InterMat Staff

Wednesday was a big day for Pennsylvania state champion Kenny Courts, it was college decision time. After narrowing his list of schools to three and taking official visits to Ohio State, Maryland, and Arizona State the choice was not easy but looking back the signs were there all along. Kenny Courts"I am going to be a Buckeye next year," responded Courts over the phone on Wednesday night. "When I was growing up, I always was an Ohio State fan so the chance for me to wrestle at OSU was too hard to turn down. From the coaches to the team, the school and the city; everything came together to create the environment that is right for me." A two-time state place winner for Central Dauphin High School, Courts is 96-4 in three years of varsity competition. He exploded on to the national wrestling scene as a freshman by reaching the finals of the Super 32 and winning a Beast of the East title at 135 pounds before a knee injury and surgery ended his year. As a sophomore Kenny moved up to 160 and went 43-4 placing sixth at the Beast and second at state and as a junior he has undefeated at 42-0 winning his second Beast of the East title and his first state championship at 171 pounds. "I really like the way that the Ohio State coaches work together. Tom Ryan is a great head coach; Lou Rosselli stays on everyone all year round to bring out their best: and J Jaggers can get on the mat with anyone and put them through a workout," offered Courts when speaking of his decision. "It was very, very hard to tell Coach McCoy I wasn't going to Maryland but sometimes the best decisions are the hardest to make." Kenny Courts is currently the 12th-ranked recruit in his senior class by InterMat after finishing last season ranked sixth nationally at 171 pounds. He is expected to move up to 189 for his senior year and anticipates wrestling at 184 pounds for the Buckeyes. "I wanted to make this decision now so I could focus on my senior year. It is a big commitment to wrestle in college and there is a lot of pressure in making your decision. Making a choice now … takes the weight off my shoulders," stated Kenny. "I am going to have a lot of hard matches this year and I need to spend my time getting in shape and ready to go instead of taking visits and looking too far ahead." Ohio State fans can thank the pilot that flew Courts back from his recent visit to Arizona State for giving him a sign. Flying to Baltimore from Phoenix the plane stopped in Columbus and the crew and the passengers erupted into an "OH" -- "IO" chant over the PA and throughout the cabin. "Both my mom and I were in awe of the Buckeye Nation on my flight home," described Courts. "No one knew who I was or anything about me, but when the captain said "OH" and we all said "IO" it was something special. I don't want to say I was looking for help making a choice but that was something else. It may or may not have been a sign, but it truly was a wow moment." With his college decision made the goals for his senior year are simple. "I want to work hard, have fun, get better, and win. I only have one year of high school left and I want to enjoy it," responded Courts. "When it comes to wrestling I want to keep pushing the pace and get in the best shape I can. I want to work on my technique, spend time on the bottom, and keeping improving my strengths on my feet. No matter how good you are or how good you think you are, there are always things that you can do that will help you get better." Kenny Courts is the fifth verbal commitment for Ohio State joining seniors Hunter Stieber, Cam Tessari, and Johnni DiJulius as well as 2010 graduate Derek Garcia. All five wrestlers are expected to sign their National Letter(s) of Intent during the November signing period and each is ranked in the top twenty-five of their senior classes. "I don't think you can ignore the success the Buckeyes have had the last few years. With the talent they have coming back and the potential we have coming in next year, we believe that we can compete for individual success and team success. We can win as individuals and we can win as a team," stated Courts. "We have the potential to do great things and I think we are going to be a tough team to beat." InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/index.php?q=node/37587

The NWCA Board of Directors is pleased to partner with California USA Wrestling to host the 45th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Marines, on Sunday, November 21, 2010 in Fresno, California at Selland Arena. This event will serve as a fundraiser to assist in efforts to preserve and grow the number of college wrestling programs in the state of California. All proceeds from the event will be earmarked to fund strategic initiatives and public relation efforts for the California wrestling programs. The California Division I programs specifically took a hit last year with: Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Bakersfield and UC Davis being placed in limbo. As of right now UC Davis will not be competing unless money is raised and the administration grants approval. “Having the All-Star Classic in California, will help to continue to promote awareness for the sport of wrestling which currently lacks opportunity within the state. While the need for opportunity is increasing with the growing number of participants at the high school level, the opportunities are being eliminated at the college level,” said Mike Mendoza, head coach Cal State Bakersfield. “The state of California needs to come together and support college wrestling with this event.” Cal State Bakersfield has been granted another year of competition as well after undertaking large fundraising projects last year with the help of New England Patriot Stephen Neal, former CSUB National Champion and All-Star Classic Participant. “The 44th NWCA All-Star Classic held at Cal State Fullerton, last November, was a great opportunity for California wrestlers and fans to see great college wrestling up close and personal. One fan described the event as ‘the best wrestling event he had ever been to in California.' For those of you who have the opportunity to go to the Division I Nationals, you know how great the wrestling is and the All-Star Classic gives us a taste of what we would see at the NCAA Nationals in a few months. We were very thankful to Mike Moyer and the NWCA for awarding the Classic to Cal State Fullerton and now allowing it to return to Fresno, California,” said Dan Hicks, head coach at Cal State Fullerton. “This commitment shows the vision of the NWCA to help California Collegiate wrestling, which has been under pressure because of the difficult economic issues in the state. I would encourage every wrestling fan and competitor to find a way to attend the 45th All-Star Classic held in Fresno. You will love the competition and you will be helping to showcase our great sport and the need to support our California college programs.” Last year Cal State Fullerton hosted the All-Star Classic raising over $200,000 for their program along with countless donations. They have been granted a reprieve and are able to compete for the 2010-11 season, but must still continue to raise funds to keep their program. “We are excited to be able to have the NWCA All-Star Classic back in the state of California. After the success of the event at Cal State Fullerton last year, we hope that this will build momentum and raise awareness on what is happening in California,” said Brian Smith, NWCA President. “California has the largest high school participation numbers in America (27,000 wrestlers) and only 7 four-year college programs in the state. This is a huge opportunity to promote the top level competition of the All-Star Classic.” 2010 marks the sixth time in recent history that the NWCA has used the All-Star Classic to help highlight programs that were in jeopardy or in areas that did not have college wrestling. These sites included SIU-Edwardsville; Newark, Delaware; Dallas, Texas; University of Oregon; and Cal State Fullerton. “We need the entire California wrestling community to step up and support this event. These four intercollegiate wrestling teams need the support more than ever. They will directly benefit from all proceeds generated from the All-Star Classic. The NWCA has identified some very viable and cost effective strategic initiatives uniquely designed to save/protect all four of these college programs but without funding, we'll probably never know what might have been,” said Smith. For more information on the NWCA All-Star Classic, visit the NWCA Website at http://www.nwcaonline.com/NWCAWebSite/Events/nwcaallstarclassic.aspx The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: Coaching Development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling.

Wrestling may be the oldest and greatest sport, but the best wrestlers and coaches aren't afraid to use the latest technology to make themselves even better. The same could be said for William "Doc" Bauer, and his book, Wrestling: A Boy's First Book. First published in 2004 (and featured in an InterMat Rewind story in August 2009), the book was designed for parents to read to their youngsters ages 7-9 to introduce them to amateur wrestling. The original Wrestling: A Boy's First Book was incredibly popular ... selling out its first two print editions. Now Bauer has decided to make the book available to even more parents and potential wrestlers ... by putting the book online, available absolutely free of charge, to be printed at home. Why online? In a recent interview, Bauer said that he wanted to update his book, and had thought about a third printing. However the cost of printing, as well as the costs of shipping the book from the printer in Canada, and then from the distributor, was huge. "I had never really intended to make money on the book," the former wrestler and coach -- and retired educator -- disclosed in the interview for this article. "I had put the profits from the printed book into promoting it." According to Bauer, by using the latest technology tools and putting the book online, "My intent was to eliminate some of those middle processes to reduce costs. However, the ultimate benefit is, it makes it easier for parents to get the book and share it with their kids." You can't improve on success The features that made Wrestling: A Boy's First Book so popular in a traditional printed book format are still part of the new print-it-yourself version. As before, the updated edition is NOT an instructional book for would-be wrestlers to read for themselves; instead, it's intended for parents to read to their children, and get them to thinking about taking up wrestling. The book opens with two young friends -- Christopher and Michael -- watching professional wrestling on TV. Christopher's older brother Kevin -- a high school wrestler himself -- makes it clear that what the boys are watching isn't real wrestling. (In the 2009 InterMat Rewind interview, Doc Bauer said, "I thought it was important to start with pro wrestling, 'the dark side,' because that's what so many people think of when they hear the word 'wrestling.'") Wrestling: A Boy's First Book follows Christopher and Michael to Kevin's wrestling practice ... and to a dual meet for Kevin's team, where they are introduced to the fundamentals of the sport, thanks to Bauer's clear explanations, as well as the color pencil drawings of noted children's book illustrator Rachel Mindrup. Original intent Dr. William Bauer reads Wrestling: A Boy's First Book to his son, Ken (Photo/Wrestling: A Boy's First Book)What caused William Bauer to write the book in the first place? A former college wrestler himself, Bauer saw the value in the sport for his youngest son. However, years ago, when he took Kenny to a Pittsburgh-area wrestling program for youth, the seven-year-old was confused by what he didn't see. He asked where the ring was, why there were no punching bags. As Bauer -- a long-time educator -- put it, "He had confused wrestling with boxing ... Many 7-8 year-olds and their parents don't know what wrestling is about. It's not like baseball or football, which are so much a part of culture, everyone knows what they are, even if they never played." Years later, Bauer came up with the idea of a book "that's a primer to wrestling, designed for parents to read to their child, rather than an instructional book aimed directly at the child." The original goals of Wrestling: A Boy's First Book were simple: To encourage parent-child bonds through reading ... and to open up possibilities for "pushing the furniture aside and doing some hands-on demonstrations," according to the author. As the foreword of the book states ... ... the book encourages the parent to become an active part of the learning process, by talking about what's in the book, practicing some of the moves, and even visiting a wrestling room and a high school dual meet. To learn more about Wrestling: A Boy's First Book -- and print out the color pages to read at home -- visit the Web site http://wrestlingforkids.com.

PITTSBURGH -- Coming off possibly its most successful season in school history, Pitt wrestling has released its upcoming 2010-11 schedule, as announced by Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer Friday. After posting a 17-1-1 dual meet record last season, and winning the EWL regular season title, the Panthers will return 10 lettermen, including five NCAA qualifiers for the 2010-11 season. The Panthers will face a challenging schedule in 2010-11, including seven teams that finished among the top 25 at the 2010 NCAA Championships: Ohio State (8th), Penn State (9th), Nebraska (T-12th), American (14th), Edinboro (16th), Lehigh (17th) and Kent State (25th). The annual Blue vs. Gold wrestle-offs will kick off the season on October 24, at Fitzgerald Field House. The event will start at 1:30 p.m. The Panthers will also compete in three tournaments, starting with the Clarion Open on Nov. 6. Other tournaments include the Penn State Open on Dec. 5 in State College, and the Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill., on Dec. 29-30. Pitt opens the dual season at home, when the Panthers host Lehigh on Nov. 12. The Mountain Hawks are coached by former Pitt wrestling standout Pat Santoro. In his four years at Pitt, Santoro amassed 167 victories and 43 pins – both current records. The Panthers will then travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on Big Ten powerhouse Michigan on Nov. 14. The team will compete in the Buckeye Duals in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 21 where they will take on top-20 teams in Nebraska and Ohio State. Following the Buckeye Duals, Pitt will travel to Albany, N.Y., on Nov. 27 when the Panthers compete in the Journeyman Northeast Duals against Penn, Virginia and American. Pitt’s second home match will be held on Dec. 12 when the Panthers host Kent State. Following the Midland Championships, the Panthers will return home to host the Pitt Duals on Jan 9. This year’s Pitt Duals will feature Davidson, Drexel, Millersville and Northwestern – all of whom the Panthers will face in the event. Eastern Wrestling League competition begins on Jan. 14 with a 7 p.m. meeting at Lock Haven. A week later, the Panthers will face in-state rival Penn State. Last season both teams fought to a 19-19 tie in Pittsburgh. Pitt’s first EWL home match will feature Bloomsburg on Jan. 30. Rounding out the EWL home matches are West Virginia on Feb. 4 and Cleveland State on Feb. 11. Pitt will travel to Clarion this year on Feb. 10, and finish the regular season on the road against Edinboro. Last year, Pitt clinched the EWL season title with a 21-13 victory over the Fighting Scots on home turf. On March 6, Pitt will travel back to Bloomsburg for the EWL Championships. March 17-19, the Panthers look to the NCAA Championships, held in Philadelphia, Pa. For more information and up-to-date match times, fans are encouraged to visit the Pitt team website at www.pittsburghpanthers.com

Barry Davis, head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin, and Ray Brinzer, a two-time All-American for the University of Iowa, will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, October 13. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Davis was a three-time NCAA champion for the University of Iowa and a silver medalist at the 1984 Olympics. He is currently the head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin. Brinzer was a Big Twelve champion for Oklahoma State and a two-time All-American for the University of Iowa. He was recently hired by the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation as a coach.

