InterMat Staff

Scott Moore Lock Haven University Sports Information It was announced today that long time Virginia assistant Scott Moore and his family would return to Pennsylvania. Moore will be added to Robbie Waller's staff as an assistant at Lock Haven University. Two-time All-American Scott Moore is marked his final season of coaching at Virginia and his second as the team's associate head coach this last year. With a vast array of experience as a coach and wrestler, Moore proved to be an invaluable asset to the Virginia program. Moore coached nine Cavaliers to ACC titles and 22 to berths in the NCAA Championships, including Chris Henrich, who became Virginia's first two-time All-America in 2009 and 2010. The Cavaliers won the ACC Championship in 2010 - UVa's first league title since 1977. Virginia also recorded a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2010, marking UVa's top finish at the national championships since 1957. The Cavaliers have earned Top-25 national rankings in each of the last two seasons - the program's first-ever national rankings. Moore is a master recruiter, helping Virginia bring in six-consecutive Top 25 recruiting classes, including Top 10 groups in 2007 and 2009. The 2007 class was ranked as high as fifth nationally, while the 2009 group was tabbed as high as sixth nationally. The results of Moore's efforts were especially evident over the last three seasons. In 2010, after falling short by two points in each of the previous two years, Virginia broke through and won the ACC Championship as Henrich and Mike Salopek each won individual crowns. Behind Henrich's third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, UVa notched 15th place - tops among ACC schools. Brent Jones also won the Gorrarian Trophy at the NCAA Championships, becoming the first Cavalier to do so since Moore in 2004. In 2009, despite a slew of injuries, Virginia took second at the ACC Championships with three individual champions (including tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler Brent Jones) and then qualified a school-record seven wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. In 2008 Moore helped UVa to a school-record 18 dual wins, two ACC champions and three NCAA qualifiers. Moore, one of 11 UVa All-Americans all-time, turned in one of the most prolific wrestling careers after just one season as a Cavalier. In 2003-04, Moore etched his name into numerous categories in the UVa wrestling record book. Moore finished his dominant season with a record of 51-1 overall and 17-0 in dual matches with 34 of his wins (65 percent) coming by fall. He shattered both the UVa single-season and career record for most falls in just one year. Moore's 51 single-season wins rank first all-time at UVa and his 17 dual match wins are the third-best mark at UVa. His .981 winning percentage is the second-best winning percentage for a single season at Virginia. This also marked the second season that Moore led the nation in pins and wins. Moore finished third in the 2004 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, was ranked No. 1 in the country for most of the season and was the top seed at 141-pounds at the NCAA Championships. He was named ACC Wrestler of the Week four times during the season and was awarded ACC Wrestler of Year for his efforts. Moore also won all seven regular season competitions in which he competed, including the Michigan State Open, Cornell Body Bar, Mat Town Invitational and prestigious Southern Scuffle. He also won his match at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic against reigning national champion Teyon Ware. Moore was also awarded the Gorrorian Award for the most falls in the least amount of time at the NCAA Championships. Moore began his wrestling career at Penn State (1999-2003) and went 125-42 over four years of competition (including one medical hardship season). In 2002-03, he set the NCAA record for most matches competed (63) and set a PSU school record for most wins a single season after going 54-9 with 24 falls during an All-America season for the Nittany Lions. Moore also is the single-season leader in falls for Penn State with 24 and second in career falls with 34 in three seasons. Moore claimed the Big Ten championship in 2003 before placing fourth at the NCAA Championships and leading his team to a sixth-place national finish. In 2003 and 2004 he was awarded the Wade Schalles Award, given to the nation's top pinner. He and his wife, Sherry, will reside in rural PA. They are the parents of a daughter, Sloan.

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: 9:01 Barry Davis- Wisconsin's head man joins us to talks recruits and preparing for fall 9:20 Carl Adams-Boston's Head Coach joins us to talk about his evolving program 9:40 Gary Abbott- Gary will review the JR. Worlds that took place in Budapest, Hungary 10:01 Dr. Craig Sesker- Joins us to review Fargo and discuss his new book about Bobby Douglas 10:15 Ryan Irwin- founder of Nutrisport and Full Potential Training 10:25 Al Bevilacqua- co-founder of Beat The Streets will update us on the Living The Dream Medal Fund and the coming USA Wrestling Telethon 10:40 Nate Yetzer- assist coach at Virginia Tech. joins us to discuss new facilities and the new building at Virginia Tech. Wrestling fans- Episode 69 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Delayed 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 Ch. 813 New York Sat. 12 Noon Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV TDR on Internet: Join us 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!

John Clark

Jordan Burroughs

Erik Paulson and Matt Granahan, authors of a new wrestling book called “Rough and Tumble: The History of American Submission Wrestling,” will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, August 4. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Paulson and Granahan recently co-authored a book on the history of American submission wrestling. The book explores many of the great names associated with college, international, submission and professional wrestling. Paulson currently trains mixed martial arts fighters in California.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team has had a busy summer in 2010, scoring awards, filling some roster spots and working hard in the classroom and on the mats. The most notable achievement of the summer was rising sophomore Cashé Quiroga adding to his 2010 accolades with NWCA Freshman All-Academic honors. Quiroga’s achievement gives the Boilermakers their fourth all-academic honoree for the 2009-10 season, tying for the most by any school in NCAA Division I. The Purdue quartet matches five other institutions, including Big Ten rival Ohio State University. The rest of the list is made up of American, Edinboro, Chattanooga and future conference foe Nebraska. Quiroga is the second Purdue rookie to earn first-year honors in the three-year history of the award, joining junior teammate A.J. Kissel. The Boilermakers have had two exciting announcement in regards to the 2010-11 roster, receiving a medical hardship from the NCAA and adding another member to this year’s already outstanding recruiting class. Senior Sam Patacsil will have one more chance to add to the family legacy as he is the beneficiary of an extra year of eligibility due to major injuries in his collegiate career. Patacsil is 38-22 (after the removal of limited stats in 2008-09 due to the medical redshirt) in his career, including an 18-11 mark at 149 and 157 pounds last season. He joined his father, Frank Patacsil, and brother, Jake Patacsil, on the Boilermakers’ single-season and career record lists for back points last year, posting 79 on the season (12th in single-season history) and 141 for his career, tied for ninth all-time. Fort Wayne, Ind. native Brock Norton is the latest Boilermaker signee, signing a national letter of intent and ready to join the squad this fall. Norton won the 2010 Indiana High School State Championship at 135 pounds, finishing the year a flawless 39-0 at Carroll High School. He’s the second 2010 state champion to sign with the Boilermakers, joining Lawrence North High School’s Brandon Nelsen, and is projected to wrestle at 141 for the Old Gold and Black. While the Boilermakers have a pair of solid additions in Patacsil in Norton, they suffered a loss in the departure of three-year assistant coach Glen Lanham. Lanham left West Lafayette this summer, accepting an assistant coaching position at Duke University under head coach Clar Anderson. The move is a homecoming of sorts for Lanham, who came to the Boilermakers from North Carolina in 2007. Purdue is currently still in the search process for an assistant coach and will announce the new hire when the decision is reached by the coaching staff and administration. The Boilermakers have announced their 2010-11 schedule as well in the past few weeks, putting together one of their most impressive lineup of opponents and events in school history. Purdue opens its season at Edinboro on Nov. 6, where the Boilermakers will face the host Fighting Scots and Hofstra University, kicking off the year with a dual bout for the first time since 2004-05. Those will be followed by Michigan State’s annual open tournament on Nov. 13 and a dual contest with Calumet College of St. Joseph on Nov. 20, before the Boilermakers head back to the desert for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 3-4. Purdue welcomes perennial Big 12 power Missouri to Holloway Gymnasium for its home opener on Dec. 12, and opens the Big Ten Dual schedule the following weekend, heading to Champaign, Ill., for a contest with the Fighting Illini on Dec. 19. Purdue will skip the Midlands Championships for the first time since 2004, replacing the event with one of greater prestige in the 2011 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. It will be the Boilermakers’ third trip in school history to the outstanding event, returning after back-to-back invitations in 1992 and 1993. This year’s field is as loaded as ever, currently projected to feature Boise State, Central Michigan, Cornell, Iowa State, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio State, Oregon State, Northern Iowa, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. The Boilermakers restart the conference schedule at Michigan on Jan. 14, followed by a non-conference spat with Kent State and Ashland at the Wendy’s Classic in Ashland, Ohio the next day. The remainder of the slate rolls out in Big Ten fashion with contests at Northwestern and Wisconsin, at home against Minnesota, Michigan State and Indiana and Purdue’s second straight neutral-turf bout with defending national champion Iowa. The Purdue wrestlers report to campus with the rest of the student body in late August and will officially begin practice in October.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Heath Eslinger announced the 2010-11 schedule today. Highlighting the slate are three opponents that finished in the top-25 at last year's NCAA Championships, including a Nov. 26 trip to three-time defending NCAA Champion Iowa. The Mocs are set to host five home matches, face eight opponents on the road and compete in one dual tournament and three open events. UTC opens the season with the annual Blue & Gold Match on Thursday, Oct. 28 at Maclellan Gym. "I am excited about this year's schedule," stated Eslinger who is entering his second season as coach of the Mocs. "I would like to have one more home match, but we have a chance to wrestle Iowa that we cannot turn down. They are going to give us a return date in one of the next two years, so that makes our future home schedule look even better." The regular season begins with a match against Kent State on Nov. 6 in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Golden Flashes finished 25th at last year's NCAAs. Chattanooga continues the weekend swing with the Hokie Open in Blacksburg, Va., on Nov. 7. The Mocs open the regular season home schedule with a Nov. 7 double header against Liberty and Cumberland. Action begins at 2:00 p.m. in Maclellan Gym. UTC will be on the road for the rest of the calendar year with trips to Gardner-Webb and the ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Nov. 20-21. The visit to the Hawkeyes closes out the November action. Chattanooga's two dates in December include a west coast swing to Stanford on Dec. 18 in Palo Alto, Calif. The Mocs will also take part in the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 19 in Reno, Nev. The new year begins with a Jan. 3 match at Ohio. The Mocs will also take part in the Virginia Duals on Jan. 7-8 in Virginia Beach, Va. UTC ends the long road swing with a Jan. 15 trip to Missouri. The Tigers finished 10th at last year's NCAA Championships. The Mocs' return home on Jan. 30 to face Southern Conference foe The Citadel at 2:00 p.m. in Maclellan Gym. They are back on the road Feb. 5-6 with back-to-back matches at UNC Greensboro and Appalachian State. The regular season concludes with a pair of SoCon home meets. The Mocs host Davidson on Feb. 13 and VMI on Feb. 20. Both matches are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Maclellan Gym. Appalachian State will serve as the host for the 2011 SoCon Championships on March 5 in Boone, N.C. The NCAA Tournament is set for March 17-19 in Philadelphia, Pa.

