InterMat Staff

With the high school wrestling season's start fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From now until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top high school senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to future college and senior level stars. Minnesota is known for its rich Greco-Roman wrestling tradition, but the Land of 10,000 Lakes churns out top national talent in all three styles of wrestling year in and year out. Last year Minnesota sent 23 high school wrestlers to Division I programs. In addition, Minnesota had the nation's top-ranked high school wrestling program, Apple Valley, and four teams in the final InterMat Fab 50 team rankings. This year Minnesota could send even more wrestlers to Division I programs than last year when the dust settles. Only Pennsylvania and Ohio have more wrestlers ranked in the InterMat Top 100 seniors than Minnesota. Seven of the 10 wrestlers on this Wrestling 49 list have already committed to Division I programs, with the top four committing to the University of Minnesota. Brandon Kingsley defeated Mason Manville at the 2011 InterMat JJ Classic (Photo/The Guillotine)1. Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149/157 Analysis: Kingsley, who is ranked as the No. 6 overall senior in the country by InterMat, has been a dominant force in Apple Valley's lineup ever since he became a starter as a freshman. Kingsley is a three-time state champion with career record of 169-6. His coming out party came his freshman season when he pinned David Thorn, who was one of the nation's top seniors at the time, in the finals of the Minnesota Christmas Tournament. Kingsley is a pinning machine. Of his 169 career wins, 126 have come by way of pin. He recently captured a title at the InterMat JJ Classic, which included a 4-2 victory over Mason Manville, who is ranked as the nation's No. 3 junior high wrestler. Kingsley committed to the University of Minnesota at the end of his junior year. 2. Dakota Trom (Apple Valley) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 132 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: Trom, like his Apple Valley teammate Kingsley, will be in search of his fourth state championship. Trom's state titles have come at 112, 119, and 125 pounds. He has gone 134-8 over the past three seasons. Trom was a runner-up at the Cheesehead the past two seasons and a Cadet National freestyle runner-up in 2010. He is ranked as the nation's No. 48 overall senior by InterMat and recently committed to the University of Minnesota. He projects as a 141-pounder in college and will look to follow in the footsteps of another Apple Valley great, Chad Erikson, who finished as a two-time All-American at 141 pounds for the Gophers. Sam Brancale was an InterMat JJ Classic champion at 132 pounds and OW (Photo/The Guillotine)3. Sam Brancale (Eden Prairie) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 132 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Analysis: Brancale entered high school with an impressive wrestling resume in national age group events, but weighed less than 100 pounds when he was a freshman. Still, despite being an undersized 103-pounder, Brancale managed a sixth-place finish at the state tournament in 2009. He grew into the 103-pound weight class as a sophomore and dominated his competition, going a perfect 42-0 en route to a state championship. As a junior, Brancale entered the state tournament ranked No. 1 in the state, but lost 1-0 in the quarterfinals to nationally-ranked Mitch Bengtson (St. Cloud Apollo), and came back to finish third. Brancale has been a FILA Cadet double All-American the past two years. He is ranked as the nation's No. 56 overall senior by InterMat. Brancale recently claimed a title at the InterMat JJ Classic and was named the event's Outstanding Wrestler. 4. Michael Kroells (Scott West) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 220/285 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Analysis: Kroells is mobile, athletic big man who has shined in state and national events. He was an undefeated (47-0) state champion last season at 215 pounds, has twice been in the state finals, and has earned three state medals. Kroells, the nation's No. 63 overall senior, will bring a 133-28 record into his senior season. He was a Cadet National folkstyle champion in 2010. This past spring Kroells registered a win over the nation's No. 1 heavyweight last season, Donny Longendyke (White Bear Lake). He recently pinned Cadet National double champion Sam Stoll (Kasson-Mantorville) to win the InterMat JJ Classic title at heavyweight. Kroells has committed to the University of Minnesota, where he will look to carry on the Gopher heavyweight legacy. 5. Ben Morgan (Forest Lake) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 133/141 Analysis: Morgan, the son of 1996 Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler Gordy Morgan, won a state championship before any wrestler on this list. That state title came when Morgan was an eighth-grader at 112 pounds, and many predicted he would be a five-time state champion. But Morgan has been unable to get back to the state finals, let alone win a state title, since entering high school, and will begin his senior season in search of the elusive second state title. He has finished third at the state tournament in each of the past three seasons. Morgan has twice been a freestyle All-American in Fargo. He is a four-time Rumble on the Red champion and two-time Minnesota Christmas Tournament champion. Morgan, who is ranked as the nation's No. 84 overall senior by InterMat, recently committed to the University of Nebraska. Ben Sullivan gets in on a shot against Iowa City West's Justin Koethe at the InterMat JJ Classic (Photo/The Guillotine)6. Ben Sullivan (Apple Valley) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Analysis: Sullivan has flown under the radar a bit, partly because of the fact that he was unable to compete on Apple Valley's varsity team last season after moving to Minnesota from Alaska. He was an undefeated (41-0) state champion as a sophomore in Alaska. Sullivan showed that he is one of the nation's best by reaching the NHSCA Junior National finals at 160 pounds. He recently went toe-to-toe with Justin Koethe (Iowa City West), the nation's No. 31 overall senior, in the finals of the InterMat JJ Classic, but fell 10-7. 7. Micah Barnes (Simley) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Analysis: Barnes, who recently committed to Old Dominion University, will be counted on to help lead Simley to another state title and high national ranking. He earned All-American honors this year in folkstyle and freestyle at the Junior level. Barnes will be looking for the elusive state title after finishing runner-up as a sophomore and junior. He won the Cheesehead last season, beating Apple Valley's Steven Keogh in the finals. 8. Austin Goergen (Caledonia/Houston) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 285 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Analysis: Goergen, a two-time state champion at heavyweight, is the biggest wild card on this list because of the fact that he has not been competing in national events. Some evaluate him as one of the nation's top heavyweights with tremendous college potential, while others see him as a solid in-state heavyweight with limited college potential. Goergen was unheralded (and unranked in the state) when he won his first state championship as a sophomore. Last year he was an undefeated state champion who went unchallenged at the state tournament. 9. Joey Munos (South St. Paul) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: Munos has put together an impressive wrestling resume, earning two state titles, four state medals, and a Junior National folkstyle championship this past spring. He wrestles for the same high school (South St. Paul) that produced Jake Clark, a two-time U.S. World Team member in Greco-Roman and a 2012 Olympic hopeful. 10. Cooper Moore (Jackson County Central) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 170 Projected College Weight Class: 165/174 Analysis: Moore is a three-sport athlete from the same school that produced Chad Kraft, Nate Baker, Travis Rutt, and Cole Von Ohlen. He first wrestled in the state tournament as a seventh-grader at 103 pounds in 2007. Moore earned his first state medal (fourth) as a freshman, and then captured a state title as a sophomore at 160 pounds. Last year he took a No. 1 ranking into the state tournament, but suffered a concussion in the first round and was forced to default out the event. Moore is a two-time Junior National folkstyle All-American. He recently committed to Northern Iowa University and projects as a 165/174-pounder in college.

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CHICAGO, Ill. -- As Bellator Fighting Championships prepares to invade Memorial Hall in Kansas City on October 29, the fight card has been finalized with a number of preliminary fights featuring some explosive local talent sure to make the Kansas City faithful proud. Saturday will also feature the Kansas City return of Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren, who puts his title on the line against former UFC veteran and Season 4 Tournament winner Jay Hieron. The Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament also marches on as semifinalists Ron Sparks and Eric Prindle battle it out for a spot in the finals, while Neil “Goliath” Grove takes on Thiago Santos to move one step closer to a title shot against current Bellator Heavyweight Champion Cole Konrad. The action will be LIVE on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX2 beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT. First fight will take place at 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT and will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com. Tickets for the event can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com and at the Memorial Hall Box Office. Staying in the Halloween spirit, fans are encouraged to show off their best costumes on fight night as there will be two $500 prizes for best male and female costumes. Winners will be shown LIVE on MTV2 and EPIX2 and will be guests of honor at the Bellator 56 after-party in Memorial Hall after the event. The only way into the highly-anticipated after-party is to buy a ticket to Bellator 56. A 2008 U.S. Olympian and former ESPY award nominee for Best Collegiate Athlete, Askren, the reigning Bellator Welterweight Champion, will put his title on the line for the first time since capturing the crown at Bellator 33 over then champion Lyman Good. While the fight may be the toughest test of his young MMA career, the University of Missouri product and two-time NCAA Division I national wrestling champion should feel right at home fighting in Kansas City. “It's an unreal feeling knowing I'll be fighting so close to Mizzou,” said Askren. “It won't affect me during the fight, I could beat Jay in his living room, but to be able to celebrate with all my friends and family after the win is going to be awesome.” Missouri native and long-time Bellator veteran Rudy “Bad News” Bears will square off against Kansas resident Marcos Navarro in a welterweight fight, while the undefeated Jeremy Spoon will look to keep his record spotless with a victory over former Featherweight Tournament participant Adam Schindler. “Kansas City has been a spectacular home for Bellator with huge, loud crowds and incredible fights,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “But, this event Saturday night is the greatest event we've ever brought to KC with our partners from MTV.” Light Heavyweight Dan Spohn will look to keep his momentum going in a scrap with Kelvin Tiller. Spohn left fans stunned with a nine-second knockout victory in his Bellator debut and will be looking for the same result Saturday at Memorial Hall. St. Louis native and undefeated lightweight E.J. Brooks will take on William De Souza, while Jacob Aiken will battle Jeimeson Saudino in a featherweight affair. Odessa, Missouri native Owen Evinger will fight Aaron Ely, who is making his Bellator debut and will be looking to impress. The night will round out with Derrick Ruffin battling Daniel Gallemore in a heavyweight fight sure to produce fireworks. For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator About Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator's founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships' executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. About MTV2 MTV2 is a man's best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. About EPIX EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launched on October 30, 2009. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through the linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com, the leading online destination for movies. EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry's most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available on EpixHD.com. The service is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.

TEMPE -- Fans will have their first opportunity of the 2011-12 athletic campaign to witness the Arizona State University wrestling team in action on Friday as the team hosts its annual Maroon & Gold Wrestle-Offs at the Riches Wrestling Complex in Tempe, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The annual intrasquad dual gives the student-athletes their first taste of action in a competitive atmosphere. Each weight class will feature two wrestlers essentially battling it out for their spot on the starting roster, making Friday's bouts a bit more important than one might find typical of an intrasquad scrimmage. Fans are encouraged to come out to the competition and get a taste of the action up close and personal on Friday evening. The Sun Devils team features several student-athletes already receiving some preseason recognition from some of the early season polls. InterMat has returning All-American heavyweight Levi Cooper ranked seventh in its preseason rankings, with Luke Macchiaroli at No. 18 at 197 pounds and Eric Starks at No. 19 at 174 pounds. Friday's bouts will be as follows: 125 – David Prado vs. Josh Sandoval 133 – Kalin Goodsite vs. Cameron Carlberg 141 – Nathan Hoffer vs. Alex Schmersal 149 – Joel Smith vs. Victor De Jesus 157 – Hans Rasmusson vs. Kory DeBerry 165 – Kyle DeBerry vs. Derek Felton 174 - Eric Starks vs. Blake Stauffer 184/197 – Tommy Burriel vs. Bobby Bowman HWT - Levi Cooper vs. Michael Hawkins Fans are welcome to come enjoy the action. There will be a $5 entry charge at the door for a night's worth of action. All proceeds go to the continued support of the ASU wrestling program. The season is set to officially begin the following weekend as the team will travel way north to Ypsilanti, Mich., on Nov. 5 to take part in the Eastern Michigan Open.

USAFA, Colo. -- The Air Force wrestling team competed in front of its fans for the first time during the 2011-12 season on Wednesday evening, as it hosted the annual Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match in Clune Arena. In a decision that came down to the final bout, the Blue team took a narrow 19-16 victory over the Silver team. The action began with the 125-pound match between junior Steven Joseph (Middleburg, Fla.) and sophomore Greg Rinker (Northampton, Pa.). After two scoreless periods, Rinker notched the first point of the match, notching an escape to open the third period. Neither wrestler scored again, as Rinker took the 1-0 decision to give the Silver team a 3-0 advantage in the team scoring. At 133 pounds, freshman Dylan Hyder (Yelm, Wash.) earned a 5-0 decision over classmate Cody Hancock (Wrightwood, Calif.) to put the Blue team on the board. Hyder scored a first-period takedown to take the early lead and kept the advantage for the entire second period. Starting the third period on bottom, Hyder registered a reversal and added nearly four minutes of riding time for the win. The match at 141 pounds was the closest of the evening, with senior Tyler Untrauer (Midwest City, Okla.) taking the mat for the Blue team, while newcomer Carter McElhany (Colorado Springs, Colo.) wrestled for the Silver team. Untrauer scored the first takedown of the match to grab the lead, while McElhany scored a quick escape. After a scoreless second period, McElhany recorded an escape to open the third, and took a 3-2 lead after Untrauer's second stall warning of the match. However, Untrauer was able to regain control with a takedown in the final 20 seconds of competition, earning the 4-3 decision. With the Blue team leading, 6-3, junior captain Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) was ready to put more points on the board for his squad. Taking on sophomore Daniel Baucke (Memphis, Tenn.) in the 149-pound bout, VonOhlen scored a takedown to earn a 2-0 advantage after one period. After another takedown and a second stall warning call against Baucke, VonOhlen led 5-0 going into the final period. His lead grew to 7-0 with a third-period reversal, and with an extra point for riding time, VonOhlen won the 8-0 major decision to give the Blue team a 10-3 advantage. The 157-pound match was a battle of two veterans, as returning starter and team captain Alec Williams (Sr., Fultondale, Ala.) faced off against sophomore Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.), the Falcons' starter at 149 last season. Kreimier, wrestling for the Silver team, took the early lead, scoring the first takedown of the match, while Williams tied the score at 2-2 with a reversal. However, Kreimier notched a reversal of his own to earn a 4-2 lead after one period. An escape by Williams to start the second period brought him back within a point, but he was unable to score again. Meanwhile, Kreimier scored a takedown and a third-period reversal, earning a 9-3 decision. At 165 pounds, sophomore Colby Kluesner (Denver, Colo.) and senior Tanner Weltzin (Alexandria, Minn.) wrestled a close match, beginning with a first-period takedown by Weltzin. Kluesner responded with an escape and a takedown of his own to take the lead, while Weltzin scored an escape to tie the bout at 3-3. However, Kluesner scored another takedown to end the opening period, grabbing a 5-3 advantage. Weltzin scored the only point of the second period, earning an escape, but after a scoreless third period, Kluesner had the riding time advantage to win the 6-4 decision for the Blue team. Trailing in the team scoring, 13-6, the Silver team was looking for a win from Clayton Gable (Jr., Dallastown, Pa.) in the 174-pound bout. The match against freshman Garrett Wells (Corvallis, Ore.) had a slow beginning, with neither wrestler scoring any points in the opening period. However, Gable responded with a pair of two-point near falls in the second period and added three takedowns and an escape in the final period. With over two minutes of riding time, Gable picked up a 12-2 major decision over Wells to bring the Silver team back within three points. The match between Dalton Henderson (Fr., Owatonna, Minn.) and Greg Isley (So., Toledo, Ohio) at 184 pounds was another exciting bout to watch, with both wrestlers earning takedowns and near falls in the opening period. Isley scored the only takedown of the second period, but with a pair of escapes, Henderson still held the slight edge. After an Isley escape to open the third period, Henderson scored his third takedown of the match. The freshman added a three-point near fall in the waning seconds to earn a 15-10 decision, putting the Blue team ahead, 16-10. At 197 pounds, sophomore Brook Gosch (Orwigsburg, Pa.), representing the Blue team, took on junior Josh Mohr (Pewaukee, Wis.), competing for the Silver team. Mohr took a 2-1 lead after one period, with a single takedown, and started the second period in the down position. However, with a quick move, Mohr was able to score a fall just 15 seconds into the period, helping the Silver team tie the score at 16-16. With just one more bout remaining, the heavyweight match would prove to be the deciding factor in the team competition. Wrestling for the Blue team was returning starter Jared Erickson (Jr., Newton, Utah), while Cody Davis (So., The Woodlands, Texas) wrestled up a weight class for the Silver team. Erickson scored the first points of the match with a first-period takedown, and led 2-1 going into the second period. Davis recorded an escape for the only point of the second period, tying the score at 2-2. Erickson took control in the final period, scoring an escape and a takedown, and earned a 6-3 decision over Davis to give the Blue team a 19-16 victory. The Falcons' season gets to an official start on Nov. 6, when the team travels to Salem, Va., for the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech. Blue 19, Silver 16 125 - Greg Rinker (Silver) dec. Steven Joseph, 1-0 133 - Dylan Hyder (Blue) dec. Cody Hancock, 5-0 141 - Tyler Untrauer (Blue) dec. Carter McElhany, 4-3 149 - Cole VonOhlen (Blue) maj. dec. Daniel Baucke, 8-0 157 - Josh Kreimier (Silver) dec. Alec Williams, 9-3 165 - Colby Kluesner (Blue) dec. Tanner Weltzin, 6-4 174 - Clayton Gable (Silver) maj. dec. Garrett Wells, 12-2 184 - Dalton Henderson (Blue) dec. Greg Isley, 15-10 197 - Josh Mohr (Silver) fall Brook Gosch, 3:45 HWT - Jared Erickson (Blue) dec. Cody Davis, 6-3