If you believe in destiny, then Doug Schwab has arrived where he is supposed to be: at the University of Northern Iowa as the head wrestling coach. Doug SchwabSchwab is the chosen one, the one picked to bring balance to Panther Wrestling, and, in some ways, college wrestling. The Schwab saga started years ago, and it is just starting to get good. For those unfamiliar, Doug is the youngest of three brothers. Mike, the oldest, and Mark, the middle, were All-Americans at the University of Northern Iowa. Mike placed eighth at the NCAA tournament in 1987 at 126 pounds. Mark placed fifth in 1986 and sixth in 1990, both times at 118 pounds. Mark arrived at UNI in 1985 as the top recruit in the nation. He was a four-time state champion for Osage and a four-time junior national champion. Mark was an All-American as a true freshman in 1986 and redshirted the following season. He won the Sunkist Open and placed third at the prestigious Tbilisi tournament in the Soviet Union during his redshirt year. Then, injuries struck. Mark had knee problems and a staph infection the remainder of his college career, which ultimately affected his performance. As a senior he entered the 1990 NCAA tournament seeded third and placed sixth. Running up and down the sidelines at Northern Iowa dual meets was Mark's and Mike's rambunctious younger brother, Doug. Doug Schwab (Photo/Tony Rotundo, Tech-Fall.com)Doug, a one-time state champion for Osage in 1996, was recruited by Dan Gable to the University of Iowa. He redshirted during the 1996-97 season (Gable's last year as head coach, which, incidentally, was held at Northern Iowa), and was the 126 pound starter in Jim Zalesky's inaugural year. The following year, as a sophomore, Doug won the 1999 NCAA tournament at 141 pounds. He eventually became a three-time All-American. While Doug was at Iowa, Mark was at the University of Minnesota as an assistant coach. Every time Minnesota wrestled Iowa, Mark would excuse himself from the bench to watch his brother's match from afar. In 2001, Doug's senior year, Mark was part of the Minnesota team that finally brought the Hawkeyes down at the NCAA tournament -- on Iowa's home turf no less. Doug placed second at 141 pounds and Minnesota had a record 10 All-Americans, but no wrestlers in the finals. Mark and Doug were together at the University of Minnesota for a spell before each found new wrestling homes. Mark was the head coach at Division III Buena Vista for four years and North Iowa Area Community College, a junior college program, for one year. Doug joined Tom Brands as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech for two years before joining the Iowa staff when Brands took over for Zalesky in 2006. In 2007 Doug made a World team and in 2008 he competed at the Olympics. Then, when the head coaching position at Northern Iowa became available earlier this year, Doug applied for the job -- and he got it. He appointed his brother Mark as an assistant. Doug and staff -- Mark Schwab, Randy Pugh, Tolly Thompson, and Joe Slaton -- have gone on the offensive already, which should surprise no one. The Schwab Mob wants to sell 2000 season tickets before the first home dual meet -- a Herculean task given last year's season ticket sales were under 200. All home dual meets will be held in the West Gym, a facility that holds 2,200 people when the fire marshal is present and 3,000 people when he's not. West Gym (Photo/UNI Sports Information)Yes, THE West Gym. The place where Northern Iowa hosted -- and won -- the NCAA tournament in 1950. The place where people hung off the rafters at dual meets because it was so full. The place where Bill Koll knocked out an opponent and shook him while he was being pinned so the referee wouldn't stop the match. The place where a fan hurled insults at Ohio State head coach Russ Hellickson and Hellickson lost control. The place where Doug Schwab ran up and down the mat as a kid. The West Gym is sacred ground. Schwab should be commended for what he is doing already. When a program gets dropped we wonder why a coach wasn't more proactive. Well, Schwab is showing us what proactive looks like. The kid has personality too. Doug likes Mountain Dew, the Boston Red Sox, and Jimi Hendrix as much as he likes wrestling. He even named one of his sons Hendrix. And it should get lost on no one that Jimi Hendrix has a song called Purple Haze (purple is Northern Iowa’s primary team color). In addition to hosting the UNI Open on December 4, 2010, and the National Duals on January 8-9, 2011, Northern Iowa has a home dual meet schedule with more angles than a John Smith low single. Here are the highlights. Saturday, November 20, 2010, 2 p.m. -- Northern Iowa versus Old Dominion The Schwab era officially begins against Steve Martin, a former All-American from the University of Iowa. Martin, known for his boisterous and loud coaching style, accepts his role as a villain. His nickname -- Rat -- is reason enough to attend. Thursday, December 9, 2010, 7 p.m. -- Northern Iowa versus Iowa Schwab (the student) faces Brands (the master). Any Iowa fan hoping to get through the doors for this historic meet should consider buying season tickets -- because it will be a sellout. The action on the sidelines from coaches will be as good, or better, than the meet itself. If Northern Iowa is smart it will play "Jump Around" by House of Pain at least once during an argument. It just makes sense. Sunday, January 23, 2011, 1 p.m. -- Northern Iowa versus Nebraska Nebraska finally returns to Northern Iowa's schedule. Cornhusker head coach Mark Manning made his head coaching debut as a Panther, and former Nebraska NCAA champion Tolly Thompson returns to the sidelines for the Panthers as an assistant. Schwab wants to show Manning that Iowans can husk corn better than Nebraskans. That's why he's having his wrestlers run wind sprints through cornfields. Friday, January 28, 2011, 7 p.m. -- Northern Iowa versus Northern Illinois Dave Grant, a former All-American at Northern Iowa, takes on his former team. Sunday, February 20, 2011, 2 p.m. -- Northern Iowa versus Wyoming Northern Iowa's final home dual against Wyoming is Iowa versus Oklahoma State in disguise. This budding rivalry should interest any wrestling fan. Wyoming, coached by former Oklahoma State star Mark Branch, ended Northern Iowa's 24-year reign as West Regional champions last year. Song suggestion No. 2: "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" by Big and Rich. It makes more sense. I've ordered two season tickets for Northern Iowa's home wrestling duals already. My suggestion -- as someone who believes in being proactive for wrestling as a whole -- is you should too. And Iowa fans, seriously, support your former wrestler. You may not make it through the West Gym doors to support your favorite team on December 9 if you don't. Season tickets are only $35 for the year -- and the Iowa meet alone will cost $15. To order UNI season tickets, click here.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Former Missouri wrestling All-American and current assistant strength and conditioning coach Nicholas Marable took bronze medal honors at the Ramzan Kadyrov Cup in Grozny, Russia. The two-day event was held this past weekend on Oct. 9-10. Marable, competing in the 74 kg/163 pound class, was one of only two Americans to place at the event. It was the first major international freestyle medal for the three-time Big 12 Champion. Volunteer assistant coach Joe Johnston also competed in the event, and will compete again this weekend at the Intercontinental Cup in Khasavyurt, Russia from Oct. 15-17. Complete results from the Ramzan Kadyrov Cup will be posted at themat.com when available.

USAFA, Colo. -- With the entire team working hard to improve throughout the off-season, the Air Force wrestling program is looking forward to a successful season in 2010-11. “We are excited about the off-season training opportunities our guys had this spring and summer,” said head coach Joel Sharratt. “The post-season competition our upperclassmen took advantage of will help launch us into the 2010-11 competition season.” “The work our guys put in the weight room this summer is very evident in the power and strength gains made this year,” continued Sharratt. “[Strength and conditioning coach] Drew Bodette did a great job putting together a developmental plan that challenged our guys every day this summer.” The Falcons will look to use their off-season training to tackle the challenges of the season ahead. Air Force will host the 2011 NCAA West Regional/Western Wrestling Conference Championships, to highlight a schedule which also features eight home duals and appearances at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Southern Scuffle, Lone Star Duals and All-Academy Championships. For the third consecutive season, all of the Falcons’ home events, including the Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match on Oct. 28, will be held in Clune Arena. The Blue-Silver Match will give fans a preview of the season to come, as the team’s young wrestlers face off against seven returning conference starters and a pair of seniors who have shared the starting role in the past. “The Blue-Silver will be a competitive battle screener for the team and staff,” said Sharratt. “It will put our off-season preparation to its first test. We have several weight classes that are going to be exciting to follow, from the preliminary bouts to the finals on Thursday night. The Blue-Silver is a very good indicator of who will be in our starting lineup in March.” The frontrunner at 125 pounds is senior Andrew Zwirlein, who has held the starting spot for the past two seasons. He is likely to face off against sophomore Steven Joseph or freshman Greg Rinker in the Blue-Silver finals. Meanwhile, at 133 pounds, a pair of wrestlers who each started last season, senior Derek Gillespie and junior Tyler Untrauer, will challenge for the starting spot. The 141-pound weight class features returning NCAA qualifier Cole VonOhlen, the unanimous pick for the 2010 WWC Freshman of the Year, who will be tough to beat out. However, newcomer Daniel Baucke, a nationally ranked prep standout from Tennessee, will look to challenge for honors. Sophomore Gabe Martinez returns at 149 pounds, looking to retain his starting spot, while a talented group of young wrestlers, including Colorado standout Josh Kreimier, will battle for his place in the lineup. At 157 pounds, junior Alec Williams, who started at the conference meet and posted some big WWC dual victories last season, will be challenged by freshman Jesse Stafford, a two-time state placewinner in California and younger brother of team captain Joseph Stafford. Sophomore Clayton Gable and senior Joseph Stafford both had great summers and are currently the frontrunners at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. Meanwhile, sophomore Josh Mohr, a Wisconsin state champion, placed at several events last season and looks to be the favorite at 184 pounds. Challenging Mohr for the starting spot will be junior Karl Oeser and former 197-pounder Kazden Ikehara. Senior Neil Delaney returns as the starter at 197 pounds, and with Ikehara’s drop to 184, Delaney will find a challenger in freshman Cody Davis, who held a national ranking last year as a prep standout in Texas. Meanwhile, at 285 pounds, junior Jared Erickson will face off against senior Josh Larson for the starting spot. After the Blue-Silver Match determines the Falcons’ likely starting lineup, Air Force officially opens the season Nov. 13 at the annual Cowboy Open, hosted by Wyoming, before heading to the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, Neb., Nov. 20. The Falcons also return to the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 3-4 to face some of the top wrestlers in the nation. Air Force opens its home slate on Dec. 10, when it hosts Western State and Coe in a pair of dual meets. A week later, the Falcons will welcome nationally ranked Oregon State to Clune Arena for a non-conference dual on Dec. 17. The Falcons close out the month of December by making their second trip to the annual Southern Scuffle, one of the nation’s top tournaments, held in Greensboro, N.C., Dec. 28-29. Air Force then opens 2011 at the annual Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Jan. 15 with matches tentatively scheduled versus Brown, American, Arizona State and Wayland. Next, the Falcons head to the West Coast, visiting Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 21 before facing Cal Baptist and Menlo at the Cal Baptist Duals on Jan. 22. The first league match-up of the season comes on Jan. 28, when the Falcons host WWC rival North Dakota State, followed by another home conference dual versus South Dakota State on Jan. 29. In February, Air Force is on the road for a pair of conference duals against Wyoming (Feb. 3) and Utah Valley (Feb. 11), while heading to Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 6 for the annual All-Academy Championships, hosted this year by The Citadel. Air Force also hosts WWC foe Northern Iowa and non-conference opponent New Mexico Highlands on Feb. 13, before wrapping up its home schedule on Feb. 18 with a conference dual versus Northern Colorado. Other competitions on the Falcons’ schedule this season include the Fort Hays Open on Dec. 4, the Borah Duals on Jan. 15 and the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open on Jan. 29. Air Force caps off the season by hosting the NCAA West Regional/Western Wrestling Conference Championships on March 6, with the top performers earning bids to the NCAA Championships, which will be held March 17-19 in Philadelphia, Pa.

