InterMat Staff

Related Links: Watch JJ Classic Videos View JJ Classic Photos View JJ Classic Placewinners View JJ Classic Brackets ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Fredy Stroker entered Saturday's InterMat JJ Classic on ranked among the nation's top 20 freshmen before ever donning a high school wrestling singlet. Fredy Stroker (Photo/The Guillotine)The 15-year-old Stroker, who attends Bettendorf High School in Iowa, showed why he is so highly regarded by defeating three state placewinners, including a Cadet National finalist and a two-time state champion, en route to capturing the JJ Classic title at 113 pounds. Stroker used lightning-quick attacks, strong scrambling, and a poise that far exceeds his age to roll through his competition. He pinned state third-place finisher Joey Majerus (Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Minn.) in the quarterfinals. Then he came from behind to defeat top-seeded Tristan Manderfeld (Foley, Minn.), 7-4, in the semifinals. Stroker capped off his tournament by defeating two-time state champion Jordan Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.), 3-1, in the championship match. Three Gopher recruits win titles, Brancale named OW Three seniors who have committed to the University of Minnesota, Sam Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley, Minn.), and Michael Kroells (Scott West, Minn.), claimed titles at the JJ Classic. Sam Brancale (Photo/The Guillotine)Brancale, who is ranked as the nation's No. 56 overall recruit, cruised to the championship at 132 pounds, a weight class that included three state champions and several state placewinners. He recorded three pins en route to reaching the semifinals. Brancale then won 9-2 over two-time state placewinner Taner Trembley (LCWM, Minn.) in the semifinals, before winning by the identical score of 9-2 in the finals over state champion Mitchel Lexvold (Kenyon Wanamingo, Minn.). Brancale was voted Outstanding Wrestler of this year's JJ Classic. Kingsley, a three-time state champion and No. 6 overall recruit, registered two pins and two decisions on his way to capturing the title at 152 pounds. He was pushed in the semifinals by eighth-grade phenom Mason Manville (South County, Va.), who is ranked as the No. 3 junior high wrestler in the country, but prevailed for the 4-2 victory. Kingsley's victory in the finals came over Adam Cooling (Madelia/Truman/Martin Luther, Minn.), 5-0. Kroells, an undefeated state champion last season, showed why he is among the nation's top big men by pinning Sam Stoll (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), a Cadet National double champion and the nation's No. 12 sophomore, to take the title at heavyweight. Three Apple Valley wrestlers finish on top Three Apple Valley wrestlers won titles at the JJ Classic. No other program produced more than one champion. Apple Valley's titlists included Kingsley (152), Seth Gross (126), and Mark Hall (145). Seth Gross (Photo/The Guillotine)Gross, a Cadet National freestyle champion this past summer, was dominant throughout the tournament. He won his opening match by pin, and then outscored his remaining three opponents 32-5. He defeated Northern Plains Cadet freestyle champion Ben Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.), 8-2, in the championship match. Hall, who is ranked as the nation's No. 1 junior high wrestler, defeated Weston Droegemueller (Wayzata, Minn.), 7-0, to take the title at 145 pounds. Nation's No. 20 freshman wins at 182 Lance Benick (Totino Grace, Minn.), the nation's No. 20 freshman, won his first JJ Classic title at 182 pounds, beating Corbin Farrell (Apple Valley, Minn.), 5-2, in the championship match. Benick outscored his opponents 31-11 throughout the tournament. He is coming off a summer in which he went undefeated at the Schoolboy National Duals and 15-1 at the AAU Junior Olympics. Rodriguez knocks off red-hot Sykora to win title at 106 Dante' Rodriguez (Photo/The Guillotine)Dante' Rodriguez (Grand Island, Nebr.), a Junior National Greco-Roman runner-up, put together an impressive string of victories to claim the title at 106 pounds. Rodriguez, who was fifth at the 2010 JJ Classic, was dominant in his first three matches, picking up two pins and a major decision. Then in the semifinals he edged state runner-up Tanner Johnshoy (Prior Lake, Minn.), 3-2. (Johnshoy won the award for most pins in the least amount of time.) Rodriguez then capped off his tournament by beating red-hot Cameron Sykora (Border West, Minn.), a 2011 Grappler Fall Classic champion, 4-2. Prior to the finals Sykora, a state champion, had outscored his opponents 37-2 and picked up a pin in under a minute. Koethe defeats Sullivan in barnburner at 160 In perhaps the most action-filled finals match, Justin Koethe (Iowa City West, Iowa) defeated Ben Sullivan (Apple Valley, Minn.), 10-7, in a barnburner at 160 pounds. Sullivan, an NHSCA Junior National finalist, scored the first two takedowns of the match off leg attacks, and took a 4-2 lead into the second period. Koethe, a five-time Fargo All-American, battled back, scoring two takedowns of his own in the second period to tie the score at 7-7 heading into the third period. Koethe added an escape and a late takedown to win 10-7. Kuefner becomes first two-time JJ Classic champion Coyte Kuefner (Owatonna, Minn.) pinned Cody Linssen (Park, Minn.), a Minnesota Ninth Grade League state champion, to claim the title at 220 pounds and become the first two-time JJ Classic champion. Kuefner, a two-time Junior National folkstyle All-American, won his title last year at 215 pounds. Eleven No. 1 seeds win titles Of the 14 champions crowned on Saturday, 11 were No. 1 seeds. In addition to top seeds Gross, Brancale, Hall, Kingsley, Koethe, Kuefner, and Kroells winning titles, Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.), Marcus Peterson (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa), Cody Anderson (White Bear Lake, Minn.), and Alex Gray (Maple Grove, Minn.) lived up to their No. 1 seeds. Josh Alber (Photo/The Guillotine)Alber, an undefeated state champion and Cadet National freestyle All-American, surrendered only four points in five matches to win the title at 120 pounds. His victory in the finals came over Andres Gonzales (Mason City, Iowa), 3-1. Peterson defeated Kyle McKenzie (La Crosse Logan, Wis.), 9-1, to win the championship at 138 pounds. Anderson, a JJ Classic runner-up in 2010, won 7-3 over Alex Jackson in the finals at 170 pounds. Gray pinned Schoen Kichler (Waconia, Minn.) to claim the title at 195 pounds. Tough break for bracket-buster Riggs Freshman Austin Riggs (Robinson, Va.) entered the JJ Classic unseeded at 120 pounds and notched the first major upset of the tournament when he knocked off second-seeded Zack Kuhns (Maple River, Minn.), 4-0, in the opening round. Riggs went on to pin his next two opponents in the first period to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, Riggs suffered an injury and was forced to default out of the tournament. Seventh-grader Shearer places fifth at 106 Jesse Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.) was the lone seventh-grader to place at the JJ Classic. Shearer dropped his opening match, but went on to win five of his next six matches to place fifth at 106 pounds.

