InterMat Staff

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro has announced that four-time NCAA finalist and 2008 U.S. Olympian Steve Mocco has joined the Mountain Hawks’ coaching staff as a volunteer assistant for the 2010-11 season. Mocco will work as a coach with the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club, a position that allows him to assist Lehigh on a volunteer basis. He will bring his many years of national team experience to a Mountain Hawks program that features All-American Zach Rey and NCAA qualifier Joe Kennedy at the upper weights. “Any time you can to bring an Olympian onto the staff it helps the program,” explained Santoro, who enters his third season as head coach. “Steve comes to Lehigh with great credentials and we feel like that this move helps him and helps us. Santoro continues, “We needed a big body in our room. Steve is a local kid with New Jersey ties. He’s a good coach and we’re pleased to have him here at Lehigh. We’re looking forward to having him work with Zach and Joe and the rest of our upper weights.” One of America’s most accomplished heavyweights at both the folkstyle and freestyle level, Mocco was a five-time finalist at the U.S. Open from 2004-09, winning a national freestyle title in 2009. In 2008, Mocco won the U.S. Olympic Trials and the right to compete at the Beijing Olympics, where he placed seventh in the 120 kg/264.5 lb. weight class. Following the Olympics, Mocco continued his string of successes in 2009, winning the championship at the prestigious Ivan Yarygin Memorial in Russia, just the tenth U.S. wrestler to triumph in the event and the first since 2005. Mocco also won his U.S. Open title in 2009 and added wins at the Alexander Medved International Championships in Belarus plus the Pan American Championships. This past February, Mocco picked up another title at the Cerra Pelado International tournament in Cuba. A native of North Bergen, N.J., Mocco was a four time National Prep Champion, winning two titles for St. Benedict’s and two for Blair Academy. One of the nation’s most sought-after recruits coming out of high school, Mocco began his college career at Iowa, where he placed second nationally as a true freshman and won a national title as a sophomore. Mocco sat out the 2003-04 season after transferring to Oklahoma State, where he helped lead the Cowboys to NCAA team titles in his final two seasons. In 2004-05, Mocco went 36-0 and captured his second national title. Mocco had an 85-match win streak come to an end in 2006, but he still managed to place second nationally, finishing as a four-time NCAA finalist with a 137-6 record and 56 falls. “Steve comes to Lehigh with great credentials,” said Santoro. “His accomplishments have been based on hard work and fundamental skill and he has many of the qualities we were looking for in a volunteer assistant. He is someone I have known personally for a long time. He’s a good fit for Lehigh and I’m glad he’s decided to come back east.” Santoro’s coaching staff for the upcoming season consists of assistant coaches Brad Dillon and John Hughes, plus Mocco. Volunteer assistant coach Jason Kutz will remain close to the team, but will have more time to focus on his role as head coach of the LVAC. Also the owner of a national title in judo, Mocco earned his degree from Oklahoma State in 2006. He and his wife Katie have two sons.

