InterMat Staff

Shawn Bunch

If you're ready for a stacked weekend of MMA action, get ready! If you're ready for a weekend with quality MMA, too bad. UFC on FX 4? Solid. XFC 18 on HDNet? All right. UFC 147? Cool. Wait ... UFC 147 isn't free? It's a pay-per-view for the equivalent of a TUF Finale card? Ew. Nevertheless, Richard and John break down all of the action in a rapid-fire format to try and cover up the fact that John didn't watch any of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. Objective failed. For anyone that actually spends $50 or $60 on the UFC 147 pay-per-view, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to mmaoutsiderpodcast@gmail.com so you can explain what on earth you were thinking. Do you want to listen to a past episode? View archives.

Sammie Henson

INDIANAPOLIS -- The 2012 National Coaching Conference Presented by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), will feature a seminar today, Wednesday, June 20 by the NWCA, "Using Coaching Education to Help Save Intercollegiate Olympic Sports: The NWCA Coaching Leadership Academy Program Example." The goal of the National Coaching Conference is to "educate, collaborate and influence"by bringing together coaches, coaching educators and school administrators to present new ideas and recognize the value of coaches as teachers. The theme for this year's convention is, "Sports – Take Part. Get Set for Life."This is the USA Coaching Coalition's opportunity to bring together the leaders in sport and create dialogue to change the paradigm of the way sports are viewed and coached in the United States. The NWCA's portion of the presentation will be given by the main architect for the Leadership Academy Daniel Gould, Ph.D., from the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports (ISYS) at Michigan State University along with his colleagues Larry Lauer, Ph.D., and Dennis Johnson, Ph.D. The Executive Director of the NWCA, Mike Moyer will also be discussing the importance of this program, why it was created and the impact it has had on Collegiate Wrestling in just four short years. The goal of the NWCA Leadership Academy is two-fold: to help coaches enhance their CEO skills in an effort to strengthen their programs and to promote best practices for improving retention and graduation rates. Since 2009, the NWCA has been able to provide scholarships to over 175 college coaches who have completed the course due to the generosity of our sponsors. This August, the NWCA and our sponsors will once again be able to scholarship an additional 50 coaches to take part in the Academy. To learn more about the NWCA Coaching Leadership Academy visit http://www.nwcaonline.com/NWCAWebSite/coachingdevelopment/leadership.aspx. One of the major features of the NWCA Leadership Academy comes from its funding source as all coaches receive a "Scholarship"to attend; their education has been made possible from extremely generous donors who believe in educating our coaches to allow continued growth and stability in the sport of wrestling. Without these generous donors this program would never have been made possible. By presenting this at the National Coaching Conference the NWCA and the ISYS will be discussing how this program can be adapted to other Olympic Sports at the collegiate and high school levels. "This is a fantastic opportunity for the NWCA to be able to share our knowledge of coaching education with the other Olympic Sports, along with coaches from many different backgrounds. This also allows us to keep our mission strong by following the three core competencies of the NWCA which are: Coaching Development, student-athlete welfare, and the promotion of wrestling,"said Moyer. "We want to thank the NFHS and the National Coaching Conference for including the Leadership Academy and the NWCA into this year's program." About the NFHS Since 1920, The National Federation of State High School Associations has led the development of education -based interscholastic sports and activities that help students succeed in their lives. We set directions for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS, from its offices in Indianapolis, Indiana, serves its 50 member state high school athletic/activity associations, plus the District of Columbia. The NFHS publishes playing rules in 16 sports for boys and girls competition and administers fine arts programs in speech, theater, debate and music. It provides a variety of program initiatives that reach the 18,500 high schools and over 11 million students involved in athletic and activity programs. About the NWCA 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. About the ISYS The mission of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports is to provide leadership, scholarship and outreach that "transforms" the face of youth sports in ways that maximize the beneficial physical, psychological, and social effects of participation for children and youth while minimizing detrimental effects.

Fans can see a nationally televised broadcast of "The Grapple in the Big Apple" from historic Times Square on NBC Sports Network on Thursday, June 21 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The two-hour show will feature highlights of the Beat the Streets Gala competition including the ASICS USA vs. Russia freestyle dual meet, the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kg/132 lbs. position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men’s freestyle wrestling, along with an exhibition match. Calling the action will be the NBC crew of play-by-play announcer Jason Knapp, with color commentary from Olympic champion Jeff Blatnick and sideline reporting from Andrew Catalon. The competition was held on Thursday, June 7, and was a spectacular day of action enjoyed by thousands of people in “The Crossroads of the World.” Fans can see the drama of the battle between Coleman Scott, Shawn Bunch and Reese Humphrey for the final spot on the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Team in the 60 kg Wrestle-off. Also headlining the USA vs. Russia match in Times Square were four U.S. freestyle Olympians: 2011 World champion Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg/163 lbs., 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., Sam Hazewinkel at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Jared Frayer at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. The tough young Russian team in Times Square featured two past Junior World champions, Andrey Valiev at 84 kg/185 lbs. and Shamil Akhmedov at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Wrestling fans will not want to miss this outstanding broadcast of championship Olympic wrestling, held only weeks prior to the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England. Additional airings for this show are expected on NBC Sports Network, so watch for updates. Check your local listings for the channel and time in your area. About NBC Olympics A division of the NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal's Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. Having produced every summer Olympic Games since Seoul in 1988 and every Olympic Winter Games since Salt Lake City in 2002, the networks of NBCUniversal are synonymous with the Games in the United States. In 2011, NBCUniversal acquired the U.S. media rights on all platforms to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and the 2020 Olympic Games. At the conclusion of the 2020 Games, NBCUniversal will have presented 17 total Olympic Games and 11 consecutive, the most for a U.S. media company in both categories. NBC has won an unprecedented 91 Emmy Awards for its Olympics coverage, as well as a prestigious Peabody Award for its presentation of the Beijing Opening Ceremony in 2008, which USA Today said was "the best overall Olympic experience ever provided by a U.S. network." In addition to its unsurpassed heritage and award-winning production, NBCUniversal is known for aggregating large Olympic audiences, as nine of the top 11 most-watched U.S. television events of all time are Olympic Games presented across the networks of NBCUniversal. The Beijing Olympic Games rank No. 1 with 215 million viewers.

Sammie Henson and Bill Apter will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, June 20. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. An archive of the show can be found on www.themat.tv. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with questions or comments about the show. Henson was an NCAA champion for Clemson in 1993 and 1994. He won the World championships in 1998 and an Olympic silver medal in 2000. Henson recently accepted an assistant coaching position at Missouri. Apter will received the Jim Melby Award for journalism during the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on July 13-14. He is best known for his work with Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

Brian Smith

Related: Brian Smith Interview COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Mizzou wrestling program has filled out their coaching staff with the addition of Sammie Henson, announced today by head coach Brian Smith. Henson was born in St. Charles, Mo., and wrestled for Missouri in 1991. A former All-American at Missouri and national champion at Clemson, Henson returns to Columbia and will take over as an assistant coach, joining recently-announced assistant Joe Johnston, volunteer assistant Mark Ellis and director of operations Todd Schavrien. Henson began his collegiate career at Mizzou, wrestling under Wes Roper and winning the Big 8 title and earning All-America honors as a freshman, placing fifth at the 1991 NCAA Championships. He then transferred to Clemson and became a two-time National Champion, winning back-to-back titles at 118 pounds in 1993 and 1994. Sammie Henson coached at Oklahoma from 2009 to 2011 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)“I have coached against Sammie for many years and have always had great respect for him,” stated Smith. “Having him back in his home state is not only exciting for the University and our program, but for the entire state of Missouri.” One of the world’s great freestyle wrestlers, Henson won gold at 54 kg at the 1998 World Championships, and was the silver medalist at the 2000 Olympic Games. More recently, Henson served as an assistant coach at Cal Poly from 2007 to 2009 and was an assistant at the University of Oklahoma from 2009 to 2011. Henson took over as the head coach of the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club in July 2011. Fans can stay updated on all the happenings of the Tiger wrestling program this summer by following them on Facebook (facebook.com/MizzouWrestling) and Twitter (@MizzouWrestling).

