earn victories in the event. On three different occasions a single school for the opposing squad has earned four victories (St. Edward, Ohio in 1984; West Des Moines, Iowa in 1985; and Claymont, Ohio in 1992). Wrestling against state third placer Terry Turner (Davison) at 130 pounds, Dave Makara opened the match with a takedown and three-point near fall, and led 5-1 after the first of two periods. The undercard match features two periods of wrestling, both 2-1/2 minutes long, starting in the neutral position. The lead would extend to 7-1 with an opening takedown for Makara in the second period. Despite two late takedowns by Turner, Makara would win 8-6. With the match having started at 112 pounds, Makara's victory stretched the WPIAL lead to 12-0. Despite the loss, Turner would be named the Outstanding Wrestler for the Michigan squad. The next match featured Makara's teammate Jeremy Landowski taking to the mats at 135 pounds against state champion and Junior National freestyle All-American Camryn Jackson (Lansing Eastern). Landowski scored a four-point move during the first period, which would give him a 4-0 lead after the conclusion of that period. Though Jackson would answer with a takedown to start the second period, Landowski earned an escape and closing takedown to earn the 7-2 victory. "It's exciting to wrestle a kid of that caliber," Landowski said of facing Junior National freestyle All-American. "To beat him is even better. It feels like all the hard work paid off." He was the second of three Burrell wrestlers to participate in the undercard event, with teammate Travis McKillop on the Pennsylvania team for the main event. "It means the world to be wrestling with three of my teammates in this event," said Landowski. "We've been wrestling together since we were 7 years old." The third of those teammates was three-time state placer Brian Beattie at 215 pounds, who wrestled against state runner-up Jacob Hampton (Haslett). Shooting in with a high-crotch shot to a lift finish inside the first period of the match, Beattie scored a fall in 51 seconds to earn Outstanding Wrestler honors for the WPIAL squad. "It feels good to get the pin, somewhat makes up for not winning a state title," said Beattie. "It's an honor to be named Oustanding Wrestler, considering the caliber of wrestler on this WPIAL squad." The four Burrell seniors were part of a squad that ended the season ranked No. 30 according to InterMat, and earned a PIAA Class AA (small-school) state title. One other notable winner for the WPIAL was 2010 state runner-up Lorenzo Thomas (Pittsburgh Central Catholic), who finished third this year at 152 pounds. He wrestled up a weight class at 160, and competed against 171-pound state champion Matt Vandermeer (Clarkston). The Penn bound Thomas, a Beast of the East champion in December, scored a 6-0 victory on the strength of a takedown in each period and a second period turn. "I felt that weight differential," observed Thomas. "However, I was able to stay in an open position, and not let (Vandermeer) use his strength against me. "I've been coming to this event since I was a kid, so it feels good to participate. I've been competing against many of the WPIAL kids ever since youth, and it's great to have them be teammates this evening." Results: 112: Paul Bewak (Hempfield Area) dec. Devane Dodgens (Chippewa Hills), 4-0 119: Derrick Nelson (Waynesburg) dec. Brandon Fifield (Leslie), 3-2 125: No. 5 Geoff Alexader (Shady Side Academy) dec. Joey White (Dundee), 6-0 130: Dave Makara (Burrell) dec. Terry Turner (Davison), 8-6 135: Jeremy Landowski (Burrell) dec. Camryn Jackson (Lansing Eastern), 7-3 140: Mike Innes (Chartiers-Houston) dec. Brian Gibbs (Bedford), 5-3 145: Nick Catalano (Canon-McMillan) dec. Matt Frisch (Oxford), 2-1 152: Nick Carr (South Fayette) dec. Dan Fleet (Lowell), 6-1 160: Lorenzo Thomas (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) dec. Matt Vandermeer (Clarkston), 6-0 171: Nick Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park) dec. Ben Ralston (Oxford), 4-0 189: Kyle McWreath (Trinity) dec. Anthony Abro (Canton), 2-1 215: Brian Beattie (Burrell) pinned Jacob Hampton (Haslett), 0:51 285: Jeff Tarley (Beth Center) dec. Cody Wolever (Hesperia), 6-1