The U.S. World and Olympic Team Trials are the creme de la creme wrestling events in the U.S. for senior level wrestlers. The nation's best freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers battle for two days every summer for the opportunity to represent the U.S. at the World Championships or Olympic Games. All-Americans and NCAA champions are a dime a dozen. For every Trials champion crowned, another eight to ten wrestlers leave with broken hearts. R.C. Johnson (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)In 2009, R.C. Johnson, a Minnesota native who attended Northern Michigan before eventually settling in Colorado, finally broke through to win the Trials and make his first U.S. World Team in Greco-Roman at 96 kg after nearly decade of dedicating his life to the sport. That was last season. This season has been frustrating to say the least for the 27-year-old Johnson. After competing at the 2009 World Championships in September in Herning Denmark, where he lost in the opening round, Johnson took a couple weeks off, and then had surgery on his left shoulder to repair a torn labrum, bicep, and bicep tendons. Shortly after surgery, as soon as the doctor allowed, he had surgery on his right shoulder. The surgeries forced him to miss the entire season of competition. It wasn't until three weeks before this year's U.S. World Team Trials that Johnson was cleared to get back on the mat. With limited training, which mostly involved rehabbing and cutting weight, Johnson entered the U.S. World Team Trials June 11-12 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He cruised to the finals before losing to Justin Ruiz, a 2005 World bronze medalist who retired after falling short of making the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. Ruiz sat out last season (when Johnson made the U.S. World Team), but made the decision to come out of retirement this season. Johnson is now winless in five attempts against Ruiz. So what went though Johnson's head when he heard that Ruiz had come out of retirement? "I thought nothing of it," said Johnson. "It doesn't bother me at all. The way I see it ... I'm the No. 1 guy. All year I was the No. 1 guy, wrestling or not wrestling. I don't care who comes back. I don't care if the past 10 Olympians come back. They've got to take my spot. He took it this year, so OK ... I had three weeks of training ... It happens. Next year it's mine." R.C. Johnson (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)It's hard to doubt someone who has risen from a nobody in the sport in the eyes of many to a U.S. World Team member. Johnson started wrestling in high school and never placed in the state tournament. After graduating from Robinsdale Armstrong High School in 2000, Johnson was set to attend Augsburg College, where he planned to wrestle and play football. That summer, Johnson was encouraged by Minnesota's Greco-Roman coaches to wrestle at the Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. Johnson, who had never competed in a national event, ended up placing eighth in Fargo and soon Northern Michigan's USOEC Greco-Roman program came calling. Johnson was offered a full-ride scholarship and spending money to attend Northern Michigan and join the USOEC Greco-Roman program. "I got a call on Tuesday and I was there on Saturday," recalled Johnson. "I packed up all my stuff in three days. It's kind of funny ... I cancelled my Augsburg classes from Northern Michigan. Augsburg sent me a bill and I was like, 'Yeah, I'm not going there.'" Minnesota native Gordy Morgan, a former Gopher and 1996 Olympian in Greco-Roman, served as the head coach of the USOEC Greco-Roman program in Northern Michigan when Johnson arrived on campus in the fall of 2000. "It worked really well because Gordy Morgan has that Minnesota mentality," said Johnson. "It's just tough, hard-nosed wrestling. It was good for me. It fit my style. About a year and a half later, Ivan Ivanov came ... and he has that really technical style. That was kind of cool because I got the best of both worlds. From there on out, I really started picking up on the wrestling game." Johnson steadily climbed the U.S. ladder in Greco-Roman. By 2005, he had established himself as one of the top five wrestlers in the country at 96 kg. He placed third at the Trials in 2006, 2007, and 2008 before eventually winning the Trials in 2009. R.C. Johnson made the U.S. World Team in 2009 (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)"It was an 'about time' type of thing," said Johnson of making his first U.S. World Team in 2009. "I had been knocking on the door for a while. I had a really good year of training. It was time. I didn't feel like it was a big shock or surprise to me or anything. It was just another tournament, I won it, and I'm moving on to the Worlds." Even though Johnson was one and done at the 2009 World Championships, he is grateful for the experience. "The experience was great," said Johnson. "It's one of those things that very few people get to experience. Obviously, I didn't wrestle very well because I didn't win. Wrestling is fickle like that. If you win, you wrestled well. If you didn't win, you didn't wrestle well." Johnson graduated with a computer science degree from Northern Michigan in 2004. After graduation, he made the decision to move to Colorado to continue his education and pursue his wrestling goals while training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. "Honestly, I wanted to stay in Michigan," said Johnson. "I think the training was a better fit for me at the time. But there wasn't a Ph.D program or even a master's program for me to get into. So I said, 'OK, since I'm going to Colorado, I'll apply to schools in the area that have Ph.D programs' ... I got accepted, so I was in Colorado." He has been there ever since. Johnson is currently working on his dissertation in computer science, which he says he hopes to have completed by next year. "Wrestling really slows that down as far as the time I can actually spend on writing the paper and doing the research," said Johnson, who lists solving complex equations as one of his hobbies. "The professor I work with is really understanding and willing to work with me, so it's great." He's not yet sure what career path he wants to take after he finishes his dissertation. He's thinking of possibly doing research or maybe even teaching. "It's open ended ... I'm young," said Johnson. Justin Ruiz defeated R.C. Johnson to make the 2010 U.S. World Team (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)As for his wrestling career, Johnson plans to compete through 2012. He says that he has no desire to wrestle after that. He has his sights set on making the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team. Chances are the road to the 2012 Olympic Games in London will run through five-time U.S. World Team member Justin Ruiz. Ruiz knows that Johnson is very formidable opponent and someone he can never look past. Said Ruiz of Johnson, "He's strong. He's athletic. He has a really good grip. He's good at hand fighting. He's pretty good at slowing people down and controlling some of those positions on the feet, which makes it harder for some people to score." Johnson's focus, however, is not on Ruiz. "I don't think it's necessarily about getting past Justin Ruiz or getting over the hump," said Johnson. "I've just got to win the tournament. Who knows ... He may get knocked off and then I've got to beat whoever else they put out in front of me. I don't see him as an obstacle at all for me." This story also appears in the June 18 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-- Navy's all-time winningest wrestling coach, Ed Peery, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 75. Peery, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980, compiled a career record of 311-90-14 in his 27 years at the Naval Academy and won eight EIWA Championships. He was named the NCAA Coach of the Year in 1968 and the Eastern Coach of the Year in 1986. He had a career record of 22-2-3 against rival Army. Ed Peery (right) became a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980 (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Peery coach 48 EIWA individual champions and 28 All-Americans, including Dan Muthler, who was the National Champion at 142 pounds in 1973, and John Reich, who is the only three-time All-American in school history (1980-82-83). Peery also had a wrestler in the Olympics as Lloyd Keaser (149.5) won a silver medal in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Tom Shuler was an alternate that same year at 125.5 pounds. Peery's best squad at Navy might have been his 1968 team, which finished fifth at the NCAA Championship. John Kent finished second that year at 152 pounds, while Pete Vanderlofske finished third at 137 pounds. After retiring as a coach at the end of the 1987 season, Peery remained at the Naval Academy serving as a long-time professor in the Physical Education Department. He retired in 1999 after 40 years of service. A native of Stillwater, Okla., Peery attended Shaler High School in Pittsburgh, where his father, Rex, was the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh. He lettered in both football and wrestling, winning two Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association titles in wrestling. The Peery brothers with wrestling photographer Johnnie Johnson at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in 2009 Under his father at Pitt, Peery developed into one of the greatest wrestlers in Panther history. Like his dad and brother, Hugh, Peery was a three-time NCAA Champion, won EIWA crowns at 123 and 130 pounds and was voted Outstanding Wrestler an the Eastern Tournament in 1957. He finished his career at Pitt with a record of 51-1 and was an alternate on the 1956 Olympic team. Following his graduation from Pitt in 1958 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, Peery served for two seasons as freshman coach at his alma mater. He came to the Navy staff as an assistant to Ray Swartz in 1959 and, one year later, took over the head coaching duties when Swartz retired. Peery is survived by his wife, Gretchen, daughter Martie and son Greg. Want to learn more about Ed Peery? Read Mark Palmer's InterMat Rewind profile on Ed Peery. UPDATED SERVICE INFORMATION There will be a service at Grace Presbyterian Church in West River, Maryland on Sunday evening June 20 at 7:00 p.m. This is the church that Ed and Gretchen belong to. The service at the United States Naval Academy Chapel will be on Monday, June 21st, at 2:00 p.m. Additional specific information will be posted when received. Addresses to send cards to family members: Wife: Mrs. Edwin Peery 780 Crandell Rd. West River, MD 20778 Brother: Mr. Hugh Peery 4529 Hermitage Ct. Allison Park, PA 15101 Sister: Mrs. Ann Peery Ritter 2204 Battenkill Ln Gibsonia, PA 15044 Ed Peery Hall of Fame Biography Ed Peery, Distinguished Member, Class Of 1980 His goals as a collegiate wrestler were clear-cut and offered no alternatives. All Ed Peery had to do to keep pace with his father and brother was to win three national championships. Although he won 51 of 52 matches at the University of Pittsburgh, under the coaching of his father, Rex, the championships did not come easily. In all three of his NCAA finals, Ed came from behind to win. The most difficult was his third-and the family's ninth-in his senior year of 1957. He trailed Harmon Leslie of Oklahoma State, 7-4, in the last minute of the finals, only to rally with a takedown and time advantage to send the match into overtime. When the extensions ended in a 2-2 draw, Ed Peery was voted national champion by the judges and wrestling owned a family legend without precedent in the world of sport. Ed Peery was born a few hours before Rex won his third NCAA title for Oklahoma State. He was named for his father's great coach, Ed Gallagher. After a 48-1 career and two state championships at Shaler High School in Glenshaw, Pa., he followed brother Hugh into the Pittsburgh lineup. For six straight years, coach Rex could find an NCAA champion at his own dinner table, Hugh in 1952-53-54, Ed in 1955-56-57. Adding a few open tournaments, Ed's over-all career numbered more than 100 victories. For two decades, Ed was coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, guiding five Eastern team champions, a host of individual winners and nearly 200 dual meet victories. He was national coach of the year in 1969. He was a member of USA Wrestling's national teaching staff. In recognition of his outstanding achievements as an athlete and coach, Edwin Clark Peery is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Brian Antonelli

Les Sigman

Faruk Sahin

Steve Mocco

Pat Santoro

Wrestling fans, this week we return to our Brute adidas studios for another incredible show. Kemin Agrifoods is pleased to present the following TDR lineup: In Studio Guest Hosts - Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) along with Coach Darren Cotton and 14-year-old Kyser McCray from Atlanta, GA Tom Borrelli - Head Coach of Central Michigan Eren Civan - Columbia University Wrestling Bryan Baker - Bellator Fighter, Denver/Parker Colorado, Team Wildman. This interview is sponsored by PunchDrunkgamer.com Kevin Dresser - Head Coach Virginia Tech Brendan Buckley - Soon to be married Head Coach of Columbia University Jim Miller - Head Coach of Wartburg College Wrestling fans - Episode 62 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: 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 Systems Channel 22 in 6 Midwestern states. TDR TV On Internet: Over 30 Different sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks to you for watching and listening!