SIEDLCE, Poland -- A day after U.S. freestyle wrestlers Obe Blanc (55 kilos) and Tervel Dlagnev (120 kilos) earned gold medals at the W. Ziolkowski Memorial, Ohio RTC wrestlers Logan Stieber (60 kilos) and J.D. Bergman (96 kilos) claimed titles to bring the U.S. gold medal count to four over the two-day event in Siedlce, Poland. Stieber, a 2011 Junior World silver medalist, went 2-0, which included a second-period fall in the finals over Munir Recep Aktas of Turkey and a shutout victory in the semifinals over Nikolay Noev of Tajikistan, 6-0, 2-0. Bergman, a 2010 U.S. World Team member, won four matches to claim the title at 96 kilos. His finals victory came over returning World silver medalist Serhat Balci of Turkey, 1-0, 1-0. The U.S. finished runner-up in the team standings, four points behind champion Turkey. Results 55 kilos: Gold: Obe Blanc (USA) Silver: Angel Escobedo (USA) Bronze: Ahmet Peker (Turkey) Bronze: Robert Okorokov (Russian) 5th: Adrian Hajduk (Poland) 5th: Emanuel Krause (Germany) 60 kilos: Gold: Logan Stieber (USA) Silver: Munir Recep Aktas (Turkey) Bronze: Nikolay Noev (Tajikistan) Bronze - Abdel Hakim Ibrahim Faray (Egypt) 5th: Krzysztof Bie?kowski (Poland) 5th: Oleh Pervachuk (Ukraine ) 66 kilos: Gold: Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan) Silver: Haislan Garcia (Canada) Bronze: Azamat Omurzhanov (Kazakhstan) Bronze - Maxat Daulbayev (Kazakhstan) 5th: Rostilav Pervachuk (Ukraine) 5th: Innokentev Innokenti (Kyrgyzstan) 74 kilos: Gold: Matthew Gentry (Canada) Silver: Ramazan Sahin (Turkey) Bronze: Akzhurek Tanatarov (Kazakhstan) Bronze: Soner Demirtas (Turkey) 5th: Zhan Safian (Belarus) 5th: Jakub Kacenak (Slovakia) 84 kilos: Gold: Ibrahim Bolukbasi (Turkey) Silver: Semyon Semyonov (Kazakhstan) Bronze: Yermek Baiduashev (Kazakhstan) Bronze: Istan Vereb Istvan (Hungary) 5th: Michal Duba (Slovakia) 5th: Ricardo Robertty (Venezuela) 96 kilos: Gold: J.D. Bergman (USA) Silver: Serhat Balci (Turkey) Bronze: Faruk Akkoyun (Turkey) Bronze: Kamil Skaskiewicz (Poland) 5th: Rafael Toth (Hungary) 5th: Jozef Jaloviar (Slovakia) 120 kilos: Gold: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) Silver: Taha Akgul (Turkey) Bronze: Daulet Shabanbay (Kazakhstan) Bronze: Jarod Trice (USA) 5th: Abdel Raouf El Dosoki Ismail (Egypt) 5th: Arjan Bhullar (Canada) Team Standings: 1. Turkey 67 2. USA 63 3. Kazakhstan 60 4. Poland 40.5 5. Canada 24 6. Egypt 18 7. Slovakia 16.5 8. Ukraine 14 9. Hungary 12 10. Russian Federation 11 11. Tajikistan 7 12. Belarus 5 13. Kyrgyzstan 5 14. Germany 5 15. Venezuela 5

Fight Now USA Presents Takedown Wrestling from the Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio. Join Scott Casber and Brad Johnson with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m CT/10 a.m. to noon ET. Our guests include: In-studio guests: Chad Wiltsey and Troy Peterson 9:03 Tony Robie, Virginia Tech assistant head wrestling coach 9:20 Pat Pecora, Pitt Johnston head wrestling coach 9:40 Mike Rogers, Franklin & Marshall head wrestling coach 9:50 Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:00 Mike Chapman, Wrestling historian and author 10:20 Archie Randall, Oklahoma City head wrestling coach 10:50 Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino and Resort GM

Northwestern University and Stanford University's wrestling programs are two of the eight Division I wrestling programs honored today by the NCAA for earning Public Recognition Awards, based on their most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rate. These annual awards are earned by teams with APRs in the top 10% in each sport. Northwestern, which placed 9th in the NCAA Championships in March, is being recognized for a fourth consecutive time, while Stanford is a first time recipient of this academic award in the sport of wrestling and placed 16th in the NCAA tournament. The University of Pennsylvania wrestling program joins Northwestern in being recognized by the NCAA for a fourth consecutive season, while Duke University is honored for the second season in a row. Boston University, Michigan State University, Princeton University, and the US Military Academy are the other four teams recognized by the NCAA. Each is a first time recipients of this award. "This public recognition by the NCAA is a highly sought after accomplishment; it is an honor that our coaches embrace and seek to achieve for their program," says Mike Moyer, the Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. "I salute the athletes, coaches, administrators, academic support staff, and fans of these programs. The student-athletes on these teams are among the elite competing at the Division I level." The sport of wrestling has made tremendous improvement in APR scores during the past four years and each year it is more competitive to finish in the top 10%. These top-performing teams APRs ranged between 978 and a perfect 1000 over the past four years and are among 394 men's programs honored by the NCAA. Full APR scores for all teams will be released by the NCAA next week. "Northwestern and Penn's programs have set the bar high in sustaining academic excellence," says Moyer. We are proud of what these programs have demonstrated over the course of time and equally proud of the four programs earning this recognition for the first time.