Related Link: Undercard Recap PITTSBURGH -- One year after the much ballyhooed Pennsylvania senior Class of 2010 was knocked off in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, 30-13 (only winning four of 13 matches), not so much was expected out of this year's senior group from the Keystone State. Though it is a good group, as it always is in Pennsylvania, it was nowhere near as star-studded as last year's. In fact, many dismissed their chances against a United States squad that featured ten wrestlers ranked first in the country. Quite frankly, they were an afterthought. And that perspective was most personified in the evening's open match, as Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, Minnesota) faced off against Mike Ottinger (Parkland). McCauley is ranked first in the nation in his weight class, and first in all the Class of 2011. He was a five-time state champion, and six-time state finalist in high school; and won a Junior National freestyle title in Fargo, North Dakota this past summer. On the other hand, prior to two weekends ago, Ottinger had never placed at state before winning the title at 160 pounds in somewhat of upset fashion - with a 3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker over 2010 National Prep champion Jason Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic). However, in this match, Ottinger used takedowns in the second and third period to score a 6-4 upset victory. "I had nothing to lose," said Ottinger about wrestling McCauley. "I just went out to wrestle hard and have fun." The Parkland wrestler is undecided about his college plans, and quite frankly remains unsure if he is going to wrestle or play soccer. As a soccer player, Ottinger was a three-year starter at forward, where he scored 40 career goals -- which is sixth most in school history; he was also an all-area and all-conference first team selection on the pitch. The next three matches also featured top-ranked wrestlers in the nation for the United States taking to the mats. At 285 pounds, Donny Longendyke (White Bear Lake, Minnesota) rallied back from giving up a first period takedown to No. 15 Terrance Jean-Jacques (Wyoming Seminary) to emerge with a 3-2 victory after an escape and takedown in the third period. The 215 pound match featured Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, New Jersey) facing No. 16 Garth Lekitsky (Tamaqua). Campolattano got the first takedown of the match, before Lekitsky scored a four-point move off a reversal in the first period and a reversal in the second period to take a 6-3 lead. While riding hard in the top position, Campolattano took his third injury time, and that was the match. Lekitsky -- an undefeated state champ this year -- won by injury default, and the Keystone State seniors took a 9-3 lead in the dual meet. Six-time state champion Logan Storley (Webster, South Dakota) upended No. 19 John Michael Staudenmayer (Plymouth Whitemarsh), 3-1, keyed by a second period takedown. After four matches, Pennsylvania led 9-6, as the 135 pound wrestlers took to the mat. This would be the fifth of nine consecutive matches to open the dual meet where the United States sent out a No. 1-ranked wrestler to the mats. In last year's Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, Logan Stieber (Monroeville, Ohio/Ohio State) earned an 11-5 victory over Mitchell Port (Bellefonte/Edinboro) at 125 pounds. In this 135 pound match, younger brother Hunter Stieber -- also ranked No. 1 in the nation -- would be facing event alternate Travis Shaffer (Derry). Shaffer, ranked No. 20 at 140 pounds, was originally slated to compete in the undercard at 140 pounds; but when No. 6 Dan Neff (Solanco) sustained an injury, Shaffer answered the bell. And he did so in superlative fashion. After fending off a deep leg attack by Stieber at the end of the first period, Shaffer scored a tilt in the second period, which combined with a ride out gave him a 3-0 lead. An escape to start the third period made it 4-0 for Shaffer. After Stieber scored a takedown to cut the deficit to 4-2, an escape and subsequent counter takedown closed the deal in a 7-2 victory for the Class AA state champion at 140 pounds. "It means a lot to me," said Shaffer of winning this match. "The only ones believing that I could win this match were my family, those close to me, and me." After finishing fifth, fifth, and fourth in the state prior to this past year, "this year's state tournament was my last chance, and I put it all together to have a great weekend." "The Pennsylvania team was counting on me to pull off the upset and I did," Shaffer further observed. "I knew I was one of the best in the country pound-for-pound (just like Hunter Stieber, who ranked No. 6 in the Class of 2011), and I was able to step it up tonight." This performance earned him Outstanding Wrestler honors for the Pennsylvania team. Shaffer said, "I couldn't have dreamed a better scenario to end my high school career. It was just perfect." And a fourth upset of a number one ranked wrestler came in the next match, as No. 12 Jordan Conaway (New Oxford) upended Evan Silver (Blair Academy, New Jersey) 3-2, which extended the Pennsylvania lead to 15-6. The Liberty University bound Conaway just "waited for an opportunity to capitalize" against Silver, which he did midway through the third period. The Pennsylvania momentum came to a temporary screeching halt in the next match, when yet another No. 1 ranked wrestler took to the mats at 189 pounds for the United States. The Penn State bound Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, California) -- ranked No. 2 in all the Class of 2011 -- earned a fall at the 2:59 mark against Ryan Hembury (Muncy). McIntosh, a three-time state champion, opened the match with four takedowns in the first period and a fifth in the second period before taking Hembury to his back for the fall with the match's sixth takedown. "I like taking people down and dominating," said McIntosh about the match and his wrestling style. "I want to keep the match on my feet and make it fun." In response to wrestling in the same state that he will over the next four-to-five years, he said, "I didn't know that this many people would show up. It just shows how great Pennsylvania is as a wrestling state, though I'm sure it will be different in the future when they're fully in support of me." The first of a pair of No. 1 vs. No. 2 matches in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic was next on the mat, as No. 1 Jesse Thielke (Germatown, Wisconsin) upended Zach Horan (Nazareth) 8-3. Thielke scored a takedown and near fall points in the first period and a reversal in the third period to go up 6-3. Then, he scored the final takedown while countering an attempted cement mixer by Horan. "I knew it was coming, I just tried to bounce it off," said Thielke of Horan's attempted late match move. "It resulted in a good scramble, which there was a lot of (in the match), and I wasn't going to let him score." An accomplished international styles wrestler, which includes being a two-time representative on the FILA Junior World Greco-Roman team, Thielke observed that those styles "teach me the positions, and moves from those positions." Being in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 match was no added pressure for Thielke. "The matchups and numbers mean nothing. The rankings can't be in my mind, it all has to stay on the match on the mat." If seeing four numbers one's going down before his match doesn't affirm that belief, then nothing will. With the score tied at 15-15 in the dual meet, the second of the two matchups featuring No. 1 and No. 2 wrestlers battling it out took to the mats. Scoreless after one period for the fifth time in the evening's first nine matches, No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Port Washington, Wisconsin) would open the scoring with a choice escape. However, Nick Hodgkins (Wyomissing) answered back with a takedown before period end. Then, an escape to open the third period would make it 3-1. Two takedowns later, Hodgkins would emerge with a 7-2 victory. That result was selected for the "Turning Point Award," as Pennsylvania took an 18-15 lead in the dual meet that would never be relinquished. "I wanted my team to win badly," said Hodgkins, which provided him with further motivation to win the match. "In addition, I wanted to win it for myself. It's been a goal all year to end the season number one in the country." This result will go a long way in earning this Super32 Challenge and Beast of the East champion such honors. Mason Beckman (Reynolds), ranked No. 2 in the nation at 125 pounds, wrestled in the Dapper Dan at 119 pounds and took to the mats next. Takedowns in the first and third period propelled the Lehigh-bound Beckman to a 5-2 victory against No. 13 Earl Hall (South Dade, Florida). In a rematch of the Walsh Ironman final from early December, No. 6 Evan Henderson (Kiski Prep) would defeat No. 2 Cam Tessari (Monroeville, Ohio). A key sequence in that match came late in the first period with Tessari working deep on a leg attack finish against Henderson while leading 2-1. Henderson would successfully counter out of that position to score a takedown of his own. After a great scramble to close the period, with no change in position, Henderson took a 3-2 lead into the second period though one could argue Tessari had the better period. "Actually in the Ironman final I had a 2-0 lead after one period, so I knew I needed to get more points somewhere," said Henderson about his thoughts after that opening period. "However, I didn't worry about it, I just kept wrestling, and something did happen." That something came in the form of a reversal during the second period. After riding Tessari out the remainder of the period, the North Carolina bound two-time National Prep champion carried a 5-2 lead heading into the last period. Tessari would choose the neutral position, and despite a late takedown, Henderson exited the match with a 5-4 victory. "We gave the fans a good show, lots of oohs, aahs, and claps," observed Henderson. "Though I would have liked things to be a little more comfortable." In discussing the pre-match approach, Henderson said, "I cared about (the match), but didn't want to care too much, so I could go out and have some fun. While our group of seniors wasn't perceived to be the top (like the opponents we were facing), we just wanted to get there." His victory extended the Keystone State advantage to 24-15 with two matches remaining. No. 1 Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield, California) upended Travis McKillop (Burrell) 4-2 with a takedown in the first period and in the overtime session. Then, in the last match, No. 1 Nico Megaludis (Franklin Regional) officially clinched the Pennsylvania victory with a 9-3 victory over No. 4 (at 119) Conor Youtsey (Mason, Michigan) -- who wrestled up a weight class at 125 pounds. After falling short last year, the Keystone State seniors emerged victorious with a 27-18 victory, which bucked a 1-9 stretch in the previous ten Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic main events. Results: 152: Mike Ottinger (Parkland) dec. No. 1 Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, Minnesota), 6-4 285: No. 1 Donny Longendyke (WBL, Minnesota) dec. No. 15 Terrance Jean-Jacques (Wyoming Sem.), 3-2 215: No. 16 Garth Lekitsky (Tamaqua) inj. def. over No. 1 Andrew Campolattano (Bd. Brook, New Jersey) 171: No. 1 Logan Storley (Webster, South Dakota) dec. No. 19 J.M. Staudenmayer (PW), 3-1 135: No. 20 (at 140) Travis Shaffer (Derry) dec. No. 1 Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, Ohio), 7-2 112: No. 12 Jordan Conaway (New Oxford) dec. No. 1 Evan Silver (Blair Academy, New Jersey), 3-2 189: No. 1 Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, California) pinned Ryan Hembury (Muncy), 2:59 130: No. 1 Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wisconsin) dec. No. 2 Zach Horan (Nazareth), 8-3 145: No. 2 Nick Hodgkins (Wyomissing) dec. No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Port Washington, Wisconsin), 7-2 119: No. 2 (at 125) Mason Beckman (Reynolds) dec. No. 13 Earl Hall (South Dade, Florida), 5-2 140: No. 6 Evan Henderson (Kiski Prep) dec. No. 2 Cam Tessari (Monroeville, Ohio), 5-4 160: No. 1 Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield, California) dec. No. 3 Travis McKillop (Burrell), 4-2 OT 125: No. 1 Nico Megaludis (Franklin Regional) dec. No. 4 (at 119) Conor Youtsey (Mason), 9-3

The future of Army Wrestling got a new face this weekend with the verbal commitment of Virginia state champion Bryce Barnes. A three-time state place winner for Kempsville High School, Barnes knew that West Point was the place for him on his official visit, but waited until he got home to speak with his family before making his final decision. Bryce Barnes"The opportunity to attend college and wrestle at the Academy is something special. They have an amazing tradition from academics to athletics. With their alumni, it is an honor and privilege to be recruited and considered," stated Bryce Barnes over the phone Sunday night. A four-year starter for the Chiefs, Barnes was a state alternate as a freshman, placed sixth and seventh at 171 pounds in 2009 and 2010, and won the 189 pound AAA state championship with a 3-2 win over Colonial Forge junior David Reck in February. He finished his high school career with a 128-31 record. "I am really excited about wrestling for Coach Heskett. He was a great wrestler, has had a lot of success as a coach, and he is someone that you can consider not only a mentor, but a friend," asserted Barnes who chose the USMA over West Virginia, George Mason, VMI, and Duke. A standout student with a 3.5 GPA, Barnes played football and was a member of the National Honor Society. As a future cadet, Bryce plans on attending Army Prep for one year and is projected to wrestle at 197 pounds for the Black Knights in 2012-2013. "General MacArthur once said that the United States Military Academy represents duty, honor, and country; and I believe that the wrestling program under Coach Heskett stands for the same things. I can really see myself realizing my full potential there, so I am very confident in my decision and look forward to getting started," concluded Barnes. Before leaving for West Point, Barnes plans on representing the state of Virginia at the 2011 NHSCAA Senior National and hopes to arrive in New York as a high school national champion.

BLOOMSBURG -- Bloomsburg University wrestling coach John Stutzman has been named the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) 2011 Coach of the Year. Stutzman led his freshmen/sophomore-dominated Huskies to a dual meet record of 14-6, including wins over traditional wrestling powers Northern Iowa, North Carolina State, and the University of Pennsylvania. The 14 wins were the most for the team since the 1990-91 season. Also, in tournament competition, Bloomsburg finished third at the early season Navy Classic, second at the PSAC Tournament, and third at the EWL championships. In addition, two Bloomsburg wrestlers, Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney) and Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex), qualified for 2011 NCAA Division I national championships. “This is a great honor for me, however, I am more excited for my program, my wrestlers, and my assistant coaches,” said Stutzman “Everyone has bought in 100 percent and they all have made my job easier. Hopefully we can keep this thing going and get into the top 20 next year.” This is the second time Stutzman has been named the EWL Coach of the Year also winning the honor in 2007. Under his guidance the Huskies have qualified 23 wrestlers for the NCAA Championships with three All-Americans (Mike Spaid in 2007; Matt Moley in 2008, 2009). In addition, he has also coached the 2007 EWL/PSAC Freshman of the Year and the 2009 EWL tournament Outstanding Wrestler.