EDMOND, Okla. -- St. Cloud State (Minn.) enters the 2011-12 season as the No. 1 team in NCAA Division II wrestling, according to the preseason poll released by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Wednesday. The Huskies, coming off a best-ever runner-up finish in last year's national tournament, received four of the eight first-place votes cast in balloting of coaches from around the country and finished with 153 points in earning the favorite's tag. Newberry (S.C.), which has won four straight Super Region I titles and was sixth nationally last season, earned three first-place votes and is second in the poll with 150 points. Upper Iowa came in third with 144 points, Nebraska-Kearney had the other first-place vote in finishing fourth with 132 and Grand Canyon (Ariz.) is fifth with 130. Rounding out the top 10 is Augustana (S.D.), Central Oklahoma, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.), Wisconsin-Parkside and Ashland (Ohio). Twenty-nine teams received points in the wide-open voting, with first-year program Maryville (Mo.) coming in 15th with 47 points. Nebraska-Omaha had its program disbanded last year after winning its third straight national championship and several members of that team, led by long-time head coach Mike Denney, went to Maryville. The top 20 poll, with points and each team's finish in last year's national tournament following by the individual rankings at each weight: Rank School (State) Points Last Year's Finish 1. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 153 2nd 2. Newberry (S.C.) 150 6th 3. Upper Iowa 144 4th 4. Nebraska-Kearney 132 8th 5. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 130 7th 6. Augustana (S.D.) 124 3rd 7. Central Oklahoma 107 13th 8. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 94 T-10th 9. Wisconsin-Parkside 90 9th 10. Ashland (Ohio) 74 20th 11. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 70 25th 12. Minnesota State 69 T-10th 13. Adams State (Colo.) 63 21st 14. Findlay (Ohio) 53 14th 15. Maryville (Mo.) 47 NR 16. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 44 T-22nd 17. Limestone (S.C.) 31 27th 18. North Carolina-Pembroke 28 T-17th 19. San Francisco State (Calif.) 23 T-17th 20. Shippensburg (Pa.) 15 T-22nd Others receiving votes: Central Missouri, Colorado School of Mines, East Stroudsburg (Pa.), Gannon (Pa.), King (Tenn.), Kutztown (Pa.), Mary (N.D.), Northern State (S.D.), Western State (Colo.). 125: 1. Connor McDonald, Newberry (S.C.) 2. Kyle Pedretti, Upper Iowa 3. Corey Ulmer, Minnesota State-Moorhead 4. Terrell McKinney, Maryville (Mo.) 5. Ben Sergent, Findlay (Ohio) 6. Jerry Huff, Adams State (Colo.) 7. Brandon Davis, Ashland (Ohio) 8. Shane Summerlin, Belmont Abbey (N.C.) 133: 1. Trevor Franklin, Upper Iowa 2. Jason Jeremiason, Augustana (S.D.) 3. Ryan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 4. Trison Graham, Central Oklahoma 5. Matt Oliver, Newberry (S.C.) 6. Michael Magaha, Limestone (S.C.) 7. Dan Mandara, Ashland (Ohio) 8. Tyler Nelson, Colorado Mesa 141: 1. Dalton Jensen, Nebraska-Kearney 2. B.J. Young, Newberry (S.C.) 3. Jack Bachman, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 4. Dan Genetin, Ashland (Ohio) 5. Simon Rice, Shippensburg (Pa.) 6. Adam Hluschak, East Stroudsburg (Pa.) 7. Madison Gambrell, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 8. Nick Wykoff, West Liberty (W. Va.) 149: 1. Nate Herda, Augustana (S.D.) 2. Mitchell Means, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 3. Tommy Abbott, Minnesota State 4. Josh Hensley, Adams State (Colo.) 5. Ethan Swope, Gannon (Pa.) 6. Deral Brown, Newberry (S.C.) 7. Nathan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 8. Ryan Maus, Truman State (Mo.) 157: 1. Dillon Bera, Wisconsin-Parkside 2. T.J. Hepburn, Nebraska-Kearney 3. Jordan Shields, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 4. Teddy Bristol, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 5. Cory Dauphin, Central Oklahoma 6. Marcus Edgington, Augustana (S.D.) 7. J.D. Horn, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 8. Winston Robbins, Upper Iowa 165: 1. Tad Merritt, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 2. Joey Wilson, Nebraska-Kearney 3. Mike Williams, North Carolina-Pembroke 4. Dylan Granard, Colorado Mesa 5. Sean Brynes, Newberry (S.C.) 6. Isaiah Jimenez, San Francisco State (Colo.) 7. Jordan Larsen, Colorado School of Mines 8. Ronald Tetreault, American International (Mass.) 174: 1. Michael Lybarger, Findlay (Ohio) 2. Luke Rynish, Wisconsin-Parkside 3. Victor Carazo, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 4. Shamus O'Grady, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 5. Kelly Henderson, Central Oklahoma 6. Bryce Sopko, Limestone (S.C.) 7. Carl Serck, Augustana (S.D.) 8. Brendan Eichman, Minnesota State 184: 1. Ross Brunkhardt, Nebraska-Kearney 2. Mitch Schultz, Upper Iowa 3. Matt Gille, Wisconsin-Parkside 4. Derek Skala, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 5. Tanner Keck, Central Oklahoma 6. Brady Anderson, Mary (N.D.) 7. Brandon Tressler, King (Tenn.) 8. Londele Cox, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 197: 1. Carl Broghammer, Upper Iowa 2. Dan Scanlan, Limestone (S.C. 3. Luke McPeek, Adams State (Colo.) 4. Matt Baker, Maryville (Mo.) 5. Pat Mahan, Minnesota State 6. Frank Morgan, King (Tenn.) 7. Eddie Ebewo, East Stroudsburg (Pa.) 8. Karl Reed, Newberry (S.C.) 285: 1. Matt Meuleners, Northern State (S.D.) 2. Jacob Kahnke, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 3. Jacob Southwick, Ashland (Ohio) 4. Jake Elkins, Newberry (S.C.) 5. Zach Rosol, Upper Iowa 6. Fred Hale, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 7. J.D. Ramsey, West Liberty (W. Va.) 8. Cody Beck, Central Missouri

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The CSU Bakersfield wrestling team will host "Meet at the Mat" Thursday, Nov. 1 in the John Antonio Sports Center. “Meet at the Mat” is free and open to the public. “Meet at the Mat” will be a chance for fans to meet the coaching staff, the team, and other CSU Bakersfield fans and supporters. The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. with the introductions of the staff and the team. The wrestlers will then demonstrate a typical workout and explain moves used during competition. “Meet at the Mat” will also feature a breakdown of CSUB's 2011-12 schedule and the announcement of other events that will be taking place in the near future that will support the program. Light refreshments will be served. Therefore, an RSVP is required. Please email, CSUB head coach Mike Mendoza at mmendoza2@csub.edu or call the wrestling office at 661-654-2343 to make a reservation.

The unofficial kickoff to the high school wrestling season comes this Saturday and Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. at the Super 32 Challenge. Competition on Saturday will narrow the field in each weight class down to 16 competitors (eight in the quarterfinals, and eight in consolation), with the competition on Sunday determining a champion and the other seven place-winners. Many of the nation's elite wrestlers will assemble for a truly rigorous "pre-test" as they "Battle for the Belt." This field includes 23 of the nation's Top 100 seniors, 19 of the Top 50 juniors, 18 of the Top 50 sophomores, and 10 of the Top 25 freshmen. Among that group is the nation's best senior in Taylor Massa (St. Johns, Mich.), the nation's best sophomore in Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.), along with number two ranked wrestlers in the senior, junior, and freshman classes -- Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Indiana), Ben Whitford (St. Johns, Mich.), and Matthew Kolodzik (Miami Valley, Ohio). Fifteen wrestlers that have made a Super 32 Challenge final over the years are among the anchor wrestlers of the field. It includes an impressive five of such wrestlers in the 126 pound weight class, the premier weight class of the tournament: defending champions Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.) and Nathan Kraisser (Centennial, Md.); along with runners-up in Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), 2009 champion Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.), and Rossi Bruno (Brandon, Fla.). Two returning event champions also anchor the 182 pound weight class -- Cody Wiercioch (Canon McMillan, Pa.) and Brandon Griffin (Sprague, Ore.). Other weight classes with a pair of former finalists include 113, 132, and 138 pounds. The pair of finalists from 103 pounds last year, Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) and Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) headline the 113 pound field; 2008 champion Alex Cisneros (Selma, Calif.) and last year's 130 pound runner-up Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.) showcase at 132 pounds; while defending champion Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell, Pa.) and two-time runner-up Jason Tsirtsis are among the stars at 138 pounds. Rounding out that cast of characters is 2008 runner-up Jacob Crawford (Millbrook, Va.) at 145 pounds along with 2008 and 2009 runner-up Taylor Massa. The following is a breakdown of some of the (many) key wrestlers in each weight class, along with potential thoughts on what might happen over the two-day tournament. 106: Even though this weight lacks a true "mega-star", there are still many highly credentialed wrestlers within this field -- seven are ranked in their respective graduating class, and eleven have earned All-American honors in Fargo (Junior and/or Cadet Nationals) at some point of their career. Leading this field is Nathan Boston (Indiana), who was undefeated during his freshman season of high school and a FloNationals runner-up in March 2011. A key feature of this opening weight class is impact freshmen, including Matthew Kolodzik (Miami Valley, Ohio), Dylan Lucas (Brandon, Fla.), Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.), A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.), and Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa). Other notables include state champions Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.), Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.), and Kyle Kelly (Chenango Forks, N.Y.); NHSCA Freshman Nationals champ Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.); Junior National double All-American Jan Rosenberg (Morris Knolls, N.J.); and three-time Cadet National All-American Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.). Finals Prediction: Nathan Boston over Matthew Kolodzik 113: This is a very deep weight class that includes six returning Super 32 Challenge placers, along with ten additional wrestlers that have earned All-American honors in Fargo. Headline figures include last year's Super 32 finalists at 103 pounds -- Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) and Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) - each also won a title in Fargo this past summer. Other returning place-winners are two-time state champion Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.), three-time Cadet All-Americans Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) and Zac Hall (St. Johns, Mich.), along with state champion Billy Rappo (Council Rock South, Pa.). Also in this weight are FILA Cadet freestyle champion Dalton Brady (Colo.), Junior National freestyle runner-up Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Indiana), and Junior National double All-American Jordan Wigger (Summerville, S.C.). Additional notable wrestlers include state champions JR Wert (Christiansburg, Va.), Cassidy Oshiro (Maryknoll, Hawaii), James Flint (Brandon, Fla.), Braun Marquez (Canyon Randall, Texas), and Brendan Calas (Seton Hall Prep, N.J.). Finals Prediction: Dalton Brady over Nathan Tomasello 120: The three featured wrestlers in this weight placed in the top five of last year's absolute meat-grinder of a weight class at 112 pounds in the Super 32. George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, Ohio) followed that up with a second Ironman title, along with initial state and FloNationals championships; Jacob Schmitt (St. Johns, Mich.) and Conner Schram (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) made their second state finals appearances in as many high school seasons, while Schmitt also placed second in freestyle at the FILA Cadet Nationals and was a Junior Greco-Roman All-American. Others of note in this weight class include state champions Austin Hood (Louisburg, Kansas), Eric Montoya (Volcano Vista, N.M.), Cody Hummer (Savannah, Mo.), and Kaleb LeMaire (Caesar Rodney, Del.). Also meriting attention are 2010 state champions Emilio Martinez (Greeley West, Colo.), Will Mason (Cape Henry Collegiate, Va.), Alec Dierna (Wayne, N.Y.), and Drew Ferguson-Mitchell (Collins Hill, Ga.). In addition are National Prep placers Jacob Goodwin (Bishop Lynch, Texas) and Andrew Atkinson (Liberty Christian, Va.), FloNationals runner-up Cody Stainbrook (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), and Junior National freestyle All-American Eli Hale (Miami, Okla.). Finals Prediction: George DiCamillo over Jacob Schmitt 126: As discussed in the lead portion of this article, the weight class is absolutely stacked with five returning Super 32 finalists. Those include three-time state champions Rossi Bruno (Brandon, Fla.) and Nathan Kraisser (Centennial, Md.), two-time state champions Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.) and Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.), along with 2010 state champion Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.). Yet those five don't even scratch the surface of the quality present in this weight class. Three other wrestlers placed in last year's Super 32 Challenge -- 2010 Junior freestyle All-American Eric Devos (Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa), Russell Coleman (Park Hill, Mo.), and Chris Caton (Northside Christian, N.C.). Other multiple-time state champions in this weight include Brandon Brunner (The Baylor School, Tennessee), FloNationals champion Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio), David Jeffrey (Parkersburg South, West Va.), Ryan O'Boyle (Central Catholic, Massachusetts), 2010 FloNationals runner-up Cody Phillips (Union County, Indiana), Zach Watson (The Baylor School, Tennessee), Skyler Wood (Platte County, Mo.), and Garrison White (Robinson, N.C.). Yet other notable wrestlers are Cadet freestyle runner-up finishers Jonce Blaylock (Berryhill, Okla.) and Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Okla.), along with two-time state finalists in Alex Calandrino (Howell, Mich.), Corey Keener (Blue Mountain, Pa.) Randy Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), Dane Harlowe (Annandale, Va.), and Jake Smith (Newark Memorial, Calif.). Finals Prediction: Rossi Bruno over Nathan Kraisser 132: Three wrestlers in the top ten of their respective graduating classes stand out as the best in this weight class -- two-time Super 32 runner-up Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.), 2008 Super 32 champion Alex Cisneros (Selma, Calif.), and Junior National Greco-Roman champion Kevin Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.). Three other former Super 32 placers feature in this weight class as well -- Shyheim Brown (Central Dauphin, Pa.), Tyson Dippery (Central Dauphin, Pa.), and John Fahy (Trinity, Kentucky). Also in this field are four additional Junior National Greco-Roman All-Americans in Laike Gardner (Biglerville, Pa.), Julian Purdy (Nevada Union, Calif.), Arty Walsh (Schuylkill Valley, Pa.), and Joey Ward (Moeller, Ohio); along with Junior National freestyle All-American Brant Schafer (St. Johns, Mich.). Additional state champions in this weight class include Davey Dolan (Berryhill, Okla.), Campbell Lewis (Soddy Daisy, Tennessee), and Neal Molloy (Danville, Indiana). Notable multi-time state placers include Colt Cotten (Benton, Pa.), Devon Jackson (Yorktown, Indiana), Brandon Keller (Timber Creek, N.J.), and Connor Melde (Bergen Catholic, N.J.). Finals Prediction: Brandon Jeske over Alex Cisneros 138: With the consolidation of middle-weight classes this year (last year's 125, 130, 135, 140, and 145 are shrunk into 126, 132, 138, and 145), there are going to be some weight classes in tournaments that are absolutely star-laden due to the lack of competitive options. This is one of those cases. The second-ranked senior and junior in the nation are both in this weight class -- two-time Super 32 runner-up Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Indiana) and three-time Fargo double finalist Ben Whitford (St. Johns, Mich.). Additional stars in this weight class are FloNationals champion Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), a pair of FloNationals runners-up in Quentin Murphy (Holley Central, N.Y.) and Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell, Pa.), and two-time Super 32 placer Brent Fickel (Padua). Other state champions in this field are NHSCA Junior National runner-up Tony DeAngelo (Southern Alamance, N.C.), Nick Trimble (Sparta, Mich.), FloNationals placer Gabe Morse (Lowell, Mich.), and Brooks Martino (Robinson, Va.). Wrestlers that have finished second in the state include Josh Pennell (St. Johns, Mich.), Austin Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.), James Dekrone (John Glenn, N.Y.), and Mitch Newhouse (Massillon Perry, Ohio). Finals Prediction: Jason Tsirtsis over Ben Whitford 145: Leading the way in this weight class is three-time state champion, two-time state placer, and NHSCA Juniors champion Jacob Crawford (Millbrook, Va.). Three other InterMat Top 100 seniors anchor the weight class: two-time Junior National freestyle All-American Matt Cimato (LaSalle, Pa.), three-time state champion Alec Mooradian (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), along with state champion and FloNationals placer Andrew Morse (Lowell, Mich.). Other very formidable seniors in this weight include FloNationals placer Kevin Moylan (Stagg, Ill.), NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Alenick Richardson (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.), Junior National Greco-Roman All-American Cody Ross (Springstead, Fla.), three-time state placers Zach Beitz (Juniata, Pa.) and Connor Mullins (New Castle, Indiana), state champion Joey Moon (Southern Alamance, N.C.), two-time National Prep placer Will Switzer (Archbishop Spalding, Md.), and three-time state runner-up Tanner Minder (Kearney, Mo.). Sophomore superstars include two-time Super 32 placer Solomon Chisko (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), National Prep runner-up Jack Clark (McDonogh, Md.), and Cadet freestyle All-American Jack Bass (Allen, Texas). Top juniors include state champion Cain Salas (Granite City, Ill.), along with state runner-up and Cadet double All-American Garrett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.). Finals Prediction: Jacob Crawford over Matt Cimato 152: Two years ago as an eighth-grader this young man competed in the Nittany Lion Open. Not only that, but he won a match, and was rather competitive in his two losses. Since then, the reputation of Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) has only continued to grow. A dominant Cadet freestyle title last summer, an undefeated state championship season as a freshman in the Pennsylvania big-school division, and an absolutely dominant sweep of Greco-Roman and freestyle at the Cadet Duals and Cadet Nationals has transpired in the interim. Marsteller is clearly the best Class of 2014 wrestler in America, and some might argue the best overall high school wrestler in America. While there is no realistic challenger to Marsteller within this field, any number of wrestlers will be battling for "best of the rest" honors. Notable sophomores in this group include state champion and Cadet freestyle All-American Josh Llopez (La Plata, Md.), state placer Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.), along with state placer and FloNationals placer Jordan Cooks (Davison, Mich.). Additional state champions in this weight include Kyle Burns (Milan Edison, Ohio), Eric O'Neill (Winter Springs, Fla.), Nick Kee (Scotland, N.C.), Austin Scogg (Rockford, Mich.), Patrick Davis (Woodbridge, Del.), and Aaron Walker (Judson, Texas). Also meriting attention is FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Travis Curley (St. Johns, Mich.). Finals Prediction: Chance Marsteller over Travis Curley 160: For the lack of star power present in the prior weight, this group provides more than sufficient compensation with four InterMat Top 100 Class of 2012 recruits as a starting point. This group includes Ironman and Beast of the East champion Jason Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.) -- a three-time state/National Prep finalist; Beast of the East runner-up Cody Allala (Hopewell, Va.), a three-time state champion; FloNationals and Junior National Greco-Roman champion Geordan Speiller (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.), a two-time state champion; along with Beast of the East champion Devon Gobbo (Delbarton, N.J.), a two-time state placer and Super 32 placer. Additional wrestlers to watch include FloNationals placers Tyler Askey (Northgate, Ga.) and Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.); Junior National Greco-Roman All-American Burke Paddock (Warsaw, N.Y.); state champions Jordan Wohlfert (St. Johns, Mich.), John Crowley (Regis, Colo.), and Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, Va.); NHSCA Junior placers Vincent Favia (Christian Brothers, N.J.), Ben Sullivan (Apple Valley, Minn.), and Justin Spyres (Green Run, Va.); along with state runners-up Victor Pereira (Newark Memorial, Calif.) and Adam Jackson (Rosemount, Minn.). Finals Prediction: Jason Luster over Cody Allala 170: Like the 152 pound weight anchored by the nation's top sophomore, this weight is anchored by one of the true elite wrestlers in America -- Taylor Massa (St. Johns, Mich.). Massa is seeking an elusive Super 32 title having finished third, second, second, and third in his prior attempts. The University of Mich. bound wrestler is ranked as the top recruit in the Class of 2012, has won three state titles, and is a two-time FILA Junior National freestyle champion. An additional similarity, is the lack of a bona fide challenger, though the contender group has some pretty solid wrestlers. Other state champions in this weight class include Junior Greco-Roman All-American Kyle Koziel (Brandon, Fla.), Forrest Przybysz (Jefferson, Ga.), Tanner Tinsley (Hanover, Va.), Jacob Haydock (Brandon, Fla.), Jared Haught (Parkersburg, West Va.), Cadet freestyle runner-up Parker Vonegidy (Piedmont, N.C.), and NHSCA freshman champion Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.). Additional wrestlers meriting attention are state placers Elliott Riddick (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), Connor Moran (Solanco, Pa.), and Austin Coniker (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.); along with National Prep placer Tyler Rill (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.), Super 32 placer Brian Dorsey (Bowie, Texas), and NHSCA Sophomore champion Nick Zak (Jackson Liberty, N.J.). Finals Prediction: Taylor Massa over Kyle Koziel 182: The other side of the consolidation of weight classes in the middle is the increase of classes in the upper weights. What used to be the three weight classes of 171, 189, and 215 is now a four weight stretch of 170, 182, 195, and 220. This weight class is similar to the 180 weight that had been contested in prior years in Texas, but is new for high school wrestling overall. Despite that, there is excellent quality present in this weight class with a pair of defending Super 32 champions in Brandon Griffin (Sprague, Ore.) and Cody Wiercioch (Canon-McMillan, Pa.). Other superstars in this weight include two-time Junior National freestyle All-American Jordan Thomas (Greenville, Mich.), state champions and returning Super 32 placers Chaz Gresham (Goshen, Ohio) and Jesse Doyle (Wheatmore, N.C.), NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Tim Dudley (Irmo, S.C.), as well as FloNationals and Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Kevin Beazley (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.). Others meriting attention include state champions Greg Wilson (Keller Central, Texas), Taylor Jackson (Citrus, Fla.), and Gray Jones (Camden County, Ga.); NHSCA Junior Nationals placers David Reck (Colonial Forge, Va.) and Victor Pozsonyi (Roselle Park, N.J.); along with Super 32 placer Jared Lux (North Allegheny, Pa.). Finals Prediction: Jordan Thomas over Brandon Griffin 195: This weight class and the next weight class are where the after-effects of the weight class change really show, both in terms of quality depth and quantity of participants. A pair of star juniors headlines the field in this weight -- two-time Cadet National double (Greco-Roman and freestyle) champion Mitch Sliga (Fishers, Indiana) and two-time state finalist, 2010 Cadet freestyle champion, Brooks Climmons (Pope, Ga.). Additional wrestlers to note include a trio of NHSCA Junior Nationals placers in Joe Jessen (Millbrook, Va.), Cameron King (Trinity, N.C.), and James Suvak (St. Edward, Ohio). Also present in the field are state champion Cody Davis (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee) along with state placers Payne Hayden (St. Johns, Mich.) and Matt McCutcheon (Kiski Area, Pa.). Finals Prediction: Mitch Sliga over Brooks Climmons 220: Winning a state championship as a freshman is a genuine accomplishment. Winning it in the Keystone State makes it all the more impressive. But to do it at 215 pounds, against 18 and 19 year old men, is all the more impressive. That is what Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.) did this past year. This sophomore, ranked No. 11 nationally, regardless of weight is a strong favorite to emerge with the belt on Sunday afternoon. Others to watch include state champion Chuckie Kerkesner (Cypress Lake, Fla.) along with state placers Ray Stone (Akron SVSM, Ohio), Trevor Stevens (Pope, Ga.), and Garrett Linton (Rootstown, Ohio). Finals Prediction: Thomas Haines over Chuckie Kerkesner 285: Last, and least in terms of participants in this tournament, is the heavyweights. None the less, there are a couple of high profile names in this field. First and foremost is Junior National double All-American Doug Vollaro (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.), who also was a FloNationals champion and earned second consecutive double runner-up honors at the FILA Cadet Nationals this spring. Joining Vollaro as an InterMat Top 100 senior in this weight is John Dreggors (Springstead, Fla.), a state runner-up who won titles at the NHSCA Junior National and FILA Cadet Greco-Roman tournaments this spring. Additional wrestlers in this weight class include National Prep runner-up Terrance Jean-Jacques (Haverhill, Massachusetts), Junior National freestyle All-American DaQuante Timbers (Freedom, Va.), state champion Lucas Ryan (Stonewall Jackson, Va.), and NHSCA Freshman champion Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.). Finals Prediction: Doug Vollaro over John Dreggors