106: 1st: No. 2 Dante' Rodriguez (Grand Island, Neb.) dec. No. 1 Cameron Sykora (Border West, Minn.), 4-2 3rd: No. 3 Tanner Johnshoy (Prior Lake, Minn.) dec. Kaz Onoo (Mason City, Iowa), 7-4 5th: Jesse Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.) maj. dec. No. 5 David Flynn (Scott West, Minn.), 11-3 113: 1st: No. 4 Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa) dec. No. 3 Jordan Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.), 3-1 3rd: No. 1 Tristan Manderfeld (Foley, Minn.) dec. No. 2 Jarred Oftedahl (BSM, Minn.), 4-0 5th: No. 6 Brock Morgan (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. No. 5 Joey Majerus (Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Minn.), 9-5 120: 1st: No. 1 Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.) dec. No. 3 Andres Gonzalez (Mason City, Iowa), 3-1 3rd: No. 5 Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.) dec. No. 4 Aaron Anderson (Clarion Goldfield, Iowa), 3-0 5th: No. 7 JJ Wolfe (Dakota, Ill.) inj. def. Austin Riggs (Robinson, Va.) 126: 1st: No. 1 Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. No. 3 Ben Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.), 8-2 3rd: Garet Anderson-Lind (Oshkosh West, Wis.) inj. def. No. 6 Brandon Peters (Faribault, Minn.) 5th: No. 5 Trey Blaha (Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa) dec. No. 7 Frank Wilczek (Little Falls, Minn.), 8-6 132: 1st: No. 1 Sam Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.) dec. No. 2 Mitchel Lexvold (Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minn.), 9-2 3rd: No. 5 Taner Trembley (LCWM, Minn.) dec. No. 4 Marcus Hamer (Kimball, Minn.), 5-0 5th: No. 6 Mark Voss (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) dec. No. 3 Brett Stolarzyk (Stewartville, Minn.), 4-2 138: 1st: No. 1 Marcus Peterson (Clarion Goldfield, Iowa) maj. dec. No.3 Kyle McKenzie (La Crosse Logan, Wis.), 9-1 3rd: No. 4 Tyler Pasvogel (Sibley East, Minn.) dec. No. 8 Wayne Voss (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), 3-1 5th: No. 2 Isaac Lundgren (Spirit Lake, Iowa) pinned Logan Peterson (ACGC, Minn.), 2:50 145: 1st: No. 1 Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. No. 2 Weston Droegemueller (Wayzata, Minn.), 7-0 3rd: No. 3 Josh Halicke (Sartell, Minn.) maj. dec. No. 4 Mitchell Hartwig (GSLLP, Minn.), 11-2 5th: No. 5 Kendall Carnahan (Duncan, Okla.) dec. No. 6 Kyle Kragnes (West Fargo, N.D.), 6-5 152: 1st: No. 1 Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. No. 3 Adam Cooling (Madelia Truman Martin Luther, Minn.), 5-0 3rd: No. 4 Mason Manville (South County, Va.) pinned No. 2 Grant Nehring (Saint Cloud Appollo, Minn.), 1:02 5th: No. 6 Devin Wicks (WHAN, Minn.) maj. dec. No. 5 Jake Deutschlander (BSM, Minn.), 11-2 160: 1st: No. 1 Justin Koethe (Iowa City West, Iowa) dec. No. 2 Ben Sullivan (Apple Valley, Minn.), 10-7 3rd: No. 3 Derek Weinmann (Irondale, Minn.) dec. No. 5 Darrin Allen (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), 2-1 5th: No. 4 Ben Cousins (Bloomington Kennedy, Minn.) dec. No. 7 Christian Carnahan (Duncan, Okla.), 5-1 170: 1st: No. 1 Cody Anderson (White Bear Lake, Minn.) dec. No. 3 Alex Jackson (Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minn.), 7-3 3rd: No. 2 Elijah Preisser (Bettendorf, Iowa) dec. No. 6 Dillon Downes (Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Minn.), 7-0 5th: No. 4 Sal Ayala (Libertyville, Ill.) inj. def. No. 5 Nick Hoff (LARP, Minn.) 182: 1st: No. 2 Lance Benick (Totino Grace, Minn.) dec. No. 1 Corbin Farrell (Apple Valley, Minn.), 5-2 3rd: No. 3 Miles Hammerlund (Delano, Minn.) dec. No. 5 Austin Gould (Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa), 8-2 5th: No. 4 Max Bullock (Waconia, Minn.) dec. No. 6 Greg Johnson (LARP, Minn.), 4-3 195: No. 1 Alex Gray (Maple Grove, Minn.) pinned No. 2 Schoen Kichler (Waconia, Minn.), 1:12/2:46 220: 1st: No. 1 Coyte Kuefner (Owatonna, Minn.) pinned No. 2 Cody Linssen (Park, Minn.), 4:22 3rd: No. 3 Jordan Stevens (Central, Minn.) dec. No. 6 Mitch Diller (White Bear Lake, Minn.) 4-1 5th: No. 4 Matthew Wilson (Saint Charles, Minn.) won by forfeit over Josh Deike (Wahpeton, N.D.) 285: 1st: No. 1 Michael Kroells (Scott West, Minn.) pinned No. 2 Sam Stoll of (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), 2:09, 2:57

The second-annual InterMat JJ Classic takes place tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 22) at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. This year's field includes several nationally-ranked wrestlers, state champions, and state placewinners. Registration is open through 8 p.m. CDT tonight. For more information or to register for tomorrow's event, visit www.intermatwrestle.com/jjclassic. Below is a weight-by-weight preview of this year's JJ Classic based on wrestlers registered through Thursday night. 106: Cameron Sykora (Border West, Minn.), a state champion last season as an eighth-grader, is expected to be the top seed. Sykora is coming off a dominating performance at the Grappler Fall Classic in Michigan last weekend, where he went 5-0 with two pins and three major decisions, including a 13-0 victory in the finals. Two other wrestlers expected to challenge for the title in this weight class are Dante' Rodriguez (Grand Island, Neb.) and Tanner Johnshoy (Prior Lake, Minn.). Rodriguez, a Nebraska state runner-up last season as an undersized 103-pounder, has a wrestling resume that is littered with national age group accomplishments. He won USAW national titles in all three styles in 2010. This past summer Rodriguez was a Junior National runner-up in Greco-Roman. Johnshoy was a state runner-up last season, losing to 2011 Cadet National freestyle champion Tommy Thorn in the state finals. Johnshoy won the Mental Aerobics title in March. Ty Pelot (Two Rivers, Wis.), a Junior National Greco-Roman All-American, is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 1-2 performance at the Grappler Fall Classic last weekend. Ryan Weinmann (Irondale, Minn.), a state qualifier last season, is one of the top challengers in this weight class. David Flynn (Scott West, Minn.), a Northern Plains Greco-Roman champion, has a lot of tools and should figure into the mix. Jake Allar (Benilde-St. Margaret's, Minn.) is a talented seventh-grader who is looking to make his mark at the high school level. He won USAW national titles this year freestyle and Greco-Roman. Other wrestlers to watch in this weight class include Hank Friederichs (Chatfield, Minn.), Louie Sanders (LCWM, Minn.), Levi Marsh (LCWM, Minn.), Kaz Onoo (Mason City, Iowa), Bailey VanHandel (Kaukauna, Wis.), Collin DeGrammont (Lakeville North, Minn.), Jesse Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.), and McCoy Tekautz (LARP, Minn.). 113: This weight class is loaded with talent. Tristan Manderfeld (Foley, Minn.), a Cadet National Greco-Roman runner-up and state third-place finisher, leads this talented group. Manderfeld was the Outstanding Wrestler at the JJ Classic a year ago and will look to repeat as a JJ Classic champion. The wrestler Manderfeld beat in the JJ Classic finals a year ago, Jarred Oftedahl (Benilde-St. Margaret's, Minn.), is expected to get the No. 2 seed in this weight class. Oftedahl competes virtually everywhere and has compiled an impressive wrestling resume. He was a Junior National folkstyle champion this year and earned All-American honors in all three styles. He was a state runner-up last season as a sophomore. Jordan Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.), a two-time state champion and Cadet National Greco-Roman All-American, will be in the hunt for the title. Shearer had a win over 2011 Cadet National freestyle champion Tommy Thorn earlier this year. If the projected seeds stay the same and hold true, Shearer would see Oftedahl in the semifinals. Oftedahl pinned Shearer at the Rumble on the Red last season. Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa) is one of the nation's top freshmen (ranked 18th overall by InterMatWrestle.com) and has the skills to challenge for the title in this weight class. Stroker spent his early years wrestling in Virginia, and then Pennsylvania, before moving to Iowa this year to start high school. He was a Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling (PJW) state champion in 2010 and a Cadet National Greco-Roman All-American this past summer. Another wrestler expected to be in the hunt in this weight class is Joey Majerus (Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Minn.), who won 42 matches last season as an eighth-grader and finished third in the state tournament. A couple Apple Valley wrestlers, Brock Morgan and Maolu Woiwor, should figure into the mix. Morgan was a Ninth Grade League state champion last season as a seventh-grader and was undefeated at the Schoolboy Duals in freestyle. Woiwor was a Ninth Grade League state runner-up last season as an eighth-grader and placed sixth at last year's JJ Classic. State qualifiers James Goman (Trinity, Minn.) and Ulises Diaz (Bloomington Kennedy) add depth to the weight class. 120: Josh Alber, an undefeated state champion in Illinois last season as a freshman, will likely earn the top seed in this weight class. Alber was a Cadet National All-American this year in folkstyle and freestyle. He was a fourth-place finisher at the JJ Classic at 103 pounds a year ago. Trey Blaha (Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa) is a tough sophomore who beat Alber for third place at last year's JJ Classic. Blaha had a strong 2010-11 season and appeared to be on his way to earning a state medal before an injury ended his freshman season. Zack Kuhns (Maple River, Minn.) was a state placewinner in 2010 and has gone 69-14 over the past two seasons. Another state placewinner to keep an eye on in this weight class is Andres Gonzalez (Mason City, Iowa). He won 39 matches last season en route to a fourth-place finish in the state tournament. Aaron Anderson (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa), a multiple-time state entrant who has been ranked in the top three in the state, should make some noise in this weight class. A talented freshman to keep your eye on in this weight class is Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.). Lee has been very successful in national age group events. He was USAW Schoolboy Nationals runner-up this year in folkstyle. Lee has won national events like Liberty Nationals and Border Wars Nationals, plus has five state titles on his wrestling resume. A couple tough sophomores who should be in the mix to place are Tone Fuenffinger (Hibbing, Minn.) and Billy Underhill (Burnsville, Minn.). Fuenffinger won 36 matches last season as a freshman. Underhill went 24-6 last season. A potential bracket buster in this weight class is freshman JJ Wolfe (Dakota, Iowa), a Northern Plains runner-up in freestyle at the Schoolboy level. 