InterMat Staff

Dave Auble

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- All-American and Big Ten champion John Dergo was named Illinois’ outstanding wrestler at the season-ending banquet at Alexander’s Steakhouse Thursday night. Dergo also took home the honor for most pins on the team as he recorded nine falls on the season. In addition, sophomore Jordan Blanton took home the All-American Award after placing fifth at the 2010 NCAA Championships, senior Clint Arlis was named Most Improved, redshirt-freshman Conrad Polz was named the Outstanding Freshman and senior Patrick Bond earned the NCAA qualifier award. Dergo had an excellent senior year, going 36-4 at 184 pounds while winning a Big Ten title and finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships. His 36 wins are tied with teammate Jimmy Kennedy for ninth in a single season in school history, and his .900 winning percentage ranks 11th all-time. His nine pins ranks seventh on the single-season list and he ended his career with a 105-41 record, tied for 15th on the all-time wins list. His .719 career winning percentage ranks 19th. Blanton had a remarkable sophomore campaign, going 25-9 with six falls. Blanton took third at the Big Ten Championships before finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships. Arlis became Illinois’ starter at 157 pounds at the end of January and finished with a 14-7 record and a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. Polz also took seventh at the Big Ten Championships, going 17-15 on the season. Bond went 24-14 in his senior season, finishing fifth at the Big Ten Championships and qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in his career. 2009-10 Wrestling Award Winners Outstanding Wrestler -- John Dergo Most Falls -- John Dergo All-American Award -- Jordan Blanton NCAA Qualifier -- Patrick Bond Most Improved -- Clint Arlis Outstanding Freshman -- Conrad Polz

Logan Stieber

Event: UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 Venue: Bell Centre (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Date: May 8, 2010 Last Saturday, the UFC Monster used an "impressive multi-faceted wagering assault" on the Kentucky Derby, nailing the winner, Super Saver, early at odds of 16:1, and hitting BOTH the $2 exacta (paying $154) and the $2 trifecta (paying $2337.40). I made so much money that I had to sign IRS paperwork to declare the income! Now, let's see if I can keep that roll going ... The UFC is my real game. The UFC returns to Canada tonight for the much-anticipated rematch for the light heavyweight championship between undefeated Lyota "Dragon" Machida (16-0) and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-4). Most UFC fans thought Rua should have won a close decision the last time they met, but you have to beat a champion to be the champion, and the judges saw it otherwise. In a card stacked full of Canadian fighters, tonight's card also offers some great betting opportunities to pad your bankroll, and stay ahead of a tight economy. The UFC Monster's mission is to guide InterMat readers towards valued wagers, with the expectation of earning additional dollars, that could be re-invested in purchasing InterMat Platinum subscriptions for friends and family alike. Current odds for all UFC fights can be found at www.bestfightodds.com. They do a great job of putting the juice out there. I do a great job of pinning the bookmaker's back to the mat! You can check out my record in the archives of this Web site. I do quite well in making money betting mixed martial arts affairs. In UFC 112 I won money for readers despite having more losers than winners! It's in the value of the betting line. So let's take a look at tonight's main card. Nobody fights like Lyota Machida. He is an unorthodox karate (yes, karate) fighter who makes most opponents look inept and awkward, due to his strange striking angles and great counter-punching ability. He measures his opponent carefully, and, like a cobra snake, waits for that one moment to strike. And, when he does, it's lights out. Ask previously-undefeated Thiago Silva or previously undefeated Rashad Evans. They both went to sleep from a vicious Machida strike. His victim list includes Tito Ortiz, B.J. Penn, and Rich Franklin. Wow. Sokoudjou had no chance. And, now enter the legendary Shogun from Pride. Since '03 he has only lost to Mark Coleman because of a broken arm, a weird, unexpected submission to Forrest Griffin, and the controversial decision loss to Machida. That's it. OMG. This could be the fight of the night! But I still like Machida here. He will have absorbed each and every move from the last fight. He will know and practice what he needs to do to win this one. And, neither fighter will want to leave it again in the hands of the judges. That I know. Take Machida and lay the -190, as he keeps his belt with a convincing third-round KO. Josh Koscheck (16-4) vs. British welterweight Paul Daley (23-8-2). The winner gets Georges St. Pierre for a title shot. GSP has already schooled Kos. And the last British slugger (Hardy) to fight GSP got wasted. But this fight has a lot at stake. Without a doubt, Koscheck is one of the very best wrestlers in the UFC. His pile-driving shots drive his opponents across the cage, and his striking power has gotten better and better with each fight. But that's the problem here. Koscheck likes to bang, and he has trouble staying on message (wrestling) when he fights those who like to stand and pound away. And Paul Daley is one of those beasts! He has cremated his only two UFC opponents in lightning fashion with devastating KOs. Against Anthony Jackson, Kos took it to the mat when he felt over-matched by AJ's wild swinging power. That's what he needs to do here. But he will be on the clock. If this one goes to the mat, it's an easy Koscheck victory. But, if they go toe-to-toe, it will be Daley as a 'dog that cashes my ticket. I'll take my chances because I like the price. Daley at +220 is my play here. The winner will also be named by Dana White, as the coach for one of the teams for next season's Ultimate Fighter show. If you like banging, you will love Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout's (16-5-1) fight against Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens (17-5). These lightweights won't see the mat. Their abilities lie in their punching power. Neither has ever been knocked out! That's amazing to me. Half of their fights go to a decision, and this may be another. I like Scott Casber's boy here, Jeremy Stephens. His uppercut power is awesome and Stout likes to fight at close quarters. The price is right. Lil' Heathen gets +170 from the oddsmakers. I'll take my chances. If this one doesn't go the distance, I'll call it Stephens with a 2nd round KO. Canadian middleweight Patrick "the Predator" Cote (14-5) has recovered from his serious knee injury that made him look so feeble against Anderson "the Spider" Silva last time out. Tonight he takes on Mississippi's Alan "the Talent" Belcher (14-5). Tho' Cote calls himself a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu specialist, most of his wins have come by KO. Belcher is what we call a UFC gate-keeper, a fighter good enough to win most fights, but not good enough to beat the elite. Cote's a good fighter, not an elite. Belcher at -160 wins here with a rear-naked choke submission in the second round. Does anyone really care about Kimbo Slice (4-1)? Why is he on the main card? For money, of course. Dana wants to appeal to everyone out there, willing to pay $50 for a show. After an embarrassing introduction to the sport, Kimbo is now taking it seriously, and has actually (supposedly) learned some technique! Well, we'll see. His hand-picked opponent Matt Mitrione has had one MMA fight, a KO win. Oh my. While my brain says "pass," my gut tells me that there is a method to Dana's madness, and that he wants Kimbo to bring along all his massive fan base as he starts to climb the heavyweight ladder in search of Brock Lesnar … hehehe. Good luck with that! The public is betting against Kimbo, as late money appears to be coming in on Mitrione. But I will (for one night only) be in Kimbo's corner, and will accept his puncher's chance at EVEN money. Kimbo puts Mitrione asleep in the first round, sending me to the winner's window again! … and now let's take a quick look at the preliminaries: Canadian journeyman, Joe Doerksen (39-12) has had over 50 MMA fights! Can you imagine what his body feels like? He will take on middleweight Tom "Filthy" Lawlor (6-2), who has been made the prohibitive favorite at -500 (you lay $5 to win $1). I know Doerksen may be yesterday's news, but getting +440 on him warrants a wager on my part. Of his 39 wins, 32 have come by submission! I'm banking on him having just one more chokehold left in his arsenal as he puts Filthy away in the third. Welterweight Marcus "the Irish hand Grenade" Davis (15-3) should have little trouble putting away Canadian Jonathan "the Road Warrior" Goulet (22-10-1). At -420 there is little value there, but I see little risk, as well. Take Davis and lay the juice. A first round KO may earn him KO of the night, and a $60,000 bonus from Dana! Undefeated, former Oklahoma State two-time NCAA wrestling champ Johny Hendricks (7-0) just gets better and better each time out. Nobody will outwrestle him, and his punching power and technique is awesome. His relentless, rapid upper-cuts are lethal. His opponent, T.J. Grant (15-3), another Canadian, will try to end Hendo's streak with some strong submission skills that have carried his young career so far. A dozen of his 15 wins have come by submission. But does anyone see Johny Hendricks getting submitted? Not me. I'm laying -370 on Hendo, da Man! Hendo wins a unanimous decision. Joey "The Mexecutioner" Beltran (11-3) has a great nickname. He also embarrassed Rolles Gracie last time out in Vegas. I was there. Tonight, he fights Tim "The Tharshing Machine" Hague (10-3), who has lost his last two in the Octagon, Three strikes and you're out with a pink slip from Dana. For those who like to see heavyweights push each other around, this one is for you. Not me. I'll close my eyes and hope that the bigger bully wins here. Desperation means something in sports. It means I'm headed to the winner's window on Hague laying the -240. He may get a submission. He may get a KO. I think he gets the judge's now. Yet, another Canadian, journeyman gate-keeper, Jason MacDonald (22-12), will try to slow down John Salter's (4-1) young career tonight. Experience counts. I like MacDonald at a reasonable -160 to submit Salter in the third round with a patented rear-naked choke. King of the Cage (KOC) veteran, welterweight Mike Guymon (12-3-1), makes his UFC debut tonight against neck-cranking Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida (11-4). At -260, I still think the value lies with Yoshida. He has octagon experience and his submission skills should carry him to victory here. His losses have been to powerful strikers, of class to which Guymon doesn't fit. Take Yoshida to win by first round triangle choke. This will be the submission of the night, as well. So that's it. I have action on all eleven (11) fights. Let's take a look at how we should spread our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll … Let's lay $180 to win $100 on Lyota Machida to retain his belt. Let's lay $75 to win $165 on Paul Daley to upset Koscheck. Let's lay $70 to win $119 on Jeremy Stephens to KO Sam Stout. Let's lay $55 to win $50 on Alan Belcher. Let's lay $100 to win $100 on street punk, Kimbo Slice. Let's lay $25 to win $110 on Joe Doerksen to squeeze one more win out. Let's lay $126 to win $30 on Marcus Davis. Let's lay $111 to win $30 on Johny Hendricks to do it again! Let's lay $72 to win $30 on Tim Hague. Let's lay $ 80 to win $50 on Jason MacDonald. Let's lay $104 to win $40 on Yoshida's neck cranks. In total, we are risking $998 to win $824. Let's give the $2 tip to the cocktail waitress. Let's not forget to share your winnings in support of your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow's champions are born! Enjoy the fights. I know I will.