The field has been set for the 45th Annual POWERade Christmas Wrestling Tournament that will be held on Dec. 29 & 30, 2011. The tournament will be held at CanonMcMillan High School in Canonsburg, Pa. A complete listing of the teams and information including the top returning wrestlers can be found on our website - http://poweradewrestling.com.

Please note: This preview was written using the preregistration list. Some wrestlers may be in different weight classes or not competing. The USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals return to the UNI-Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls for a fourth year on Saturday, Oct. 29. Four wrestlers will be defending championship titles earned last year in the high school division -- Colton Adams (Nebraska), Jack Hathaway (Iowa), Justin Koethe (Iowa), and Taylor McGiffen (Illinois). The tournament features five divisions for wrestlers from the first through 12th grade, and sold out at 1,650 wrestlers across the divisions for a second consecutive year. The high school division has just over half the participants, with 831 registered wrestlers coming from approximately 30 states. This year's field features some highly credentialed and proven wrestlers in all the weight classes, while other wrestlers are seeking that breakthrough opportunity to hit the radar screen of the wrestling community. The following is an analysis of wrestlers to watch within each of the weight classes. 106: Two-time state champion Paul Mascarenas (New Mexico) is arguably the leading figure in the over 80 wrestler field, as a two-time state champion that placed third at the Preseason Nationals last year. Others to watch include state finalists Jake Koethe (Iowa) and Junior National Greco-Roman runner-up Dante Rodriguez (Nebraska); Bobby Nachreiner (Wisconsin) placed third at state and was a Junior National Greco-Roman runner-up; Joseph Velliquette (Missouri) and Junior Naitonal freestyle runner-up Tommy Pawleski (Illinois) placed fourth at state; while additional Fargo All-Americans include Jacob Cottey (Indiana), Drew Romero (Colorado), Grant Boggs (Montana), Jay Fresh (Iowa), Darek Huff (Colorado), and Ty Pelot (Wisconsin). 113: State runners-up Jordan Northrup (Illinois) and Jared Oftedahl (Minnesota) lead the almost 90 wrestler field in this weight class. Northrup was fourth in Cadet freestyle this past summer, while Oftedahl was a double All-American at the Junior Nationals in Fargo. Others to watch include state champions and Cadet Greco-Roman All-Americans in Wyatt Scribner (Washington), Jordan Shearer (North Dakota), and Bryce Meredith (Wyoming); Cadet freestyle All-Americans Brandon James (Indiana) and Jaydin Clayton (Missouri), who are among the nation's top freshmen; along with a pair of wrestlers that placed fifth at state and have Cadet National All-American finishes on their resume in Mark Duda (Illinois) and Jordan Laster (Illinois). 120: Colton Adams (Nebraska) seeks back-to-back Preseason Nationals championships, coming off a year in which he won a state title and earned a seventh place finish in Cadet freestyle. However, the challengers will be many, as at least six other defending state champions are among the just over 80 registered in this weight class. Those wrestlers include Morgan Engbrecht (South Dakota), 2010 Junior National freestyle All-American Colby Knight (Iowa), Cadet National double All-American Andrew Crone (Wisconsin), Cadet Greco-Roman All-American Josh Alber (Illinois), Johnny Jimenez (Illinois), and Anthony Rees (Colorado). Three others come in off state runner-up finishes from last year – 2010 state champion and multiple-time Fargo All-American Kevon Powell (Illinois), Tyler Rice (Wisconsin), and Ryan Strope (Missouri). Others to watch include state third placer Zac Denny (Illinois), and Junior Greco-Roman All-American Jared Parvinmehr (Illinois). 126: Jack Hathaway (Iowa) is the second of four defending Preseason Nationals champions in the field, and he comes off a season in which he won a maiden state title and earned All-American honors in both styles at the FILA Cadet and Junior Nationals. Five notable challengers stand out in the field of just under 70 wrestlers: three-time National Prep placer Eric Friedman (Maryland), a 2010 Junior freestyle All-American; Junior freestyle All-American Zac Synon (Illinois); state champion Tate Robinson (Tennessee), who has finished fifth three times at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo; two-time state placer Eddie Greco (Illinois); and three-time state placer, former state champion Sawyer Ferris (Iowa). Others of note include two-time state placer Tyler McWilliams (Iowa), along with Cadet National All-Americans in Joseph Nelson (Wisconsin) and Nicholas Gil (Illinois). 132: Three-time state champion Cole Mendenhall (Montana) headlines a field of close to 90 wrestlers in this weight class. Others to watch include state runner-up and Cadet freestyle All-American Sam Crane (Missouri), state runner-up Joshua Morin (Montana), state third place finisher Derek Gill (Wisconsin), state champion JJ Whaley (Illinois), and state third place finisher Cameron Kleven (Wisconsin). 138: Two-time state champion and 2010 Cadet freestyle runner-up Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) anchors the field in one of the overall tougher weights of the tournament. Leading challengers include three-time state runner-up Connor Ryan (Iowa), Junior Greco-Roman All-American and multi-time state champion Austin Roper, state champion and 2010 Cadet freestyle All-American Kaleb Baker (Iowa), and three-time state champion Andrew Riedy (Nebraska). Others to watch include state runner-up, and 2010 state champion, Logan Mulnix (Iowa); two-time state champion Tyler Nation (Nebraska); state champions Colin Dolata (Wisconsin) and Adam Yde (Wisconsin; state champion and Cadet Greco-Roman All-American Phil Downing (Colorado); along with state placers in Mitch Friedman (Wisconsin) and Clayton Lutzow (Illinois). Additional Cadet Greco-Roman All-Americans in the field are Xavier Montalvo (Illinois) and Alex Mossing (Ohio). 145: Arguably the deepest weight class of the tournament, as it features four wrestlers from the InterMat class rankings – a pair of juniors in Grant Lamont (Utah) and Jake Marlin (Iowa), along with a pair of sophomores in Bo Nickal (Texas) and Ryan Blees (North Dakota). Both Lamont and Marlin won state titles this past year; Lamont earned third place finishes in both Junior Greco-Roman and Cadet freestyle this past summer in Fargo, while the 2011 state title marked repeat championships for Marlin. Nickal and Blees each earned All-American honors in both styles at the Cadet Nationals this past summer; state runner-up Nickal was third in Greco-Roman and seventh in freestyle, while state champion Blees was fourth in each style. Also in this weight class is Nick Becker (Wisconsin), a state place finisher who earned seventh place finishes in each style this summer at the Junior Nationals. Others to watch include a pair of state champions in Blake Fruchtl (Nebraska) and Lucas Lambrecht (Wisconsin); as well as state runners-up in Connor Bass (Illinois) and Jordan Henrickson (Colorado). 152: Four returning place-winners from last year's Preseason Nationals lead the way in this weight class. Peter Galli (Maryland) finished second at 140 pounds, and went on to finish as a National Prep runner-up at 140 pounds (placing at that season-ending tournament for a third consecutive year). TJ Fox (Ohio) was fifth in the same weight, and went on to finish second in his state, after finishing runner-up in both styles at the 2010 Cadet Nationals in Fargo. Colin Holler (Illinois) was sixth in that weight class as well, and then finished third in the state of Illinois for a second placement finish in as many years of high school; this summer, Holler was a Cadet freestyle national champion. Finally is Nick Babcock (Colorado), who finished fourth in a lower weight class, and finished third in his state tournament after placing second the prior two years. Others to watch include a pair of state champions in Robert Walker (Iowa) and Justice Bridgeford (Nebraska). 160: Two of the nation's top 100 seniors anchor this weight class in Justin Koethe (Iowa) and Dylan Reel (Illinois). Each wrestler finished third in their state this past year, third in Junior Greco-Roman, and eight in Junior freestyle. Koethe seeks a second consecutive Preseason Nationals title after competing in Fargo at 152 pounds, and was additionally a FILA Junior Greco-Roman champion at 154 pounds; while Reel competed at 160 pounds in Fargo, and additionally had two state titles along with a 2010 Junior Greco-Roman national title to his credit. Two other Junior Greco-Roman All-Americans are featured in this weight class as well in state runner-up Matthew Gray (Wisconsin), who also earned Junior freestyle All-American honors in 2010, and state champion Trace Engelkes (Illinois). Others to watch include state champion Tyler White (Missouri) and state third place finisher Zeb Wahle (Iowa). 170: Junior National double All-American Alex Meyer (Iowa), also a two-time state placer and top 100 wrestler in the Class of 2012, is the strong favorite in this weight class. However, there is going to be some formidable competition standing in his way, led by state champions Jacob Morrissey (Wisconisn), Marcos Peralta (Colorado), and Barrett Stanghill (Montana); state placers and Cadet All-Americans in Adam Drain (Iowa) and Jake Stilling (Wisconsin); along with state runner-up Nick Fuller (Iowa) and state third place finisher Austin Trujillo (Colorado). 182: Taylor McGiffen (Illinois) is the last of four wrestlers seeking repeat titles at the 2011 Preseason Nationals; and he also placed third at state this past year. Others to watch include state placer and Cadet freestyle All-American Matt McClimmens (Missouri), Cadet double fourth place finisher Aaron Rothwell (Wisconsin), and state runner-up Bradon Larson (North Dakota). 195: Two standout wrestlers in this weight are state champion Derek Geddings (Nebraska) and Jared Bartel (Iowa). 220: State champion, and FILA Cadet All-American, Alex Bambic (Arizona) is the lead figure in this weight class. Another wrestler to watch is Thomas Howell (Illinois), who was champion at the 2010 Dvorak Memorial Invitational at heavyweight despite being incredibly un