126: Cadet National freestyle champion Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.) is among the nation's Top 50 sophomores (ranked 44th overall by InterMatWrestle.com), and is the wrestler to beat in this weight class. Gross was fifth at this year's Cadet National folkstyle competition before his breakout performance in Fargo. He won 40 matches last season as a freshman en route to finishing third in the state tournament. His only loss at the state tournament came in overtime to fellow Cadet National freestyle champion Tommy Thorn. Dustin Weinmann (Irondale, Minn.) was a state placewinner last season at 112 pounds and will be among the favorites to reach the finals. Another wrestler expected to be in the title hunt in this weight class is Ben Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.), who went 36-8 last season as an eighth-grader. He was a Northern Plains champion in freestyle this past spring and has beaten Gross. Andy Underhill (Burnsville, Minn.), a multiple-time state qualifier and 2010 JJ Classic runner-up, should be in contention for a high placement. Kollin Kragnes (West Fargo, N.D.) was a state placewinner last season at 112 pounds. Brandon Peters (Faribault, Minn.), Frank Wilczek (Little Falls, Minn.), and Zach Becicka (Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa) have all been 30-match winners, and should not be overlooked. 132: This is not only the most top-heavy weight class, but also the deepest weight class at this year's JJ Classic. The weight class includes three state champions, several state placewinners, and an abundance of 30-match winners. The favorite is Sam Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.), who is ranked as the No. 56 overall senior in the country. Brancale, who has committed to the University of Minnesota, is a state champion, three-time state placewinner, and a FILA Cadet double All-American the past two years. The other two state champions in this weight class are Mitchel Lexvold (Kenyon Wanamingo, Minn.) and Brett Stolarzyk (Stewartville, Minn.). Lexvold has reached the state finals in each of the past two seasons. He posted a record of 42-4 last season en route to winning his state championship at 119 pounds. Stolarzyk, a JJ Classic runner-up last year, claimed his state championship at 112 pounds. He also earned All-American honors at Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman. Marcus Hamer (Kimball, Minn.), Taner Trembley (LCWM, Minn.), Mark Voss (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), and Cody Hickel (Wahpeton, N.D.) are state placewinners. There are several other wrestlers in this weight class who are capable or wrestling with the state's best, which will make for thrilling matches throughout the day. 138: Of all the weight classes at this year's JJ Classic, this is perhaps the most balanced and wide open weight class. There are five to seven wrestlers in this weight class who are capable of winning the title with a strong performance on Saturday. Marcus Peterson (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa) was ranked No. 1 in Nebraska for most of last season. He has since moved to Iowa. Isaac Lundgren (Spirit Lake, Iowa), Kyle McKenzie (La Crosse Logan, Wis.), Tyler Pasvogel (Sibley East, Minn.), and Coltan Laganiere (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) have all earned state medals in the past, and have to be considered among the top contenders in this weight class. Logan Peterson (ACGC, Minn.), Ben Rock (Prior Lake, Minn.), Henry Wolfbauer (Hopkins, Minn.), and Dylan Herman (United South Central, Minn.) are multiple-time state qualifiers, and all three should figure into the mix. Wayne Voss (St. Michael-Albertville) won 35 matches last season and cannot be counted out. 145: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) is head and shoulders above the other competitors in this weight class. Hall, who is ranked as the nation's No. 1 junior high wrestler by InterMatWrestle.com, claimed a state title last season as seventh-grader. He has proven that he can compete not only with the best high school wrestlers in Minnesota, but also across the country. Last weekend Hall won the Grappler Fall Classic, beating nationally-ranked senior Zack Dailey (Massillon Perry, Ohio) in the finals. Weston Drogemueller (Wayzata, Minn.) has won 30-plus matches in each of the last three seasons, and qualified for the state tournament four straight seasons. Josh Halicke (Glencoe-Lester Prairie, Minn.) went 32-3 last season. Mitchell Hartwig (GSLLP, Minn.), Christian Carnahan (Duncan, Okla.), and Kyle Kragnes (West Fargo, N.D.) have all been state qualifiers. 152: Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley, Minn.) is one of the nation's top seniors (ranked sixth overall by InterMatWrestle.com) and the overwhelming favorite to win this weight class. Kingsley will be gunning for his fourth state championship this season. He has compiled a gaudy career record of 169-6 with 126 pins. Grant Nehring (Saint Cloud Apollo, Minn.), Brad Maas (Medford, Minn.), and Derek Weinmann (Irondale, Minn.) have all been state placewinners. Jake Deutschlander was a Cadet National Greco-Roman All-American this year. Mason Manville (South County, Va.) is among the truly elite age group wrestlers in the country. The 14-old Manville, who is ranked as the No. 3 junior high wrestler in the country, has a wrestling resume filled with titles at national events. He was a Super 32 Challenge champion in the middle school division last year. Manville is a USAW National Triple Crown winner this year, winning national titles in all three styles. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2011 Reno World Championships. Manville has been absolutely crushing wrestlers in his age group, but now will get a chance to test himself against top high school wrestlers on Saturday. 160: Justin Koethe (Iowa City West, Iowa), the nation's No. 31 overall senior, is the most accomplished wrestler in this weight class. Koethe, who committed to the University of Wisconsin, is a five-time Cadet and Junior National All-American in Fargo. He was a Cadet National freestyle champion in 2009. Koethe was also a FILA Junior National double All-American this year, winning a title in Greco-Roman. Ben Sullivan (Apple Valley, Minn.) poses the biggest threat to Koethe. Sullivan was an NHSCA Junior National finalist this year and has been a state champion. Koethe and Sullivan met at Northern Plains this year in freestyle, with Koethe winning that battle 7-0, 6-1. Ben Cousins (Bloomington Kennedy, Minn.), Darrin Allen (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), Tim Moore (Rochester John Marshall, Minn.), and Michael Lehmann (Wahpeton, N.D.) all won at least 20 matches last season. Cory Flaata (Park, Minn.) posted a 10-0 record at the Schoolboy National Duals in Greco-Roman. 170: Daniel Woiwor (Apple Valley, Minn.) is expected to be the favorite in this weight class. He is a state champion and four-time state placewinner. Woiwor is ranked as the No. 37 junior in the country by InterMatWrestle.com. Cory Anderson (White Bear Lake, Minn.) is a two-time section champion and a JJ Classic runner-up last year. Elijah Preisser (Bettendorf, Iowa) placed fourth at Cadet Nationals in folkstyle this year. He was a state champion this year in folkstyle and a state runner-up in folkstyle. Alex Jackson (Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minn.) was a 20-match winner last year. Sal Ayala (Libertyville, Ill.) placed third in the Illinois state freestyle tournament this year at 152 pounds. 182: Richard Carlson (Mounds View, Minn.) was a state placewinner last season and will be among the favorites to win the title in this weight class. Other top contenders in this weight class include Corbin Farrell (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Lance Benick (Totino Grace, Minn.). Farrell was shuffled all over Apple Valley's lineup last season, but settled as the starter at 215 for the nation's No. 1 high school wrestling program. Farrell was a JJ Classic runner-up a year ago. Another wrestler expected to contend for the title in this weight class is Lance Benick (Totino Grace, Minn.), who is ranked as the nation's No. 20 overall freshman by InterMatWrestle.com. Benick went undefeated at the Schoolboy National Duals, and followed that up by going 15-1 at the AAU Junior Olympics. Miles Hammerlund (Delano, Minn.), Max Bullock (Waconia, Minn.), and Greg Johnson (LARP, Minn.) all won at least 20 matches last season. 195: Schoen Kichler (Waconia, Minn.) and Alex Gray (Maple Grove, Min.) both won over 20 matches last season. Gray placed sixth at last year's JJ Classic. 220: Coyte Kuefner (Owatonna, Minn.) will be looking to repeat as a JJ Classic champion. He is a two-time Junior National folkstyle All-American and state placewinner. Cody Linssen (Park, Minn.) was a Minnesota Ninth Grade League state champion last year. Jordan Stevens (Central, Minn.) was a Northern Plains champion in freestyle this year. Matthew Wilson (Saint Charles, Minn.) won over 20 matches last season. 285: This weight class features one of the most anticipated matches of this year's JJ Classic ... Michael Kroells (Scott West, Minn.) vs. Sam Stoll (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.). Both are nationally-ranked wrestlers. Kroells is the nation's No. 63 senior, while Stoll is the nation's No. 12 sophomore. Kroells had a dominant junior season, going undefeated en route to winning a state championship at 215 pounds. He recently committed to the University of Minnesota. Stoll, a state runner-up as a freshman, is coming off a sensational spring and summer. He was undefeated at the Cadet Nationals, and then followed up that performance by winning Cadet National double titles in Fargo. He capped off his summer by going undefeated at the AAU Junior Olympics. Kroells pinned Stoll last season at the state tournament in the team competition.