Hype: Webster's Dictionary defines it as, "Excessive publicity and the ensuing commotion." Phil DavisThat is how one could describe MMA rising star Phil Davis. But Davis' impressive wrestling credentials (NCAA champion, four-time All-American) and fast start in MMA (6-0) have even the toughest of critics singing praise and believing that the former Penn State wrestling standout is much more than just hype. "When it comes to athleticism, he's like a bigger version of GSP (Georges St. Pierre, UFC welterweight champion and world-renowned fighter)," said Joe Rogan, UFC color commentator. High praise for a man who has only two fights in the UFC. The 25-year-old Davis is scheduled to fight Rodney Wallace on Saturday at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. He took the fight on two week's notice. Most fighters prefer eight-week training camps before stepping into the Octagon. So why did Davis take the fight? "The UFC likes guys who step up," said Davis. "I am one of those guys. The UFC respects guys who fight last minute." Phil Davis (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)His quest to succeed in the MMA world is not uncommon among high-level wrestlers. After winning the 2008 NCAA Division I title at 197 pounds, Davis continued his MMA training at the Central Pennsylvania Mixed Martial Arts Center that actually started while still in college on the Penn State campus. After training under Lloyd Irvin, Davis won a gold medal at the No Gi World Jiu-Jitsu Championships on November 7. But it's an accomplishment Davis would rather not focus on. "I don't consider myself a World champion," said Davis. "There were a lot of slick guys that weren't in the tournament." Nonetheless, after four wins in smaller MMA venues with wins coming by decision, TKO (twice) and submission, Davis got his break when he was placed on the UFC 109 card against Brian Stann in February. Davis dominated Stann in the fight. He was close to getting a submission several times throughout the fight, but settled for a unanimous decision. Yearning to finish a fight and learn from his first fight, Davis fought Alexander Gustafsson two months later in Abu Dhabi at UFC 112. Davis dominated again, earning the aforementioned praise from Joe Rogan and finishing the fight before the first round ended with a D'Arce choke. Phil DavisNow, four months later and on short notice, Davis will try for his third UFC win at UFC 117. A win this Saturday will only feed the fans who are already clamoring for Davis to fight big names in the UFC light-heavyweight division. "People tell me that there is hype, but I don't read that stuff," said Davis. "I'm not on the Net feeding it or my ego." As a former NCAA Division I wrestling champion, Davis has been successful incorporating his wrestling into his MMA game, but it hasn't been as seamless as one would think. Davis missed a few takedown attempts in each of his first two UFC fights. He addressed it in his post-fight interview, calling it "not acceptable." His coach, Lloyd Irvin, shared a story about Davis' early MMA days. "I let him wrestle with Brandon Vera a while," said Irvin. "Vera, a former wrestler with the Air Force Academy, struggled to stay with him. Davis was all over him. In the next session, I put him with Vera again, but this time in a cage. I saw his eyes open up. It's a different ballgame and he was trying to adapt on the fly." Davis further explains the difference. "I don't mean to sound cliché, but it's so different wrestling in a cage opposed to a mat," said Davis. "In wrestling, most of those takedowns, I'm going to complete them. In the Octagon, they can use the cage to stop my leverage and suddenly stop my momentum." The difference from the cage to the mat notwithstanding, Davis also has a much different mentally in MMA than in wrestling. "When I was wrestling, I was really confident," said Davis. "I knew that nine out of 10 times, I was going to thrash my opponent. In MMA it can get a little frustrating. I'm trying to be patient and stay humble. I was a winner in wrestling. At times in MMA, I'm like, 'I'm really bad at this.'" Davis, who signed a four-fight deal is on the cusp of winning his third fight, earning more respect from the promotion for taking it on short notice, and could be in line for a pay raise after his current contract is up. While some feel that MMA is hurting Olympic wrestlers, Davis is an advocate for a wrestler doing what he or she needs to do. Phil Davis (Photo/Sherdog.com)"Wrestling is the greatest sport there is, but we work way too hard and way too long not to have an opportunity to make a living with the skill set we worked on our whole lives. "The top guy in our country isn't getting paid what you can make in MMA unless he wins the gold medal. (Davis' former wrestling teammate with the Angry Fish Wrestling Club, Jake Herbert, won a World silver medal in 2009 and earned $25,000.) You have to be the best in the world. All wrestlers should take whatever opportunity they can to provide for their families. There are too many good guys." When asked if a professional wrestling league could co-exist following the MMA model, Davis makes a valid point. "The market is almost too saturated now," said Davis. "People want to see wrestlers wrestle and punch guys in the face. It's too closely related now. It's too bad. The opportunity is past now." Humble, shy, a team player ... Hardly a formula for the nickname "Mr. Wonderful." He is a few wins from earning big pay day, higher rankings, and about all things a top prospect is going to be rewarded. So how did he get a self-righteous nickname? Phil Davis"Like most nicknames, it was given to me and I just went with it," said Davis. Now training with the American Kickboxing Academy in California, Phil Davis is the future of the UFC light-heavyweight division, along with former wrestlers Ryan Bader and Jon Jones. All former All-American wrestlers. All undefeated in MMA. And all on the rise to MMA stardom. UFC President Dana White recently told Takedown Wrestling Media's Scott Casber, "One of the things you absolutely, positively better have is wrestling to be a well-rounded fighter in MMA. It's the future." Davis' response to hearing this: "Well, I don't want to be arrogant and say he's totally correct. I am a former wrestler, so I will leave it at this ... He is the boss, so what he says is correct," Davis said chuckling. Laughing matter or not, wrestlers are the future of MMA, and Davis is just one shining example. For all the latest news on Phil Davis, follow him on Twitter or visit his blog. For all things MMA, follow Tony Nguyen on Twitter.