Jim Raschke, an amateur and professional wrestling star, Waterloo native MarTay Jenkins who played in the National Football League and former Major League Baseball umpire Don Denkinger will be radio show guests this week. All three will be playing in the 11th Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament on Friday, July 9 in Waterloo, IA. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Jim Raschke won a bronze medal in the World Championships in 1963 in Greco-Roman. He won both the freestyle and Greco-Roman National AAU titles in 1964. He participated for many years in professional wrestling under the name Baron von Raschke. MarTay Jenkins grew up in both Waterloo and Des Moines, Iowa where he was an outstanding athlete. He played college football at North Iowa Area Community College and University of Nebraska-Omaha. Jenkins played wide receiver and returned kicks for the Arizona Cardinals from 1999 – 2002. Don Denkinger served 30 years as a Major League Baseball umpire in the American League. He worked the World Series four times and also wrestled for Wartburg College in the 1950s.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- The 2010 U.S. World Team is now set after Saturday night's Session IV at the 2010 U.S. World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Session IV Wrap Session III Wrap Session II Wrap Session I Wrap Final Brackets U.S. World Team Rosters

Jared Frayer University of Wisconsin Sports Information Jared Frayer, assistant coach of the Wisconsin men’s wrestling team, placed second in the freestyle finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs at the 2010 World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Saturday. Frayer, who place first at the 2010 ASICS U.S. Open freestyle at 66 kg/145.5 lbs in April, earned an automatic trip to the World Team Trial’s best-of-3-series where he had to face the winner of Saturday’s Challenge. After two-time NCAA and Big Ten champion Brent Metcalf of Iowa captured first place in Saturday’s Challenge, he advanced to face Frayer in the best-of-3-final-round series at the Mid-America Center. Frayer, representing Gator Wrestling Club, defeated Metcalf (New York AC) 1-0, 1-0 in round one but fell to him 3-0, 3-4, 2-1 and 0-6, 4-0, 2-0 in rounds two and three, respectively. With Saturday’s victory under his belt, Metcalf earned a trip to compete in September’s World Championships in Moscow, Russia. After placing second on Saturday night, Frayer has now earned runner-up accolades at the World Team Trials three times in his career.

Pennsylvania Blue made it a clean sweep at the Schoolboy National Duals held this past weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana at Warren Central High School. Like the freestyle competition, wrestlers from the Keystone State were undefeated in their pool up to the last match -- this time it was with victories over Kansas, Utah, Maryland, Colorado, Michigan 2, and North Carolina. All those matches were won by at least 35 points. The final match of preliminary pool competition saw New Jersey upend Pennsylvania, 38-37. Pennsylvania then proceeded to the championship final with pool victories over Minnesota Gold, 41-32, Wisconsin, 35-35, with a 9-8 advantage in matches won being the tiebreaker, and 47-26 over Indiana Gold. In the other championship pool, it was a three-way tie at 2-1 between New Jersey, Washington, and Missouri. New Jersey beat Washington, 38-34, Missouri beat New Jersey, 43-28, while Washington defeated Missouri 42-34. The tiebreaking process eliminated New Jersey first, as they had the least points in the trio of matches (66 as opposed to 77 for Missouri and 76 for Washington); while Washington advanced to the final due to their head-to-head victory over Missouri. Washington also beat Illinois, 45-30, in championship pool competition, after advancing out of the preliminary pools second to Minnesota Gold with a 5-1 record. Wins in preliminary competition came over Florida (41-39), Indiana Blue, Oklahoma 1, Pennsylvania Red, and Wyoming; with the loss coming 39-38 against Minnesota Gold. Placement Match Results: First Place: Pennsylvania Blue over Washington, 45-24 Third Place: Minnesota Gold over Missouri, 48-29 Fifth Place: Wisconsin over New Jersey, 37-35 Seventh Place: Indiana Gold over Illinois, 44-25 Ninth Place: Florida over Oklahoma 1, 41-29 Undefeated Wrestlers (At Least Seven Contested Matches: 70 pounds: Matthew Schmitt (Missouri) 84 pounds: Ke-Shawn Hayes (Missouri), Tommy Cash (Indiana) 91 pounds: Matthew Kolodzik (Ohio), Mike Kemerer (Pennsylvania) 98 pounds: Colston Diblasi (Missouri) 105 pounds: Isaac Dulgarian (Kansas) 112 pounds: Cody LeCount (Indiana) 120 pounds: Dayton Racer (Missouri), Fox Baldwin (Florida) 136 pounds: Dillon Artiglere (New Jersey), Mason Manville (Virginia), Luke Norland (Iowa) 144 pounds: Ryan Christianson (Washington), Connor Kamczyc (Ohio) 152 pounds: Chandler Rogers (Washington), Greg Kleinsmith (New York), Justan Riveria (Georgia), Hunter Dunn (Michigan1) 175 pounds: Lance Benick (Minnesota Gold), Armani Robinson (Ohio) 190 pounds: Christian Dulaney (Minnesota Gold) 265 pounds: Keyen Broughton (Missouri)

