InterMat Staff

Mike Finn, editor of W.I.N. Magazine, and Pete Isais, Director of National Events at USA Wrestling, will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, July 19. “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. Both Finn and Isais will be on the show live from Junior Nationals, a weeklong high school wrestling tournament in Fargo, ND, hosted by USA Wrestling.

Information is based on participant lists posted on TrackWrestling.com as of Saturday (July 17) afternoon. 98: Both returning All-Americans in this weight class earned those honors in both styles at the Cadet level last summer. Colton Howell (Missouri) also was a double All-American at the FILA Cadet Nationals in April, and the other referenced wrestler is Nkosi Moddy (Illinois). Two others to watch in this weight class are Jan Rosenburg (New Jersey), who went 9-1 at the Junior Duals, and Bobby Nachreiner (Wisconsin). 105: A trio of wrestlers in this weight class was double All-Americans last summer at the Junior Nationals: Ruben Navejas (Washington) was a finalist in both styles, champion in freestyle, and ended the scholastic season ranked 13th at 103 pounds, Kevon Powell (Illinois) ended the scholastic season ranked 16th at 103 pounds, and Manny Marin (California). Yet the probable favorite in this weight class is Freddie Rodriguez (Michigan), a champion in both styles at the FILA Cadet Nationals, and ended the scholastic season ranked 18th at 112 pounds. 112: Evan Silver (Maryland) ended the scholastic season as the top-ranked 112 pound wrestler in the country, and is ranked as the 10th best wrestler in the Class of 2011. Five other wrestlers in this bracket finished the scholastic season ranked in their respective weight class. Tyler Fraley (New Jersey) -- finalist in both styles at the Cadet Nationals last summer, runner-up in freestyle -- finished the scholastic season ranked fifth at 103 pounds, Nashon Garrett (California) was an All-American in both styles as a Cadet last summer, and ended the scholastic season eighth at 103 pounds, Cory Clark (Iowa), a FILA Cadet All-American, ended the season ranked 10th at 112 pounds, while Steven Hopkins (Washington) and Jordan Conaway (Pennsylvania) were ranked ninth and 14th respectively at 103 pounds. There are two additional returning All-Americans in this weight class, one from the Cadet level and one from the Junior level. 119: Carson Kuhn (Utah) enters this week as the pre-tournament favorite in this weight class coming off a third place finish last year in the Junior 112 weight class. He finished his senior season ranked 11th at 119 pounds, and 86th in the Class of 2010. Three of the wrestlers nipping on the heels of Kuhn are ranked as top 100 recruits in the Class of 2011, and all had just one loss from at least ten matches at the Junior Duals last month. Bricker Dixon (Missouri), a returning Junior freestyle All-American, is ranked 44th, Robert Deutsch (New Jersey) is ranked 60th, while Conor Youtsey (Michigan) is ranked 62nd. Joey Dance (Virginia), ranked 10th in the Class of 2013, was a Cadet finalist in both styles last summer -- champion in freestyle -- and is one of four returning Cadet freestyle All-Americans. The others are Brenden Campbell (Indiana), Eric Devos (Iowa), and Courtland Hacker (Colorado). Nathan Kraisser (Maryland) was a FILA Cadet All-American in both styles, and is ranked 47th in the Class of 2012. Other wrestlers to watch include 2007 and 2008 Cadet double champion Hayden Zilmer (Minnesota), returning Junior freestyle All-American Cody Wheeler (Pennsylvania), and Randy Cruz (Pennsylvania). 125: In a very balanced weight class, the slightest of favorites may be Mark Grey (New Jersey), who was a double finalist in both years as a Cadet. His only loss in Fargo to date was last year's controversial freestyle final match. Additionally, Grey placed third at the FILA Cadet Nationals, and seventh at the FILA Juniors, he is ranked fifth in the Class of 2012. Three other wrestlers in this weight class are ranked among the Class of 2012 top 50: Rossi Bruno (Florida) is ranked 11th, while returning Cadet All-Americans Alec Mooradian (Michigan) and Eddie Klimara (Illinois) are ranked 29th and 43rd respectively. A pair of wrestlers in this weight class are ranked as top 100 recruits in the Class of 2011: Johnni DiJulius (Ohio), undefeated at the Junior Duals, is ranked 21st, while 2008 Cadet National double champion Cody Brewer (Missouri) is ranked 57th. Notable college-bound wrestlers in this weight class are Brock Banta (Idaho), who ended the scholastic season ranked 17th at 125, Junior National double All-American Patrick Myers (Pennsylvania), and Junior freestyle All-American Shane McGough (Arizona). Another bona fide title contender is Kevin Norstrem (Florida) -- a FILA Cadet runner-up, Cadet National double All-American, who is ranked fifth in the Class of 2013. 130: In what seems like a wide open weight class, the slight favorite is the college-bound Josh Keszler (South Dakota). The 2008 Junior freestyle All-American ended his senior season ranked eighth at 125 pounds and 76th in the Class of 2010. Right behind him are six wrestlers ranked in the second half of the Class of 2011 top 100: Cadet freestyle All-American Matt Kelliher (Minnesota) is ranked 56th, Cadet freestyle champion Terrell Wilbourn (Missouri) is ranked 66th, FILA Cadet All-American Joey Gosinski (Illinois) is ranked 71st, Steven Rodrigues (New York) is ranked 74th, Cadet freestyle All-American Jameson Oster (Illinois) is ranked 78th, and Daniel DeShazer (Kansas) is ranked 99th. Another three wrestlers are ranked among the top 50 in the Class of 2012: Alex Shaffer (New Jersey) is ranked 24th, Tyler Liberatore (Florida) is ranked 28th, and Cadet freestyle All-American Todd Preston (New Jersey) is ranked 46th. Two additional returning Cadet All-Americans in this weight are Lou Mascola (New Jersey) and Trevor Melde (New Jersey). 135: The University of Iowa-bound Josh Dziewa (Pennsylvania) is present to defend his Junior National freestyle championship. Dziewa ended the scholastic season as the top ranked 135-pound wrestler, 16th overall in the Class of 2010, and was a FILA Junior runner-up just under four months ago. The wrestler best positioned to challenge Dziewa would probably be FILA Cadet freestyle champion Jason Tsirtsis (Indiana), a Cadet runner-up last summer who is ranked third in the Class of 2012. Three wrestlers in this weight class of top 100 recruits in the Class of 2011: Austin Ormsbee (New Jersey) is ranked 11th, Jake Sueflohn (Wisconsin) is 35th, while Bo Schlosser (Iowa) ranks 86th. Two other college-bound wrestlers ended their seasons in the weight class rankings: Seth Lange (South Dakota) was 14th at 130 pounds, while Kade Moss (Utah) was 17th at 135 pounds. In addition to Tsirtsis, two other wrestlers are ranked among the top members of the Class of 2012: Nate Skonieczny (Ohio) is ranked 17th, while FILA Cadet All-American Quentin Murphy (New York) ranks 27th. Other wrestlers to watch include Zach Tanenbaum (Kansas), Jordan Rinken (Iowa), and Ty Davis (Ohio). 140: A pair of Cadet freestyle champions move up to the Junior level in this weight class -- Edwin Cooper (Illinois) was also a FILA Junior All-American and is ranked 26th in the Class of 2011, while Alex Dieringer is ranked 31st in the same class and seeks a triple crown after winning the Junior folkstyle title over Dylan Ness in early April. However, the arguable favorite in this weight class is returning Junior All-American Jacob Ballweg (Iowa), who ended his senior season ranked third at 140 pounds and 27th in the Class of 2010. Three other wrestlers in this weight class are top 100 ranked in the Class of 2011: Travis Himmelman (Colorado) is ranked 42nd, Lex Ozias (Maryland) is ranked 54th, while Chris Dowdy (New Jersey) ranks 95th. The Iowa State bound Luke Goettl (Arizona) ended his scholastic season ranked 15th at 135 pounds. Blaise Butler (Illinois) and Matthew Cimato (Pennsylvania) were both FILA Cadet All-Americans in April. 145: Life really starts to get unkind for the competitors in this weight class as the talent is brutally deep. Five impact college-bound wrestlers anchor the weight class: Dylan Ness (Minnesota) and Steven Hernandez (Nevada) were All-Americans in both styles, Ravaughn Perkins (Nebraska) won Greco and was positioned to place in freestyle but was removed from the tournament, while Colin Shober (Pennsylvania) and Kaleb Friedley (Missouri) were freestyle All-Americans. Their respective rankings in the Class of 2010 were 26th, 57th, 33rd, 37th, and 66th. Eight wrestlers ranked among the top 100 recruits in the Class of 2011 populate this weight class as well: James Green (New Jersey) is ranked 25th, Blake Roulo (Virginia) ranks 38th, Ryne Cokeley (Kansas) is ranked 43rd, Colby Kloetzer (Idaho) ranks 51st, Joey Kielbasa (Illinois) is ranked 64th, Lucas Smith (Illinois) ranks 76th, Caleb Ervin (Kentucky) ranks 87th, and returning Junior All-American Henry Carlson (Alabama) is ranked 92nd. There are two ranked members of the Class of 2012 also in this weight class: Cadet double All-American Zach Brunson (Oregon) ranks 41st and Clark Glass (Florida) is positioned 45th. Among the afterthoughts in this weight class are Cadet freestyle champion Jordan Wohlfert (Michigan), FILA Cadet runner-up Chris Castillo (Washington), three Cadet National double All-Americans, two additional Cadet freestyle All-Americans, and a FILA Cadet All-American. 152: While this weight is headlined by two of the absolutely dominant high school aged wrestlers in the country, there is no lack of depth behind them. Two-time Cadet double champion Taylor Massa is ranked first in the Class of 2012, and was also a FILA Junior champion three months ago. Destin McCauley (Minnesota), ranked first in the Class of 2011, was a Junior All-American last summer and finished third at the FILA Junior Nationals this past April. When these two last met, it was fifteen months ago at the Western Junior Regional, a match that McCauley won. A pair of college-bound wrestlers ended the year ranked in their scholastic weight class -- Matt White, a returning Junior freestyle All-American, was ranked 18th at 160, while Andy McCulley (Wyoming) ended the year ranked 20th at 152 pounds. In addition to McCauley, there are six other wrestlers ranked among the top 100 Class of 2011 wrestlers: Jeromy Davenport (Oklahoma) ranks 14th, Devin Aguirre (Oklahoma) is ranked 46th, Lorenzo Thomas (Pennsylvania) is ranked 67th, Brad Dolezal (Wisconsin) is ranked 73rd, Kory DeBerry (Arizona) is ranked 82nd, and Cody Caldwell (Iowa) ranks 85th. In addition to Massa, two other ranked wrestlers from the Class of 2012 are present: Justin Koethe (Iowa) is ranked 26th, and won both the Cadet Nationals last summer and the FILA Cadet championship just in April, while Dylan Reel (Illinois) is ranked 34th. Lost in the midst of this quality is a pair of Cadet freestyle runners-up in Brian Brill (Pennsylvania) and Dominic Prezzia (Ohio). Three other wrestlers in this weight class return as Cadet freestyle All-americans. 160: The presence of five impact college-bound wrestlers helps to boost the overall quality of the competition in this weight class, which is led by the presence of the University of Iowa bound Nick Moore (Iowa) -- who ended the season ranked second at 160, and 12th overall in the Class of 2010. Robert Kokesh (South Dakota) was runner-up in this Junior weight class last year, and ended his senior year ranked fourth at 160, and 39th overall. Yet another Hawkeye-to-be Michael Kelly (Iowa) was a Junior All-American last summer, and ended his senior season ranked 77th in the Class of 2010. The other two notables in the college-bound crowd are Parker Madl (Kansas), ranked 79th in the Class of 2010, and Junior freestyle All-American Nick Proctor (Illinois). Two wrestlers are ranked among the top 100 in the Class of 2011 -- Ian Miller (Ohio), undefeated at 152 in the Junior Duals, is ranked 41st, while Seth Thomas (Oregon) is ranked 79th. A pair of ranked wrestlers from the Class of 2012 is present in this weight class as well: Cadet freestyle All-American Jordan Thomas (Michigan) is ranked 13th, while Cadet double All-American and FILA Cadet double runner-up Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma) ranks 48th. An addition, a pair of Cadet All-Americans is present in this weight class. 171: The bulk of the depth in this weight class comes from graduates of the Class of 2010, with six notables that ended the season ranked in their scholastic weight class. Nick Sulzer (Ohio), a returning Junior National and FILA Junior All-American, was ranked third at 160 pounds and 13th overall in the Class of 2010, Michael Moreno (Iowa) ranked seventh at 171 and 51st overall, Canaan Bethea (New Jersey) was ranked 12th at 171 pounds, Mikey England (Iowa) ranked 15th at 171 pounds, while Evan Knight (Iowa) and Stephen McPeek (Texas) were ranked 14th and 17th at 189 pounds respectively. Four seniors-to-be raked between 20th and 70th overall in the Class of 2011 help make this yet another deep Fargo weight: Logan Storley (South Dakota) is ranked 20th, Cadet National double champion Jake Waste (Minnesota) ranks 47th, Nathaniel Brown (Pennsylvania) is ranked 53rd, and Kris Klapprodt (South Dakota) ranks 68th. In addition, there is another Cadet National double champion from last year in this weight class, as Devin Peterson (Wisconsin) joins the fun ranked 12th in the Class of 2012. There are two other Cadet All-Americans present in this weight as well. 189: After the McCauley/Massa potential matchup at 152 pounds, there is the potential for arguably the most tantalizing Junior freestyle final to occur from this weight bracket between wrestlers ranked third in their weight class at the end of the scholastic season. Tyler Beckwith (New York) was a double All-American in the Junior Nationals last year, competed at 171 as a senior this past season, and was ranked 11th overall in the Class of 2010, while Morgan McIntosh (California) competed at 189 pounds, placed third at the FILA Junior Nationals, and is ranked second in the Class of 2011. Three wrestlers in addition to McIntosh are also ranked among the top wrestlers of the senior-to-be group: Cadet National and FILA Cadet champion Austin Marsden (Illinois) ranks 55th, Cadet National and FILA Cadet runner-up Lucas Sheridan (California) ranks 83rd, while Drake Stein (Indiana) is ranked in the 100th position. In addition to Beckwith, there are five other college-bound grapplers of somewhat high quality: Billy George (New Jersey), who ended the scholastic season ranked ninth at 189 pounds, Jace Bennett (Texas), Ethan Blackstock (Georgia), Spencer Johnson (Minnesota), Austin Morehead (California), and Matthew Riley (Iowa). There are two additional FILA Cadet All-Americans, and two additional Cadet National placers in this weight class. 215: As was the case in Junior Greco, this is one of the tournament's deeper weight class -- and a surprising one to be deep. It is anchored by wrestlers that finished the season ranked second through fifth in the nation at this weight class during their season of high school, and all of them were Junior All-Americans last summer: Spencer Myers (Pennsylvania), Trevor Rupp (Idaho), Scott Schiller (North Dakota), and Alex Polizzi (Wisconsin). Three additional college-bound wrestlers of note are Kyle Caylor (Kansas), who ended the scholastic season ranked 18th at 215 pounds, Donald McNeil (Massachusetts), winner of the most falls/least time award at the National Prep Championships, and Matthew Loew (New York). Five top 100 recruits in the Class of 2011 also populate the brackets of this weight class: Tanner Hall (Idaho) is ranked 15th, and was a FILA Cadet champion and FILA Junior All-American, Cody Krumwiede (Iowa) is ranked 32nd, Tank Knowles (California) is ranked 33rd, Nick Gwiazdowski (New York) is ranked 36th, while Jay Taylor (Florida) ranks 94th. Gage Harrah (Illinois) is the defending Cadet champion in this weight class, Curtis Berger (Oregon) is a returning Cadet runner-up, while three other wrestlers were freestyle All-Americans in Fargo, two Cadets and one Junior. 285: The pre-tournament favorite might have to be Austin Blythe (Iowa), who registered wins over two of the lead contenders at the Junior Duals in Niko Bogojevic (Wisconsin) and Donny Longendyke (Minnesota). Blythe was a Cadet freestyle champ in 2008, and ranks 40th in the Class of 2010, Niko Bogojevic finished third in Junior freestyle last summer, and ended his senior season ranked 10th at 285, Longendyke was last year's Cadet freestyle champion, and ranks 18th in the Class of 2011. Two other additional top recruits from the Class of 2011 are present in this weight -- Connor Medbery (Colorado) ranked 16th and Devin Pommerenke (Michigan) ranked 45th. Derek Papagianopolous (Massachusetts) was a Junior All-American last summer, a trio of wrestlers was Cadet freestyle All-Americans last summer, including runner-up Greg Kuhar (Ohio). Orry Elor (California) and Kuhar are two of the four FILA Cadet All-Americans in this weight class. An additional wrestler to watch is Travis Morgan (Oklahoma).