Related Links: Watch JJ Classic Videos View JJ Classic Photos View JJ Classic Placewinners View JJ Classic Brackets ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Fredy Stroker entered Saturday's InterMat JJ Classic on ranked among the nation's top 20 freshmen before ever donning a high school wrestling singlet. Fredy Stroker (Photo/The Guillotine)The 15-year-old Stroker, who attends Bettendorf High School in Iowa, showed why he is so highly regarded by defeating three state placewinners, including a Cadet National finalist and a two-time state champion, en route to capturing the JJ Classic title at 113 pounds. Stroker used lightning-quick attacks, strong scrambling, and a poise that far exceeds his age to roll through his competition. He pinned state third-place finisher Joey Majerus (Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Minn.) in the quarterfinals. Then he came from behind to defeat top-seeded Tristan Manderfeld (Foley, Minn.), 7-4, in the semifinals. Stroker capped off his tournament by defeating two-time state champion Jordan Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.), 3-1, in the championship match. Three Gopher recruits win titles, Brancale named OW Three seniors who have committed to the University of Minnesota, Sam Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley, Minn.), and Michael Kroells (Scott West, Minn.), claimed titles at the JJ Classic. Sam Brancale (Photo/The Guillotine)Brancale, who is ranked as the nation's No. 56 overall recruit, cruised to the championship at 132 pounds, a weight class that included three state champions and several state placewinners. He recorded three pins en route to reaching the semifinals. Brancale then won 9-2 over two-time state placewinner Taner Trembley (LCWM, Minn.) in the semifinals, before winning by the identical score of 9-2 in the finals over state champion Mitchel Lexvold (Kenyon Wanamingo, Minn.). Brancale was voted Outstanding Wrestler of this year's JJ Classic. Kingsley, a three-time state champion and No. 6 overall recruit, registered two pins and two decisions on his way to capturing the title at 152 pounds. He was pushed in the semifinals by eighth-grade phenom Mason Manville (South County, Va.), who is ranked as the No. 3 junior high wrestler in the country, but prevailed for the 4-2 victory. Kingsley's victory in the finals came over Adam Cooling (Madelia/Truman/Martin Luther, Minn.), 5-0. Kroells, an undefeated state champion last season, showed why he is among the nation's top big men by pinning Sam Stoll (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), a Cadet National double champion and the nation's No. 12 sophomore, to take the title at heavyweight. Three Apple Valley wrestlers finish on top Three Apple Valley wrestlers won titles at the JJ Classic. No other program produced more than one champion. Apple Valley's titlists included Kingsley (152), Seth Gross (126), and Mark Hall (145). Seth Gross (Photo/The Guillotine)Gross, a Cadet National freestyle champion this past summer, was dominant throughout the tournament. He won his opening match by pin, and then outscored his remaining three opponents 32-5. He defeated Northern Plains Cadet freestyle champion Ben Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.), 8-2, in the championship match. Hall, who is ranked as the nation's No. 1 junior high wrestler, defeated Weston Droegemueller (Wayzata, Minn.), 7-0, to take the title at 145 pounds. Nation's No. 20 freshman wins at 182 Lance Benick (Totino Grace, Minn.), the nation's No. 20 freshman, won his first JJ Classic title at 182 pounds, beating Corbin Farrell (Apple Valley, Minn.), 5-2, in the championship match. Benick outscored his opponents 31-11 throughout the tournament. He is coming off a summer in which he went undefeated at the Schoolboy National Duals and 15-1 at the AAU Junior Olympics. Rodriguez knocks off red-hot Sykora to win title at 106 Dante' Rodriguez (Photo/The Guillotine)Dante' Rodriguez (Grand Island, Nebr.), a Junior National Greco-Roman runner-up, put together an impressive string of victories to claim the title at 106 pounds. Rodriguez, who was fifth at the 2010 JJ Classic, was dominant in his first three matches, picking up two pins and a major decision. Then in the semifinals he edged state runner-up Tanner Johnshoy (Prior Lake, Minn.), 3-2. (Johnshoy won the award for most pins in the least amount of time.) Rodriguez then capped off his tournament by beating red-hot Cameron Sykora (Border West, Minn.), a 2011 Grappler Fall Classic champion, 4-2. Prior to the finals Sykora, a state champion, had outscored his opponents 37-2 and picked up a pin in under a minute. Koethe defeats Sullivan in barnburner at 160 In perhaps the most action-filled finals match, Justin Koethe (Iowa City West, Iowa) defeated Ben Sullivan (Apple Valley, Minn.), 10-7, in a barnburner at 160 pounds. Sullivan, an NHSCA Junior National finalist, scored the first two takedowns of the match off leg attacks, and took a 4-2 lead into the second period. Koethe, a five-time Fargo All-American, battled back, scoring two takedowns of his own in the second period to tie the score at 7-7 heading into the third period. Koethe added an escape and a late takedown to win 10-7. Kuefner becomes first two-time JJ Classic champion Coyte Kuefner (Owatonna, Minn.) pinned Cody Linssen (Park, Minn.), a Minnesota Ninth Grade League state champion, to claim the title at 220 pounds and become the first two-time JJ Classic champion. Kuefner, a two-time Junior National folkstyle All-American, won his title last year at 215 pounds. Eleven No. 1 seeds win titles Of the 14 champions crowned on Saturday, 11 were No. 1 seeds. In addition to top seeds Gross, Brancale, Hall, Kingsley, Koethe, Kuefner, and Kroells winning titles, Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.), Marcus Peterson (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa), Cody Anderson (White Bear Lake, Minn.), and Alex Gray (Maple Grove, Minn.) lived up to their No. 1 seeds. Josh Alber (Photo/The Guillotine)Alber, an undefeated state champion and Cadet National freestyle All-American, surrendered only four points in five matches to win the title at 120 pounds. His victory in the finals came over Andres Gonzales (Mason City, Iowa), 3-1. Peterson defeated Kyle McKenzie (La Crosse Logan, Wis.), 9-1, to win the championship at 138 pounds. Anderson, a JJ Classic runner-up in 2010, won 7-3 over Alex Jackson in the finals at 170 pounds. Gray pinned Schoen Kichler (Waconia, Minn.) to claim the title at 195 pounds. Tough break for bracket-buster Riggs Freshman Austin Riggs (Robinson, Va.) entered the JJ Classic unseeded at 120 pounds and notched the first major upset of the tournament when he knocked off second-seeded Zack Kuhns (Maple River, Minn.), 4-0, in the opening round. Riggs went on to pin his next two opponents in the first period to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, Riggs suffered an injury and was forced to default out of the tournament. Seventh-grader Shearer places fifth at 106 Jesse Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.) was the lone seventh-grader to place at the JJ Classic. Shearer dropped his opening match, but went on to win five of his next six matches to place fifth at 106 pounds.

106: 1st: No. 2 Dante' Rodriguez (Grand Island, Neb.) dec. No. 1 Cameron Sykora (Border West, Minn.), 4-2 3rd: No. 3 Tanner Johnshoy (Prior Lake, Minn.) dec. Kaz Onoo (Mason City, Iowa), 7-4 5th: Jesse Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.) maj. dec. No. 5 David Flynn (Scott West, Minn.), 11-3 113: 1st: No. 4 Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa) dec. No. 3 Jordan Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.), 3-1 3rd: No. 1 Tristan Manderfeld (Foley, Minn.) dec. No. 2 Jarred Oftedahl (BSM, Minn.), 4-0 5th: No. 6 Brock Morgan (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. No. 5 Joey Majerus (Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Minn.), 9-5 120: 1st: No. 1 Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.) dec. No. 3 Andres Gonzalez (Mason City, Iowa), 3-1 3rd: No. 5 Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.) dec. No. 4 Aaron Anderson (Clarion Goldfield, Iowa), 3-0 5th: No. 7 JJ Wolfe (Dakota, Ill.) inj. def. Austin Riggs (Robinson, Va.) 126: 1st: No. 1 Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. No. 3 Ben Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.), 8-2 3rd: Garet Anderson-Lind (Oshkosh West, Wis.) inj. def. No. 6 Brandon Peters (Faribault, Minn.) 5th: No. 5 Trey Blaha (Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa) dec. No. 7 Frank Wilczek (Little Falls, Minn.), 8-6 132: 1st: No. 1 Sam Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.) dec. No. 2 Mitchel Lexvold (Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minn.), 9-2 3rd: No. 5 Taner Trembley (LCWM, Minn.) dec. No. 4 Marcus Hamer (Kimball, Minn.), 5-0 5th: No. 6 Mark Voss (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) dec. No. 3 Brett Stolarzyk (Stewartville, Minn.), 4-2 138: 1st: No. 1 Marcus Peterson (Clarion Goldfield, Iowa) maj. dec. No.3 Kyle McKenzie (La Crosse Logan, Wis.), 9-1 3rd: No. 4 Tyler Pasvogel (Sibley East, Minn.) dec. No. 8 Wayne Voss (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), 3-1 5th: No. 2 Isaac Lundgren (Spirit Lake, Iowa) pinned Logan Peterson (ACGC, Minn.), 2:50 145: 1st: No. 1 Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. No. 2 Weston Droegemueller (Wayzata, Minn.), 7-0 3rd: No. 3 Josh Halicke (Sartell, Minn.) maj. dec. No. 4 Mitchell Hartwig (GSLLP, Minn.), 11-2 5th: No. 5 Kendall Carnahan (Duncan, Okla.) dec. No. 6 Kyle Kragnes (West Fargo, N.D.), 6-5 152: 1st: No. 1 Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. No. 3 Adam Cooling (Madelia Truman Martin Luther, Minn.), 5-0 3rd: No. 4 Mason Manville (South County, Va.) pinned No. 2 Grant Nehring (Saint Cloud Appollo, Minn.), 1:02 5th: No. 6 Devin Wicks (WHAN, Minn.) maj. dec. No. 5 Jake Deutschlander (BSM, Minn.), 11-2 160: 1st: No. 1 Justin Koethe (Iowa City West, Iowa) dec. No. 2 Ben Sullivan (Apple Valley, Minn.), 10-7 3rd: No. 3 Derek Weinmann (Irondale, Minn.) dec. No. 5 Darrin Allen (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), 2-1 5th: No. 4 Ben Cousins (Bloomington Kennedy, Minn.) dec. No. 7 Christian Carnahan (Duncan, Okla.), 5-1 170: 1st: No. 1 Cody Anderson (White Bear Lake, Minn.) dec. No. 3 Alex Jackson (Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minn.), 7-3 3rd: No. 2 Elijah Preisser (Bettendorf, Iowa) dec. No. 6 Dillon Downes (Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Minn.), 7-0 5th: No. 4 Sal Ayala (Libertyville, Ill.) inj. def. No. 5 Nick Hoff (LARP, Minn.) 182: 1st: No. 2 Lance Benick (Totino Grace, Minn.) dec. No. 1 Corbin Farrell (Apple Valley, Minn.), 5-2 3rd: No. 3 Miles Hammerlund (Delano, Minn.) dec. No. 5 Austin Gould (Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa), 8-2 5th: No. 4 Max Bullock (Waconia, Minn.) dec. No. 6 Greg Johnson (LARP, Minn.), 4-3 195: No. 1 Alex Gray (Maple Grove, Minn.) pinned No. 2 Schoen Kichler (Waconia, Minn.), 1:12/2:46 220: 1st: No. 1 Coyte Kuefner (Owatonna, Minn.) pinned No. 2 Cody Linssen (Park, Minn.), 4:22 3rd: No. 3 Jordan Stevens (Central, Minn.) dec. No. 6 Mitch Diller (White Bear Lake, Minn.) 4-1 5th: No. 4 Matthew Wilson (Saint Charles, Minn.) won by forfeit over Josh Deike (Wahpeton, N.D.) 285: 1st: No. 1 Michael Kroells (Scott West, Minn.) pinned No. 2 Sam Stoll of (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), 2:09, 2:57