Leading up to the InterMat JJ Classic, a premier preseason high school wrestling tournament that takes place this Saturday in Minnesota and serves as fundraising event for a cancer support center, InterMat will be releasing stories about people in wrestling who have been affected by cancer. Registration for the InterMat JJ Classic is open through Friday at 8 p.m. CDT. As a sport uniform, the singlet is unique. The single austere piece of polyester and cotton weave normally doesn't allow for the frivolities of football and basketball outfits where players seemed predisposed to tinkering with their individual appearance -- projecting a public persona through arm bands, knee wraps, shooting sleeves and headbands. Wrestlers are limited to the basics: team shoes, athletic socks, and assigned singlets. Like the sport that popularized its use, the singlet is simple; so when Dakota Trom stepped onto the mat in elementary school with a pink ribbon stitched across the lumbar section of his back, fans and wrestlers took notice. Dakota Trom locks up a cradle in the finals of the Minnesota Christmas Tournament (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Young Dakota spent his time away from wrestling watching as his mother battled breast cancer. She had been diagnosed when he was 3 and by the time he started middle school wrestling she had already battled her first diagnosis for five years, experienced a remission, then been diagnosed for a second time. It was that second battle with cancer, three years in total, which finally took her life. Dakota was 12. Lottie Trom had been sick for much of Dakota's life, but still managed to be a devoted mother, spending her healthy moments in the car with her kids, whisking them to tournaments and college dual meets 20 miles away at the University of Minnesota. Lottie was, at her core, always a wrestling mom. "Lottie was a super mom in a lot of ways," says Apple Valley High School (Minn.) head wrestling coach Jim Jackson. "She was super involved, and always driving the kids anywhere they needed to be -- heck, even her daughters got involved in the program. Both of them were managers of the team." Lottie's dedication to wrestling wasn't passed through generations of tough Minnesota wrestlers; she had found the sport for her son through geographical coincidence. It was popular to be a wrestler in Apple Valley and though neither she nor her husband Brice had any family members with cauliflower ear, Dakota joined the local little league team with their full backing Dakota Trom will look to join Apple Valley great Chad Erikson (seated next to Trom) as a four-time state champion (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)"He's always been a high-energy kid," says his father. "Even when he was little it was always jumping around and wanting to wrestle. I guess that isn't all that strange, but even if he wasn't winning as a kid, he always had a smile on his face." Lottie's dedication to her son's pursuits and the bond that mothers hold over their young children inspired Dakota to make that first statement. He wanted to show his wrestling world that the battles he fought at home would be the inspiration for the battles he took on the mat. The pink ribbon that once adorned the back of a pee-wee wrestler has now been replicated, enlarged, and celebrated by the entirety of the Apple Valley wrestling team. "That first ribbon in high school was pretty big," says Brice Trom. The family had been concerned that the athletic league or another coach might complain, but the call for change never came. "We were happy that they let him keep the ribbon on the back." Dakota Trom captured his third state title this past March (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)The next year Dakota moved the ribbon to the front of his singlet where it was joined -- as had become the custom -- by pink shin-high socks. Dakota became a wildly successful high school wrestler, winning three titles for Apple Valley. He reached the Cadet National finals in freestyle. Brice Trom watched as his son won the majority of his matches, though at times, when he failed to win, he watched as he carried the weight of the losses, though never getting as low or as high as other emotionally volatile wrestlers. "With Dakota it ebbs and flows -- most of the time he uses [Lottie] for extra support and drive. Maybe sometimes if things don't go right -- he doesn't get too worked up. He relates things back to her and he doesn't get super high and super low, takes the tops and bottoms off of things," Brice Trom says. "He was 12 years old and made to swallow a pretty big bullet." The pink ribbon caught on at Apple Valley, where other wrestlers had experienced loss due to breast cancer. Dakota's first ribbon and socks were a catalyst for several more wrestlers to wear them during matches. Dakota said that it has been nice "to get support from my teammates and the wrestling community." Dakota lost his mother young, but recognizes that in a way it taught him some important lessons about the severity of a loss. "Losing my mom matured me and taught me how to deal with loss and let go and accept that nothing could have been done. Dakota Trom reached the Cadet National finals at 130 pounds in the summer of 2010 (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)"I know that I'm not going to win every time, but I know that I should try my best every time. That's the important thing that my mom would want to see." Dakota isn't just a leader on the Apple Valley team (he's a captain), he also leads a grief group for students who have recently experienced loss, as a part-time counselor. He says that learning about himself has made the transition to the stress of the big stage easier. "I get on the mat and the ribbon is there on my chest," says Dakota. "She's always there with me. It's not just being sad anymore. She's by my side and watching." The three-time state champion verbally committed to the University of Minnesota. Dakota had been a hot commodity in early recruiting -- a talented, successful lightweight from a well-coached national powerhouse program -- but Brice says his son always wanted to wrestle for the Gophers. "He had his mind made up when he was young," says Brice Trom. "It was a goal of his to wrestle there. He could have left, but he's a homer and wanted to stick around the family." Dakota Trom, who is ranked as the nation's No. 48 recruit, is one of four InterMat Top 100 recruits from Minnesota to commit to the Gophers (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)That family includes his mother, who Dakota says he wants to honor in college by wrestling in an arena where she took him to watch those college dual meets. Next fall his car will be packed with sheets, clothes, and a mini-fridge, but he's also bringing something else ... a pink ribbon for his Gopher singlet. "I'm going to push to wear a ribbon on my singlet, but I know it's different in college. There's just different rules." Dakota says he'll continue to wear his socks and participate in charity events like Relay for Life and the Susan G. Komen's 3-Day Walk for the Cure. And when he takes to the mat, whether with a ribbon or just socks he says he'll be just fine. "I know she's watching me, and when I try my best she'll be proud."

Enterprise Events

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team is set to begin the 98th year of competition in school history, opening practice on Oct. 18 with its first tournament scheduled for Nov. 5 at the Eastern Michigan Open. Head coach Scott Hinkel enters his fifth season at the helm, looking to continue building on the success of recent years. He'll do so with a strong returning class and some outstanding new additions to the room. The Boilermakers are set to hold a pair of preseason events for fans, inviting the public to an open practice at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, before the Homecoming football game against Illinois, and team wrestle-offs on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. Purdue has plans for a pair of new surprises for home duals in 2011-12, featuring a student section, preliminarily titled “Hinkel's Hooligans”, and a new Purdue wrestling mascot. 2010-11 In Review Hinkel became the first coach at Purdue to go .500 or better in his first four seasons in 2011, turning in an 8-8-1 mark overall and 3-5 record in conference action. The three Big Ten Dual victories were the Boilermakers' most since the 2003-04 season, when they secured four conference wins. Purdue finished ninth at the Big Ten Championships, scoring 51 points, and locked up five bids to the 2011 NCAA Championships in Philadelphia. There they settled for a tie for 39th place in the overall standings with nine points as senior Luke Manuel was just one win shy of All-America status for the second time in his career. Highlights of the 2010-11 season included wins over Hofstra, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan State and archrival Indiana, along with several additions to the Boilermaker record books. Manuel finished an outstanding career with 118 wins, good for fourth all-time at Purdue, and 276 career takedowns, good for eighth in school history. In addition, his 41 victories in 2009-10 are a single-season Purdue record and he is one of just 18 wrestlers in school history to amass over 100 takedowns in a season (101 in 2009-10). Manuel's career record of 118-40 gives him the 11th-best win percentage in Purdue's history (.747). Classmate Logan Brown left his footprint in Boilermaker history as well, totaling 109 career wins, securing 11th in school history, and is one of six wrestlers to ever collect more than 300 career takedowns at Purdue (335). Like Manuel and Brown, Colton Salazar was a four-time NCAA qualifier for the Boilermakers and finished 16th in school history with 224 career takedowns. Sam Patacsil continued his family's tradition on the Purdue career back point list, finishing with the eighth-highest total in school history at 199. 2011-12 Weight Class Previews 125: The Boilermakers return a 2011 NCAA qualifier at 125 pounds in sophomore Camden Eppert, who looks to improve upon a solid freshman campaign. Despite his 13-17 overall record, Eppert advanced to the national tournament with a fifth-place showing at the Big Ten Championships, where he tacked on bonus points with a major decision and a fall. Eppert played a major part in team wins at Wisconsin, where he scored his first career pin, and against Michigan State, and earned a second-place effort at the Michigan State Open as well. He was sixth on the team with 36 takedowns and second with 11 reversals. Offering Eppert competition will be freshman standout Danny Sabatello, who comes to Purdue after an outstanding high school career in Illinois. A two-time state champion, Sabatello went 41-0 as a senior at Stevenson High School en route to the 3A 125-pound championship and the InterMat No. 12 national ranking at his weight class. He plans to start the season at 125 pounds, but may possibly move up to 133 midseason. Other 125 pounders in the room are freshmen Luke Schroeder and Dominique Price. Both qualified for the 2011 Indiana State High School Championships at 112 pounds and look to redshirt their first season. 