Seven InterMat Top 100 recruits gave verbal commitments last week, including No. 13 Logan Storley (Webster, SD), and No. 18 Alex Dieringer (Port Washington, WI). InterMat caught up with the latest group of InterMat Top 100 recruits to commit to colleges and talked to them about their college decisions and much more. No. 13 Logan Storley (Webster, SD) College Choice: Minnesota Projected College Weight Class: 174 Storley, the highest-ranked recruit to commit last week, gave a verbal commitment to Minnesota. He is looking to become just the second six-time state champion ever in South Dakota. Storley, who hails from the same hometown as former Gopher and current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, was a Junior Nationals freestyle champion this past summer and has twice won the NHSCA Nationals. He will head into his senior campaign with a 217-2 record and riding a 163-match winning streak. Logan Storley (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Storley on his decision to commit to Minnesota: "My decision was made through me and my family. They have a great group there and those are people I want to be around." Storley on the recruiting process: "It was a fun experience, but I'm glad it's over. All the schools and coaches were very nice." Storley on the Minnesota coaching staff: "There are so many good things to say about those guys. They have been very helpful and supportive of everything. I'm really excited to start my college career with guys like that." Storley on what it would mean to become a six-time state champion: "It would be amazing. I would be in the record books and nobody could ever take that away. It's also a goal I've been striving for since sixth grade." Storley on being compared to Lincoln McIlravy: "That's an awesome feeling. He was one of the best ever and to be even considered like him makes me feel real good." No. 18 Alex Dieringer (Port Washington, WI) College Choice: Oklahoma State Projected College Weight Class: 149 Dieringer was one of two InterMat Top 100 recruits to commit to Oklahoma State last week. He was a Junior Nationals folkstyle and freestyle champion this year and a Cadet Nationals double champion in 2009. He is also a two-time state champion who went 42-1 last season. Alex Dieringer (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Dieringer on his decision to commit to Oklahoma State: "I committed to Oklahoma State because of the team's proven success over the years. I knew wrestling for Oklahoma State would give me the best chance of becoming an NCAA champion. I felt at home during my visit to OSU, and enjoyed my time spent with the coaching staff and the team." Dieringer on the recruiting process: "Best thing: Meeting great coaches and great wrestlers from great schools. Worst thing: Having to make difficult phone calls to coaches once my decision was made. I am grateful I was able to experience the process and will never forget the people I met along the way." Dieringer on his favorite wrestling style (folkstyle, freestyle, or Greco-Roman): "My favorite wrestling style has always been Greco-Roman. With my success in both folkstyle and freestyle, I seem to be leaning more towards freestyle." Dieringer on Oklahoma State coach John Smith: "Where do you start ... First, I am honored to be able to wrestle for John Smith. It's amazing to sit down and talk with him about wrestling. He is so knowledgeable about the sport and I will learn a lot from him as well as from Coach Guerrero and Coach Lewis. Dieringer on his post-high school wrestling goals: My goal would be to win an NCAA title while in college. After college, my goal would be to wrestle internationally on World and Olympic teams and coach at the college level. No. 26 Nick Brascetta (Graham, OH) College Choice: Virginia Tech Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Brascetta was one of two InterMat Top 100 recruits to commit to Virginia Tech last week. He is a three-time Ohio state placewinner and 2009 state champion. Brascetta was a Walsh Ironman champion as a sophomore and placed third in the event last season. Nick Brascetta (Photo/Kevin Schlosser, BuckeyeWrestling.com)Brascetta on his decision to commit to Virginia Tech: "My decision to go to Virginia Tech was a long process and was a lot more stressful than I had anticipated. I never thought that I would become so close with two coaches other than Coach Jordan, but in the end I felt that Coach Dresser and the wrestling program at VT is the best place for me to be in order to be successful. My decision was based a lot on the relationship with the coaches and team, and from the start VT and Coach Dresser out-recruited all other schools. When it comes down to it, I see myself being successful at VT, and see the best relationship with everyone there. I'm extremely excited to wrestle for Coach Dresser and the assistant coaches there and know I made the right decision to go to VT." Brascetta on going to Virginia Tech with Graham teammate Matt Stephens: "Matt Stephens has been my best friend since we started high school together and in the beginning it was only a dream or a thought that we would go to school together. Now that it is actually going to happen I think we are both in shock and will be very comfortable together and also with his older brother Brian Stephens, who also wrestles there. Although we will not be roommates because Matt will be taking a greyshirt year, we are extremely excited to be able to share the next five years together in Blacksburg. It's very helpful to go to a school, I think, with someone you know, and what better place than two of your best friends." Brascetta on moving up from 119 pounds to 140 pounds: "The jump from 119 to 140 is a shock to most people, but I think it was very necessary. The past two years I have cut a lot of weight, especially my sophomore year to 103, which was an absolute must for the team, and also last year to 119 from 135 was hard. This year I am just simply going the weight I feel comfortable and never thought last year I would be saying it would a decent cut to 140, but I have grown a lot. I chose to go 140 instead of 135 not only because I was bigger than our 135-pounder, but because I wanted to allow my body to continue to grow and prepare for college. I am beginning to become very comfortable with my weight and wrestling bigger guys and still feel strong and quick. I know that my main workout partners in Bo Jordan and possibly Matt Stephens are bigger than me (Bo is going 145 and Matt is going 152), so working out with them has helped me acclimate to the weight change. When we went to VT for a coaches clinic that Coach Jordan put on, I wrestled both Chris Diaz and Devin Carter and felt very comfortable with my weight jump. I hope to continue the success at a bigger weight and prove to people what type of wrestler I really am." Brascetta on Graham coach Jeff Jordan: "Coach Jordan and Graham has been the root of my success, along with the assistant coaches. If I never decided to come to Graham, I would not be talking to you today. Coach Jordan creates a relationship with the wrestlers that allows him to get the most out of every guy, if it means that person getting pissed at him, he doesn't care. That's what gets us better. He pushes every wrestler past the breaking point to get us prepared and ready to compete. The coaching staff makes us want to work hard for them and be successful. Coach Jordan was a huge part in my decision and the process as I respect him so much, and what he has to say. I love Coach Jordan like another father and can't tell you how much I appreciate him through all this process, and my high school career." Brascetta on the strength of Graham this season: "Graham this year, like last, will be hard to beat in my eyes. Of course that's me saying it, but as a captain of the team I see something special from the guys. We are expecting nothing less than an Ironman title and beating Blair, St. Ed's, and Wadsworth. With a lot of weight jumps it will be very interesting to see how some react to the lineup jumps, and we are hoping to prove everyone we still have what it takes, because we do ... no question! I am excited for my senior year of wrestling and being a part of another great team. We are going to be scary good again, and will prove that in December and March." No. 27 Nikkolas Pena (Selma, CA) College Choice: Iowa State Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Pena is a state champion (third in 2009, sixth in 2008) and fourth-place finisher at the Walsh Ironman. He is in position to earn a rare fourth California state medal and is ranked among the nation's top light middleweights. He joins No. 88 Tanner Weatherman (Ballard Huxley, IA) as early commits for Iowa State. Nikkolas Pena (Photo/Tony Rotundo, Tech-Fall.com)Pena on his decision to commit to Iowa State: "The last week I have just been going back and forth on which school would be best for me, meeting my goals academically and on the mat, and I came to the decision that Iowa State would be the best fit for me." Pena on Selma, California: "I live in a pretty small town. I guess you could say most people in town know each other and we're like a family, I guess." Pena on his weight: "I'm holding around 145 right now. So I plan on most likely growing into a 141-pounder and starting off there." Pena on his parents: "They've been very supportive. I don't think I would be where I am at today without them. Growing up from elementary throughout high school, they've always supported me and done whatever they could to help me achieve my goals and just help me be successful." Pena on his areas of academic interest: "I'm interested in sports medicine and physical therapy. So most likely I'll have six to seven years of schooling. It'll be kind of tough." No. 45 Austin Marsden (Crystal Lake Central, IL) College Choice: Oklahoma State Projected College Weight Class: 197/285 As a junior, Marsden went 49-2 en route to winning a state tile. He is a Cadet Nationals champion, FILA Cadet Nationals champion, and Junior Nationals All-American. He has a career record of 101-19. Austin MarsdenMarsden on his decision to commit to Oklahoma State: "Well, let me start off by saying it was extremely awesome to have Coach John Smith in our living room explaining why I should come to Oklahoma State. To have a two-time Olympic gold medalist who has coached numerous NCAA national championship teams, as well as NCAA individual national champions, want you to come and wrestle for him was amazing. I just felt it was the complete package that included academics, coaching staff, practice partners, and the tradition is second to none. On my visit I felt welcomed by the team and the staff. They seemed like a family that I wanted to be a part of." Marsden on whether he expects to be a 197-pounder or heavyweight in college: "Once I explained to the coaching staff that I never really lifted weights, they seemed to be excited about making me bigger. I am pretty tall (over 6'2") and have a broad frame, so putting on more muscle shouldn't be hard to do. I believe they will start me off at 197 and eventually move me to heavyweight. Either way will be fine because I can work out with either (Chris) Perry or (Alan) Gelogaev ... How can you go wrong there?" Marsden on three wrestlers from his high school committing to Division I programs this year: "I have been wrestling with Joey Kielbasa and Trevor Jauch since I was 8 years old. We all belonged to the Crystal Lake Wizards Youth Wrestling Club and we won the state championship as a team when we were all in eighth grade. I couldn't be more excited for Joey, who will attend Central Michigan and Trevor Jauch, who will attend Missouri, as well as a friend of mine, Cullen Smith, who attends Crystal Lake South, who will also be wrestling DI. I am proud to call them all friends that I will have for life." Marsden on the strength of wrestling in Illinois: "I was proud to be a member of both the Cadet freestyle and Greco teams the won the national championship (in both styles) in 2009, as well as the freestyle team this year that also won. The future also looks bright for Illinois wrestlers with juniors like my current teammate Gage Harrah and other juniors like Eddie Klimara, Nick Fontanetta, Zane Richards and Sammy Brooks, as well as the younger guys like Ben Whitford, Bryce Brill, Jared Cortez, Michael Johnson, Jon Marmolejo, Michael Zelasco, and Kyle Fugiel. I see this group and the groups to follow contending for a national title every year. The coaching across the board is amazing right now in the state of Illinois." Marsden on his post-high school wrestling goals: "Simple. I want to be part of a NCAA national championship team, as well as achieving an individual NCAA national championship and I believe Coach Smith can help me achieve those goals. I will still compete on the national level while attending college and would love to compete in the Olympics one day." No. 48 Lex Ozias (Southern Garrett, MD) College Choice: Virginia Tech Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Ozias became the second wrestler from Southern Garrett, Maryland to commit to Virginia Tech this recruiting season, joining No. 56 Bubba Scheffel. Ozias is a three-time state finalist and two-time state champion. He was an NHSCA Junior Nationals All-American and double All-American in Fargo. Lex OziasOzias on his decision to commit to Virginia Tech: "My dad got me started in checking out the school. My dad thought it could be the right fit for me and my teammate, Bubba. Last October I went and checked out the school and had a tour. I thought the campus was great and I liked all the coaches. After going on an unofficial visit in April and then a five-day training camp during the summer, I knew VT was in my top-four choices for DI wrestling. It was a really tough choice to finally decide, but my decision was based on a few things such as how comfortable I felt at the school and if I could become an NCAA All-American and NCAA champ. I also wanted to go to a school where I got along with the coaches and wrestlers. After visits to Old Dominion and UNC, I decided that VT was the school for me. I am very happy with my choice and I am excited about the season and wrestling with my teammate, Bubba." Ozias on going to Virginia Tech with high school teammate Bubba Scheffel: "I am very excited about going to the same school as Bubba. I have been wrestling with him since I was 5 years old. We were on the same junior league team and now high school teammates. It is really nice to have someone on the team that I already have a connection to. My family and the Scheffels are really close, so it will be exciting for them to watch us wrestle throughout college." Ozias on his wrestling style: "I try to emulate the Iowa style when I wrestle, which is very tough to do. I like to push the action and use my offense as a good defense. I like to be on the attack most of the match and try my best to rack up points. My strongest position is on my feet. This year I want to focus more on my mat wrestling." Ozias on becoming a Junior Nationals double All-American in Fargo: "Becoming a Fargo double All-American was a huge dream for me ever since I started high school. My first year I went to Fargo I was going into my freshman year. I went 0-2 in Greco and 2-2 in freestyle. The next couple times I went I was always around one or two matches away from making the All-American round. My fourth year I finally did it. I wrestled 20 matches over a course of five days, which was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life. I got eighth in Greco and fifth in freestyle. My record was 15-5 throughout the tournament. The most exciting part of the tournament was when I was on a nine-match winning streak and had a chance of making the finals in freestyle. I ended up losing to the runner-up in the weight class, Edwin Cooper. I think double AAing at Fargo definitely showed that I was a tough competitor and that I can compete with the top guys in the country and also showed that I could be a DI wrestler. I think it also helped with the recruiting process with a lot of different schools that contacted me." Ozias on area of academic interest: "I am not completely sure about what I will major in next year. I am interested in a major having to do with natural resources conservation, business, or maybe law enforcement. My goal is to keep my GPA up over a 3.0 and take interesting classes that I will have fun learning about. I am very excited that at a job interview my resume will say I got my four-year degree at Virginia Tech!" No. 82 Ryan Krecker (Nazareth, PA) College Choice: Campbell Projected College Weight Class: 149/157 First-year Campbell coach Joe Boardwine landed his second InterMat Top 100 recruit in Krecker, who joins No. 96 Josh Fisher (Roane County, WV). Krecker is a two-time Pennsylvania (AAA) state placewinner, finishing fourth the past two seasons. He was third at the Beast of the East last season. Ryan KreckerKrecker on his decision to commit to Campbell: "I decided on Campbell for many reasons. Academically, it is a great place to be. I am not one hundred percent decided on my major yet, but they have many choices to get a great education. The campus is really nice, the brand new wrestling facilities and new arena are great, and I really liked the guys on the team when I visited." Krecker on Campbell coach Joe Boardwine: "Coach Boardwine is a great guy. He really got me to see his vision for the Campbell program. He has won everywhere he has been in the past, and is really excited and confident about doing the same at Campbell. I want to be a part of that, and I know that Coach will give me all the tools I need to get after an NCAA title. I am very excited to come down and wrestle for him." Krecker on high school wrestling in Pennsylvania: "PA high school wrestling is great. There are so many tough guys, and you know you're competing against some of the best guys in the country. I'm really focused on ending my high school career with a state title. You know you are one of the best guys nationally if you win a state title in PA." Krecker on what aspect of his wrestling he needs to improve upon the most: "I will really need to improve on controlling guys from top when I move onto college. In my matches now, I pretty much let guys out so I can wrestle more neutral, but in college everyone is good in neutral so I need to take my mat wrestling to the next level. I also need to work on being able to wrestle my style for seven full minutes." Krecker on his biggest influences in his wrestling career: "I have many influences ... all my coaches who have helped me improve over the years, all the guys who have wrestled for Nazareth in the past who have come back to work with me in the room, my parents for supporting me through the good and bad, the fans at Nazareth who have been great and come to our matches and root for us."