NEWTON, Iowa -- According to the official University Nebraska athletics website, Jordan Burroughs has developed something called “The H Factor” during his college wrestling career. “… the H Factor — habits, hunger, humility, honesty and humor — could describe the incredible journey that Jordan Burroughs has taken from Sicklerville, New Jersey, to Lincoln, Nebraska…” wrote Nebraska athletic department official Randy York. Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs became Nebraska's first two-time NCAA champion last week in Philadelphia, Pa. Now, Burroughs can add one more H to that list: the Hodge Trophy! In one of the tightest races in its 17-year existence, the Dan Hodge Trophy for 2011 has been awarded to the Cornhusker star who won the 165-pound NCAA title in Philadelphia. The trophy was created in 1995 by Mike Chapman, the founder of WIN Magazine, in order to honor the season’s outstanding collegiate wrestler. It has grown in popularity and acceptance to the point where it is often referred to as “the Heisman Trophy of wrestling.” Burroughs compiled a 36-0 record this season and captured his second NCAA crown (he won at 157 in 2009) with an 11-3 triumph in the finals over Tyler Caldwell of Oklahoma. The Nebraska senior won all four of his tournament matches by major decision and also received an injury default in the second round. “The award is based on the entire season, and Jordan has been at the top of his game all year long,” said Chapman. “He is superb in all aspects of wrestling: takedowns, the top position and underneath. He has one of the best power doubles I’ve ever seen in the sport and that takes in a span of 40 years.” With Nebraska facing one of the toughest schedules in the nation, Burroughs only had three matches this season that didn’t end by pin, tech fall or a major decision. One of them was a 10-7 victory over Wisconsin’s defending NCAA champion Andrew Howe at the Midlands. He also piled up more than two minutes of riding time over Howe. At the time, Howe was riding a long winning streak and was considered by many to be the nation’s best college wrestler. Burroughs’ other two regular wins came against Caldwell, but he was able to greatly improve by the time of the NCAA finals, posting an eight-point victory over the tough Sooner. “It’s unprecedented to have a year where there’s five legitimate Hodge Trophy candidates. We’re extremely excited about Burroughs winning the award because of who he is as a person and for how hard he works to dominate every opponent,” said WIN Publisher Bryan Van Kley. “Burroughs has that ‘X factor’ which makes him stand out as the wrestler who’s in a league of his own and his numbers this season back that up.” Jordan Oliver, a sophomore from Oklahoma State who finished 29-0 en route to the 133-pound title, finished as a close runner-up for the award on the strength of his 11 pins. Crowd-favorite Anthony Robles (36-0) of Arizona State finished third by a razor-thin margin after pilling up an amazing 24 tech falls and beating last year’s NCAA champ Matt McDonough of Iowa by six points in the NCAA finals. Finishing in fourth place for this year’s award was Jon Reader of Iowa State. The Michigan native was 39-0 while capturing the salty 174-pound title. The other finalist was Kellen Russell of Michigan who was 38-0 in the loaded 141-pound class, particularly in his Big Ten Conference. The award is named in honor of Dan Hodge, who was undefeated during his three-year career at Oklahoma University. Hodge won three NCAA titles at 177 pounds and was voted the Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament in both 1956 and 1957. Hodge is the only wrestler to ever appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated (April 1, 1957). The criteria considered for the trophy are the wrestler’s record, number of pins, dominance on the mat, past credentials, quality of competition, sportsmanship and heart. “We place a very high priority on pins, since that is what Dan Hodge was all about and what he stood for, but it doesn’t trump all the other factors,” said Chapman. “Frankly, this wasn’t a great year for pinning so we looked hard at the other areas since the finalists’ numbers were so comparable.” Oliver led the group with 11 pins, while Burroughs had six, Russell four, Reader three and Robles two. This season, Burroughs faced a very tough obstacle to make it back to the top. He had won the NCAA 157-pound title as a junior in 2009 with a 35-0 record and was poised for a great senior year when he blew his left knee out. It looked like it could be the end of his career, and he was awarded a medical redshirt. He missed most of the 2010 season but was determined to build the knee back up and also moved up a weight class, to 165. Known for his powerful double-leg takedowns and explosive attacks, Burroughs dominated his new weight class like few others have in recent years. “It’s an amazing feeling to win this award,” said Burroughs, from his parents’ home in New Jersey. “Honestly, it was my goal going into the season to win a second national title and to win the Hodge Trophy. I wanted to dominate and I knew that domination was a key factor in winning the award.” “This is an award that caps off his collegiate career, because it was one of his goals at the beginning of the year,” said Mark Manning, Nebraska coach. “I was an assistant coach at Oklahoma for four years and met Dan Hodge several times. I have told Jordan stories about Hodge and how great he was. “Winning the Hodge Trophy puts Jordan in an elite group of wrestlers and makes a strong statement about him as an athlete. He’s been so important to our program over his career. He’s a great listener and learns so fast. He is very aggressive and never wants to win by just one point.” After the severe knee injury, Jordan faced a very long and arduous rehabilitation process. “In that year I rehabbed from the injury, I learned a lot about myself,” he said. “I had to fight through complacency. I had to set my goals higher. I learned how important it is to do everything right, not just most things right and do them every day. Looking back, my injury turned out to be a blessing.” Burroughs plans to continue wrestling through 2016, he said. Manning discovered Burroughs when he recruited Vince Jones, who grew up right next door to Burroughs in Sicklerville. They both attended Winslow Township High School and won state titles there. Jones, one year ahead of Burroughs, was recruited by Manning and wound up as an All-American at Nebraska. His first year at Nebraska, Jones told Manning about Burroughs and Manning went after him as well. Several weeks ago, when it looked like another top contender was Penn State freshman phenom David Taylor, who was at 157 pounds, Jordan sent the Nittany Lion star a message about the award. “We’re friends on Facebook,” said Burroughs. “When I made the Junior World team two years ago, David was at the Training Center in Colorado at the same time I was and we got to know each other. Since he had so many pins and majors this season, I sent him a message and told him I was cutting down to 157 so we could wrestle off for the Hodge. “I was just kidding, of course, and he took it in good humor,” said Jordan. “He said I was ‘The Man.’” The Hodge Trophy is co-sponsored by Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine (WIN) and Culture House, a company owned by Chapman that promotes and markets the sport of wrestling. The trophy will be presented to Burroughs at the annual wrestling banquet on April 16 and at halftime of a football game this fall. Hodge will attend the banquet, coming from his home in Perry, Oklahoma. “I’m really looking forward to meeting Mr. Hodge,” said Burroughs. “I have heard stories about him for years. He’s a real hero in this sport.” Previous Dan Hodge Trophy winners: 1995 – T.J. Jaworsky, North Carolina 1996 – Les Gutches, Oregon State 1997 – Kerry McCoy, Penn State 1998 – Mark Ironside, Iowa 1999 – Stephen Neal, Cal State-Bakersfield 2000 – Cael Sanderson, Iowa State 2001 – Cael Sanderson, Iowa State, and Nick Ackerman, Simpson College 2002 – Cael Sanderson, Iowa State 2003 – Eric Larkin, Arizona State 2004 – Emmett Willson, Montana State-Northern 2005 – Steve Mocco, Oklahoma State 2006 – Ben Askren, Missouri 2007 – Ben Askren, Missouri 2008 – Brent Metcalf, Iowa 2009 – Jake Herbert, Northwestern 2010 – Jayson Ness, Minnesota 2011 – Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska Statistical Breakdown of 2011 Hodge Trophy Finalists No. Name, School Wt Record Pins TF MD Dec. 1. Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska 165 36-0 6 14 9 3 2. Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State 133 29-0 11 6 7 5 3. Anthony Robles, Arizona State 125 36-0 2 24 5 5 4. Jon Reader, Iowa State 174 39-0 3 11 13 10 5. Kellen Russell, Michigan 141 38-0 4 1 9 21