It took one month to turn around a decision that hit the hearts of the New Mexico wrestling community. On April 1, 2010, they were told that the only college wrestling program in the state would be dropped along with Women’s Rodeo. At this point, some quick thinking individuals stepped in to raise awareness and support for the program that they fought so very hard to reinstate after its eighteen year absence. “This started to come together through keen insight from government officials and community leaders throughout the state of New Mexico. The youth needed to be taken care of. Over the past five years, the plan they put together to start wrestling program was working and gaining momentum. All of a sudden, it was in jeopardy of being dropped five short years after it was reinstated. The wrestling program at New Mexico Highlands was doing what many other programs were not. They were gaining prominent recognition at the NCAA Championships with their first NCAA Champion, Seth Wright. Both Wright and Coach Moses are putting NMHU on the map,” said legendary coach Dan Gable. In 2005, legislative appropriations allowed for the reintroduction of wrestling to NMHU along with the creation of women’s rodeo. The problem was that this funding over the past five years has been dwindling. With the current economic situation throughout the country, it was only getting worse. Mike Lujan, a high school teacher and wrestling coach for the past 28 years, is a tireless advocate for the opportunities that wrestling will give the youth of New Mexico as they get older. “It is extremely important for New Mexico to have wrestling; this is our only collegiate program in the state. I would do anything for the sport of wrestling because without it, I feel that I would not be where I am today. In fact, I would probably be dead or in jail,” said Lujan. “Wrestling provided me the opportunity to go to college and become a teacher and a coach. Since receiving my teaching degree, I wanted to be able to give that opportunity back to the youth of New Mexico. Every state in the country is broke in this economy and this is not where cuts should be placed. This changes our country’s future by affecting the youth,” said Mike Lujan. To Lujan, there was no other time than the present to get the ball rolling. He began making calls to key people within their state government in the hopes they could find a way to overturn this decision. He also organized a group of 180 people to go sit in on the Board of Regents meeting. One of those people that Lujan contacted was State Senator Phil Griego, Senator Griego knew the background of the program at NMHU and did not want those opportunities to be taken away from the youth of New Mexico. Senator Griego had to act fast as it was two days before the Board of Regent’s vote. He made personal calls to each Regent as well as to the NMHU President. He eventually was able to get a 30 day reprieve so he could raise the funds necessary to keep the program. Governor Bill Richardson played a large part in saving both women’s rodeo and wrestling. Having started an initiative to get the youth more involved in rodeo, saving the rodeo program was also important to him. He was able to allocate $100,000 toward the women’s rodeo program at New Mexico Highlands. That money was commingled with NMHU institutional funds so both save both programs could be saved. “When I thanked the Board of Regents for making this decision, I wanted to make sure they realized what a powerful choice they had made for these future New Mexico Highlands students. To me, education and athletics go hand in hand. If you deplete one or the other, nothing works properly. At Highlands, the wrestling team gave New Mexico kids the hope of getting a wrestling scholarship to New Mexico Highlands. That, in turn, allows them to also obtain a college education which they otherwise might not have access to,” said Senator Griego. Coach Gable continued, “This program is working in every way and has so many positive things coming from it. The only natural thing to do is to keep it going. To do so, it is going to need consistency to keep it going for years to come. This is still a challenge to make sure that this is not going to be a yearly happening due to lack of funding; NMHU needs longevity and planning to secure this program. Thank goodness for the relentless efforts of Coach Lujan, Senator Griego, Coach Moses, and the NMHU administration to save the program this time around.” Building champions is exactly what this program has been doing in its very short five year history. Since the wrestling team was reinstated they had success both on the mat and in the classroom under head coach Doug Moses. This year, they celebrated with their first Division II NCAA Champion, Seth Wright, who joins three other Cowboys who have earned All-AmPhilan status five times since 2005. Coach Moses has also had ten wrestlers achieve NWCA Division II All Academic honors to top off their list of accomplishments since becoming a Division II program. “I am eternally grateful for the support of the state legislature and the New Mexico Highlands University administration for their efforts to save my wrestling program. This will enable our NMHU wrestling team to continue to provide quality educational and athletic opportunities for countless “in state” high school wrestlers throughout New Mexico,” said Coach Moses. As states all around the country are facing tough economic times, it is important to realize that cutting back opportunities for youth is not the answer to the problem. It will more than likely create many long term problems down the road. In New Mexico, there are 1,461 high school wrestlers and only one “in state” college for them to compete at after high school. “We dodged a bullet this time around. We can never let this happen again. Not at NMHU or any other college that sponsors wrestling. It is important for all of us to position every intercollegiate wrestling team to reduce its dependency on institutional funding with outside support from alumni, camps, clinics, and the wrestling community in each region. The NWCA looks forward to working with Coach Gable, Coach Moses, the New Mexico wrestling community, and the NMHU administration to develop a fundraising model that will protect the wrestling program indefinitely,” said NWCA Executive Director, Mike Moyer