As the wrestling season's start is fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From early August until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and from Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to the potential stars of future NCAA Championships. The rankings within this article do not necessarily reflect those done by InterMat. Did you a miss a Wrestling 49 feature? Visit Wrestling 49 archives. The Class of 2011 in Indiana is not deep with superstars, but is deep with solid wrestlers. Four of Indiana's top wrestlers, Eric Roach, Josh and Justin Kieffer, and Jon Sims, are all looking for their fourth state medal this year. The Class of 2011 in Indiana is also very unique with three sets of twins and a set of triplets that will all be in the running for state placements. The most highly regarded of the twins, Josh and Justin Kieffer, already have six state medals between them. Chad and Doug Welch have both recently verbally committed to Purdue University have placed three times while qualifying for state five times total. The last set of twins, Reece and Conner Lefever of Fort Wayne Carroll, qualified for state last year with Conner placing eighth after upsetting the previous year’s state runner-up in the first round. The Rieker triplets from Columbus East will also try to have multiples at the state finals in 2011 after the middle twin, Baron, qualified for state last year. 1. Eric Roach (Crown Point) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Roach has the best pedigree of the wrestlers in the class of 2011. He has three top-four finishes and captured the state title at 145 pounds this past season. Roach is extremely aggressive and smooth on his feet. Using a wide range of takedowns he captured the inaugural FloNationals championship this past spring. He has verbally committed to Indiana. 2. Drake Stein (Princeton) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 171 Projected College Weight Class: 184 Analysis: Stein has had a tremendous amount of success while wrestling higher weights his entire career. After qualifying for semi-state as a freshman he burst onto the scene as a sophomore going undefeated until the state finals when an injury in the quarterfinals dropped him to eighth place. In the 2010 season he captured the state championship over perennial favorite Michael Duckworth, then went on to finish second at Fargo in Greco-Roman. 3. Ethan Raley (Indian Creek) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: Raley is the third and last state champion in the Class of 2011. As a freshman, Raley went undefeated en route to a title at 103 pounds. As a sophomore, he did not match the same success, but rebounded as a junior to finish runner-up to nationally-ranked Brandon Wright. He followed up his state finish with a seventh-place finish at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. 4. Josh Kieffer (Roncalli) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: The Kieffers are the first set of twins we will talk about. Josh Kieffer has had just a tad more success than his brother in finishing in the top-five three times. In 2009, he lost in overtime in the state finals. Both Kieffers have had success at the Brute Scholastic Duals the past couple seasons, defeating some top-notch competitors. 5. Justin Kieffer (Roncalli) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: Kieffer has three state medals to his credit with his highest finish of fourth place this past season. This past season he had one win over state champion Brandon Wright at regionals. 6. Doug Welch (Castle) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: The Welch twins, ranked sixth and eighth, are the second set of twins that are ranked in the Top 10. Doug Welch has steadily improved during his career with two state placements, including a runner-up finish this past season. 7. Jackson Bratcher (Eastbrook) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 171 Projected College Weight Class: 174 Analysis: Sandwiched in between the Welch twins is Jackson Bratcher of Eastbrook. Like Drake Stein, Bratcher has had a lot of success early in an upper weight class. As a freshman he was undefeated going into semi-state, but lost in the ticket round to state. As a sophomore he broke through and qualified for state, but this past season was his coming out party with a third-place finish in the state finals. After his state finals finish he placed fourth at FloNationals. 8. Chad Welch (Castle) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Analysis: Chad Welch has qualified for the state tournament three times, but only has one state medal to show for it. He had a banner year this past season, only losing to state champion Sammy Bennett in the ultimate tiebreaker in the semifinals. Both Welch brothers have recently verbally committed to continue their education and wrestling career at Purdue University. 9. Jon Sims (Evansville Mater Dei) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Sims is the picture of consistency at the state finals. He has three medals to show for his trips to state, but his highest finish is fourth place in 2009. He probably would have finished higher this past season if he did not run into Eric Roach in the quarterfinals, thus limiting him to only finishing as high as fifth place. 10. Aaron Stevenson (Indian Creek) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Analysis: Aaron Stevenson is one of the most unknown, but good wrestlers in the state of Indiana. In his only full year of wrestling he finished in third place with only one loss. This past season he was undefeated until he was sidelined late in the season with an injury that kept him out of the state tournament series. Honorable Mention: Luke Schroeder (Southwestern) Daniel Meyer (Bellmont) Josh Boots (Evansville Mater Dei) PJ Montgomery (Terre Haute South) Cody Kendle (Pike Central) Steven Gonzales (Delta) Travis Barroquillo (Prairie Heights) Conner Lefever (Carroll) Reece Lefever (Carroll)

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- With the season-opening dual meet now less than a month away, the Lehigh wrestling team is hard at work inside the Sheridan Wrestling Room in the Gerald G. Leeman Wrestling Complex. Monday marked the first official day of practice for the Mountain Hawks, and as Lehigh returns to the mats, third-year head coach Pat Santoro likes what he’s seen from his team so far. “The first two days were good days,” said Santoro. “The guys have been getting after it in the room. They’re excited to start competing. After our summer workouts and our preseason workouts, our guys want to go out and compete, which is good; but there’s a lot we need to work on before the first dual. There are definitely some holes to fix before November 5. Santoro then commented on his goals for his team over the next month and leading into the season, “We’re continually working to be more aggressive and score more points. Last year we found ways to win a lot of matches but I want to see us score a lot more points. I’m focused on our performance. Not necessarily wins and losses but scoring points and doing the things that will help us come March.” Lehigh opens preseason with a roster of just 30 men, including 11 true freshmen, but Santoro believes that there will be a lot of tough competition at a number of weight classes. “Everything’s wide open,” Santoro contends. “We have a good idea about some weight classes, but there’s a lot to be figured out, especially in the first five weights. There will be some good battles that could possibly come down to wrestle-offs, both here in the room and on October 28 as well. Santoro continued about the large freshman class, “They look real good. They have a great work ethic and they’ve jumped right in. They’re fighting hard. They’re hungry and they want to learn. Anytime you work with a group of young guys who are hungry, that’s a good thing.” The Mountain Hawks return six of the ten wrestlers who represented Lehigh at last year’s EIWA Championships, including a quartet of NCAA qualifiers in juniors Brandon Hatchett, Joe Kennedy and Zach Rey and sophomore Robert Hamlin, who moves up a weight class to 184 this season. Rey, who won an EIWA title last year and placed third at the NCAA Championships to earn Lehigh’s 128th All-American medal and first since 2006, will have an especially busy month. Rey won the University World Team Trials in late May and will represent the United States at the 120 kg/264.5 lb. weight class at the University World Championships in Turin, Italy October 26-30. “It fits well with his training,” Santoro said. “Any time you can compete against the best in the world it’s a good thing. Zach has great expectations. He wants to one day be a world and Olympic champ, and that’s something we want the guys in our program to strive for. It’s a huge opportunity for him.” Lehigh’s annual wrestle-offs are scheduled for Thursday, October 28 at 7 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The regular season begins Friday, November 5 when the Mountain Hawks host Drexel at 7 p.m.