The second-annual InterMat JJ Classic takes place tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 22) at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. This year's field includes several nationally-ranked wrestlers, state champions, and state placewinners. Registration is open through 8 p.m. CDT tonight. For more information or to register for tomorrow's event, visit www.intermatwrestle.com/jjclassic. Below is a weight-by-weight preview of this year's JJ Classic based on wrestlers registered through Thursday night. 106: Cameron Sykora (Border West, Minn.), a state champion last season as an eighth-grader, is expected to be the top seed. Sykora is coming off a dominating performance at the Grappler Fall Classic in Michigan last weekend, where he went 5-0 with two pins and three major decisions, including a 13-0 victory in the finals. Two other wrestlers expected to challenge for the title in this weight class are Dante' Rodriguez (Grand Island, Neb.) and Tanner Johnshoy (Prior Lake, Minn.). Rodriguez, a Nebraska state runner-up last season as an undersized 103-pounder, has a wrestling resume that is littered with national age group accomplishments. He won USAW national titles in all three styles in 2010. This past summer Rodriguez was a Junior National runner-up in Greco-Roman. Johnshoy was a state runner-up last season, losing to 2011 Cadet National freestyle champion Tommy Thorn in the state finals. Johnshoy won the Mental Aerobics title in March. Ty Pelot (Two Rivers, Wis.), a Junior National Greco-Roman All-American, is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 1-2 performance at the Grappler Fall Classic last weekend. Ryan Weinmann (Irondale, Minn.), a state qualifier last season, is one of the top challengers in this weight class. David Flynn (Scott West, Minn.), a Northern Plains Greco-Roman champion, has a lot of tools and should figure into the mix. Jake Allar (Benilde-St. Margaret's, Minn.) is a talented seventh-grader who is looking to make his mark at the high school level. He won USAW national titles this year freestyle and Greco-Roman. Other wrestlers to watch in this weight class include Hank Friederichs (Chatfield, Minn.), Louie Sanders (LCWM, Minn.), Levi Marsh (LCWM, Minn.), Kaz Onoo (Mason City, Iowa), Bailey VanHandel (Kaukauna, Wis.), Collin DeGrammont (Lakeville North, Minn.), Jesse Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.), and McCoy Tekautz (LARP, Minn.). 113: This weight class is loaded with talent. Tristan Manderfeld (Foley, Minn.), a Cadet National Greco-Roman runner-up and state third-place finisher, leads this talented group. Manderfeld was the Outstanding Wrestler at the JJ Classic a year ago and will look to repeat as a JJ Classic champion. The wrestler Manderfeld beat in the JJ Classic finals a year ago, Jarred Oftedahl (Benilde-St. Margaret's, Minn.), is expected to get the No. 2 seed in this weight class. Oftedahl competes virtually everywhere and has compiled an impressive wrestling resume. He was a Junior National folkstyle champion this year and earned All-American honors in all three styles. He was a state runner-up last season as a sophomore. Jordan Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.), a two-time state champion and Cadet National Greco-Roman All-American, will be in the hunt for the title. Shearer had a win over 2011 Cadet National freestyle champion Tommy Thorn earlier this year. If the projected seeds stay the same and hold true, Shearer would see Oftedahl in the semifinals. Oftedahl pinned Shearer at the Rumble on the Red last season. Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa) is one of the nation's top freshmen (ranked 18th overall by InterMatWrestle.com) and has the skills to challenge for the title in this weight class. Stroker spent his early years wrestling in Virginia, and then Pennsylvania, before moving to Iowa this year to start high school. He was a Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling (PJW) state champion in 2010 and a Cadet National Greco-Roman All-American this past summer. Another wrestler expected to be in the hunt in this weight class is Joey Majerus (Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Minn.), who won 42 matches last season as an eighth-grader and finished third in the state tournament. A couple Apple Valley wrestlers, Brock Morgan and Maolu Woiwor, should figure into the mix. Morgan was a Ninth Grade League state champion last season as a seventh-grader and was undefeated at the Schoolboy Duals in freestyle. Woiwor was a Ninth Grade League state runner-up last season as an eighth-grader and placed sixth at last year's JJ Classic. State qualifiers James Goman (Trinity, Minn.) and Ulises Diaz (Bloomington Kennedy) add depth to the weight class. 120: Josh Alber, an undefeated state champion in Illinois last season as a freshman, will likely earn the top seed in this weight class. Alber was a Cadet National All-American this year in folkstyle and freestyle. He was a fourth-place finisher at the JJ Classic at 103 pounds a year ago. Trey Blaha (Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa) is a tough sophomore who beat Alber for third place at last year's JJ Classic. Blaha had a strong 2010-11 season and appeared to be on his way to earning a state medal before an injury ended his freshman season. Zack Kuhns (Maple River, Minn.) was a state placewinner in 2010 and has gone 69-14 over the past two seasons. Another state placewinner to keep an eye on in this weight class is Andres Gonzalez (Mason City, Iowa). He won 39 matches last season en route to a fourth-place finish in the state tournament. Aaron Anderson (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa), a multiple-time state entrant who has been ranked in the top three in the state, should make some noise in this weight class. A talented freshman to keep your eye on in this weight class is Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.). Lee has been very successful in national age group events. He was USAW Schoolboy Nationals runner-up this year in folkstyle. Lee has won national events like Liberty Nationals and Border Wars Nationals, plus has five state titles on his wrestling resume. A couple tough sophomores who should be in the mix to place are Tone Fuenffinger (Hibbing, Minn.) and Billy Underhill (Burnsville, Minn.). Fuenffinger won 36 matches last season as a freshman. Underhill went 24-6 last season. A potential bracket buster in this weight class is freshman JJ Wolfe (Dakota, Iowa), a Northern Plains runner-up in freestyle at the Schoolboy level. 126: Cadet National freestyle champion Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.) is among the nation's Top 50 sophomores (ranked 44th overall by InterMatWrestle.com), and is the wrestler to beat in this weight class. Gross was fifth at this year's Cadet National folkstyle competition before his breakout performance in Fargo. He won 40 matches last season as a freshman en route to finishing third in the state tournament. His only loss at the state tournament came in overtime to fellow Cadet National freestyle champion Tommy Thorn. Dustin Weinmann (Irondale, Minn.) was a state placewinner last season at 112 pounds and will be among the favorites to reach the finals. Another wrestler expected to be in the title hunt in this weight class is Ben Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.), who went 36-8 last season as an eighth-grader. He was a Northern Plains champion in freestyle this past spring and has beaten Gross. Andy Underhill (Burnsville, Minn.), a multiple-time state qualifier and 2010 JJ Classic runner-up, should be in contention for a high placement. Kollin Kragnes (West Fargo, N.D.) was a state placewinner last season at 112 pounds. Brandon Peters (Faribault, Minn.), Frank Wilczek (Little Falls, Minn.), and Zach Becicka (Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa) have all been 30-match winners, and should not be overlooked. 132: This is not only the most top-heavy weight class, but also the deepest weight class at this year's JJ Classic. The weight class includes three state champions, several state placewinners, and an abundance of 30-match winners. The favorite is Sam Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.), who is ranked as the No. 56 overall senior in the country. Brancale, who has committed to the University of Minnesota, is a state champion, three-time state placewinner, and a FILA Cadet double All-American the past two years. The other two state champions in this weight class are Mitchel Lexvold (Kenyon Wanamingo, Minn.) and Brett Stolarzyk (Stewartville, Minn.). Lexvold has reached the state finals in each of the past two seasons. He posted a record of 42-4 last season en route to winning his state championship at 119 pounds. Stolarzyk, a JJ Classic runner-up last year, claimed his state championship at 112 pounds. He also earned All-American honors at Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman. Marcus Hamer (Kimball, Minn.), Taner Trembley (LCWM, Minn.), Mark Voss (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), and Cody Hickel (Wahpeton, N.D.) are state placewinners. There are several other wrestlers in this weight class who are capable or wrestling with the state's best, which will make for thrilling matches throughout the day. 138: Of all the weight classes at this year's JJ Classic, this is perhaps the most balanced and wide open weight class. There are five to seven wrestlers in this weight class who are capable of winning the title with a strong performance on Saturday. Marcus Peterson (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa) was ranked No. 1 in Nebraska for most of last season. He has since moved to Iowa. Isaac Lundgren (Spirit Lake, Iowa), Kyle McKenzie (La Crosse Logan, Wis.), Tyler Pasvogel (Sibley East, Minn.), and Coltan Laganiere (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) have all earned state medals in the past, and have to be considered among the top contenders in this weight class. Logan Peterson (ACGC, Minn.), Ben Rock (Prior Lake, Minn.), Henry Wolfbauer (Hopkins, Minn.), and Dylan Herman (United South Central, Minn.) are multiple-time state qualifiers, and all three should figure into the mix. Wayne Voss (St. Michael-Albertville) won 35 matches last season and cannot be counted out. 145: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) is head and shoulders above the other competitors in this weight class. Hall, who is ranked as the nation's No. 1 junior high wrestler by InterMatWrestle.com, claimed a state title last season as seventh-grader. He has proven that he can compete not only with the best high school wrestlers in Minnesota, but also across the country. Last weekend Hall won the Grappler Fall Classic, beating nationally-ranked senior Zack Dailey (Massillon Perry, Ohio) in the finals. Weston Drogemueller (Wayzata, Minn.) has won 30-plus matches in each of the last three seasons, and qualified for the state tournament four straight seasons. Josh Halicke (Glencoe-Lester Prairie, Minn.) went 32-3 last season. Mitchell Hartwig (GSLLP, Minn.), Christian Carnahan (Duncan, Okla.), and Kyle Kragnes (West Fargo, N.D.) have all been state qualifiers. 152: Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley, Minn.) is one of the nation's top seniors (ranked sixth overall by InterMatWrestle.com) and the overwhelming favorite to win this weight class. Kingsley will be gunning for his fourth state championship this season. He has compiled a gaudy career record of 169-6 with 126 pins. Grant Nehring (Saint Cloud Apollo, Minn.), Brad Maas (Medford, Minn.), and Derek Weinmann (Irondale, Minn.) have all been state placewinners. Jake Deutschlander was a Cadet National Greco-Roman All-American this year. Mason Manville (South County, Va.) is among the truly elite age group wrestlers in the country. The 14-old Manville, who is ranked as the No. 3 junior high wrestler in the country, has a wrestling resume filled with titles at national events. He was a Super 32 Challenge champion in the middle school division last year. Manville is a USAW National Triple Crown winner this year, winning national titles in all three styles. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2011 Reno World Championships. Manville has been absolutely crushing wrestlers in his age group, but now will get a chance to test himself against top high school wrestlers on Saturday. 160: Justin Koethe (Iowa City West, Iowa), the nation's No. 31 overall senior, is the most accomplished wrestler in this weight class. Koethe, who committed to the University of Wisconsin, is a five-time Cadet and Junior National All-American in Fargo. He was a Cadet National freestyle champion in 2009. Koethe was also a FILA Junior National double All-American this year, winning a title in Greco-Roman. Ben Sullivan (Apple Valley, Minn.) poses the biggest threat to Koethe. Sullivan was an NHSCA Junior National finalist this year and has been a state champion. Koethe and Sullivan met at Northern Plains this year in freestyle, with Koethe winning that battle 7-0, 6-1. Ben Cousins (Bloomington Kennedy, Minn.), Darrin Allen (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), Tim Moore (Rochester John Marshall, Minn.), and Michael Lehmann (Wahpeton, N.D.) all won at least 20 matches last season. Cory Flaata (Park, Minn.) posted a 10-0 record at the Schoolboy National Duals in Greco-Roman. 170: Daniel Woiwor (Apple Valley, Minn.) is expected to be the favorite in this weight class. He is a state champion and four-time state placewinner. Woiwor is ranked as the No. 37 junior in the country by InterMatWrestle.com. Cory Anderson (White Bear Lake, Minn.) is a two-time section champion and a JJ Classic runner-up last year. Elijah Preisser (Bettendorf, Iowa) placed fourth at Cadet Nationals in folkstyle this year. He was a state champion this year in folkstyle and a state runner-up in folkstyle. Alex Jackson (Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minn.) was a 20-match winner last year. Sal Ayala (Libertyville, Ill.) placed third in the Illinois state freestyle tournament this year at 152 pounds. 182: Richard Carlson (Mounds View, Minn.) was a state placewinner last season and will be among the favorites to win the title in this weight class. Other top contenders in this weight class include Corbin Farrell (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Lance Benick (Totino Grace, Minn.). Farrell was shuffled all over Apple Valley's lineup last season, but settled as the starter at 215 for the nation's No. 1 high school wrestling program. Farrell was a JJ Classic runner-up a year ago. Another wrestler expected to contend for the title in this weight class is Lance Benick (Totino Grace, Minn.), who is ranked as the nation's No. 20 overall freshman by InterMatWrestle.com. Benick went undefeated at the Schoolboy National Duals, and followed that up by going 15-1 at the AAU Junior Olympics. Miles Hammerlund (Delano, Minn.), Max Bullock (Waconia, Minn.), and Greg Johnson (LARP, Minn.) all won at least 20 matches last season. 195: Schoen Kichler (Waconia, Minn.) and Alex Gray (Maple Grove, Min.) both won over 20 matches last season. Gray placed sixth at last year's JJ Classic. 220: Coyte Kuefner (Owatonna, Minn.) will be looking to repeat as a JJ Classic champion. He is a two-time Junior National folkstyle All-American and state placewinner. Cody Linssen (Park, Minn.) was a Minnesota Ninth Grade League state champion last year. Jordan Stevens (Central, Minn.) was a Northern Plains champion in freestyle this year. Matthew Wilson (Saint Charles, Minn.) won over 20 matches last season. 285: This weight class features one of the most anticipated matches of this year's JJ Classic ... Michael Kroells (Scott West, Minn.) vs. Sam Stoll (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.). Both are nationally-ranked wrestlers. Kroells is the nation's No. 63 senior, while Stoll is the nation's No. 12 sophomore. Kroells had a dominant junior season, going undefeated en route to winning a state championship at 215 pounds. He recently committed to the University of Minnesota. Stoll, a state runner-up as a freshman, is coming off a sensational spring and summer. He was undefeated at the Cadet Nationals, and then followed up that performance by winning Cadet National double titles in Fargo. He capped off his summer by going undefeated at the AAU Junior Olympics. Kroells pinned Stoll last season at the state tournament in the team competition.

Leading up to the InterMat JJ Classic, a premier preseason high school wrestling tournament that takes place this Saturday in Minnesota and serves as fundraising event for a cancer support center, InterMat will be releasing stories about people in wrestling who have been affected by cancer. Registration for the InterMat JJ Classic is open through Friday at 8 p.m. CDT. As a sport uniform, the singlet is unique. The single austere piece of polyester and cotton weave normally doesn't allow for the frivolities of football and basketball outfits where players seemed predisposed to tinkering with their individual appearance -- projecting a public persona through arm bands, knee wraps, shooting sleeves and headbands. Wrestlers are limited to the basics: team shoes, athletic socks, and assigned singlets. Like the sport that popularized its use, the singlet is simple; so when Dakota Trom stepped onto the mat in elementary school with a pink ribbon stitched across the lumbar section of his back, fans and wrestlers took notice. Dakota Trom locks up a cradle in the finals of the Minnesota Christmas Tournament (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Young Dakota spent his time away from wrestling watching as his mother battled breast cancer. She had been diagnosed when he was 3 and by the time he started middle school wrestling she had already battled her first diagnosis for five years, experienced a remission, then been diagnosed for a second time. It was that second battle with cancer, three years in total, which finally took her life. Dakota was 12. Lottie Trom had been sick for much of Dakota's life, but still managed to be a devoted mother, spending her healthy moments in the car with her kids, whisking them to tournaments and college dual meets 20 miles away at the University of Minnesota. Lottie was, at her core, always a wrestling mom. "Lottie was a super mom in a lot of ways," says Apple Valley High School (Minn.) head wrestling coach Jim Jackson. "She was super involved, and always driving the kids anywhere they needed to be -- heck, even her daughters got involved in the program. Both of them were managers of the team." Lottie's dedication to wrestling wasn't passed through generations of tough Minnesota wrestlers; she had found the sport for her son through geographical coincidence. It was popular to be a wrestler in Apple Valley and though neither she nor her husband Brice had any family members with cauliflower ear, Dakota joined the local little league team with their full backing Dakota Trom will look to join Apple Valley great Chad Erikson (seated next to Trom) as a four-time state champion (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)"He's always been a high-energy kid," says his father. "Even when he was little it was always jumping around and wanting to wrestle. I guess that isn't all that strange, but even if he wasn't winning as a kid, he always had a smile on his face." Lottie's dedication to her son's pursuits and the bond that mothers hold over their young children inspired Dakota to make that first statement. He wanted to show his wrestling world that the battles he fought at home would be the inspiration for the battles he took on the mat. The pink ribbon that once adorned the back of a pee-wee wrestler has now been replicated, enlarged, and celebrated by the entirety of the Apple Valley wrestling team. "That first ribbon in high school was pretty big," says Brice Trom. The family had been concerned that the athletic league or another coach might complain, but the call for change never came. "We were happy that they let him keep the ribbon on the back." Dakota Trom captured his third state title this past March (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)The next year Dakota moved the ribbon to the front of his singlet where it was joined -- as had become the custom -- by pink shin-high socks. Dakota became a wildly successful high school wrestler, winning three titles for Apple Valley. He reached the Cadet National finals in freestyle. Brice Trom watched as his son won the majority of his matches, though at times, when he failed to win, he watched as he carried the weight of the losses, though never getting as low or as high as other emotionally volatile wrestlers. "With Dakota it ebbs and flows -- most of the time he uses [Lottie] for extra support and drive. Maybe sometimes if things don't go right -- he doesn't get too worked up. He relates things back to her and he doesn't get super high and super low, takes the tops and bottoms off of things," Brice Trom says. "He was 12 years old and made to swallow a pretty big bullet." The pink ribbon caught on at Apple Valley, where other wrestlers had experienced loss due to breast cancer. Dakota's first ribbon and socks were a catalyst for several more wrestlers to wear them during matches. Dakota said that it has been nice "to get support from my teammates and the wrestling community." Dakota lost his mother young, but recognizes that in a way it taught him some important lessons about the severity of a loss. "Losing my mom matured me and taught me how to deal with loss and let go and accept that nothing could have been done. Dakota Trom reached the Cadet National finals at 130 pounds in the summer of 2010 (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)"I know that I'm not going to win every time, but I know that I should try my best every time. That's the important thing that my mom would want to see." Dakota isn't just a leader on the Apple Valley team (he's a captain), he also leads a grief group for students who have recently experienced loss, as a part-time counselor. He says that learning about himself has made the transition to the stress of the big stage easier. "I get on the mat and the ribbon is there on my chest," says Dakota. "She's always there with me. It's not just being sad anymore. She's by my side and watching." The three-time state champion verbally committed to the University of Minnesota. Dakota had been a hot commodity in early recruiting -- a talented, successful lightweight from a well-coached national powerhouse program -- but Brice says his son always wanted to wrestle for the Gophers. "He had his mind made up when he was young," says Brice Trom. "It was a goal of his to wrestle there. He could have left, but he's a homer and wanted to stick around the family." Dakota Trom, who is ranked as the nation's No. 48 recruit, is one of four InterMat Top 100 recruits from Minnesota to commit to the Gophers (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)That family includes his mother, who Dakota says he wants to honor in college by wrestling in an arena where she took him to watch those college dual meets. Next fall his car will be packed with sheets, clothes, and a mini-fridge, but he's also bringing something else ... a pink ribbon for his Gopher singlet. "I'm going to push to wear a ribbon on my singlet, but I know it's different in college. There's just different rules." Dakota says he'll continue to wear his socks and participate in charity events like Relay for Life and the Susan G. Komen's 3-Day Walk for the Cure. And when he takes to the mat, whether with a ribbon or just socks he says he'll be just fine. "I know she's watching me, and when I try my best she'll be proud."