Manheim, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholastic Board of Directors is proud to announce the annual National Scholastic Award Winners. The NWCA presents awards in three categories: National Coach of the Year/National Prep Coach of the Year, National Assistant Coach of the Year and National Senior Wrestler of the Year/National Prep Senior Wrestler of the Year. The 2012 NWCA National Head Coach of the Year is Marty Linford of Cokeville High School in Wyoming. Cokeville is the smallest school in the state of Wyoming that sponsors wrestling. They have consistently proven themselves as one of the best teams in the state, by winning seven state titles in the past eight years. Coach Linford teaches English and Spanish along at Cokeville, along with helping as an assistant football coach and head Junior High football coach. "We commend Coach Linford for his dedication to draw the best out of his wrestlers, coming from a small community that is a large task to accomplish at the state level. He is the type of coach we strive to recognize as an educator and coach to these young student-athletes and pushing them to be the best person they can be," said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. Jeff Buxton of Blair Academy was named the National Prep Coach of the Year. Buxton has led the Bucs to 26 straight National Prep Championships and coached 145 individual champions. They have won the Ironman Tournament nine times, which is more than all other teams in the country combined along with the Beast of the East fourteen times. Buxton's team has perennially been the nation's top-ranked program the last two and a half decades. This is the third time that Coach Buxton has been honored as the NWCA National Prep Coach of the Year. "Coach Buxton has built a dynasty at Blair in his twenty-eight years as the head coach. He strives to take his athletes to the next level which shows when looking at the numbers of his former wrestlers who have gone on to wrestle at the collegiate level and have had so much success," said Moyer. The National Assistant Coach of the Year goes to Mark Madigan of Simley High School in Minnesota. He has been coaching for 31 years. This year he helped to guide the Simley Spartans to the fifth straight Class AA State Championship. He has helped to coach seven state finalist and five state champions. "Longevity is a great attribute to a truly dedicated assistant coach. I commend Coach Madigan on his years of dedication to the sport of wrestling and his continued service to helping build a program and to teach these young student-athletes," said Moyer. Pennsylvania's Jimmy Gulibon of Derry Area High School is the NWCA's Senior Wrestler of the Year. Gulibon is one of ten wrestlers in 75 years to accomplish the feat of being a four-time PIAA State Champion. He finishes his career with a 136-4 record, which he compiled at four weight classes: 103, 112, 119 and 126. Gulibon plans to compete at Penn State University next season. Mark Grey of Blair Academy takes home the National Prep Senior Wrestler of the Year Award for 2012. Grey is the tenth wrestler in Blair history to win four National Prep Titles, he is also the only four-time Beast of the East Champion. He holds a career record of 140-7, and will be attending Cornell University next year. "Both Jimmy and Mark have both concluded their stellar high school careers. We look forward to watching them compete and excel at the collegiate level in the years to come," said Moyer. "Our goal as a coaches association is to continue to recognize coaches and wrestlers for their outstanding accomplishments, both on the mat in competition, academically and in life." We would also like to recognize the award recipients of the NWCA Regional Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Senior Wrestlers of the Year. In order to be considered for National Honors, the nominee must have been selected as a Regional Award Winner: The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA Coaching Development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling.