By the numbers, the second Adam Frey Classic, held July 17 at Rider University in New Jersey, was a success. Over 1,000 fans watched 19 exhibition matches featuring 38 of the top current and recent college mat talent ... raising over $15,000 for the Adam Frey Foundation. Photo/Danielle HobeikaBut numbers don't tell the whole story. The event was intended to honor the memory of Adam Frey, Cornell University wrestler who was diagnosed with testicular cancer days after the 2008 NCAA Division I championships. The 23-year-old Big Red wrestler passed away the day after Christmas 2009. The first Adam Frey Classic, conducted last August at Alumni Gym at Rider, was the brainchild of Frey and Josh Liebman, a former coach who is on the board of directors for the Adam Frey Foundation. The Foundation was established to provide for the needs of cancer patients beyond research or medical care. As Liebman described it, "We donate food cards, money to pay bills, whatever it takes for patients and their families to be comfortable while the patient is in the hospital." "It all came from Adam being in the hospital, watching the family of another patient split a hamburger four ways because that's all they could afford. Adam felt blessed to be part of a family that didn't have to worry that way, and wanted to see about helping others not as blessed." "The Foundation was all Adam's doing. It was very important to him." Last year, the Adam Frey Foundation was the top contributor to Pittsburgh's Hillman Treatment Center -- one of the facilities where Frey received treatment for his cancer --for what they call patient services, i.e., non-research-related donations. Brothers in the battle Josh Liebman has known Adam Frey for years. The two first met when Liebman was a freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling coach, until he was disabled in a car accident. Ray Brinzer and Josh Liebman (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)"He and I became close on a road trip to Brockport," Liebman disclosed. "I couldn't sleep, so I went across the street to Tim Horton's at 2 a.m., and Adam was there with a box of a dozen donuts. We stayed there talking till 5 a.m." "I have a lot of health issues myself. But, when Adam would come out of chemo, he'd ask how I was doing." "He was very compassionate." That compassion -- and passionate love of the sport of wrestling -- led Adam Frey and Josh Liebman to join forces to create the first Adam Frey Classic in 2009. "When we started the event last year, we wanted to go beyond merely raising money," said Liebman. "He wanted a relaxed event, a chance for him to catch up with his friends in wrestling, and have fun." "After the matches last year, Cindy (Adam's mom) had to pull him out of the hospitality room. That's how much he enjoyed seeing everyone." Creating a template for success That first Adam Frey Classic was a tremendous success in terms of raising funds for the Foundation (a reported $15,000) ... and for bringing together the wrestling community. "Last year, I had to contact everyone (wrestlers and coaches)," said Liebman. "This year, I had a core group of participants from last year. It was a lot easier to put together." That's not to say there weren't challenges at the second Adam Frey Classic. There were issues with the sound system, and last-minute match changes that are par for the course with any all-star event like this. Billy Ashnault vs. Mark McKnight (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)"One of our heavyweights wasn't able to come," said Liebman. "We found out late. I asked if the Rider heavyweight was on campus, but he wasn't. Found out Steve Mocco was planning to come to the event. I called him, and he showed up to wrestle." "Mark McKnight was scheduled to be a clinician. At the last moment, he stepped up to wrestle Billy Ashnault, giving up 25 pounds, and just coming off shoulder surgery." As Liebman was quick to point out, the wrestling matches at the second Adam Frey Classic were strictly an exhibition. The matches were shorter than a regulation college bout, with a two-minute first period, followed by two one-minute periods. This was all with the idea that it was summer ... the wrestlers would not be in prime, peak-of-the-season condition ... and it was all for fun. The four-minute matches also made it possible for there to be more matches -- nineteen in all. The fact it was an exhibition doesn't mean there wasn't real wrestling. There was. "The guys wrestled competitive but not with the intensity of the NCAAs," according to Liebman. "Guys opened up and wrestled. Egos were put aside." "They wrestled hard but still had fun. You should've seen the smiles on their faces." "There's a level of competition, but it's all for fun, for the love of the sport, and for the love of Adam." A who's who of college wrestling The second Adam Frey Classic was a who's who of decorated collegiate wrestlers, as well as some recent grads -- "all exciting, entertaining wrestlers," as Liebman described them. A number of the competitors knew Adam Frey -- a native of Pittsburgh -- from his days at Blair Academy in New Jersey, or from his career at Cornell. Steve Mocco vs. Zach Rey (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)Among the matches with the greatest "star-power": Two-time NCAA heavyweight champ Steve Mocco, a Blair alum who wrestled for the University of Iowa and Oklahoma State, stepped in to take on 2010 NCAA All-American Zach Rey of Lehigh. Hudson Taylor, University of Maryland's first three-time All-American, wrestled newly crowned 184-pound national titlewinner Max Askren of the University of Missouri. And in a battle of NCAA lightweight champs who originally hail from the Garden State, Penn's Matt Valenti went up against Joe Dubuque of Indiana University. "Every one of the guys who participated is a class act," said Liebman, with sincere appreciation. "I know we're competing with the beach, vacations, summer wrestling camps to get these guys, so we're thrilled to have the level of participation we got." In a message posted at his Facebook account, Josh Liebman wrote, Thanks for all the support at last week's Adam Frey Classic. It was a great event and was great to see all those top-notch wrestlers come out and put egos aside in the name of friendship and paying respect to Adam. Everyone did a great job but I want to give a special thanks to Mark McKnight and Steve Mocco, Mark Rappo and Pat Stritski for stepping up to fill spots and put on a great show for everyone. I know the day meant a lot to me personally and it meant a great deal to the Frey family. I am working very hard to make each year better than the last. Hope to see everyone next year. From what Josh Liebman said in the interview for this article, his wish may be granted. "Matt Cathell called me on his way home, saying how much fun it was, and he wants to be here next year." "J.P. O'Connor told me he plans to bring his Harvard teammates next year." Wrestlers, coaches and fans can go ahead and mark their calendars. The third Adam Frey Classic will be held the second Saturday in July -- July 9, 2011 to be exact -- at Alumni Gym at Rider. You can expect a great day of wrestling, all for a great cause. Results: Patrick Hunter dec. Ross Gitomer, 2-0 (OT) Steve Mocco dec. Zach Rey, 1-0 Boris Novachkov dec. Steve Mytych, 6-0 Jared Platt pinned Harry Turner, 2nd Period Dan Rinaldi dec. Scott Giffin, 5-3 PJ Gillespie dec. Ryan LeBlanc, 3-1 Matt Cathell maj. dec. Franklin Meile, 11-0 Kellen Russell dec. Mike Rappo, 3-1 Steve Bell dec. John Trumbetti, 7-2 Mark Rappo dec. Pat Strizki, 4-3 Rollie Peterkin dec. Steve Bonnano, 3-0 Billy Ashnault dec. Mark McKnight, 4-3 Mario Mason dec. Alex Krom, 3-2 JP O'Connor maj. dec. Richard Santiago, 8-0 Danny Lopes dec. James Fleming, 1-0 Alex Caruso dec. Rob Morrison, 3-2 Hudson Taylor dec. Max Askren, 2-0 (OT) DJ Russo dec. Jim Powers, 1-0 Joe Dubuque dec Matt Valenti 3-1 Photos (by Danielle Hobeika): http://adamfrey.us/?p=603

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University wrestling head coach Clar Anderson has announced the addition of Glen Lanham as an assistant coach to the program for the 2010-11 season. Lanham will assist Anderson in all facets of the program and will take a lead in the Blue Devils' recruiting efforts. He also will work closely with the middle and upper weight classes. Lanham joins the Blue Devils after three seasons as an assistant coach at Purdue University of the Big Ten Conference. Possessing a wealth of experience in coaching wrestling at all levels, Lanham helped head the Boilermakers' recruiting efforts and worked closely with the middle weight classes. "We are very excited to have Glen join our program here at Duke," Anderson said. "He brings with him a lot of experience at all different levels and I know that will be instrumental in Duke's success on the mat. His recruiting and coaching resume speaks for itself and he will have an immediate impact on the Blue Devil wrestling program." Lanham quickly impacted the Purdue program, helping several Boilermakers to breakout seasons. He mentored a selection of student-athletes to the NCAA Championships during his three seasons. Under Lanham's watch Luke Manuel earned three bids to the NCAA postseason and climbed to as high as fifth at 174 pounds. The Boilermakers' last two recruiting classes have garnered a wealth of national honors with help from Lanham, including the nation's No. 12 class from InterMat.com. It marked the second straight top-20 national recruiting class for the Boilermakers as they reeled in three of the nation's top-100 ranked recruits, including a pair of 2009 USA Wrestling Junior national champions. Prior to his three years at Purdue, the former Oklahoma State competitor coached at the University of North Carolina for four years. With the Tar Heels, Lanham also worked closely with the middle to upper weight classes and headed their recruiting efforts. In his time in Chapel Hill, Lanham tutored four Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Champions and nine NCAA Championships qualifiers. He also went to great lengths to improve the Tarheels' program, bringing in an Intermat Wrestling Top-25 recruiting class in 2006-07. Prior to UNC, Lanham worked as a high school teacher and wrestling coach in Oklahoma from 1991-2003. He was at Midwest City High School for seven years, where he mentored several state champions and sent them on to prestigious college programs. While at Midwest City, he was also volunteering his time at Oklahoma University with several All-Americans. Lanham served as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State University (OSU) from 1988-1991, helping the Cowboys to a pair of NCAA Championships. As a college competitor, he garnered All-American honors at both OSU and the University of Tennessee, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in human service with an emphasis in juvenile counseling in August of 1988. He competed internationally post-college as a member of the Sunkist Kids team and was freestyle wrestling All-American.