It's cliche to say that losses can be a good thing, but in the case of Penn State's David Taylor, I believe that to be true. David Taylor was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year at the 2011 Big Ten Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Taylor was the most dominant freshman college wrestling has seen in a long time ... perhaps ever. He went 38-1 and earned bonus points in 34 matches. He was Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Taylor had a dream freshman season, with the exception of one match. Unfortunately for Taylor, that one match against Arizona State's Bubba Jenkins -- the 157-pound finals at the 2011 NCAA championships -- when he was pinned in a cradle, came on the biggest stage when the stakes were the highest and the whole (wrestling) world was watching. The expectations have been sky-high for Taylor all season long. Some were already hailing him as the next undefeated four-time NCAA champion before he even wrestled in his first postseason. But these expectations were brought on by Taylor -- not because of anything he stated publically -- but because of his domination on the mat. The David Taylor-Cael Sanderson comparison was inevitable, fair or unfair. Taylor, who grew up admiring Cael, made it look easy all season long, racking up points and seemingly having fun in the process, much like Cael did when he was an athlete. Taylor wrestles like Cael and dominates like Cael. When Taylor has talked about his wrestling goals in college, the goals have always centered around winning NCAA titles (individual and team), not going undefeated. Cael has stated numerous times that his goal when he began his college wrestling career at Iowa State was never to go undefeated. Being undefeated is something other people put on Cael, just like people were putting that on Taylor. The pressure to remain undefeated in his college career was already starting to mount before Taylor even stepped on the mat at his first Big Ten Championships. Now that Taylor has a blemish on his record, it takes an enormous amount of pressure off him. There have been numerous three-time NCAA champions, including six in the last 15 years. When Iowa's Lincoln McIlravy capped off his college wrestling career in 1997 by winning his third NCAA title, he used the term "also-ran" to describe what it felt like to be a three-time NCAA champion despite losing only three matches in college. David Taylor picked up bonus points in 34 of his 38 wins (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)If Taylor wins three NCAA titles, he may also feel like an "also-ran," but his legacy in the sport is ultimately going to be measured by how high he goes in the sport. John Smith was "only" a two-time NCAA champion, but he's widely considered the greatest American wrestler ever because he dominated the world for six years and reached a level that few, if any, American wrestlers ever reached. Now that Taylor has lost a match, he no longer has to carry around the burden of being the second coming of Cael. A weight has been lifted off his shoulders. Taylor has a chance to become a three-time NCAA champion and still go down as one of the all-time greats without having the distraction of having to answer question after question about being undefeated for the next three seasons. Taylor's coach, the only wrestler to accomplish the feat, also won't have to answer the same questions over and over again. If Taylor would have gone undefeated this season and won an NCAA title as a freshman, there would have been those who would have said it's a foregone conclusion that he's going to become a four-time NCAA champion and never lose a college wrestling match, stating it almost as fact, not opinion. It's fun to speculate and make predictions, but if there is one thing we have learned over the years from watching freshmen do extraordinary things on a wrestling mat, it's that nothing is ever guaranteed. Dustin Schlatter won an NCAA title as a true freshman (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Dustin Schlatter, like Taylor, was a four-time Ohio state champion who began his college wrestling career with great expectations. As a true freshman at Minnesota, Schlatter dropped an early-season match to Central Michigan's Mark DiSalvo, a returning All-American, 1-0. That loss immediately took pressure off Schlatter. He then went on an incredible run and put together one of the greatest true freshman seasons in NCAA wrestling history. Schlatter beat defending NCAA champion Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State twice that season, including once by a lopsided score of 11-2 in front of a national television audience on ESPNU. At the NCAA tournament, Schlatter outscored his opponents 39-2. It was hard to envision Schlatter not winning three more NCAA titles after making such a grand entrance. But Schlatter never again reached the top of the podium in college. He was never the same wrestler in college. Injuries took a toll on Schlatter, as did the pressure to live up to the expectations. "I think I could have handled (pressure) a lot better my sophomore year," Schlatter once said. "I worried about that type of thing too much, whereas my freshman year it didn't bother me at all." There were two freshman NCAA champions in 2010 -- Iowa's Matt McDonough, and Cornell's Kyle Dake -- and neither entered the NCAA tournament this season as the No. 1 seed. The two wrestlers combined to lose four matches this season and only one of the two wrestlers (Dake) repeated as NCAA champion. Repeating as NCAA champion is very difficult, becoming a four-time NCAA champion is virtually impossible, and going undefeated throughout a college wrestling career is virtually unthinkable. David Taylor with Penn State coach Cael Sanderson (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)David Taylor was a long way from doing what Cael Sanderson did as a college competitor, but many believed he was on track to do the same. Seeing Taylor lose after such a dominant freshman season only reinforced how truly special Cael's achievement was. All it takes is a single mistake or another wrestler rising to the occasion, just as Jenkins did, to put a blemish on a wrestler's record. I was at Iowa State during the Cael Sanderson era and I remember being asked if I thought Cael might lose at some point in college. I remember laughing at the absurdity of the question and thinking, 'This person has obviously never seen Cael Sanderson wrestle.' Cael never left any doubt or made you believe there was even a remote chance he might lose a match. There will never be another Cael Sanderson in college wrestling, just like there will never be another Michael Jordan in the NBA. Still, I believe David Taylor is a legend in the making. And I'm not alone in that thinking. Cael Sanderson tweets about David Taylor the day after the 2011 NCAA Championships

St. Cloud State University senior John Sundgren (Blaine) has been voted by the league coaches as the 2010-11 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Year. He was joined in the NSIC spotlight by SCSU head coach Steve Costanzo, who was named the 2010-11 NSIC Coach of the Year. Sundgren went 16-3 on the season and won the NCAA Division II National Championship at 157 pounds. He shut out Dillion Bera (26-8) of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in a 4-0 decision in the championship round to claim the first SCSU wrestling national title since Gene Hanemann took the podium in 1995. Before Hanemann, the last Husky wrestler to win a national title was Mike Rybak in 1967 (NAIA championships). Sundgren excelled during the national tournament winning his first match by fall, this second match 9-5 and his semifinal match 5-2. In the national championship match he revenged a loss to Bera from the NCAA Super Region #3 Championship two weeks earlier. Sundgren is the first SCSU wrestler to gain NSIC Wrestler of the Year honors. Costanzo was also voted by his peers as the 2010-11 NSIC Wrestling Coach of the Year. St. Cloud State enjoyed one of its best seasons in team history as they placed second in the nation at the 2011 NCAA Division II championships, won the 2011 NCAA Division II Super Region #3 title and set a team record with a 19-2 dual meet record in 2010-11. The second place national finish was the highest national tournament finish for the Huskies in team history, and the Huskies also posted a solid third place finish at the elite NWCA National Duals in 2011. Coach Costanzo was also named the 2011 NCAA Division II Coach of the Year. His overall record at SCSU currently stands at 58-23. SCSU athletes named to the 2010-11 All-NSIC First Team this winter included Sundgren, junior Eric Ellington (133), junior Tad Merritt (165), sophomore Shamus O'Grady (174) and sophomore Jake Kahnke (285). Huskies earning All-NSIC Second Team notice this winter included senior Gabe Suarez (141) and junior Jacob D. Horn (149). 2010-11 NSIC ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM Name Wt. Yr. School Hometown Trevor Franklin 125 So. Upper Iowa South New Berlin, N.Y. Eric Ellington 133 Jr. St. Cloud State Fairview Heights, Ill. Jay Sherer 141 Sr. Augustana Columbus, Neb. Nate Herda 149 So. Augustana Rock Rapids, Iowa John Sundgren 157 R-Sr. St. Cloud State Blaine, Minn. Tad Merritt 165 R-Jr. St. Cloud State Canby, Minn. Shamus O’Grady 174 R-So. St. Cloud State Coon Rapids, Minn. Aaron Norgren 184 Jr. Minnesota State Good Thunder, Minn. Ty Copsey 197 Sr. Augustana Glenwood, Iowa Jake Kahnke 285 R-So. St. Cloud State Shakopee, Minn. 2010-11 NSIC ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM Name Wt. Yr. School Hometown Al Meger 125 Sr. Augustana Owatonna, Minn. *Andy Forstner 125 Sr. Minnesota State Madelia, Minn. *Corey Ulmer, 125 R-Jr. MSU Moorhead Wishek, N.D. Jason Jeremiason 133 Jr. Augustana Marshall, Minn. *Kyle Pedretti 133 R-Jr. Upper Iowa Monona, Iowa Gabriel Suarez 141 R-Sr. St. Cloud State Las Vegas, Nev. Jacob Horn 149 R-Jr. St. Cloud State Ephrata, Wash. Marcus Edgington 157 Jr. Augustana Sioux City, Iowa Gavin Nelson 165 Sr. Augustana Missouri Valley, Iowa Ben Becker 174 Sr. Minnesota State Fort Dodge, Iowa *Mark Mueller 174 Sr. Upper Iowa Postville, Iowa Brady Anderson 184 So. U-Mary Hamilton, Mont. *Mitch Schultz 184 R-So. Upper Iowa Postville, Iowa Pat Mahan 197 Jr. Minnesota State Owatonna, Minn. *Carl Broghammer 197 R-Fr. Upper Iowa Manchester, Iowa Matthew Meuleners 285 R-So. Northern State Norwood Young America, Minn.