Information is based on participant lists posted on TrackWrestling.com as of Saturday (July 17) afternoon. 84: The pre-tournament favorite in this weight class would be Davion Jeffries (Oklahoma), who was a finalist in all three Roller World of Wrestling "Triple Crown" events this past year -- winning at the Tulsa Kickoff and Reno Worlds. Other wrestlers to watch include Gannon Volk (Minnesota), who was undefeated in the Cadet Freestyle Duals, as well as Casey Cobb (Idaho) and Parker Howell (Kansas) -- each of whom only had one loss at the Cadet Duals. 91: The apparent favorite in this weight class would be Jared Oftedahl (Minnesota) -- undefeated at the Cadet Duals, a Cadet double All-American last year, and a FILA Cadet double runner-up this past April. Two wrestlers ranked in their respective grade level are present in this weight -- FILA Cadet double All-American Dylan Lucas (Florida) is ranked fourth among junior high wrestlers, while Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) is ranked 16th in the Class of 2014. Dylan Akers (Texas), Brandon George (Utah), and Kyle Kelly (New York) return as Cadet All-Americans, while Thomas Walton (North Dakota) went undefeated at the Cadet Duals. 98: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio) is the early favorite in this weight class after winning the FILA Cadet freestyle title at 101 pounds, after taking third in Cadet freestyle last summer at 98 pounds. In addition, Tomasello is ranked 27th in the Class of 2013 and was 9-1 at the Junior Duals competing at 105. Three wrestlers that went 10-1 respectively at the Cadet Duals would have to be the primary challengers to Tomasello: Darian Cruz (Pennsylvania), Phillip Laux (Iowa), a Cadet freestyle runner-up last summer, and Joey McKenna (New Jersey), who is ranked 11th among incoming freshmen in the Class of 2014. In addition both Cadet 84 pound finalists from last year made the move up two weight class, champion Darshawn Sharp (Georgia) and runner-up Billy Rappo (Pennsylvania). Javier Vieyra (Kansas) was a Cadet All-American last year. FILA Cadet All-American Noah Teaney (Missouri), ranked 20th in the Class of 2014, is one of many notable incoming freshman seeking to use this tournament as a way to get further on the national radar. 105: Jered Cortez (Illinois) seeks to win his first Cadet title at a USA Wrestling event, as he was runner-up at 98 pounds last summer in Fargo and took second in the 110 pound weight class at FILA Cadets. The second ranked wrestler in the Class of 2014 also was undefeated at 112 pounds in last month’s Cadet Duals. Joining Cortez in this weight class as a FILA Cadet runner-up (at 101) and undefeated at Cadet Duals (in this weight) is Jacob Schmitt (Michigan). Schmitt is ranked 28th in the Class of 2013, and finished fourth at Cadet Nationals last summer. Losing one match each at the Cadet Duals is another pair of prime challengers in Zeke Moisey (Pennsylvania) and Jaret Singh (Missouri). Moisey is ranked seventh in the Class of 2014, while Singh was a Cadet All-American last summer. Colby Knight (Iowa) is a returning Cadet All-American, while Anthony Ashnault (New Jersey) is ranked 24th in the Class of 2013. 112: Two wrestlers have to be considered favorites in this weight class. The first is Dominick Malone (Connecticut), a returning Cadet All-American who ended the scholastic season ranked seventh at 112 pounds and is now ranked 35th among wrestlers in the Class of 2012. Joining Malone is returning Junior 105 pound runner-up Jack Hathaway (Iowa), who was undefeated up at 119 pounds in last month’s Cadet Duals. Four wrestlers that had just one loss at the Cadet Duals are prime challengers in this weight class: Sam Brancale (Minnesota), who was also a FILA Cadet All-American, Max Hvolbeck (California), also a Cadet National and FILA Cadet All-American, along with incoming freshmen Ali Nasser (California) and Will Steltzen (Oklahoma). Joining Hathaway as a Junior All-American in this weight class is Austin Hood (Kansas). Others to watch include Troy Heilman (New Jersey), Paul Klee (California), and ranked 49th in the Class of 2013 Jake Velarde (Washington). 119: A quartet of wrestlers stand out at the top of this weight class -- Stephen Myers (Ohio) is a returning Cadet All-American, and ranked ninth among Class of 2013 wrestlers, Thomas Gilman (Nebraska) also is a returning Cadet All-American, finished runner-up in April’s FILA Cadet tournament, and is ranked 49th in the Class of 2012, Bryce Brill (Illinois) went undefeated at the Cadet Duals, was a FILA Cadet All-American, and is ranked fourth in the Class of 2014, and Corey Keener (Pennsylvania) was an All-American in both styles at both Cadet Nationals and FILA Cadets, and ended the scholastic season nationally ranked at 112 pounds (so did Myers and Gilman). Other wrestlers to watch include Mitch Bengtson (Minnesota), ranked 19th in the Class of 2013, Russell Coleman (Missouri), who is ranked 35th in the Class of 2013, Clayton Ream (Missouri), and incoming freshman Hayden Tuma (Idaho). 125: Other than the superstar Ben Whitford (Illinois), this is a weight class that is kind of thin when it comes to highly credentialed kids. As a result, this is a weight bracket where any number of perceived sleepers could come in and sneak home with All-American spots. Whitford is a defending Cadet National champion, placed at FILA Cadets this past April, and is ranked third in the Class of 2013. The next best wrestlers in this weight class would probably be John Fahy (Kentucky) and Dakota Trom (Minnesota). Tyson Dippery (Pennsylvania) is the only other returning Cadet All-American in this weight class, and he is ranked 40th in the Class of 2013. Some of the sleeper candidates include Tyler Cowger (Oregon), Mitch Newhouse (Ohio), and Josh Pennell (Michigan). 130: Like in Greco-Roman, this weight class points towards a big name final pitting Brandon Jeske (Virginia) against Zane Richards (Illinois). Jeske, a FILA Cadet champion, is ranked second in the Class of 2013, while Richards, a Cadet All-American, went undefeated at the Cadet Duals last month and is ranked 50th in the Class of 2012. The only other returning Cadet All-American is Natrelle Demison (California). Two additional wrestlers are ranked in their graduating class -- TJ Miller (New Jersey) and Reed Van Anrooy (Oregon), who are ranked 32nd and 43rd respectively in the Class of 2013. 135: One of the main rivalries to emerge out of this off-season has the potential for another chapter at a point deep in the competition of this weight class. That would be the matchup between Jake Short (Minnesota) and Brandon Sorensen (Iowa). Short upended Sorensen in the finals of the Cadet National folkstyle tournament, while Sorensen avenged that loss in a three period battle at the Cadet Duals in freestyle. Sorensen is a returning Cadet runner-up, and ranked fourth in the Class of 2013, while Short a returning Cadet All-American is ranked 11th in the Class of 2013. The third wrestler in the three-headed monster at the top of this weight class would be Isaiah Martinez (California), who is ranked seventh in the Class of 2013. A fourth ranked member of the Class of 2013 is in this weight class -- Joey Lavallee (Nevada), who finds himself positioned 45th. Other wrestlers to watch include returning Cadet All-American Cody Ross (Florida), Laike Gardner (Pennsylvania), who went 10-1 at the Cadet Duals, Garrett Hammond (Pennsylvania), and incoming freshman Toby Hague (New Jersey). 140: The clear favorite in this weight class is Brandon Kingsley (Minnesota), who went undefeated at the Cadet Duals and is ranked 15th in the Class of 2012. The lone returning Cadet All-American is Tyler Askey (Georgia), who is ranked 29th among members of the Class of 2013, one of three in this weight class. Joining Askey are Brian Murphy (Illinois) and Jake Marlin (Iowa), who are ranked 22nd and 24th respectively. Angelo Silvestro (Illinois) was a FILA Cadet All-American. Others to watch include TJ Fox (Ohio), who had just one loss at the Cadet Duals, Payne Hayden (Michigan), and Ross Parsons (New Jersey). 140: The top-ranked incoming freshman, Class of 2014, Chance Marsteller (Pennsylvania) enters this weight as the pre-tournament favorite, however, he will have to navigate a rather credible field to win the title. Leading the challengers is Jacob Crawford (Virginia), who ended the scholastic season 17th at 130 pounds and is ranked 25th in the Class of 2012. Two additional wrestlers in this weight class were undefeated at the Cadet Duals -- Jared Reis (North Dakota) and Nick Wanzek (Minnesota). The other primary challenger in addition to Crawford would have to be Gabriel Moreno (Iowa), a returning Cadet All-American who took Marsteller to the limit in a three period loss at the Cadet Duals. Rounding out the notables in this field are a pair of ranked wrestlers from the class of 2013, Coleman Hammond (California) and Daniel Woiwor (Minnesota), who are positioned 14th and 26th respectively. 152: Three of the four ranked from the Class of 2013 that populate this weight class stand as tri-favorites: 12th ranked Eric Morris (Pennsylvania), 13th ranked returning Cadet All-American Oliver Pierce (Texas), and 18th ranked Brooks Climmons (Georgia) who was undefeated at the Cadet Duals. Three others in this weight class also went undefeated at the Cadet Duals: Zach Beard (Oklahoma), who is ranked 46th in the Class of 2013, Cougar Babin (Texas), and Tim Riley (Pennsylvania). Two additional wrestlers to watch are Austin Myers (Ohio), ranked ninth among junior high wrestlers, and Cadet All-American Victor Pereira (California). 160: After the last few weight classes, this one is rather thin with a limited amount of notable wrestlers. Leading the way here is FILA Cadet All-American Burke Paddock (New York), who is ranked sixth in the Class of 2014. Others to watch include Domenic Abounader (Ohio), ranked 41st in the Class of 2013, FILA Cadet All-American Scott Gibbons (Louisiana), and Andras Lukacs-Farkas (Iowa), who had just one loss at the Cadet Duals. 171: Like in Greco-Roman in this weight class, things on the surface seem to be pointed towards a featured final bout involving Sam Brooks (Illinois) and Jordan Rogers (Washington). Both wrestlers were Cadet runners-up in freestyle last summer, Brooks is ranked 20th in the Class of 2012, while FILA Cadet champion Rogers is ranked 21st in the Class of 2012. Dakota DesLauriers (Pennsylvania) joins the duo as a returning Cadet All-American, and is ranked 48th in the Class of 2013. Others to watch include Jack Dechow (Illinois), winner of the Cadet folkstyle title in early April, Matt Reed (Kansas), undefeated at the Cadet Duals, and Jonathan Inman (Missouri), who lost just one match at the Cadet Duals. 189: Mitch Sliga (Indiana) enters as the pre-tournament favorite in this weight class, and is seeking the Cadet "Triple Crown" having won the folkstyle title in April. Coming off a third place finish as a freshman at 189 pounds in the scholastic season, Sliga is ranked 16th among Class of 2013 wrestlers. The lone returning Cadet All-American in this weight class is Brad Johnson (Illinois). Others to watch in this weight class include a pair of wrestlers that went undefeated at the Cadet Duals -- Joey Dedick (Illinois) and Hashem Omari (Missouri) -- as well as Mickey Pelfrey (Iowa) who lost just one match there. 215: There are joint favorites in this weight class, a matchup between wrestlers that have met once in each of the three wrestling styles this off-season. Michael Kroells (Minnesota) defeated Adam Coon (Michigan) in the finals of the Cadet Folkstyle Nationals and at the Cadet Duals in Greco, before falling short in freestyle at the Cadet Duals. Kroells, a returning Cadet All-American, is ranked 18th in the Class of 2012, while Coon, ranked 21st in the Class of 2013, went undefeated at both the Cadet and Junior Duals in freestyle. Others to watch in this weight include returning Cadet All-American Joe Scanlan (Iowa), Jimmy Trull (Washington), and Ty Walz (Ohio). 285: No puns intended here, but as is the general trend at Cadet heavy-weight, it tends to be lean for known commodities. There is no exception here, though the strong favorite in this weight class has already made a name having just completed his freshman year of high school. Brooks Black (Pennsylvania), ranked sixth among Class of 2013 wrestlers, was a National Prep runner-up and swept titles at the FILA Cadet Nationals in April. The prime challenge to Black will come from Doug Vollaro (Florida), a returning Cadet All-American, who was runner-up to Black in both styles at the FILA Cadets. Others to watch are Cadet folkstyle champion John Dreggors (Florida) and the sixth-ranked junior high wrestler in the country Michael Johnson (Illinois).