As the wrestling season's start is fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From early August until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and from Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to the potential stars of future NCAA Championships. The rankings within this article do not necessarily reflect those done by InterMat. Did you a miss a Wrestling 49 feature? Visit Wrestling 49 archives. This list represents the Top 10 seniors in the state of Tennessee along with six honorable mention selections. The wrestlers comprising this Top 10 list have amassed 16 state titles in 26 state final appearances. One wrestler in this list will attempt to become the first-ever five-time Tennessee state champion, one will seek his fourth title, and yet another will seek to make his fifth finals appearance. The wrestlers mentioned in this article range from tiny schools just outside of Knoxville to state powerhouse programs in Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis. Seven different schools are represented in the Top 10 list, climbing to nine when you add the honorable mentions. Wrestlers from DI and DII are split evenly amongst the Top 10. Only one school claims more than one wrestler in the top ten (Baylor with four). Each wrestler in the Top 10 owns at least one state title and all are multi-time finalists. Tennessee wrestling has been improving over the past few years and these wrestlers, and many others around the state, are working to ensure that trend can continue. No matter how you measure success on a state level, (NCAA All-Americans and champions, nationally-ranked high school wrestlers, various All-American performances, teams competing at national level events, participation growth, etc.) Tennessee is improving. While this list doesn't contain any USAW Fargo All-Americans, like last year's senior class with three or some of the classes below them, there are several wrestlers who have tested themselves and found success as part of the Tennessee National Team at the USAW National Duals and in Fargo. This list does contain NHSCA grade-level national champions, Super 32 placewinners, and various other accolades. Many of these wrestlers can be found amongst the various national rankings as recognition for the work they have put in, but it doesn't determine the outcome of a single match they will wrestle. Some of them will move on to college wrestling, be it DI or DII, NAIA, NWCA, etc. and others will end their careers on the mats in Franklin, TN on February 19. One of them will continue their athletic career on the DI football field. Beyond the numbers and statistics, every wrestler on this list has achieved things that many wrestlers strive for through every grueling practice and every punishing tournament. They have won titles, lost important matches, and pushed their bodies to bend and break the will of an opponent who has the exact same goal in mind. They are wrestlers ... and regardless of what other sports they may compete in, it is the wrestling mentality that they will carry with them and be better because of it. 1. Michael Kennedy School: Blackman Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Michael KennedyAnalysis: Leading this year's class of seniors in Tennessee is InterMat's No. 100 overall recruit, Michael Kennedy. Kennedy is a two-time state finalist, bringing home the 215-pound title as a junior and losing a narrow match as sophomore in the 189-pound finals. Kennedy also brought home a sixth-place finish at 189 as a freshman. Kennedy ran his record to 133-9 with his 42-0 junior campaign. While it is always tough for an underclassman that starts off at the upperweights, Kennedy had an extra challenge as his state finals lose as a sophomore was to nationally-ranked Cameron Croy, now wrestling for Harvard. While Kennedy has had an impressive run in the state, it is his performance nationally that has put him at the top of this list. Kennedy has had a good run at the NHSCA grade-level nationals where he finished 1st as a sophomore and fifth as a freshman. Kennedy didn't compete at the NHSCAs following his junior campaign. Kennedy also added a fifth place at the 2009 Super 32. Kennedy has had the interest of several colleges and is expected to make a decision soon. Kennedy wrestles a very fluid style for an upper-weight, showing a variety of attacks from an ankle pick to upper-body throws. This combination is what makes Michael Kennedy is the most sought after senior in Tennessee. 2. T.J. Duncan School: McCallie Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 T.J. DuncanAnalysis: T.J. Duncan may go down as the most decorated wrestler in the history of the state. Duncan has already claimed four state titles, making him the state's seventh four-time champion, and will seek to become the first five-time champion this season. Duncan picked up his first state title as an eighth-grader wrestling at 119 pounds. Duncan then added subsequent titles at 135, 140, and 152 pounds. Duncan is quite possibly the most dominant wrestler in the state in neutral, where few have shown the ability to come even close to holding him off. Duncan uses excellent hand-fighting skills to compliment his natural strength and explosiveness, allowing him to be effective when his opponent leaves him space or closes the gap. Duncan is a quick finisher who wastes little time coming to his feet on all of his shots. These abilities make Duncan a tough draw for any wrestler, as he showed in a 7-4 loss to last year's National Prep champion Jason Luster in the finals of the Southeast Prep School Slam. Duncan also finished with a 4-2 record at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Like the wrestler who sits at No. 1 on this list, Duncan hasn't tested himself on the regional or national freestyle and Greco-Roman circuit. It is Duncan's lack of major national placings that relegate Duncan to No. 2 on this list, even though he may go down as the most decorated in-state wrestler ever. Duncan has made three trips to the Super 32 where he sports an 8-6 record, with his best showing be a 4-2 performance at 152 in 2009. 3. Alex Manley School: Baylor Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Alex ManleyAnalysis: Alex Manley is a four-time state finalist who captured his first state title as a junior at 125 pounds. Manley has amassed a 180-13 record while finishing as runner-up at 103, 112, and 119 pounds. As a junior, in addition to his state title, Manley won the Southeast Prep School Slam and was elected to the All-Tournament Team at The Clash for his 5-0 performance. Manley is known as a very physical wrestler who excels when he can capture an opponent's head. However, unlike many wrestlers who focus on short-arm offense, Manley is adept at creating his own singles and countering with re-shots from this position. This style of wrestling was also a trademark of Alex's older brother, Spencer, who won two Tennessee state titles for McCallie before continuing his wrestling career at the Naval Academy. On the national scene, Manley was 3-2 at 130 in the NHSCA Junior Nationals, where his two loses came to the champion and fifth-place finishers. Manley also finished 2-2 at the 2008 Super 32. Manley has also been a member of the Tennessee National Team, competing at the 2009 Junior National Duals where Manley finished with a 3-3 record in freestyle. 4. Stuart Doster School: Baylor Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Stuart DosterAnalysis: Stuart Doster is a three-time state champion who will look to join a select group of four-time Tennessee state champions this year. Doster his picked up state titles at 119, 125, and 140 pounds each of the past three seasons. During that time Doster has compiled 136 wins against just 16 losses. Doster comes from a family that has grown accustomed to winning state titles at Baylor. They have claimed seven individual state titles dating back to 1971. Similar to the achievements claimed by our No. 3 wrestler Alex Manley, last season Doster won the Southeast Prep School Slam and was 5-0 at The Clash. Doster wrestles a fluid style and is proficient not just on his feet but also on the mat. In addition to being one of the most dominant wrestlers in the state, Doster has stepped outside his comfort zone and wrestled for the Tennessee National Team in the 2008 Cadet Duals and 2009 Junior Duals. Doster will be one of two wrestlers seeking to claim their fourth state titles this season, making him either the eighth or ninth wrestler to accomplish that feat. 5. Jeremy Miller School: Greenback Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Jeremy MillerAnalysis: Coming in at No. 5 on our list of seniors is one of the more interesting stories in the way of Jeremy Miller. Miller holds one state title to go along with three state finals appearances and four medals overall. Miller picked up his first title as an eighth-grader competing at 103 pounds. Never one to cut much weight, Miller moved up to 119 pounds for his freshman campaign where he claimed a third-place finish. The following two seasons Miller has found himself on the losing side of very close decisions in the state finals, at 135 as a sophomore and 145 as a junior. During his sophomore year, Miller spent much of the season competing individually at 130 pounds and bumping up in the lineup to help his team, a very small program, in dual meets. A miscalculation regarding the descent plan in the weight management system forced Miller to compete at 135 pounds during the state tournament as opposed to 130 pounds. Last year Miller dropped a 2-0 decision in the state finals to Brennen Cox, who is No. 7 on this list, after taking a win from Cox earlier in the season. Of all of the great wrestlers on this list, Miller may be the most well-rounded. Like virtually all of the wrestlers mentioned here, Miller can get the job done on his feet, but it is his mat wrestling where Miller often outclasses the competition. Miller is an excellent rider who has been known to turn even the best wrestlers the state has to offer. This blend of ability in all positions should serve Miller well when he moves on to wrestling at the collegiate level. Perhaps even more remarkable is that Jeremy Miller has accomplished all of this coming from Greenback High School, which has a coed enrollment of about 200 students. Miller has compiled a record of 180-12 during his four years of varsity competition. 6. Marvin Lopez School: Cleveland Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 133/141 (UT-Chattanooga) Marvin LopezAnalysis: Marvin Lopez is one of the state's hardest working and most active wrestlers both in his approach to individual matches and activity to get better. Lopez's hard work culminated in his first state championship at 130 pounds as a junior. Prior to his state title, Lopez finished fourth as a freshman and second as a sophomore, both at 119 pounds. Lopez wrestles a very active pace, keeping very heavy hand on his opponent and has been known to look for opportunities to throw. This is a style Lopez has developed while being the most active senior on this list in the summers. Lopez has twice been a member of the Tennessee National Team competing at the Junior & Cadet National Duals where he sports a combined record of 6-4. However, Lopez has shown what makes him arguably the state's best Greco-Roman wrestler at Fargo where he shows a 9-4 record in Greco, coming up just short of All-American status following his freshman and sophomore season. Lopez was honored as the Tennessee Greco-Roman Athlete of the Year by the Tennessee Wrestling Federation in 2009 for his efforts. Lopez sports an overall record of 11-8 in Fargo. Unfortunately, Lopez was unable to compete this past summer due to an injury. Lopez has already eliminated one distraction from his senior season, where he will try to add to his 90-19 record, by giving his verbal commitment to the hometown UT-Chattanooga Mocs Wrestling team. 7. Brennen Cox School: Independence Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Brennen CoxAnalysis: Brennen Cox became the first wrestler from Independence High School to win a wrestling state championship when he defeated Jeremy Miller, 2-0, for the 145-pound crown last year. Cox, a rarity in that all three of his first season came at the same weight, was the state runner-up at 145 as a sophomore and was a state qualifier as a freshman. Cox is a stingy wrestler who controls ties and positions well. When up against top competition it isn't unusual to see Cox attempt to control the pace and look to come out on top in low-scoring match by controlling the flow of the match. Last year Cox split matches with our No. 5- rated senior, Jeremy Miller. To go along with his 125-19 record on the mat, Cox carries a 4.0+ GPA, is a two-time NHSCA Academic All-American, is an active volunteer in several organizations, and is a certified lifeguard. Cox is yet to make a college choice but wherever he lands will surely be better for having him. 8. Ethan Hames School: Bradley Central Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Analysis: Ethan Hames has claimed two state championships and a fourth-place finish while wrestling for state powerhouse Bradley Central High School. Hames picked up his first state title as a freshman at 103 pounds before moving up to 112 pounds as a sophomore and finishing fourth in an extremely deep field. Hames continued his climb up the weight ladder as a junior and also climbed back to the top step of the podium at 119 pounds. 9. David Helton School: Baylor Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215/285 Projected College Weight Class: Football (Duke) David HeltonAnalysis: David Helton is a two-time state finalist who picked up his first state title wrestling at 215 pounds last year. Helton previously claimed second and third place finishes at 189 pounds. Like his teammates listed earlier Helton earned a title at the Southeast Prep School Slam as part of his junior season. Helton is a lanky wrestler who uses his leverage to help control opponents and often scores from the top position. Helton doesn't have a lot of out-of-state accomplishments, primarily due to the fact that he also excels on the football field. Helton did not compete for much of last season with his first real appearance coming at the aforementioned Southeast Prep School Slam. Helton has already made his commitment to play football for Duke University once his prep career comes to a conclusion. The combination of Helton's football commitment and sparse activity last year has caused some in the wrestling community to wonder whether he will choose to add to his 86-23 record this season. Regardless, at this point in the season, Helton has earned his spot as one of the top senior wrestlers in the state. 10. John Mackey School: Baylor Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215/285 Projected College Weight Class: 285 John MackeyAnalysis: John Mackey has wrestled varsity for Baylor for two seasons and has made the state finals both years, while compiling an 83-26 record. In his first season Mackey finished as the state runner-up at 215 pounds as a sophomore and claimed the state heavyweight title as a junior. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Mackey spent the majority of last season wrestling at 215 pounds, where he held his own nationally, going 3-2 at The Clash. Mackey moved up to heavyweight at the end of the season when Helton made his return to the Baylor lineup. Clearly, the move worked out for both wrestlers as both won the Southeast Prep School Slam along with their state titles. Mackey is a strong wrestler who is good at moving his opponents out of position before coming in with an explosive shot for an upper-weight wrestler. However, Mackey is not limited solely to offense on his feet as the three pins he racked up during the state tournament show. Mackey has also been a member of the Tennessee National Team competing in the 2008 Cadet National Duals in freestyle. Mackey is expected to hold down the heavyweight position for Baylor again this year. Honorable Mention: Mick Anthony (Christian Brothers) Tucker Bolton (Bradley Central) Bradley Colbaugh (Bradley Central) Chase Martino (McCallie) Nate Rupiper (Christian Brothers) Mark Simpson (MBA)

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri wrestling volunteer assistant coach Joe Johnston and assistant strength and conditioning coach Nicholas Marable will compete in an international tour during the next two weeks, going up against some of the best grapplers in the world. Marable, a two-time All-American at Mizzou, and Johnston, a two-time All-American at Iowa, leave Tuesday and will wrestle in the Ramzan Kadirov Cup in Grozny, Russia on Oct. 9-10. Johnston will wrestle at the 66 kg/145.5 pound level, while Marable will wrestle at 74 kg/163 pounds. The following week, Johnston will compete once again, this time at the Intercontinental Cup in Khasavyurt, Russia. The International Cup is a major dual meet tournament that will be held from Oct. 15-17. Both Johnston and Marable will provide updates and analysis on their trip throughout the coming days. Stay tuned to mutigers.com for more from them.

Former Northern Iowa wrestler Jordan Holm will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, October 6. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Holm wrestled for the University of Northern Iowa and was one match away from being an All-American in 2003 at 184 pounds. He won both the Greco-Roman and freestyle portions of the Northern Plains Regional in Waterloo, Iowa, in May. Holm currently resides in Minnesota.

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan junior heavyweight Jarod Trice will represent the United States at the 2010 University World Championships later this month in Italy. Trice will be part of the United States' Greco-Roman roster. He will compete in the 120 kg (264.5 pounds) weight class. The Greco-Roman competition is scheduled for Oct. 29-30 in Torino, Italy. "I think it's a great honor for him to represent the United States at the world championships," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "It should be a great experience for him not only from a wrestling standpoint but also to have the opportunity to see another part of the world." Trice finished runner-up at the University World Team Trials in both freestyle and Greco-Roman in May. He swept the freestyle and Greco-Roman titles at the 2010 University Nationals. One of Trice's coaches in Italy will be John Matthews, a member of CMU's inaugural hall of fame class (1984) who was a part of the United States Olympic teams in 1976 and 1980. Trice earned All-America honors after placing eighth at heavyweight at the 2010 NCAA Championships. He won four straight consolation bracket matches to secure All-America honors. Trice won the heavyweight title at Midlands in 2010 and won 20 consecutive matches during the season, tied for the second longest winning streak in school history. He is a two-time national qualifier with a career record of 50-17. CMU opens the 2010-11 season at the Eastern Michigan Open on Saturday, Nov. 6. The Chippewas' first dual meet is slated for Nov. 19 at Cornell.