CRESCO, Iowa -- Three individuals with northeast Iowa ties will be inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in Cresco on Monday, April 11. The 42nd Annual Awards Banquet and Induction Ceremony will begin with a 5:30 social hour followed by a 6:30 banquet at the Cresco Country Club south of Cresco. Two former Waterloo wrestlers, Mike VanArsdale and Stewart Carter, will be inducted into the hall of fame along with Arlin Severson, who was a successful wrestler and coach at New Hampton. Mike VanArsdale won a NCAA Division 1 title for Iowa State University in 1988 , and was a two-time Olympic Alternate (1996 & 2000). He also was a 1991 World Cup Champion, a CISM (Military) World Champion and a University National Freestyle Champion. At Iowa State VanArsdale had a 108-33 record and was a three-time All American. VanArsdale wrestled at West Waterloo in high school where he was a state champion as a junior and state runner-up as a senior. VanArsdale currently lives in Chandler, AZ. Stewart Carter was also an NCAA champion at Iowa State, winning his title at 158 pounds in 1987. Carter went 76-23-4 while wrestling all four years at Iowa State after being a “walk on” wrestler as a freshman. Carter wrestled at Waterloo Columbus High School and was a four-time state qualifier, placing third twice and was a state runner-up as a senior. Carter currently lives in Cedar Falls. Arlin Severson coached his New Hampton teams to four state titles. In 1990 the New Hampton team won both the state team title and the state dual meet title and they followed that up with the same titles in 1993. He coached eight state champions and 62 conference champions. Severson was a 112 pound state champion in 1957 while wrestling for New Hampton. Severson lives in New Hampton. Banquet tickets are available at the Cresco Chamber of Commerce (563-547-3434), CIA Insurance in Cresco (563-547-2382) and Farmers Mill, Protivin (563-569-8501). Tickets are $20 and advance registration is required. The Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame is located in the Cresco Welcome Center at the intersection of Highway 9 and Elm Street. The Hall of Fame will be open until 6:00 p.m. the day of the banquet.

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DES MOINES, Iowa -- Join us this Saturday March 26 for our annual NCAA champions show. Penn State's Cael Sanderson will join the celebration this time. Iowa State's NCAA Champ Jon Reader and teammate Andrew Sorenson joins us in our Brute studios brought to you by Kemin. Join in from 9 to 11 a.m. this Saturday on Takedown Wrestling (KXNO.com and I Heart Radio on smart phones) Takedown Wrestling Hosts Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Jeff Murphy, Geoff Murtha and Ryan Freeman welcome the 2011 NCAA champions: 125: Anthony Robles- Arizona State 133: Jordan Oliver- Oklahoma State 141: Kellen Russell- Michigan 149: Kyle Dake- Cornell 157: Bubba Jenkins- Arizona State Coach: Cael Sanderson 165: Jordan Burroughs Nebraska 174: Jon Reader- Iowa State 184: Quentin Wright- Penn State 197: Dustin Kilgore- Kent State 285: Zachery Rey- Lehigh For incredible pictures of this years NCAA Championships check out Kevin Schlosser's Buckeye Wrestling Web Site photos at http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=image/tid/1837 Join us LIVE 9 to 11 AM CST for Takedown Wrestling. Listen on radio, on computer, your Blackberry or I Phone with the I Heart Radio App. KXNO.com, Takedownradio.com, I Heart Radio App

Link: 2010-2011 All-Academic Wrestling DIII Team Link: 2010-2011 Top 25 Scholar Teams DIII The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced its annual Division III Scholar Team Award and the NWCA Individual All-Academic wrestling team for the 20010-11 wrestling season. The 2011 NWCA Division III Scholar Team Awards are given out to twenty-four teams for this academic year, with team GPAs ranging from 3.608 to 3.237. Receiving this year’s top honor is Johnson and Wales University, coached by Lonnie Morris, they hold a 3.608 team GPA. Rounding out the Top 5 are: Williams College (3.573), Stevens Institute of Technology (3.5511), Wesleyan University (3.505), and Augsburg College (3.497). To be awarded this honor teams must meet the following criteria: the team GPA is calculated as an average of the top ten students on each team. At least six of the ten chosen must have competed in the NCAA Qualifying Tournament while the other athletes must have competed in at least fifty percent of the teams scheduled contest. “The NWCA as a whole looks forward to releasing the All-Academic teams and individuals each year. This gives the sport a way to look back to the season and realize that there was more going on with these young men than their accomplishments on the wrestling mat,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. “These individuals show that they are well-rounded and will someday take the strengths that they have and become the future leaders of our sport.” On the individual academic awards, there were a total of 152 athletes who represent sixty-two teams. Adding to the overall number were 28 All-Americans, four of which earned National Champion honors: Clayton Rush of Coe, Seth Ecker of Ithaca, Josh Terrell of Dubuque, and Phil Moenkedick of Concordia-Moorhead. Leading the pack of Division III All-Academic Individuals is Thomas Rispoli from The College at Brockport. Rispoli is a Physical Education Major with a 3.98 GPA. Taking a very close second in the individual race is Lycoming University junior, Isaiah Britton, an Economics-Quantitative Major with a 3.9725 GPA. Rounding out the Top 5 individuals are: Adam Weber of Wartburg, a Business Major with a 3.9666 GPA, Anthony Valek of Augsburg, an Accounting Major with a 3.9474 GPA, and Elmhurst College Special Education Major Mike Grice with a 3.9259 GPA. In order to make the team the nominee must have a 3.2 GPA (on a scale of 4.0) for the previous full academic year. This applies to the completion of the previous two semesters, previous two tri-semesters, or previous three quarters depending on the given school. This 3.2 GPA applies to the last grading period when the nomination is supplied to the Honors Committee. In addition, any candidate maintaining a cumulative 3.2 GPA also receives consideration. 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.

Link: 2010-2011 All-Academic Wrestling DII Team The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced its annual Division II All-Academic Teams and the NWCA Individual All-Academic wrestling team for the 2010-11 wrestling season. The Division II All-Academic Wrestling Team consists of 160 student-athletes from 37 colleges and universities. Thirty-eight members were named to the first team, 35 members to the second team, and 87 were listed as honorable mention. Out of these 160 student-athletes, 25 All-Americans were named to the All-Academic Team, including two national champions – Todd Wilcox of Grand Canyon University at 133 pounds and John Sundgren of St. Cloud State University at 157 pounds. Both Gannon University and Augustana (S.D.) each placed four members on the first team, while the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Upper Iowa University, and St. Cloud State each placed three members on the first team. Four student-athletes were named to the individual team for the fourth time. They were Cody Zimmerman from the UW-Parkside; Jay Sherer from Augustana; John Sundgren from St. Cloud State; and Evan Forde from Minnesota State University-Moorhead. In order for a student-athlete to be nominated for the Division II All-Academic Team, they need to have a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale. They must also be in at least their second full year at his school, be a varsity member on the team or a key reserve, demonstrate a degree of skill and have a minimum of two letters of recommendation submitted on their behalf. “The NWCA takes pride in honoring these student-athletes each year for their accomplishments both on and off the mat. Each one of these 160 young men earning this honor have fought hard to accomplish their goals as collegiate athletes,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. “We look forward to watching them as they leave their college careers and make names for themselves both in wrestling and in the corporate world.” The NWCA All-Academic Wrestling Team is lead by The University of Indianapolis, which recorded the highest team grade point average (GPA) in the 18th Annual Division II All-Academic Wrestling Team selection and has won the Academic National Championship. This is the first time that the school has achieved this honor. The only school that has won both the NCAA Wrestling Championship and NWCA All-Academic Team in the same year is the Nebraska-Omaha; in 2005 they hosted the NCAA II National Championships and won both titles. The Team GPA is calculated by averaging the cumulative grade point averages of ten wrestlers from each team of which eight of those wrestlers must have competed in their team's NCAA II National Qualifying Tournament. 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.