133: The return of sophomore Cashé Quiroga to the Boilermaker lineup has been greatly anticipated, and will come at 133 pounds this season. Quiroga became just the fourth true freshman in Purdue's history to earn All-America honors, taking sixth at 125 pounds at the 2010 NCAA Championships. He also set a freshman record with 124 takedowns, good for the sixth-highest single-season total at Purdue, and won 28 matches in his rookie campaign. Quiroga has seen a wealth of attention across the preseason polls, earning marks as high as fifth in the country at 133 pounds, and is eager to get back into competition. Quiroga will have a phenomenal veteran pushing him for time on the mat in senior Matt Fields. Fields' funky style has made him a matchup nightmare for opponents over the past few seasons, building a 37-24 career record including wins over All-Americans Scotti Sentes of Central Michigan and Ryan Mango of Stanford. Fields is currently 12th in school history with 136 career back points, and remains one pin shy of a spot on the career record list. 141: The Boilermakers should see an intense battle for mat time at 141 pounds, led by senior Jake Fleckenstein. Fleckenstein saw action at 133 and 141 pounds in 2010, putting together a 12-13 mark en route to a career record of 35-24. His most impressive season to date was at 141 pounds in 2009-10 when he notched a 15-6 mark, including seven major decisions and 91 takedowns, before a season-ending injury. Hot on his heels are a pair of redshirt freshmen in Nick Lawrence and Brandon Nelsen. Lawrence was a two-time Ohio State High School runner-up at Westlake High School, where he finished with a 127-10 record despite an injury in his senior season, while Nelsen was a 2010 Indiana State High School champions in his final high school season. Nelsen has seen a huge growth spurt over the last year, winning the 119-pound state title as a senior with a 51-1 record at Lawrence North High School. Freshman Rusty Maness adds even more depth to the weight class, coming to Purdue with four consecutive West Virginia state titles. 149: Purdue has brought in an outstanding transfer student to fill the 149-pound spot in former UNC Greensboro star Ivan Lopouchanski. A two-time NCAA qualifier for the Spartans, Lopouchanski comes to Purdue with a career record of 74-20, including a 41-10 mark in 2010-11. He was one win shy of All-America status last season, advancing to the NCAA Round of 12, and scored bonus points in 16 of his 41 victories, including eight falls. Lopouchanski has seen plenty of attention across the preseason polls, earning marks as high as sixth in the nation at 149 pounds. Freshmen Brock Norton and Frankie Porras will push Lopouchanski at 149, coming off redshirt seasons. Porras won a pair of Indiana State High School titles, taking the 140-pound title as a senior with a record of 42-1 and capturing the 130-pound crown in his junior year with a mark of 40-1, while Norton was a flawless 39-0 en route to the 135-pound state title for Fort Wayne Carroll in his senior season. 157: There will be another dogfight for starting time at 157 pounds, pitting junior Tommy Churchard against freshman Pat Robinson. Churchard moves up another weight after opening his career at 141 pounds and seeing action at 149 pounds last season, looking to find his niche in the Purdue lineup at 157. He has a career record of 16-11, including four falls, with a mark of 9-6 at 149 in 2010-11. Robinson has shown a wealth of growth during his redshirt season after finishing third at the Indiana state tournament as a senior at 145 pounds. Other Boilermakers set to compete at 157 are redshirt freshman Dustin Schulz and true freshmen Cody Robertson and Doug Welch. Schulz and Robertson were state championship qualifiers in Indiana and Texas, respectively, while Welch was the 2011 Indiana State high School Champion at 152 pounds and earned 2011 NHSCA All-America honors as well. 165: One of the Boilermakers' few returning starters comes in at 165 pounds as Kyle Mosier looks to improve upon a solid rookie season. Mosier went 13-13 in 2010-11, including a 3-5 Big Ten Dual mark and six falls. His high point came in the Minnesota dual on Jan. 21, as he stuck 11th-ranked Golden Gopher Cody Yohn in a thrilling contest. Mosier expects immediate pressure from freshman Chad Welch, who like twin-brother Doug has an exceptional list of credentials. Welch won the 2011 Indiana State Championship at 160 pounds with a flawless 51-0 record and went on to capture the NHSCA Senior National Championship at 152 pounds without allowing a point in the semifinals or finals. Other freshmen looking to compete at 165 are Austin Kunze and Andy Hoselton. 174: Sophomore Pat Kissel is the favorite to start for the Boilermakers at 174 pounds, but only if he decides not to take a redshirt this season. Kissel saw action at 165 and 184 pounds last season, compiling a 6-8 record with a pair of falls and a pair of major decisions. If Kissel does take the year off, the starting job will be up for grabs between sophomore Cameron Vlahos, redshirt freshman Andy Wiseman and true freshman Drake Stein. Vlahos was 5-2 in limited action as a freshman, including a second-place effort at the Simonson Open, while Wiseman was a state qualifier in his final high school season in Indiana and Stein was a two-time Indiana State Champion at 171 pounds. Stein was also a two-time Fargo All-American (Greco-Roman). 184: With senior A.J. Kissel moving up to 197 pounds, freshman Braden Atwood looks to take full advantage of the vacant position. Atwood had an impressive redshirt campaign in 2010-11, placing in several open tournaments, and came to Purdue with solid high school credentials. A product of nearby Delphi Community High School, Atwood was a three-time placewinner at the Indiana State High School Championships, including a second-place effort as a senior. 197: Three-time NCAA Championship qualifier A.J. Kissel makes the jump from 184 to 197 pounds this season, looking to finish an outstanding career with a spot on the All-America platform. Kissel is 77-37 in his collegiate career, including 45 pins, good for third all-time at Purdue and just three shy of the school record. His 19 pins in 2007-08 are the Purdue single-season record, while his 17 falls in 2008-09 are second all-time. Kissel has been tabbed as high as 10th in the nation in the various preseason polls, but is projected to miss the first month of the season after having offseason surgery. Junior Justin Dinius and freshman Preston Quam will battle to take his place in the meantime, looking to bolster their own resumes. Dinius is 5-6 in a limited career thus far, including a fall and a major decision, while Quam was the California State High School runner-up at 189 pounds last year and has an extensive background in international judo competitions. 285: Purdue's 2010-11 starting heavyweight Roger Vukobratovich returns to the Boilermaker lineup this season, looking to avoid some of the injuries that have interrupted the last two years. Despite a 10-16 record last season, Vukobratovich had impressive wins over Iowa's Jordan Johnson, Oklahoma State's Blake Rosholt and eighth-ranked Brandon Barlow of Kent State, and suffered five losses by one point. Vukobratovich will battle a pair of fellow heavyweights in the room in junior Adam Walls and sophomore Alex White. Walls was 5-4 last season and 11-24 as the Boilermakers' starter the year before, while White compiled an 11-12 record in 2010-11. Boilermaker Schedule The Boilermakers are looking forward to another challenging schedule in 2011-12, but nothing has Purdue fans more excited than the 2012 Big Ten Championships, set for Dec. 3-4 in Mackey Arena in West Lafayette. Purdue returns to the Eastern Michigan Open to start the season after skipping the event last year, and opens the dual schedule on Nov. 13 at Missouri. The Boilermakers look to win their third straight over the Tigers after upsetting the highly-touted Big 12 standouts in each of the last two years. Purdue returns home to host intrastate rival Indianapolis on Nov. 18, and then heads east to the Journeymen/Asics Northeast Duals on Nov. 26 in Troy, N.Y. The Boilermakers are set for a grueling schedule at the event, facing some of the eastern region's best in Binghamton, Rutgers, Lehigh and American. December opens with a dual at Northern Illinois on Dec. 1, before the Boilermakers return home to open the Big Ten Dual schedule against Michigan State on Dec. 9. Purdue has won three of the last four against the Spartans, and will look for their second straight win live on BTN.com. The Boilermakers wrap up first-semester action on Dec. 18, heading to Edwardsville, Ill. to square off with NCAA Division I newcomers Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Division II foe Truman State. Similar to the Eastern Michigan Open, the Boilermakers passed on a team showing at the Midlands Championships in 2010, but return this winter, traveling to Evanston, Ill. on Dec. 28 and 29. Big Ten Duals resume in full force for the Old Gold and Black in January, opening with Illinois for Military Appreciation Night on Jan. 6. The Boilermakers plan to sport honorary camouflage singlets for the event, which will be auctioned off after the match. Purdue continues the conference slate on Thursday, Jan. 12, at Ohio State, and comes home on Sunday, Jan. 15, to host the highly-ranked Golden Gophers of Minnesota. The Boilermakers' live Big Ten Network opportunity comes on the road on Friday, Jan. 20, at Wisconsin, and they turn around and head to Lincoln, Neb. for their first-ever Big Ten Dual at Nebraska on Sunday, Jan. 22. The Old Gold and Black closes out the month with a home dual against Northwestern on Sunday, Jan. 29, and wrap up Big Ten Duals at archrival Indiana on Sunday, Feb. 5. The Boilermakers head to Ithaca, N.Y. for the debut of the new format of the NWCA National Duals as one of six teams headed to the Cornell Regional, Feb. 10-12. In addition to Purdue and the host Big Red, the preliminary site includes Illinois, American, Oklahoma and Central Michigan. A victory at the regional tournament would send the Boilermakers to a NWCA Final Four site to be determined; otherwise they'll head to Toledo, Ohio for a neutral-site contest with the Chippewas of Central Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 19. Purdue is set to host the Big Ten Championships for the first time since 2000, taking the tournament into legendary and newly remodeled Mackey Arena on March 3 and 4. The Boilermakers were supposed to host last season, but the construction pushed Purdue's chance to host the championship back a season. Purdue hopes to crown its first conference champion since 2004 on its home turf and advance its team to the NCAA Championships, set for March 15-17 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The Boilermakers last trip to St. Louis brought home a 23rd-place team finish and an All-America award for former Boilermaker Jake Patacsil.