California Community College updated rankings released. 125 1. Steven Cabanas Cerritos College 2. Alex Perez West Hills College 3. David Sok Delta College 4. Isaac Taz Pilgram Santa Rosa Junior College 5. Chris Padilla Fresno City College 6. Sergio Martinez Fresno City College 7. Janik Santana Chabot College 8 .Jordan Saunders Cuesta College HM Rueben Gonzalez Shasta College HM Jake Harrison Cerritos College HM Abror Adilov Sierra College HM Curtis Hulstine Bakersfield College HM Chris Diaz Cuesta College 133 1. Jason Arreola Santa Ana College 2. Marty Rubalcaba Fresno City College 3. Chad Thornack Cerritos College 4. Pierce Lowry Mt. San Antonio College 5. AJ Jaramillo West Hills College 6. Archie Tovar Fresno City College 7. Jonathon Gay Cuesta College 8. Jon Champine Sacramento City College HM Justin Lee Lassen College HM Kent Tran Cerritos College HM Mario Di Benedetto Sacramento City College 141 1. Kevin Rojas Fresno City College 2. Kyle Chene Santa Ana College 3. Eric Orozco West Hills College 4. Tyler Diamond Sacramento City College 5. Josh Van Hatter Fresno City College 6. Tillman Tran Cerritos College 7. Terry Mathews Shasta College 8. Charlie Saeng Delta College HM Audrie DeCastro Palomar College HM Milton Nkunku Sacramento City College 149 1. Conrad Rangel Fresno City College 2. Alex Rodriguez Sierra College 3. Spencer Hill Fresno City College 4. Hector Ruelas Cuesta College 5. RJ Pilkington Sierra College 6. Jesse Ponce Cerritos College 7. Anthony Harris Sacramento City College 8. Wesley Young Santa Rosa Junior College HM Abel Avila Rio Hondo College HM Anthony Vega Sacramento City College HM Jake Shilling Fresno City HM Steven Ackley Modesto Junior College 157 1. Tyler Johnson Sierra College 2. Eric Lopez Victor Valley College 3. Chris Abeyta Mt. San Antonio College 4. Cody Bollinger Cerritos College 5. Craig Simmons Shasta College 6. Tyler Brown Sacramento City College 7. Spencer Anderson Cuesta College 8. Marques Foro Sierra College HM Josh Lujan West Hills College HM Jose Solis Fresno City College HM Adam Cruz Santa Rosa Junior College HM Carson Garcia Cuesta College 165 1. Tigran Adzhemyan Fresno City College 2. Dustin Rocha West Hills College 3. Eric Sauvageau Cerritos College 4. Vlad Dombrovsky Sierra College 5. Chris Heath Fresno City College 6. Taylor Sare Mt. San Antonio College 7. Ben Martinez Fresno City College 8. Sergio Guerrero Mt. San Antonio College HM Ramon Estrada Cerritos College HM Craig Sherman Chabot College HM Russell Williams Sacramento City College HM Marshall Rodriguez Lassen College HM Gaaret Marinelli Sacramento City College HM Steven Yale Santa Rosa Junior College 174 1. Martin Fabian Fresno City College 2. Jordan Williams Sierra College 3. Jacob Hoxsey Mt. San Antonio College 4. Travis Shaffer Modesto Junior College 5. Taylor Hodel Sacramento City College 6. Thomas Estrada Cerritos College 7. Tyler Edwards Sacramento City College 8. Matt Cox Fresno City College HM Kyle Pivaroff Cerritos College HM Brent Pfitzer West Hills College HM Paul Bracamonte Fresno City College HM Nick Rohrer Sacramento City College HM Jarred Douglas Sierra College HM Alex Zonio Chabot College HM Chase Mirrasau Rio Hondo College 184 1. Sam Temko Skyline College 2. Jesse Hellinger Sacramento City College 3. Tyler Ceremello Fresno City College 4. Fito Juarez Fresno City College 5. Marco Orozco Sacramento City College 6. Santino Delfino Bakersfield College 7. Ryan Collins Cerritos College 8. Nick Gill Sierra College HM Adam Charles Skyline College HM Milo Anderson Chabot College HM Matt Lewiston Palomar College HM Tyler Wood Sierra College HM Charlie Galvez Cuesta College 197 1. Sean Dougherty Cuesta College 2. Mario Delgado Cerritos College 3. Jesse Green Sacramento City College 4. Dan Colbert Cuesta College 5. Lucas Keene Fresno City College 6. Matt Granillo East Los Angeles College 7. Kevin Keisler Sacramento City College 8. Gio Castinon Cerritos College HM Nick Brantley Fresno City College HM Jamal Lewis Cerritos College HM Andre Bulatao Chabot College 285 1. Jose Lopez Cerritos College 2. Brad Carls Bakersfield College 3. Marco Delgado Modesto Junior College 4. Trevor Gwin Palomar College 5. Cheyne Cook Victor Valley College 6. Luis Contreras Fresno City College 7. Mike Perez West Hills College 8. John Parker Fresno City College HM Lance Gordon Shasta College HM Sam Gomez Chabot College HM Ben Davis Sacramento City College HM Anthony Chu Delta College HM Dakota Smith West Hills College Teams 1. Fresno City College 2. Cerritos College 3. Sacramento City College 4. Sierra College 5. West Hills College 6. Cuesta College 7. Mt. San Antonio College 8. Santa Ana College 9. Chabot College 10. Bakersfield College Modesto Junior College 12. Victor Valley College 13. Santa Rosa Junior College 14. Skyline College 15. Delta College Shasta College 17. Palomar College 18. East Los Angeles College Lassen College 20. Rio Hondo College

Hello again Wrestling Fans. We return to the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Join Scott Casber, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT. Our Guests Include: (All times Central) 9:01 Jack Childs- Drexel Head Coach, Special announcement 9:20 Kevin Dresser- Head Coach Virginia Tech 9:40 Brian Keck- USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals 10:01 Josh Zupancic- Asst. Coach Cleveland State Vikings 10:20 Bruce Burnett- Head Coach US Naval Academy 10:40 John Hartupee- Head Coach Norwich 10:50 Maureen Roshar- Wildrose Resort and Casino Wrestling fans- Episode 78 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check your TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! 4.5 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, TDR TV: Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 (Check Local Listings) Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM Western Reserve Ohio Cable Ch. 9 Fridays at 5:30 (Premiers October 15th) Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV TDR on Internet: You can join us 9 to 11 AM Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com TDR TV On Internet: 31 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!

What hath Kyle Dake and Matt McDonough brought upon the world of wrestling? Last season ended with two freshman earning NCAA titles, leaving us to wonder if freshman dominance is a developing trend in the college ranks, or a brief blip. The following list of 10 impact freshmen combines the redshirts and the true young ones; as both are taking their first crack at the NCAA Championships. Logan Stieber (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)1. Logan Stieber (Ohio State, 125) International accomplishments and consistent mention in discussion of an NCAA title make Stieber the most popular choice to make the NCAA finals in 2011. Standing between him and an NCAA title is loose-kneed, heavy-hipped defensive juggernaut, defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough. Oh, the symmetry. Go ahead and circle your wall calendar for January 23, 2011: Stieber. McDonough. Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 2. Chris Perry (Oklahoma State, 184) He beat his (former) coach ... and that coach was Chris Pendleton, two-time NCAA champion. The family legacy seems safe with this Perry. In many ways (physical maturity, coaching, redshirt success) the Oklahoma native seems the surest bet to place as a freshman. His third-place finish this year at the FILA Junior Worlds shows that he's coming into the season with the idea of winning the title, not settling. If his last six months is any indication, I'd place money on him in March. (Note: Perry is a humble kid ... "Coach still hands me some beatings. He's been my favorite coach since I was in sixth grade.") David Taylor (Photo/Kevin Schlosser, BuckeyeWrestling.com)3. David Taylor (Penn State, 157) Is love as powerful a motivator as fear? Taylor is a trendy choice for All-American honors in Philadelphia, but could this youthful Ohioan actually make the NCAA finals as a Nittany cub? While he lacks the physical maturity of a Chris Perry or Jake Deitchler, he's won at every level and because of that success has been talked about on message boards since he was a baby-faced sub-100-pound high school freshman, so expect the young man to be under immense pressure to win every match from now until March 19. Judging from his relationship with Coach Cael, he'll have a trusty resource to tap should he go undefeated for a spell, or stumble on the path to an NCAA title. 4. Chris Villalonga (Cornell, 141) The Jersey Kid's toughest test might be in the wrestling room where he'll compete against fifth-year senior Corey Manson. While others around Manson's weight (and hometown) have won NCAA titles for the Big Red, the Chattanooga-native Manson has become a fan favorite in Ithaca by working hard and wrestling without fear. If Villalonga can beat Manson for the starting spot, look for him to have an explosive season. The weight is competitive nationally, so he'll have to improve with haste, but if he follows the trajectory of his prep career, there could be an All-American plaque in Villalonga's future. First up, though: Manson. 5. Ed "Baby" Ruth (Penn State, 174) Coach Cael again. Ruth's down from 184 pounds, but Cael feels he's ready and improving. If the prep accolades out of Susquehanna Township weren't enough to make him a top recruit, a year under Buxton at Blair and another as a redshirt for Coach Cael should lead to a respectable finish in March. Maybe one of his biggest assets is Casey Cunningham, a coach geared to help upper middleweights dominate on the mat, as well as on their feet. Jake Deitchler (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)6. Jake Deitchler (Minnesota, 157) I'll always bet on the Olympian. Yes, it was in Greco, but making the U.S. Olympic Team as a high school student lets me know that Deitchler has uncommon poise. That's good because he'll have a tough year in his conference, facing up-and-comers David Taylor and Northwestern's Jason Welch. Though Deitchler's eligibility was ultimately reinstated by the NCAA after appeal, I'm pulling for the Minnesota native to win the NCAA title and pull Quint Kessenich aside and tell America what he thinks of the Eligibility Gestapo in Indianapolis. 7. Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State, 141) Like several freshmen on this list, Kindig might be stuck behind a talented upperclassmen, but he's on the list because if we've learned one lesson about Oklahoma State, it's that their bench prepares to win (see: Pat Smith, Jake Rosholt). 8. Jake Swartz (Boise State, 174) Boise State's room is among the best in the country for upper weight talent. Leading a group of tough-looking blue-turfers is Kirk Smith who is a consensus No. 1 at 184 pounds and one of the leading preseason candidates for the Dan Hodge Trophy. According to coach Greg Randall, little Swartz will battle Brock Gutches for the starting spot, but should he emerge unscathed from his own room, expect him to make easy work of the Pac-10 and steal a seed at the NCAAs. Randall and others in Boise are expecting an All-American performance from the former Fargo champion. 9. Derek St. John (Iowa, 157) Like Perry, St. John has a wrestling pedigree. With a room full of middleweight talent, look for St. John to start strong and finish strong. He went 26-4 as a redshirt. The goal is yellow medals. Marshall Peppelman10. Marshall Peppeleman (Cornell, 165) Peppleman is at best a 50/50 shot to make the Big Red lineup, as he's parked behind 2010 round-of-12'er Justin Kerber. Whoever makes the lineup, I'd expect to become an All-American. If Peppleman makes it out, it'll be him, for a team contending for the NCAA team title. That'll always make an impact. Honorable Mention: Eric Grajales (Michigan, 133) Expect Grajales, who went 217-0 in high school, to make an immediate impact for a young Michigan team looking to get back to national prominence. He and 141-pound All-American Kellen Russell should form a solid one-two punch for the Wolverines. Mike McMullen (Northwestern, 285) Athletic, hard-working PA kid who came out as a top recruit. Can Jake Herbert prove to be an effective coach and send this true freshman to the podium? David Thorn (Minnesota, 133) Winning is a family trait. His brother, Mike is a returning All-American for the Gophers, and his father, John, was an All-American for Iowa State. Who else wants to see another come-from-behind-miracle takedown from a Gopher 133-pounder capped off by a Lambeau Leap? I do. John Fausey (Virginia, 174) Coach Steve Garland has been praising his Pennsylvania redshirt, "Natural feel, good redshirt year ... We think he's going to be a big one." Can he become the first freshman All-American from the ACC since ... since ... I have no idea, but a very, very long time. Andrew Alton/Dylan Alton (Penn State, 141) According to Coach Cael, there is nothing stopping one of the Pennsylvania twins from cracking the lineup, "We are looking to field the best team we can. One of the Altons could see the lineup." Will they have an impact? Probably a big one.