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Q: I want to read the article on the "Grapple in the Apple." Would you mind sending me your InterMat Platinum password? -- You and everyone else I know (including my mother) Foley: I did it, too. When I was a coach some of my friends, coworkers, and even guys on my team would share the same password to access InterMat's Platinum service. Of course, I understand now that I was essentially stealing information. (Ed. Note: InterMat now tracks Platinum logins by IP address. Those who share passwords (i.e. abuse their privileges) will have their Platinum service revoked without refund in accordance with InterMat's Member Service Agreement.) Information, especially when it comes from experts like Josh Lowe and Mark Palmer, should be at a premium. InterMat values a reader's experience, which translates into choosing an aesthetic that isn't saturated with ads. I think we can all agree that too many ads would diminish the quality of the site. However, this is a business and when you hire writers to do several hours of research, analysis and writing, the costs add up. It's obvious that Lowe, Palmer, and I don't work for compliments, which means our bosses have to support our paychecks while creating enough to also pay webmasters and the rest. When the information warrants it, they take it off the free site and put it behind the Platinum pay wall. I know that it's frustrating for users to land on the site to check out something they want only to be bested by a pay wall, but wanting to access the information in its own way validates that you should pay for it. The guys who run InterMat are already incredibly generous with the content they give away for free. The same type of specialization and analysis in lacrosse, golf, and basketball costs money for readers, usually big money. Even users of ESPN find themselves on the wrong side of the Insider when trying to learn more details about sports like MMA and college baseball. Trust me, I KNOW that you don't want to pay for news, information, and analysis. I GET IT. But buying Platinum is also a free-market exercise in showing your support for the sport. Guys like Lowe could make MUCH better money analyzing the bond market, or New York real estate prices, but he instead entertains us with his insane analysis of high school sports because he's passionate about the sport. We are always looking to add more value to the Platinum service without making the site off-limits to passer-bys. Should things go as planned, we'll be launching a new Platinum series that will be sure to cause some great debate and include factoids and research you won't want to miss. The high school rankings, Fargo breakdowns, and recruiting updates will also be updated throughout the year, along with exclusive interviews and the best analysis on the Web. At less than $1 per week I'm sure you'll find that platinum is a low-cost a service you'll use enough to find valuable. (This was the same argument that worked for my mother ... ) Q: What did you think about the Grapple in the Apple? Any thoughts on Coleman Scott and Shawn Bunch? -- Trevor L. Foley: You can read all about my thoughts once you get Platinum! The gist is that wrestling promotions are doing well to grab primary, secondary, and tertiary forms of media coverage when they host the BTS events in NYC. For example there was the actual taping of the event, then the stories about the results (local and national), and then analysis about what it all means or even just the guys who are responsible for running the show. The event also generated a bunch of dosh which will help expand BTS to LA, which in turn creates new wrestlers, new media and new fans. Overall: Winner, winner. Is it OK to go back in time and write that I KNEW Coleman Scott was going to win it all? I want to do that, because I thought he would, but statistically he seemed like a long shot. Maybe John Smith said it best when he told me that the reason Scott would win it is because he's had the toughest road. True, he did, but I have to think it also has something to do with having that much talent and dedication being ON. Zeke Jones, independent of Smith's comments, said before the wrestle-off that he expected the 60-kilo spot to be a highlight for the 2012 Olympic Team regardless of the representative for precisely the same reasons Smith thought Scott was going to achieve: TOUGHEST ROAD. By wrestling with what Jones called a "chip on their shoulder," Scott will be in position to take a home medal. Don't get me wrong, it's a long shot in a stacked weight class that includes four-time World champion Besik Kudukhov of Russia, but Scott is now part of what makes that weight stacked. Coleman Scott defeated Shawn Bunch with a five-point move in the third match (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The final move against Bunch became one of the most dramatic finishes to any wrestling event I've ever attended. You can't script the drama of wrestling (which is part of why scripted wrestling does so well -- you can guarantee the drama), so when Scott lifted Bunch for the win AND the Olympic spot it was tough to not cheer. I felt like I was cheering the event itself, that I was somehow enraptured not because I have any connection to Coleman Scott (I don't) but because EVERYTHING FELL EXACTLY INTO PLACE. Wrestling isn't known for catching a lot of great PR breaks, but that moment was a big break and would there have been a highlight by Universal Sports I think we would have seen it on SportsCenter's Top Ten plays. We could have at least hope for it to be passed around the Internet in much the same way as the Flying Squirrel. I also feel heartbroken for Bunch. He's talented and with some training and patience could hold off for another four years. My prediction is that we'll lose him to MMA, and while that hurts America in the short term, it does allow another young stud (LOGAN STIEBER, LOGAN STIEBER, LOGAN STIEBER) to earn more mat time with the coaches and earn better money once he's out of college. Final note on Bunch. His loss was horrific enough, but became even more so when he ran off the mat to be alone (force of habit for losing wrestlers everywhere), but found himself standing in the middle of Times Square. It's a nightmare sequence and I still feel bad when thinking of what he (and Reece Humphrey) must be going through right now. They gave it their all, and while they fell short, I'm sure I speak for many in the wrestling community when I say we are proud of their efforts. It's their competitive spirit that will help elevate Scott to a higher place on the Olympic podium. Final thought: Has there been a more likable cast of characters assembled for a U.S. Olympic Team? Q: Is Zain Retherford going to have a high school to wrestle for next season? -- @Bobbylit20 Foley: Word is that he'll be wrestling at Benton. Q: Did you see the Pacquiao-Bradley screwjob? Can you think of a wrestling match where someone got jobbed that bad? -- Geoff W. Foley: There is a significant difference in the structure of a boxing match which makes it much more offensive when someone like Pacquiao gets robbed. There are JUDGES, where in NCAA wrestling we just have a referee. Single humans can miss action, two judges seeing a fight the wrong way is almost certainly indicative of collusion. Americans can forgive mistakes. We have a tougher time forgiving people who intentionally try to screw us. Before I answer the wrestling portion of the question I did have friends place HEFTY bets on Bradley before the fight at +450 and walked away with enough money to buy 545 Platinum subscriptions. Another friend bought out of his Bradley bet in the 12th round because he was certain that Pacquiao had won. Ouch! (Secretly it makes me happy.) Many believe Johny Hendricks was pinned by Ryan Churella in the NCAA finals in 2006 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The worst screwjob is recent NCAA wrestling probably belongs to Gary Kessel's non-call in the 2006 NCAA Division I finals at 165 pounds. Ryan Churella (Michigan) decked Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) in the second period, but Kessel was out of place, or just had a brief lapse in concentration and missed the call. Kessel caught some bad attention for his mistake because Churella went on to lose the match. But it was actually Hendricks who came out having lost the most. Maybe because Okie State was wrestling well, or his brash demeanor rubbed fans the wrong way, but Hendricks became the most hated wrestler of the aughties. Since then he's transitioned into MMA where he's one of the top welterweights in the world and fans don't just like him, they LOVE him (his nickname is the Happy Beard Guy). The reactions of the fans in 2006 might have cost wrestling something in the long term as well. In a recent interview with FIGHT! Magazine, the two-time NCAA champion said that the reason he didn't pursue the Olympics was because of the way he was treated by our fans. Why would he sacrifice his career for people who didn't respect his commitment? Internationally there have been so many American wrestlers hosed by Russian and European referees that it would be difficult to narrow it down to just one. I seem to recall that Mo Lawal was absolutely robbed in the semifinals of the 2005 World Championships where he eventually placed seventh. Lawal became so disenfranchised by the flippant way in which decisions were made in international wrestling that after a failed run at earning the Olympic spot in 2008 he moved over to MMA, and recently he also signed a contract with the professional wrestling organization TNA. He seems happy. Mixed martial arts aren't immune to bad decisions either (though most of them seem to surround Cecil Peoples). The biggest robbery in recent MMA history was Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia. Phan DESTROYED Garcia for three rounds, but Garcia was handed a split decision. The fight was so bad that it prompted UFC president Dana White to give Phan a rematch the next year, but only after he railed against bad decisions. On the whole, bad decisions in judged sports are rare. If Pacquiao had won maybe we'd finally get to see the fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. As it stands now, he'll have to re-fight Bradley and keep his fingers crossed that Mayweather makes it back from prison. Should that happen we could be in for quite the main event, though one has to suspect the fix is already in. The estimated takeaway for the two fighters is expected to break $100 million. (If you want a pretty cool explanation of where the Bradley-Pacquiao fight ranks against other boxing jobs, check out the animated podcast by Slate and Deadspin.com.) Battle of the Batmen Tournament Edition: Val Kilmer vs. Michael Keaton and George Clooney vs. Christian Bale? -- D. Thompkins (Note: Last week Michael Keaton dec. Val Kilmer, 6-1, and moved into the finals.) Foley: Lets start by looking at Christian Bale's dedication to his craft. The sometimes cantankerous actor shed 60 pounds to play the insomnia-ridden Trevor Reznick in the Machinist. A few years later he repeated the feat when he trimmed 40 pounds to play crack head boxing trainer Dicky Ecklund in The Fighter. With the vision of Christopher Nolan, Bale has changed what it means to be Batman. The movies are dark and meaty, but the Oscar winner turned a stale character in what could be the best superhero depiction of all time during his performance in the Dark Knight. He also has THE best gravelly Batman Voice. Did I mention he also once LOST 60 POUNDS FOR A MOVIE ROLE. Wrestlers rejoice. We are not alone. Batman and Robin was George Clooney's turn in the cape. Look Down and Shake. Clooney was simply awful. Bale tech. fall Clooney, 18-3 (2:26) Next week: Christian Bale vs. Michael Keaton!

St. Paris Graham's Bo Jordan works for the pin Bo Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), one of the nation's top wrestlers in the Class of 2013, recently committed to Ohio State. BuckeyeWrestling's Kevin Schlosser sits down with Jordan and talks to him about his decision to be a Buckeye.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- University of Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan announced that three-time All-American Boris Novachkov will train locally and assist the Illini wrestling team during the upcoming season. Novachkov comes to Illinois from Cal-Poly, where he wrestled for the Mustangs from 2007-2012. Boris Novachkov"Boris (Novachkov) will be a great asset to the program and community," Heffernan said. "Having someone with realistic goals of being an Olympian is a very positive thing for our program. In addition to his training, Boris will assist the program administratively in our daily operations." Novachkov was Cal Poly's first three-time NCAA Division I All-American with his third-place finish in this year's national championships (141 pounds), placing runner-up last year at 141 pounds and seventh at 133 pounds in 2010. During his four-years as a Mustang, Novachkov posted a 121-33 record and was a two-time Pac-12 champion in 2010 and 2011 and was conference runner-up this year and third in 2008. He was also named Cal-Poly's Male Athlete of the Year and shared the Mustang's Most Outstanding Wrestler Award. "I'm excited to become a part of the Illini wrestling program," Novachkov said. "It's a great opportunity for me to grow as a wrestler and continue to do what I love to do. I'm looking forward to training for the world and Olympic teams as well as help the team reach their goals."