Georges St. Pierre

Every year since 1975, some of the nation's best high school wrestlers travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. This is a two dual meet event featuring the best seniors in the Keystone State against the best of the nation, and an undercard bout with top seniors in the WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League) against a group of seniors from another part of the state or country. The event will be held at the Fitzgerald Field house on the University of Pittsburgh Campus this Sunday, March 27; the main event is at 6:00 p.m., with the undercard preceding it at 4:00 p.m. When one examines a single state going up against the whole country, it's hard to imagine scenarios in which the event is competitive. Even though the USA has won nine of the last ten against Pennsylvania (2009 being the exception), some of the other Wrestling Classics were competitive, and there are always fantastic individual matches. This year's Dapper Dan features eleven wrestlers ranked first in the country, with two weights having a No. 1 against No. 2 matchup. Here are the thirteen matches (the 103-pound weight class is not contested). 112: No. 1 Evan Silver (Blair Academy, New Jersey) vs. No. 12 Jordan Conaway (New Oxford) Silver is a four-time National Prep champion, and was a Junior National freestyle runner-up this past summer. Conaway was state champion this past year after finishing third and sixth the prior two years. One common opponent for the wrestlers is No. 6 Ryan Taylor (St. Paris, Graham Ohio) -- Silver earned a victory against Taylor in the dual meet, while Taylor upended Conaway at the finals of the Top Gun in mid-Jauary. 119: No. 13 Earl Hall (South Dade, Florida) vs. No. 2 (at 125) Mason Beckman (Pennsylvania) Hall is a four-time state champion, who was third at the Super 32Challenge this past October and also finished third at the NHSCA Junior Nationals last year. Beckman has won championships at the Walsh Ironman and state tournament each of these last two seasons, while he finished second and third at state during his first two years of high school. 125: No. 4 (at 119) Conor Youtsey (Mason, Michigan) vs. No. 1 Nico Megaludis (Franklin Regional) Youtsey is the second of five wrestlers on the USA team with over 200 career wins, as the three-time state champion finished with a 203-2 record over four years of high school. Last spring he was a FloNationals champion, and during the summer he was Junior National freestyle All-American. Megaludis, one of three four-time champions at the POWERade, earned a third state title this month to cap off a 170-1 career in which his only loss was a 1-0 defeat in the state semifinals his freshman year. The Penn State bound grappler was a Junior National freestyle runner-up in 2009. 130: No. 1 Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wisconsin) vs. No. 2 Zach Horan (Nazareth) Thielke is the third of eight on the USA squad to earn four (or more) state titles in his scholastic career. Even though Thielke's greatest exploits have come in Greco-Roman, where he is already on the national ladder at 55 kilos; he has a strong folkstyle background, as shown by his Preseason Nationals title this fall and a 186-1 high school record. Horan earned an elusive state title this month, after runner-up finishes in his first three years of high school. This past year, Horan was a Junior National freestyle runner-up and a Beast of the East champion. 135: No. 1 Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, Ohio) vs. No. 20 (at 140) Travis Shaffer (Derry) Stieber is one of very few wrestlers to be a four-time finalist at the Walsh Iroman, a tournament that he won as a freshman and again this past year. The younger brother of last year's number one recruit (Logan) has forged quite a reputation of his own with a 203-2 high school record. Shaffer was a state champion this year after placing fourth, fourth, and fifth at state the prior three years. During his junior season, Shaffer was champion at Powerade and the FloNationals. This season, he was seventh at 145 in the Walsh Ironman and placed fourth at 140 in the Powerade. 140: No. 2 Cam Tessari (Monroeville, Ohio) vs. No. 6 Evan Henderson (Kiski Prep) This is a rematch of the Walsh Ironman final, a match that Henderson won 5-3 with takedowns in the first and third periods. After that match, Tessari went on to become only the third-ever four-time champion at the Brecksville Holiday Invitational Tournament; he also joined Stieber as a four-time state champion, and not losing a match other than at the Ironman. Henderson's journey to a second consecutive National Prep title was a little less “clean”, finishing third at the Beast of the East and POWERade. He also was a National Prep runner-up in 2009, and is a two-time NHSCA grade-level All-American. 145: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Port Washington, Wisconsin) vs. No. 2 Nick Hodgkins (Wyomissing) This is the second of two matches featuring the top two ranked wrestlers in the country, and both of them happen to involve USA representatives from the state of Wisconsin. Dieringer was a three-time state champion, finishing as runner-up during his sophomore year. During the past calendar year, he has titles at the Junior National folkstyle and freestyle tournaments, Preseason Nationals, and Cheesehead. Hodgkins has also been on a huge winning streak with titles at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, Super 32Challenge, and Beast of the East. He has four top three finishes in the state tournament -- titles as a sophomore and senior, second as a freshman, and third as a junior. 152: No. 1 Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, Minnesota) vs. Mike Ottinger (Parkland) Not only is McCauley number one in his weight class, he is also the best wrestler in all the Class of 2011. This five-time state champion has been in the state finals every year since seventh grade (finished second as a sophomore), and earned a Junior National freestyle title this past summer. Ottinger was unable to compete at state as a junior due to injury, but pulled off an upset victory (3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker) over No. 10 Jason Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) to win the state title at 160 pounds this year. 160: No. 1 Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield, California) vs. No. 3 Travis McKillop (Burrell) Hammond is a two-time state champion and three-time state placer in the single-class California state tournament. He also was an NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion in the summer of 2009. After finishing fifth at state the previous two years, McKillop upended No. 4 Cody Wiercioch (Charleroi) 7-3 in overtime to earn his first state title; a victory that also clinched the team championship for No. 30 Burrell. He also defeated defending state champion Wiercioch to win a POWERade championship earlier in the season. 171: No. 1 Logan Storley (Webster, South Dakota) vs. No. 19 John Staudenmayer (Plymouth Whitemarsh) With a state title this year, Storley joined Lincoln McIlravy and Kirk Wallman as an absolutely rare six-time state champion. Despite getting caught in a mid-season tournament by Preston Lehman (West Fargo), a match in which he was up by double digits, he has been on a superlative winning streak. This includes a NHSCA Junior Nationals championship, Disney Duals Association Division gold medal, and Junior National freestyle championship. Third in the state last year as a junior, Staudemayer was an undefeated state champion this year, and that included a Beast of the East championship. In the off-season, he was a Disney Duals gold medalist and Junior National Greco-Roman medalist. 189: No. 1 Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, California) vs. Ryan Hembury (Muncy) Even though McIntosh is part of the “enemy” for this event, he won't be for long in front of the Pennsylvania audience. Bound for Happy Valley to wrestle for Cael Sanderson and the NCAA champion Penn State Nittany Lions, McIntosh is arguably the most dominant wrestler the nation has to offer (ranked No. 2 in all the Class of 2011). He is a three-time state champion and four-time state placer, who has not given up a single takedown during his last two high school seasons. McIntosh was also a FloNationals and Junior National freestyle champion during the past off-season, along with a third place finish at FILA Junior Nationals in freestyle. Hembry earned a state title this month with an 8-4 victory over defending state champion Stephen Ceremuga (Commodore Perry). 215: No. 1 Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, New Jersey) vs. No. 16 Garth Lekitsky (Tamqua) One of two four-time state champions in Garden State history, Campolattano has the all-time victories record for the state of New Jersey with a 175-1 career record. Changing his mind from a verbal commitment to play football at Rutgers, he is arguably the top Class of 2011 wrestling talent/prospect left on the open market. Placing fourth at state last as a junior, Lakitsky capped off an undefeated senior season with a state title this month in Hershey. 285: No. 1 Donny Longendyke (White Bear Lake, Minnesota) vs. No. 15 Terrance Jean-Jacques (Wyoming Seminary) Longendyke is a three-time state finalist, and won state titles his last two seasons. He was a double Junior National All-American this past summer after being a double Cadet All-American (freestyle champion) in the summer of 2009. Jean-Jacques finished as runner-up at National Preps in his debut season at Wyoming Seminary, after winning a New England regional title in 2009 while competing at Haverhill, Massachusetts. This season, Jean-Jacques was second at the Beast of the East, after finishing second last spring at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. The nationally-ranked wrestlers competing in the main event of the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic representing the Keystone State is just eleven of the 37 that Pennsylvania has in all. That depth and breadth of talent is truly impressive, and it bears itself out at the next level. This past weekend, ten of the eighty NCAA Division I All-Americans were Pennsylvania natives. This year's undercard event features a team of the best seniors from the WPIAL whom are not competing the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic main event against a group of seniors from the state of Michigan. Though there are no nationally ranked wrestlers on the Wolverine State roster, six of the 13 ranked wrestlers from the state are seniors; Youtsey is competing in the main event, Devin Pommerenke (Rogers City) is injured, while the other four -- for whatever the reason may be -- are not part of this delegation. 112: Devane Dodgens (Chippewa Hills, Michigan) vs. Paul Bewak (Hempfield Area) 119: Brandon Fifield (Leslie) vs. Derrick Nelson (Waynesburg) 125: Joey White (Dundee) vs. No. 5 Geoff Alexander (Shady Side Academy) 130: Terry Turner (Davison) vs. Dave Makara (Burrell) 135: Camryn Jackson (Lansing Eastern) vs. Jeremy Landowski (Burrell) 140: Brian Gibbs (Bedford) vs. Michael Innes (Chartiers-Houston) 145: Matt Frisch (Oxford) vs. Nick Catalano (Canon-McMillan) 152: Dan Fleet (Lowell) vs. Nick Carr (South Fayette) 160: Matt Vandermeer (Clarkston) vs. Lorenzo Thomas (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) 171: Ben Ralston (Oxford) vs. Nick Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park) 189: Anthony Abro (Canton) vs. Kyle McWreath (Trinity) 215: Jacob Hampton (Haslett) vs. Brian Beattie (Burrell) 285: Cody Wolever (Hespiera) vs. Jeff Tarley (Beth-Center) Other than the Keystone State of Pennsylvania, which had 37 wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of their respective weight classes, four states also had more than 20 in the rankings: Illinois with 25, Ohio with 24, New Jersey with 23, and California with 22. The following states had double digit wrestlers in the rankings: Iowa with 16; Minnesota with 15; Michigan with 13; along with Florida, Indiana, and Wisconsin with 11. In all, 31 states had a wrestler ranked among the nation's best 20 in a weight class. Rounding out the list of states: 8: Virginia 7: Missouri 6: Maryland 5: Idaho 4: Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, and Washington 3: Colorado, Oklahoma, and South Dakota 2: Montana 1: Kentucky, Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, and Utah