Lindenwood University has named Toccara Montgomery as the new head coach of its women’s wrestling program. Montgomery is a former Olympic wrestler and comes to St. Charles after wrestling and coaching at the University of the Cumberlands since 2001. “I have high hopes and ambitions for the Lindenwood program,” said Montgomery. “My first goal is to get the numbers up and get bodies in the wrestling room to create competition. My ultimate goal is win nationals and build a dynasty here.” Montgomery was a member of the 2004 United States Olympic team and she placed seventh in her weight class at the Athens Games. She a member of the national team from 2001-06 and won two United States Senior National Championships. Montgomery was a two-time silver medalist at the World Championships. In 2001, she was named the FILA International Female Wrestler of the Year, just the third American and first female from the United States to win that honor. At Cumberlands, Montgomery helped build the program into one of the top women’s wrestling programs in the nation. While wrestling, she had a perfect 29-0 dual record and won the 2004 Women’s Collegiate National Championship. For the past three years, she has served as a graduate assistant coach for the Patriots. During her time at Cumberlands, the program was ranked first or second in the nation from 2004-09, including being No. 1 from 2004-06. Montgomery received her undergraduate degree from Cumberlands in 2006 in Education, and received her master’s in 2009 in Instructional Leadership.

Johny Hendricks will take the cage this Saturday night at UFC 113 in Montreal, facing his toughest opponent to date, Canadian T.J. Grant. Johny HendricksTo the general public, Johny Hendricks is the guy who shocked everyone almost a year ago with a first-round knockout of the widely popular Amir Sadollah. After his victory over Sadollah, Hendricks ran across the cage with a large grin on his face and some began calling him "Happy Beard Guy." Many with wrestling backgrounds who follow MMA will watch the event with non-wrestling fans. Non-wrestling fans may even ask, 'Who is this Johny Hendricks guy?' Some wrestling fans will respond that he was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American at Oklahoma State. Many will likely point out the fact that he is the former villain of college wrestling and maybe even call him a bad guy. But do wrestling fans really know Johny Hendricks? How many have actually spoken to him? What did he do that made fans cheer extra loud when he lost the last match of college wrestling career? Why did the college wrestling world embrace Ben Askren for his unique personality and loathe Johny Hendricks for his unique personality? "Look, in wrestling, I was so tired of what people said about me," said Hendricks. "I felt like, if you think that I really am that way, you know what, I'll give you something to bark at me about. I have no ego. God blessed me with the abilities that I have and it would be very rude for me to be like, 'I am better than anybody.' In wrestling, I was tired of that. I was like, hey, I'll talk to you, clear some things up, just give me the time of day and we'll do this. They wouldn't do that for me. They would just say that Johny's at it again ... yadda yadda yadda. If you want that kind of person, I will give you that kind of person. " Hendricks was tenacious on the wrestling mat. He competed with a non-stop, in-your-face, attacking style. When Hendricks took the mat, wrestling fans knew they were in for a show, regardless of whether they liked him or loathed him. However, despite that, most wrestling fans outside of Oklahoma rooted against him. Johny Hendricks (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)"I wore my emotions on my sleeve when I wrestled," said Hendricks. "I was deemed the bad guy. If someone tied up with me hard and popped me in the face, oh no, I wasn't accepting that. So I would pop them back and say this isn't going to happen and they didn't like seeing that from me for some reason. I really don't know why." Rewind three years to Hendricks' senior season at Oklahoma State in 2007. The National Duals had just concluded in mid-January. Hendricks had gone through a 10-match stretch in which he wrestled eight ranked wrestlers, including the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4, No. 5, and No. 7-ranked wrestlers in the country. He won all 10 of those matches and was not feeling challenged. He had just dominated his main rival, Iowa's Mark Perry, 9-1. Hendricks was burned out. He was tired of the persona. He was sick of wrestling. He approached his coach, John Smith, and asked for time away. He felt alone and isolated. He wished that someone would take the leadership reins like he did for his predecessors. "I was the only leader," said Hendricks. "Nobody else helped take it with me my last year. When Jake (Rosholt) and Espo (Zack Esposito) were seniors I stepped up with my leadership role at times so that they could do what they had to do and focus on their senior years. I feel like I didn't have that. I took that role as the leader of Oklahoma State. Coach Smith wouldn't let me take time away. I went through the motions. It started wearing on me and I started not to care what happened." Hendricks would go on to lose in the NCAA finals to Perry in his final college wrestling match. After that loss, Hendricks stepped away from the sport he had known all this life and prayed about what the next step was going to be. He knew he was too young to quit competing. He did not want to wrestle internationally, although Coach Smith suggested it. Hendricks had faith something would come his way and work itself out. "I did not want to wrestle internationally or train for the Olympics," said Hendricks. "I was mad at the wrestling community." Three weeks after his final college wrestling match, Hendricks received a call from Team Takedown, an MMA management company, and was asked a simple question: "Do you want to be an MMA fighter?" He didn't know much about MMA, but decided to give it a try. Johny Hendricks (Photo/Sherdog.com)He began training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, a world-renowned gym founded by UFC legend Randy Couture, a former Oklahoma State Cowboy. Hendricks then surrounded himself with world-class coaches, including such as his jujitsu coach Marc Laimon, boxing coach Ron Frazier, and striking coach Ken Hahn. Hendricks knows that he still has a lot to learn as a fighter, but he is hungry and is not putting a limit on how far he can go or how high he can climb in the UFC. "Man, I can't wait until I get a couple years under my belt and really truly understand this game ... because then it's going to be awesome," said Hendricks. Hendricks admits that it will take time to get to where he wants to be and understands that he cannot fight for the sake of getting bouts. He schedules fights about 12 weeks apart so he can get time to learn technique and understand all the nuances of MMA. He and former Oklahoma State teammate Jake Rosholt were featured on a television series Tapout. In his early MMA career, Hendricks walked through smaller venues en route to reach the WEC, the UFC's sister promotion. He kept winning and learning. His game continues to evolve. "I fell in love with the striking game just because you've got to have people fear your hands," said Hendricks. "You have to have people believe that. Then my takedowns are way easier." When the UFC called last summer, the promotion company did Hendricks no favors by lining him up to fight Amir Sadollah at UFC 101 on August 8 in Philadelphia. Sadollah was the contestant winner of the popular TV show, The Ultimate Fighter, which springboards fighters into instant celebrity status and notoriety. In Sadollah's previous fights, he showed serious skills in defeating some accomplished former wrestlers Gerald Harris and CB Dollaway. Hendricks knew he had a daunting task, but went on to knock out Sadollah with an uppercut in the first round, stunning the MMA world. He then heard a familiar sound, booing. The crowd was not booing Hendricks, but was unhappy that the referee jumped in to stop the fight so quickly. They wanted to see more. In his post-fight interviews, Hendricks spoke with class and dignity, talking about how much respect he had for Sadollah, which helped him gain popularity with MMA fans. Johny Hendricks with his daughter, Abri"Three years ago if you told me that I would be an MMA fighter in the UFC, I would have laughed at you," said Hendricks. "I want to be a champion. I train six days a week and it's like wrestling all over again. Hard work and learning. I won't stop until I achieve my goal ... how ever long it takes and whatever it takes. Just like wrestling, I had that goal of being champion and I wasn't going to stop until I was champion." While the goal to be champion remains the same, other things have changed. Hendricks, who became a father in October with the birth of his daughter, Abri, has reinvented himself in MMA. He is hungrier than he has ever been and has brought the hard work that wrestlers preach and live by to MMA. Hendricks has been ever so gracious and MMA fans have embraced and enjoyed his unique personality. No labels. No false persona. No team standards. But the question remains: Will wrestling fans finally embrace Johny Hendricks? For all things MMA, follow Tony Nguyen on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tonynguyenmma.

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa wrestler Montell Marion has been permanently suspended from all activities related to the Hawkeye wrestling program. Marion, a sophomore who was the 2010 NCAA runner-up at 141 pounds, was arrested and charged with a DUI at 2:16 a.m. Tuesday in Iowa City. "Due to Montell's recent and previous violations of our student-athlete code of conduct, we have no choice at this point but to remove him from the Iowa wrestling program," said University of Iowa Associate Athletic Director for Student Services Fred Mims. "It is very unfortunate. Montell has demonstrated great potential as a student and a student-athlete. He is someone the program will miss greatly. We all hope he is able to overcome this situation and find success in whatever he decides to do." If Marion chooses to transfer to another NCAA institution, Mims said the University of Iowa Athletics Department would support a transfer pursuant to the NCAA's one-time transfer policy. Marion posted a 37-9 record in two seasons with the Hawkeyes. He picked up his first all-America honor this season, placing third at the 2010 Big Ten Championships. The Des Moines, IA, native posted a 11-3 dual record, going 6-2 in Big Ten duals and scoring 45 team points in dual competition after earning the 141-pound spot in the lineup in late December.

AMES, Iowa -- David Zabriskie didn’t own a pair of football cleats, but that didn’t stop Iowa State’s 2010 NCAA heavyweight champion from saying yes to another challenge. Zabriskie flew to Cleveland, Ohio, April 30-May 2 to participate in the Cleveland Browns’ rookie mini-camp. Zabriskie spent his five-year collegiate career in the Cyclone wrestling room, leaving zero time to pursue other athletic interests. Dating back to his high school days in Branchville, N.J., “Z” never found his way to the gridiron, but that didn’t faze him in his first attempt to grapple with a pigskin. He had known a bid to an NFL camp was a possibility. “One of Cleveland’s coaches asked me a few months ago if this was something I wanted to pursue,” Zabriskie said. “And then they got a hold of me after the draft.” Zabriskie went through a rigorous weekend schedule of two-a-day practices and hours of team meetings. “It was different,” Zabriskie said. “It wasn't as physically demanding as I thought it would be. I'm used to wrestling practice where you're kind of working the whole time. At the camp, you spend a lot of time going over plays, and then part of the time you're just standing there watching. It was long, though. Each day was about 15 hours.” If Zabriskie were to attain NFL success, he wouldn’t be the first NCAA heavyweight champion to walk the same path. Stephen Neal, a member of the New England Patriots football team, was a two-time heavyweight titlist for Cal-State Bakersfield (1998-99). Carlton Haselrig, a six-time NCAA champion between Division I and II (Pitt.-Johnston, 1987-89), went on to a five-year career in the NFL. The athleticism and explosiveness generally exhibited by wrestlers can sometimes translate to the professional football ranks. Zabriskie found himself positioned at linebacker during parts of the camp, a spot on the field with many unknown nuances. “I gained a lot of respect for the sport,” Zabriskie said. “There is a lot of work that goes into the plays. You can't see or hear it sometimes. I found that was a major challenge to playing that position.” The Cyclone wrestling standout exited the camp on its final day with an experience to remember. “Sunday morning, I talked to a few guys who told me good job and thanked me for coming out,” Zabriskie said. “It was a fun experience. A few guys I talked to didn't believe I’d never played football before.” The cleats that are on loan from the ISU football team may or may not be returned. “I'm not sure when I'll use them again,” Zabriskie said. “But right now, that's about all I have from my football career. And a couple Browns’ t-shirts.”

