InterMat Staff

Like most successful and ambitious individuals, Jack Clark is focused. He is especially focused when you consider that he is only 14 years old. Jack ClarkHe admits without hesitation that he much prefers freestyle to folkstyle wrestling, he's willing to leave his home state to board at a high school with the right mix of academics and athletics, and though its early, he's very intrigued by all that Northwestern has to offer (among others). Clark, the No. 3 overall recruit in the class of 2014 (according to InterMat), has been racking up tournament titles since 2003. He's a seven-time New Jersey junior state champion, a three-time Tulsa Nationals winner, and a freestyle national champion at 112 pounds in 2009. His latest triumph was a FILA Cadet freestyle national title at 119 pounds. Like many special young wrestlers across the nation, he is serious about his success in this sport. He even went so far as to take up gymnastics in order to improve his wrestling flexibility. Last week, he landed wrong and bent his lower back while attempting a back flip. The wise thing to do would have been to ice it up and get some rest while it healed. Wisdom usually comes with age, however, so Clark hid the injury and wrestled through the pain. After he hit a wall during a drill, his back went into spasms, and now he awaits the results of an MRI to determine the full extent of his injury. Jack Clark won the 2010 War at the Shore title at 121 pounds in the high school divisionThat injury will force him to miss at least the Cadet National Duals last this month, and could keep him out of Pan-Am's in Brazil and Fargo. "It's tough just because I didn't tell anyone," Jack laments. "If I did, I'd probably be fine now and have gotten rest." Jack started wrestling almost by accident. His dad, John, had wrestled some in high school, but it wasn't until his buddies from football started wrestling at age 6 that Jack wanted to, as well. Unlike many of his buddies, however, Jack took to it immediately, and by age 10, he decided to quit football and everything else to focus solely on wrestling. After participating in junior duals for several years at McDonough School in Owings Mills, Maryland, Jack started thinking seriously about crossing state lines to attend the school back in seventh grade. He liked the team, its facilities and the strong academics and environment that the vaunted prep school offered. Clark visited Blair Academy, but liked the fact that he could board at McDonough during the week and return home on the weekends to see his family. Plus, the school is much closer to his home in the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia. "I realized it's great for academics and that I can get into good colleges by going there," Jack says. "I really liked shadowing there ... The kids on the team were really nice. I want to help build their program back up." Jack Clark"He should be fine (in high school)," says his coach at RAW 241, former three-time Division III All-American Johnny Johnson. "Most of the guys he works out with now are high school kids and national names (like two-time defending New Jersey state champion Robert Deutsch of Eastern), so he's not going to have any fear. Anything that he goes into, he's coming home with a medal and he'll be on the podium." A wrestling junkie, Jack studies videos online to try and pick up tips. While his favorite wrestler is former Olympian Cary Kolat, he also consumes freestyle videos of the Russians and Iranians. His favorite collegians include NCAA All-American wrestlers like Reece Humphrey (Ohio State), and Franklyn Gomez (Michigan State). "They're good on their feet, always moving -- always on the offense," Jack says. "I try to imitate them and wrestle just like them." He freely admits to preferring freestyle to folkstyle, and says he has Olympic ambitions in the style after college. "I like freestyle the best," Jack says. "It's more open, there are less rules ... I like locking hands, going for throws more, you have to finish your shot -- it's much more exciting." It's one of many reasons that Jack dreams of attending Northwestern -- a school with solid wrestling and academic credentials, and one with proximity to Chicago and the Overtime School of Wrestling. Jack Clark attempts a throw at the 2010 New Jersey state freestyle tournamentThat, however, is well in the future. And Jack knows he still need to prove himself on the high school level if he ever wants to get that shot. "He's been a great student, everything about him is consistent," Johnson says of Jack, who expects to wrestle between 145 pounds 152 pounds by his senior year of high school. "He's just the type of kid that responds to training with older, more mature athletes. He challenges himself in the room, always been that. Great bounce back ability." You need that kind of resiliency when you're practicing at a club in a state that is loaded with wrestling talent. That kind of daily workout can only accelerate your proficiency in the sport. "(Growing up in New Jersey) was [key] just from a competitive perspective," John Clark says. "First, having to face tough competition daily in New Jersey just pushed him to work harder. Secondly, the coaching that we have here (Clark worked with Johnson three-four times a week), and third, the kids in the practice room -- like Deutsch and St. Mark's Sean Boylan -- have been essential to his development."