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- Jake Herbert was mere seconds away from not getting an opportunity to wrestle in the World Championships. The 25-year-old Herbert, a returning World silver medalist, not only lost the opening match in a best-of-3 series against Keith Gavin on Saturday night, but he was simply dominated, losing in two straight periods and getting outscored 11-4. With his back against the wall, Herbert needed to win the second match to stay alive. Gavin dominated the first period of the second match, winning 3-0. In the second period, Herbert scored the go-ahead point with seconds remaining on the clock to stay alive. Herbert came back to win the third period, 2-1, to force a third match. In the third and deciding match, Herbert defeated Gavin in two straight periods, 1-0, 1-0, to make his second straight U.S. World Team. "We know each other very well," said Herbert of Gavin. "His game plan was great going into the match. I didn't really get to my game, my stuff, right away. He took it to me that first match. I had to come back and it was a fight to make the team. He wasn't going to make it easy. That's awesome." Herbert will now get his second crack at the World title that eluded him last year when he competes in 2010 World Championships in Moscow, Russia in September. "I'm not satisfied unless I win it," said Herbert of returning to the World Championships. "Once I win it once, I've got to win it again because it's [about] going for the 2012 gold. That's the ultimate goal ... to be the Olympic champion." While Herbert was on the brink of losing, the only other returning World medalist from the U.S. in men's freestyle, Tervel Dlagnev, did fall on Saturday night. Dlagnev, who captured a bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships, lost two matches to zero to longtime rival Les Sigman at 120 kg. Sigman, a four-time NCAA Division II champion at heavyweight for Nebraska-Omaha, won his first U.S. Open title in April with a victory over Dlagnev. Now he becomes a first-time U.S. World Team Trials champion. "All this hard work has paid off," said Sigman, who wrestles for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. "It's great having a lot of fans here, a lot of support." 2010 U.S. World Team Rosters Men's Freestyle: 55 kg: Obe Blanc (Gator WC)* 60 kg: Mike Zadick (Gator WC) 66 kg: Brent Metcalf (New York AC)* 74 kg: Travis Paulson (Sunkist Kids) 84 kg: Jake Herbert (New York AC) 96 kg: J.D. Bergman (New York AC)* 120 kg: Les Sigman (Nittany Lion WC)* Greco-Roman: 55 kg: Spenser Mango (New York AC) 60 kg: Jeremiah Davis (U.S. Army) 66 kg: Faruk Sahin (U.S. Army) 74 kg: Jake Fisher (New York AC)* 84 kg: Jake Clark (U.S. Air Force) 96 kg: Justin Ruiz (New York AC) 120 kg: Dremiel Byers (U.S. Army) Women's Freestyle: 48 kg: Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids)* 51 kg: Jessica Medina (Sunkist Kids) 55 kg: Tatiana Padilla (Sunkist Kids) 59 kg: Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids)* 63 kg: Elena Pirozhkova (Gator WC) 67 kg: Kristie Davis (New York AC) 72 kg: Stephany Lee (Sunkist Kids) *First-Time U.S. World Team MemberIn addition to Sigman, two other U.S. freestyle wrestlers became first-time U.S. World Team Trials champions on Saturday night: Obe Blanc (55 kg) and Brent Metcalf (66 kg). Blanc, a Haiti native, defeated recent college graduate Angel Escobedo in three matches to make his first U.S. World Team at 55 kg. Blanc says being at the 2009 World Championships in Herning, Denmark and not being able to compete motivated him to get on the U.S. World Team this year. "I decided, hey, you can be that guy that watches everyone else or you can be out there yourself," said Blanc. "That has been a big motivator for me, wanting to be that No. 1 guy to show the world that the U.S. has got some guys that want to fight. That's been the highest motivation ... is to go out there and prove to the rest of the world that the U.S. can be competitive." Metcalf, who capped off his collegiate wrestling career at Iowa this past March with his second NCAA title, had to come through the Challenge Tournament on Saturday to get a shot at U.S. Open champion Jared Frayer. The 23-year-old Metcalf dropped the opening match to Frayer, but came back to win the final two matches (both in three periods) to make his first U.S. World Team. "I'm excited just because this is the peak," said Metcalf. "This is the top. This is where you aim for since you were a child. Maybe the Olympics is another step higher. But this where you want to be. This is where I've wanted to be since the national tournament ended. That day this is where I wanted to be. That's been my focus. Beating a guy who I've had problems with in the past, you can feel good about that too." All three Greco-Roman champions crowned on Saturday night are past U.S. World Team members: Jeremiah Davis (60 kg), Faruk Sahin (66 kg), and Justin Ruiz (96 kg). Davis, who made his first U.S. World Team last year, defeated U.S. Army teammate Nathan Piasecki to win the title at 60 kg. Sahin, like Davis, had to defeat a U.S. Army teammate to make his second U.S. World Team. Sahin, a native of Turkey who came to the U.S. in 2000 and became a U.S. citizen in 2004, defeated Glenn Garrison in three matches. Ruiz, a World bronze medalist in 2005, made his fifth U.S. World Team by beating 2009 U.S. World Team member R.C. Johnson in two matches. The 30-year-old Ruiz retired after falling short of making the U.S. Olympic Team in 2008, but came out retirement this season. "I think stepping away from it made me appreciate it that much more," said Ruiz. "Before it was always something I had done for so many years and that was the only thing. I guess getting away and into real life for a while made me realize that even though wrestling practice is hard and stuff, it's a lot of fun. I like to travel. I love to compete. So I think that's the biggest thing ... Just stepping away gave me more perspective on what it is that I really want to do with this." In the women's competition, Alyssa Lampe knocked off 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun to make the U.S. World Team at 48 kg. "It feels great," said Lampe, a University Nationals and New York AC International champion this season. "I feel like a whole bunch of pressure has been relieved. I've lost to her every time we've wrestled. Just coming runner-up every time, it's finally a big relief to actually beat her." Tatiana Padilla, a 2008 World bronze medalist, dropped the opening match to Helen Maroulis at 55 kg, but came back to win the final two matches and make her third straight U.S. World Team. Elena Pirozhkova, a 2008 University World champion, also made her third straight U.S. World Team by defeating Veronica Carlson at 63 kg. The 2010 World Championships are set to take place September 6 to September 12 in Moscow, Russia. Saturday's Best-of-3 Finals Results Freestyle 55 kg: Obe Blanc (Gator WC) def. Angel Escobedo (New York AC), 2 matches to 1 Blanc dec. Escobedo, 1-0, 2-0 Escobedo dec. Blanc, 1-0, 1-1 Blanc dec. Escobedo, 1-0, 4-0 66 kg: Brent Metcalf (New York AC) def. Jared Frayer (Gator WC), 2 matches to 1 Frayer dec. Metcalf, 1-0, 1-0 Metcalf dec. Frayer, 3-0,3-4,2-1 Metcalf dec. Frayer, 0-6,4-0,2-0 84 kg: Jake Herbert (New York AC) def. Keith Gavin (Lehigh Valley AC), 2 matches to 1 Gavin dec. Herbert, 4-1, 7-3 Herbert dec. Gavin, 0-3, 3-2, 2-1 Herbert dec. Gavin, 1-0, 1-0 120 kg: Les Sigman (Nittany Lion WC) def. Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 0 Sigman dec. Dlagnev, 1-0, 2-1 Sigman dec. Dlagnev, 3-3, 4-1 Greco-Roman 60 kg: Jeremiah Davis (U.S. Army) def. Nathan Piasecki (U.S. Army), 2 matches to 0 Davis dec. Piasecki, 2-0, 4-1 Davis dec. Piasecki, 2-0, 5-0 66 kg: Faruk Sahin (U.S. Army) def. Glenn Garrison (U.S. Army), 2 matches to 1 Sahin dec. Garrison, 1-0, 3-0 Garrison dec. Sahin, 2-2, 0-1, 4-0 Sahin dec. Garrison, 1-0, 0-1, 2-0 96 kg: Justin Ruiz (New York AC) def. R.C. Johnson (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 0 Ruiz dec. Johnson, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0 Ruiz dec. Johnson, 1-0, 2-0 Women's Freestyle 48 kg: Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids) def. Clarissa Chun (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 1 Chun dec. Lampe, 3-2, 1-0 Lampe dec. Chun, 2-1, 4-1 Lampe dec. Chun, 1-0, 0-1, 3-1 55 kg: Tatiana Padilla (Sunkist Kids) def. Helen Maroulis (New York AC), 2 matches to 1 Maroulis dec. Padilla, 1-0, 1-1 Padilla dec. Maroulis, 0-2,1-0,2-0 Padilla dec. Maroulis, 3-1, 1-0 63 kg: Elena Pirozhkova (Gator WC) def. Veronica Carlson (New York AC), 2 matches to 0 Pirozhkova dec. Carlson, 2-0, 1-0 Pirozhkova dec. Carlson, 3-0, 1-0

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- Session III at the 2010 U.S. World Team Trials at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs may not have brought very many surprises (seven of the 10 top seeds advanced), but it did bring some very impressive performances, like that of 23-year-old Brent Metcalf. In Saturday's Challenge Tournament, Metcalf, who capped off his collegiate wrestling career at Iowa in March with his second NCAA title, took out two-time NCAA champion Teyon Ware in the quarterfinals, 2008 U.S. Olympian Doug Schwab in the semifinals, and top-seeded Josh Churella in the finals to win the Challenge Tournament in men's freestyle at 66 kg. "I wrestled hard and smart," said Metcalf. "I got to my offense and finished. That's the biggest thing. It's going to be the biggest thing tonight ... is getting to my offense and finishing without exposing that front headlock position. I did a good job in all three of those matches of getting in and finishing on my feet and putting the guy to his hip." Metcalf now advances to the best-of-3 finals in Session IV against U.S. Open champion Jared Frayer, who served as a strength and conditioning coach at Iowa last season. "If I'm going to win, I need to get to his legs and score," said Metcalf. "If I'm going to win against him, I need to get to his legs and score up in the air, which is really the right way to finish. You don't want to be hanging down with your head on the mat where he's going to be good." Metcalf wasn't the only recent college graduate to win the Challenge Tournament. Angel Escobedo, who finished his college wrestling career as a four-time All-American at Indiana, went through a tough road in the Challenge Tournament at 55 kg, beating NCAA champion Paul Donahoe in the quarterfinals, high school phenom Logan Stieber in the semifinals, and 2009 U.S. Open champion Nick Simmons in the finals. Escobedo will now face 2010 U.S. Open champion Obe Blanc in the best-of-3 finals for a chance to make his first U.S. World Team. Keith Gavin bounced back from a disappointing fifth-place finish at the U.S. Open to win the Challenge Tournament at 84 kg. Gavin defeated Jordan Holm, Raymond Jordan, and Bryce Hasseman en route to winning the Challenge Tournament title. He will now face World silver medalist Jake Herbert in the best-of-3 finals. World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev stopped 21-year-old rising star Dom Bradley in the finals of the Challenge Tournament in men's freestyle at 120 kg. Bradley defeated 2007 U.S. World Team member Tommy Rowlands in the semifinals, but was shut down in the finals against Dlagnev, who took the match in the first two periods. On the Greco-Roman side, all three top seeds advanced to the best-of-3 finals, including four-time U.S. World Team member and World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz. The 30-year-old Ruiz, who came out of retirement this season, did not surrender a point in his two victories. He will now face a familiar opponent in 2009 U.S. World Team member R.C. Johnson. At 60 kg, Nathan Piasecki will face Jeremiah Davis, while Glenn Garrison is set to battle Faruk Sahin at 66 kg. World champion Clarissa Chun, who missed the U.S. Open, defeated Sara Fulp-Allen to win the Challenge Tournament in women's freestyle at 48 kg. Chun will now face Alyssa Lampe in the best-of-3 finals. Helen Maroulis defeated Leigh Jaynes in the Challenge Tournament finals at 55 kg. Maroulis will now face World bronze medalist Tatiana Padilla in the best-of-3 finals. Veronica Carlson captured the Challenge Tournament title at 63 kg and will face Elena Pirozhkova, a past University World champion, in the best-of-3 finals. Session IV is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. CT. Saturday's Best-of-3 Finals Matchups Men's Freestyle: 55 kg: Obe Blanc (Gator WC) vs. Angel Escobedo (Gator WC) 66 kg: Jared Frayer (Gator WC) vs. Brent Metcalf (New York AC) 84 kg: Jake Herbert (New York AC) vs. Keith Gavin (LVAC) 120 kg: Les Sigman (Nittany Lion WC) vs. Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids) Greco-Roman: 60 kg: Nathan Piasecki (U.S.) vs. Jeremiah Davis (U.S. Army) 66 kg: Glenn Garrison (U.S. Army) vs. Faruk Sahin (U.S. Army) 96 kg: Justin Ruiz (New York AC) vs. R.C. Johnson (Sunkist Kids) Women's Freestyle: 48 kg: Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids) vs. Clarissa Chun (Sunkist Kids) 55 kg: Tatiana Padilla (Sunkist Kids) vs. Helen Maroulis (New York AC) 63 kg: Elena Pirozhkova (Gator WC) vs. Veronica Carlson (New York AC)