PELLA -- Central College has hired Big Ten Medal of Honor winner Jake Patacsil as assistant wrestling coach at Central College. Patacsil posted a 120-41 career record at Purdue Univ., ranking third in school history in career wins and earning all-America distinction after placing fifth at 149 pounds at the 2009 NCAA Division I championships. He was a three-time Purdue Outstanding Wrestler Award winner and a three-time finalist at the Midlands Championships. Patacsil served as team captain for three seasons. He received the team’s Most Improved Wrestler Award and the Durham Brothers Leadership Award. He was the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner for wrestling as well. In the past season Patacsil was coach for the Boiler Elite Wrestling Club and an assistant at Twin Lakes High School in Monticello, Ind. Andrew HippsJake PatacsilThe Big Ten Medal of Honor is presented to a male and female senior athlete at each league school for proficiency in scholarship and athletics. Patacsil, who earned a bachelor’s degree in math education in 2009, was the first wrestler to receive the distinction at Purdue. Patacsil was a state and national champion at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in 2003-04. “We’re excited to have him join the program,” coach Eric Van Kley said. “What impressed us most was that he has excelled in many areas. In addition to being an outstanding wrestler, he’s a great student and was involved in all aspects of being a student-athlete. “We’re excited about what he brings to the table. His wrestling skills will dramatically help the guys in the wrestling room and on the mat. He will help us take that next step as a program and get us to where we want to go.” Patacsil has a strong wrestling heritage. His father, Frank, and uncle, Ted, are former Purdue wrestlers and his grandfather, Joe Patacsil, was a 1950 national champion. Frank Patacsil is a long-time high school teacher and coach. Van Kley, entering his fourth year at Central, is orchestrating a major turnaround with the Dutch and was co-winner of the 2009-10 Iowa Conference Coach of the Year Award. He piloted Central to its first winning season since 2000-01and a seventh-place showing at the conference tourney, the school’s highest in five years. Patacsil replaces Jason Zastrow, who resigned after three seasons with the Dutch.

The Kent State coaches got good news on Thursday when West Virginia state champion Kyle Bauer gave them his verbal commitment. The three-time state placewinner will sign his National Letter of Intent in November and hopes to defend his 2010 state title before reporting to Kent for classes in the fall of 2011. "I really like the coaches and what they are doing with the team, especially the lighter weights", stated Bauer when asked about his choice. "The campus is nice, and it is only two hours away from home." On the wrestling mat Bauer has built an impressive 125-9 record over the last three years. As a freshman he finished second at 103 pounds and was third at 112 as a sophomore for Wheeling Central Catholic. Transferring schools last season and moving up in weight Kyle won the 125 pound title for Wheeling Park. To continue to develop Bauer has wrestled a national schedule during the off-season. He placed seventh at the 2009 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals and was a gold medalist at the 2009 Disney Duals. This year he placed fourth at FloNationals, went 10-0 at the 2010 NHSCA National Duals and a silver medalist at the Disney Duals. While Bauer has accomplished a lot in wrestling his academic transcripts are just as impressive with a 4.0 accumulative GPA heading into his senior year. A member of the National Honor Society Kyle scored a 1730 on his SAT to build an outstanding resume as a wrestling recruit. Starting his senior year knowing where he was going to college was important to Bauer academically and athletically. Making the decision wasn't easy but he chose Kent State over Old Dominion, Cornell, Lehigh, Virginia, Bucknell, and Rutgers. When asked about his long term goals and what skills he thought would help his success at the next level Bauer was quick to respond, "My neutral wrestling and defense." Like most high school wrestlers when asked where he wanted to improve the response was just as fast, "On bottom and turning on top." Bauer will be moving up to 130 pounds for his senior year and he is expected to continue wrestling after his high school season ends. A "probable" redshirt as a true freshman he projects as a 133-141 at Kent State long term. Kyle is the second verbal for the Golden Flashes this summer with the previous commitment of Oak Harbor's Ian Miller. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/37579

Hello again Wrestling Fans. Steve Foster returns to the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. I'll be on location this week at the Adam Frey Classic at Rider University. Join Steve, 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 Privitere- Most recently at Davidson in N.C., Joe assumes the mantle of Head Coach of Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa 9:20 Max Askren- Missouri's 2010 184 Pound NCAA Champion is set to face Hudson Taylor at the Adam Frey Classic this Saturday afternoon at New Jersey's Rider University. 9:40 Hudson Taylor - Hudson is a 3 X All American for the Terps, 2 X ACC Wrestler of the Year. Hudson will wrestle Max Askren at the Adam Frey. 10:01 Joe McFarland- McFarland embarks on his 12th season as head wrestling coach at the University of Michigan, where he has lifted the Maize and Blue to the elite of college wrestling. 10:20 Eric Guerrero- Assist Coach for the Cowboys of Oklahoma State, 3 X NCAA Champ. 2004 Olympian. Cowboys in contention for the title? 10:40 Rob Eiter- 3rd season as Head Coach of U Penn wrestling. Penn is on the verge of exploding in to a conference power. Eiter returns from Colorado Springs and the US Camps Wrestling fans- Episode 66 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 Tue. 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!

Note: Information is based on participants listed on TrackWrestling.com site as of Thursday (July 15) evening. 84: There is a limited quantity of participants, and the notoriety of said participants is limited. Two names to watch here are Gannon Volk (Minnesota) and Colin Mashack (Pennsylvania). 91: This weight class is the opening salvo into the “core” of the Cadet competition. The favorite in this weight class is Jared Oftedahl (Minnesota), an All-American last summer in both styles and a runner-up this spring in both styles at the FILA Cadet Nationals. He also went a combined 19-1 at the Cadet Duals. Others to watch in this weight class include Dylan Akers (Texas), last year’s champion at 84 pounds, Brandon George (Utah), an All-American in both styles at 91 pounds last summer, and Dylan Lucas (Florida), a double All-American at the FILA Cadet Nationals and fourth-ranked among junior high wrestlers. 98: The favorite in this weight class is Joey McKenna (New Jersey), who is ranked 11th among incoming freshmen. Earlier this off-season McKenna was third in Greco-Roman at the FILA Cadet Nationals, and went undefeated at the Cadet Duals in Greco. Also undefeated in Greco at the Cadet Duals was Darshawn Sharp (Georgia), who was runner-up to Akers at Fargo last summer in Greco-Roman. Incoming freshman Zac Hall (Michigan) is another wrestler to watch, as he went 9-1 at the Cadet Duals in Greco-Roman. The other primary contender is Phillip Laux (Iowa), a double Cadet National All-American last summer and also a FILA Cadet All-American in Greco though he lost to McKenna for third place. 105: Anthony Ashnault (New Jersey) and Jacob Schmitt (Michigan) are the leaders of the pack in this weight class, and each is ranked among the top 30 wrestlers in the Class of 2013 regardless of weight. Ashnault was an undefeated 7-0 at the Cadet Duals, while Schmitt went 9-1. Schmitt finished fourth place last summer in both styles at 91 pounds as a Cadet. Others to watch include returning Cadet National All-American Nate Thomas (Minnesota), incoming freshman Kasey Klaus (California), and FILA Cadet Greco runner-up James Flint (Florida). 112: Three wrestlers jump immediately to the head of the class for this weight class. The first is Sam Brancale (Minnesota), a Cadet runner-up last summer who ended the scholastic season ranked 10th at 103 pounds. He also was an undefeated 7-0 at the Cadet Duals, and runner-up at the FILA Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman. The second is Jake Velarde (Washington), who was a Cadet All-American last summer and a FILA Cadet champion in Greco-Roman during the spring season. Finally is Jack Hathaway (Iowa), who was a Junior National All-American in both styles last summer, and a FILA Cadet All-American in Greco this spring. Another wrestler to watch is incoming freshman PJ Klee (California). 119: The joint favorites in this weight class would be a pair of wrestlers that ended the scholastic season ranked inside the top 12 at 112 pounds. Corey Keener (Pennsylvania) was an All-American in both styles at last summer’s Cadet Nationals and the FILA Cadet Nationals this spring. He ended the season ranked eighth nationally in the weight class. Stephen Myers (Ohio) ended the season ranked 12th nationally in the weight, and ninth among wrestlers in the Class of 2013. Two other ranked wrestlers from the Class of 2013 are Mitch Bengtson (Minnesota) and Russell Coleman (Missouri), who were ranked 19th and 35th respectively. One additional wrestler to watch is incoming freshman Hayden Tuma (Idaho), a Schoolboy National champion last year in both Greco-Roman and freestyle. 125: The clear standout in this weight class is Ben Whitford (Illinois), who is ranked third overall in the Class of 2013 and was a double finalist last summer at the Cadet Nationals. Whitford was champion in freestyle after falling just short in the Greco-Roman final. The other ranked wrestler in this weight class is Tyson Dippery (Pennsylvania), ranked 40th in the Class of 2013. 130: This could shape up to be the championship match of the tournament if the bracket lines up properly. Zane Richards (Illinois) seeks to defend his title from last summer, and comes into this tournament ranked 50th among members of the Class of 2012. His prime challenger shapes up to be Brandon Jeske (Virginia), who is ranked second in the Class of 2013 -- and finished third last summer in Cadet Greco after taking home the FILA Cadet Greco title 15 months ago. The other ranked wrestler in this weight is Reed Van Anrooy (Oregon), who is 43rd in the Class of 2013. 135: The early favorite in this weight class is Isaiah Martinez (California), who is ranked seventh in the Class of 2013. The other ranked wrestler in this weight class is Joey Lavallee (Nevada), who ranks 45th in the same class. Additional wrestlers to watch are Cody Ross (Florida) and Garrett Hammond (Pennsylvania). 140: Two wrestlers ranked inside the top 30 of the Class of 2013 shape up to be the favorites in this weight class. Jake Marlin (Iowa) is ranked 24th, while Tyler Askey (Georgia) is 29th. Last summer, Askey was an All-American in both styles at the Cadet Nationals. Eric Hoffman (Maryland) stands to be a prime challenger after an All-American finish last summer in Cadet Greco and a runner-up finish at the FILA Cadet Nationals. An additional wrestler to watch in this weight class is Payne Hayden (Michigan). 145: The young phenom Chance Marsteller (Pennsylvania) makes his Fargo debut in this weight class, and projects to be the early favorite. Marsteller is ranked first among incoming freshmen, and was undefeated in both styles at the Cadet Duals last month. His prime challengers are a pair of wrestlers who joined him as undefeated in both styles at the event last month -- Ryan Gartner (Wisconsin) and Jared Reis (North Dakota). Gartner was also an All-American last summer in Cadet Greco. 152: For being somewhat of an upper weight, a very strong three-headed monster stands atop this weight class. Eric Morris (Pennsylvania), ranked 12th in the Class of 2013, makes his Fargo debut after an undefeated Schoolboy Duals last year. Defending champion Oliver Pierce (Texas) is ranked 13th in the same class, and moves up three weights from his championship of last year. Finally, Brooks Climmons (Georgia) is ranked 18th in this class, was an All-American last year in Greco-Roman and has been on fire this summer. The other ranked wrestler in this weight class is Austin Myers (Ohio), ninth among all wrestlers to be in junior high this coming year. 160: An All-American in both styles at the FILA Cadet Nationals this April, Burke Paddock (New York) is the favorite in this weight class. Paddock is ranked sixth among all incoming freshmen. Other wrestlers to watch include Scott Gibbons (Louisiana), Marcos Peralta (Colorado), and Tanner Tinsley (Virginia). 171: Two wrestlers ranked right next to each other in the Class of 2012 headline this weight class. The probable favorite is Sam Brooks (Illinois), a runner-up in both styles at the Cadet Nationals last summer. Brooks is ranked 20th in this class. Right behind him is Jordan Rogers (Washington), who was an All-American in both styles as a Cadet last summer, and also won the FILA Cadet freestyle title this spring. Four other wrestlers to watch: Jonathan Inman (Missouri), Jacob Morrissey (Wisconsin), Connor King (Colorado) and Preston Lehmann (North Dakota). 189: Mitch Sliga (Indiana), ranked 16th in the Class of 2013, enters this weight class as the pre-tournament favorite. He won the Cadet Folkstyle championship in April and seeks the second leg of the “Triple Crown” here. In addition, he finished third in his scholastic state tournament at 189 pounds as just a freshman. Two wrestlers are returning Cadet Greco All-Americans, Eric Mason (Kansas) and Mickey Pelfrey (Iowa). Pelfrey was undefeated in Greco-Roman at the Cadet Duals as well. 215: Ranked 21st in the Class of 2013, Adam Coon (Michigan) enters the tournament favored in this weight class coming off a FILA Cadet All-American finish and a combined 19-1 Cadet Duals record. Two others in this weight were Cadet Greco All-Americans last summer -- Joe Scanlan (Iowa) and Brian Walker (Alabama). 285: Brooks Black (Pennsylvania) is the prohibitive favorite to repeat as champion in Greco-Roman, as he moves up from last year’s run at 215 pounds. Coming off a freshman year in which he was a National Prep runner-up, he was double champion at the FILA Cadet Nationals and is now ranked sixth in the Class of 2013. Doug Vollaro (Florida) was runner-up to Black in both events at FILA Cadets and is the most viable challenger to him. Evan McGee (Oklahoma) was a returning All-American, while Michael Johnson (Illinois) is ranked sixth among junior high wrestlers.