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Cliff Keen Athletic is pleased to announce the signing of U.S. Olympic Wrestler Jake Herbert. The signing by Cliff Keen, marks a strategic marketing partnership with Herbert that entails Cliff Keen advertising, sponsored clinics, video production, and product endorsement. Herbert, a 2009 World Silver Medalist and current NYAC/Cliff Keen Wrestling Club member, is one of USA Wrestling's Medal Hopefuls for the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games. Jake Herbert (Photo/Eric Bronson, CKWC)Further details of the Herbert signing include an apparel partnership. The sponsorship will launch immediately. Cliff Keen Athletic will be providing a line of newly designed shirts for Jake, which will be sold on Jake's website, jakeherbert.com, cliffkeen.com, and select Cliff Keen retailers nationwide. "We are truly thrilled to be working with Jake," said Tom Keen of Cliff Keen Athletic. "I've known Jake for a long time, going back to when he was part of our Cliff Keen/ Wrestling USA Dream Team Classic as a standout prep wrestler. I can tell you that few athletes posses the determination, drive, charisma, and integrity that Jake has. That's tremendous!" Jake Herbert added "I am really pumped to be working with Cliff Keen. I've been training in their gear for years now, and honestly nobody makes products for wrestlers as well as Cliff Keen does. Getting to know them, they are exactly the type of quality organization that I want to be linked to." About Jake Herbert: A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jake's list of accomplishments on and off the mat are impressive: A 2009 and 2010 World Team Member, Pan American Champion, USA Freestyle Wrestler of the Year, a Hodge Trophy Winner, 2X NCAA Champ at Northwestern University, and 4X All American. Jake is hoping to add "Olympic Gold" to his resume later this summer in London. About Cliff Keen Athletic: For nearly 60 years, Cliff Keen Athletic has been the leader of the international wrestling market. Started in 1958 by legendary University of Michigan Wrestling Coach Cliff Keen, Cliff Keen Athletic continues his great legacy in the sport to this day manufacturing uniforms and equipment for wrestlers the world over.

Chris Bono and Gerry Brisco will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, June 13. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM Central on AM 1650, The Fan. An archive of the show can be found on www.themat.tv. Email kklingman@nwhof.org with any questions or comments about the show. Bono was recently hired as the head wrestling coach at South Dakota State. He was an NCAA champion for Iowa State in 1996. Brisco is a talent scout for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is a member of the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame located at that National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Case Western Reserve University Director of Athletics Dave Diles has announced the hiring of Mark Hawald as the Spartans' new head wrestling coach. A former National Coach of the Year, Hawald spent the last five seasons as head coach at the University of Mount Union, where he built one of the top Division III programs in the nation. Hawald is only the third head wrestling coach at CWRU since The University Federation in 1967. The late Bob Del Rosa coached the team from its origin through the 2010-11 season, and 2002 graduate Chris Nader led the program as interim coach in 2011-12. "Mark Hawald brings unprecedented qualifications to our wrestling program," said Diles. "He was a highly decorated wrestler at John Carroll University, and his coaching credentials are remarkable. As a three-time Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, and as the Division III National Coach of the Year, he has the experience and track record to lead the Spartan wrestling program. Moreover, I am particularly impressed with his international coaching experience and his overall vision for the advancement of our program. We are thrilled to welcome him to our department and university." Hawald brings with him to University Circle an outstanding resume that includes back-to-back OAC Championships in 2011 and 2012, seven NCAA All-Americans, 11 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-Americans and one NCAA Top-10 finish. A three-time OAC Coach of the Year, Hawald led the Purple Raiders to a 42-25 dual match record over the past five seasons and a program-best eighth-place finish at the 2011 NCAA Championship Tournament in 2011. Also during the 2010-11 campaign, the Solon, Ohio-native was tabbed as the D3wrestle.com National Coach of the Year in Division III. "I am excited to lead a program that is rich in history and tradition," said Hawald. "The world-class academic reputation and the resources at Case Western Reserve will allow us to recruit outstanding student-athletes who will help lead this program to a level of national prominence." Prior to his time at Mount Union, Hawald served as an assistant coach at Notre Dame College (Ohio) for one season following his time as a student-athlete then volunteer assistant at John Carroll. While at JCU, Hawald was a standout wrestler as a four-time OAC Champion and 2004 All-American at 174 pounds. The Blue Streaks' all-time leader in career wins (122), Hawald was tabbed as the Clyde Lamb Award winner in 2005, in recognition as the institution's top male student-athlete. Also a three-time Academic All-American, Hawald earned his Bachelor's Degree in accounting from JCU in 2005 and his Master's in Business Administration in 2007. In addition to his coaching duties at Mount Union, Hawald served an instructor in the Department of Economics, Accounting and Business Administration. The Spartan wrestling program has a long history of success both on the mat and in the classroom. Overall, Case Western Reserve has produced 19 All-Americans, four NCAA National Champions and 36 NWCA Scholar All-Americans. The program has also ranked in the top-10 in the nation for team grade point average four times, including posting the No. 1 ranking in Division III in 2007.

Related Link: The MMA Outsider Podcast Archives Following last weekend's UFC on FX 3, the biggest promotion in MMA is taking the week off. Judging by the show's undercard, that might be a good thing. Richard and John analyze the main card highlights and what the UFC can do to keep from having a watered down product with so many shows. Rounding things out, Strikeforce veteran Lyle Beerbohm joins the show to talk about his bout against former UFC and PRIDE fighter Marcus Aurelius on June 16 at ShoFights in Springfield, Ill.

Darton State College Athletics hired wrestling hall-of-famer Thomas Erikson to take over the Cavalier wrestling program. Erikson replaces former head wrestling coach Chris Fleeger. He is tentatively scheduled to begin his career at Darton on July 1. "We feel that Coach Erikson will have an immediate impact upon his arrival at Darton," Darton athletic director Mike Kiefer said. "He brings a wealth of experience as a coach and he's very well known and respected in the wrestling community. We're very pleased with his decision to become a member of our Darton family." Erikson built a reputation for excellence while serving as head assistant wrestling coach at Purdue University, where he coached All-American wrestlers at the NCAA D-I powerhouse. He simultaneously worked on athlete development among club-level wrestlers through Team Indiana. Erikson held his role as head assistant wrestling coach at Purdue University since 1999, and said that he recently realized it was time to move on if he wanted a position as a head coach. "I realized the head coach (at Purdue) isn't going anywhere," he said, "and that I needed to make a move." He referred to his hire at Darton as a homecoming of sorts, and added that his collegiate wrestling career began in the NJCAA, and he feels that things "are coming together full circle." Erikson won two national championship titles as a student-athlete at Triton College, a two-year school near Chicago, before transferring to Oklahoma State University and becoming a two-time NCAA All American. He's also a member of the NJCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame. His new role at Darton will be to continue the development of the wresling program, and also to build up the sport of wrestling in the area, he said. "I am looking forward to making the term 'student-athlete' be a staple of the Darton wrestling program, where our athletes are just as successful off the mat and in the classroom as they are on it," Erikson said. "To meet that challenge, I am looking forward to recruiting the best student-athletes in the state of Georgia." Erikson said he also wants to work very closely with Team Georgia Wrestling - the head of club wrestling in Georgia - to build local talent and a strong recruiting base. "We want to build up the state of South Georgia wrestling and then we want to retain those kids," he said. Erikson added that he has already been in touch with local high school coaches as he moves forward with this goal in mind. Purdue University associate athletic director for communications Tanner Lipsett praised Erikson's career at Purdue and said he'll be an excellent coach for Darton State College. "He's a great guy, a great coach and I'm sure you'll be thrilled to have him leading your program," he said.