W.I.N. Magazine editor Mike Finn and Jared Frayer, 145.5 pound champion at this year’s freestyle U.S. Open, will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, May 5. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Finn is the editor of W.I.N. Magazine, a wrestling publication that covers all aspects of the sport. The magazine has been named publication of the year twice by the National Wrestling Media Association and Finn was named journalist of the year in 2006. Frayer is currently an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin. He was a two-time All-American and NCAA championship runner-up at Oklahoma University. Frayer won this year’s U.S. Open championship in the freestyle division at 145.5 pounds.

All-Academic Individuals All-Academic Teams The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced its annual Division I All-Academic Top 30 Teams and the NWCA Individual All-Academic wrestling team for the 2009-10 wrestling season. Harvard is honored as the nation’s top academic wrestling program for the first time, while five NCAA champions made the individual list. The five NCAA Champions earning a spot on the individual team are: Interdisciplianry studies major Maxwell Askren of Missouri (3.321); Iowa’s biology major Jay Borschel (3.21) and sociology major Brent Metcalf (3.25); Minnesota’s Technology Education major Jayson Ness (3.281) and J.P. O’Connor of Harvard (3.438) a Human Evolutionary Biology major. In addition, NCAA Runner-ups Craig Brester of Nebraska and Kirk Smith of Boise State were also named to the All-Academic Team. “The student-athletes on this All-Academic Team are a great example of the hard work and dedication that the sport of wrestling teaches these young men,” said NWCA President Jim Beichner. “Not only are they achieving winning a National Championship, but they are also showing that they are champions in the classroom as well.” The 2009-10 All-Academic individual team includes 61 NCAA qualifiers, 23 NCAA All-Americans, seven NCAA finalists and the five NCAA champions. In all, 74 individuals representing 45 schools are being honored on this year’s All-Academic Team. Sitting at the top of the All-Academic Team is NCAA All-American Nicholas Amuchastegui of Stanford, who holds a 3.949 in Mechanical Engineering. Amuchastegui was honored earlier this year by the NCAA with the “Elite 88 Award.” The award is presented to the top athlete qualifying for a post-season championship in each of the NCAA’s 88 national championship events. Rounding out the top five individuals were Nebraska’s Tucker Lane (3.933), Aaron Pickrel (3.867) of South Dakota State, Justin Kerber (3.85) of Cornell and Phil Moricone (3.83) of Edinboro. To qualify for the All-Academic team, a wrestler must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, and either been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule -- and must have competed in at least 60 percent of said schedule. The other way to qualify for the All-Academic team is to have a 3.0 GPA and been an NCAA All-American. Out of the 45 schools represented: Edinboro, Nebraska, and UT-Chattanooga each have four wrestlers earning All-Academic accolades followed by American, Ohio State, Purdue and Utah Valley, each with three individuals named to the All-Academic Team. “The All-Academic team is a testament to our member coaches that they are striving to make their program as competitive as they can,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “Academics plays a huge role for the student-athlete, especially after they are done competing and out in the working world as our next generation of teachers, coaches, and businessmen. “There is so much more to wrestling than what is done on the mat and the All-Academic Team is a great way to acknowledge those efforts,” said Moyer. Topping the team standings is Harvard, representing the Ivy League and the EIWA. After finishing second last year, coach Jay Weiss’ team finishes atop of the rankings for the first time in school history. The Crimson lead the pack with a team GPA of 3.3098, followed closely by last year’s top team American, with a team GPA of 3.296. Rounding out the top five teams are Nebraska, Duke and Davidson. All eleven conferences were represented in the top 30 teams with the EIWA leading the way with seven teams representing the conference: Harvard, American, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, the United States Military Academy, and Princeton. For teams to be eligible for consideration, the team GPA is comprised of 12 student athletes, including the 10 wrestlers that were the entries in the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. If teams had less than 10 entries for their respective qualifier, they may fill those spots with wrestlers that competed in at least one varsity dual during the season.