You take your kids to a major wrestling tournament. They see something for sale that they say they've just got to have, so you give in ... then, immediately after making the purchase, you have that instant feeling you've paid way too much. What do you do about it? Sure, you could complain, or vow never to submit to your kids' demands. Or you could start your own company to provide the same type of goods at a lower price. That's pretty much the story of how Jason Gillis started Cradle Gear, supplier of wrestling and MMA (mixed martial arts) gear. The birth of a business Cradle Gear was essentially born at a major high school wrestling tournament. Rulon Gardner and Jason Gillis"I took my young sons to the Walsh Ironman," said Gillis, an entrepreneur and family man who lives outside Cleveland. "They saw some fight shorts they wanted that were $40 apiece. I went ahead and bought them, but thought, 'These things are overpriced' and thought we could do better." This past February, Gillis launched Cradle Gear with the idea of providing top-quality performance gear at lower prices. Cradle Gear offers a wide range of sportswear and gear for martial arts, mixed martial arts and wrestling, including shorts, shirts, jackets and singlets. Here's how the company describes itself on the "About Us" page at its website: "CradleGear.com is your source for all sports apparel and branded casual wear. We work directly with contracted manufacturers who adhere to our strict guidelines resulting in the highest quality and extreme comfort. We can provide the very best for lower prices than any of our competitors." The idea seems to be working. As Gillis told InterMat, "It's really taking off, thanks in large part to social media." "We strive to deliver top-quality products and excellent customer service, all at low prices." A "market correction" for high-price performance gear Jason Gillis is a wrestling fanatic who never wrestled. "All my buddies in high school wrestled, as did my college roommates," said Gillis, who counts a number of college wrestlers and coaches among his friends, including Jim Andrassy, head coach of the mat program at Kent State University, Gillis' alma mater. Cradle Gear Team with Henry CejudoGillis runs a number of businesses, including a club wrestling facility in Kent, Ohio. "I started Cradle Gear because my other businesses are successful," Gillis said matter-of-factly. He then told the story of his sons and the $40 fight shorts at the Ironman tournament ... and, continuing with the theme of high prices, segued into just how expensive it is for athletes to participate in extra-curricular activities. "Too many kids are having to pay to play sports," Gillis said. "I understand that times are tough and school districts are having to watch their funds, but it really closes the door on some kids' ability to participate." "I was talking to a friend who has to pay $1,000 a year to have three kids play high school sports, and he's the wrestling coach at that school!" according to Gillis. "I'm trying to give a market correction regarding pricing for athletic gear, including wrestling gear. Too much of it is overpriced." Giving athletes a piece of the action In addition to being sensitive to the price of some brands of performance gear, Jason Gillis is very aware of how difficult it is for amateur wrestlers to make it financially. "Amateur wrestling is the one sport where athletes don't get much in the way of financial compensation, unless they win medals at the Worlds or Olympics, or go into professional MMA," said Gillis. Cradle Gear Jon Reader Signature SeriesWith that in mind, Gillis and Cradle Gear created the Signature Series, in which selected athletes earn 50% of the sales price of an item in their line. For example: a participating wrestler gets $20 of the $40 retail price of fight shorts. Cradle Gear has signed up a number of wrestlers for its Signature Series program, including Angel Escobedo, Coleman Scott, Trent and Travis Paulson, Jon Reader, Justin (Harry) Lester, Spenser Mango, Adeline Grey, and Kelsey Campbell. What's more, each Signature Series wrestler gets to participate in the design of his or her gear, choosing colors, logos and other design elements that reflect his or her personality and interests. Customization for everyone The ability to personalize and customize performance gear isn't limited to wrestlers in Cradle Gear's Signature Series program. Any individual athlete, wrestling program or club, or MMA facility can use Cradle Gear's in-house design capabilities. Cael Sanderson and Jason Gillis"Our graphic design department can work with a customer's ideas and bring them to life," according to Gillis. "For instance, we can 'twist up' school logos and colors in a number of ways, whether it's a traditional look, Gothic, old-school or designs that are inspired by MMA gear." "A school or individual can put in a design request, and, within 24-48 hours, we can get back to them with designs at no charge," said Gillis. Fast turn-around isn't limited to the design phase, according to Gillis. "Place an order, and we'll the merchandise to you in 4-6 weeks." More and more wrestling programs are moving away from the traditional warm-ups towards fight shorts, shirts and jackets for wrestlers to wear before and after matches. Cradle Gear Kent State Wrestling ShortsGillis said that his company has done work for a number of high school wrestling programs, youth programs, wrestling camps, and college mat programs, including Kent State, University of Virginia, Indiana University, and Notre Dame College. What's more, Cradle Gear will be supplying custom fight shorts for all 28 finalists at the second-annual InterMat JJ Classic, a premier preseason high school wrestling tournament to be held this Saturday (Oct. 22) at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. "I always donate to cancer causes," said Gillis, referring to the inspiration of the InterMat JJ Classic, Justin "JJ" Kukowski, an athlete and avid sports fan who lost his battle with brain cancer days after his 27th birthday in 2007. "I lost my mother to cancer one year ago." To learn more about Cradle Gear, visit their website at CradleGear.com.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The David G. Bunning '88 Head Coach for Harvard Wrestling Jay Weiss has announced the addition of 2010 NCAA Champion J.P. O'Connor ‘10 to his coaching staff. O'Connor, who is currently training for a spot on the 2012 summer Olympic team, rejoins the Crimson after enjoying one of the most decorated careers in program history. “I am extremely delighted and fortunate to have J.P. joining our coaching staff, he has meant so much to our program" Weiss commented. "Not only has he won on the biggest stage, he's also a tremendous leader. Our student-athletes will be able to learn more than just wrestling from J.P. He brings a passion for the sport but also for the Harvard program. ” O'Connor became Harvard's third national champion in 2010 when he claimed the 157 lbs. title with a 6-4 win over Cal Poly's Chase Pami. O'Connor finished his senior campaign with a perfect 35-0 record and was named both the EIWA and Ivy League Wrestler of the year. He is the only Crimson grappler to ever complete an undefeated season while his 35 wins that year rank as the fourth most in program history. O'Connor completed his career at Harvard with a record of 132-16, ranking him first in career wins and second in career winning percentage (.892). He is one of only two wrestlers in Harvard history to earn all-America status three times and became the first Harvard freshman to do so in 2007 with his fifth-place finish at nationals. O'Connor is also the only two-time Ivy League Wrestler of the Year in Crimson annals and was a two-time team captain. His other accolades include being a four time All-Ivy League selection, being named the 2007 EIWA and Ivy League Rookie of the Year and taking home the 2010 William J. Bingham Award as Harvard's outstanding male athlete. As impressive as his career was on the mat, O'Connor's career away from the mat was just as impressive. A three-time NWCA All-Academic and Academic All-Ivy honoree, O'Connor was also named to the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team. He helped the Crimson to four consecutive NWCA Div. I All-Academic Team honors and following his senior campaign Harvard was recognized as having the highest GPA among all Div. I wrestling programs. A native of Oxford, N.Y., O'Connor was a highly touted recruit out of high school. He is one of only three individuals in New York history to win four state championships and was a five-time sectional champion. He completed his high school career with a 238-12 record, was named first team all-America, was a member of the Amateur Wrestling News Dream Team and was a recipient of the 2006 Dave Schultz Athletic Excellence Award. O'Connor earned his degree from Harvard in May of 2010 as a human evolutionary biology concentrator.