Jake Herbert was in the stands for the majority of last week's Grapple in the Apple. The Pennsylvania native and 2009 World silver medalist was taking it all in alongside Kyle Dake, Bubba Jenkins, and three well-heeled businessmen in dark suits and side-parts. "What the hell is going on?" asked one of these (likely) finance guys in frustration. Beat The Streets Grapple in the Apple raised $1.4 Million For New York City area youth wrestling and education programs (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Herbert overhead their interest and in all his charming oafishness popped into their conversation to give them pointers on scoring and positioning. For five minutes they posed questions and Herbert answered. Finally they realized that the enormous and fit human in front of them might have wrestled as well. "Did you wrestle?" (Really? What else on EARTH could possibly have given him that frame? You can't see his ears behind his traps ... SUIT.) Herbert explained that he was still wrestling but was sitting out this match. Almost without thinking of the attention it might grab he added that he'd be wrestling in the Olympics. The dapper trio lost their minds. A REAL Olympian was sitting in front of them. Cell phone photos were taken. Ten minutes later their enthusiasm wasn't subsided and there were promises of watching all of Herbert's matches and possibly buying a few T-shirts. Herbert wasn't trying to sell them, he was sharing his passion with new people by using the available platform: The Grapple in the Apple. Wrestling icon Dan Gable was in New York City to take in the event (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The wrestling community loves attention and save for a few glitches the match held in Times Square could be considered one of the most successful events in amateur wrestling history. Why? Because it managed to raise money, awareness and excitement -- the event is equal parts friend-raiser and fundraiser. Herbert, albeit an Olympian, used the event to promote his passion and earned the sport three new friends with a personal connection and a positive image of the sport. Three new fans isn't a small thing. In the days leading up to the match, the USA Wrestling team was on a full-scale promotional tour through NYC. (Kudos to Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling for selling some of the biggest names in the MSM on wrestling -- not an easy task.) In the course of one week we saw Jordan Burroughs on the NBC Today Show, CNN Early Start, and the WSJ video section. In print he was even more thoroughly covered including a piece on SI.com. The rest of the team also got into the act showing up at the closing bell of the NYSE and Yankee Stadium for batting practice. Herbert made an appearance on NBC affiliates in Chicago and NYC. The event was covered by the AP, ESPN, Reuters, and dozens of other media outlets, much of which had to do with the ease of the location, but also because the event itself was meaty, with the Russians visiting and an Olympic spot on the line. Local media picked up the achievements of their favorite athletes. For the first time since March my Google news alert for "wrestling" was void of references to Vince McMahon. Every story had something to do with the Grapple in the Apple. Coleman Scott defeated Reece Humphrey and Shawn Bunch to make the U.S. Olympic Team at 60 kilos in men's freestyle (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The matches themselves were almost inconsequential to the overall feel of the event. Beating the backup Russian team was impressive and the Coleman Scott vs. Shawn Bunch could not have been more tense or ended in a more dramatic fashion, but it was the event itself that drew the attention of the media. (ESPN did not include Scott's final throw as a Top 10 play.) We live in an attention economy and getting our best in front of the camera and described in print will assist in selling the sport to more fans and more future supporters. In addition to the MSM and national media attention, the $1.4 million to support BTS also had a significant impact on the long-term sustainability of amateur wrestling. The monies raised at the banquet following the event will presumably be used to expand the organization's reach within the NYC Metro area with enough left over to help support the capital behind the new BTS program in Los Angeles. That West Coast branch of BTS will be headed up by former Division I All-American and longtime assistant coach Yero Washinston. As a grassroots program, BTS will succeed in its mission to get kids off the streets and through wrestling find a path to college, but from a sustainability standpoint BTS helps wrestling en masse by creating positive local media. In turn that media helps builds support within school administration and local governments. After parents and bureaucrats decide that wrestling is a positive option for their youth there is an increase in participation rates. That wouldn't be possible without the Grapple in the Apple. Jordan Burroughs dominated Russia's Kamel Malikov (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Ultimately the legacy of the national media event like the Grapple in the Apple won't be with how many times we got to see Burroughs and Herbert on the television, or how the crowd became entranced by the back-and-forth between Scott and Bunch. The big payoff is that we have a grassroots organization impacting local communities. By cultivating the image of the sport at the local level we'll change the perception and habits of active youth, which will help us guarantee that there will always be a wrestling team to watch, cheer, and support. Like Herbert did in Times Square with the suits, our local wrestlers will recruit interest from family and friends. In turn they'll ensure that we have the support and the attention we've always pined for. Thanks to Beat the Streets, wrestling has its first long-term sustainable approach to creating, capturing, and capitalizing on an interest in the sport of wrestling. In a sport that seems more about contraction and negativity, this is the bright spot we can all enjoy. Footnote: I've been thinking it for some time (after the third-place finish at the 2011 Worlds, then after the third-place finish at the World Cup), but it's time to start considering a healthy overdose of praise for USA Wrestling's head coach Zeke Jones. There are several factors that have contributed to the recent uptick in international results (regional training centers, overall talent pool, Jordan Burroughs) but the coach of the program is the CEO and fair or not he'll take praise for the wins and criticism for the losses. Watching the Russian dual left me feeling hopeful about the United States chances not only in this year's Olympics, but for the next cycle as well. (Prediction: Logan Stieber will be a multi-time World and Olympic medalist. Grit. Speed. Strength.)