St Peter Chanel junior Cody Walters became the first wrestler to give his verbal commitment to wrestle at Ohio University from his class. A three-time state qualifier at 152 pounds and two-time state placewinner for the Firebirds, Walters jumped on the opportunity to join the Bobcats knowing he was a wanted a man. “I got letters from a lot of different schools and when you are a junior some of them are serious and some of them are just sent to get their foot in the door,” offered Walters when speaking of making an early decision. “When it came to Ohio University I knew that they wanted me from the start and that means a lot when you are making the decision.” Walters selected the Bobcats from a list that included Cleveland State and Kent State in Ohio and out-of-state schools Duke, Cornell, North Carolina, Boise State, Purdue, and Appalachian State. “I feel that Ohio wrestlers should go to Ohio colleges and for me there was not a better school than Ohio University,” stated Walters when asked about staying in-state for college. “I realize that not every great Ohio wrestler is going to school at an Ohio college but it means something to have some state pride and it had a lot to do with my decision. If the best wrestlers in Ohio every year went to an Ohio college, the top ten at the NCAA Tournament would look a lot different.” When asked what pushed the Ohio University to the top of his list Walters was quick to respond. “Academically, Ohio is a great school and they have a great reputation for what I want to major in. At the same time I think you can say that Athens, Ohio is a pretty unique place to go to school between the campus, the city, and the country,” said Walters when speaking of the school. “When it comes to their wrestling program they are improving every year as a team, the individual wrestlers are getting better, and the coaching staff really cares about their wrestlers. They are building a winning tradition and that is something I want to be a part of. I think having Darren Boing there, a former teammate, really helped because you get to know what the program is all about from someone you know and trust that is on the inside.” Walters has a lot of goals and a potential move up to 160 pounds for his senior year. He wants to improve his 3.4 GPA, will play football in the fall, and is expected to sign his National Letter of Intent to wrestle at Ohio University in November. Cody plans on wrestling at Senior Nationals next spring and will move to Athens late next summer to prepare for school in the fall of 2011. He is expected to redshirt his first year on campus at OU and projects as a 157 or 165 for the Bobcats. “It was a big decision to make where you are going to spend the next five years of your life so I have to thank my parents and sister for helping me make the choice. We have a close family and I don’t know what I would do without them. My high school head coach Graham Coghill and Anthony Ralph have meant as much to my wrestling as they have to my life off the mat. Coach Greenlee has been great and I think I made a good decision, I am excited to be headed to Ohio,” concluded Walters. Wrestling with Cody Walters For Cody a scholarship at Ohio University was a welcome reward for twelve years of hard work and an up-and-down ending to the 2009-2010 season. After placing seventh at state as a freshman and third as a sophomore, he was not allowed to wrestle at the 2010 Ohio State Tournament because the doctor present at weigh-ins misdiagnosed a skin condition. “I don’t think not being able to wrestle at state affected the way that college coaches viewed me but it hurt a lot personally and it hurt our team,” said Walters when speaking of how a doctor’s decision affected him. “This year we had ten state qualifiers and we were in a good position to have one of our best years ever.” Aware of a potential issue at state he was cleared by multiple doctors and tests at the Cleveland Clinic prior to traveling to Columbus. Follow up tests after the tournament confirmed the original doctors’ diagnosis that he should have been allowed to compete. “Being told you can’t wrestle was like getting punched in the gut. When it comes to state you dream about it, you put in the time, your teammates are working just as hard, and then when you don’t get a chance to make it happen… what can you say? I felt like I let my team down and there was nothing I could do about it. I can’t go back now but I can make sure that I am ready to wrestle for the title next year.” Walters did not sit around feeling sorry about a lost opportunity at the state tournament. Instead he went back to work and placed second at the 2010 NHSCA Junior Nationals three weeks later. “Wrestling at Junior Nationals helped to refocus me. Placing second motivated me to work even harder this summer. When you get to the national finals and finish second you want to come back and work on the things that will make you number one.” Walters has shown steady improvement each year in high school while taking time off to play football in the fall. Wrestling at 152 all three years he was 36-14 as a freshman, 48-6 as a sophomore, and was 41-2 as a junior. Last summer he went 11-0 at the Disney Duals and he went 2-2 in Fargo losing to the eventual champion and eighth place finisher his last two matches. “Wrestling in the summer is important but I think it is good to change things up too. At our school a lot of people play two or three sports so I wrestle and play fullback and middle linebacker. A lot of the wrestlers do both and I love being part of the team ,” offered Walters. “It means a lot to be a part of the tradition here at Chanel whether it is in wrestling or in football.” When if anything changed by making an early verbal commitment Walters reported it was business as usual. “I don’t think much has changed for me by making an early decision. I have a lot of things to work on and improve on before I get to college. Picking a school doesn’t change that so the goals next year aren’t really any different than they were this year. The only thing new is I want to pass all my skin checks, but I still want to win a state title, win a team title, and then win (Senior) Nationals.” InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/37565