With the high school wrestling season's start fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From now until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top high school senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to future college and senior level stars. Illinois high school wrestling has been breaking records at a phenomenal pace in recent years. The freestyle and Greco-Roman programs are locked and loaded on national championship mode. The folkstyle teams are not far behind. The driving force behind these programs are the stellar athletes that the state has been putting out the last few years. The Class of 2012 is no different. This year's top athlete race was as close as it has ever been in Illinois. Steve Congenie edged out Zane Richards but both have one thing in common -- they are winners. Congenie is a special athlete that processes size, length, and strength. Humbleness and being coachable, combined with a quiet confidence in him make Congenie a special athlete. Meanwhile on the other end of the state, the man whose name that starts with the last letter of the alphabet, Zane Richards, often is first on the podium. Looking into the future Richards is busy formulating a plan on the mat that just might find him on the top of the Junior World Championships. Eight of the top ten wrestlers are ranked by InterMat and one of the two that is not ranked is an two-time Junior National freestyle champion. The other is a five-time high school All-American and a multiple-sport star with college scholarship offers in both sports. In addition it appears that the state's top weight class this year, 195, is well represented with three former state champs all vying for the same AAA state medal. 1. Steve Congenie (Willowbrook) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 184-197 Analysis: Congenie likes to wrestle on the outside, and is considered a long reach wrestler who will counter the competition's attacks. He reacts to the situations presented by other wrestlers with probably the best lefty fireman move in the state. Considered a funk style wrestler who will use legs, he basically is a 106-pound wrestler wrapped up in a 190-pound body. Steve Congenie (Photo/Suzanne McLean)Primarily a folkstyle wrestler, Congenie has dabbled in freestyle and was a member of Team Illinois' Junior National Duals team. A two-time state champion (152, 171), and a three-time state qualifier, Congenie is looking beyond his senior year. Ranked 38th national among all senior recruits by InterMat, Congenie and has already set a goal of winning a future NCAA championship. The colleges Congenie is considering are Cornell, Northwestern, and Hofstra. 2. Zane Richards (Carbondale) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 132-138 Projected College Weight Class: 125-133 Analysis: Richards is an extremely confident wrestler who wrestles a high pace match as soon as the whistle blows. His goal of getting hands on the other wrestler is to attack hard and wrestle smart has translated into a being a three-time double All-American in freestyle and Greco-Roman. He won two Cadet Greco-Roman titles (2009-10) and the Junior 130-pound freestyle title this year. In addition Richards is a three-time state qualifier, two-time finalist and the defending 125- pound state champion. Ranked 15th nationally by InterMat, Richards is the highest ranked class AA wrestler to make this list since Illinois went to the three-class system. His lofty goals for his final high school season are to get better for college and reach the top of the Junior World Team podium. It is his belief that an additional state title will take care of itself if he perfects his moves, improves his stamina and shoots for beyond the state championship. Richards respectable 26 ACT score make the future psychology, science or engineering major a solid student for his future coach. The colleges Richards is considering are Illinois, Michigan, Oklahoma State, and Northwestern. 3. Max Schneider (Lane Technical) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Schneider is the most unique wrestler in the Class of 2012 and an athlete that may be on a crash course to the 2016 Olympic, although maybe not as a wrestler. The two-time state finalist and former state champion (2010-140 pounds) began wrestling as a freshman and marched right into the state finals at 135. He just missed winning the title and becoming only the fourth Illinois wrestler to win a title at 135 or above. The following year he fulfilled his potential with the first state title won for the much-maligned Chicago Public League since 2005. A shoulder injury ended last season prematurely. Once recovered fully Schneider returned to his other sport – judo -- and traveled to Singapore to capture the Youth Olympic championship at 66 kilos (145 pounds). With a World title for 18 and under, Schneider is considered a solid 2016 Olympic hopeful for the USA. Much of Schneider's judo training has transferred over to the wrestling mat. Initially weight cutting, wearing wrestling shoes and wrestling rules that are the opposite of judo were all barriers to success. However the up close hand fighting and on your feet style of judo led Schneider to InterMat's 24th national ranking and the top of the podium in two sports. Schneider has two legitimate chances to make the USA Olympic Team. The colleges Schneider is considering are Stanford, Northwestern, Cornell, Cal Poly, Bucknell and North Carolina. 4. Sam Brooks (Oak Park-River Forest) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Analysis: Brooks is a natural leader who likes the tough close matches. Considered a grinder who uses heavy hands and his massive upper body to wear the competition down. Sam BrooksRanked 20th by InterMat, Brooks is a six-time ASICS All-American while also winning a state title as a sophomore. His loss to Congenie last year was the state's most anticipated match and has been the motivation for this senior season. Brooks, along with Congenie, Brad Johnson, and three of Illinois Top 10 wrestlers all seem to be on a crash course for one AAA state title -- 195 pounds. Brooks, whose older brother Ben also signed a DI scholarship, to North Carolina, after helping to lead the Huskies to the 2009 state title, believes his hard work approach will bring another trophy to Oak Park-River Forest. Brooks committed to Iowa on Monday. 5. Gage Harrah (Crystal Lake Central) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 184 Analysis: An old school style wrestler, Harrah relies on the basic staples of wrestling, singles, doubles, power half Nelson's and cradles. An undefeated state champ in 2011, Harrah doubles as a running back on the football team. Gage HarrahA three-time freestyle All-American, Harrah recorded a big win over Jahwon Akui at the Junior Nationals, ending last year's top Illinois wrestler's dream of a Fargo double titles. Harrah, nationally ranked 27th by InterMat, committed early to new Drexel coach Matt Azevedo to relieve the pressure of a senior year filled with expectations. With a goal of finishing with a second undefeated season, Harrah has the talent and size to pull off the rare feat while leading a team that could claim an AA state title. 6. Matt Garelli (Fenwick) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 120 Projected College Weight Class: 125-133 Analysis: Garelli style of getting after the competition and creating action on his feet may make him one of the most exciting small wrestlers in the state if not the country. Determined to win the state title undefeated, Garelli's resume certainly says he is quiet capable. Matt GarelliUndersized as a freshman, Garelli burst on the national scene as a sophomore with a freestyle Junior National title (98) and a repeat performance this year at 105 pounds. In addition he added his first Illinois state folkstyle title, posting a sparkling 47-1 record at 103 pounds. An excellent student Garelli recorded the second highest scores of the Illinois Top 10 with a 29 ACT, 1910 SAT and 4.42 GPA on a 4.00 scale. Determined to be an engineer it was only natural that he would choose Stanford as much for its wrestling as its top-rated engineering program. 7. Eddie Klimara (Providence Catholic) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 126 Projected College Weight Class: 125 - 133 Analysis: Klimara has been a big name on the Illinois wrestling landscape since winning an IKWF state title in the eighth grade and committing to Chicago Catholic League powerhouse Providence. Currently ranked 43rd nationally by InterMat, he lived up to promise his freshman year winning the 103-pound state championship and following it up with back-to-back runner-up finishes. In addition two All-American placings including the 2011 Junior National freestyle title at 125 pounds, certified Klimara as the real deal to college coaches. An offensive wrestler who is one of the most aggressive grapplers in Illinois, with a career 119-4 record, Klimara's left handed fireman is virtually unstoppable. Now as the leader of a Celtic's team that includes seven seniors, winning a team title and finishing with another individual championship would cap off one of the best careers ever in Illinois history. The colleges Klimara is considering are Illinois, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma State. 8. Josh Marchok (Schaumburg) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 220 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Analysis: Marchok not only checks in as the largest of the Top 10 Illinois wrestlers, but also has the top ACT with a glowing 34 score. His self-described non-conventional style often has Marchok looking like a little man trapped in a big man's body. Solid in all styles of wrestling from top, bottom or neutral, he can find many different ways to win a match. Marchok has a 113-14 career record, including a perfect 38-0 record en route to the Illinois 215-pound title. A three-time state qualifier and two-time All-State wrestler, Marchock has also shinned brightly on the national scene. A five-time high school All-American, he has set several goals of not giving up an offensive point, winning another state title undefeated and keeping his academic standards at a championship level. The colleges Marchok is considering are Bucknell, Harvard, Princeton, Penn, and Stanford. 9. Dylan Reel (Washington) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 165-174 Dylan ReelAnalysis: Reel is an explosive wrestler who can push the pace of the match and because of his skill on his feet can really get after the competition. The two-time state champion (2009-10) and three-time All-State wrestler is one of the most prolific in recent AA history. A three year running back on the football team, Reel began training hard this year and left the gridiron to improve and get ready for college wrestling. A leader by example, Reel ranked 96th by InterMat, is a four-time ASICS All-American, including the 2010 160 pound Greco-Roman title. The colleges Reel is considering are Boise State, Central Michigan and Missouri. 10. Brad Johnson (Lockport) Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 195-220 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Brad JohnsonAnalysis: Solid on his feet, aggressive and a great hand fighter, Johnson is more athletic than most upper weights. Training partner with Sam Brooks, they may end up in the state finals against each other. On the football field he plays Middle Linebacker for a solid Porters team and was recruited by several I-AA schools but has opted to remain on the mat at the collegiate level. A three-time All State wrestler, Johnson captured the 189 pound title with a 42-3 record. In addition he is a five-time FILA/ASICS All-American in freestyle. The colleges Johnson is considering are Oklahoma, Penn, Michigan, Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Northwestern. Honorable Mention: Jack Dechow (Richmond-Burton) KeVon Powell (Montini) Kalvin Hill (Minooka) James Buss (DeLaSalle) Jared Parvinmehr (Barrington) David Pearce (Bethalto

Feelings of euphoria overcame New York State wrestling enthusiasts on Monday afternoon when it was learned that two-time Division I state champion Brian Realbuto had decided to remain in state and wrestle for EIWA powerhouse Cornell University. In doing so, the Somers High School stud, ranked 16th in the nation among 2012 recruits, became the second Top 15 student-athlete to give a verbal commitment to Cornell coach Rob Koll and staff. He joins three-time California state champion Alex Cisernos, ranked seventh overall, who in early July became the first of an expected many to formally select the Big Red. The consensus No. 1 recruit in the Empire State, as cited in the New York installment of the Wrestling 49 series, Realbuto enters his senior campaign as the favorite to not only add a third state NYS DI title (an honor he would share with future teammate, Nick Arujau) to his resume, but to also put the finishing touches on his fifth overall placement on the grandest stage in Albany. A titlist in 2009 at 103 pounds (beating 2010 NYS champion/2010 NHSCA All-American Damon McQueen), as well as last season at 135 (besting another former champ in the person of 2010 NHCA Junior National Champion, Bob Dierna), Realbuto has posted previous finishes of fourth (as an eighth-grader at 96 pounds) and third (2010 at 112 pounds) respectively during his scholastic career. Brian RealbutoAlready a hot commodity on the national radar, Realbuto's stock exploded off the charts this summer when he won a loaded 145-pound weight class at the 2011 Junior National freestyle tournament in Fargo. Securing the pin with short time remaining in the second period over 2013 Top 10 recruit Brian Murphy of Illinois, Realbuto became the first wrestler since 2004 to hoist the hardware under the Dome. It is now more fitting than ever that the last to accomplish the feat was Cornell alumnus, former four-time NCAA All-American/2009 NCAA champion Troy Nickerson, who was a double champ in the international styles following his junior year at Chenango Forks High School. A self-described "funky when down on the mat" wrestler, the Max Askren-trained student-athlete was no stranger to national success prior to this July, having twice earned All-American honors during the first half of his career. In 2009, he placed fourth at the NHSCA Freshmen Nationals at 112 pounds. He would solidify his position among the nation's elite the following offseason, taking home the bronze medal from the inaugural FloNationals at the same weight. Carrying a cumulative record of 230-11, when interviewed for the Wrestling 49 piece, Realbuto listed Lehigh, Penn State, and the University of Pennsylvania among his many suitors. Hence, beating out a pair of conference rivals for his service is certainly an added bonus for Cornell. In explaining his decision, Realbuto expressed the following sentiments: "The coaches are great people and the team is awesome. It's somewhere I can see myself fitting in and I want to be a part of the tradition they're building. It's the best place for me to accomplish my goals both on and off of the mat." Realbuto is projected at either 149 or 157 pounds on the college level -- spots that have been and will be occupied by another former NY great, defending two-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake, who only won two state titles during his impressive reign at Lansing High School. Whether Realbuto will playfully claim bragging rights remains unknown!