Brandon Eggum has been a key figure both as a competitor and coach in the University of Minnesota's climb to national prominence in Division I college wrestling. Eggum, a native of Sydney, Mont., was a three-time All-American (1998-2000) for the Gophers at 177/184 pounds, finishing fifth as a sophomore, runner-up as a junior, and third as a senior. He was also a two-time Big Ten champion. The Gophers finished in the top three at the NCAAs in each of Eggum's four seasons as a starter. Following his college wrestling career, Eggum found success on the senior level in freestyle wrestling. He earned a silver medal at the 2001 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Eggum joined Minnesota's staff in 2001 as the team's strength and conditioning coordinator, and helped the program to its first NCAA team title that season. He later moved into an assistant coaching position, and in August of 2011 was promoted to head assistant coach for the Gophers. In Eggum's 12 seasons on Minnesota's staff, the Gophers have won three NCAA team titles and finished in the top ten 11 times. InterMat caught up with Eggum and talked to him about a variety of topics, including this past season, members of the Gopher wrestling team, his competitive career, 2012-13 season outlook and schedule, career goals, and much more. Minnesota is coming off a runner-up finish at the NCAAs. I know the coaching staff and team's goal was to finish on top, but I imagine there is some satisfaction that comes with taking home a runner-up trophy. How did you and the staff evaluate this past season? Brandon Eggum coaches heavyweight Tony Nelson at the 2012 NCAA Championships (Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Eggum: Overall we thought the guys made some great progress throughout the season. From early on, and then watching guys grow, we were very pleased. Obviously, we had a goal of winning a national championship. We had the potential to do that with a great national tournament. We had a good national tournament ... there's no doubt. A lot of guys wrestled above their seeds. But at the same time there were some guys that you knew deserved better. But that's the way that national tournament is. There are always ups and downs with it. Having seven All-Americans was excellent. But we had other guys that we know definitely could have been All-Americans. Nick Dardanes lost in the round of 12. That guy definitely should have been a high All-American just based on the way he was wrestling, and knowing how good he is. We just had some ups and down during the tournament, but that's just the way it goes. You started four freshmen, including a true freshman, and three sophomores this past season. When you have a young team like that, do you approach the season differently than you would with a team filled with juniors and seniors? Eggum: A little bit. We had some good balance. We had a couple great seniors in Zach Sanders and Sonny Yohn, so it was nice to have their leadership with the young guys. We went right into a pretty tough schedule. Starting right off the bat we had Cornell and Penn State early on a hard road trip, traveling to both schools. That really gave us a good look at where the guys were at. Our young guys were very, very tough mentally. They had a lot of confidence in themselves. You could just see by the way they wrestled with their intensity and pace that good things would happen as the season would go on. We knew that that was something they were always going to do. For us it was more about just trying to look at each individual as they were wrestling and start to figure out small areas where we could work on improvement. We knew the effort would be there. But if technically we could improve in a few areas, we knew that would help us. It was great to see so many young guys do well and become All-Americans. Logan Storley initially wanted to compete right out of the gates. We talked with him a lot about it. We told him that we planned on redshirting him. Typically we like to redshirt everybody when they come in if we can. That's what we wanted to do with him, even though he had made a strong point that he really wanted to compete. We just said, 'Well, if you feel that you're ready to compete, then at that point we would talk about it.' So we just kept trying to put it off and just watched him in the room. You could just see his mat sense was really good. He could also wrestle very well on the mat. Some kids coming out of high school, even blue chips, can struggle on the mat. He was doing very well in that area. He was competing with great guys in our room who were successful. Zach Sanders finished his career as Minnesota's seventh four-time All-American. What are you going to remember most about him as a college competitor? Eggum: The thing that I always think about with Zach is just the way he lived his life. He competed and trained perfectly. Everything was about wrestling for him ... The way that he took care of himself as far as training, sleeping, studying the sport, everything about it. It was very, very impressive to watch a guy that was as dedicated as him. That's why he was such a great leader for these young guys. They come in and they're looking up to a great leader like Zach Sanders. As far as coaching him, what a great guy to sit in the corner on. The guy wrestled for all seven minutes, all the time. He was never out of a match. He was just fun to watch. He had a ton of great skills. He was always thinking about scoring points and being offensive. He was a tough kid. So many great memories about Zach that it's hard to just pick out one. Sanders wrestled at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials just a month after his college career ended and had a win over Angel Escobedo, who has been successful on the senior level. What kind of freestyle career do you expect Sanders to have? Zach Sanders defeated Angel Escobedo at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/The Guillotine)Eggum: Zach is going to have a great freestyle career, I believe. He's just kind of getting a taste of it. As you mentioned, he had a nice win over Escobedo, who is a very talented freestyle wrestler, and Zach did that with very little freestyle training. I know that Zach has made his decision to completely dedicate himself to making the freestyle team. I think 121 pounds is a great weight for Zach as well. He should have great success. We're extremely excited to keep him around training, just because of the way he lives and trains. At the same time, he's a great asset for the guys that are in our program. Obviously, with Sanders graduating, it leaves a void at 125 pounds. There has been speculation that David Thorn will be dropping from 133 pounds to 125 pounds. Can you confirm this? Eggum: Yeah. David came and talked with us a little bit about that near the end of the season. He has made the one-hundred percent decision that he's going to go 125 pounds. I think it's a great fit for him. Size-wise he actually was always light at 133 pounds. He's wrestling very well in the room right now. There's no question that a guy like David Thorn should be contending for a national title at 125 pounds. You will also have to replace three-time All-American Sonny Yohn at 197 pounds. Scott Schiller appears to be the frontrunner for that spot. He performed well as a backup, going 26-4 and placing fifth at the Southern Scuffle, which included a win over Penn State's Morgan McIntosh. What are your expectations for Schiller? Eggum: Scott has done a great job. We're excited to watch him compete. Our expectations for him are the same as the expectations we had for the young guys that entered the lineup last season, and that's just to go out and compete hard, and to wrestle the style of wrestling that we have been preaching here at Minnesota. That's what he does very, very well. He'll learn a lot, especially getting the exposure in live competition that he wasn't able to get this past season. I think he's going to have a big learning curve during the season. We just expect him to go out and wrestle a real physical pace, like he does, and good things will happen. The one weight class where you did not get an NCAA qualifier this past season was 157 pounds. Who do you see as the candidates for that starting spot this coming season? Pat Smith, one of the nation's top Greco-Roman wrestlers at 66 kilos, is one of a handful of wrestlers expected to battle for the starting spot at 157 pounds (Photo/The Guillotine)Eggum: That's still a question mark for us right now. In the past we had Jake Deitchler. When he was no longer able to compete, Alec Ortiz filled the sport for a lot of the season. Danny Zilverberg also saw some time in the lineup. Those are two guys that I know will be in the running for the spot. There are also a number of other young guys. Off the top of my head I'll probably leave someone out ... but we have Steven Keogh, Brad Dolezal, and Pat Smith. Those guys are all hungry and trying to earn a spot. But that's the weight we need someone to step up and really do well. For this team to win a national title we need somebody to come through there and be in the hunt to be an All-American. We have five returning All-Americans, so in that sense we have a strong returning team. You bring a guy like David Thorn in at 125 pounds, who I think will contend for a national title. Then you have a guy like Nick Dardanes, who could be a national champion or certainly a high finisher at 141 pounds. Plus, Cody Yohn, who is already a three-time NCAA qualifier. Then Scott Schiller at 197 pounds, who looks to be a solid fit for us. We just need a guy at 157 pounds to step up. Just like this past season, the balance of our team will be very, very good. You have signed another strong recruiting class that includes five InterMat Top 100 recruits. What are your overall thoughts on this year's recruiting class? Eggum: Obviously, sometimes you look to fill weights. But the other thing that we have always looked at here is just finding kids who fit into this program as far as being great people and having great attitudes. We're really happy with the guys that we brought in. They are hard-working individuals and seem very, very motivated. They'll fit in well. So we're excited with the group that we have. Do you expect any of your true freshmen to contend for starting spots this coming season? Or do you anticipate that all of them will redshirt? Eggum: We anticipate that all of them will redshirt. That's what we're thinking. There is maybe an individual here or there that we talked about early in the recruiting process that we would think about wrestling if they're ready. But I think right now with where we're at our thoughts are that all the incoming recruits will redshirt. We feel pretty comfortable that