AMES, Iowa -- Eric Voelker, a former two-time NCAA 190-pound champion and part of Iowa State’s 1987 NCAA championship team who will be inducted into the ISU Letterwinners Hall of Fame next weekend, has joined the Iowa State wrestling program as an assistant coach. Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson, a teammate of Voelker on that 1987 team, made the announcement Friday while laying out the individual responsibilities of each Cyclone coach on his staff. Jackson announced that current Iowa State assistant coach Yero Washington has been named head assistant wrestling coach. Former ISU national champion Nate Gallick continues to serve Iowa State as a volunteer coach, working with Cyclones in the wrestling room and with the Cyclone Wrestling Club. Former Iowa State head coach Bobby Douglas will continue serving the Cyclone wrestling program as the Cyclone Wrestling Club coach. Former Cyclone four-time All-American Dwight Hinson will continue to assist the program and Molly Donnelly remains director of wrestling operations. “We are excited about Eric Voelker joining our coaching staff,” Jackson said. “I have known Eric since our days at Iowa State. He brings great personal knowledge of wrestling and extensive experience working with young people on and off the mat. Ultimately, he is an Iowa Stater in every way and we are on the same page in terms of building a better man, not just a better wrestler. Ultimately, that is what Iowa State wrestling is all about. Eric has been outside our program and that experience will assist him as an ambassador to alumni and fans on behalf of the Cyclone wrestling program.” Jackson affirmed Washington’s contributions to the Iowa State wrestling program. “Yero Washington has been my right-hand man with exceptional knowledge and experience,” Jackson said. “He has been a great asset to our program from the start and his presence is a major asset to the future of Iowa State wrestling.” Douglas, Gallick, Hinson and Donnelly are committed to the Cyclone wrestling legacy. “Bobby Douglas has been the best of mentors to myself and countless Iowa State wrestlers for nearly 20 years,” Jackson said. “He will help us develop training plans for our senior-level athletes in the Cyclone Wrestling Club. Nate Gallick will continue to work with our athletes in the practice room and have some Cyclone Wrestling Club responsibilities. Dwight will be working on behalf of our program at the grass-roots level. He builds great relationships with young people and we will take advantage of that fact. Molly does so much for our wrestling program behind the scenes and we appreciate her contributions.” Voelker won NCAA titles at 190 pounds in 1987 and 1989. A three-time All-American and Big Eight Conference champion, he finished his Iowa State career with a record of 101-13-1 and is excited about the Cyclone wrestling program. “I told the team (Thursday) that I came to Iowa State and became a champion over time, working early on with guys like (three-time NCAA champion) Nate Carr and (Big Eight champion) Wayne Cole in the wrestling room,” Voelker said. “I am anxious to get started helping our student-athletes to succeed at the next level academically and as a wrestler. We have a great head coach in Kevin Jackson and the rest of our staff is positioned to develop young men in the wrestling program.” Voelker earned his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State in 1989 in speech communication. He has since earned a Master’s of Divinity from Bethel Seminary (2008) and a Master’s in Educational Leadership in 2010 from Iowa State. “Iowa State has given me the education of a lifetime,” Voelker said. “I want to give back to this special place.” Voelker has worked as a prep wrestling coach at his alma mater, Dallas Center-Grimes and as a club coach since graduating from Iowa State. In addition to his upcoming induction to the Iowa State athletics hall of fame, Voelker is a member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Glen Brand/Dan Gable Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School wrestling hall of Fame. Voelker is married to the former Cheryl Cybulski , also a coach and a former Iowa State volleyball player. They have three daughters. Eric Voelker Career Highlights: - Two-time national champion at 190 pounds (1987 & 1989) - Three-time All-American at 190 pounds (1987, 1988, 1989) - Three-time Big Eight champion (1987, 1988, 1989) - One of 16 multiple NCAA champions in ISU wrestling history - His 4-3 win over Minnesota’s Mike Dean in the 1987 190-pound NCAA title bout helped ISU secure the national title - Placed third at the 1988 NCAA Wrestling Championships, winning the Gorrian Award for most falls in the tournament - Defeated Mike Whitehead of Northwestern, 7-2, to win the 1989 190-pound NCAA wrestling title - Finished his senior season at 21-2-1 - Ended career with a 101-13-1 overall mark

I like Cornell University head coach Rob Koll; I really do. However, if he continues to make these recruiting press releases a daily ritual, then I am afraid I am going to have to end our friendship. While it goes without saying that the previous statement was obviously meant in good fun, the one thing that is not joke is the amazing job that Koll and staff have been doing thus far in landing elite talent from the Class of 2011. As the calendar switches to October and next month’s early signing period will be here before we know it, there has been no rest for the weary in Ithaca as seemingly every day a new blue chip recruit is informing us that they have selected the Big Red as their college choice. Less than 24 hours after putting the finishing touches on the press release announcing that No. 65 recruit Joe Rendina has decided on the returning NCAA runners-up, I find myself experiencing a touch of deja vu as again I am back on my laptop to formally break the news that for the second straight evening, an InterMat 100 recruit, No. 93 Duke Pickett of Woodberry Forest High School, has given a verbal commitment to the Ivy League institution of higher learning. Pickett, a 2010 Virginia state champion, becomes the third Top 100 honoree and fifth overall student-athlete to pick (no pun intended) Cornell. He joins Rendina, along with No. 79 Caleb Richardson and twin NYS DII champs Craig and Owen Scott. Pickett, who shook off a disappointing sophomore campaign in 2009 that saw him go a steady 32-13 but settle for fourth-place honors at the state tournament, really rallied last season, accumulating a 41-3 overall record at 140 on his way towards earning his first title in two finals appearances. (In 2008, he was the state runner-up at 112.) In a situation where his school also participated in the National Prep tournament, Pickett added a national runner-up finish, with his finals loss coming by a score of 10-5 to recent University of North Carolina commit Evan Henderson of the Kiski School. By virtue of this impressive bounce back season, the multiple-sport athlete (he currently is playing tailback for Tiger football program), will bring a 108-24 career record into his senior campaign. In addition to his second-place finish at Prep Nationals, the future Big Red wrestler has more than held his own against the best the country has to offer, racking up a laundry list of solid credentials, starting with a fifth-place finish at the prestigious Beast of the East in a weight class that coincidentally was won by future teammate Chris Villalonga. With the intent of fully solidifying his position among the nation’s elite, Pickett took his talents to the inaugural FloNationals, a decision that ultimately paid dividends when he emerged with a fourth-place finish to claim all-American distinction. Demonstrating that he also possesses some skills in the international styles, Pickett added another all-American honor to his resume when he placed seventh at the USAW Junior Nationals in freestyle. Projected on the collegiate level as a 157-pounder, Pickett, like the rest of the Cornell Class of 2015 cohort, will have plenty of quality workout partners ready to culminate his natural ability. Whether it be Craig Eifert, Jesse Shanaman, Marshall Peppelman, or any of the other countless studs in the Friedman Wrestling Center, Pickett will have every opportunity in the world to reach his full potential. Everyone at Lighthouse Wrestling sincerely extend their congratulations to Duke, his family, his coaches, as well as our friends at Cornell on what is surely very exciting breaking news for all parties involved. In addition, we wish Pickett and his Tiger teammates the very best of fortune on a successful upcoming season. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from LighthouseWrestling.com.

There are intriguing matchups that wrestling fans look forward to every college wrestling season. After the 2009 NCAAs, many wrestling fans anticipated seeing the Darrion Caldwell-Brent Metcalf rivalry renewed in 2009-10. But surgery kept Caldwell off the mat last season, which prevented the matchup from happening; Metcalf went on to win the NCAA title. Other times, a highly-anticipated matchup does not take place until the final match of the season ... like in the case of Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. Mack Lewnes (Cornell) last season. Both cruised through the regular season undefeated and met in the NCAA finals, with Borschel coming out on top. So what are the potential intriguing matchups in Division I college wrestling this season? There are many that have wrestling fans excited about the upcoming college wrestling season. I have chosen one potential matchup in each of the 10 weight classes that I would like to see this collegiate wrestling season. 125: Matt McDonough (Iowa) vs. Logan Stieber (Ohio State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: January 23, Iowa City, Iowa (Dual Meet) Matt McDonough (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)It's seems virtually impossible for an Iowa Hawkeye wrestler to come out of nowhere, but McDonough somehow managed to do it last season. Sure, he was a three-time state champion and multiple-time All-American in Fargo coming out of high school. But he lost eight times at 133 pounds as a redshirt and opened last season unranked by InterMat. All he did as a freshman was go 37-1 en route to winning the NCAA title in a weight class that included two past NCAA champions. Stieber, who was ranked as the nation's No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2010 by InterMat, has the ability to contend for an NCAA title immediately as a true freshman. He placed third at the U.S. Open after his junior year of high school and many believe he will be in the mix to make the U.S. Olympic Team in 2012. 133: Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State) vs. Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: January 8-9, Cedar Falls, Iowa (NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals) February 11, Stillwater, Oklahoma (Dual Meet) Hochstrasser, an All-American in 2009, wrestled sparingly last season, going 8-0, but was unable to compete in the postseason. Many speculated this offseason whether Oliver, who finished fourth NCAAs as a freshman, would move up to 141 pounds for his sophomore season. John Smith felt that Oliver might be better suited for 141 pounds, but Oliver managed his weight and ultimately decided to return to 133 pounds. 141: Kellen Russell (Michigan) vs. Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: December 3-4, Las Vegas, Nevada (Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational) The 141-pound weight class was viewed as wide open last season with six to eight wrestlers in the mix to win an NCAA title. When the dust settled in Omaha, it was a true freshman (Kyle Dake) beating a wrestler who began the season third on his own team's depth chart (Montell Marion). With Dake moving up to 149 pounds and Marion not competing this season, the weight class is once again wide open. But All-Americans Russell and Kennedy, who are both coming off redshirt seasons, will help fill the void of losing both NCAA finalists. Kennedy has twice been an All-American at 133 pounds. He wrestled at 141 pounds as a redshirt last season and finished runner-up at the Midlands to Alex Krom of Maryland. Russell has posted a 63-11 record in two seasons, earning All-American honors in 2009, but did not wrestle a single match last season while redshirting. 149: Darrion Caldwell (North Carolina State) vs. Kyle Dake (Cornell) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: December 3-4, Las Vegas, Nevada (Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational) December 29-30, Greensboro, North Carolina (Southern Scuffle) Kyle Dake (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)This is one of two potential matchups between NCAA champions that could happen this college wrestling season. Caldwell, a 2009 NCAA champion, is the best college wrestler in the country regardless of weight class. Sure, he's coming off surgery and hasn't competed since the summer of 2009, but there isn't a college wrestler in the country that is as skilled and athletic as Caldwell. Dake had a sensational true freshman season, going 34-2 and becoming the first true freshman since Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) in 2006 to win an NCAA championship. Dake, who was named InterMat Freshman of the Year in 2010, is strong in every position, especially in the top position, and isn't afraid to mix it up and take risks, which is why a potential matchup with Caldwell has wrestling fans excited. 157: Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State) vs. David Taylor (Penn State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: January 7-8, Hampton, Virginia (Virginia Duals) Jenkins and Taylor were teammates at Penn State last season. The two faced off at the East Stroudsburg Open, with Jenkins edging Taylor, 4-3. Jenkins' bitter divorce from the Penn State wrestling program last season was well documented. He and his then-coach, Cael Sanderson, butted heads and Jenkins, a 2008 NCAA runner-up, transferred to Arizona State for his senior campaign. Taylor was the nation's top recruit in 2009 and has been successful at every level of wrestling. He went 21-2 as a redshirt with his only losses coming to teammates Jenkins and Cyler Sanderson. Expectations are sky-high for Taylor, who has Olympic aspirations. Jenkins, a Junior World champion in 2007, has said this will be his final season of wrestling and that he will not pursue an international wrestling career. So beating Cael's protégé, Taylor, in the NCAA finals would be a redemptive finish to his wrestling career. 165: Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) vs. Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: December 29-30, Evanston, Illinois (Midlands Championships) January 21, Madison, Wisconsin (Dual Meet) Andrew Howe (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)Like 149, this is a potential matchup of NCAA champions. Burroughs was an NCAA champion in 2009 at 157 pounds, but suffered a season-ending knee injury last December that prevented him from defending his title. He was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA and has moved up to 165 pounds for his final season. Howe is on track to become one of collegiate wrestling's all-time greats. He has reached the NCAA finals in each of his first two seasons at Wisconsin, winning the NCAA title last season. He went 37-0 last season to run his career record to 67-5. 174: Mack Lewnes (Cornell) vs. Ed Ruth (Penn State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: December 29-30, Greensboro, North Carolina (Southern Scuffle) On paper, this looks like a mismatch and it very well may be. Top-ranked senior vs. freshman. Lewnes, an NCAA runner-up last season, has been one of the most dominant wrestlers in the country over the past two seasons. He was crushing opponents all last season before falling in the NCAA finals to Jay Borschel of Iowa. Don't sleep on Ruth. He has the potential to be a great one. The shy, unassuming Ruth was 14-3 as a redshirt last season with two of those losses coming to teammate Quentin Wright and the other coming to Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro. 184: Kirk Smith (Boise State) vs. Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: January 8-9, Cedar Falls, Iowa (NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals) February 11, Stillwater, Oklahoma (Dual Meet) Smith, an NCAA runner-up last season, is the highest returning NCAA finisher and is expected to begin the season ranked No. 1. He is the leader of a Boise State team that is expected to be in the hunt for a team trophy in Philadelphia. Perry, the younger brother of two-time NCAA champion Mark Perry, is an immediate impact wrestler who has high goals in the sport. He was 15-1 as a redshirt and won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in Hungary over the summer. 197: Anthony Biondo (Michigan) vs. Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: December 29-30, Greensboro, North Carolina (Southern Scuffle) February 11, Ann Arbor, Michigan (Dual Meet) Sonny Yohn (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)These two met twice last season with Biondo coming out victorious in both matches. However, it was Yohn who found a spot on the podium in Omaha, not Biondo. Both move well and like to create action, which has resulted in some crazy scramble situations in their previous meetings. 285: Dom Bradley (Missouri) vs. Alan Gelogaev (Oklahoma State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: January 8-9, Cedar Falls, Iowa (NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals) February 4, Stillwater, Oklahoma (Dual Meet) With 2009 NCAA champion Mark Ellis no longer in the picture, it will be Bradley's time to shine for the Tigers. A Junior World champion in 2009, Bradley has battled and beaten some of the nation's top collegiate heavyweights. He finished third at the U.S. World Team Trials this past summer, losing only to 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev. He notched a victory over former Ohio State standout Tommy Rowlands, who placed fifth at the 2007 World Championships. Gelogaev, who grew up in Russia and trained under wrestling legend Buvaisar Saitiev, wrestled his first season of folkstyle wrestling last season at 197 pounds and became an All-American with a seventh-place finish. He has a lot of tools on his feet, but has struggled mightily on the mat.