A rematch of top rivals Darrion Caldwell and Brent Metcalf is the main event of a seven-match card of wrestling bouts which will be showcased during the 2010 Beat the Streets Gala on Thursday, May 13. The event will be held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier which is docked on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. It is part of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. It is being billed as the Battle on the Intrepid, in recognition of “wrestlers in the nation’s service.” The competition is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Each year, the Beat the Streets Gala is held to celebrate wrestling and raise funds for Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc., the successful program which has provided wrestling opportunities for thousands of middle school and high school students in New York City. Caldwell and Metcalf are among the top hopefuls for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team in men’s freestyle wrestling at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Both are pursuing their Olympic dreams, and have continued a rivalry which began during their college careers. Caldwell is a student at North Carolina State University, where he will be a senior next season. He was an NCAA champion in 2009, and was named Outstanding Wrestler. He was also fifth at the 2008 NCAA Championships. Caldwell missed the 2010 college season due to a shoulder surgery, and he will return next year for his final college season. Metcalf recently completed his college career at the Univ. of Iowa, where he was a two-time NCAA champion (2008, 2010) and a 2009 NCAA runner-up. Metcalf started his career at Virginia Tech and lost one year of eligibility when he transferred to Iowa. He completed his college career with a 108-3 record, and was the 2008 Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation’s best college wrestler. Caldwell and Metcalf met each other three times in college: The first meeting was on November 24, 2007 at the St. Edward Duals in Lakewood, Ohio, where Caldwell pinned Metcalf in 1:40 The second meeting was on November 24, 2008 at the NWCA All-Star Classic in Columbus, Ohio, where Metcalf scored a 19-3 technical fall over Caldwell in 6:20. Bouts in the NWCA All-Star Classic do not appear in official NCAA statistics. Their third meeting was on March 21, 2009 in the finals of the NCAA Div. I Championships in St. Louis, Mo., where Caldwell defeated Metcalf, 11-6. Caldwell has a strong local angle, as he grew up in nearby Rahway, N.J., where he won three state high school titles. Metcalf is originally from Davison, Mich., where he was a four-time state champion and six-time Junior Nationals champion. Caldwell competes for the Sunkist Kids, while Metcalf is a member of the New York Athletic Club. In freestyle, Caldwell was third in the 2009 World Team Trials. Metcalf was a 2009 U.S. Open runner-up, and a member of the 2006 U.S. Junior World Team. The bout card of the Beat the Streets Gala will include matches in all three Olympic styles (men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman, women’s freestyle), featuring top Olympic hopefuls from across the nation. In addition, there will be one match featuring New York City Middle School wrestlers and one match featuring New York City High School wrestlers. There are two other men’s freestyle matches on the card. Competing at 74 kg/163 lbs. will be 2008 Olympian Ben Askren (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) who will face Moza Fay (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC). Askren was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time finalist for the Univ. of Missouri. He was a 2008 U.S. Open champion. Fay, a two-time All-American for Northern Iowa, recently placed fourth at the 2010 U.S. Open. 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert (Evanston, Ill./New York AC) will be featured in a bout at 84 kg/185 lbs., where he will face David Bertolino (Colorado Springs, Colo./Club). Herbert was a two-time NCAA champion for Northwestern (2007, 2009), and has won the U.S. Open in freestyle the last two years. Bertolino starred at Iowa State while in college, and recently placed third at the 2010 U.S. Open. The Greco-Roman bout will feature 2008 Olympian Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./New York AC) who will battle talented young Ellis Coleman (Oak Park, Ill./New York AC). Mango is currently competing at 55 kg/121 lbs., while Coleman wrestles normally at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Mango was also a member of the 2009 U.S. World Team, and has won U.S. Open titles in 2008 and 2010. Coleman most recently placed fourth at the 2010 U.S. Open. Mango attends Northern Michigan Univ. where he is a member of the U.S. Olympic Education program. The women’s bout will feature 2007 U.S. World Team member Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), who will battle two-time U.S. Open champion Kelsey Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 59 kg/130 lbs. Jaynes was a U.S. Open champion in 2007, while Campbell has won the U.S. Open the last two years. Jaynes competed at Missouri Valley College, and has a local connection as she attended Rancocas Valley High School in New Jersey. Campbell wrestled for Arizona State Univ. The High School match will be a rematch between sophomore Jorge Jiminez of Herbert Lehman High School in the Bronx and senior Andrew Murano of Xavier High School in Manhattan. Jiminez is a two-time PSAL champion. Murano was a runner-up in the Catholic State Championships. Murano won the Dave Ironman Invitational with a win over Jiminez. In the Mayor’s Cup, Jiminez came back and beat Murano in the finals. The Middle School match will feature City Champion Will Wilson of the Lions Wrestling Club on Staten Island against three-time City Champion Shateek Palmer of Roosevelt Island Middle School in Manhattan. Registration for the Beat the Streets Gala will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Battle on the Intrepid from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Cocktails will be served from 7:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards presentation starting at 8:15 p.m. All participants will disembark from the U.S.S. Intrepid at 11:00 p.m. There will be a live musical performance by The Lost Trailers at the function. The minimum donation to support Beat the Streets and reserve admission to the Gala is $150. There are a many number of other levels of contributions available to those who wish to join the excitement and support this worthy cause. For further information about the event, please visit the website at www.beat-the-streets.org or you may contact Brian Giffin via email at BGiffin@beat-the-streets.org or via phone at 212-777-5702. Media seeking to cover the event should contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at 719-659-9637 or via email at gabbott@usawrestling.org Beat the Streets Gala: Wrestlers in the Nation’s Service Battle on the Intrepid On the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York, N.Y., May 13 MAIN EVENT: Men’s freestyle - Darrion Caldwell vs. Brent Metcalf Undercard: Middle School: Shateek Palmer vs. Will Wilson High School: Andrew Murano vs. Jorge Jimenez Women’s freestyle: Leigh Jaynes vs. Kelsey Campbell