will be the case this season, barring injuries and things of that sort. Some programs have already released their schedules for the 2012-13 season. When do you anticipate the Gopher wrestling schedule will be finalized and released to the public? Eggum: For the most part the schedule has been finalized. I was waiting on one team in particular to see if we were going to have an extra dual with them. But right now we have a great home schedule. We have eight home duals this season. We added a couple different teams. Boise State is coming in. Hofstra, and Oregon State, a program that hasn't typically been on our schedule. Then we'll have Oklahoma State here at home. Other big duals with Iowa and Illinois. We have Northwestern and Michigan State on the Big Ten schedule as well. We have eight home duals, and right now it looks like we have the National Duals finals here as well. We're just trying to make sure everything is good to go. But it sounds like this is going to be the site for the National Duals finals. So we're excited about that. At least nine opportunities to compete at home is great for our team and great for our fans. So we're pretty pumped about the upcoming schedule. As far as the release of the schedule, I think they're waiting on a few things with the National Duals, and like I said, there's one team I'm trying to square some things up with. It could be an additional date here at home, or it could be away. But other than that we're pretty much finalized, so it might be released in the next few weeks. Shifting gears … You competed at the 2001 World Championship and claimed a silver medal. Where is that silver medal today? Eggum: People joke about it sometimes ... I've had people ask about it. It's actually in the attic of my garage. I guess I'm kind of embarrassed to say that. But it's up in my garage, up in the lofted area up there. I packed stuff away when I moved houses, and I never got a chance to pull it out. The memory of the tournament was great, and I was really excited about the opportunity to compete, and compete well. A lot of times, timing is everything. It was a great tournament for me. The memories for me are something that I cherish. The medal, though, for the most part, is not something I really think much about. But, yeah, it's in my garage, so I'll have to see if I can dust it off one day and pull it out. Some of the guys have asked about seeing it, and I've said that I don't know if I have enough time to get up there and look around for it. You competed against Cael Sanderson both in college and in your freestyle career. I have heard Daniel Cormier talk about how Cael made him a better wrestler in college because he had to train to beat one of the best wrestlers in the world. Do you think competing against Cael helped raise your level? Brandon Eggum battles Cael Sanderson (Photo/The Guillotine)Eggum: Yeah ... there's no doubt. The guy was an exceptional competitor. It keeps you very, very focused. You try to learn new things and improve. So it definitely helped in that sense. He was one of the best wrestlers in the world when he was competing. When you get a chance to compete against somebody like that it does make it easy to keep yourself motivated and focused. There were a number of other guys that I competed against that I really respected, so I always hoped that I was training intensely and hard to be the best, and not overlooking other competitors. You retired after 2004 at the age of 28. Did that itch to compete ever come back after you retired from competition? Eggum: Not so much. Guys talk about that itch a lot. I didn't really feel it in that sense. I was really excited about what I was able to do with coaching, and starting to get more involved with wrestling. I really enjoy competing in the room and wrestling with the guys. But as far as the thought of coming back and really competing, I guess I don't feel a strong urge to do that, or haven't. When I was done, I was ready to be done. I really haven't looked back. With coaching, now starting my family and everything else that is going on in my life, I feel content with where I'm at and with what I've done as a competitor. Now it's more about helping these guys get better and attain their goals. You are widely considered one of the nation's top assistant coaches in Division I. Your name is often times brought up when Division I head coaching positions are open. How important is it to you to become a Division I head coach? Eggum: That's my ultimate goal, to be a head coach. It's great to be in the situation that I'm in right now under J Robinson. You learn so much from a guy like him. I'm blessed to be in this situation. But ultimately that's why I'm here. I'm putting in my time and trying to be the best I can be as a head assistant coach. But my ultimate goal as far as my career goes is to be a head coach, so it's very, very important to me. On paper you have a team that is expected to be in the hunt for an NCAA team title in 2013. In your opinion, what is it going to take in terms of All-Americans and/or NCAA champions to finish on top in Des Moines next year? Brandon Eggum talks with Sonny Yohn at the 2012 NCAA Championships (Photo/The Guillotine)Eggum: I don't know what the magic number is ... but we had seven All-Americans this year, and in some years you can definitely win the title with seven All-Americans. I think it's going to take team balance for us to do it ... there's no question. I think you're going to have to have seven or more All-Americans to win the national title, and I think we can do that. There's no question. I see strong individuals ... I think we can get All-Americans in each of the weights. I would say it's going to take seven-plus All-Americans, and we have to have a handful of guys get in the finals and score some big points. We have the capability of doing that. So I guess that would be my prediction as far as us winning a national title. I see us doing it with a full team balance, all 10 guys going to the national tournament, and all 10 guys scoring points for the team. This story also appears in the June 8 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. 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Eddie Klimara (Providence Catholic, Ill.), a two-time state champion and four-time state finalist, recently returned from visits to Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech, but ultimately decided he wanted to be a Cowboy and wrestle for John Smith. Eddie Klimara"There were a lot of reasons I liked Oklahoma State, but I'd have to say it was because of all the kids down there," said Klimara, who became the last Class of 2012 wrestler in the InterMat Top 100 to commit to a college. "I knew most of them and got along with them well, and the coaches were awesome. But overall just the whole atmosphere down there ... wrestling and school was amazing." This past January Klimara become the 12th four-time Catholic League champion in Illinois. He was also a four-time Dvorak champion. Klimara claimed a Junior National freestyle title in 2010. Klimara projects as a 125-pounder in college.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri wrestling head coach Brian Smith has signed a contract extension, as announced Friday morning by Director of Athletics Mike Alden. The contract is a five-year deal lasting through the 2016-17 season, with a one-year automatic extension for the 2017-18 campaign that would kick in on May 1, 2013. “We’re very happy to be able to announce this for Coach Smith and the rest of the Missouri wrestling program,” Alden said. “Brian and his staff have turned Mizzou wrestling in to one of the nation’s elite programs, and we look forward to many more years of success under his watch at Missouri.” Already the longest-tenured head coach in the history of Missouri wrestling, the 2012-13 season will mark Smith’s 15th since taking over for Wes Roper in 1998. In that time, the Tigers have seen unprecedented success both on the mat and in the classroom, crowning four national champions, 26 All-Americans, 14 Academic All-Americans and 40 Academic All-Conference honorees. “The most important thing about this extension is the statement it makes about the program’s future,” stated Smith. “The administration, the coaching staff, and the student-athletes have helped build something special, and the department is committed to helping the program continue their quest for a National Championship” Since 1998-99, Smith and Missouri have compiled a dual record of 173-82-3, making him the winningest coach by both victories and winning percentage (.676) in program history. He’s also lead the team to seven top-15 finishes at the NCAA Championships, including a third place finish in 2007, capturing the school’s only team trophy since the 1965 Men’s Indoor Track and Field team won the national championship. “Finalizing this contract with Brian was very important to us, not just because we wanted to recognize him for all he’s helped the program achieve, but because we also want to express how committed we are to wrestling at Mizzou going forward,” said Executive Associate Athletic Director Sarah Reesman. “Brian and his staff have accomplished so many great things – both athletically and academically – and we look forward to the program reaching even greater levels of success in years to come.” In 2012, the program claimed their first Big 12 Conference championship, scoring 77.0 points with four individual champions in front of the hometown crown at the Hearnes Center. The team would go on to qualify all 10 starters for the NCAA Championships for the first time ever and was the only team in all of Division I Wrestling to accomplish that feat in 2012. “The administration has always given me everything I’ve asked for,” Smith said. “They come to me and ask ‘what can we do’ to help improve the program. We’ve had a great working relationship since I started here. They see the big picture and they see how we’re developing young men in to future leaders. This was an easy decision for me because I knew how important it was for the program.” The University of Missouri has continuously confirmed their long-term support for the Tiger wrestling program, despite the fact that the Southeastern Conference does not sponsor the sport. Along with Smith’s extension, the program recently announced several additions to their coaching staff. After three years as a volunteer, Joe Johnston was promoted to a full time assistant, while former National Champion Mark Ellis returns to his alma mater to take over the volunteer position. An All-American in 2011, Todd Schavrien also comes back to Mizzou to serve as the Director of Operations. On top of all that, the current wrestling facility will be expanded and upgraded to allow for an Olympic development center.