The University of the Cumberlands men’s wrestling program is one with a rich tradition of NAIA All-American athletes, NAIA National Champions, and numerous NAIA Academic All-Americans that have filled the program over the past years. That success is due to the diverse talent that is recruited across the country by a top notch coaching staff. The University of the Cumberlands (UC) wasted little time in continuing to support this tradition of excellence by announcing today the hiring of Matt Lowers as the head coach of the men’s wrestling team. Lowers is a native of Wadena, MN where he was an All-State athlete while competing in wrestling, football, and track and field for Wadena-Deer Creek High School. After suffering a severe neck and back injury in high school, Matt attended Concordia College where he was graduated in 2006 with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in coaching. “I am humbled and honored to be named the head coach at the University of the Cumberlands,” said Lowers. “I am excited to get to work with the athletes and begin working towards helping them reach their individual goals which will in turn result in the team reaching our goals.” Lowers will lead UC after having served the past two years as a graduate assistant at St. Cloud State University. Before joining that staff, Lowers was with the 2007 National Champion University of Minnesota Wrestling team staff. Matt joined the Gophers in 2006 when the team captured the Division I National Dual Team Championship, Big Ten Championship, and finished second at the NCAA’s. In 2007 the Minnesota Wrestling team repeated as National Dual and Big Ten Champions and also won the NCAA’s for the third time in school history. While also serving as an assistant with the University of Minnesota’s wrestling team, Matt worked as the Director of Wrestling Operations for J. Robinson Intensive Camps. J. Robinson Intensive Camps have set the standard for intensive camps while training over 3000 athletes each summer. Prior to his time with the Gophers and J. Robinson Camps, Matt spent three seasons as an assistant at his alma mater Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. In his final two seasons at Concordia, Lowers was able to work with Minnesota and North Dakota Hall of Fame Coach Clay Nagel. During those two years with the Cobber’s, Matt played a significant role in helping Nagel by more than doubling their roster size and equaling the schools highest ever dual meet win record. During this time, Lowers also served as the Director of the Cobber Wrestling Camp which, in its first two years of operation, averaged over 285 campers per year while bringing in a world class staff. Lowers has not had a chance to meet with many of the players as of yet, but he will be getting acquainted with his team in the near future as he gears up for the move to Williamsburg and a Mid-South Conference championship season. For more information on the Patriots’ wrestling team as well as other Patriot athletics, please visit www.ucumberlands.edu/athletics.

Balancing a successful wrestling career at a young age can be extremely demanding. As one of the toughest sports to compete in and train for the commitment is one few at a young age can do. Not far behind when it comes to the amount of work athletes have to put in is swimming. For one of the most successful 14-year-old wrestlers, Michael Johnson Jr., who is ranked as the No. 7 junior high wrestler in the country, it's all in a day's work. Michael Johnson Jr.Johnson, who won 17 national and state wrestling tournaments through 2009, showed his parents his interest in the sport at a very early age. "When Michael was about two years old he was able to turn the TV on by himself," said Michael Johnson Sr. "He had the remote and he stopped on a Northwestern (Wildcat) wrestling meet. When his mom came into the room, he was holding the remote, watching the TV, and was kind of moving back and forth watching the match. Then right before Thanksgiving the whole extended family was in the kitchen except for Grandpa -- who was sleeping on a pillow on the floor -- and Michael. We heard Michael screaming out there with his grandpa, so we all ran out there. He had a half nelson on his grandpa who was asleep and he was running in place trying to turn him over." Already involved in competitive swimming, the kid from Downers Grove, Illinois started his wrestling career, but not without some conditions put in place by his mother, Jane, who made a deal with him in kindergarten. If Michael could get "all pluses" on his report card, he could be involved in both sports. Michael took the deal and didn't look back. He has never fallen below the standard set by his mom and is now a straight-A student. Success in the classroom didn't translate into immediate success on the mat. "I liked it, but I wasn't good at it at all," said the younger Johnson. "I was frustrated when I was little and thought about quitting, but I stuck with it." While it might not have come easy, a change in wrestling associations gave him the lift he needed. "Michael was in four-year-old preschool and was wrestling kids that were in second and third grade," said his dad. "It was ugly, but he went to a wrestling camp and he had such a good time that we ended up changing clubs to accommodate his swimming ... and when we changed clubs we saw drastic improvements." He was in an organization that took wrestling more seriously and allowed him to wrestle kids closer to his age with positive results. "When he changed clubs, the wrestling was a lot more serious," said Michael Johnson Sr. "Almost all the kids were state placewinners or state qualifiers. They did freestyle and Greco and the expectations were different. He started beating kids he wouldn't even see because he wouldn't get deep enough into tournaments. Kids who would routinely tech and pin him now he was beating." While the club and age group switch helped, the real reason behind Johnson Jr.'s success was something you can't get from any club or organization. It was his work ethic. "There were guys on my team that were more talented than me," said Michael Johnson Jr. "They just got it faster. But I always wanted to learn more and I worked harder than most kids." Israel Martinez"He has a great focus for the sport," said Israel Martinez, who was recently hired as the head wrestling coach at Montini Catholic High School in Illinois. Martinez has been coaching Johnson Jr. on and off almost Johnson Jr.'s whole career. The last six months Martinez has been Johnson Jr.'s main wrestling coach. "He is a world-class Olympic-style weight lifter," said Martinez, who finished his high school wrestling career in Illinois with a record of 118-1, losing only one match due to an illegal slam. "He is unbelievably strong. If he doesn't make the Olympics one day as a wrestler, I truly believe he could make it as a weightlifter." Michael Johnson Jr. is a three-time Illinois weightlifting champion and won a national title weightlifting, but wanting to be the best wrestler he could be, getting into the freestyle and Greco Roman styles was a given. It took some time, but Johnson Jr. soon was competing at a high level in all three styles. "I read about Brandon, Florida and all the state champs, and Fargo champs, and that really motivated me to do freestyle and Greco," said Johnson Jr. "The first year I did it, I didn't really get it. It is a lot different than folkstyle with a lot faster pace. The third year I did it, I started to get it. It took me a while to get used to being able to lock your hands on top and rolling for points -- what in folkstyle is a bad position is scoring in freestyle and Greco was tough to do." Soon his career started to take off. Twice he has won USA Wrestling's Triple Crown (a national title in all three styles of wrestling) -- once as a Novice and once as a Schoolboy. It was a gradual progression, but Johnson Jr. and his dad both pointed to one tournament where he started to turn the corner. "There was one tournament series when I started beating better kids," recalled Johnson Jr. "It was the Boarder Wars Nationals." As he became more successful in wrestling, his swimming career had to be revised. "A year or two ago, Michael realized he was a wrestler who love to swim, not a swimmer who loved to wrestle," said Michael's father. With the schedule he held at the time and the modifications he had to make, many athletes would have dropped one sport or the other, but Johnson Jr. isn't built that way. "Up until last summer when he broke his ankle, it wasn't hard to make the argument that he was a better swimmer than wrestler. When he was in fourth grade we had to switch swim teams because there was a swimming and wrestling conflict. He had to start his swimming workouts on his own. He would wake me up in the morning and we would go a swim workout at the YMCA." While training before the Greco-Roman state championships, Johnson Jr. broke his foot. It caused him to keep swimming on the back burner and put competing at State in serious jeopardy. "He did therapy every day," said Michael Johnson Sr. "He really wanted to make freestyle and Greco Nationals," said his father. "He really wanted to go bad and if there was a way we will go, but it really didn't look like he was going to be able to go. We ended up taping up his ankle and winning the Triple Crown at Schoolboy Nationals. He pretty much wrestled on one leg." Before the tournament he would ice his ankle constantly and during the tournament he would get it taped up by a college trainer. In between matches he would go back to the hotel and soak it in ice water. "Greco was easier than freestyle because people weren't attacking it," said Johnson Jr. "There was one kid that would stomp on it and stuff, but I just had to deal with it and just not let it phase me." That kind of effort and determination doesn't come as a surprise to Martinez. "He lifts weights four times a week," said Martinez. "He swims. He's just a worker. He goes to swimming, then he goes to wrestling, then he goes home and gets his work done. I don't know how many kids are that focused. To do all those things at a high level, it tells you about his work ethic." On the mat, Johnson Jr. feels he is strongest while on his feet and in the top position. "I do a sweep single on the feet and I do a really good wing and arm bar series." "He moves great for a big guy," said Martinez. "He has great motion and great position. When he really grows into his body he is going to be a phenomenal athlete." With such a commitment to athletics, the people around Johnson Jr. might worry about burnout. Johnson Jr. has never given anyone an indication that it will be a concern. "He will walk out of a really intense wrestling practice, his shirt will be soaked, almost like he just got out of a pool," said his father. "He will walk out of the practice and he will have a big smile on his face. He really loves to wrestle." With aspirations of wrestling at the international level as his career moves forward, his swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling schedules will have to continue to be full. The kind of drive Johnson Jr. has shown throughout his athletic career has not given any indication that he will have any issues balancing his ever-expanding world. Three styles of wrestling, swimming at a high level, and competitive weightlifting -- for Johnson Jr., it's just all in a day's work.