Pennsylvania Blue emerged as Schoolboy National Greco-Roman Duals champions on Friday afternoon at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. The youngsters from the Keystone State capped off an outstanding two days with a 42-27 victory over Minnesota Gold in the championship final, which avenged a 58-13 defeat in the preliminary round (though the last six matches of that dual were not contested, plus an additional double forfeit at 265 pounds). The wrestlers from Pennsylvania won their other eight matches mostly in convincing fashion; three in the championship pool (beating Wisconsin, Idaho, and Kansas), and five in preliminary Pool D competition (over Maryland, Washington, Virginia, Utah, and Nebraska). In order to reach the final, Minnesota went 6-0 in the preliminary pool, and then cleared the other championship pool with victories over Florida, New Jersey, and Ohio. Undefeated Wrestlers (At Least Seven Contested Matches: 70: Geoffrey Doback (Florida), Chance Karst (Wyoming) 77: Frank Bruno (Florida), Trent Olson (Wyoming) 84: Ke-Shawn Hayes (Missouri), Dante’ Rodriguez (Nebraska) 105: Seth Gross (Minnesota Gold), Isaac Dulgarian (Kansas) 128: Joey Nelson (Wisconsin), Jared Mestas (Colorado) 136: Dilton Artiglere (New Jersey), Luke Norland (Iowa) 152: Chandler Rogers (Washington) 160: Terrell Fields (Pennsylvania Blue) 175: Christian Dulaney (Minnesota Gold) Placement Match Results: First Place: Pennsylvania Blue over Minnesota Gold, 42-27 Third Place: Wisconsin over Florida, 38-34 Fifth Place: New Jersey over Idaho, 50-21 Seventh Place: Kansas over Ohio, 44-31 Ninth Place: Washington over Missouri, 41-38