Enterprise Events

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team is set to begin the 98th year of competition in school history, opening practice on Oct. 18 with its first tournament scheduled for Nov. 5 at the Eastern Michigan Open. Head coach Scott Hinkel enters his fifth season at the helm, looking to continue building on the success of recent years. He'll do so with a strong returning class and some outstanding new additions to the room. The Boilermakers are set to hold a pair of preseason events for fans, inviting the public to an open practice at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, before the Homecoming football game against Illinois, and team wrestle-offs on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. Purdue has plans for a pair of new surprises for home duals in 2011-12, featuring a student section, preliminarily titled “Hinkel's Hooligans”, and a new Purdue wrestling mascot. 2010-11 In Review Hinkel became the first coach at Purdue to go .500 or better in his first four seasons in 2011, turning in an 8-8-1 mark overall and 3-5 record in conference action. The three Big Ten Dual victories were the Boilermakers' most since the 2003-04 season, when they secured four conference wins. Purdue finished ninth at the Big Ten Championships, scoring 51 points, and locked up five bids to the 2011 NCAA Championships in Philadelphia. There they settled for a tie for 39th place in the overall standings with nine points as senior Luke Manuel was just one win shy of All-America status for the second time in his career. Highlights of the 2010-11 season included wins over Hofstra, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan State and archrival Indiana, along with several additions to the Boilermaker record books. Manuel finished an outstanding career with 118 wins, good for fourth all-time at Purdue, and 276 career takedowns, good for eighth in school history. In addition, his 41 victories in 2009-10 are a single-season Purdue record and he is one of just 18 wrestlers in school history to amass over 100 takedowns in a season (101 in 2009-10). Manuel's career record of 118-40 gives him the 11th-best win percentage in Purdue's history (.747). Classmate Logan Brown left his footprint in Boilermaker history as well, totaling 109 career wins, securing 11th in school history, and is one of six wrestlers to ever collect more than 300 career takedowns at Purdue (335). Like Manuel and Brown, Colton Salazar was a four-time NCAA qualifier for the Boilermakers and finished 16th in school history with 224 career takedowns. Sam Patacsil continued his family's tradition on the Purdue career back point list, finishing with the eighth-highest total in school history at 199. 2011-12 Weight Class Previews 125: The Boilermakers return a 2011 NCAA qualifier at 125 pounds in sophomore Camden Eppert, who looks to improve upon a solid freshman campaign. Despite his 13-17 overall record, Eppert advanced to the national tournament with a fifth-place showing at the Big Ten Championships, where he tacked on bonus points with a major decision and a fall. Eppert played a major part in team wins at Wisconsin, where he scored his first career pin, and against Michigan State, and earned a second-place effort at the Michigan State Open as well. He was sixth on the team with 36 takedowns and second with 11 reversals. Offering Eppert competition will be freshman standout Danny Sabatello, who comes to Purdue after an outstanding high school career in Illinois. A two-time state champion, Sabatello went 41-0 as a senior at Stevenson High School en route to the 3A 125-pound championship and the InterMat No. 12 national ranking at his weight class. He plans to start the season at 125 pounds, but may possibly move up to 133 midseason. Other 125 pounders in the room are freshmen Luke Schroeder and Dominique Price. Both qualified for the 2011 Indiana State High School Championships at 112 pounds and look to redshirt their first season. 133: The return of sophomore Cashé Quiroga to the Boilermaker lineup has been greatly anticipated, and will come at 133 pounds this season. Quiroga became just the fourth true freshman in Purdue's history to earn All-America honors, taking sixth at 125 pounds at the 2010 NCAA Championships. He also set a freshman record with 124 takedowns, good for the sixth-highest single-season total at Purdue, and won 28 matches in his rookie campaign. Quiroga has seen a wealth of attention across the preseason polls, earning marks as high as fifth in the country at 133 pounds, and is eager to get back into competition. Quiroga will have a phenomenal veteran pushing him for time on the mat in senior Matt Fields. Fields' funky style has made him a matchup nightmare for opponents over the past few seasons, building a 37-24 career record including wins over All-Americans Scotti Sentes of Central Michigan and Ryan Mango of Stanford. Fields is currently 12th in school history with 136 career back points, and remains one pin shy of a spot on the career record list. 141: The Boilermakers should see an intense battle for mat time at 141 pounds, led by senior Jake Fleckenstein. Fleckenstein saw action at 133 and 141 pounds in 2010, putting together a 12-13 mark en route to a career record of 35-24. His most impressive season to date was at 141 pounds in 2009-10 when he notched a 15-6 mark, including seven major decisions and 91 takedowns, before a season-ending injury. Hot on his heels are a pair of redshirt freshmen in Nick Lawrence and Brandon Nelsen. Lawrence was a two-time Ohio State High School runner-up at Westlake High School, where he finished with a 127-10 record despite an injury in his senior season, while Nelsen was a 2010 Indiana State High School champions in his final high school season. Nelsen has seen a huge growth spurt over the last year, winning the 119-pound state title as a senior with a 51-1 record at Lawrence North High School. Freshman Rusty Maness adds even more depth to the weight class, coming to Purdue with four consecutive West Virginia state titles. 149: Purdue has brought in an outstanding transfer student to fill the 149-pound spot in former UNC Greensboro star Ivan Lopouchanski. A two-time NCAA qualifier for the Spartans, Lopouchanski comes to Purdue with a career record of 74-20, including a 41-10 mark in 2010-11. He was one win shy of All-America status last season, advancing to the NCAA Round of 12, and scored bonus points in 16 of his 41 victories, including eight falls. Lopouchanski has seen plenty of attention across the preseason polls, earning marks as high as sixth in the nation at 149 pounds. Freshmen Brock Norton and Frankie Porras will push Lopouchanski at 149, coming off redshirt seasons. Porras won a pair of Indiana State High School titles, taking the 140-pound title as a senior with a record of 42-1 and capturing the 130-pound crown in his junior year with a mark of 40-1, while Norton was a flawless 39-0 en route to the 135-pound state title for Fort Wayne Carroll in his senior season. 157: There will be another dogfight for starting time at 157 pounds, pitting junior Tommy Churchard against freshman Pat Robinson. Churchard moves up another weight after opening his career at 141 pounds and seeing action at 149 pounds last season, looking to find his niche in the Purdue lineup at 157. He has a career record of 16-11, including four falls, with a mark of 9-6 at 149 in 2010-11. Robinson has shown a wealth of growth during his redshirt season after finishing third at the Indiana state tournament as a senior at 145 pounds. Other Boilermakers set to compete at 157 are redshirt freshman Dustin Schulz and true freshmen Cody Robertson and Doug Welch. Schulz and Robertson were state championship qualifiers in Indiana and Texas, respectively, while Welch was the 2011 Indiana State high School Champion at 152 pounds and earned 2011 NHSCA All-America honors as well. 165: One of the Boilermakers' few returning starters comes in at 165 pounds as Kyle Mosier looks to improve upon a solid rookie season. Mosier went 13-13 in 2010-11, including a 3-5 Big Ten Dual mark and six falls. His high point came in the Minnesota dual on Jan. 21, as he stuck 11th-ranked Golden Gopher Cody Yohn in a thrilling contest. Mosier expects immediate pressure from freshman Chad Welch, who like twin-brother Doug has an exceptional list of credentials. Welch won the 2011 Indiana State Championship at 160 pounds with a flawless 51-0 record and went on to capture the NHSCA Senior National Championship at 152 pounds without allowing a point in the semifinals or finals. Other freshmen looking to compete at 165 are Austin Kunze and Andy Hoselton. 174: Sophomore Pat Kissel is the favorite to start for the Boilermakers at 174 pounds, but only if he decides not to take a redshirt this season. Kissel saw action at 165 and 184 pounds last season, compiling a 6-8 record with a pair of falls and a pair of major decisions. If Kissel does take the year off, the starting job will be up for grabs between sophomore Cameron Vlahos, redshirt freshman Andy Wiseman and true freshman Drake Stein. Vlahos was 5-2 in limited action as a freshman, including a second-place effort at the Simonson Open, while Wiseman was a state qualifier in his final high school season in Indiana and Stein was a two-time Indiana State Champion at 171 pounds. Stein was also a two-time Fargo All-American (Greco-Roman). 184: With senior A.J. Kissel moving up to 197 pounds, freshman Braden Atwood looks to take full advantage of the vacant position. Atwood had an impressive redshirt campaign in 2010-11, placing in several open tournaments, and came to Purdue with solid high school credentials. A product of nearby Delphi Community High School, Atwood was a three-time placewinner at the Indiana State High School Championships, including a second-place effort as a senior. 197: Three-time NCAA Championship qualifier A.J. Kissel makes the jump from 184 to 197 pounds this season, looking to finish an outstanding career with a spot on the All-America platform. Kissel is 77-37 in his collegiate career, including 45 pins, good for third all-time at Purdue and just three shy of the school record. His 19 pins in 2007-08 are the Purdue single-season record, while his 17 falls in 2008-09 are second all-time. Kissel has been tabbed as high as 10th in the nation in the various preseason polls, but is projected to miss the first month of the season after having offseason surgery. Junior Justin Dinius and freshman Preston Quam will battle to take his place in the meantime, looking to bolster their own resumes. Dinius is 5-6 in a limited career thus far, including a fall and a major decision, while Quam was the California State High School runner-up at 189 pounds last year and has an extensive background in international judo competitions. 285: Purdue's 2010-11 starting heavyweight Roger Vukobratovich returns to the Boilermaker lineup this season, looking to avoid some of the injuries that have interrupted the last two years. Despite a 10-16 record last season, Vukobratovich had impressive wins over Iowa's Jordan Johnson, Oklahoma State's Blake Rosholt and eighth-ranked Brandon Barlow of Kent State, and suffered five losses by one point. Vukobratovich will battle a pair of fellow heavyweights in the room in junior Adam Walls and sophomore Alex White. Walls was 5-4 last season and 11-24 as the Boilermakers' starter the year before, while White compiled an 11-12 record in 2010-11. Boilermaker Schedule The Boilermakers are looking forward to another challenging schedule in 2011-12, but nothing has Purdue fans more excited than the 2012 Big Ten Championships, set for Dec. 3-4 in Mackey Arena in West Lafayette. Purdue returns to the Eastern Michigan Open to start the season after skipping the event last year, and opens the dual schedule on Nov. 13 at Missouri. The Boilermakers look to win their third straight over the Tigers after upsetting the highly-touted Big 12 standouts in each of the last two years. Purdue returns home to host intrastate rival Indianapolis on Nov. 18, and then heads east to the Journeymen/Asics Northeast Duals on Nov. 26 in Troy, N.Y. The Boilermakers are set for a grueling schedule at the event, facing some of the eastern region's best in Binghamton, Rutgers, Lehigh and American. December opens with a dual at Northern Illinois on Dec. 1, before the Boilermakers return home to open the Big Ten Dual schedule against Michigan State on Dec. 9. Purdue has won three of the last four against the Spartans, and will look for their second straight win live on BTN.com. The Boilermakers wrap up first-semester action on Dec. 18, heading to Edwardsville, Ill. to square off with NCAA Division I newcomers Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Division II foe Truman State. Similar to the Eastern Michigan Open, the Boilermakers passed on a team showing at the Midlands Championships in 2010, but return this winter, traveling to Evanston, Ill. on Dec. 28 and 29. Big Ten Duals resume in full force for the Old Gold and Black in January, opening with Illinois for Military Appreciation Night on Jan. 6. The Boilermakers plan to sport honorary camouflage singlets for the event, which will be auctioned off after the match. Purdue continues the conference slate on Thursday, Jan. 12, at Ohio State, and comes home on Sunday, Jan. 15, to host the highly-ranked Golden Gophers of Minnesota. The Boilermakers' live Big Ten Network opportunity comes on the road on Friday, Jan. 20, at Wisconsin, and they turn around and head to Lincoln, Neb. for their first-ever Big Ten Dual at Nebraska on Sunday, Jan. 22. The Old Gold and Black closes out the month with a home dual against Northwestern on Sunday, Jan. 29, and wrap up Big Ten Duals at archrival Indiana on Sunday, Feb. 5. The Boilermakers head to Ithaca, N.Y. for the debut of the new format of the NWCA National Duals as one of six teams headed to the Cornell Regional, Feb. 10-12. In addition to Purdue and the host Big Red, the preliminary site includes Illinois, American, Oklahoma and Central Michigan. A victory at the regional tournament would send the Boilermakers to a NWCA Final Four site to be determined; otherwise they'll head to Toledo, Ohio for a neutral-site contest with the Chippewas of Central Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 19. Purdue is set to host the Big Ten Championships for the first time since 2000, taking the tournament into legendary and newly remodeled Mackey Arena on March 3 and 4. The Boilermakers were supposed to host last season, but the construction pushed Purdue's chance to host the championship back a season. Purdue hopes to crown its first conference champion since 2004 on its home turf and advance its team to the NCAA Championships, set for March 15-17 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The Boilermakers last trip to St. Louis brought home a 23rd-place team finish and an All-America award for former Boilermaker Jake Patacsil.

You take your kids to a major wrestling tournament. They see something for sale that they say they've just got to have, so you give in ... then, immediately after making the purchase, you have that instant feeling you've paid way too much. What do you do about it? Sure, you could complain, or vow never to submit to your kids' demands. Or you could start your own company to provide the same type of goods at a lower price. That's pretty much the story of how Jason Gillis started Cradle Gear, supplier of wrestling and MMA (mixed martial arts) gear. The birth of a business Cradle Gear was essentially born at a major high school wrestling tournament. Rulon Gardner and Jason Gillis"I took my young sons to the Walsh Ironman," said Gillis, an entrepreneur and family man who lives outside Cleveland. "They saw some fight shorts they wanted that were $40 apiece. I went ahead and bought them, but thought, 'These things are overpriced' and thought we could do better." This past February, Gillis launched Cradle Gear with the idea of providing top-quality performance gear at lower prices. Cradle Gear offers a wide range of sportswear and gear for martial arts, mixed martial arts and wrestling, including shorts, shirts, jackets and singlets. Here's how the company describes itself on the "About Us" page at its website: "CradleGear.com is your source for all sports apparel and branded casual wear. We work directly with contracted manufacturers who adhere to our strict guidelines resulting in the highest quality and extreme comfort. We can provide the very best for lower prices than any of our competitors." The idea seems to be working. As Gillis told InterMat, "It's really taking off, thanks in large part to social media." "We strive to deliver top-quality products and excellent customer service, all at low prices." A "market correction" for high-price performance gear Jason Gillis is a wrestling fanatic who never wrestled. "All my buddies in high school wrestled, as did my college roommates," said Gillis, who counts a number of college wrestlers and coaches among his friends, including Jim Andrassy, head coach of the mat program at Kent State University, Gillis' alma mater. Cradle Gear Team with Henry CejudoGillis runs a number of businesses, including a club wrestling facility in Kent, Ohio. "I started Cradle Gear because my other businesses are successful," Gillis said matter-of-factly. He then told the story of his sons and the $40 fight shorts at the Ironman tournament ... and, continuing with the theme of high prices, segued into just how expensive it is for athletes to participate in extra-curricular activities. "Too many kids are having to pay to play sports," Gillis said. "I understand that times are tough and school districts are having to watch their funds, but it really closes the door on some kids' ability to participate." "I was talking to a friend who has to pay $1,000 a year to have three kids play high school sports, and he's the wrestling coach at that school!" according to Gillis. "I'm trying to give a market correction regarding pricing for athletic gear, including wrestling gear. Too much of it is overpriced." Giving athletes a piece of the action In addition to being sensitive to the price of some brands of performance gear, Jason Gillis is very aware of how difficult it is for amateur wrestlers to make it financially. "Amateur wrestling is the one sport where athletes don't get much in the way of financial compensation, unless they win medals at the Worlds or Olympics, or go into professional MMA," said Gillis. Cradle Gear Jon Reader Signature SeriesWith that in mind, Gillis and Cradle Gear created the Signature Series, in which selected athletes earn 50% of the sales price of an item in their line. For example: a participating wrestler gets $20 of the $40 retail price of fight shorts. Cradle Gear has signed up a number of wrestlers for its Signature Series program, including Angel Escobedo, Coleman Scott, Trent and Travis Paulson, Jon Reader, Justin (Harry) Lester, Spenser Mango, Adeline Grey, and Kelsey Campbell. What's more, each Signature Series wrestler gets to participate in the design of his or her gear, choosing colors, logos and other design elements that reflect his or her personality and interests. Customization for everyone The ability to personalize and customize performance gear isn't limited to wrestlers in Cradle Gear's Signature Series program. Any individual athlete, wrestling program or club, or MMA facility can use Cradle Gear's in-house design capabilities. Cael Sanderson and Jason Gillis"Our graphic design department can work with a customer's ideas and bring them to life," according to Gillis. "For instance, we can 'twist up' school logos and colors in a number of ways, whether it's a traditional look, Gothic, old-school or designs that are inspired by MMA gear." "A school or individual can put in a design request, and, within 24-48 hours, we can get back to them with designs at no charge," said Gillis. Fast turn-around isn't limited to the design phase, according to Gillis. "Place an order, and we'll the merchandise to you in 4-6 weeks." More and more wrestling programs are moving away from the traditional warm-ups towards fight shorts, shirts and jackets for wrestlers to wear before and after matches. Cradle Gear Kent State Wrestling ShortsGillis said that his company has done work for a number of high school wrestling programs, youth programs, wrestling camps, and college mat programs, including Kent State, University of Virginia, Indiana University, and Notre Dame College. What's more, Cradle Gear will be supplying custom fight shorts for all 28 finalists at the second-annual InterMat JJ Classic, a premier preseason high school wrestling tournament to be held this Saturday (Oct. 22) at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. "I always donate to cancer causes," said Gillis, referring to the inspiration of the InterMat JJ Classic, Justin "JJ" Kukowski, an athlete and avid sports fan who lost his battle with brain cancer days after his 27th birthday in 2007. "I lost my mother to cancer one year ago." To learn more about Cradle Gear, visit their website at CradleGear.com.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The David G. Bunning '88 Head Coach for Harvard Wrestling Jay Weiss has announced the addition of 2010 NCAA Champion J.P. O'Connor ‘10 to his coaching staff. O'Connor, who is currently training for a spot on the 2012 summer Olympic team, rejoins the Crimson after enjoying one of the most decorated careers in program history. “I am extremely delighted and fortunate to have J.P. joining our coaching staff, he has meant so much to our program" Weiss commented. "Not only has he won on the biggest stage, he's also a tremendous leader. Our student-athletes will be able to learn more than just wrestling from J.P. He brings a passion for the sport but also for the Harvard program. ” O'Connor became Harvard's third national champion in 2010 when he claimed the 157 lbs. title with a 6-4 win over Cal Poly's Chase Pami. O'Connor finished his senior campaign with a perfect 35-0 record and was named both the EIWA and Ivy League Wrestler of the year. He is the only Crimson grappler to ever complete an undefeated season while his 35 wins that year rank as the fourth most in program history. O'Connor completed his career at Harvard with a record of 132-16, ranking him first in career wins and second in career winning percentage (.892). He is one of only two wrestlers in Harvard history to earn all-America status three times and became the first Harvard freshman to do so in 2007 with his fifth-place finish at nationals. O'Connor is also the only two-time Ivy League Wrestler of the Year in Crimson annals and was a two-time team captain. His other accolades include being a four time All-Ivy League selection, being named the 2007 EIWA and Ivy League Rookie of the Year and taking home the 2010 William J. Bingham Award as Harvard's outstanding male athlete. As impressive as his career was on the mat, O'Connor's career away from the mat was just as impressive. A three-time NWCA All-Academic and Academic All-Ivy honoree, O'Connor was also named to the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team. He helped the Crimson to four consecutive NWCA Div. I All-Academic Team honors and following his senior campaign Harvard was recognized as having the highest GPA among all Div. I wrestling programs. A native of Oxford, N.Y., O'Connor was a highly touted recruit out of high school. He is one of only three individuals in New York history to win four state championships and was a five-time sectional champion. He completed his high school career with a 238-12 record, was named first team all-America, was a member of the Amateur Wrestling News Dream Team and was a recipient of the 2006 Dave Schultz Athletic Excellence Award. O'Connor earned his degree from Harvard in May of 2010 as a human evolutionary biology concentrator.