Note: Information is based on participants listed on TrackWrestling.com site as of Friday (July 16) evening. 98: There are five returning All-Americans in Greco-Roman from last year that headline this weight class. There is the possibility of a rematch from the Cadet 91 pound final of last year in this weight class, as Colton Howell (Missouri) and Bobby Nachreiner (Wisconsin) are the early favorites in this weight. Howell beat Nachreiner in last year’s final, and the pair of wrestlers was champions at the FILA Cadet Nationals this April -- Howell won at 92, while Nachreiner took gold at 101. Gabe Foltz (Minnesota) and Nkosi Moody (Illinois) earned All-American status at Cadet 84 pounds, while Jesse Smith (Alabama) earned his honor in this weight class. 105: This weight class is headlined by a trio of wrestlers that ended the scholastic season ranked in their weight class. Freddie Rodriguez (Michigan) was ranked 18th at 112 pounds, and was a FILA Cadet National champion in both styles this past April. Ruben Navejas (Washington) was ranked 13th at 103 pounds, and a double finalist last summer in the Junior 98 pound weight class, champion in freestyle and runner-up in Greco-Roman. Kevon Powell (Illinois) finished the season ranked 16th at 103 pounds, and finished fourth place in both styles at the Junior level last summer. Javier Guillen (Arizona) was a Junior Greco All-American, while Jake Smith (Alabama) placed in Cadet Greco. 112: Four wrestlers in this weight class finished the scholastic season ranked in their weight class, and two of them earned All-American honors in Greco-Roman last summer. Tyler Fraley (New Jersey) was a finalist in both styles at Cadet 105, winning a title in Greco-Roman, this past year, Fraley finished the scholastic season ranked fifth at 103 and third at FILA Cadet 119 in Greco. Nashon Garrett (California) was in both styles at Cadet 105 last summer, and ended the scholastic season ranked eighth at 103 pounds. Steven Hopkins (Washington) finished the scholastic season ranked ninth at 103 pounds, and was third in this past April’s FILA Cadet Nationals at 110 pounds. Rounding out this quartet is Cory Clark (Iowa) who ended the scholastic season ranked 10th at 112 pounds. Six others in this weight class were Cadet Greco All-Americans last summer, while a seventh earned such honors at the Junior level. 119: The pre-tournament favorite is Carson Kuhn (Utah), who ended his senior season ranked 11th at 119 pounds and 86th in the Class of 2010. Kuhn placed top three in Greco-Roman during both years of his Cadet career. The two other wrestlers with ranking in this weight class are Joey Dance (Virginia) and Nathan Kraisser (Maryland). Dance ended the scholastic season ranked 16th at 112 pounds, and was a double Cadet National finalist last summer (runner-up in Greco). Kraisser was an All-American in Cadet Greco last summer, finished as runner-up at FILA Cadets this past April, and is ranked 47th in the Class of 2012. Five other wrestlers earned All-American honors in Greco-Roman last summer, three at the Junior level and two at the Cadet level. Another wrestler meriting attention is Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota), who swept both styles in Fargo as a Cadet during 2007 and 2008 but did not earn All-American honors at all last summer. 125: There are four ranked wrestlers in the field at this weight class, three of whom were among the elite at their weight during the scholastic season. Brock Banta (Idaho) and Rossi Bruno (Florida) were Junior Greco All-Americans at 119 pounds last summer, Banta was ranked 17th at 125 at the end of the scholastic season, while Bruno ranked 15th at 119 pounds. Mark Grey (New Jersey) and Kevin Norstrem (Florida) were double All-Americans at the Cadet level last summer. Grey won the Greco-Roman tournament at 112 pounds, and finished the school year ranked ninth at 119 pounds. Norstrem competed last summer at 119 pounds, finishing third in Greco-Roman, was champion of the 127 pound weight class at the FILA Cadet Nationals this past April, and is ranked fifth among all wrestlers in the Class of 2013. Three other wrestlers in this weight class were FILA Cadet Greco All-Americans in April, Patrick Myers (Pennsylvania) was an All-American in both styles of the Junior Nationals last summer, and Kavon Jones (Nebraska) joins Grey as a Cadet National Greco champion in this weight class. 130: This weight class is headlined by a pair of wrestlers ranked among the top 100 seniors-to-be in the nation. Matt Kelliher (Minnesota) is ranked 56th, while Daniel DeShazer (Kansas) is ranked 99th. Joe Denova (Georgia) and Tyler Liberatore (Florida) are among a trio of returning Junior Greco All-Americans in this weight class. There are two wrestlers that earned Cadet Greco All-American honors last summer, two others that were FILA All-Americans this past spring in Greco. Another wrestler to watch in this weight class is 2008 Cadet National champion Drew Lexvold (Minnesota). 135: A pair of college-bound wrestlers that were nationally ranked at 135 pounds this past scholastic season headline this weight class. AJ Schopp (Pennsylvania) was ranked fifth at the weight and 67th overall in the Class of 2010. Kade Moss (Utah) was ranked 17th in this weight class and a Junior Greco All-American last summer. Five other wrestlers return with Greco All-American credentials, three at the Cadet level and two at the Junior level. Two other wrestlers to watch are Zach Tanenbaum (Kansas) and Keenan Hagerty (Missouri). 140: Alex Dieringer (Wisconsin), a Cadet National double champion last summer, is one of four top 100 recruits from the Class of 2011 in this weight class. Dieringer ended the scholastic season ranked 19th at 140 pounds, and is currently 31st among all incoming seniors. Travis Himmelman (Colorado) is a returning Junior Greco All-American, and is ranked 42nd in his graduating class. Lex Ozias (Maryland) is ranked 54th, while returning Junior Greco All-American Elijah Sullivan (Iowa) is ranked 69th. Six other wrestlers were Cadet Greco All-Americans last summer, heading that group are runner-up Casey George (Idaho) and third place finisher Jacob Falk (Utah). Ryan Lubeck (Wisconsin) was a FILA Cadet champion in Greco this past April, and AJ Zemke (Wisconsin) is a third participant in this weight that was a Junior Greco All-American last summer. Two others to watch are Cullen Morrissey (Wisconsin) and Taylor Moeder (Kansas). 145: Three elite college bound wrestlers -- ranked inside the top 60 of the Class of 2010 -- make this a weight class chalk full of elite talent. Ravaughn Perkins (Nebraska) and Dylan Ness (Minnesota) would have to be considered joint favorites, as this pair of wrestlers met in the Junior Greco final at 140 last summer, Perkins came home the winner in that matchup. Steven Hernandez (Nevada) placed third in Junior Greco at 145, and like Ness also earned All-American honors in freestyle. Four more wrestlers are in the top 100 of the Class of 2011. Blake Roulo (Virginia) is ranked 38th, and finished third in Junior Greco at 140 last summer, Ryne Cokeley (Kansas) is ranked 43rd, Colby Kloetzer (Idaho) is ranked 51st, and Lucas Smith (Illinois) is ranked 76th, also earning Cadet Greco All-American honors last summer. Ranked among the top 50 in the Class of 2012 are #45 Clark Glass (Florida) and #41 Zach Brunson (Oregon), Brunson was also a Cadet double All-American last summer, runner-up in Greco-Roman. There are three additional wrestlers that earned All-American honors in Cadet Greco last summer, and two others that were FILA All-Americans this spring. 152: Yet to lose a match in two years of Fargo competition -- Greco and freestyle -- Taylor Massa (Michigan) moves up to the Junior level, where he is the pre-tournament favorite in this weight class, and he is also the top-ranked member of the Class of 2012. Four other wrestlers are also ranked in their graduating class, two in the top 100 of the Class of 2011, and a pair of Cadet Greco runners-up inside the top 50 of the Class of 2012. Returning Cadet Greco champion Brad Dolezal (Wisconsin) is ranked 73rd in the Class of 2011, while Junior Greco runner-up Kory DeBerry (Arizona) is ranked 82nd. Justin Koethe (Iowa) is 26th in the Class of 2012, and also a FILA Cadet Greco runner-up, while Dylan Reel (Illinois), also a FILA Cadet freestyle champion, is ranked 34th. Zak Benitz (Wisconsin) joins Massa and Dolezal as returning Cadet Greco champions in this weight class. Yet the most formidable challenger to Massa may be the forgotten name of Derek Olson (Wisconsin), twice an All-American in Greco (2008 Juniors, 2007 Cadets). 160: For being a middle-weight, this weight class is relatively lean in quality. Even so, there are a few notable names to discuss. There are three returning Junior Greco All-Americans, anchored by Seth Thomas (Oregon) -- ranked 79th in the Class of 2011, the two others are Joey Moorhouse (Illinois) and Zach Skates (Oklahoma). Another wrestler to note is 2008 Cadet Greco-Roman champion Wally Figaro (Florida), who beat Massa last month at the Junior Duals in Oklahoma City. Three wrestlers in this weight class were also Cadet Greco All-Americans last summer, headed by Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma). Crutchmer was actually an All-American in both styles in Fargo, finished as a runner-up in both styles at the FILA Cadet Nationals in April, and is ranked 48th among Class of 2012 wrestlers. One other wrestler to watch is Cody Allala (Virginia). 171: Returning Junior Greco All-Americans Stephen McPeek (Texas) and Nathaniel Brown (Pennsylvania) headline the field at this weight class, McPeek ended the scholastic season ranked 17th at 189 pounds, while Brown is ranked 53rd among all Class of 2011 wrestlers. A third lead contender would be Devin Peterson (Wisconsin), who swept Cadet national titles last summer in Fargo and is ranked 12th in the Class of 2012. An additional top 100 Class of 2011 recruit is Kris Klapprodt (South Dakota), who is ranked 68th. There is one other returning Cadet Greco All-American in this weight class, Joel Bauman (Minnesota) was a Junior Greco All-American last summer, and Micah Kullman (Ohio) was the FILA Junior Greco champion in April. 189: The strong pre-tournament favorite in this weight class is Tyler Beckwith (New York), who is bound for Binghampton University and ended the season ranked 11th in the Class of 2010. Beckwith was also a double Junior National All-American last summer, and runner-up in Greco. The other ranked wrestler in this weight class is Lucas Sheridan (California), who is ranked 83rd in the Class of 2011, Sheridan earned All-American honors in both styles at the Cadet Nationals last summer and FILA Cadet Nationals in April. Four other wrestlers were Cadet Greco All-Americans last summer, while a pair earned such honors at the Junior level. This includes arguably the most viable challenger to Beckwith in Austin Morehead (California). Two additional contenders worth mentioning are Ethan Blackstock (Georgia) and Jayd Docken (South Dakota), both of whom are college bound. 215: This weight class has a strong injection of five wrestlers that ended the scholastic season ranked at 215 pounds, and are college bound in just about one month. This includes wrestlers that ended last season ranked second through fifth in the weight class, Spencer Myers (Pennsylvania), Trevor Rupp (Idaho), Scott Schiller (North Dakota), and Alex Polizzi (Wisconsin). Myers failed to earn All-American honors in Greco, but was fifth in freestyle, while the other three earned All-American honors in both styles -- including Greco runner-up Rupp. Kyle Caylor (Kansas) earned All-American honors in Greco and ended the scholastic season ranked 18th. There are four additional wrestlers ranked in the top 100 for the Class of 2011, led by Tanner Hall (Idaho), whose stock shot up this spring with a FILA Cadet double championship and All-American honors in both styles at FILA Juniors. Ranked 15th in his class, Hall was also a Cadet Greco champion last summer. Tank Knowles (California) is ranked 33rd, Nick Gwiazdowski (New York) is ranked 36th, and Jay Taylor is ranked 94th. Three others were Cadet Greco All-Americans last summer, while an additional wrestler to watch is Matthew Loew (New York). 285: The defending Cadet and Junior Greco champions in this weight class are both in the field, Orry Elor (California) and Niko Bogojevic (Wisconsin). Bogojevic enters this competition as the favorite, and he ended his senior season of scholastic wrestling ranked 10th in the weight class. Two other wrestlers in this weight class ended the scholastic season ranked ninth -- Connor Medbery (Colorado) at 215, and Donny Longendyke (Minnesota) at 285 pounds. Medbery, a Junior Greco All-American, is ranked 16th in the Class of 2011, while Longendyke, a Cadet Greco All-American (and freestyle champion) is ranked 18th. Two others in this weight were Cadet Greco All-Americans last summer as well.