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa wrestler Montell Marion has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest early today on a charge of driving under the influence (DUI). Associate Athletic Director for Student Services, Fred Mims, had the following statement. "Montell has been suspended, pending a review of the situation. We hope to have a statement tomorrow regarding his future at the University of Iowa."

The University of Missouri wrestling program held its annual banquet on Friday, April 16, and recognized five grapplers for their achievements over the course of the 2009-10 season. Junior Todd Schavrien (Poway, Calif.) was named the teams’ Most Improved Wrestler. The Most Improved Wrestler award has been given out since 1999, and is awarded to the student-athlete who showed the greatest improvement in skills on the mat over the course of the year. The 141-pound grappler improved upon last years 15 win season and NCAA appearance to earn a 27-12 record in 2009-10, including two wins at the 2010 NCAA National Championships. Senior National Champion Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wisc.) was named the teams’ Most Outstanding Wrestler. The Most Outstanding Wrestler award is the oldest award given by the Missouri wrestling program, dating back to 1963. The 184-pound grappler earned his third consecutive All-America accolade and a National Title in 2010, notching 20 wins on the season, and completing his Missouri wrestling career with 104 total wins. Sophomore Dom Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.) was named this year’s Hap Whitney Coach’s Award winner. The award, named after former Missouri Head Coach Hap Whitney, is given to the wrestler who displays dedication, commitment, sacrifice, and unselfishness to the team. The 2009 Junior Freestyle World Champion earned a 19-5 record for the season, going a perfect 5-0 in dual meets. Earning 19 team dual points, Bradley had the team’s quickest fall of the season, pinning Purdue’s Adam Walls in 18 seconds. The Ed Lampitt Total Tiger Award, given to the wrestler who is a leader both on and off the mat, was awarded to senior Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) Ellis also received the team’s Most Falls award after tallying a team-high of eight on the season. The sixth place finisher in the heavyweight bracket of this year’s NCAA Championships ended the season with a 22-13 record, and earned his second consecutive All-America honor. Redshirt Freshman Brent Haynes (Kansas City, Mo.) was awarded the Marshall Esteppe Most Outstanding Freshman award for his contribution to his class and teammates over the course of his first season. Haynes, wrestling in the 197-pound weight class, finished the season with a 28-15 record, which included six wins by fall, as well as six wins by major decision. The honor has been given to former Tiger greats Khris Whelan (1979), Joe Spinnazola (1980), Craig Martin (1984), Sam Henson (1991), Tyron Woodley (2002), Ben Askren (2004), and Tyler McCormick (2005), all of whom earned All-American honors during the course of their career.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The 2009-10 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling recruiting class, already considered one of the nation's best, has gotten even stronger with the addition of five talented new faces. Head coach Cael Sanderson's incoming class has grown to nine with the new commitments. Penn State's incoming class of freshmen has been joined by Hank Stinson (Voorhees, N.J.), Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.), Seth Beitz (Juniata, Pa.) and Cameron Kelly (Pittsford, N.Y.). Stinson comes to Penn State after a superb career at Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, N.J. Stinson was a two-time New Jersey State Champion and ranked among the nation's elite overall by Intermat as well as in the top 10 at 140. Stinson won the 2007-08 New Jersey state title at 135 and missed most of 2008-09 with an injury. He moved up a weight to win the 2009-10 state title at 140 this year and leaves ERHS with a 120-10 career record. Martellotti was a four-time PIAA state placer at Shady Side High School, including a state championship in 2007, a third place finish in 2008 and 2009 and a runner-up finish last year. He is ranked among the nation's top 20 wrestlers at 130 by Intermat (www.intermatwrestle.com). Martellotti was also a three-time WPIAL champ and compiled a 168-21 career record after finishing 48-3 this season. Ruggear is coming off a strong late winter and spring. He took third at PIAAs at 215 this past season and placed fifth at high school nationals earlier in the spring. The Oxford High School grad went 40-4 this past season for the Hornets and left Oxford with a 120-30 career record with 49 pins. Beitz will come to Penn State after closing out an outstanding career at Juniata High School by earning PIAA Runner-Up status at 140 this past March. Beitz went 44-8 on his way to the finals last year and leaves Juniata with a 154-31 career record. Kelly was a two-time state qualifier at Pittsford High School in Pittsford, N.Y., taking fifth at 119 and qualifying at 125. Kelly was a team captain this year and was a two-time New York Section V Champion for the Panthers. He posted a 135-31 career record. "These five young men are outstanding additions to our program," Sanderson said. "We are excited to welcome them to the Penn State wrestling family and believe that they will be outstanding representatives of this University and the direction we are taking this program. As a staff, we are working hard to bring in student-athletes that will make our fans proud in every facet of their Penn State lives and these wrestlers will work hard to live up to the standards we have set." These five talented wrestlers join four early signees to form one of the nation's most vaunted recruiting classes. Penn State will also be welcoming twin brothers Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) and Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), Dirk Cowburn (Coudersport, Pa.) and Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, Pa.). Each of those wrestlers is ranked among the tops in the country overall and at his respective weight class, according to Intermat (www.intermatwrestle.com). New season tickets for next season can now be purchased, while current season ticket holders will receive their option to renew later in the fall. Season ticket prices for 2010-11 will be $42 for adults and $28 for youth (18 and under) with payments being made in full at the time of the order. A $5 per order handling fee will be added. Reserved seat locations will be assigned and Nittany Lion Club members will be assigned best available seats according to their active membership and point level. Following fulfillment of all Nittany Lion Club season ticket requests, seats will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. To order tickets, please call Joel Diamond at 814-867-2557. New ticket orders will be fulfilled and mailed by November 1, 2010. Renewal applications for current season ticket holders will be available on or before October 1.