Quentin Wright

Bill Scherr

Matt Valenti

Kevin Jackson

Stephen Quadros

In a 24-hour day, Andrew Hipps eats, sleeps ... and stares at a computer screen. "I'm probably online about 12-14 hours a day," laughed Hipps, the publisher of the Internet news source, InterMat. Hipps actually does more than uses his eyes when it comes to doing his job. The native of Chaska, Minn., also uses his fingers to call those who make national wrestling headlines. Those stories are then posted on the well-known website that Hipps and his brothers purchased from the National Wrestling Coaches Association a year ago. And if there is a national event happening, one will find Hipps or one of his six writers bringing these moments to the countless numbers who type in www.intermatwrestle.com on their computers. "It's a 24-7 job," said Hipps. "(The website) always has to have fresh content on it, which I enjoy because I love breaking stories. I'm passionate about what I do." And that passion is just one reason why Hipps was named Journalist of the Year by WIN for this past year. "The thing I appreciate so much about Andrew and InterMat is that he actually goes to the events to give the wrestling community an on-site report. This takes event coverage to another level. It requires a ton more work than writing a story remotely and it can be costly. It's obvious he loves the sport and what he's doing," said Bryan Van Kley, WIN publisher. In an era when internet sites and blogs continually come out at an increasing rate, Hipps believes InterMat continues to offer something special to readers. "I like to think it's the quality of writing," he said. "Anybody can start a blog. It's hard to put in words. When you read an article, you can tell the difference. To be honest, I just love telling the story. There are so many stories in wresting and so many that need to be told." Hipps said he experienced moderate success as a former high school wrestler in the Minneapolis suburb, but was "always thirsty for wrestling," beginning in 1996 when he attended NCAA Division I national tournament as a high school freshman. "After that I was hooked on the sport," said Hipps, whose participation in wrestling ended once he started college at Iowa State, but not his interest. "I loved my experiences there and my love for the sport continued to grow. I developed a lot of friendships with a lot of the wrestlers." Hipps was also one of the first people who understood and used the internet as a news source. "Back then, the internet was basically new and hard to get information on the sport," Andrew said. "I'd search the internet with a dial-up connection back then." Hipps' interest in the internet also led to his first job: working for TheWrestlingMall.com in 2004. "I worked with Matt Krumrie (once the editor of the former website based in the Twin Cities)," Andrew recalled. "He was the one who believed in me. I had a great experience working for Matt. I still go to him for guidance. He was a great mentor for me and was part of the reason I started up my own venture." That venture was a new website called RevWrestling.com. Andrew and his older brothers, Jeremy and Jon, used their love for wrestling and publishing skills to create the site in 2005. "I wanted creative freedom," said Andrew. "We all brought a unique skill-set to the table. It's been a great experience." And after four years, the Hipps brothers took on an even bigger challenge: purchase and run InterMat, which was started by Tom Owens in 1995 and eventually run by the NWCA until the spring of 2009. "(NWCA executive director) Mike Moyer called me and wanted to get out of the wrestling news source," Andrew said. "They liked what we were doing and made an offer to us." Since then Andrew increased the size of his editorial staff and covers all facets of wrestling on the high school, college and international level, while also focusing on the growth of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). But the biggest challenge for InterMat is keeping up with recruiting commitments in an editorial era where the demands are never-ending. "People want the news now," Andrew said. "It's important to have different writers who know different aspects of the sport. When a kid commits to a college, within 20 minutes, I'm writing a story and publishing it on InterMat. "Every day is different and I never know what each day is going to bring. There are so many different personalities in the sport. I'm so proud of our writers, who carry the site. I am so blessed to have such a great group of writers." Andrew, who posts all the information on InterMat, knows that enjoying a week-long vacation is impossible now. But the demands of the job are minimal after seeing his life-long best friend, Justin Kukowski, die from brain cancer in 2007. "I remember him saying, 'Life is too short not to do something you love,' " Andrew said. "His words have always stuck with me and I don't take anything for granted. Him dying certainly has put my life into perspective. I don't get stressed as much." Andrew said he tries to put as much passion into his job as wrestlers do in their sport, especially those from not-so- well-known teams. "One moment that sticks out in my mind happened in 2009 when I covered the national junior college tournament in Rochester, Minn.," he said. "That was an incredible experience for me. I had never been to the event before and was amazed with the passion that these guys had and how much it meant to them to win a national title. "I remember interviewing Jeremy McCoy of Ellsworth who had won the national title at 141 pounds. He just lost it emotionally after winning the championship. It showed me how much it meant to him. No one had taken much interest in him during his career. Andrew said amateur wrestling needs to copy the publicity page used by the MMA in their rise to success. "I want our writers to dig deeper more than what is on the surface," Andrew said. "Anybody can look at results or what they've accomplished in the sport. I want our writers to find out what people don't know. "I get excited about writing the in-depth profile where you interview six to eight people like a wrestler's grandfather or brother, who don't necessarily get interviewed a lot and they have insight on that wrestler."