With the high school wrestling season's start fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From now until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top high school senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to future college and senior level stars. Illinois high school wrestling has been breaking records at a phenomenal pace in recent years. The freestyle and Greco-Roman programs are locked and loaded on national championship mode. The folkstyle teams are not far behind. The driving force behind these programs are the stellar athletes that the state has been putting out the last few years. The Class of 2012 is no different. This year's top athlete race was as close as it has ever been in Illinois. Steve Congenie edged out Zane Richards but both have one thing in common -- they are winners. Congenie is a special athlete that processes size, length, and strength. Humbleness and being coachable, combined with a quiet confidence in him make Congenie a special athlete. Meanwhile on the other end of the state, the man whose name that starts with the last letter of the alphabet, Zane Richards, often is first on the podium. Looking into the future Richards is busy formulating a plan on the mat that just might find him on the top of the Junior World Championships. Eight of the top ten wrestlers are ranked by InterMat and one of the two that is not ranked is an two-time Junior National freestyle champion. The other is a five-time high school All-American and a multiple-sport star with college scholarship offers in both sports. In addition it appears that the state's top weight class this year, 195, is well represented with three former state champs all vying for the same AAA state medal. 1. Steve Congenie (Willowbrook) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 184-197 Analysis: Congenie likes to wrestle on the outside, and is considered a long reach wrestler who will counter the competition's attacks. He reacts to the situations presented by other wrestlers with probably the best lefty fireman move in the state. Considered a funk style wrestler who will use legs, he basically is a 106-pound wrestler wrapped up in a 190-pound body. Steve Congenie (Photo/Suzanne McLean)Primarily a folkstyle wrestler, Congenie has dabbled in freestyle and was a member of Team Illinois' Junior National Duals team. A two-time state champion (152, 171), and a three-time state qualifier, Congenie is looking beyond his senior year. Ranked 38th national among all senior recruits by InterMat, Congenie and has already set a goal of winning a future NCAA championship. The colleges Congenie is considering are Cornell, Northwestern, and Hofstra. 2. Zane Richards (Carbondale) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 132-138 Projected College Weight Class: 125-133 Analysis: Richards is an extremely confident wrestler who wrestles a high pace match as soon as the whistle blows. His goal of getting hands on the other wrestler is to attack hard and wrestle smart has translated into a being a three-time double All-American in freestyle and Greco-Roman. He won two Cadet Greco-Roman titles (2009-10) and the Junior 130-pound freestyle title this year. In addition Richards is a three-time state qualifier, two-time finalist and the defending 125- pound state champion. Ranked 15th nationally by InterMat, Richards is the highest ranked class AA wrestler to make this list since Illinois went to the three-class system. His lofty goals for his final high school season are to get better for college and reach the top of the Junior World Team podium. It is his belief that an additional state title will take care of itself if he perfects his moves, improves his stamina and shoots for beyond the state championship. Richards respectable 26 ACT score make the future psychology, science or engineering major a solid student for his future coach. The colleges Richards is considering are Illinois, Michigan, Oklahoma State, and Northwestern. 3. Max Schneider (Lane Technical) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Schneider is the most unique wrestler in the Class of 2012 and an athlete that may be on a crash course to the 2016 Olympic, although maybe not as a wrestler. The two-time state finalist and former state champion (2010-140 pounds) began wrestling as a freshman and marched right into the state finals at 135. He just missed winning the title and becoming only the fourth Illinois wrestler to win a title at 135 or above. The following year he fulfilled his potential with the first state title won for the much-maligned Chicago Public League since 2005. A shoulder injury ended last season prematurely. Once recovered fully Schneider returned to his other sport – judo -- and traveled to Singapore to capture the Youth Olympic championship at 66 kilos (145 pounds). With a World title for 18 and under, Schneider is considered a solid 2016 Olympic hopeful for the USA. Much of Schneider's judo training has transferred over to the wrestling mat. Initially weight cutting, wearing wrestling shoes and wrestling rules that are the opposite of judo were all barriers to success. However the up close hand fighting and on your feet style of judo led Schneider to InterMat's 24th national ranking and the top of the podium in two sports. Schneider has two legitimate chances to make the USA Olympic Team. The colleges Schneider is considering are Stanford, Northwestern, Cornell, Cal Poly, Bucknell and North Carolina. 4. Sam Brooks (Oak Park-River Forest) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Analysis: Brooks is a natural leader who likes the tough close matches. Considered a grinder who uses heavy hands and his massive upper body to wear the competition down. Sam BrooksRanked 20th by InterMat, Brooks is a six-time ASICS All-American while also winning a state title as a sophomore. His loss to Congenie last year was the state's most anticipated match and has been the motivation for this senior season. Brooks, along with Congenie, Brad Johnson, and three of Illinois Top 10 wrestlers all seem to be on a crash course for one AAA state title -- 195 pounds. Brooks, whose older brother Ben also signed a DI scholarship, to North Carolina, after helping to lead the Huskies to the 2009 state title, believes his hard work approach will bring another trophy to Oak Park-River Forest. Brooks committed to Iowa on Monday. 5. Gage Harrah (Crystal Lake Central) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 184 Analysis: An old school style wrestler, Harrah relies on the basic staples of wrestling, singles, doubles, power half Nelson's and cradles. An undefeated state champ in 2011, Harrah doubles as a running back on the football team. Gage HarrahA three-time freestyle All-American, Harrah recorded a big win over Jahwon Akui at the Junior Nationals, ending last year's top Illinois wrestler's dream of a Fargo double titles. Harrah, nationally ranked 27th by InterMat, committed early to new Drexel coach Matt Azevedo to relieve the pressure of a senior year filled with expectations. With a goal of finishing with a second undefeated season, Harrah has the talent and size to pull off the rare feat while leading a team that could claim an AA state title. 6. Matt Garelli (Fenwick) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 120 Projected College Weight Class: 125-133 Analysis: Garelli style of getting after the competition and creating action on his feet may make him one of the most exciting small wrestlers in the state if not the country. Determined to win the state title undefeated, Garelli's resume certainly says he is quiet capable. Matt GarelliUndersized as a freshman, Garelli burst on the national scene as a sophomore with a freestyle Junior National title (98) and a repeat performance this year at 105 pounds. In addition he added his first Illinois state folkstyle title, posting a sparkling 47-1 record at 103 pounds. An excellent student Garelli recorded the second highest scores of the Illinois Top 10 with a 29 ACT, 1910 SAT and 4.42 GPA on a 4.00 scale. Determined to be an engineer it was only natural that he would choose Stanford as much for its wrestling as its top-rated engineering program. 7. Eddie Klimara (Providence Catholic) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 126 Projected College Weight Class: 125 - 133 Analysis: Klimara has been a big name on the Illinois wrestling landscape since winning an IKWF state title in the eighth grade and committing to Chicago Catholic League powerhouse Providence. Currently ranked 43rd nationally by InterMat, he lived up to promise his freshman year winning the 103-pound state championship and following it up with back-to-back runner-up finishes. In addition two All-American placings including the 2011 Junior National freestyle title at 125 pounds, certified Klimara as the real deal to college coaches. An offensive wrestler who is one of the most aggressive grapplers in Illinois, with a career 119-4 record, Klimara's left handed fireman is virtually unstoppable. Now as the leader of a Celtic's team that includes seven seniors, winning a team title and finishing with another individual championship would cap off one of the best careers ever in Illinois history. The colleges Klimara is considering are Illinois, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma State. 8. Josh Marchok (Schaumburg) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 220 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Analysis: Marchok not only checks in as the largest of the Top 10 Illinois wrestlers, but also has the top ACT with a glowing 34 score. His self-described non-conventional style often has Marchok looking like a little man trapped in a big man's body. Solid in all styles of wrestling from top, bottom or neutral, he can find many different ways to win a match. Marchok has a 113-14 career record, including a perfect 38-0 record en route to the Illinois 215-pound title. A three-time state qualifier and two-time All-State wrestler, Marchock has also shinned brightly on the national scene. A five-time high school All-American, he has set several goals of not giving up an offensive point, winning another state title undefeated and keeping his academic standards at a championship level. The colleges Marchok is considering are Bucknell, Harvard, Princeton, Penn, and Stanford. 9. Dylan Reel (Washington) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 165-174 Dylan ReelAnalysis: Reel is an explosive wrestler who can push the pace of the match and because of his skill on his feet can really get after the competition. The two-time state champion (2009-10) and three-time All-State wrestler is one of the most prolific in recent AA history. A three year running back on the football team, Reel began training hard this year and left the gridiron to improve and get ready for college wrestling. A leader by example, Reel ranked 96th by InterMat, is a four-time ASICS All-American, including the 2010 160 pound Greco-Roman title. The colleges Reel is considering are Boise State, Central Michigan and Missouri. 10. Brad Johnson (Lockport) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 195-220 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Brad JohnsonAnalysis: Solid on his feet, aggressive and a great hand fighter, Johnson is more athletic than most upper weights. Training partner with Sam Brooks, they may end up in the state finals against each other. On the football field he plays Middle Linebacker for a solid Porters team and was recruited by several I-AA schools but has opted to remain on the mat at the collegiate level. A three-time All State wrestler, Johnson captured the 189 pound title with a 42-3 record. In addition he is a five-time FILA/ASICS All-American in freestyle. The colleges Johnson is considering are Oklahoma, Penn, Michigan, Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Northwestern. Honorable Mention: Jack Dechow (Richmond-Burton) KeVon Powell (Montini) Kalvin Hill (Minooka) James Buss (DeLaSalle) Jared Parvinmehr (Barrington) David Pearce (Bethalto

Feelings of euphoria overcame New York State wrestling enthusiasts on Monday afternoon when it was learned that two-time Division I state champion Brian Realbuto had decided to remain in state and wrestle for EIWA powerhouse Cornell University. In doing so, the Somers High School stud, ranked 16th in the nation among 2012 recruits, became the second Top 15 student-athlete to give a verbal commitment to Cornell coach Rob Koll and staff. He joins three-time California state champion Alex Cisernos, ranked seventh overall, who in early July became the first of an expected many to formally select the Big Red. The consensus No. 1 recruit in the Empire State, as cited in the New York installment of the Wrestling 49 series, Realbuto enters his senior campaign as the favorite to not only add a third state NYS DI title (an honor he would share with future teammate, Nick Arujau) to his resume, but to also put the finishing touches on his fifth overall placement on the grandest stage in Albany. A titlist in 2009 at 103 pounds (beating 2010 NYS champion/2010 NHSCA All-American Damon McQueen), as well as last season at 135 (besting another former champ in the person of 2010 NHCA Junior National Champion, Bob Dierna), Realbuto has posted previous finishes of fourth (as an eighth-grader at 96 pounds) and third (2010 at 112 pounds) respectively during his scholastic career. Brian RealbutoAlready a hot commodity on the national radar, Realbuto's stock exploded off the charts this summer when he won a loaded 145-pound weight class at the 2011 Junior National freestyle tournament in Fargo. Securing the pin with short time remaining in the second period over 2013 Top 10 recruit Brian Murphy of Illinois, Realbuto became the first wrestler since 2004 to hoist the hardware under the Dome. It is now more fitting than ever that the last to accomplish the feat was Cornell alumnus, former four-time NCAA All-American/2009 NCAA champion Troy Nickerson, who was a double champ in the international styles following his junior year at Chenango Forks High School. A self-described "funky when down on the mat" wrestler, the Max Askren-trained student-athlete was no stranger to national success prior to this July, having twice earned All-American honors during the first half of his career. In 2009, he placed fourth at the NHSCA Freshmen Nationals at 112 pounds. He would solidify his position among the nation's elite the following offseason, taking home the bronze medal from the inaugural FloNationals at the same weight. Carrying a cumulative record of 230-11, when interviewed for the Wrestling 49 piece, Realbuto listed Lehigh, Penn State, and the University of Pennsylvania among his many suitors. Hence, beating out a pair of conference rivals for his service is certainly an added bonus for Cornell. In explaining his decision, Realbuto expressed the following sentiments: "The coaches are great people and the team is awesome. It's somewhere I can see myself fitting in and I want to be a part of the tradition they're building. It's the best place for me to accomplish my goals both on and off of the mat." Realbuto is projected at either 149 or 157 pounds on the college level -- spots that have been and will be occupied by another former NY great, defending two-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake, who only won two state titles during his impressive reign at Lansing High School. Whether Realbuto will playfully claim bragging rights remains unknown!

The 2011-12 wrestling season will showcase an exciting new format for the NWCA/Cliff Keen Division I National Dual Meet Championships that will feature four regional locations and a culminating "final four" championship. This concept, being dubbed "Mat Mayhem," will include a variety of new exciting marketing content that will be released throughout the year. The ultimate goal of Mat Mayhem is to create a premier national dual meet championship that will become a platform for growing spectator and media interest in wrestling both at the institutional and national levels. The NWCA will unveil numerous interviews and promotional videos with competing coaches, sponsors, and staff in the months and weeks leading up to the event. This marketing effort is a collaborative effort between the NWCA and Dr. Coyte Cooper with Elite Level Sport Marketing, to help bring the excitement of competition to the sport of wrestling that will be centered on team competition. "The Mat Mayhem concept has tremendous potential to significantly grow the intercollegiate wrestling spectator base at the institutional, regional, and national levels. When you think of every mainstream media/spectator sport in America, they all have one thing in common ... the outcome of every regular season game/competition carries a lot of significance because they determine advancement to some type of post season championship. Conversely, in intercollegiate wrestling, our infrastructure is currently designed to support an individual championship at the end of the year so there is very little importance placed on the outcome of most regular season dual meet competitions. Without the success of the Mat Mayhem concept, it is unlikely that we'll have more than eleven (of our 78) intercollegiate wrestling teams with an average spectator base of more than 1000 (which is what we currently have). For Mat Mayhem to succeed, we are going to need everyone's support including fans, media, and participating teams," said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the NWCA. This year 22 of the top 25 teams from last year's final coaches poll ranking have accepted invitations including eight of the top ten teams. The top twenty-four teams for the 2012 event have been selected and placed into four regions of six teams (the first team listed is the host team): Iowa State, Iowa, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and Northern Iowa. Cornell, Central Michigan, Oklahoma, Purdue, Illinois, and American. Rutgers, Minnesota, Kent State, Michigan, Missouri, and Cal Poly. Oklahoma State, Boise State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Tennessee-Chattanooga. Rutgers will host their regional on Feb. 11, while the other three regional tournaments will take place at Cornell, Iowa State and Oklahoma State on Feb. 12. All videos and information for Mat Mayhem will be listed on the www.nwconline.com homepage, along with the NWCA You Tube, Facebook and Twitter accounts. This will allow all information to easily be shared by one small click of a button. Ticket and more specific event information (dates, times, etc.) will be available at www.nwcaonline.com under the events section.