What brings families to Florida? For many, it's a vacation to the Orlando area to experience Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and other family-oriented attractions ... or to the beaches along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Some families relocate to the Sunshine State for employment opportunities. Rossi Bruno and his family came to Florida for the wrestling. Five years ago, the Brunos migrated south from Wisconsin to the Tampa Bay area with the idea of nurturing their eldest son Rossi's wrestling career. Seems to have worked. Rossi, who just completed his sophomore year, already owns three Florida state titles (his first was as an eighth grader) ... and has made a name for himself in national competition. In fact, he is currently No. 11 in the nation across all weight classes in InterMat's ranking of Class of 2012 wrestlers. Heading south Earlier this decade, Ross and Debbie Bruno had been living in West Allis, Wisconsin, just outside Milwaukee, raising a family ... including son Rossi, who had demonstrated an aptitude -- and love -- for wrestling from an early age. It may have been in the family DNA. Rossi Bruno with his father, RossRossi Bruno's father Ross, a Chicago native, was introduced to wrestling by his stepfather, Al DeSouza. Ross wrestled at Mt. Carmel High, then at Marquette University in Milwaukee. After Marquette eliminated its wrestling program in 2001, Ross continued his wrestling career on his own. "I brought Rossi to my wrestling practices when he was four years old," said the elder Bruno. "He thought wrestling is just what you did." Rossi echoed that sentiment: "I remember getting on the mats when I was 3 or 4 years old. I always liked it. I thought it was a fun way of being aggressive." Fast forward nearly a decade. As Ross described the situation, "I was coaching in high school in Milwaukee, a mediocre team. I realized that if I wanted to bring Rossi to the next level, we might have to move." "We had talked about expanding our house, but then thought, maybe this is the time to move instead ... Winters are so rough up there." Ross Bruno continued, "We had started to do some online research. We had been aware of the wrestling program at Brandon (High School) in Florida. We took a vacation, just to check things out. My wife and I were both able to find jobs right away, so we made the move." "The timing was just right." Welcome to Florida Moving hundreds of miles away from friends and the life you've known can be tough for anyone ... especially for an adolescent. Rossi Bruno was no exception. "We moved in the middle of seventh grade," said Rossi. "I hated it at first, but as I got to know the wrestlers, I decided I liked it here." For the first two years of his time in Florida, Rossi Bruno attended school at Tampa Bay Christian Academy. "My coach there had been from Brandon, which helped prepare me for high school," said Rossi. In eighth grade, Rossi Bruno won his first Florida high school state title. (According to his mom Debbie, in Florida, eighth graders in private schools are eligible to wrestle at the state tournament.) Here's how the wrestling Web site at Tampa Bay Christian Academy described the 2008 finals match: Rossi Bruno put on one of the best demonstrations of toughness ever witnessed. After being head butted and receiving a deep cut on his lip, Rossi was down 5-0 before he knew what happened. Then after numerous blood stoppages, he stormed back to win the state championship 9-8 at the 103-pound weight class. Rossi put on an amazing demonstration of determination and heart! His performance was absolutely amazing as he capped an undefeated season at 39-0! When asked about the high points of his young career, Rossi immediately cited this match. "I was six or seven points behind well into the second period," he recalled. "My coach at the time, Mike Joyce, kept reminding me of the hard work I had put in all season to get to that point, and how I would regret giving up now." As a further indication of Rossi Bruno's gutsy performance, the St. Petersburg Times reported that the referee wanted to end the match because of Bruno's bleeding, but his coach convinced the official to let his wrestler continue. Here's what Bruno told the paper after winning his first title: "All the hard work and great coaching paid off tonight. I am glad Coach Joyce asked if I could continue. Now I am looking to next season, but I will work out all summer." Wrestling at Brandon ... and beyond Now Rossi Bruno is at Brandon High School, located about 20 miles east of Tampa, and home to one of the top prep wrestling programs in Florida -- and the nation. Even sports fans who don't know a takedown from a touchdown may know Brandon wrestling for The Streak. The school's wrestling program had 459 straight dual-meet victories going back to 1973 -- the longest winning streak of any high school sport. The Streak garnered national attention, thanks to coverage on ESPN, USA Today ... even Live with Regis and Kelly. It all came to an end in January 2008, when South Dade High defeated Brandon at the Eagles' own tournament. However, in the two-and-a-half years since the streak was broken, the Eagles have not lost a single dual. Russ CozartThe mastermind for Brandon's success is Russ Cozart, the Eagles' head coach since 1980. Cozart is a multi-time Florida Coach of the Year winner, and two-time National Wrestling Coach of the Year. Under Cozart's direction, the Eagles have won 19 Florida state team titles, and can claim more than 70 individual state championships. The Brandon Eagles are respected well beyond the borders of Florida. The Eagles were ranked as the top team in the nation in 2005 by InterMat. The program has turned out a number of mat standouts, including Eric and Cesar Grajales, David Craig, Joe Cozart, Josh Lambrecht, and Franklin Gomez, to name a few. In his two years wrestling for Russ Cozart at Brandon High, Rossi Bruno has compiled a near-perfect 121-1 record, with his second and third Florida state titles at 119 pounds as a freshman (2009) and sophomore (2010). Rossi has tasted success on wrestling mats outside the Sunshine State as well. He won the 119-pound championship at the 2009 NHSCA Freshman Nationals ... and, earlier this year, was runner-up at 125 at the 2010 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. Between those events, Rossi claimed the 119 title at the 2009 Cheesehead Classic post-Christmas tournament in Wisconsin. Rossi Bruno won the Cheesehead ClassicIn addition to these folkstyle events, Rossi Bruno is also competing in freestyle and Greco-Roman. Last year at the 2009 FILA Cadet Nationals, the Brandon Eagle placed fourth in freestyle at 127.75 pounds, and second in Greco at the same weight. Which brings us to another aspect of Rossi Bruno's life. Like so many elite young wrestlers, he and his family really put on the miles as they travel to major wrestling events. Listening to the Brunos talk, you'd think Rossi was the inspiration for the George Clooney character in the movie Up In The Air. Among the places this road warrior has wrestled in the past few months: Baltimore, Atlanta, Virginia Beach, North Carolina, and South Carolina ... and, of course, returning to his native Wisconsin, for the Cheesehead Classic in Kaukauna. As of this writing, Bruno plans to compete in Fargo later this month. How do the Brunos incorporate all this wrestling travel into their schedules? It helps that dad Ross has his own business, and that mom Debbie works evenings at home. Man at work Rossi Bruno described his wrestling style as, "Very intense. Always working hard. Don't want to lose." Rossi BrunoIn terms of wrestlers Rossi admires for their on-the-mat performance, Rossi cited a couple other wrestlers originally from Wisconsin, Ben and Max Askren. However, the three-time Florida state champ admits that the Askrens' brand of funk isn't necessarily something he's adopted for himself, preferring to stick with "elemental moves." A recurring theme that emerges from talking to Rossi Bruno is hard work. It even comes up when talking about what he likes to do for fun: "Before hanging out with friends, we might work out first, then go to the beach or whatever." In describing his experience at Brandon, Rossi said, "Practices are more intense. Coach Cozart works us hard. But we have to work hard to remain at the top, and do well against our competition, not just in Florida, but with the best teams in the country, too." "There are good wrestlers in Florida, but they're scattered around the state, not all at certain schools," Rossi continued. "Our dual meet wins here don't get much national recognition. We have to show we can hang with anyone in the country." To help Rossi Bruno and his teammates prepare to take on the nation's best wrestlers, coach Cozart has brought in Brandon wrestling alumni, as well as college coaches such as Ethan Bosch of Clarion, Matt Valenti at Penn, and various members of the Wisconsin coaching staff for wrestling clinics and camps. In addition to gaining valuable instruction, this arrangement has further benefits for Eagle wrestlers. As Rossi put it, "They see us in action, which is great for recruiting. And we get a sense of how these guys work, which helps us know about a program before we even visit." Speaking of colleges ... does Rossi Bruno have any in mind to continue his wrestling career beyond Brandon? Right now, he's not naming any names, other than saying that he knows he will have to go far from home to wrestle in college. He lamented that there are no college wrestling programs in Florida. "I think the nearest D1 program is The Citadel, and that's hundreds of miles away," said the soon-to-be high school junior. What does the future hold for Rossi Bruno? He doesn't openly state any specific goals for college or beyond; as he put it, "I've got plenty of years to see what happens." He did say, "Wrestling's always going to be a part of my life. Even if I don't have a career in coaching, I expect I will be coaching my own kids." "Everyone here jokes about moving back to Brandon after college, and continuing the dynasty."

Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wisconsin) has informed InterMat that he will be staying in the Badger State for college and wrestling for the University of Wisconsin. Jesse Thielke was one of only three high school wrestlers to compete at the U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, Tech-Fall.com)Thielke, who is ranked as the No. 5 recruit in the country by InterMat, is a three-time Wisconsin state champion. He went a perfect 47-0 this past season en route to winning the state title at 125 pounds. Thielke is a two-time Junior Nationals folkstyle champion. Thielke has also had a considerable amount of success in Greco-Roman. He was a Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman champion in 2008. Thielke has made the Junior World Team in Greco-Roman the past two seasons. He also won the Northern Plains Regional on the senior level, which qualified him to compete at the 2010 U.S. World Team Trials. Thielke is expected to begin his college wrestling career at 125 pounds.