Wrestling fans Thursday we'll drive down to Stillwater, Ok and be back in our home based Brute adidas studios for the show. Each week Kemin Agrifoods proudly presents America's Wrestling Radio program. This week is special for sure: Joining me in studio: Cyon Williams (ISU) Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) Our guests Include: Steve Garland- University of Virginia Head Coach Jim Andrassy- Kent State University Head Coach Tony Robie- Virginia Tech Asst Head Coach John Azevedo- Cal Poly Head Coach Ricky Lundell- University of Grappling Head Coach Jon Moeller- University of Northern Iowa Super Fan Wrestling fans- Episode 60 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!

Mike Mendoza T.J. Kerr

CSUB President Dr. Horace Mitchell announced Tuesday that, thanks to a successful and aggressive fundraising effort, the four Roadrunner sports previously discontinued - wrestling, tennis, men's golf & women's golf -- have been reinstated for the 2010-11 academic year. The teams will need to continue to raise funds necessary to sustain their program beyond the coming academic year. In effect, each of the four reinstated programs will be self-sustaining, with no University dollars used to fund their operations. The full text of President Mitchell's statement follows. Budget Context Like most other agencies, institutions and entities that depend on support from the State of California, there continues to be significant uncertainty about funding for the CSU System and for CSUB for 2010-11 and beyond, as the Governor and legislature must make difficult decisions to close a $20 billion budget gap. Since I announced in February the CSUB plan to address this budget situation, there has been almost no action taken by the State, so the challenges remain (see the Feb. 11, 2010 press release). Last week a delegation of University and community leaders went to Sacramento and met with our local senators and assembly members and their staffs to continue to advocate for their support of the Governor's proposed restoration of $365 million of "one-time" funds taken from the CSU budget as part of an overall $625 million reduction for this year. If we do not receive some of this proposed funding from the State, CSUB will be required to reduce our enrollment for next year by almost 700 students, and layoffs and program reductions will have a negative impact on the quality of our academic programs. Priority-Academic Programs While sports tend to receive more media attention, I want to re-emphasize that our first priority is always our academic programs. I urge all of our supporters to contact your legislators to advocate for their support of the Governor's proposed funding for CSU. CSU produces the highly-skilled graduates workforce that is necessary to fuel California's economic recovery and development. A recent statewide economic impact study shows that state support for CSU is an investment with a return of $5.63 for each dollar invested. Athletics Program Now, let me address our athletics program. When we made the decision to transition to NCAA Division I five years ago, we could not have anticipated the downturn in the state and national economies. The resources available to support our athletics programs have been negatively impacted by (1) reductions in state support; (2) increases in costs due to State University Fee increases which have increased the cost of athletics scholarships; and (3) loss of student fee income due to constraints, and proposed reductions in student enrollment. Fund raising to support all of our athletics programs now and in the future is critical to our success in Division I. We will complete the transition to Division I at the end of this month. Many people have noted that there have been two fundraising efforts going on simultaneously over the past three months. One is the annual Roadrunner Club campaign to raise funds for scholarships. The second is the "Save the Sports" effort to raise funds to support the four sports which I stated last February would be discontinued at the end of this academic year due to inadequate funding: wrestling, men's and women's golf, and women's tennis. The Roadrunner Club campaign has been very successful and has added many new members. I am confident that they will reach their goal of $500,000 with a planned mini campaign in