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- Travis Paulson remembers the feelings all too well of coming up short of making the U.S. World Team. A year ago, Paulson entered the U.S. World Team Trials in his hometown of Council Bluffs as the favorite at 74 kg after winning the U.S. Open, but fell short of making the 2009 U.S. World Team, losing two tight matches to Dustin Schlatter. "Last year after I lost that second match in the finals, I went over in the corner and cried," said Paulson, who placed third in the 2010 U.S. Open. "I told myself that I'm not going to leave in 2010 feeling that same way. I'm going to leave it all out on the mat, win or lose. I'm not going to the clinch. I'm going to go get it done." That he did. The 27-year-old Paulson, who divides his time between training at Iowa State and the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, defeated U.S. Open champion Andrew Howe in two straight matches to make his first U.S. World Team. Howe defeated both Paulson twins, Travis and Trent, at the U.S. Open. "He kind of took us for a surprise at Nationals just because he hadn't been that successful at Nationals or the Trials the year before, so I kind of overlooked him," said Paulson. "I actually thought I'd have Moza Fay. (Howe)'s a stud. The first time I wrestled him he surprised me. He makes you wrestle the whole time. He has a bright future." Paulson reached the best-of-3-finals match against Howe by beating twin brother Trent in the Challenge Tournament finals in Friday's first session. "Wrestling Trent is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life," said Paulson. "I hope I never have to do it again. He's my toughest competitor and just my best friend." Paulson wasn't the only first-time Trials champion in the freestyle competition. J.D. Bergman, who won his first U.S. Open title earlier this year, earned his first spot on the U.S. World Team with consecutive victories over 2009 U.S. World Team member Jake Varner at 96 kg. Bergman's victories over Varner may have surprised some, but certainly not Bergman. "Varner is just a younger stud for his age group," said Bergman. "I would never expect to lose to Varner, ever." Going into this year, many were hailing Varner as the future of USA Wrestling after he reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 World Championships before his last season of college wrestling at Iowa State. So does it bother Bergman that Varner has been getting all the hype in his weight class? "No, it doesn't bother me," said Bergman. "I don't blame them because a lot of people who aren't into the sport see Varner ... four-time NCAA finalist, two-time national champ. He's a stud ... The guy is awesome. I would never ever expect to lose to Varner or anyone that is my age or younger. " Mike Zadick, a 2006 World silver medalist, made his fourth U.S. World Team in five years by defeating 2009 U.S. World Team member Shawn Bunch two matches to zero at 60 kg in freestyle. It was a hard-fought, seesaw battle where both matches were decided in three periods. "It's a really great feeling," said Zadick of getting back on the U.S. World Team. "Last year sucked. I really felt like this is a good year to win a World title. I mean, Moscow ... right there. It's just great. The training in Iowa City has just been top notch. I've just had a really good last couple weeks too." In the Greco-Roman competition, three of the four champions crowned on Friday night were past U.S. World Team members: Spenser Mango (55 kg), Jake Clark (84 kg), and Dremiel Byers. The other Greco-Roman champion crowned, Jake Fisher (74 kg), became a first-time champion. Mango, who has represented the U.S. at the last three World-level events at 55 kg, defeated 2009 U.S. Open champion Jermaine Hodge two matches to zero with both matches going all three periods. "It means a lot," said Mango to get back on the U.S. World Team. "I'm happy to win this tournament, but now I'm just looking towards Russia, trying to bring home a medal." Clark, who is in his first year with the U.S. Air Force after spending much of his career with the U.S. Marine Corps, picked up consecutive victories over 2009 U.S. World Team member Chas Betts at 84 kg. For Clark, it marks his second time on the U.S. World Team, but first time since 2006. "It's been some bumps in the road," said Clark of the journey from 2006 to 2010. "But everything is falling into place. I've learned to grow up a bit with a lot of different things. I never fully committed myself to the sport. In 2006, I did a bit. But compared to what I'm doing now, it's a whole different world. I like fast food. I like to go out and have a good time every once ... well, maybe more than every once in a while. I'm 30. I can't do that anymore. I've got a small window that I have to attack." In 2006, Clark admitted that he was content just to be on the U.S. World Team. That's not the case this time around. He says that his mentality has completely changed. I'll be honest ... I can't say I was really expecting to be in the Worlds this year," said Clark. "It happened real quick again. But I'm a lot more prepared now. I was expecting to do well here, but being that I've been away from the mat for the last two years, it's something I know is going to take time. Luckily, I'm doing the right things and that's pushing me forward at a faster pace than I really expected." Two-time World champion Dremiel Byers registered two shutout victories over U.S. Army teammate Tim Taylor to make his sixth straight U.S. World or Olympic Team at 120 kg. Fisher, who was third at the 2009 U.S. World Team Trials, defeated surprise finalist Steve Forest two matches to zero to make his first U.S. World Team. In the women's freestyle competition, Kelsey Campbell, who was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the 2010 U.S. Open, made her first U.S. World Team at 59 kg by defeating two-time World fifth-place finisher Deanna Rix. Two-time World champion Kristie Davis (formerly Kristie Marano) won two matches to zero over Erin Clodgo at 67 kg. Jessica Medina was pinned in the first best-of-3 finals match against Amy Whitbeck at 51 kg, but came back to win the final two matches to make her second U.S. World Team. Stephany Lee also made her second U.S. World Team with a two matches to zero victory over 2008 Olympian Ali Bernard at 120 kg. Saturday's Session III is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CT. Friday's Best-of-3 Finals Results Freestyle 60 kg: Mike Zadick (Gator WC) def. Shawn Bunch (Gator WC), 2 matches to 0 Zadick dec. Bunch, 0-2, 2-0, 4-0 Zadick dec. Bunch, 0-1, 7-0, 3-0 74 kg: Travis Paulson (Sunkist Kids) def. Andrew Howe (New York AC), 2 matches to 0 Paulson dec. Howe, 1-0, 1-1 Paulson dec. Howe, 0-1, 1-0, 2-1 96 kg: J.D. Bergman (New York AC) def. Jake Varner (Nittany Lion WC), 2 matches to 0 Bergman dec. Varner, 3-1, 3-2 Bergman dec. Varner, 2-1, 1-1 Greco-Roman 55 kg: Spenser Mango (New York AC) def. Jermaine Hodge (U.S. Army), 2 matches to 0 Mango dec. Hodge, 2-0, 0-1, 1-0 Mango dec. Hodge, 0-2, 3-0, 1-0 74 kg:. Jake Fisher (New York AC) def. Steven Forrest (U.S. Marine Corps), 2 matches to 0 Fisher dec. Forrest, 1-0, 1-0 Fisher dec. Forrest, 0-3, 3-0, 1-0 84 kg: Jake Clark (U.S. Air Force) def. Chas Betts (Minnesota Storm), 2 matches to 0 Clark dec. Betts, 1-0, 2-0 Clark dec. Betts, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0 120 kg: Dremiel Byers (U.S. Army) def. Tim Taylor (U.S. Army), 2 matches to 0 Byers dec. Taylor, 1-0, 1-0 Byers dec. Taylor, 1-0, 1-0 Women's Freestyle 51 kg: Jessica Medina (Sunkist Kids) def. Amy Whitbeck (New York AC), 2 matches to 1 Whitbeck pinned Medina, 0-1, 4-1, 1:33 Medina dec. Whitbeck, 1-0, 2-0 Medina dec. Whitbeck, 1-0, 1-0 59 kg: Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids) def. Deanna Rix (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 1 Rix dec. Campbell, 3-0, 0-1, 1-0 Campbell dec. Rix, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0 Campbell dec. Rix, 1-0, 1-0 67 kg: Kristie Davis (New York AC) def. Erin Clodgo (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 0 Davis dec. Clodgo, 1-0, 3-1 Davis dec. Clodgo, 2-1, 2-0 72 kg: Stephany Lee (Sunkist Kids) def. Ali Bernard (Gator WC), 2 matches to 0 Lee dec. Bernard, 2-1, 2-2, 2-1 Lee dec. Bernard, 1-0, 3-1

Chuck Liddell Chuck David Liddell is an American mixed martial artist and Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo karate, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing. As a professional kick boxer he had a record of 20 wins and only two losses, with 16 wins by way of knockout. He also has a grappling background in collegiate wrestling. He is considered unorthodox striker, due to his relaxed hands-down stance and the angles at which he throws punches. He tends to use his wrestling skills to defend against takedowns. He, along with Tito Ortiz, has the most UFC fights with 22. One other fighter in the UFC ties him, Matt Hughes, for the most wins, 16. He also holds the most KO/TKO wins in the UFC with 10. Along with fellow UFC fighter, Randy Couture, Liddell is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts into the mainstream of American sports and entertainment. On July 10, 2009, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. In 2009 he competed on season nine of Dancing with the Stars.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- Trent Paulson and Travis Paulson never wanted it to be this way, where the two twins would be battling each other for the same spot on the U.S. World Team in freestyle. But after Trent Paulson, who wrestled in the 2009 World Championships at 66 kg, made the decision to move up to 74 kg this year, it was bound to happen eventually. It was only fitting that the two would finally meet in their hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa. The men's freestyle 74 kg weight class was believed to be one of the most competitive weight classes at the Trials. College star Andrew Howe won the U.S. Open in April in impressive fashion, beating both Paulsons along the way, which gives him an automatic berth in the best-of-3 finals. In addition to Howe and the Paulsons, the weight class includes 2008 U.S. Olympian Ben Askren and World Cup team member Mike Poeta. Both Paulsons battled through the Challenge Tournament to reach the finals. Trent Paulson defeated Nick Marable in three periods before scoring a two-period shutout over Poeta in the semifinals. Travis Paulson dominated James Allen in the quarterfinals before toppling Askren in the semifinals. When the Paulsons took the mat in the Challenge Tournament finals, virtually all eyes in the Mid-American Center were focused on the highly-anticipated match between the two former Iowa State wrestlers. After a scoreless first period, the match went to the ball draw and came up blue, which gave Travis Paulson the lock. Travis wasted no time converting the position to a takedown to win the first period 1-0. Trent struck first in the second period with one-point takedown, but Travis came back with a takedown of his own to knot the score at 1-1. Travis then sealed the deal with a double leg takedown in the closing seconds of the second period to seal the deal and advance to the best-of-3 finals against Howe. Three 2008 Olympians fell in Friday's Session I. In addition to Askren, 2008 Olympians Andy Hrovat and T.C. Dantzler lost in the Challenge Tournament semifinals. Hrovat, who was the third seed at 96 kg in men's freestyle, lost in three periods to second-seeded Pat Cummins in the Challenge Tournament semifinals. Cummins was then ousted in two straight periods against top-seeded Jake Varner in the Challenge Tournament finals. Varner, a 2009 U.S. World Team member, will now face J.D. Bergman in the best-of-3 finals. The two faced off in the U.S. Open finals in April, a match dominated by Bergman. Dantzler, who has competed in six World-level events throughout his career, fell in the Challenge Tournament semifinals in Greco-Roman at 84 kg in a hard-fought, three-period match to 2009 U.S. World Team member Chas Betts. The 24-year-old Betts will now face fellow Minnesota native Jake Clark, a 2006 U.S. World Team member, in the best-of-3 finals. Dantzler, after placing fourth in the competition, left his shoes in the center of the mat to signify the end of his competitive wrestling career. The best-of-3 finals at 60 kg in freestyle will be a matchup of familiar foes when 2009 U.S. World Team member Shawn Bunch, who sat out of the Challenge Tournament after winning the U.S. Open, takes on Mike Zadick, who represented the U.S. in three consecutive World-level events from 2006 to 2008. Zadick, a 2006 World silver medalist, defeated Matt Valenti and Coleman Scott to reach the best-of-3 finals. Greco-Roman Olympians Spenser Mango (55 kg) and Dremiel Byers (120 kg) secured spots in the best-of-3 finals. Mango's road to the best-of-3 finals included victories over Mike Pena and Nate Engel. The explosive Mango will now face a Jermaine Hodge in rematch of the U.S. Open finals. Byers, who has won three World-level medals throughout his illustrious career, including a World championship in 2005, did not surrender a point in his two victories. He now faces fellow Army teammate Timothy Taylor in the best-of-3 finals. The best-of-3 finals at 74 kg in Greco-Roman will pit Jake Fisher against Steven Forest. In the women's freestyle competition, only one of the four top seeds in the Challenge Tournament, Amy Whitbeck (51 kg), advanced to the best-of-3 finals. Whitbeck will face Jessica Medina for spot on the U.S. World Team. At 59 kg, Deanna Rix, who has placed fifth in the World Championships twice, advanced to the best-of-3 finals with a victory over Othella Lucas. Rix will now take on Kelsey Campbell for a chance to get back on the U.S. World Team. Kristie Davis wasted little time in the Challenge Tournament finals, pinning 2009 Junior World Team member Christen Paysee with a 27-second pin at 67 kg. Davis, a two-time World champion, will now face Erin Clodgo in the best-of-3 finals. At 120 kg, 2008 Olympian Ali Bernard needed three periods to defeat 2005 World champion Iris Smith and earn a spot in the best-of-3 finals, where she will take on Stephany Lee, a 2008 U.S. World Team member who won the U.S. Open. Session II is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. CT. Friday's Best-of-3 Finals Matchups Men's Freestyle: 60 kg: Shawn Bunch (Gator WC) vs. Mike Zadick (Gator WC) 74 kg: Andrew Howe (New York AC) vs. Travis Paulson (Sunkist Kids) 96 kg: J.D. Bergman (New York AC) vs. Jake Varner (Nittany Lion WC) Greco-Roman: 55 kg: Spenser Mango (New York AC) vs. Jermaine Hodge (U.S. Army) 74 kg: Jake Fisher (New York AC) vs. Steven Forrest (U.S. Marine Corps) 84 kg: Chas Betts (Minnesota Storm) vs. Jake Clark (U.S. Air Force) 120 kg: Dremiel Byers (U.S. Army) vs. Timothy Taylor (U.S. Army) Women's Freestyle: 51 kg: Jessica Medina (Sunkist Kids) vs. Amy Whitbeck (New York AC) 59 kg: Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids) vs. Deanna Rix (Sunkist Kids) 67 kg: Erin Clodgo (Sunkist Kids) vs. Kristie Davis (New York AC) 72 kg: Stephany Lee (Sunkist Kids) vs. Ali Bernard (Gator WC)