PHILADELPHIA -- The Stanford wrestling team ended the 2011 NCAA Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., Saturday, with an 11th-place finish, the best ever in program history. Junior Nick Amuchastegui became just the second Cardinal wrestler ever to reach the NCAA finals. He fell Saturday in the championship bout at 174 pounds to top-seeded Jonathan Reader of Iowa State, 10-3. Former Cardinal Matt Gentry is Stanford's only NCAA champion, winning the 157 pound title in 2004. With his second-place finish, Amuchastegui, who also earned All-America honors in 2010, became just the fourth wrestler in Stanford history to earn multiple All-America honors joining Chris Horpel ('73, `75), Tanner Gardner ('06, '07, '08) and Josh Zupancic ('07, '08). The Talent, Ore., native ends the season with a 31-4 overall record. Sophomore Ryan Mango ended his second NCAA Championships with a sixth-place finish at 125 pounds, and garnered his first career All-America accolades. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Mango finished the season with a 26-7 overall record and became the 15th All-American in program history. Senior Zack Giesen ended his Cardinal career with his first All-America honors as he finished sixth at 197 pounds. He completes his time on The Farm with a 110-40 career record. His 110 victories puts him in fourth all-time in school history passing Steve Buddie (1988-91) who finished 109 wins.

Jim Miller, head wrestling coach at Wartburg College, and Mark Cody, head wrestling coach at American University, will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, March 23. "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 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Miller is the head wrestling coach at Wartburg College. His team won the eighth NCAA Division III team title in program history earlier this month. Miller was a two-time Division II champion and a two-time Division I All-American for Northern Iowa. Cody is the head wrestling coach at American University. His team placed fifth at the NCAA Division I tournament with three All-Americans. Cody was voted coach of the year at the conclusion of the NCAA tournament.

Athletic Director Charlie Gartenmayer has announced that the Benedictine College Athletic Department will add intercollegiate wrestling starting with the 2012-13 school year. "There are many kids who are wrestling at the high school level with nowhere to go to pursue this sport at the collegiate level," Gartenmayer said. The search for a head coach will begin immediately with the hopes of having a coach in place to recruit during the 2011-12 school year with sights set on competing during the 2012-13 school year. According to Gartenmayer, in addition to seeing a need to help give high school students an outlet to pursue an education while competing in wrestling, the addition will help enhance Benedictine's enrollment. Secondly, many of the remaining 10 schools that will form the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) in 2011-12 indicated at the recent HAAC Council of Presidents meetings that wrestling was a sport where they would most likely expand. Missouri Valley College and Baker University are the only two HAAC schools that currently have wrestling and are remaining in the conference. Lindenwood University also offers wrestling but will be leaving the conference at the end of the current school year. Currently 16 of 41 schools who were listed by the NAIA as wrestling participating schools come from Oklahoma (Bacone and Oklahoma City), Missouri (Missouri Valley, Missouri Baptist and Hannibal-LaGrange), Iowa (Briar Cliff, Grand View, Morningside, Northwestern, Waldorf and William Penn), Nebraska (Concordia, Hastings, Midland and York) and Kansas (Baker). The total number of participating schools will drop to 36 for the 2011-12 academic year as five current NAIA schools begin their transition to NCAA Div. II. According to the NCAA website for Div. II wrestling, there are 57 schools who offer wrestling at that level with four regional schools on the list – University of Central Missouri, Newman University, Truman State and Fort Hays State University. Four schools offer wrestling at the junior college level in Kansas – Colby, Labette, Neosho and Pratt.

Link: InterMat Fab 50 Team Rankings The initial edition of the revitalized InterMat national team rankings yield a wire-to-wire No. 1. Starting the season with the mantle of best in the nation, Apple Valley, Minnesota was absolutely dominant against a rather formidable schedule. They were faced with tough tests at every turn, and at each point, the Eagles passed with flying colors. Top 10 Teams in InterMat Fab 50: 1. Apple Valley, Minnesota 2. Blair Academy, New Jersey 3. Brandon, Florida 4. St. Paris Graham, Ohio 5. St. Edward, Ohio 6. Simley, Minnesota 7. Clovis, California 8. Bakersfield, California 9. Iowa City West, Iowa 10. Wisconsin Rapids, WisconsinThe season started with a trip to Iowa for the Keith Young Invitational -- an event featuring all three 2010 Iowa state tournament champions (Waverly-Shell Rock, Denver-Tripoli, and Don Bosco), along with nationally ranked Bettendorf. Wrestling without two of their seven nationally-ranked wrestlers, Apple Valley still emerged with five champions, three other finalists, and had all but one wrestler place in the top six. Next in terms of big tests was the Minnesota Christmas Tournament, which features almost every major program and individual from across the three classifications in the Gopher State. There were six nationally-ranked teams from Minnesota at some point of this season (four in these final rankings), and all of them were in this field. Competing without one of the nationally-ranked wrestlers, they had eight in the finals, and five were champions. The next two events on the Apple Valley schedule would confirm their standing on top of the rankings. At the Cheesehead Invitational in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, they would do battle with No. 2 Blair Academy, New Jersey. The field featured eight of the nation’s 28 best teams, and six of the top eleven. Even though Blair had five champions in the tournament, compared to just Destin McCauley for Apple Valley, superior depth placed the Eagles on top of the standings. Seven Apple Valley wrestlers finished as runner-up, while all but one member of the lineup finished in the top six. Then it was on to the Clash Duals, and the anticipated battle against No. 3 Brandon, Florida. Prior to that match, they absolutely dominated the other five dual meets in the event -- including matchups against No. 12 Bettendorf, Iowa; No. 26 Carl Sandburg, Illinois; and No. 6 Simley, Minnesota. Even with three of their seven nationally-ranked wrestlers losing, Apple Valley was still able to win nine of fourteen matches against Brandon to emerge with a 34-16 victory. Apple Valley (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)In a grand finale to the magical season, Apple Valley absolutely dominated both the dual meet and individual bracket state tournaments in Class AAA (big-school). During the three dual meets in the state tournament, the Eagles went a combined 39-3 to earn the team state title trophy. Then, over that same weekend, they had seven wrestlers win state titles, with another pair of wrestlers finishing in second and third place respectively. As mentioned previously -- Blair Academy, New Jersey finishes the season ranked second; while Brandon, Florida ends the year in the third position. Rounding out the top five are a pair of Buckeye State super programs, St. Paris Graham and St. Edward. In what comes as not a surprise when assessing wrestling dominance, eight Pennsylvania programs find themselves in the rankings. This is the most of any state, and all but one of the Keystone State teams are ranked inside the top thirty. Next most in the rankings is the five Illinois teams, all of which are in the top 30 as well. Four teams from Minnesota, New Jersey, and Ohio find themselves ranked. Twenty states had a program in the Fab 50 teams, and below is the breakdown of the rest. 3: Iowa, New York 2: Florida, California, Michigan, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Oregon 1: Wisconsin, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Idaho, Maryland, and Delaware