Frank Shamrock

Mark Ellis

Brendan Buckley

The NWCA is excited to announce that 32 coaches representing all collegiate divisions have been selected to receive scholarships to participate in the Second Annual NWCA Coaching Leadership Academy in Delray Beach, Fla. “With the success of the 2009 Academy, we are looking forward to mentoring another group of outstanding coaches,” said NWCA President Jim Beichner. “Last year’s coaches helped to pave the way and in the process helped us 'fine tune' the curriculum.” The purpose of this Academy is to utilize peer group discussion among college coaches, athletic administrators, and CEOs to develop “best practices” for protecting and strengthening intercollegiate wrestling programs through this challenging economy. Further, the NWCA wants to help coaches better align their programs with educational values. Nationally renowned coaching development expert, Dr. Dan Gould from Michigan State University along with Senior Associate Athletic Director Derek van der Merwe of Central Michigan University, will be facilitating these discussions. The NWCA is able to cover the airfare, lodging, meals and convention registration fees for all participants due to the generosity of several wrestling benefactors. The 2010 Leadership Academy consists of the following coaches: Matthew Azevedo, Alaina Berube, Seth Bloomquist, Matthew Burlingame, Ken Caudell, Sevond Cole, Derek DelPorto, Timothy Dernlan, Ramon Diaz, Daniel Elliott, Ron Headlee, Josh Henson, Eric Keller, Dock Kelly, Jason Loukides, Mike Mendoza, Nick Mitchell, Bob Patnesky, John Petty, Ken Prophete, Ken Ramsey, Matt Sedivy, Nathan Shearer, Michael Simon, Chad Smith, Pat Sole, Walter Ulrich, Marcie Van Dusen, Andy Vogel, Robbie Waller, Kevin Ward, and Mauricio Wright. Mentors for the 2010 Leadership Academy are as follows: Ron Beaschler, Jim Beichner, Coyte Cooper, Mark Gumble, Dan Harris, Todd Hibbs, Jay Jones, Dave Kemmy, Rob Koll, Jon Laudenslager, John Licata, Jim Makovsky, Jim Miller, Carl Poff, Archie Randall, Frank Romano, Brian Smith, Jack Spates, Rande Stottlemyer, Greg Strobel, Jeff Swenson, Alan Utter, and Billy Walker. The following 2009 Leadership Academy Coaches have completed the course and will be recognized for their achievement on August 6th: JohnMark Bentley, Ben Berogen, Jason Borrelli, Mark Branch, Brandon Brissette, Shawn Charles, Dax Charles, Heath Eslinger, John Garriques, Trent Goodale, Scott Hawes, Scott Hinkle, Tim Homan, Greg Ilaria, Tony Islas, R.C. LaHaye, Tom Layte, Clint Manny, Risto Marttinen, Joe Pollard, Tom Prairie, Todd Roberts, Ryan Smith, Ben Stehura, Casey Stouffer, Beau Vest and Jason York. “After our first year of the academy, we had an overwhelming response of coaches that wanted to be chosen for this year. It was hard to narrow down to these thirty-two individuals, but we feel that we have a great group who are willing and eager to learn,” said Mike Moyer Executive Director of the NWCA. “With the help of Dan Gould, Derek van der Merwe, our many program benefactors, and dedicated mentors, the 2010 Leadership Academy Class will undoubtedly be a fantastic experience.” On behalf the NWCA Board of Directors, we would like to encourage all college coaches (head and assistants) to attend the 2010 NWCA Convention scheduled for August 5-8. Wrestling’s challenges must be solved by wrestling people. There has never been a more important time for the wrestling community to work together. We hope that we will see a record attendance this year! The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA Coaching Development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling.

NORMAN, Okla. -- University of Oklahoma head coach Jack Spates recently wrapped up the 2010-11 recruiting class, signing four InterMat Top 100 recruits for the second-consecutive year and finishing with a consensus top 10 class. Collectively, the future Sooners combined to win 20 state championships, spanning five states across the country. “We are really excited about this recruiting class,” head coach Jack Spates said. “They are very talented, very accomplished, excellent students and great kids.” The Sooners class ranks No. 9, 12 and 14 by recruiting publications The Open Mat, CollegeWrestling.net and InterMat, respectively. However, those rankings were released before Spates crew secured two of their top commitments. “It is another top-ten class for us, but our rankings are misleading,” said Spates. “These rankings were issued before we landed some of our top recruits including, JUCO national champion Chase Nelson and four-time state champion Ian Fisher.” Nelson, ranked the No. 2 JUCO wrestler at 157 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News, headlines the class. The Wichita, Kan., native was a JUCO national champion at Labette junior college where he terrorized his competition. Nelson provides added depth for the Sooners at 165 pounds. The Sooners inked three Oklahoman's ranked in the top 93 nationally by InterMat in Justin DeAngelis (No. 61), Ronnie Balfour (No. 75) and Quincy Mondaine (No. 93). DeAngelis, a Tulsa, Okla. Product, was a three-time state champion at Jenks where he finished his career with a record of 100-11. In addition to his InterMat ranking, DeAngelis, 149 pounds, checks in as the 56th-ranked recruit by CollegWrestling.net. Another Tulsa, Okla., native, Balfour, was a state champion at Union and ranks as the 67th best wrestler in the country by CollegeWrestling.net. Mondaine, a one-time state champion from Muskogee is ranked the No. 11 and No. 8 recruit at 197 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News and Tom's College Prospect Rankings, respectively. Expected to wrestle at 165 pounds for OU, Parker Madl from Stillwell, Kan., is notched as the 79th-best wrestler nationally by InterMat and No. 80 by CollegeWrestling.net. Madl was twice crowned Kansas state champion and placed fourth at Senior Nationals. Another Oklahoman, Fisher, will compete at 141 pounds for the Sooners. The Perry high school star racked up four state championships and compiled 168 wins during his career. The Sooners signed two heavyweights in Kyle Colling and Kosta Karageorge. Colling, a product of Arcade, N.Y., was a two-time state champion and high school All-American. Amateur Wrestling News ranks him the sixth-best recruit at 215 pounds. Karangeorge is from Worthington, Ohio, where he finished in the top six at the Ohio state finals. Spates also gained commitments from two-time Kansas state champion Jordan Keller (Wichita, Kan.), South Carolina state champion Derek Geiges (Charleston, S.C.), 2009 Florida state champion Chase Gordan (Oviedo, Fla.) and Oklahoma state champion Dax Perrier (Pawhuska, Okla.). Rounding out the Sooners' class is Dustin Reed from Choctaw Okla., Sean Datte of Las Flores, Calif., Zac Corrales of Lawton, Okla., and a transfer from Virginia Tech, Scott Chene. “We are really looking forward to great things from these young men,” Spates concluded.