Tanner Weatherman

For the 15th straight year, the ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet Nationals return to the Fargodome from July 18 through July 24. However, this year's competition is one day shorter in length; the tournament will start on Sunday going through Saturday, instead of being a Saturday to the next Saturday affair. The competition in Greco-Roman and freestyle represents the largest wrestling tournament in the world, and also the greatest assemblage of elite scholastic wrestlers in the United States. Over the years, this event has had many an NCAA finalist and United States Olympian come through its wings. So what is in store for this year? Here are six points to ponder in the coming week prior to the event. 1. Breakout performances Every year in Fargo it seems there are some freshmen-to-be that make an opening statement to their high school careers with a Cadet National title. Last year it was a pair of wrestlers that were double Cadet National finalists, as both Joey Dance (Christiansburg, VA) and Ben Whitford (Marmion Academy, IL) were second in the Greco-Roman and first in the freestyle competitions. Additionally, Brad Perkins (Oak Park, MO) won a title in freestyle; while Dylan Akers (Flower Mound, TX), Oliver Pierce (Allen, TX), and Brooks Black (Blair Academy NJ) were Greco-Roman champions. Dance will be moving on to the Junior level, while all others return as Cadets next week. In 2008, incoming freshmen Nick Roberts (North Star PA), Mark Grey (Blair Academy, NJ), and Taylor Massa (St. John's, MI) earned titles in both the Greco-Roman and freestyle competitions. Roberts and Massa followed that up with double titles in 2009, while Grey was a double finalist -- champion Greco-Roman and runner-up in freestyle. InterMat ranks Massa as the nation's top wrestler in the Class of 2012, Grey is ranked fifth, and Roberts ranked 31st. All three wrestlers will be making their debuts at the Junior National level this coming Fargo. Going back to 2007, which is when the current seniors were incoming freshmen, Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, OH) and Chris Phillips (Monroeville, OH) earned titles in the Freestyle competition. In addition, Jesse Thielke (Germantown, WI) and Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, NJ) earned Greco-Roman titles. Phillips, Campolattano, and Thielke are ranked third through fifth nationally; while Stieber was ranked ninth by InterMat in the Class of 2011 rankings released last month. In the summer of 2006, when the group of wrestlers about to enter college was incoming freshmen, three wrestlers took home titles in the Cadet National Freestyle tournament; Logan Steiber (Monroeville, OH), Andrew Alton (Central Mountain, PA), and Jamie Clark (St Edward, OH). Some wrestlers to keep an eye on this summer include: Chance Marsteller (Kennard-Dale, PA) -- ranked first by InterMat, undefeated at the Cadet National Greco-Roman and freestyle duals Jered Cortez (Marmion Academy, IL) -- ranked second by InterMat, undefeated at the Cadet National freestyle duals, FILA Cadet freestyle runner-up, and Cadet Nationals freestyle runner-up Bryce Brill (Marmion Academy, IL) -- ranked fourth by InterMat, undefeated at the Cadet National freestyle duals, and FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Burke Paddock (Warsaw, NY) -- ranked sixth by InterMat, FILA Cadet "double" All-American Zeke Moisey (Northampton, PA) -- ranked seventh by InterMat, 18-3 record between Greco-Roman and freestyle at the Cadet National Duals Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, NJ) -- ranked eleventh by InterMat, FILA Cadet Greco-Roman All-American, undefeated in Greco-Roman at the Cadet National Duals (and 9-1 in freestyle) 2. Making the proverbial "leap" The Junior National Championships offer a venue for wrestlers to make a couple types of "leaps." There are the seniors-to-be that are seeking to impress the mass of college coaches that attend these championships. In addition to identifying talent and ability, these championships have a unique way in revealing the true character of a wrestler. How does a wrestler respond to facing truly elite competition? How does the wrestler face the adversity that is associated with tight matches? How does a wrestler battle through multiple elimination matches? After two years of competing as Cadets, it is time for a number of wrestlers to make that progression to the Junior level. This includes five wrestlers that won double championships (Greco-Roman and Freestyle) last summer at the Cadet Nationals -- Nick Roberts (North Star, PA), Alex Dieringer (Port Washington, WI), Taylor Massa (St. John's, MI), Jake Waste (Apple Valley, MN), and Devin Peterson (Wisconsin Rapids, WI). Four other wrestlers were finalists in both styles last summer as Cadets but move up to the Junior level this summer. Tyler Fraley (Colts Neck, NJ) and Mark Grey (Blair Academy, NJ) were champions in Greco-Roman but fell short in the freestyle championship final. On the other hand, Joey Dance (Christiansburg, VA) and Justin Koethe (Iowa City West, IA) were Greco-Roman runners-up who moved one step higher on the podium in freestyle. 3. The graduates among us One of the more intriguing stories over the past few years in Fargo has been a seeming erosion of graduated seniors from the competition pool in the Junior National Championships. The trend seems to be that more and more of these wrestlers are transitioning to their respective college campuses during the summer term. These wrestlers therefore get an early acclamation of what the collegiate wrestling experience is like, and some even get a head start academically by taking a class or two during the summer term. Already it is pretty much known that the top-ranked graduated senior Logan Stieber (Monroeville OH/Ohio State) will not appear in Fargo. On the other hand, there are collegiate programs that want their incoming freshmen to partake in the process necessary to compete in Fargo (training, etc.), and then to compete in the championships. 4. Participation trending downward, but Fargo still remains the "place to be" in off-season wrestling One of the discussions topics posed within the wrestling community is if participation within the Olympic styles is down at the high school level. A very legitimate way to examine this is to look at participation trends at the Cadet and Junior Nationals over the previous five years -- which also happens to be the period of time for which data was available through TrackWrestling. Any number of possible rationale have been proposed. One of the theories is that the rule changes within freestyle and Greco-Roman have made the sports less popular, less translatable to scholastic wrestling, and therefore less promoted to high school aged wrestlers. Another theory is that the proliferation of opportunities for scholastic-style competition during the spring and summer months has made it possible for wrestlers to get a high level quantity and quality of competition without competing in the Olympic styles. Despite those two theories and the many more that are out there, the Cadet and Junior National Championships remain the primary destination for high school aged wrestlers during the off-season, especially for those seeking to make a name for themselves among the prominent wrestlers in the country. College coaches from across the country travel to Fargo, ND for the competition. The major national wrestling publications will make their presence known during the course of the competition as well. The competitions remain a critical measuring stick in determining the elite high school aged wrestlers in America. 5. As to why the significance of Fargo ... http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/6950 The May 2010 article that examines the number of NCAA All-Americans that also competed (most notably earned All-American honors) at the Cadet and Junior Nationals, as well as the number of Cadet and Junior National placers who then went on to earn All-American status at the NCAA Division I Championships. 6. A vertical pairing reinforcement One of the circumstances that sometimes happens in the course of Fargo is that a wrestler will be able to advance late into the tournament and "ride the bye" into an All-American position. This is to say that a wrestler already with a loss in the tournament is drawn into a bye with either five or seven wrestlers left in the pool, and after that round, there remain four or less wrestlers in his pool (which clinches All-American status for that wrestler). In a given round of a vertically paired tournament, should an odd number of wrestlers (greater than or equal to five) remain in the competition - the wrestler currently at the bottom of the chart will be assigned a bye for that round. Keep in mind that for the succeeding round, the wrestler which had the bye is now considered to be at the top position of the pool. In examining the four competitions of Fargo during 2009 (Greco-Roman and freestyle, Cadet and Junior), here were some of the findings about this circumstance. Of the 128 pools, 36 times (just over 28 percent) did a wrestler with a loss clinch All-American status during a round in which they had a bye. Whether the bracket had an odd or even number of participants did not seem to be a great predictor; 20 of the 36 occurred when the bracket had an odd number of participants. In addition, the distribution of weight brackets in which this occurred did not seem to indicate that a certain participant number made the circumstance more likely to occur. The most common position in a pool to benefit from this circumstance was those wrestlers 30 to 40 percent up from the bottom of the chart. That is to say in a 35 person pool, wrestlers in positions 21 through 24; 13 of 36 (36.1 percent) occurrences involved wrestlers in this area. On the other hand, wrestlers more than 40 percent up from the bottom of the chart (the first 20 positions in a 35-person pool) only benefitted 8 of 36 (22.2 percent) of the time. On the other hand, getting the bye late in the competition (having already suffered one loss) can have adverse results -- if All-American status is not sealed during that round. That is because classification points cannot be accrued in the round of a bye. Therefore, should that wrestler then lose in the next round -- (1) four other wrestlers may be alive with zero or one loss (2) three wrestlers remain with multiple wrestlers suffering that second loss. In scenario number two, it is classification points which serve as the tiebreaker -- unless only two wrestlers are involved and they faced each other. For those unfamiliar with classification points, they are awarded as follows: 5 points -- win by pin, disqualification, forfeit, etc. 4 points -- win by technical fall 3 points -- win by decision 1 point -- scoring a point in a loss when the opponent does not score 5 classification points 0 points -- failing to score within a match, or during a loss in which the opponent scores 5 points Schedule of Events Please Note: Times reflect Central time zone Sunday, July 18: Cadet Greco-Roman commences, two sessions; 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 19: Junior Greco-Roman commences (combined Cadet and Junior session), 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Cadet Greco-Roman finals from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Junior Greco-Roman continues, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 20: Junior Greco-Roman continues, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Junior Greco-Roman finals from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 21: Cadet Freestyle commences, two sessions; 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 22: Junior Freestyle commences (combined Cadet and Junior session), 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; combined Cadet and Junior session, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, July 23: Junior Women's Freestyle commences (combined Junior and Junior Women's session), 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Cadet Freestyle finals from 2 p.m. to 5p.m.; Junior and Junior Women's Freestyle continues, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 24: Junior Women's Freestyle concludes with two sessions, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 1p.m.; Junior Freestyle finals from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fargo Coverage InterMat will again be providing coverage of the Cadet and Junior Nationals, starting with this preview. InterMat senior writer Andrew Hipps will be providing recaps of all the championship sessions, while InterMat high school analyst Josh Lowe will be offering perspective on various aspects of the event. For yet another year, Track Wrestling (http://www.trackwrestling.com) will be providing updated results throughout the championships. Video coverage of the events -- in terms of matches and interviews -- will be available through the USA Wrestling Web site (http://www.themat.com) and its youtube channel; as well as through FloWrestling (http://www.flowrestling.com) Finally, for further coverage throughout the championships, check out http://www.themat.com.

Friday, July 9 was a good night for Hofstra University head wrestling coach Tom Shifflet as he learned that the Pride had just picked up their first recruit from the class of 2011 when 2010 NYS DI 171-pound state runner-up/two-time Nassau County champion Joe Kavanagh of Wantagh High School informed the fourth-year coach of his decision to give a verbal commitment to the hometown university. In doing so, the rising senior becomes the third high profile Warrior wrestler in as many years to choose the Hempstead based institution of higher learning. He will be joined by Steve Bonanno (2009 NCAA qualifier at 125) and Matt Loew (two--time NYS DI finalist/anticipated starter at 197 in 2011). In speaking with Kavanagh's father, Jim, the realization that his son would be donning the Pride Blue & Gold in 2012 was described as a dream come true for the family, especially the future HU student-athlete himself. A regular participant in national level events since seventh grade, Kavanagh has been an impact player in Section VIII since his freshman year at Levittown-Division High School, finishing as the DI county runner-up at 152-pounds; his only loss being at the hands of current Minnesota State-Moorhead rising junior Kerron Williams, 8-6, in sudden victory. Following a decision to transfer to neighboring Wantagh to join a stacked team consisting of the likes of two-time NYS champions Paul Liguori (Harvard University) and John Greisheimer (Edinboro University), Loew, and 2009 Nassau County titlist Nick Fitzmaurice, as well as 2010 NYS runner-up Joe Barbato, Kavanagh experienced no sophomore jinx as he punched his own ticket to the state tournament via a 6-4 decision victory over John Daddino (Sewanhaka East High School) in the 171-pound title match. This effort, along with the collective contributions of the aforementioned proved pivotal in helping the Warriors win their first of back-to-back county team titles. While the NYS tournament did not go quite as well for Kavanagh as he would have preferred, failing to place after losing to a pair of more mature and equally talented foes in the persons of 2010 state champion Angelo Malvestuto (headed to Virginia Tech) and 2009 Suffolk County champ Josue Mendez, who finished third and fourth respectively last season. However, this loss would prove to be an immense motivational force as Kavanagh would put an emphatic cap on his remarkable sophomore campaign by finishing fourth at the NHSCA Nationals. This would be the second All-American honor earned by the young man, joining his sixth-place finish in Iowa at the 2007 USA Nationals Tournament. Kavanagh would build off of this momentum in 2010, scoring bonus points in three of his four matches (including a 12-2 major decision in the Nassau finals) to repeat as the 171-pound champion in Section VIII. This clutch display of wrestling would carry over into the NYS tournament in Albany where the junior classman outscored his first three opponents by a combined score of 27-11 to earn his first state final's birt ... While again, Kavanagh would find himself on the wrong end of a 3-2 match against a more seasoned opponent, 2010 Suffolk County champion Billy Coggins (headed to Virginia), one can never fail to give credit where credit is deserved. Finishing his junior season with an overall record of 36-2 (his only other loss also coming to Coggins at an early season dual, by an equally close 9-7 score), it is no wonder that a handful of schools were lobbying to land the services of this incredibly talented young man. However, despite going through the process of scheduling several official visits to other DI programs, Kavanagh's heart always belonged to HU. Hence, when the offer was received, it proved to be too good to pass up. Projected as a 174/184 pounder on the collegiate level, the acquisition of Kavanagh is sure to fill a need for the Pride as both of their starters at these weight classes enter 2011 with two years of eligibility remaining. In other words, if all goes well, HU enthusiasts should expect to see the hometown hero in the starting line-up as soon as his redshirt freshman year in 2013. Featuring a pair of talented assistant coaches in NCAA qualifier Rob Anspach and former NCAA DIII national champion/2010 World Team Trials fourth-place finisher Terry Madden, as well as returning starters/practice partners Ryan Patrovich (2x CAA finalist/NCAA round of 12 in 2009) and Ben Clymer (2010 CAA finalist) there is no doubt that Kavanagh will have a strong support system to help him make the adjustment and realize his full athletic potential. The blue chip prospect can make the commitment official when he signs his National Letter of Intent (NLI) during the early signing period, which extends this year from November 10 through November 17. While the Wantagh grappler is the first Empire Stater to formally give a verbal commitment to the college of his choice, he is expected to be joined by yet another deep class of NYS' finest. On behalf of everyone at LHW, we sincerely congratulate Joe and his family on the big news ... We also thank his father, Jim, for contributing greatly to this story. Without his input, this article would not have been possible. Best of luck to Joe and the rest of the 2011 Warriors on their quest to three-peat. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from LighthouseWrestling.com.