Related Link: Palmer: History repeats Related Link: Coverage Section PHILADELPHIA -- It was far from a perfect weekend for Penn State, but when the dust settled on Saturday night at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships in Philadelphia, the Nittany Lions finished on top of the team standings with 107.5 points. It was Penn State's first national championship in wrestling since 1953. Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com"I'm just really, really proud of these guys," said Penn State coach Cael Sanderson. "It's just a gutsy performance from some real tough kids. That's what it takes." Five Nittany Lions wrestlers earned All-American honors, including Quentin Wright, who became the program's 22nd NCAA champion by capturing the title at 184 pounds with a 5-2 victory over Lehigh's Robert Hamlin. After a scoreless first period, Wright picked up two takedowns in the second period to cruise to the victory, avenging an early-season loss to Hamlin. "It's a great feeling," said Wright, who entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed. "It hasn't really hit me because I just got out of the match, but it's going to get better for a long time." It was a special weekend for Penn State's wrestling program, just as it was for the 10 wrestlers who claimed individual NCAA titles on Saturday night. It was an eventful final round that saw shocking finishes, dominating performances, and program firsts. Perhaps the most shocking finish -- the one that had the sold-out crowd of 17,687 at Wells Fargo Center in a frenzy -- took place at 157 pounds where Bubba Jenkins of Arizona State pinned previously-undefeated freshman David Taylor of Penn State in the second period. Taylor led the match 1-0 early in the second period before a scramble situation, which resulted in Jenkins locking up a cradle and pinning Taylor. Jenkins, a 2008 NCAA runner-up and three-time All-American, spent three and a half years in Penn State's program before transferring to Arizona State this season to finish out his college career. He and Taylor were teammates at Penn State last season when both were redshirting. Jenkins' dismissal from Penn State was well-publicized and he left the program on bad terms with his coach, Cael Sanderson. "He didn't think I was good enough or the right kid to win it at that weight class or any weight class, really," said Jenkins of his former coach, Cael Sanderson. "I wanted to go 149, but he had other ideas. He got rid of me. One man's trash is a whole country's treasure." Jenkins was one of two Arizona State wrestlers to capture an NCAA title on Saturday night. The other Sun Devil titlist was Anthony Robles, who capped off an undefeated senior campaign (36-0) by defeating defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough of Iowa, 7-1, to claim the NCAA title at 125 pounds. Robles, who was born without a right leg, jumped out to a sizeable lead early in the match as he picked up a takedown before securing a pair of tilts to go up 7-0 after the first period. Those were all the points Robles needed for the victory. "I had a lot of butterflies going out there," said Robles, who finished his college career as a three-time All-American. "I've dreamt about stepping on that stage a dozen times. This whole year I have just been preparing for this moment. I was scared out there. But as soon as I hit that takedown, I sort of relaxed." Robles stated that his competitive wrestling career is over and that he has no plans to pursue an international wrestling career, but that does not mean that he plans to leave the sport anytime soon. "I've had a great run," said Robles. "I started wrestling when I was a freshman in high school. It's been a great ride. Wrestling has helped me to mature. I have gotten so much self-confidence from the sport. I love the sport. But from here on out, my wrestling competition days are over. I'm really going to be focusing on my next goal, which to be a motivational speaker. But I'll be around wrestling the rest of my life. I love it so much." Robles was not the only undefeated NCAA champion crowned on Saturday night. Four other wrestlers, Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State (133), Kellen Russell of Michigan (141), Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska (165), and Jon Reader of Iowa State (174), capped off perfect seasons by winning titles. Oliver used three takedowns, including one off an ankle pick 12 second into the match, and a set of nearfall points to cruise to an 8-4 victory over Boise State's Andrew Hochstrasser. The sophomore from Easton, Pa. becomes Oklahoma State's 134th NCAA champion. "I had a mindset to go out there and put points on the board right away, thinking if I scored right away the pace of the match and the tempo would have to pick up because he would have to attack me then," said Oliver. "I never stopped attacking, but it opened things up more for me to get to my double and my leg attacks." Russell, a three-time Big Ten champion and two-time All-American edged Cal Poly's Boris Novachkov, 3-2, to take the title at 141 pounds. Russell scored the only takedown of the match off a scramble situation with just 32 seconds remaining in the match. "The whole time before the match preparing I knew I would have to get into a scramble to score a takedown," said Russell. "But I also knew that he is one of the best scramblers in the country too from wrestling him prior. Going into the match, I was trying to get my feet moving a little bit. In the third period things started clicking together, even though my ankle was hurting me a little bit. Once I got in that scramble, I was just waiting for the opportunity to pick him up there." Burroughs dominated his competition in Philadelphia to earn his second NCAA title. His first NCAA title came in 2009 at 157 pounds. This year Burroughs captured the title at 165 pounds with an 11-3 major decision victory over Oklahoma's Tyler Caldwell. He finished the season 36-0 and became Nebraska's first two-time NCAA champion. "It's definitely an elite company to be a part of," said Burroughs of being the lone Husker to win two NCAA titles. "I feel like I'm setting my own standard for a lot of young guys coming in. We've got tough guys coming in and they're all hungry, so that record might not last long." It was Burroughs' third victory over Big 12 rival Caldwell this season. Burroughs edged Caldwell, 2-1, in the previous meeting at the Big 12 Championships two weeks ago. "I think that might have been the first match I didn't get a takedown in like four or five years," said Burroughs of his Big 12 finals victory over Caldwell. "That's definitely not the way I want to wrestle. My friends and family came out. They paid a lot of money. It was probably the last time they ever get to see me wrestle, so I wanted to impress them." Burroughs grew up less than 30 miles away from Philadelphia in Winslow Township, N.J. "Being so close to home, a lot of friends and family are here," said Burroughs. "Despite anywhere it was, I was going to wrestle my best tournament and try to put it together. A lot of bonus point victories. Coach Manning always stresses domination every match. I'm not satisfied with winning by one or two points, so I go out there and wrestle my hardest match every time and hopefully get the major." Reader's perfect season was capped off with a dominating 10-3 victory over a red-hot Nick Amuchastegui, who reached the finals as the No. 7 seed. For Reader, a three-time All-American, it was a form of redemption after not placing at the NCAA tournament last season. "I had an embarrassing tournament last year," said Reader, who finished the season with a 39-0 record. "I had some obstacles that I had to overcome injury-wise. I spent a lot of time with the Paulsons and Coach Jackson sharpening my skills." Reader has had three head coaches in his college career at Iowa State. He was signed by Bobby Douglas, wrestled for Cael Sanderson for three seasons, and finished his college career competing for Kevin Jackson. Still, despite all he has gone through, he wouldn't trade his college experience for anything. "I'm very fortunate to come out of Iowa State," said Douglas. "I wouldn't change it for the world. I love Cyclone Nation and I appreciate everything they've done for me. They've enabled me to be in the same room as the Paulson brothers. I have two World Team members as my everyday workout partners." Cornell's Kyle Dake captured his second NCAA title in as many seasons with a convincing 8-1 victory over Penn State's Frank Molinaro. Dake dominated Molinaro from the onset, picking up a takedown 26 seconds into the match and eventually accumulating over six minutes of riding time. "I feel really accomplished to be a freshman and sophomore back to back years winning an NCAA title going up a weight, losing in the EIWAs, coming back and wrestling my heart out, it feels really good," said Dake. Kent State crowned its first NCAA champion in Dustin Kilgore at 184 pounds. Kilgore, who entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed, trailed 5-1 late in the second period against previously-undefeated Clayton Foster of Oklahoma State before turning the tables and picking up a pin. "It's the best feeling ever," said Kilgore of becoming Kent State's first NCAA champion. "This is going to help out with recruiting so much. In the future this is going to build such a good team I'm hoping for Kent State because they deserve it. The coaches are phenomenal." Lehigh's Zach Rey won the NCAA title at heavyweight with a 2-1 victory over American's Ryan Flores, avenging a loss two weeks ago in the EIWA finals. Rey, who became one of three New Jersey natives to win an NCAA title on Saturday night, joining Russell and Burroughs, said working with his assistant coach, Steve Mocco, a 2008 U.S. Olympian and past two-time NCAA champion, this season made a big impact on him. "He has brought a whole 'nother level to my conditioning, hand fighting, and just my confidence," said Rey of Mocco. "Nobody else in the country works out with a guy as good as I do every day, Steve Mocco. He's one of the best in the world." The NCAA Division I Championships set a new attendance record, totaling 104,260 fans over the six-session event. The total shatters the previous record of 97,334 set in 2009 in St. Louis. Team Standings (Top 10): 1. Penn State 107.5 2. Cornell 93.5 3. Iowa 86.5 4. Oklahoma State 70.5 5. American 65 6. Arizona State 62.5 7. Minnesota 61 8. Lehigh 58.5 9. Boise State 57.5 10. Wisconsin 54.5 Finals Results: 125: No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) dec. No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa), 8-1 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State), 8-4 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) dec. No. 3 Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly), 3-2 149: No. 4 Kyle Dake (Cornell) vs. No. 2 Frank Molinaro (Penn State), 8-1 157: No. 4 Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State) pinned No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State), 4:14 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) dec. No. 3 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma), 11-3 174: No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) dec. No. 7 Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford), 10-3 184: No. 9 Quentin Wright (Penn State) dec. No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh), 5-2 197: No. 4 Dustin Kilgore (Kent State) pinned No. 2 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State), 4:56 285: No. 1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) dec. No. 3 Ryan Flores (American), 2-1