AMES, Iowa -- Several former Iowa State wrestlers will be competing Saturday and Sunday in Council Bluffs, Iowa, at the World Team Trials. The competitors will be seeking to qualify for the U.S. world freestyle team that will be competing at the 2010 World Championships, September 6-12 in Moscow, Russia. ISU head coach Kevin Jackson, formerly the head coach of the US freestyle team, is confident about the chances of former Cyclones in the tournament. "I feel good about the guys who have been training here full-time." Jackson said. "They will be ready to perform at a high level at the Trials, we expect those guys to be in pursuit of a spot on the World team." Past ISU national champion and three-time All-American Nate Gallick (2004-07) will be competing in the 60 kg (132 pounds) weight class. Gallick won the title at the New York AC International tournament this year and was a U.S. Open champion in 2007. He has been previously ranked No. 1 in the country at his weight. Taking the mat in the 74 kg (163 pounds) division will be former Cyclone national champion and three-time All-American Trent Paulson (2005-08). The Council Bluffs native won a bronze medal at the 2010 Pan-American Championships. He was the winner of the 2009 Team Trial event last season to become a U.S. World Team member at 66 kg (145.5 pounds). Also competing at the 74 kg weight is Trent's twin brother Travis Paulson. The latter was a U.S. Open champion in 2009 and placed third at the event this season. Travis Paulson was a three-time All-American at ISU (2005-08). The Paulson brothers will be competing in front of their hometown supporters for the second-straight year at the World Team Trials event. Wrestling in the 84 kg (185 pound) class is former Iowa State All-American David Bertolino (2008). He placed third in the U.S. Open this year and competed at the Pan-American Championships. ISU's Jake Varner, a two-time national champion and four-time finalist, will be wrestling in the 96 kg (211.5 pound) bracket. Varner was a 2009 U.S. World Team member after dominating the World Team Trials in 2009. He placed second this year in the U.S. Open after winning the event last season. Jackson stressed the fact that having the best collegiate wrestlers in the Cyclone wrestling room can translate into World and Olympic-medal contention. "Within in our program we have the structure to allow wrestlers to go past being an NCAA champion to reach their lifelong dreams of being the best in the world," Jackson said.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro has announced the addition of 14 student-athletes who will join the Mountain Hawks wrestling program in the fall. The Mountain Hawks lost 12 seniors to graduation, so Santoro has brought in a large class to reestablish depth within Lehigh’s wrestling room. In addition to its large size, this incoming class is large on talent as six members of the incoming class combined to win a total of ten state championships. “I really like this class,” said Santoro. “We’ve filled our needs and added a lot of depth. This is a competitive group of guys that wrestles hard. They all wrestle an aggressive style, which we were looking for. Santoro continues, “This incoming class is focused. They’re committed to winning and being successful on the mat and in the classroom. They have the balance that we’re looking for in a class so we’re very excited.” The graduation of co-captains Matt Fisk and Seth Ciasulli has left a void in the lightweights, one that may be filled with the arrivals of Frank Cagnina and Stephen Dutton. Cagnina is a three-time state champion from Queen of Peace High School in New Jersey. With a 162-4 career high school mark, Cagnina broke the state record for career victories. Cagnina won his first state title at 103 as a freshman and then captured titles at 125 and 130 his final two years, going 82-0 in the process. In addition Cagnina, who projects at 133 for Lehigh, was a two-time Super 32 finalist, winning a title in 2009. He is ranked second in his weight class and 20th nationally by InterMat wrestling. Dutton, a projected 141-pounder, won a pair of state titles for Rocky Point High School in New York. He surpassed Jesse Jantzen’s all-time career win mark for Long Island wrestlers by finishing 227-12 in his six-year varsity career. Dutton placed second in the state as a freshman and third as a sophomore before winning his last 95 bouts en route to back-to-back state titles. He was a Super 32 and NHSCA Junior National runner-up and ranks 62nd among seniors nationally according to InterMat and No. 4 at 140 by the Amateur Wrestling News. Joining Cagnina and Dutton as multi-time state champions is Eric Hess from Benton High School in Pennsylvania. Hess amassed a 155-14 career record and won AA state titles in each of his final two seasons, while placing second as a sophomore. He posted a pair of top-three finishes at the Powerade tournament and placed at the NHSCA sophomore and junior nationals. Early in his senior season, Hess placed in a pair of college open tournaments, taking third at the East Stroudsburg Open and sixth at the Nittany Lion Open. Hess projects at 157 or 165 but will defer his enrollment to Lehigh while battling Hodgkins Disease. Coming to Lehigh from Boulder, Colorado, Max Wessell was the Outstanding Wrestler at the state tournament after capping off a 41-0 senior season with a state title at 189. Wessell placed sixth in Colorado in 2009 and projects at 197 or heavyweight for the Mountain Hawks. He is also accomplished in judo where he is ranked first nationally by USA Judo in the Under-18 division at 178 lbs. Anthony Salupo comes to Lehigh from national power St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. Salupo was a three-time Ohio place winner including a second place finish this past season. He also placed third as a junior and fifth as a sophomore. Salupo twice placed at the Walsh Ironman tournament and took fifth at NHSCA Junior Nationals. Ranked No. 15 at 145 by InterMat, Salupo projects at 149 for the Mountain Hawks. The second of three incoming grapplers from Pennsylvania, Shane Stark comes to Lehigh from Lake Lehman High School. Stark, who projects at 174, went 38-6 as a senior and placed third at 171 in the state AA tournament. A two-time state qualifier, Stark also placed fourth and eighth in Cadet and Junior National Greco-Roman competition. The rest of Lehigh’s focused predominantly on adding depth to the lower weights. Santoro has brought in projected 125-pounders Victor Peters and Simon Wong. Peters is a state champion and two-time finalist and New England runner-up for Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, New Hampshire. Wong comes from Brooklyn Tech in New York where he won the PSAL Holiday Championship and placed second at the PSAL Championships. Cal Stack comes to Lehigh from Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, N.J. Stack posted a 24-7 record as a senior and took second in his region. He projects at 133 or 141. Santoro brought in two lower weights who spent time at Blair Academy. Scott Collins spent three years at Texas power Bishop Lynch, winning a state title in 2008 before two seasons, including a post graduate year at Blair. Collins projects at 133 for Lehigh. Dominic Maurillo competed for Nutley High School in New Jersey, winning a district title and finishing second regionally before taking a post-grad year at Blair. Maurillo could figure in at 141 or 149. Hailing from Jim Thorpe High School in Pennsylvania is Dillon Smith. His high school’s all-time leader in wins with 141, Smith went 35-12 at 145 as a senior and earned District XI Scholar-Athlete honors. “We’ve brought in some outstanding wrestlers from all over, but it’s also important to bring in some local kids and add a local flavor to the program,” explained Santoro, who enters his third season as head coach. “We’re always looking for the right kids for Lehigh but we’re also interested in keeping kids close to home. It’s always nice to have District XI kids in our program.” From St. Albans Prep in Virginia comes Jake Schaufeld, who projects at 149 or 157. Schaufeld qualified for the National Prep Wrestling Championships in 2009, but missed last year’s tournament with an injury. He also captured a title at the Army Strong D.C. Wrestling Classic in 2009. Rounding out the incoming class is heavyweight Tim Granata from the Hopkins School in New Haven, Conn. Granata was a two-time National Prep qualifier posting a 3-2 record in both the 2009 and 2010 preps. “It’s a nice sized class,” said Santoro. “As a group they’re focused and driven and committed to winning. They all aspire to be national champions, which is something we want to see in our program. It’s our job to help them excel at the highest level.” The Mountain Hawks return six starters for the 2010-11 season, including four NCAA qualifiers, led by All-American heavyweight Zach Rey. Name Hometown/High School Proj. Wt. College Frank Cagnina Hillsdale, N.J./Queen of Peace 133 Business Scott Collins Dallas, Texas/Bishop Lynch (Blair Academy) 133 Arts and Sciences Stephen Dutton Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point 141 Engineering Tim Granata New Haven, Conn./The Hopkins School 285 Business Eric Hess Benton, Pa./Benton 157/165 Business Dominic Maurillo Nutley, N.J./Queen of Peace (Blair Academy) 141 Business Victor Peters Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet 125 Arts and Sciences Anthony Salupo Lakewood, Ohio/St. Edward 149 Engineering Jake Schaufeld Lovettesville, Va./St. Albans Prep 149/157 Arts and Sciences Dillon Smith Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe 149 Business Cal Stack Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional 133/141 Arts and Sciences Shane Stark Dallas, Pa./Lake Lehman 174 Arts and Sciences Max Wessell Boulder, Colo./Boulder 197/285 Business Simon Wong Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooklyn Tech 125 Arts and Sciences