Cal Poly added to its 2010 recruiting class by receiving verbal commitments from three transfer athletes: Barrett Abel and Stephan Hampton of UC Davis, and Atticus Disney of Minnesota. Abel, who will be entering his senior season, was the Pac-10 champion this past season at 149 pounds. He entered the NCAA Championships as the No. 10 seed, but dropped his first two matches and was eliminated. He finished the season with a 21-9 record. Hampton began his redshirt freshman season as the starting 184-pounder for UC Davis and posted a season mark of 5-10. Disney is a three-time Kansas state champion at heavyweight. He was ranked as the No. 11 heavyweight in the country by InterMat from the Class of 2008. Disney posted an 18-3 record as a redshirt during the 2008-09 season, but did not compete this past season for the Gophers.

BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Joe Boardwine, one of the top high school wrestling coaches in the State of Ohio, has been hired as head wrestling coach at Campbell University, Director of Athletics Stan Williamson announced on Thursday. Boardwine joins the Fighting Camel staff after serving the last year as head coach at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio in addition to handling duties as National Director of Wrestling for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In addition to guiding wrestlers from three different high schools to state championships in Ohio, Boardwine also served as Associate Executive Director / Chief Operating Officer of the National High School (Wrestling) Coaches Association from 2004-07 and was National Teams Director / Ohio State Director of that same organization from 1999-2004. "We are happy to welcome Joe Boardwine as our new head wrestling coach at Campbell University," said Williamson. "Joe has a strong background as a wrestler and as a developer of young wrestling talent. Having served at two national organizations, Joe brings a wealth of contact information that will greatly aid in the recruiting of young men to wrestle at Campbell University. We have found Joe to be a man of integrity and great passion for wrestling who is a great fit for our university." In Boardwine's eight years in the prep ranks at Walsh Jesuit, University School (2001-2004) and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (1998-2001), he coached 13 Ohio (OHSAA) State Champions and 28 state qualifiers or place-winners and 15 high school All-Americans. He replaces Billy Greene, who resigned in April to pursue other professional opportunities while remaining at CU as an adjunct professor in the mathematics department. "I would like to thank President (Dr. Jerry) Wallace and Mr. Williamson for this opportunity and also for their evident commitment to the sport of wrestling at Campbell University," said Boardwine, a 1997 graduate of Kent State. "The most important thing I want to communicate is that Campbell University Wrestling is committed to training wrestlers and competing with its team at the highest level." Named Cleveland Plain Dealer Coach of the Year in 2003 and News Herald Coach of the Year in 2004, Boardwine was also chosen the NWCA National Assistant Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2001. Boardwine's vision for Fighting Camel Wrestling is clear. "The goals of the program will be to continue to produce championship results in the classroom and mentoring the wrestlers spiritually, but with a new commitment from everyone to start producing All-Americans and National Champions." In each of the last three years, Campbell has been named among the nation's top 25 All-Academic Teams by the NWCA, including an 11th-place ranking in 2010 with a 3.1349 team grade-point average. Campbell wrestlers have advanced to the NCAA Championships six times since 1987. The Camels moved into the 3,000-seat John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center in the fall of 2008 and one season later, Parker Burns became the latest CU wrestler to advance to the NCAA Championships after he won the 197-pound weight class at the NCAA East Regional. "This program is ready to explode," said Boardwine. "Everything is now in place for Campbell to grow to become a top-25 team in the nation. From the brand-new practice facility to the new weight room, new locker room and 3,000 seat convocation center for matches, everything is here for wrestlers who dream of trying to become great - to come here, get a great education and reach their true potential." As National Director for the FCA Wrestling ministry, Boardwine served with the likes of Rich Bender (USA Wrestling Executive Director), Lee Roy Smith (National Wrestling Hall of Fame Executive Director) and Olympic champions John Peterson and Brandon Slay on the Leadership Board. Under his guidance, FCA Wrestling's current primary initiatives are to conduct a prayer breakfast at every high school state tournament in the nation and to train coaches to lead new wrestling programs at faith-based colleges and universities. Boardwine started his head coaching career at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in 1998 and oversaw a turnaround that resulted in Ohio state tournament places of 5th, 3rd and 2nd in his three years. His program produced blue chip recruits like 4-time state champion Harry Lester, who has twice earned World Bronze medalist honors, plus state champion and eventual 3-time NCAA All-American Andy Vogel, who now serves as head coach at Gettysburg (Pa.) College. The native of Aurora, Ohio moved to University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio and guided that program to state championship finishes of 15th, and 8th and 5th in three seasons. Boardwine also served as Ohio State Chairman of the national High School (Wrestling) Coaches Association (NHSCA) from 1994-2004. In that role, the helped create and train national teams for elite Ohio high school wrestlers to compete around in the United States in national events. He then moved to Easton, Pa., in June 2004 to serve as Associate Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the NHSCA. Boardwine was responsible for all daily operations of the national non-profit organization that conducts the National High School Wrestling Championships, Final Four of High School Wrestling and National Dual Meet Championships. A 1997 summa cum laude graduate of Kent State with a B.S. in Education, Boardwine also earned his M.S. in Educational Administration from Drexel University. During his undergraduate career, Boardwine was a two-time Mid-American Conference finalist and placed in the league championships in each of his three trips to the event. He won over 80 matches on the collegiate level. Upon his return to his native Ohio in June 2007, Boardwine worked as a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley for two years before accepting the positions with Walsh Jesuit and FCA. Boardwine is intent on translating the success his high school and club programs have enjoyed to the NCAA Division I level. "That's what we are shooting for at Campbell University - producing great students who are close to their community, are growing spiritually and working hard, while fighting for national championships and All-America status. This is this kind of campus where wrestlers can thrive not only competitively, but can also get to know each other and their professors and community really well because of its smaller size. You don't get lost in the shuffle." Boardwine also plans to develop a full summer camp program at Campbell, plus clinics and special events for the sport, hosted at the Pope Convocation Center. He also plans to upgrade the varsity schedule to increase the level of exposure CU wrestlers receive to the top teams in the nation and to new geographic areas. He also plans for Campbell to begin recruiting the best high school prospects in not only North Carolina and the Southeast region, but around the nation. "Generally, you'll see a big increase in the visibility of the Campbell University Wrestling program as we share our vision for the program with the wrestling community nationally and let them know we intend to train and compete at the highest level here on this campus," said Boardwine. After getting his start in the sport at the storied Longwood YMCA program in Northeast Ohio, Boardwine was a two-time Ohio state champion and also earned prep All-America recognition at Streetsboro High School. He and his wife, the former Melissa Staples, have two sons, Hunter and Mason. Scott Casber

Hello again Wrestling Fans. We return to the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Lots going on for sure. We have a great show lined up for you again this week. Join me, 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 Tony Ersland- Asst. Head Coach University of Nebraska The birth of twins, summer camps and clinics, recruiting, Tony's been busy. 9:20 Rob Koll- Head Coach of Cornell University Rob will bring his squad in to the fall with perhaps the most anticipated return in eastern wrestling history. 9:40 Derek DelPorto- Head Coach of Eastern Michigan University Derek has the eagles back on track, Recruiting is rocking for the Eagles 10:01 Phil Koon- Head Coach of Black Mat MMA in LA, CA Phil has built a small "boys camp" into a mighty power of change. Grand opening of the new, larger Black Mat Gym takes place on the 17th of July. 10:20 Scott Goodale- Head Coach of Rutgers University. The agent of change in the east, Rutgers has signed Mario Mason and more.. 10:40 Loretta Hunt- Respected Author and Journalist for Sherdog.com and many other sports publications and sites. In 2009 she was the target of a verbal tirade by UFC President Dana White. The author of Randy Couture "Becoming the Natural" Wrestling fans- Episode 65 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings. TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! TDR on Internet: You can join us Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com 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 Tue. 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 TV On Internet: 31 Different 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!

Mark Perry

After a decade at Army as the head coach of Black Knights, Chuck Barbee stepped down from the position in April to spend more time with his family and change careers. His departure opened a national search for his replacement and eleven weeks later the Academy found their man, Joe Heskett, and he was announced to the public today as the ninth head coach in the history of the program “The opportunity to lead one of the Academies with their history and tradition is special,” stated Heskett when asked for comment. “The goals and vision they have for the Cadets completely reflect the way I was raised and the person I have become. It is an absolute honor to be the head coach at Army. It is our mission to produce great men and great wrestlers.” Heskett bring a wealth of experience to West Point. As a wrestler he was a three-time state champion for Walsh Jesuit HS, a four-time All-American and the 2002 NCAA 165 pound national champion at Iowa State, and a five-time National Team Member in freestyle and was on the 2007 World Team. As a coach Heskett spent his first four years on staff at Cal Poly and the last four years as an assistant coach at Ohio State. “Joe Heskett is going to be a great head coach and we are going to miss having him in Columbus,” offered OSU head coach Tom Ryan. “He is a special person and that transcends coaching. He will not only make a difference in the wrestling room, but in the classroom and in their every day lives. At the same time Joe is someone that will continue to learn and grow with each new challenge.” Heskett is tentatively scheduled to take over as head coach on July 15. Joining him on staff will be a pair of returning assistant coaches, Ryan Wilman and Rafael Vega. “Coach Barbee did a great job at Army but there is always room for improvement,” responded Heskett when asked about the transition. “I hope that with the returning coaches and wrestlers we can build on the hard work they put in and help the program take the next step forward.” Army was 7-4 during the 2009-2010 regular season finishing seventh at the EIWA Tournament with a pair of national qualifiers. They will have six returning lettermen expected to be in the lineup next year. “The rest of the summer is going to go pretty fast. There is a lot of work to do to be ready for the regular season so I look forward to building relationships with the coaches, cadets, administration, and alumni during the summer. We have a lot of work to do so I can’t wait to get there and get started.”

Joe Heskett

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Mark Perry, who recently completed his first season as assistant wrestling coach at Cal Poly, and seven-year Mustang head coach John Azevedo will serve as co-head coaches beginning with the 2010-11 season. Mark Perry (Photo/Tony Rotundo, Tech-Fall.com)The announcement was made Tuesday by Cal Poly director of athletics Alison Cone. “This move further strengthens our wrestling coaching staff,” said Cone. “Mark's strengths combined with John's attributes will provide us with an unbeatable coaching combination.” With Perry as his assistant last season, Azevedo guided Cal Poly to a third-place Pacific-10 Conference finish and produced a pair of NCAA All-Americans. He was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year by D1CollegeWrestling.net. “I think this will be great experience for Mark and his future as a head coach,” said Azevedo. When Perry was hired as assistant coach last summer, Azevedo said, “I believe his passion for wrestling and winning will help Cal Poly wrestling go to the next level of becoming the best. Mark brings an extensive amount of individual and team success to the program.” Perry, a two-time national champion and four-time All-American at Iowa, spent the 2008-09 season as an assistant coach at Penn State before coming to Cal Poly a year ago. “Being promoted to co-head coach is a huge honor for me and I am confident that I will be able to continue to help this program move forward in its quest toward winning Pac-10 titles and NCAA trophies,” said Perry. “The future of Cal Poly wrestling is going to be exciting. I guarantee our fans and alumni we are going to be one of the top programs in the country on a consistent basis in the near future. “Wrestling fans in California are excited about what is going on at Cal Poly and our wrestlers will continue to work toward winning NCAA titles,” Perry added. The Mustangs rebounded from a tough 2008-09 campaign by finishing just seven points shy of Pac-10 champion Oregon State. Chase Pami finished second at 157 pounds in both the Pac-10 and NCAA finals while Boris Novachkov won a Pac-10 title at 133 and placed seventh nationally. Their finish marked the first time in six seasons that multiple wrestlers finished as All-Americans at Cal Poly. Azevedo led the Mustangs to an 8-4 dual meet record, including a 5-2 mark in Pac-10 matches. Azevedo, 45-61 in dual meets as Mustang head coach, has guided nine Mustangs to All-American honors and seven Pac-10 champions. He was an assistant under Lennis Cowell for two years before taking over the head job with the Mustangs in 2003. His coaching career also includes one year as a graduate assistant at Arizona State (1980-81), three years as assistant coach at Cal State Bakersfield (1981-84), two years as an assistant as Notre Dame (1984-86), five years as an assistant coach at Wisconsin (1986-91) and 12 seasons as head coach at Calvary Chapel High in Santa Ana (1991-2003), leading the wrestling program to seven state championships and one runner-up finish. Calvary Chapel also garnered 11 league titles, 10 CIF-Southern Section team championships, and posted a 183-18 dual meet record under Azevedo’s direction. The program also spawned 23 NCAA Division 1 wrestlers. Azevedo was named National High School Coach of the Year in 1993 and California Coach of the Year seven times. As a collegian, Azevedo won an NCAA title in 1980 while at Cal State Bakersfield, after two runner-up finishes and three NCAA Division II titles. He amassed a 122-2 collegiate record and was named team captain three times. He is also a member of the California Wrestling Hall of Fame. Azevedo was also a member of the 1980 United States Olympic team (the United States boycotted those summer games in Moscow) and won a national freestyle championship in 1981. He placed fourth at the World Championships in 1982. Azevedo earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cal State Bakersfield in 1981. Perry was the NCAA individual national champion in 2007 and 2008 while helping the Iowa Hawkeyes to a team championship in 2008. With his title in 2008, Perry became the 17th four-time All-American and 14th two-time national champion in NCAA history. During his 2007 NCAA run, Perry defeated two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks in the finals on his way to a 32-5 record. Both his NCAA titles came at 165 pounds. As a sophomore at the NCAAs, Perry placed third at 174 pounds, earning the Gorriaran Trophy for pinning four opponents at the championships. As a freshman he placed second at 165 pounds, posting a 32-5 overall record. Perry was a team captain all four years at Iowa and was a Big Ten Conference finalist four times as well, capturing one title in 2007. He also was a four-time finalist in the prestigious Midlands Wrestling Tournament, earning two titles. Perry was named National Wrestling Coaches Association rookie of the year in 2005 and University of Iowa athlete of the year in 2007. Perry was a two-time prep national champion while attending Blair Academy, located 60 miles west of New York City, in rural Warren County, New Jersey. He was a three-time AISCS High School All-American while posting a career 169-7 record. Perry earned his bachelor of arts degree in art from the University of Iowa in 2008.