Lance Palmer

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), Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT. Guests Include: 9:01 Tim Flynn- Head Coach of the Edinboro Fighting Scots 9:20 Joel Greenlee- Head Coach of the Ohio Bobcats. Joel will be inducted in the UNI Hall of Fame this September. 9:40 Mark Manning- Head Coach of Nebraska Cornhuskers 10:01 Mike Kulczycki- Asst Coach of the Wolverines of Michigan 10:20 Brendan Buckley- Head Coach for the Columbia Lions 10:40 Brent Metcalf- NCAA Champion, training for Gold, he does well is Baku and is now back on US soil. We'll catch up. Wrestling fans- Episode 68 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Delayed 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 Ch. 813 New York Sat. 12 Noon Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV TDR on Internet: You can join us 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!

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The University of Minnesota wrestling team has released its 2010-2011 schedule, highlighted by a regular-season finale against defending national champion Iowa. It will be another challenging year for head coach J Robinson and the Golden Gophers as they will meet three of the top four finishers in last year's national tournament and six teams that finished in the top ten. For the sixth-straight year, the Gophers will open the season at the Bison Open in Fargo, N.D. on Saturday, Nov. 13. One week later, on Nov. 20, Minnesota will be in Omaha for the Kaufman-Brand Open hosted by Nebraska-Omaha. The Gophers return to their home state on Saturday, Nov. 27, competing in the Northern Quad with Appalachian State, North Dakota State and Central Michigan in Rochester, Minn. Minnesota kicks off the month of December with its first meet on campus when Oklahoma State visits the Sports Pavilion on Sunday, Dec. 5. That competition is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff. The Gophers then hit the road for the remainder of the month starting with a dual against Nebraska on Thursday, Dec. 9. Just two days later, Minnesota will be back in action with three dual meets against Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly in Bakersfield and Fullerton, Calif. on Saturday, Dec. 11 before competing in the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. on Dec. 29-30. The team rounds out the road trip with its first competition of 2011 at National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa the weekend of January 8- 9. On Friday, Jan. 14, the Gophers will host their first Big Ten dual of the year when they take on Indiana at the Sports Pavilion to kick off the conference season before another road trip that will take the program to Iowa State on Sunday, Jan. 16, Purdue on Jan. 21 and Illinois on Jan. 23. Minnesota rounds out the month of January with a home dual meet against Wisconsin on Sunday, Jan. 30 at 2:00 p.m. The Badgers meet marks the second dual in less than two weeks in which the Gophers will face a team that finished in the top four at the 2009 NCAA Championships. Wisconsin finished fourth in the event while Iowa State took third-place honors. The Gophers open February with a conference matchup on the road against Ohio State on Saturday, Feb. 5 before traveling to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan on Feb. 11. Minnesota returns home on Sunday, Feb. 13 for Big Ten dual with Penn State at the Sports Pavilion. The Nittany Lions meet is tabbed for a 2:00 p.m. start time. Minnesota closes out the regular season with a home dual against the Iowa Hawkeyes in what is annually one of the most anticipated meets of the season. The Gophers are slated to host the defending national champion Hawkeyes on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Williams Arena. A 2:00 p.m. start time is scheduled for the dual. With March comes tournament time and Minnesota will be on the road at the Big Ten Championships on Mar. 5-6 in West Lafayette, Ind. and at the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia on Mar. 17-19. The Golden Gopher wrestling program will also host the 2010-2011 Meet the Team event prior to the start of the season. Information for the event will be released as it becomes available.