the fall. The "Save the Sports" effort has generated significant community support and also garnered new donors. The great effort and enthusiasm have resulted in total fund raising of just over $700,000 to date toward a goal of $1.4 million. I want to express the University's appreciation to the leaders and supporters of "Save the Sports." In considering where we are now in that effort, there are several options. First, we could extend the fund raising effort until September; however, that would not be the right answer. It would prolong the uncertain status of the four sports for three more months. There must be a decision now that has long-term sustainability. A second option would be to decide that since the goal of $1.4 million was not achieved, the sports should be discontinued. In considering a third option, these are the issues: A. Funds raised to date; B. Whether or not the current momentum is likely to be sustained; C. Prospects for reaching this year's goal; D. Prospects for reaching the annual goal of $700,000 every year beginning next year. At a time when prudence would suggest a risk-avoidance decision, I have given strong consideration to the goodwill and stated commitments of the leaders and supporters of the "Save the Sports" effort. Based on my confidence in their ability to reach their goal this year and in the future, I have decided to "Save the Sports." I believe this is what our community wants the University to do. And it is what we want to do, as well. I want to state clearly the ground rules for the future: 1. No state funding will be available for these sports. They must be self-supporting. 2. In any year in which fundraising does not achieve the goal the annual budgets for the sports will not exceed the amount of funds raised. 3. All future fund raising must be coordinated with the Athletics Department and University Advancement and must follow the University's Prospect Management Plan. In conclusion, I want to thank the leaders and supporters of the Roadrunner Club and the "Save the Sports" effort. In addition, I want to thank all members of the community who provide support for our academic programs. All of these efforts allow us to continue to make progress toward realization of the University's vision in a down economy.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- University of Minnesota wrestler Sonny Yohn was champion in the University World Team Trials Freestyle finals on May 29. The Alamosa, Colo. native, who just completed his sophomore season with the Golden Gophers, beat Micah Burak two matches to one. Yohn won the first bout 1-0, 3-0, but Burak came back for a 0-1, 3-2, 4-1 win to tie the match. Yohn then won with a 3-1, 3-0 performance in the third match to claim champion honors in the 96 kg/211.5 lbs weight class. Alez Ortiz was also crowned a champion at the event, winning the Junior Greco-Roman 74 kg/163 lbs weight class. Ortiz, a Grand Rhonde, Ore. native, defeated Josh Castellano two matches to none, winning 4-0, 3-1 and 4-1, 2-0. Champions in each weight class in the University World Team Trials position themselves for a trip to the University World Championships on Oct. 26-30 in Turin, Italy. Any wrestler who finishes in the top three at next month's U.S. World Team Trials in freestyle, and is eligible for the University division, can challenge the University World Team Trials champion for the spot on the University World Team. The Greco-Roman champions earn a trip to Italy. Champions in each weight class in the Junior World Team Trials advance to the Junior World Championships on July 20-25 in Budapest, Hungary. Yohn already qualified for the World Team Trials when he took fifth at the US Open in late April. He was also champion at University Nationals on Apr. 11. The Gophers' Zach Sanders (Wabasha, Minn.) took second In University Freestyle at 55 kg/121 lbs, falling two matches to none to Angel Escobedo. Joining Ortiz as a Junior Champion was Gopher recruit Tyler Lehman (Fargo, N.D.), who was Junior Freestyle champion at 96 kg/211.5. Lehman was also Junior Greco runner-up at the same weight class. Also earning runner-up honors was Danny Zilverberg (Wayzata, Minn.) in Junior Freestyle at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. The World Team trials are June 11-12 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