LEXINGTON, Va. -- VMI wrestling has announced its 2010-11 schedule, according to information released by the program Monday. The Keydets will open the season at the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech at the Salem Civic Center on Nov. 7. It will mark the third consecutive year VMI has participated in the event, and will be followed on the squad’s slate by the Keystone Classic in Philadelphia, Pa. on Nov. 21. VMI then takes part in its first dual of the year, a rematch from last year’s contest with Franklin & Marshall, located in Lancaster, Pa. Last season, the Keydets won in a rout, 33-10, sparked by a technical fall by David Yost, and this year’s battle is set for Saturday, Dec. 4. Coach John Trudgeon’s squad then remains in Pennsylvania for the following day, as the team is scheduled to participate in the Nittany Lion Open, hosted by Penn State in State College, Pa. No current Keydets have ever competed at that event, as VMI has not attended the meet since 2007. VMI then has a single dual, taking on Gardner-Webb (Dec. 10), before competing at the Southern Scuffle (Dec. 29-30) and the Virginia Duals (Jan. 7-8). The home opener finally comes on Friday, Jan. 14, as the Keydets welcome the Wolfpack of N.C. State to the Thunderdome, before VMI travels to Charlottesville for an intriguing tri-meet. The Keydets will wrestle not only host Virginia, but will also take on the University of Pennsylvania on Jan. 16. The next dual is a return home to the Thunderdome, as the George Mason Patriots come to Cocke Hall on Jan. 20. They will be followed by The Citadel Bulldogs, who will open VMI’s Southern Conference season on Jan. 28. All told, the Keydets will have three of their five home matches in a two-week span, stretching from Jan. 14 through Jan. 28. SoCon action continues the following Friday, as VMI travels to Davidson (Feb. 4) before participating in the All-Academy Championships, hosted by The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. on Feb. 6. Last year’s All-Academies were incomplete, as Army was unable to travel to the meet due to severe winter weather on the east coast. This year, however, all teams are expected to return for the much-anticipated meet. Three of VMI’s final four duals are Southern Conference matchups, with a trip across the Blue Ridge Mountains to Liberty (Feb. 13) being the lone exception. Appalachian State enters Cocke Hall on Feb. 11, as does UNC Greensboro on Feb. 18. Finally, the Keydets wrap up their regular season in Chattanooga, Tenn., taking on Chattanooga on Feb. 20. The SoCon Championships will be in Boone, N.C. on March 5, while the NCAA Championships, which VMI’s Josh Wine has qualified for two of the previous three seasons, will be held March 17-19 in Philadelphia, Pa.

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- The name recognition associated with the Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling program took another step in the right direction today as head coach Mark Branch announced that two-time NCAA Champion and three-time All-American Chris Pendleton would be joining his coaching staff this coming season. "Chris has an outstanding wrestling pedigree and will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our upper weights," Branch said. "He is one of the best technicians in the country and he has a passion for coaching. He has trained with some of the best wrestlers in the country and has coached some very successful athletes. I know he will do great things with our team." A Lemoore, Calif., product, Pendleton won NCAA titles at 174 pounds in 2004 and 2005 and was a three-time collegiate All-American (2003-05) while competing for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He was a member of the OSU squad from 2001-05 while Branch was the associate head coach for the program. Pendleton defeated future two-time NCAA champion and Dan Hodge Trophy winner Ben Askren of Missouri for both of his titles. He was a leader on three Oklahoma State NCAA championship teams (2003-05), compiled a 118-12 record (91% winning percentage) as a collegian and was a 2006 USA National Team member. He was a two-time Big 12 individual champion, claiming titles in 2003 and 2005. Pendleton also won the 145-pound California State Championship in his senior year at Lemoore High School. Pendleton served as a volunteer assistant coach for OSU in 2009-10. He is the son of Bill Pendleton and Lisa Cervantes. He has two younger brothers, Willy and Jacob. Chris was born January 21, 1982. Pendleton joins Travis Shufelt, in his fifth year, and Ethan Kyle (second year) on Branch's staff for the 2010-11 season. "I believe we are building one of the best programs in the country and doing it with a first-class coaching staff," Branch concluded.

Event: UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas) Date: July 3, 2010 The UFC Monster is the only man on the planet, outside of Brazil, that wagered his hard-earned cash on Fabricio Werdum defeating Fedor Emelianenko as a 5:1 underdog! I also wagered on a submission victory at +635 odds. So, when Werdum locked in a triangle choke and combined it with a vicious armbar, the fight ended in 69 seconds and the "World's Greatest" Heavyweight MMA fighter was dethroned! That now makes Saturday night's heavyweight championship fight between Brock Lesnar (4-1) and Shane Carwin (12-0) a HUGE event, as the winner will be crowned the BEST heavyweight in the world ... and Fedor will soon be a distant memory. The betting public has pounded their action on Shane Carwin. Opening as a -200 favorite (you bet $2 to win $1), Lesnar is now just -150. This fight was originally scheduled for last November, but a near-death bout with verticulitas almost put Brock in his grave. Carwin went on to defeat interim champ Frank Mir … and now the big battle is on. Carwin, for those who haven't heard, has won ALL his fights in the very first round, by both KOs and submissions. The former two-time Division II wrestling champ has been awesome. But Lesnar is a beast. The former Gopher NCAA champ has lightning quick takedowns, and fists like a sledgehammer. And this is how it will end. Carwin will have a few good shots a unloading his arsenal of heavy hands, but once Lesnar gets a hold of Carwin and brings him to the mat, this one will end quickly. A brutal ground-and-pound display will end this affair. Take Lesnar and lay the -150 odds. Middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1 with 2 no contests) was supposed to fight Wanderlei Silva, but an injury to Silva put Chris "The Crippler" Leben (20-6) into the fight as a late replacement. Surprisingly, Leben fought (and won) just two weeks ago, beating Aaron Simpson in a big upset. Akiyama wanted Silva. Leben just wants to fight. I don't believe that Leben will have enough left in the tank to pull this one off. I see value in a better fighter, more rested, with a fighting style that doesn't match up well for Leben. This one will end in the second round with a rear-naked choke submission by Akiyama, the -200 favorite. Welterweights Chris "Lights Out" Lytle (38-17-4) and seasoned veteran Matt Brown (13-8) will go toe-to-toe in a slugfest. These two met three years ago with Lytle winning by submission. Despite nearly 60 fights, Lytle has yet to be submitted! And Brown has yet to be KO'd. Interesting. I see the value in Brown at +190, a decent underdog to get his revenge. Brown by convincing decision. And speaking of revenge, light heavyweight Stephan "American Psycho" Bonnar (14-7) got screwed by a bad referee's decision the last time he fought Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski (23-10-1). An inadvertent head butt by Soszynski caused a bloody stoppage to the fight, and the unaware referee declared Bonnar the loser. The judges didn't even get their say. That made three straight losses for Bonnar, who has fought injuries and the Jon Jones launching, to find himself on the verge of UFC extinction. He needs to win badly. And he will. Why he is a +190 underdog is beyond me. This is my underdog POD. Bonnar will leave it all in the cage, believe me. He will battle and brawl his way to a sweet unanimous decision victory. You can take that to the bank! Rounding out the main card will be an interesting matchup between lightweights George Sotiropoulos (12-3) and Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino (21-4), both submission specialists and both on winning streaks of six and four respectively. There will be no knockout here. Who will get submitted first? Not George. His lanky frame and mastery of the "rubber guard" makes him lethal to all. Pellegrino won't go easy, and his transitioning rolls will be interesting. But in the end, we will most likely see George Jits in a pretzel position with Batman's face turning blue. Sotiropoulus at -170 cashes the ticket here. Now let's take a peek at the undercard. You can see the next two fights FREE on Spike TV. Heavyweight sluggers Brendan "The Hybrid" Schaub (6-1) and Brock Lesnar's training partner, Chris "The Crowbar" Tuchscherer, will stand and strike at each other to see who is the last man standing. I think that man will be the better athlete, Bhrendan Schaub, who will land a stunning first round KO of the slower Crowbar. Overpriced maybe at -300, I still think Schaub is the right side to be on here. Who's Ricardo Romero? He's a 10-1 light heavyweight who has fought all 11 of his fights in Atlantic City for the Ring of Combat group! His opponent, Seth Petruzelli (14-5), is best known for his stunning upset (at the time) of Kimbo Slice. Seth was a last-minute replacement for the legendary Ken Shamrock. Petruzelli won within seconds with a stunning KO victory over the thick-bearded one. I'll roll with the UFC experience here and take Petruzelli as a generous +160 underdog. A second round submission ends this one. Middleweight Goran Reljic was unbeaten at 8-0 when he got injured. After a year off for recovery, he looked lethargic losing to C.B. Dollaway. Kendall "Da Spyder" Grove is an unorthodox, lanky striker with amazing submission skills. With his long-range reach advantage and constant kicks, Grove should be able to keep Reljic at bay. I'm looking for a quick, surprise submission, a triangle choke maybe, to end this. Why the bookies have made Grove a modest +135 underdog is a mystery to me. But I'll grab the value here and hope to cash as predicted. A strong wrestler, middleweight Gerald "Hurricane" Harris (15-2) has never been submitted. His opponent Dave Branch (6-0) is a Renzo Gracie submission student who may not have enough experience to get the job done here. I'll lay the -260 on Harris. Welterweight Forrest "The Meat Clever" Petz (24-7) has been around forever. He even has a win over Dan Hardy on his resume! But that won't be enough to stop up-and-coming Daniel "Ninja" Roberts (9-1), who amazingly fought Anthony Macias this year. Macias is an early UFC pioneer who fought in UFC 4, losing to Dan Severn 16 years ago! This is a matchup of fighters going in opposite directions. The younger, more athletic Roberts will cash here with a jolting first round KO. Lay the -180. Every UFC undercard has two heavyweights stacked face-to-face with haymakers flying. Tonight's qualifier pits undefeated Joe Madsen (5-0) against undefeated Karlos Vemola (7-0). Anything can happen, but Madsen at +150 offers the better value. A first round KO stops it. That's it. Six favorites and five underdogs make up our winning ticket. Let's see how we can do with our fictitious $1000 bankroll. Let's lay $165 to win $110 on Brock Lesnar dominance. Let's lay $100 to win $190 on Stephan Bonnar's survival tour. Let's lay $80 to win $40 on Akiyama over a gassed Leben. Let's lay $102 to win $60 on Sotiropoulus' rubber guard. Let's lay $80 to win $152 on a game Matt Brown to win a decision. Let's lay $90 to win $30 on a Brendan Schaub bridge-jump. Let's lay $40 to win $64 on Petruzelli. Let's lay $80 to win $108 on da "fake" Spyder. (Anderson Silva's the real one.) Let's lay $130 to win $50 on Gerald Harris's ground and pound. Let's lay $ 90 to win $50 on Ninja Roberts. Let's lay $40 to win $60 on a Joe Madsen punch and a hunch. In all, we are risking $997 to win $914. Not bad. Let's leave the three dollars as a tip to the cocktail waitress. And, don't forget to share your profits with your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow's champions are born. Enjoy the fights. I know I will. I'll see you at the winner's window!

Wrestling Fans, we return for the 4th of July weekend special to the Brute Adidas studios of TDR brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Great show this week. Join us starting at 9 AM CST. Join me, 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 In Studio Guests: Sullivan Baccam- Glory Fighting Championships/ Max Fights MMA Star Troy Peterson & Wagener of Impact Pro Wrestling Our guests Include: 9:01 Kent Sesker- Dan Gable Intl Wrestling Inst. and Museum Kent will talk about the the coming weekend of inductions into the Geo. Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame 9:20 Mick Foley- WWE Star, HS Wrestling standout, Will receive the Frank Gotch Award at the Hall of Fame weekend at Geo. Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Hall of Fame 10:01 Stephen Neal- NFL Star for the New England Patriots, Cal Bakersfield Alumn Beat Brock Lesnar for the NCAA Hvy Wt. Title. Recently Neal helped to raise some 900K to benefit the Cal Bakersfield Wrestling program and promises to do even more next year. 10:20 Mark Perry- Cal Poly Asst. Head Coach. With a top 20 Finish last year, a team of eager young studs and a great head coach to work for Perry Joins us to talk about potential Wrestling fans- Episode 64 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings. TDR and TDR TV. Now It's appointment Radio and TV! TDR on Internet: Join us Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com 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 in 6 Midwestern states. Tu- 5PM, Sat 10 AM Time Warner Cable Sports Ch. 813 New York State Sat 12 Noon TDR TV On Internet: Over 31 Different 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!