The Ohio State wrestling program has had a busy spring on the recruiting front and the good news has continued to roll in with their fourth verbal commitment from the Class of 2011. On Friday Walsh Jesuit junior Johnni DiJulius gave his verbal commitment to OSU head coach Tom Ryan to wrestle at OSU. The three-time Ohio state finalist is expected to sign his National Letter of Intent in the fall. Two-time state champion Johnni DiJulius is ranked as the No. 26 junior recruit in the country by InterMat (Photo/Bob Tuneberg, BuckeyeWrestling.com)"It is one of the best feelings in the world to say that I am going to be a Buckeye," stated Johnni DiJulius in an interview on Monday night. "I really think it is the best choice I ever made and I hope when I am done they can feel the same way about investing in me." DiJulius is a two-time DII Ohio state champion for the Warriors. As a freshman he lost in overtime to Aurora's Ty Mitch at 103 pounds since then he has been perfect at state. Moving up the last two years he won his first state title at 119 pounds and his second at 125 as a junior. After three years he is 130-6 in high school with all six losses to wrestlers that were ranked in the top-three nationally at their weight. "I have always been an Ohio State fan so it really is an honor to get the opportunity to wrestle for the Buckeyes. I am going to do everything I can do to become the best wrestler I can be," offered the humbled recruit. "I want to set my goals high and represent my team, the coaches, my family, and the school in a way they can be proud." DiJulius has been a highly regarded wrestler throughout his high school career. He was considered the 26th-ranked junior in the Class of 2011 according to the most recent InterMat class rankings and he finished this past season as the 12th-ranked 125-pound wrestler in their individual all-class rankings. "The Ohio State wrestling program is one of the best in the country from the coaches and the facilities to your workout partners and schedule. I am going to have a lot of friends on the team, it is close to home, and if we work hard we are going to be able to accomplish all of our goals," stated the future Buckeye. DiJulius is the fourth member of the 2010-2011 OSU recruiting class joining Monroeville juniors Hunter Stieber and Cam Tessari, and post-graduate Derek Garcia. Together they have combined to win twelve individual state championships with the possibility to add three more next season. All four will sign their NLI in the November. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/37344

Monterrey, Mexico -- Former University of Minnesota wrestler, Manny Rivera competed at the Pan-American Championships this past weekend (Mat. 2), earning a bronze medal for Mexico. Rivera was competing in Freestyle in the Pan-Am Championships, and earned Bronze Medal honors at the 66 kg (145.5 lbs) weight class. He shared the bronze with Haislan Garcia of Canada, while Geandry Garzon of Cuba won the gold medal and Pedro Soto of Puerto Rico took home the silver. Rivera was part of a Mexican team that took fourth at the event with 46 total team points. Cuba led the way with 60 team points, ahead of Canada with 57. The United States rounded out the top-three with 50 points. While at the University of Minnesota, Rivera closed his career by earning All-American honors in 2007-08, placing seventh at 141 pounds. He was a three-time NCAA qualifier and was a member of the Golden Gophers 2007 National Championship team. He was also a three-time place-winner at the Big Ten Championships, finishing as Big Ten runner-up in his senior season. Rivera came to the University of Minnesota in 2003 from Rosemead High School in El Monte, Calif. where he was a 2003 NHSCA Senior National Champion. He remains a member of Golden Gopher wrestling, in his second season on the staff as an Administrative Assistant.

BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Billy Greene has announced his resignation from head wrestling coach duties at Campbell University after six seasons at his alma mater. Billy GreeneA 2000 Campbell graduate, Greene will seek other professional opportunities while remaining at CU as an adjunct professor in the mathematics department. "It has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime experience serving my alma mater as head wrestling coach," said Greene. "I am so grateful to our athletics director Stan Williamson, who entrusted this responsibility to me over the past six seasons. Through the wins and the losses, Mr. Williamson always exemplified a steady commitment to the wrestling program's success. For that I am genuinely thankful. I would also like to extend my deepest appreciation to President Jerry Wallace and the rest of the university administration for their solid support." Under Greene's guidance, Campbell has earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic Team distinction in each of the last two years. In 2008, the Camels compiled the ninth-best team GPA among all Division I programs. CU posted the 23rd-highest team GPA in 2009. In addition, the Campbell wrestling program's Academic Progress Rate (APR) improved nearly 100 points (from 882 to 975) over the past five years. The NWCA ranked Campbell's APR improvement as third-best in the country in the fall of 2008. Greene coached a pair of athletes, who qualified for the NCAA Wrestling Championships, including 2010 NCAA East Region 197-pound champion Parker Burns. During his stay as assistant coach, Lantz Nixon qualified for the 2002 NCAA Championships. The Camels were runner-up at the 2009 NCAA East Region duals meet. "Finally, I want to offer a special acknowledgment to Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Dwaine Greene, Vice President for Business and Treasurer Mr. Jim Roberts, and Psychology Department Chairman Dr. Gary Taylor," said Coach Greene. "These three gentlemen have been steadfast and loyal supporters of the Campbell University wrestling program during my tenure, cheering the wrestlers on at nearly every home match, and on a number of occasions even at the away contests." During Coach Greene's tenure, Campbell moved into the state-of-the-art John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center in the fall of 2008, leaving behind 55-year-old Carter Gym. "I step away from the collegiate coaching ranks with good feelings and many wonderful memories," said Coach Greene. "What a thrill it has been to train and compete in the newly-constructed John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center! The new wrestling training facilities have created such a positive boost for the program. I am convinced Campbell wrestling's best years lay ahead. I look forward with anticipation to the honors and achievement subsequent wrestling squads will earn under the tutelage of the next head wrestling coach." Billy Greene (Photo/Will Bratton)A native of Lewiston, Idaho, Greene arrived at Campbell in 1996. In his four-year career, Greene recorded 74 victories, 10th all-time in CU history. As a senior, he posted a 27-5 won-lost record and qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships in 2000 after winning the 157-pound division at the Colonial Athletic Association meet. In addition to being named team MVP and Campbell's Outstanding Male Athlete for 1999-00, Greene was selected to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic second team. Greene and his teammates were also ranked sixth academically among Division I programs. He earned a Presidential Academic Scholarship to Campbell and was a member of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and the Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society. A President's List student, Greene earned his B.S. in mathematics with a 3.85 grade-point average. Following graduation, Greene joined former Olympian and wrestling hall of fame inductee Dave Auble's coaching staff. He assisted in all phases of the wrestling program, including match strategies, practices, recruiting, monitoring the team's academic progress, and assisting with the daily operations of the wrestling office. "Billy Greene is an outstanding person and has contributed a great deal to Campbell University through his years as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach," said Director of Athletics Stan Williamson. "Billy will be missed, and we certainly wish him the very best." Greene completed his Master's of Education degree in August of 2004. He and his wife, Liza, are expecting their first child in July.

Shawn Bunch

Glenn Garrison

Dan Bishop

MONTERREY, Mexico -- The U.S. freestyle wrestling team, lead by Iowa State assistant coach Chris Bono, notched third-place honors at the Pan-American Championships, held Sunday in the Centro de Alto. The squad crowned one gold medalist in former Nebraska-Kearney heavyweight, Tervel Dlagnev (120 kg/264.5 pounds). Former ISU national champion Trent Paulson took the bronze medal at 74 kg (163 pounds). Paulson began the tournament with a win over Puerto Rico’s Franklin Lantigua. After dropping the opening period, Paulson dominated the remaining two periods to take the match, 1-3, 5-0, 6-0. The former Cyclone 157-pound standout fell to 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and eventual tournament champion Ivan Fundora of Cuba by a score of 1-2, 0-2. Paulson, a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, went 1-1 in the event.

University of Northern Iowa Director of Athletics Troy Dannen announced the three finalists for the Panthers' head wrestling coach vacancy. Chris Bono, Pat Popolizio and Doug Schwab will interview at UNI next week. "The three finalists each bring a unique set of experiences and background." Dannen said. "I was very pleased with the depth of the pool and the quality of the finalists. We are eager to have the candidates visit campus, meet our student-athletes and present their vision for the future of Panther wrestling." Bono, who will interview on Thursday, is an assistant coach at Iowa State University. He is in his second stint as a Cyclone assistant after serving as the head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga from May 2006 to July 2009. Bono was a three-time All-American at Iowa State, winning 130 matches from 1994-97, including the NCAA 150-pound championship in 1996. Popolizio, who will interview on Friday, is the head coach at Binghamton University, where he has served in that capacity since 2006. The Binghamton wrestling program had been terminated in 2003 and since Popolizio took over his teams have produced 10 NCAA qualifiers and two All-Americans. In 2010, Binghamton won the CAA title and placed 21st at the NCAA Championships. Popolizio was a three-time NCAA qualifier (1997, 1998, 2002) and four-time academic all-Big XII honoree at Oklahoma State University. Schwab, who will interview on Tuesday, is currently an assistant coach for three-time defending NCAA champion Iowa Hawkeyes. Schwab was a three-time All-American and Big Ten champion for the Hawkeyes from 1998-2001. The Osage, Iowa, native won the 1999 NCAA title at 141 pounds and finished his collegiate career with 130 wins, which ranks 10th-best in school history.

I just returned from the Bellator Fights held in KC. This promotion loves wrestlers. We do return to the Brute adidas studios this week for a packed show. We have some special guests stepping up to the Mic to talk wrestling, camps the NCAA Championships and much more. In studio guest hosts- Author Matt Krumrie- The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps, www.wrestlingcampguide.com Former Ok. State Cowboy- Ryan Freeman returns to join the regular cast. Joining us on line will be- Hudson Taylor- Graduating senior, one of the very talented wrestlers from the east coast will join us. Originally recruited and coached by Pat Santoro, Hudson was recently awarded the ACC Wrestling Scholar-Athlete among all his other accolades. Bruce Burnett- Head Coach US Naval Academy will join us to discuss past season, recruiting and summer camps. Navy as quite the offering. Jack Childs- Head Coach of the Drexel Dragons. The NCAA's are coming us in Philly next year. Jack may give us some insight on places to eat, sleep and ways to save money in the city of brotherly love. Lenny Zalesky- Head Coach of UC Davis. It was recently announced that his program along with other sports would be eliminated from the athletic offerings. He'll update us on the progress of putting this program back together and what you can do to get involved. Bill Miller- Founder of Lighthousewrestling.com has a new social news networking site called Shruggit.com. Designed to get more news together in one place, to be a home for budding and accomplished writers. Check this new site out. http://shruggit.com Wrestling fans- Please note that Episode 55 of TDR TV is now available with a new look. It's on over 31 different web sites now and growing. TDR every week! It's appointment Radio and TV! Join us at Takedownradio.com for America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show that airs on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa and on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Livesportsvideo.com. TDR "the Radio Program" airs 9 AM to 11 AM CST every Saturday morning we look forward to having you listen. Thanks for watching and listening!