This morning in Bakersfield California, Cal State Bakersfield University President Horace Mitchell announced the reinstatement of wrestling, golf and tennis at the university. The Committee, Save CSUB Wrestling, was able to raise over $900,000. "The great amount of funding was generated from a community which would not allow the wrestling program and its others sports to just go away and die," said former CSUB assistant wrestling coach Larry Morgan. "The catalyst of the committee to Save Wrestling at CSUB was led by team leader, NFL Super Bowl champion, and World champion wrestler Stephen Neal, followed by its great team of patrons like Vernon and Janice Varner, Craig Tobin, and Mike Stricker." To make a donation to the cause, visit SaveBakersfieldWrestling.com. You can also make a $10 donation by texting "WIN" to 25383. TDR TV and InterMat's West Coast correspondent Joey Krebs will continue to follow this story as it develops.

PHILADELPHIA -- Coming off a 2009-10 season where his team stormed to a second-place finish at the EIWA Championships and watched one if its wrestlers climb onto the podium at NCAAs as an All-America for the first time since 2007, Penn wrestling head coach Rob Eiter has put together a recruiting class of eight grapplers set to make their own mark on the storied history of Penn Wrestling. This group, ranked the 19th-best recruiting class by pre-eminent wrestling news source InterMat, has won a combined eight state championships in high school, earning titles in Ohio, Oklahoma, New York, Massachusetts and Alabama. Five of the wrestlers are ranked in the top-30 nationally in their respective weight classes, including one, Kyle Cowan, who is ranked No. 1 at 215 pounds. Cowan finished his high school career 125-0 over three varsity seasons in Oklahoma with three state championships. “We are excited to add these eight quality individuals to our program,” Eiter said. “They have all worked tremendously hard both on the mat and in the classroom to give themselves an opportunity to compete for the University of Pennsylvania. They have all had high levels of success both at the state and national levels. We look forward to them continuing that progression while at Penn.” Projected 174/184 pounder Zach Agostino comes to Penn from Egg Harbor Township, N.J. where he competed at 171 pounds. He is a three-time District 32 champion and the 2009 Region 8 champion for Egg Harbor Township High School. This past season, Agostino finished sixth at the New Jersey State Championships and ended the season ranked 30th at 171 pounds. Trenton, N.J. product Canaan Bethea finished second in New Jersey at 171 pounds this season for Trenton Central and earned a No. 12 ranking at that weight nationally from InterMat. Bethea finished 32-1 in his senior season and 134-14 for his career. Those 134 wins set a record in his county for a public school wrestler. Along the way, Bethea became just the third wrestler in Mercer County history to win four county tournaments. He was a three-time District 25 champion and won the Region 7 title in 2010. Recently, Bethea placed fifth at High School Nationals. Making the trek to Philadelphia from Spain Park High School in Alabama is 2010 Alabama state champion