Minnesota seniors Jayson Ness (wrestling) and Heather Dorniden (cross country, track and field) have been named Minnesota’s representatives for this year’s Big Ten Medal of Honor award – given annually to the top male and female student-athletes at each conference institution. The Big Ten Medal of Honor was established in 1914, when the conference endowed an award to honor a student in the graduating class of each university that demonstrated proficiency in scholarship and athletics. The Medal of Honor was expanded in 1982 to include a senior female athlete from each institution. It is the highest award bestowed on a student-athlete in the Big Ten Conference. Ness (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS) capped off an impressive collegiate career by posting a perfect 31-0 record in 2009-10 and capturing his first national championship at 133 pounds. A four-time All-American, Ness tallied a career record of 148-15 with 73 falls and won Big Ten titles at 125 pounds as a redshirt freshman in 2006-07 and at 133 points as a senior. He also recorded a second-place finish at both the Big Ten tournament and the national tournament as a sophomore. Academically, Ness was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I All-Academic Team twice during his career along with a pair of Academic All-Big Ten honors. He also earned the Golden Gopher Academic Award for the 2008-2009 season. “The beauty of Jayson Ness is that as a third grader he decided he wanted to be a Gopher. He dreamed about it for years, and he ended up being able to live his dream,” Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson said. “Jayson is a young man that comes in and does everything he’s supposed to do. He does it the right way. He takes care of school, he takes care of his social life and at the same time he is an incredibly hard worker and just a great human being.”

Wrestling Fans this week we take the Brute adidas studios on the road to Council Bluffs Iowa for the 2010 World Team Trials. Kemin Agrifoods is proud to present this special broadcast. Who will rise above their college marks and win a spot on the World Team and contest on behalf of Team USA? You should be there at the Mid America Center. Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Ryan Freeman and guests as we bring to you the flavor of this important event. TDR Radio/Video Program Show- 9 to 11 AM CST Takedownradio.com, AM 1460 KXNO, Supertalk 1570, Livesportsvideo.com Live Event Sessions may be watched on TheMat.com Friday Session 1 9:00 AM Session 2 5:00 PM Saturday Session 3 9:00 AM Session 4 5:00 PM Wrestling fans- Episode 61 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: 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 Systems Channel 22 in 6 Midwestern states. TDR TV On Internet: Over 30 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!

Rich Franklin Rich Franklin is an Ultimate Fighting star and former middleweight champion. He is noted for his flexibility and rounded ability with different fighting styles. He developed his ju-jitsu skills further under acclaimed coach Jorge Gurgel, eventually becoming a brown belt, and moved to his facilities to train under Muay Thai instructor Neal Rowe and boxing instructor Rob Radford. Thus equipped, he began to participate in UFC fights, making a name for himself by defeating the likes of Evan Tanner, Jorge Rivera and Ken Shamrock. Though possessed of good grappling skills, he preferred to finish fights by going for a knockout, taking advantage of his talent for making swift strikes. In 2005, another victory over Tanner made him UFC Middleweight Champion. He subsequently defended the title against Nate Quarry and David 'The Crow' Loiseau before losing it to Anderson Silva.

Gray Maynard Former Michigan State wrestling standout Gray Maynard Talks to TDR. Maynard's next fight will be at UFC 118 with Kenny Florian on August 28, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston. The "Bully" is looking forward to it. Maynard told us, "It will be a great fight and awesome card. "Training camp hasn’t started for my fight on Aug 28, but I’m in the gym year round. I usually start my camp 8-10 weeks before my fight. I’ve got a lot of requests for more training blog and videos, so I’ll keep it updated the best I can. Let me know what else you want to see or hear about. Also thank you to everyone for your continued support." Please check out Maynard's Web site at www.graymaynard.com.