The seven days of wrestling in Fargo, ND represent arguably the pinnacle of scholastic-aged wrestling in the United States. Last week's Junior & Cadet Nationals were a tremendous competition that provided many storylines. Some has been written about the disappearance of the top-level wrestlers from this tournament, especially at the Junior level, and especially among the graduated seniors whom are college bound. However, the field in Fargo still is the deepest and strongest that will be seen at any event on the yearly calendar. Here are 10 other reflections and discussion points about the events of the past week. 1. Power programs, powerful results There are eight high school programs by my count that had four or more All-Americans this past week in Fargo that will be returning to their respective rosters in the 2010-11 season. Please note that this does not mean all of them will necessarily be able to make the lineup, or that developments may arise such that other programs could be added to this list later on. Leading the way with eight returning All-Americans is Blair Academy, NJ. This total includes a pair of incoming freshman who won Cadet National Greco-Roman titles in Joey McKenna and Patrick Coover. An additional incoming freshman is PJ Klee, who placed in the Cadet freestyle tournament. Rising sophomore Brooks Black swept titles at Cadet 285 pounds to go three-for-three in Fargo to date; Black was unable to compete in Cadet freestyle last year due to injury after winning the Greco-Roman title at 215 pounds. Juniors-to-be Mark Grey and Todd Preston were All-Americans in the Junior freestyle competition, with Grey also placing in Greco-Roman. Evan Silver and Austin Ormsbee validated their place among the top Class of 2011 (senior) wrestlers with finals appearances in Junior freestyle; Silver took second, while Ormsbee took the title in his weight class. One of the two teams to share the title according to Amateur Wrestling News in the 2009-10 season brings back the next most All-Americans; Apple Valley, MN had seven wrestlers earn All-American status during the past week in Fargo. Incoming freshman Gannon Volk was an All-American in Cadet Greco and freestyle. Rising junior Dakota Trom was a Cadet freestyle runner-up, while fellow Class of 2012 wrestler Jordan Kingsley earned All-American status in Junior freestyle. A quartet of rising seniors, all of whom were ranked among the top sixty wrestlers in the Class of 2011 earned All-American honors in Junior freestyle. Destin McCauley, ranked as the top wrestler in the class, was champion at 152 pounds; Matt Kelliher was runner-up at 130 pounds, and also finished eighth in Greco-Roman; while Steven Keogh and Jake Waste placed at 160 and 171 pounds respectively. Next in line was another elite program -- Brandon, FL which had six total All-Americans during the past week. The Eagles were anchored by a trio of wrestlers placing in both the Junior Greco-Roman and freestyle tournaments. Junior-to-be Tyler Liberatore was champion in both styles at 130 pounds, rising sophomore Kevin Norstrem placed at 125 in both events, while senior-to-be Wally Figaro earned placement finishes in both styles at 160 pounds. Class of 2012 wrestler Rossi Bruno was champion in Junior Greco-Roman, fellow rising junior Clark Glass earned All-American honors in Junior Greco, while rising sophomore Travis Berridge was a Cadet Greco All-American. Like Brandon, another program that earned attention with superlative performance in Greco-Roman was Roseburg, OR which had five wrestlers earn All-American honors in that style. Incoming sophomore Reed Van Anrooy placed in the Cadet tournament while incoming seniors Drew Van Anrooy, Seth Thomas, Dylan Fors, and Devan Fors earned All-American honors at the Junior level in Greco-Roman. There were four additional programs that came in at four All-American finishers each -- Marmion Academy, IL; Oviedo, FL; St John's, MI; and Wisconsin Rapids, WI. All four of Marmion Academy's placing wrestlers were Cadets, which means that they will be a very formidable squad in both the short and medium term. Incoming sophomore Ben Whitford earned titles in both styles at 125 pounds; incoming junior Angelo Silvestro was fourth in freestyle at 135 pounds; while rising freshmen Jered Cortez and Bryce Brill were both finalists in the freestyle competition, Cortez won the title at 112 while Brill was second at 119. Oviedo loaded up with strong performance in the Greco-Roman competition, as all four of its All-American finishers did so in that tournament. Tyler Meltzer was an All-American at the Cadet level, while Lee Wildes and Jay Taylor earned that status at the junior level. In addition, Doug Vollaro was a finalist in both styles at Cadet 285 pounds -- finishing as runner-up to Brooks Black in each of the competitions, after also losing to Black in both finals at FILA Cadet Nationals. On the other hand, all four of the All-American finishers for St. John's, MI placed in both styles. The obvious anchor for that group is Taylor Massa, the top ranked wrestler in the Class of 2012, who was fourth in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle at 152 pounds. Fellow rising junior Travis Curley placed fifth in both styles at Cadet 145 pounds. A pair of rising sophomores joined Massa and Curley as double All-Americans: Jacob Schmitt made the finals of both tournament at Cadet 105 pounds, champion in Greco-Roman and runner-up in freestyle; while Josh Pennell was runner-up in Greco and fourth in freestyle at 125 pounds. The eighth of the teams with four or more All-Americans is Wisconsin Rapids, WI which is anchored by Devin Peterson -- one of the top wrestlers in the Class of 2012. Peterson, twice a state tournament runner-up during the high school season, was the Junior Greco champion at 171 pounds and placed fifth in Junior freestyle up one weight class at 189 pounds. Fellow rising junior Zak Benitz and senior-to-be Jason Munoz joined Peterson with All-American finishes in Junior Greco; while another Class of 2012 wrestler Ryan Cone was a Cadet freestyle All-American. 2. Land of Lincoln, Dominion of Dominance Team Illinois success was one of the major stories over the week of Fargo. Wrestlers from the Land of Lincoln scored team point titles in Junior freestyle, Cadet freestyle, Junior Greco-Roman; and finished second in the Cadet Greco-Roman competition. This followed up very strong performances at the Cadet and Junior Duals -- championship in Junior freestyle, runner-up finishes in Cadet freestyle and Junior Greco-Roman, and a third place finish in Cadet Greco-Roman. Much credit for this success goes to the USA Wrestling organization in the state of Illinois -- Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation (IKWF) -- which is headed up by the great leadership of Jim Considine, Mike Urwin, and many others. Another important piece of the puzzle is the tremendous coaching staff led by Directors Mark Gervais (Greco-Roman) and Griff Powell (freestyle), along with designated head coaches Bryan Medlin (Greco) and Steve Marianetti (freestyle). The ultimate piece of the puzzle is of course the wrestlers who competed in Fargo, putting it on the line, and delivering with great results. This includes national championships won in Greco-Roman by Jordan Lind and Zane Richards (Cadet), Dylan Reel (Junior); Jered Cortez and Brian Murphy (Cadet), Eddie Klimara (Junior) in freestyle; and Ben Whitford as a Cadet double champion. 3. Affirming the ranking, and creating separation Heading into the Fargo week, there was some debate as to whether or not Destin McCauley and Morgan McIntosh were truly the best two wrestlers in the Class of 2011 -- the group that will be seniors this coming scholastic season. However, the week in Fargo answered that question in the clear affirmative. McCauley and McIntosh dominated the competition in their respective weight classes on the way to Junior freestyle titles. Of the two performances, the one by McIntosh was slightly more impressive; after shutting out his first seven opponents, McIntosh dominated one of the stars from the Class of 2010, Tyler Beckwith, to the tune of an 8-5, 7-0 result before pinning Matthew Riley in the final. 4. Two sides of the ranking coin, Class of 2011 As covered above, the performances by McCauley and McIntosh were clear validations of their position in the rankings. On the other hand, there were other performances that could call into question positions in the ranking -- yes, these do come from both directions. Looking at those whom were ranked, that competed in Junior freestyle, but did not muster a winning record. Jeromy Davenport (Oklahoma), ranked 14th nationally, went 1-2 at 152 pounds; both losses coming in three periods. Devin Aguirre (Oklahoma), ranked 46th nationally, went 1-2. Nathaniel Brown (Pennsylvania), ranked 53rd nationally, went 2-2 at 171 pounds; however, he did also finish fifth in Greco-Roman. Kory DeBerry (Arizona), ranked 82nd nationally, went two-and-out at 152 pounds. Drake Stein (Indiana), ranked 100th nationally, finished 1-2 at 189 pounds; however, he did earn a runner-up finish in the Greco-Roman tournament. There were also four Top 100 prospects that entered the freestyle tournament that exited the tournament early with injury defaults. Three of these wrestlers were All-Americans in the Greco-Roman tournament contested earlier during the week -- 13th ranked Jahwon Akui (Illinois), 42nd ranked Travis Himmelman (Colorado), and 94th ranked Jay Taylor (Florida). Also a victim of injury default was 25th ranked James Green (New Jersey); he won his first match, lost his second match to University of Minnesota bound Dylan Ness, and then bowed out of the tournament. On the other hand, there were a number of unranked Class of 2011 wrestlers that raised their visibility and stock with performances during the past week in Fargo, ND. There were 10 that earned All-American honors in both styles at the Junior Nationals but entered the tournament outside the Top 100 recruits. Look for some of these names to populate the updated Top 100 list, which will be published sometime during the month of August. Tyler Fraley (New Jersey) and Taylor Moeder (Kansas) were Greco-Roman champions at 112 and 135 pounds, and also placed in the freestyle portion of the event. Holden Gagner (Montana) and Ruben Navejas (Washington) were All-Americans in both styles at 105 pounds; Earl Hall (Florida) placed in Greco-Roman at 112 pounds, and in freestyle at 119 pounds; Ronnie Garbinsky (Pennsylvania) was runner-up in Greco at 130 pounds, and also placed during the freestyle event; Mark Pinero (Louisiana) placed in both events at 135 pounds; Chris Mayolo (Washington) earned All-American honors at 140 pounds in Greco, and at 145 pounds in freestyle; while Wally Figaro (Florida) was a double All-American at 160 pounds. 5. Revisiting the incoming freshmen In the tournament preview, there was a discussion about the Cadet Nationals serving as an annual platform for incoming freshmen to make a statement that they would be significant players in scholastic wrestlers during the coming season and over their four years of high school. This year was no different. While the Greco-Roman tournament did not go to perfect plan for Chance Marsteller (Pennsylvania), it was still a positive event for him with a fourth place finish. However, the top ranked Class of 2014 wrestler put on a show in the freestyle tournament on the way to a title at 145 pounds. In the eight matches prior to the final, Marsteller gave up points in only one period while securing victories by pin or technical fall in all the matches. In the final against an elite Class of 2013 wrestler Coleman Hammond (California), Marsteller lost the first period 6-0, but came back to dominate the last two periods (5-0 and 6-0) to win the title. Ranked second nationally among incoming freshmen, returning Cadet freestyle runner-up Jered Cortez (Illinois) put on a show of his own. In nine matches prior to the final, Cortez gave up one total point in dominating his opposition. After losing the first period of the final to Greco-Roman champion Jack Hathaway (Iowa) 1-0 on the leg clinch, Cortez rallied back to take the last two periods 4-1 and 1-0 to earn the title. Four other incoming freshmen mustered titles in one style during the week in Fargo. Hayden Tuma (Idaho) won the Greco-Roman title at 119 pounds, and earned sixth place in freestyle; Brent Fleetwood (Delaware) was champion in freestyle at 84 pounds, after finishing third in Greco-Roman; while Coover (Pennsylvania) and McKenna (New Jersey) were Greco-Roman champions at 140 and 98 pounds. 6. Riding the bye Another topic discussed in the tournament preview as the concept of “riding the bye” -- in which a wrestler with an earlier loss in the tournament would advance to All-American status during a round in which they were assigned a “bye”. This event occurred 36 times in the 2009 tournament (in just over 28 percent of the weight class pools). During last week's tournament, the circumstance arose in 40 of the 128 weight class pools (just over 31 percent). It occurred most often in Cadet freestyle, 13 out of a possible 34 (just over 38 percent). The Junior freestyle tournament saw exactly one third of its weight class pools -- 10 out of 30 -- have a wrestle “ride the bye” into All-American status. It occurred 10 out of 34 possible times in Cadet Greco-Roman (39.4 percent). The event occurred least often during the Junior Greco-Roman event, only 7 times out of a possible 30 (23.3 percent). 7. Lucky losers The nature of the vertical pairing system is such that wrestlers can make the final, and even win a Fargo championship, having lost a match during the course of the competition. There are two possible ways for this to happen: (1) the three wrestlers in the round robin split matches, which means the pool comes down to a classification point tiebreaker (2) the wrestler loses a match to an opponent that is eliminated from championship consideration prior to the round-robin or one match play-in. At least one wrestler in all four competitions won a weight class championship despite losing earlier in the tournament. In fact, the Cadet Greco-Roman competition featured two weight classes in which both finalists had a loss earlier in the tournament. At 140 pounds, Patrick Coover (Pennsylvania) defeated T.J. Fox (Ohio); and at 145 pounds, Ryan Gartner (Wisconsin) defeated J.A. Jones (Alabama). Other Fargo champions with a loss were Tyler Fraley (New Jersey) at 112 pounds in Junior Greco; Ronnie Bresser (Oregon) at 91 pounds in Cadet freestyle; along with Eddie Klimara (Illinois) at 125 pounds, Logan Storley (South Dakota), at 171 pounds, and Greg Kuhar (Ohio) at 285 pounds in Junior freestyle. A full one quarter of the Junior National finalists -- 7 in freestyle, 8 in Greco -- suffered a loss earlier in the tournament. Nine of 68 Cadet national finalists had lost prior to the championship final (3 in freestyle, 6 in Greco-Roman. An additional note is that T.J. Fox (Ohio) was a double finalist, and lost a match in each style prior to the final; he finished second at 140 pounds in the Cadet Nationals for both styles. 8. Age is just a number Normally the above cliché is used in conversations about senior citizens as they get up in age, but are still able to maintain a positive attitude and a strong zest for life in general. However, the concept could be equally applied to scholastic wrestling. In looking through the biographies on finalists at the Cadet and Junior Nationals, some interesting observations arose. Competing as a true freshman, Cornell's Kyle Dake, emerged as NCAA champion at 141 pounds. Dake did not turn 19 until either the 2010 portion of the collegiate season or just after it. On the other hand, there were some Fargo finalists that will turn 19 before the start of their senior year of high school and additional others that will be 19 by the end of their senior wrestling seasons. As a stark contrast to the older wrestlers, there was one finalist that is headed off for college but has yet to turn even 18 years old. One other interesting nugget on this topic is that two of the Fargo finalists had the exact birthday (both date and year). However, the two wrestlers were two grades apart in school. At the end of the day, no matter if comparing wrestlers by weight class, graduating class (i.e. grade), or age -- there are unique differences even among those with certain things in common. Everyone develops their skill levels -- physical, athletic, and mental -- at different paces and different times. However, the great thing about the sport of wrestling is that the vast majority of the population can legitimately compete. 9. Double the pleasure For those involved in the whole week of Fargo, it is truly a grind. Among the groups that this is true for are those media present for the whole week, the coaching staff members that are there the whole week, the mat officials and pairing officials working the whole week, as well as all the event and support staff that work the whole week and beyond to make the Fargo tournaments go off without a hitch. However, this also is absolutely true for those wrestlers that compete in both styles. Those earning All-American honors in both Greco-Roman and freestyle competed on five out of six consecutive days, wrestling in approximately 15 matches over the course of that time. In addition, there was three times they needed to make weight during the course of that time; an initial scratch weigh-in for Greco, another scratch weigh-in for freestyle three days later, and a scratch-plus-two weigh-in the following day. Six wrestlers -- two Juniors and four Cadets -- swept championships in both styles. Freddie Rodriguez (Michigan) and Tyler Liberatore (Florida) won both Greco-Roman and freestyle at the junior level; while Ben Whitford (Illinois), Jordan Rogers (Washington), Mitch Sliga (Indiana), and Brooks Black (Pennsylvania) did the same at the Cadet level. Another five wrestlers -- four Cadets and one Junior -- were champions in Greco-Roman and runners-up in freestyle. Jacob Schmitt (Michigan), Jake Hathaway (Iowa), Tyler Coates (Washington), and Adam Coon (Michigan) at the Cadet level; while Dylan Ness (Minnesota) did the same at the Junior level. Three more wrestlers were champions in freestyle after finishing as Greco runners-up; Tanner Hall (Idaho) at the Junior level, and Austin Hood (Kansas) and Brandon Jeske (Virginia) at the Cadet level. T.J. Fox (Ohio) and Doug Vollaro (Florida) took second place in both styles at the Cadet Nationals. 10. Finally some attention to the un(der)-appreciated Reflecting upon the week that was in Fargo, ND would not be complete without providing recognition to all those that make the Cadet and Junior Nationals possible. Remember that the event goes beyond the wrestlers and coaches. There are many other people who volunteer of their time and efforts to make an event of this magnitude possible. Mat officials, pairing officials, team leaders, table workers, runners, medical staff, and many more are also involved. On behalf of all the competitors and family members, to all of you ... Thank you!