at 135 pounds, Geoffrey Bostany. In 2009, Bostany was runner-up at the state championships. He projects to slot in at 125 for the Quakers after a senior season that saw him finish with a 50-3 record. Kyle Cowan, a Tulsa, Okla. native, was the No. 1-ranked high school wrestler at 215 pounds in the nation this past year according to InterMat, and the 24th-ranked recruit in any weight class. He earned that distinction with his third-consecutive undefeated season at 215 pounds, finishing with a third Oklahoma state title after a 41-0 season for Cascia Hall Prep. His three-year record in varsity competition was 125-0. He is projected to compete at heavyweight for the Quakers. Another upperweight wrestler joining the Quakers is Steven Graziano from Syosset (N.Y.) High SchooL. A district placewinner in the Empire State, Graziano placed sixth at the prestigious Super 32 tournament at 215 pounds, defeating the fifth-ranked wrestler in the country along the way. He is projected to compete at either 197 or heavyweight for the Red and Blue. Throughout his career at Syosset, Graziano had his hand raised at the end of a bout 105 times. Also joining the Quakers in the fall of 2010 will be Buchanon, N.Y. native Andrew Lenzi. The fourth-ranked 135-pounder in the high school ranks at the end of the season (and third senior), Lenzi is the 65th-ranked recruit across all weights according to InterMat. While at Fordham Prep, Lenzi won two state championships, in the process becoming the first Catholic League grappler in New York history to win multiple state championships. This past spring, he claimed his second title with a win over the wrestler who holds New York’s record for most wins in a career. Lenzi finished his high school career with a 167-15 record and projects to start his career at 141 pounds for the Red and Blue. A Needham, Mass. native, Jordan Michelson is another state champion headed to Penn in the fall of 2010. He won the Massachusetts crown at 140 pounds in 2010 with an undefeated 50-0 campaign. He followed that up with a win at the New England Championships and a 4-2 record at Senior Nationals. The Needham High School product had 133 wins over his varsity career. Another state champion making his way to University City is Brad Wukie from Ohio. The University School product won a Division II state championship at 160 pounds this year and projects to 165 pounds when he takes the mats for Penn in the fall. He ended the season ranked 16th in the country at 160 pounds by InterMat. Over his career at the University School, Wukie finished second, fourth and fifth at the state championships to go with his title, and compiled a record of 143-28. In 2009, Wukie finished third in the Freshman/Sophomore bracket at the Michigan State Open, competing against – and defeating – wrestlers already in college.

Full Length Show Interviews Hudson Taylor Bruce Burnett Jack Childs Lennie Zalesky Bill Miller

Full Length Show Interviews Joe Bastardi Jeff Sitler Brent Harvey Mark Cody Troy Steiner

Full Length Show

Full Length Show Interviews Tom Minkel Steve Garland Lee Roy Smith Tim Flynn Cisco Cole

Full Length Show Interviews Lee Roy Smith Tom Borrelli Joan Moore Drew Pariano Kevin Dresser Jack Spates