Just 10 days after getting verbal commitments from a pair of NYS DII Champions in the persons of the Scott twins, Cornell head coach Rob Koll had cause to celebrate again when 2010 Michigan state champion Joe Rendina, the No. 65-ranked recruit in the land according to InterMat, announced live on Wrestlingaddix.com that the Big Red had won the sweepstakes for his services. The EIWA conference powerhouse beat out the hometown favorite Spartans of Michigan State (who in their own right have had an impressive start to the class of 2011 recruiting season), as well as the University of North Carolina, who represented the only other institutions to make the final cut on Rendina's short list of schools. Rendina, who will carry a 164-2 record into his senior campaign at Dundee High School, enjoyed what can only accurately be described as a dream season in 2010, going unblemished in all 64 of his bouts en route to his first state crown. In doing so, he successfully achieved an objective that he ambitiously, but confidently dedicated himself to at the youthful age of five. Perhaps for Rendina, all last season symbolized was the culmination of a feat that he had always known was his destiny. A state bronze medalist as a sophomore (65-1) with his only loss coming in the state semifinals, last season was the proverbial nail in the coffin of two previous seasons that had met him with frustration and discontentment. After all, if not for a season ending injury as a freshman and the aforementioned loss in the state semis in '09 (the gentleman who beat him did go on to eventually win the title), Rendina might have already had the hardware that he had worked the entirety of his life to capture. If patience really is a virtue, than this young gentleman is one virtuous individual. It is this perseverance and ability to bounce back from adversity and disappointment that will ultimately make this dynamic student-athlete a real asset to Koll and staff. Nationally, Rendina arrived on the scene at the 2009 Super 32 Challenge, finishing sixth at a stacked 125-pound weight class consisting of current DI wrestlers Devin Carter (Virginia Tech), Nick Arujau (American), Mitchell Port (Edinboro), T.J. Mitchell (Virginia Tech), and Justis Flamio (US Naval Academy), to name a few. Already registered to compete in 2010, the Ithaca, NY-bound standout will be among the favorites in a deep 130-pound weight class. Projected on the collegiate level at either 133 or 141 pounds, Rendina could find himself in position to crack the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2012 following the graduation of the incumbent starter at 133, 2008 All-American Mike Grey. With future teammates like fellow 2011 recruit Caleb Richardson, Cody Kelly, Joe Stanzione, Ryan Dunphy, Mike Nevinger, Chris Villalonga, and returning NCAA champion Kyle Dake, coupled with the coaching prowess of Jeremy Spates and Matt Azevedo, Rendina certainly will not have to look hard to find a guy capable of pushing him to the next level. As the USA Wrestling motto goes, steel sharpens steel. And today, by virtue of his college selection, one Great Lakes State wrestler finds himself several steps closer to becoming one of the sharpest knives in the cabinet. On behalf of everyone here at LHW, we sincerely congratulate Joe, his family, and the Dundee program on today's exciting news. We wish both the young man and his teammates the very best of luck in 2011 as they look to build off of the momentum created by a state runner-up team finish last season. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from LighthouseWrestling.com.

Hello again Wrestling Fans. We return to the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Join Scott Casber, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT. Our Guests Include: (All times Central) 9:01 Joe Bastardi- the chief hurricane and long-range forecaster at AccuWeather and a national bodybuilding competitor and our Penn State Wrestling Insider 9:20 Rich Bender- USA Wrestling Executive Director, 9:40 Andrew Hipps- IntermatWrestle.com JJ Classic Update 10:01 Eric Guerrero- Assist. Head Coach for Oklahoma State 10:20 Jim Heffernan- Head Coach of Illinois 10:40 Nick Mitchell- Head Coach Grand View College 10:50 Amy Rubel- Wildrose Resort and Casino Wrestling fans- Episode 77 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check your TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! 4.5 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, TDR TV: Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 Sat. 12 Noon Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM Western Reserve Ohio Cable Ch. 9 Fridays at 5:30 (Premiers October 15th) Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV TDR on Internet: You can join us 9 to 11 AM Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com TDR TV On Internet: 31 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan wrestling head coach Joe McFarland announced Tuesday (Sept. 28) the addition of Brian Dolph to the coaching staff. Dolph, an NCAA champion and 11-year collegiate coaching veteran, will serve as the Wolverines' volunteer coach while overseeing the freestyle program at Michigan's USA Wrestling Regional Training Site. "I'm excited to reconnect with Brian," said McFarland. "I coached him earlier in my career when I was down at Indiana, and I've stayed in touch with him over the years. I know he's been wanting to get back into college coaching; so, I think he's excited about coming up here, and we're excited about having him. He's got a great wrestling mind, and he just loves being on the mat. I think he can help us out in a number of different areas, not only with his collegiate background but with his freestyle background as well. We're looking to take our program here to the next level, and I think Brian will play a big role in that endeavor." "I feel like I am a good fit with the rest of the staff here," said Dolph. "We all have similar philosophies, and I think we'll work well as a team. I think my experience as a coach at all levels will be an asset to the program, and with the experience I have, I'll be able to really connect with the kids. I think they will respect that and listen to what I have to offer. I'm looking forward to getting started." Prior to his arrival at Michigan, Dolph worked on the coaching staffs at Pennsylvania (1994-2003) and Cleveland State (2006-07) and served as head coach at Massillon Perry High School (2004-06) and North Canton Hoover High School (2007-10) in Ohio. He was instrumental in developing a competitive middleweight corps at Penn and helped guide nine different Quaker wrestlers to NCAA All-America honors over his tenure. Among his most decorated pupils are Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA finalist Brandon Slay, NCAA champion Brett Matter and two-time All-Americans Rick Springman and Yoshi Nakamura. While at Perry High School, Dolph earned back-to-back Stark County Wrestling Coach of the Year honors (2004, '05) and coached a pair of future NCAA champions in Michigan's Steve Luke (2006-09) and Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter. As a collegiate wrestler at Indiana University (1986, '88-90), Dolph compiled one of the most esteemed careers in Hoosier program history, spending his final two seasons under McFarland's leadership. He became Indiana's first NCAA individual champion in 50 years as a senior in 1990 by capturing the 150-pound NCAA title, earning an 11-5 decision over Northern Iowa's Gary Steffensmeier in the championship bout. A three-time NCAA All-American, Dolph also posted national finishes of third (1989) and eighth (1988) and, at the time of his achievement, was the first Hoosier wrestler in program history to register three consecutive All-America performances. Dolph's 127-9 career record ranks fourth in all-time wins at Indiana, while his 46 wins during the 1989-90 season and .934 career winning percentage remain IU program records. In addition to his success at the NCAA Tournament, Dolph captured two Big Ten titles at 150 pounds (1989, '90), advancing to the finals in each of his final three seasons, and won the prestigious Midlands Championship in 1989. After graduation, Dolph completed a successful 10-year run in the 68kg/149.5-pound and 76kg/167.5-pound freestyle divisions, qualifying for the World and Olympic Trials every year. He was the 167.5-pound runner-up at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials and traveled to Sydney, Australia, as an alternate on the U.S. Olympic Team. Dolph was a six-time national team member and a champion of several international tournaments, including the Alexander Medved International in Russia, where he did not give up a single point. A native of Canton, Ohio, Dolph received his bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Indiana in 1990. He and his wife, Jenelle, have a son, A.J.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- With the Lehigh wrestling team set to officially begin practice in less than two weeks, head coach Pat Santoro announced the Mountain Hawks 2010-11 schedule on Monday. Lehigh will wrestle eight home dual meets and will take on six of the top 15 finishers from last year’s NCAA Championships. The Mountain Hawks finished 17th at last year’s NCAA tournament and should benefit from having the 2011 NCAA tournament in Philadelphia, a mere hour from Lehigh’s campus. “I’ve always told our guys that to get to the top you have to compete against the best,” said Santoro who begins his third season as head coach. “That’s what this schedule does. Right out of the chute we’re facing teams like Pitt, Penn State and Michigan plus Virginia, Missouri and George Mason at the Northeast Duals. We’re facing a number of top-15 teams in the first five weeks of the season.” Santoro continued, “We have some young guys and some guys with experience, but very early on we’ll find out where we are and what we need to be working on to get ready for the postseason. The postseason is always going to be the focus for our program and this schedule that we’ve put together should prepare our team well for March. ” The 102nd season of Lehigh wrestling begins with the annual wrestle-offs, scheduled for Thursday, October 28 inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The dual season begins on Friday November 5, when the Drexel Dragons come to town. Lehigh has won 90 percent of its duals (39-4-1) in Pat Santoro’s first two seasons as head coach. The following weekend brings a pair of tough tests against long-time in-state rivals. On Friday November 12, Santoro will square off against his alma mater when the Mountain Hawks face Pittsburgh. Two days later, Lehigh will face Penn State at Rec Hall in the 99th meeting between the longtime rivals. As a prelude to the Lehigh-Lafayette football game on November 20, the Mountain Hawks will face rival Michigan on Friday November 19 in the first of two duals this season slated for Stabler Arena. Lehigh and Michigan will be wrestling a dual meet for the 34th straight season, with the Mountain Hawks having won the last two duals. For the fourth straight year, Lehigh will spend Thanksgiving weekend in the capital region of New York as the Mountain Hawks will take part in the Northeast Duals at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. on November 27. Lehigh will wrestle three duals on the day beginning with NCAA 15th-place finisher Virginia and tenth-place finisher Missouri before wrapping up against George Mason. In March, Bucknell will host the EIWA Championship for the first time. Lehigh will get a preview of Lewisburg when the Mountain Hawks face Bucknell on Friday December 3. The final dual of the fall semester will be Sunday, December 12 when Lehigh hosts Central Michigan at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. After breaking for final exams and the holidays in December, action will pick up once again on December 29 and 30 when Lehigh heads to Evanston, Illinois for the Midland’s Championships, hosted by Northwestern. Last year Lehigh made its first Midlands appearance since 2004 and the Mountain Hawks came away with a school-record six place-winners. Lehigh will usher in 2011 with its fourth straight appearance at the Virginia Duals, January 7-8 at the Hampton Coliseum. The Mountain Hawks have posted back-to-back second place finishes at the Duals, losing to Central Michigan in 2009 and Oklahoma State in 2010. The Mountain Hawks will follow up their Virginia Duals appearance by facing two of their oldest rivals. On January 15, Lehigh travels to Annapolis, Maryland to face Navy and then on Thursday January 20, the Mountain Hawks will welcome four-time defending EIWA Champion and NCAA runner-up Cornell to Stabler Arena. Lehigh and Cornell staged a memorable dual last year in Ithaca, N.Y. with the Mountain Hawks winning the final three weight classes to earn a 15-15 tie. The next weekend will be a busy one for the Brown and White. Lehigh heads to Blacksburg, Virginia to meet the Hokies of Virginia Tech on January 28. Two days later its back home to Leeman-Turner Arena as the Mountain Hawks host EIWA rivals Harvard and Brown. Lehigh’s three February duals will all be against EIWA opponents. The Mountain Hawks will host American on Sunday February 6 at Grace Hall. Following a weekend off, Lehigh will visit upstart Rutgers on Thursday the 17th before wrapping up the dual season against Penn inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall on February 20. Bucknell will host the 107th EIWA Championships at Sojka Pavilion on March 5 and 6, while the NCAA Championships will be in Philadelphia at the newly renamed Wells Fargo Center (formerly Wachovia Center) March 17-19. “We’re excited to have the NCAAs in Philadelphia,” Santoro explained. “It’s great for east coast wrestling. There are a very high percentage of schools that will be within driving distance. Not having to travel as far will certainly be helpful for our team. I know the fans are excited about it and our wrestlers are excited too.” The Mountain Hawks return four NCAA qualifiers including EIWA Champion and All-American Zach Rey for the 2010-11 season.