2010 freestyle junior nationals champion at 160 pounds, Nick Moore, and Iowa Wrestling Federation Director Mark Reiland will be radio show guests this week. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Nick Moore became a junior national freestyle champion with a fall in the finals Saturday in Fargo, North Dakota. Moore finished 11-0 in the event and in February became the 19th wrestler to win four high school state championships in Iowa, losing only one bout in his prep career at Iowa City West. Moore takes his talents to the University of Iowa where he will likely redshirt this season and wrestle at 157 pounds. Mark Reiland was Moore’s high school coach and spent last week in Fargo at the ASICS/Vaughn Junior & Cadet National Championships. Reiland serves as the director of the Iowa Wrestling Federation and coaches athletes in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Iowa wrestlers earned 33 All-American honors during the seven day tournament; including championships from Elijah Sullivan (JR GR 135), Jack Hathaway (CADET GR 112), Phillip Laux (CADET FR 98) Nick Moore (JR FR 160) and Jake Ballweg (JR FR 140).

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Former Missouri wrestler Mark Ellis, the 2009 NCAA Division I heavyweight champ has launched his MMA career by signing a contract with Zinkin Entertainment. He will be training with American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. Zinkin Entertainment is largely considered to be one of the top sports management teams in Mixed Martial Arts. They represent over 30 fighters, including Chuck Liddell, Cain Velasquez and Forrest Griffin. At AKA, Ellis will be joining fellow former NCAA All-American wrestlers Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez. Ellis is expected to be trained by Bob Cook, Javier Mendez and Dave Camarillo. Ellis becomes the third ex-Tiger wrestler in recent history to make the switch to MMA, as he follows the post-collegiate success of former Missouri teammates Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren. Ellis was a four-time qualifier, winning the NCAA heavyweight crown as a junior in 2009 after defeating Konrad Dudziak of Duke in the finals, becoming only the second Missouri wrestler to win a national collegiate mat title. He finished off his career by taking sixth in the heavyweight bracket this past March, earning NCAA All-American honors for the second straight year.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Twelve-year coaching veteran Lee Pritts, considered one of the top recruiters in the country, joined the NC State wrestling coaching staff this week as an assistant coach. Pritts comes to Raleigh after nine years and two stints at the University of Missouri. He also worked three years as an assistant at Old Dominion. “Lee is one of the most talented assistant coaches in the country,” Wolfpack head coach Carter Jordan said. “His energy and passion for the sport are contagious. We're extremely excited and fortunate to have him join our staff.” Pritts forged a reputation as one of the top recruiters in the country during his first stint at Missouri (1998-2004). Serving as an assistant to Tigers head coach Brian Smith, Pritts aided in turning around the Tiger wrestling program, recruiting some of the best high school athletes in the nation and molding them into NCAA All-Americans. In 2004, Pritts left Missouri and became an assistant coach at Old Dominion University, where he helped build two top-10 recruiting classes. During his three-year tenure at ODU, the Monarchs sent nine wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. In 2008, James Nicholson, whom Pritts helped to recruit, became the first Monarch All-American in 13 years. Pritts returned to Missouri at the start of the 2007-08 campaign and in three years helped coach seven Tigers to a total of 10 All-America honors. Among the wrestlers Pritts recruited and coached at Missouri were: • Max Askren (184) - 3-time All-American (2008, 2009, 2010), NCAA champion (2010) • Scott Barker (184-197) - 2-time All-American (2002, 2003), NCAA runner-up (2003) • Matt Pell (184-165) - 2-time All-American (2005, 2007) • Ben Askren (174) - 4-time All-American (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), 2-time NCAA champion (2006, 2007) • Raymond Jordan (184) - 2-time All-American (2008, 2009) During the summer of 2009, Pritts coached Tiger heavyweight Dominique Bradley to a FILA Junior World Freestyle Championship title. Earlier in the year, Bradley took gold at the FILA Junior World Team Trials held in Colorado Springs, Colo., earning a spot on the United States Junior Freestyle National Team. Pritts attended Eastern Michigan University, where he wrestled at 118 pounds. He was a two-time team captain and made three appearances in the NCAA Championships, earning All-America honors in 1996. In addition to his collegiate accomplishments, Pritts qualified for the 2000 Olympic Trials. Pritts was coached by Smith during his high school career at Western High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Pritts is married to the former Krista Kapeller and has one son, Briggs, age 5, and daughter Kelbi Gracin, age 2.

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. Guests Include: 9:01 Joe Russell- Assist. Head Coach of U of Minnesota 9:20 Travis Paulson- Fresh back from second place at the Heydar Aliyev International in Baku 9:40 Trent Paulson- Helping to train his brother for the 2012 Olympics 10:01 Greg Hatcher- has been advancing wrestling in Arkansas with Pat Smith. We'll catch up Ryan Freeman joins us on the Live Line for this one. 10:20 Chris Pendleton- New Assist Coach for the Cowboys of Wyoming, Joining Coach Mark Branch 10:40 Steve Fittery- This dynamic young man wrestles for Mark Cody and American University Wrestling fans- Episode 67 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Delayed 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 Ch. 813 New York Sat. 12 Noon Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV TDR on Internet: You can join us 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!