Event: UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena Date: May 29, 2010 Coming off a rare brutal performance in UFC 113, the UFC Monster isn’t too excited about tonight’s mixed martial arts card from a gambler’s point of view. With the exception of the main event, the much awaited hate-fest between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad “Suga” Evans, there appears to be little betting value with many high-priced favorites and few barking ‘dogs. So, we will keep this short and simple. If you follow my plays tonight, you will be laying an average of $2 for every $1 you want to make. And, you will need to win more than two out of three fights to make any money. If you continue to read this article, you will be risking your hard-earned cash to bet that eight (8) out of the eleven (11) fights listed below will go the way that I predict ... If that it too steep for you, then please move on, and find any Mark Palmer article to read on this Web site. Mark is a great contributor to this Web site. He knows and respects the history of wrestling. You will benefit from his knowledge. Now, on to the fights ... Take Rashad Evans (19-1-1) at –115 to take care of business with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (30-7). Rashad is the better athlete. Rampage hasn’t fought in 15 months, due to making a movie after a mental meltdown a few months before. Rampage was the early favorite, but public money has moved towards Evans. I like the former Spartan All-American with a decisive decision. Michael “The Count” Bisping (19-3) is an obnoxious Brit who is much the better striker than his opponent Dan Miller (11-3), whose specialty is chokehold submissions. But Bisping’s never been submitted, and I don’t see it happening tonight. Striker beats submission with a third-round stoppage by TKO. Take Bisping. Lay the –160. Heavyweight slugger Todd Duffee is undefeated at 6-0. Mike Russow (12-1) has his hands full. Toe-to-toe slugging will please the fans. Duffee wins by KO and covers the –325. The best bet on the board is that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3), Minotauro’s twin brother, will submit Jason “Hitman” Brilz (18-2-1). The juice is high, and this is for bridge-jumpers only, but my coin is on the –550 favorite. Nogs sub in the second. Lat time out, Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez (23-3) got his forehead torn open by a blood-eating BJ Penn. Tonight he tries to rebound with a win over the undefeated Brit, John “The Hitman” Hathaway (13-0), who likes to bang and is lightning quick in his wrestling abilities, transitioning into submission holds. But, Sanchez is a face full of knees, and tonight one of them lands on Hathaway’s chin. Nightmare cashes at –200. On the undercard, you will be able to see two (2) fights for FREE on Spike TV. Those are the first two listed below. Young, improving Amir Sodollah (4-1) will have his hands full with still undefeated veteran Dong Hyun Kim (12-0-1 w/1 NC). Sodollah will try to kick his way to victory, while Kim will use his dirty boxing and superior striking to win a judge’s decision. The modest underdog will pay around +110. Efrain Escudero (13-1) will display a superior set of skills against Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon (12-3), an eccentric brawler looking for a submission. The public is pounding Escudero. Lay the –450. Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (42-9-3) needs a new nickname. He isn’t “young” anymore. But he is still an obsessed beast on a mission. And, he will steamroll his opponent tonight, Waylon Lowe (8-2), who will get his first octagon experience. It won’t be a good one. Guillard at –300 wins in the very first round with some vicious ground-and-pound beating. Luiz “Bahna” Cane (11-2-1) will get back on the winning track tonight with a 2nd round KO over Cyrille “The Snake” Diabate (16-6-3). This one costs you –355. Aaron Riley (28-12-1) is an unkempt brawler who always puts on a good show. I think his vast octagon experience will carry him to victory by decision over Joe “The South Side Strangler” Brammer (7-1-1). Riley’s a reasonable –185. And, finally, I was hoping to get Jesse Forbes (13-5) as an underdog, and he opened at +120. But the bettors have driven the odds to make him now a –125 favorite (and as much as –160 at some books). He’s bigger, stronger, and will find a way to survive a capable Ryan Jensen (15-5). Forbes by decision. So, lots of favorites. Maybe not enough ‘dogs. Betting UFC fights and laying –200 can be hazardous to your wallets, but that’s what tonight’s card looks like to me. Let’s see if we can squeeze out a profit with the following money management plan: Let’s see what we can do with our “fictitious” $1000 bankroll. Let’s lay $115 to win $100 on Rashad Evans to beat Rampage. Let’s lay $96 to win $60 on Michael Bisping. Let’s lay $130 to win $40 on Todd Duffee’s KO power. Let’s lay $110 to win $20 on a Nogueira bridge-jump. Let’s lay $120 to win $60 on Diego Sanchez to get back on track. Let’s lay $50 to win $55 on Dong Hyun Kim in our only upset. Let’s lay $90 to win $20 on Efrain Escudero to dominate on the ground. Let’s lay $90 to win $30 on Melvin Guillard to overwhelm. Let’s lay $71 to win $20 on Banha Cane to bounty hunt. Let’s lay $74 to win $ 40 on Aaron Riley to prevail in a street brawl. Let’s lay $ 50 to win $ 40 on Jesse Forbes. In all, we are risking $996 to try and win $485. It will be hard work to cash, but hopefully, we have enough winners on our side! Let’s give the extra $4 to our cocktail waitress. And, please don’t forget to share your winnings with your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow’s champions are born! Enjoy the fights. I know I will.

Ricky Lundell

Nick Mitchell