Leading up to the InterMat JJ Classic, a premier preseason high school wrestling tournament that takes place this Saturday in Minnesota and serves as fundraising event for a cancer support center, InterMat will be releasing stories about people in wrestling who have been affected by cancer. Registration for the InterMat JJ Classic is open through Friday at 8 p.m. CDT. Torrey Line watched this year's NCAA tournament with a different perspective than most fans. He is a 22-year-old former wrestler who with no sense of bravado or irony can scroll through the NCAA brackets and say, "Yeah, I beat him ... and him ... whelp, him, too." Torrey LineLine's affirmations are not that of a local hero cushioning his post-high school fall from greatness. He is a cancer survivor knocked from the highest rungs of the sport in his prime. Line, from Browerville, Minn., was an undefeated elementary school wrestler, which in states like Arizona or Florida might seem trivial, but in the wrestling-centric Midwest is rare and indicative of future potential. "I told his dad that I thought he would be a state and national champion," says Eric Anderson, who was then an assistant coach for the local wrestling club. "He had so much natural talent and confidence. I just knew that he was going to be great." Anderson was right. In Line's first two years of high school he was turning into one of Minnesota's great wrestlers. After his sophomore season, Line won a Cadet National folkstyle title and then traveled to Fargo to compete at Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman and freestyle. Line won the Greco-Roman tournament in dominant fashion and then turned his talents towards freestyle. Like with Greco-Roman, Line was cruising through the tournament when in on a massive double leg against Kirk Smith of Idaho, Line shattered his nose. Line won the match but was sent to the emergency room to get his schnoz reset He was back in time for the semifinals, but dropped a close decision and narrowly missed an opportunity to become one of only a handful of USA Wrestling Cadet Triple Crown winners from Minnesota. Torrey Line was an undefeated state champion as a junior (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)The next high school season it was more domination from Line, who earned bonus points through the state tournament and immediately began practicing with the Minnesota Storm for the summer tournaments. "He wasn't the same in practice," says Anderson. "He was complaining about his knee a lot and we kind of thought he might have done something to his meniscus." The pair agreed to get it checked out after Fargo. However, Fargo proved to be disappointing, with Line failing to place. The knee, Anderson says, was still an issue. With some time off Line's knee began to feel better when he got home so he decided to put on the pads and play football. "I never thought it was going to be dangerous," says Line. "I just wanted to play and my knee was feeling better. If anything I was disappointed with my Fargo performance." A few days after football practice started Line suffered a bad hit to his leg and had to see the team doctor. Initial reports were that he had suffered a torn ACL, an absolutely crushing injury for any athlete hoping to gain a scholarship in his senior year. Line's parents took him to the doctor where the news was decidedly worse. Torrey Line owned wins in freestyle and Greco-Roman over several wrestlers who went on to college greatness, including Jon Reader (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Line had a tennis ball-sized tumor stuck inside the lower head of his femur, just above his knee. The cancer, osteogenic sarcoma, is extremely rare, but curable when found in the early stages. Line was optimistic, and also a little relieved. "You could tell he was happy to have some sort of an explanation for his Fargo performance," says Anderson. "I mean it's kind of weird to say, but it did kind of verify that he didn't just all of a sudden lose it," says Anderson. The doctors recommended that Line immediately undergo the removal of the bottom six inches of his femur as well as a total knee replacement. After the surgery they would start him on chemotherapy in case any cancer cells were living outside of the bone. "The scary thing was that the doctors told me the cancer would have spread if I had broken my leg and because of the cancer the risk of breaking my leg was increased," says Line. "The cancer would have spread all over my body." The leg didn't break and the cancer did not spread. The 170-pound Line had to endure chemotherapy, which chemically attacks possibly cancerous cells as well as perfectly healthy cells, making those who undergo treatment lose weight and generally feel miserable. "My low point was in February as the sectional and state tournaments were firing up," says Line. "My weight was down to 135 pounds and I didn't want to eat anything. I just felt like crap all day long." Torrey Line T-shirtBut in that moment of drawn-out malaise and downcast spirit, Line was able to find a pleasure in the sight of wrestling. Line attended some meets and was greeted at his home by dozens of visitors and hundreds of letters. "Whenever I felt my worst it seemed that I would look around and the wrestling community would be there by my side," says Line. "It's something I don't think I would have gotten in any other sport." The Minnesota wrestling community also came to the financial support of the Line family. Minnesota/USA Wrestling Junior Director Chris Willaert put together a T-shirt drive where all the proceeds sold from that year's tournament T-shirt sales went to offset the cost of Line's treatment. Line eventually began his physical therapy, learning how to walk with a new midsection to his left leg. He started taking classes at the University of Minnesota where he was listed on the roster and received money for books as part of a wrestling scholarship given to him by Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson. "I always dreamed of wrestling in college, and even after my cancer I wanted to compete," says Line. "But by my sophomore season I kind of knew that I would never be cleared. J Rob came up to me one day and said as much so I hung up the dream. It was tough, but I could only do so much on the leg." Torrey Line (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Line could no longer compete, but he decided he wanted to start coaching and gave his friend Eric Anderson a call. Anderson serves as the head wrestling coach at Fridley High School, located just outside Minneapolis. "Torrey comes in and coaches the guys and they learn a lot about wrestling from his knowledge," says Anderson. "Sometimes I try to tell these kids just how good Torrey was and that he also beat cancer, but as a kid it's tough to grasp those battles." Line is now a fifth-year senior at the University of Minnesota where he is double majoring in business and marketing education and human resource development. He is currently in his last semester of classes with only a semester internship in an HR department left to complete his degree requirements. "I'll never forget what the wrestling community did for me in support, but also in the lessons I learned before I got sick and how I applied them to beating cancer," says Line. "I knew that I was going to beat cancer. There was never any doubt about that. As a wrestler you learn to deal with an opponent and the stress of competition and I always knew I was going to win." This story also appears in the Oct. 14 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The Oklahoma State Cowboy wrestling team finished fourth at the NCAA Championships to close the 2010-11 season. OSU won the Big 12 team title with the largest margin of victory at the event since 2006 and brought home five individual conference championships. The Cowboys had an individual NCAA champion in 133-pounder Jordan Oliver and two others – Clayton Foster at 197 pounds and Jamal Parks at 149 pounds – joined him in receiving All America honors. While this is an impressive list of accomplishments for any team in the country, especially one that dealt with as much adversity as Oklahoma State faced last year, OSU wrestling has its sights set on much more entering 2011-12. “Really, I was not too disappointed with a fourth-place finish last year considering the season and not having two of our starters in the lineup, but fourth won't do it for me this year,” head coach John Smith said. “So, the key is to make sure we continue to grow, and not just on the mat and getting better as wrestlers, but being better people. An important part of winning is becoming better people.” If the Cowboys are to make a run at their 35th wrestling national championship, they will need junior Jordan Oliver to be as unbeatable as he was a season ago. He will continue to wrestle at 133 pounds, where he dominated the rest of the country last year. Oliver returns as the reigning NCAA champion in his weight class after he defeated No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State, 8-4, for the individual title. Not only does he have the distinction of being an individual national champion, he is also a two-time All-American and two-time Big 12 champion. During the 2010-11 campaign, Oliver posted an unblemished record of 29-0, including an 18-0 dual record. He recorded seven major decisions, six tech falls and 11 falls while beating six ranked opponents. Oliver looks poised as the frontrunner to take home the 133-pound national championship, but Smith has even loftier visions for the young star. “Historically, in the last several years, you haven't seen too many people win multiple national championships in a row, and for Oliver, his focus has to be higher than winning championships. I want Jordan Oliver to think about being an Olympic champion in 2012,” Smith said. “I think you have to raise those expectations and not stay at the same level. For him, I think that his season this year is preparation to try to win and to make an Olympic team, possibly. “Of course, one of the toughest guys that he'll have to face is on our campus training, as well, in (former Cowboy) Coleman Scott. I just think that you have to set higher goals and you have to look at your season as something more than trying to win an NCAA championship, especially after you've won one and had the dominating season you had last year. If you want to keep moving forward, you have to keep raising the bar.” Oliver will be joined by two returning All-Americans in seniors Jamal Parks and Alan Gelogaev. Parks is coming off of a season which saw him finish fifth at the NCAA Championships after defeating No. 11 Andrew Nadhir of Northwestern to pick up his sixth victory against a ranked opponent. Parks finished off the season with a 30-5 record, including a 4-0 victory in the championship match of the 149-bracket at the Big 12 Championships. Smith said if Parks wants to compete for a national championship, he will need to continue to make improvements to his offensive arsenal. “Offensively, he needs to get a little better,” Smith said. “National champions are very offensive wrestlers. I know there's been a few of them that have won on their defense, but the majority of them win because they're aggressive in their attack rate, and that's where Jamal really has to focus: on his attack rate. He can't let anybody ride him. Even though he's gotten a lot better on bottom, there were one or two guys in the country that could ride him, and those one or two guys are normally the guys that are winning. I want to see his attack rate really increase and his bottom wrestling get better. With the experience he's had, it should get better. It is about winning a national championship for him.” The Cowboys will get a big boost with the return of Gelogaev, who sat out virtually all of last season with an injury. Gelogaev, known to his teammates simply as “Z,” earned All-America honors during the 2009-10 season, but only wrestled five times last season, recording four victories before suffering a season-ending injury. In his four wins, he registered one major decision, one fall and one tech fall. During the 2009-10 campaign, Gelogaev was 30-9, which included four victories against ranked opponents and one fall at the NCAA Championships on his way to a seventh-place finish. This season Gelogaev looks to continue his transition from 197 to heavyweight, where he aims for a breakout year. “Z has not had a lot of competition in the last year and a half,” Smith said. “It's a new weight class that he's going to get a full season at. He needs to stay healthy, stay strong during the year and make good decisions in his matches. Let's not try to pin everybody right away. I like his aggressiveness, but some of the positions he gets in, somebody could get hurt. He needs to take care of those positions. It's going to be fun watching him at this weight class.” OSU also gets a big lift at the 197-pound weight class in the addition of senior transfer Cayle Byers. The Alaska native comes to Stillwater from George Mason and steps into the role that was vacated with the graduation of All-American Clayton Foster. Byers was ranked as high as No. 2 at 197 pounds last season, the highest ever of any wrestler at George Mason. In his sophomore season, Byers was one victory away from claiming All-America status at the NCAA Championships. “Anytime you move a program, there's an adjustment time,” Smith said of Byers. “I'm sure he's excited about what he sees here and what the difference is between here and George Mason. What he has with his workout situations is perfect. He's got a great young guy in Blake Rosholt who's going to be nipping at his heels. It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.” Sophomore Blake Rosholt, who filled in at heavyweight last season after Gelogaev was injured, returns to 197 this year and could push Byers for a spot in the lineup. Sophomores Jon Morrison and Ladd Rupp will be competing for the starting spot at 125 pounds. Morrison started for most of last season, compiling a 10-5 dual record and 7-5 record against ranked opponents. Rupp only wrestled six times, but won all of his matches, including two dual victories and two major decisions. Morrison has put together an impressive list of accomplishments and has been ranked in the top 10 nationally. With a completely healthy season, he has a chance to earn All America honors or more. Sophomore Josh Kindig will return to the 141-pound spot after a strong freshman campaign that saw him go 26-10 with a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. Kindig carried his success into the summer as earned the distinction of being a champion at the 2011 ASICS FILA Junior Freestyle National Championships in the 66 kilogram/145.5 pound bracket. He then went on to a fifth-place finish at the World Championships. At 157 pounds, there will be much more competition. Senior Albert White looks to be the starter after an injury-plagued career, but sophomores Stephen Swan and freshman Matt White will challenge for the spot. There should be competition at 174 pounds as well, with three athletes in the mix for the position. Senior Chris McNeil, who finished 11-3 in tournaments last year, senior Mike Benefiel and sophomore Zach White could all challenging for the starting spot. The starters at 165 and 184 pounds look set after breakout performances by Dallas Bailey (165) and Chris Perry (184) in their freshmen seasons last year. Now sophomores, each wrestler has an entire season's worth of experience under his belt. Bailey finished the year at 23-9, including a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. He went 12-5 in dual matches and recorded wins over five ranked opponents. He entered the NCAA Championships as the No. 6 seed, but finished 0-2. Perry put up a record of 25-7 last season, including a 10-7 record against ranked opponents. He took the Big 12 Championship at 184 pounds after defeating No. 10 Josh Ihnen from Nebraska, 3-2, in a tiebreaker. He was also an NCAA quarterfinalist after claiming wins over Tony Dallago of Illinois and Ihnen in the first and second rounds, respectively. With all these pieces set in place, Smith said he believes he has the talent, experience, depth and leadership to make a real push for a national championship in 2012. “All you ever hope for is to have that opportunity. You're not hoping to win a national championship – instead, you can kind of control your destiny by what you have, and I think we're in that position right now,” Smith said. “I'm not in the hope mode that things work out, I'm in a pretty good position to be thinking, ‘I need to control our destiny of where we finish.' You're not always in that position and I feel like I'm in it now. I think we can control what we do over this season at a very challenging time when there's several good teams out there.” 2011-12 Weight Class Breakdown Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith breaks down each weight class heading into the 2011-12 season. 125 pounds Probable Starter – Jon Morrison or Ladd Rupp Keep an eye on – Tyler Dorrell “At this point, we have a returning starter in Jon Morrison, who was injured a lot last year. It cost him to have some injuries that really hampered him throughout the season. Ladd Rupp has made a commitment to move down. He struggled last year with this weight. I see a lot of maturity with him and he's ready to tackle the responsibility and I'm seeing some good things from him. I think we can see both of those guys wrestling. Tyler Dorrell is kind of a tweener. He's a good wrestler that's between 125 and 133, so we just have to wait and see where he's going to end up.” 133 pounds Probable Starter – Jordan Oliver Keep an eye on – Tyler Dorrell “Jordan Oliver, obviously, is an NCAA champion and is showing that he can handle the weight class and be responsible with his weight. I'd like to see him even grow more this year in making everything secondary to it – being a little bit more disciplined with his intake. That's what usually happens as you get older. Winning an NCAA title – they don't get easier, they get tougher. He needs to address it in that manner. He's definitely one of our leaders and I believe he'll get even better here this year.” 141 pounds Probable Starter – Josh Kindig “Josh Kindig wrestled as a true freshman and had great year. He's got a great attitude. He finished fifth at the Junior Worlds this summer. I think he's grown a lot over the summer. It's going to allow him to have a really great year this year. He's a hard worker. He's got a great spirit about him and he does a lot for this team.” 149 pounds Probable Starter – Jamal Parks Keep an eye on – Luke Silver “Obviously our senior Jamal Parks is an All-American. The one thing that's not on his resume is a national championship and I know that's what his goal is this year – to be the best at the end of the year. He has developed nicely and grown a lot over the years. I'm just real excited about his senior season.” 157 pounds Probable Starter – Albert White Keep an eye on – Stephen Swan, Matt White “It's Albert White as of right now. He's been plagued with injuries most of his career. He broke his neck in the middle of January and was out the rest of the season. I think the key is to stay healthy. We really haven't been able to see him wrestle a whole lot because of the injuries. I look forward to having an injury-free season with him. I think you've got to look at Matt White and Stephen Swan. Both of these guys are going to be on his heels. Matt White is a freshman and Stephen Swan is a sophomore and I think they've both got real opportunities to break in. We'll just wait and see how this weight goes. It would be nice to see Albert have a healthy season.” 165 pounds Probable Starter – Dallas Bailey Keep an eye on – Alex Munoz “You look at Dallas Bailey as a returning starter. He grew a lot last year. He didn't have a bad year. He had some really exciting matches and is a lot of fun to watch wrestle. He just needs to tighten things up and get focused on what's really going to make the difference at this level. He needs to focus on his position a little bit more – not giving up easy takedowns and letting people get to the legs. I see him stepping in and showing that maturity from a full season of heartaches last year. Alex Munoz is definitely somebody that could see some action as well.” 174 pounds Probable Starter – Zach White, Chris McNeil or Mike Benefiel Keep an eye on – Elliott Hellwege “This is a weight class where I'm just looking for somebody to step up and show that they want it. I think you start with Chris McNeil and Zach White. Chris McNeil is a senior and Zach White is a sophomore. Both need to mature in their wrestling and be a little bit tougher in critical situations in matches. Those are some things they haven't shown in the past that they really need to show now. They've got some experience of what not to do and they really need to focus on what to do. I'd look for those guys to step out right away. Mike Benefiel is still in the picture, but we'll just wait and see if he can toe the line on rules and regulations. If Elliott Hellwege makes the weight, he could be a threat here.” 184 pounds Probable Starter – Chris Perry Keep an eye on – Elliott Hellwege “Chris Perry is coming off of a full year as freshman – some good and some bad and some ugly. We've got a year of experience under his belt and I'm excited about his season this year. I'm excited about where he's at right now and he looks like a much more mature individual. For Chris it's going to be about a little bit higher attack rate in his offense.” 197 pounds Probable Starter – Cayle Byers or Blake Rosholt “We have a transfer in Cayle Byers who was an All-American two years ago. What I've seen in his work ethic at this point has been really impressive. We like what we see in his work ethic. I don't know enough yet about him at this point to really make a comment on him. Blake Rosholt, who had a full year after Z got hurt last year, has moved down to this weight class. He's a Rosholt and Rosholts don't give things away. We'll see how this 197 develops, but I do believe we've got two good people. One's a senior and one's a sophomore, in Rosholt, so we've got an upper classman and some youth there. That's real positive for this weight class now and in the future.” 285 pounds Probable Starter – Alan Gelogaev Keep an eye on – Tyson Yoder "At heavyweight, Z (Gelogaev) was hurt and out for the year in the first tournament last year. That was a real blow to us. When you think about our program having two of our starters injured and out for the year with him and Albert White, it really sets you back and that makes it rough to really finish the way you want. With Z, he just needs to be a little bit more conservative with his offense and try to keep himself in position to not get injured. He's only had one tournament at heavyweight and that was at the Oklahoma City Open and that's not a real indication of the people he's going to hit this year. I'm just looking forward to him being back with the team as a starter. Tyson Yoder is a guy that anytime we need him, he's there. He's been a real important asset to our program. If he's ever needed, he'll get the job done.”

Fight Now USA TV Presents Takedown Wrestling from our Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! This week we take the show on the road to help celebrate the third anniversary of Max Muscle Sports Nutrition super store in Clive, Iowa. Join Scott Casber on location and Brad Johnson in studio with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News. Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. to noon ET. This week's guests: 9:00: Joey Boyens, Founder Max Muscle in Clive, Iowa, with special guest Matt Hughes 9:15: Brad Johnson in studio with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News 9:20: Matt Hughes, UFC legend 9:40: Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino 10:00: Andrew Hipps, Co-founder of InterMatWrestle.com to talk about the InterMat JJ Classic 10:20: Ryan and Trent Freeman, Wrestling brothers from Missouri 10:40: Steve Knight, Excel Wrestling (the annual banquet is coming up Nov. 20.) Takedown Wrestling is available on radio on AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa, online at Livesportsvideo.com, or on your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app.

InterMatWrestle.com has released its NCAA Division I preseason team tournament-strength and individual wrestling rankings for the 2011-12 season. Defending NCAA champion Penn State tops the team tournament-strength rankings with 108.5 points, 9.5 points in front of second-ranked Iowa. Oklahoma State is third with 84.5 points. Minnesota, the lone program with 10 ranked wrestlers, begins the season ranked fourth. Cornell and Lehigh share a No. 5 ranking. The Big Ten has six teams ranked in the top 10. In the individual rankings, six of the 10 No. 1-ranked wrestlers are NCAA champions. Updated rankings will be released every Tuesday during the college wrestling season. View Preseason Rankings