The 2011-12 wrestling season will showcase an exciting new format for the NWCA/Cliff Keen Division I National Dual Meet Championships that will feature four regional locations and a culminating "final four" championship. This concept, being dubbed "Mat Mayhem," will include a variety of new exciting marketing content that will be released throughout the year. The ultimate goal of Mat Mayhem is to create a premier national dual meet championship that will become a platform for growing spectator and media interest in wrestling both at the institutional and national levels. The NWCA will unveil numerous interviews and promotional videos with competing coaches, sponsors, and staff in the months and weeks leading up to the event. This marketing effort is a collaborative effort between the NWCA and Dr. Coyte Cooper with Elite Level Sport Marketing, to help bring the excitement of competition to the sport of wrestling that will be centered on team competition. "The Mat Mayhem concept has tremendous potential to significantly grow the intercollegiate wrestling spectator base at the institutional, regional, and national levels. When you think of every mainstream media/spectator sport in America, they all have one thing in common ... the outcome of every regular season game/competition carries a lot of significance because they determine advancement to some type of post season championship. Conversely, in intercollegiate wrestling, our infrastructure is currently designed to support an individual championship at the end of the year so there is very little importance placed on the outcome of most regular season dual meet competitions. Without the success of the Mat Mayhem concept, it is unlikely that we'll have more than eleven (of our 78) intercollegiate wrestling teams with an average spectator base of more than 1000 (which is what we currently have). For Mat Mayhem to succeed, we are going to need everyone's support including fans, media, and participating teams," said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the NWCA. This year 22 of the top 25 teams from last year's final coaches poll ranking have accepted invitations including eight of the top ten teams. The top twenty-four teams for the 2012 event have been selected and placed into four regions of six teams (the first team listed is the host team): Iowa State, Iowa, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and Northern Iowa. Cornell, Central Michigan, Oklahoma, Purdue, Illinois, and American. Rutgers, Minnesota, Kent State, Michigan, Missouri, and Cal Poly. Oklahoma State, Boise State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Tennessee-Chattanooga. Rutgers will host their regional on Feb. 11, while the other three regional tournaments will take place at Cornell, Iowa State and Oklahoma State on Feb. 12. All videos and information for Mat Mayhem will be listed on the www.nwconline.com homepage, along with the NWCA You Tube, Facebook and Twitter accounts. This will allow all information to easily be shared by one small click of a button. Ticket and more specific event information (dates, times, etc.) will be available at www.nwcaonline.com under the events section.

Leading up to the InterMat JJ Classic, a premier preseason high school wrestling tournament that takes place this Saturday in Minnesota and serves as fundraising event for a cancer support center, InterMat will be releasing stories about people in wrestling who have been affected by cancer. Registration for the InterMat JJ Classic is open through Friday at 8 p.m. CDT. Torrey Line watched this year's NCAA tournament with a different perspective than most fans. He is a 22-year-old former wrestler who with no sense of bravado or irony can scroll through the NCAA brackets and say, "Yeah, I beat him ... and him ... whelp, him, too." Torrey LineLine's affirmations are not that of a local hero cushioning his post-high school fall from greatness. He is a cancer survivor knocked from the highest rungs of the sport in his prime. Line, from Browerville, Minn., was an undefeated elementary school wrestler, which in states like Arizona or Florida might seem trivial, but in the wrestling-centric Midwest is rare and indicative of future potential. "I told his dad that I thought he would be a state and national champion," says Eric Anderson, who was then an assistant coach for the local wrestling club. "He had so much natural talent and confidence. I just knew that he was going to be great." Anderson was right. In Line's first two years of high school he was turning into one of Minnesota's great wrestlers. After his sophomore season, Line won a Cadet National folkstyle title and then traveled to Fargo to compete at Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman and freestyle. Line won the Greco-Roman tournament in dominant fashion and then turned his talents towards freestyle. Like with Greco-Roman, Line was cruising through the tournament when in on a massive double leg against Kirk Smith of Idaho, Line shattered his nose. Line won the match but was sent to the emergency room to get his schnoz reset He was back in time for the semifinals, but dropped a close decision and narrowly missed an opportunity to become one of only a handful of USA Wrestling Cadet Triple Crown winners from Minnesota. Torrey Line was an undefeated state champion as a junior (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)The next high school season it was more domination from Line, who earned bonus points through the state tournament and immediately began practicing with the Minnesota Storm for the summer tournaments. "He wasn't the same in practice," says Anderson. "He was complaining about his knee a lot and we kind of thought he might have done something to his meniscus." The pair agreed to get it checked out after Fargo. However, Fargo proved to be disappointing, with Line failing to place. The knee, Anderson says, was still an issue. With some time off Line's knee began to feel better when he got home so he decided to put on the pads and play football. "I never thought it was going to be dangerous," says Line. "I just wanted to play and my knee was feeling better. If anything I was disappointed with my Fargo performance." A few days after football practice started Line suffered a bad hit to his leg and had to see the team doctor. Initial reports were that he had suffered a torn ACL, an absolutely crushing injury for any athlete hoping to gain a scholarship in his senior year. Line's parents took him to the doctor where the news was decidedly worse. Torrey Line owned wins in freestyle and Greco-Roman over several wrestlers who went on to college greatness, including Jon Reader (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Line had a tennis ball-sized tumor stuck inside the lower head of his femur, just above his knee. The cancer, osteogenic sarcoma, is extremely rare, but curable when found in the early stages. Line was optimistic, and also a little relieved. "You could tell he was happy to have some sort of an explanation for his Fargo performance," says Anderson. "I mean it's kind of weird to say, but it did kind of verify that he didn't just all of a sudden lose it," says Anderson. The doctors recommended that Line immediately undergo the removal of the bottom six inches of his femur as well as a total knee replacement. After the surgery they would start him on chemotherapy in case any cancer cells were living outside of the bone. "The scary thing was that the doctors told me the cancer would have spread if I had broken my leg and because of the cancer the risk of breaking my leg was increased," says Line. "The cancer would have spread all over my body." The leg didn't break and the cancer did not spread. The 170-pound Line had to endure chemotherapy, which chemically attacks possibly cancerous cells as well as perfectly healthy cells, making those who undergo treatment lose weight and generally feel miserable. "My low point was in February as the sectional and state tournaments were firing up," says Line. "My weight was down to 135 pounds and I didn't want to eat anything. I just felt like crap all day long." Torrey Line T-shirtBut in that moment of drawn-out malaise and downcast spirit, Line was able to find a pleasure in the sight of wrestling. Line attended some meets and was greeted at his home by dozens of visitors and hundreds of letters. "Whenever I felt my worst it seemed that I would look around and the wrestling community would be there by my side," says Line. "It's something I don't think I would have gotten in any other sport." The Minnesota wrestling community also came to the financial support of the Line family. Minnesota/USA Wrestling Junior Director Chris Willaert put together a T-shirt drive where all the proceeds sold from that year's tournament T-shirt sales went to offset the cost of Line's treatment. Line eventually began his physical therapy, learning how to walk with a new midsection to his left leg. He started taking classes at the University of Minnesota where he was listed on the roster and received money for books as part of a wrestling scholarship given to him by Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson. "I always dreamed of wrestling in college, and even after my cancer I wanted to compete," says Line. "But by my sophomore season I kind of knew that I would never be cleared. J Rob came up to me one day and said as much so I hung up the dream. It was tough, but I could only do so much on the leg." Torrey Line (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Line could no longer compete, but he decided he wanted to start coaching and gave his friend Eric Anderson a call. Anderson serves as the head wrestling coach at Fridley High School, located just outside Minneapolis. "Torrey comes in and coaches the guys and they learn a lot about wrestling from his knowledge," says Anderson. "Sometimes I try to tell these kids just how good Torrey was and that he also beat cancer, but as a kid it's tough to grasp those battles." Line is now a fifth-year senior at the University of Minnesota where he is double majoring in business and marketing education and human resource development. He is currently in his last semester of classes with only a semester internship in an HR department left to complete his degree requirements. "I'll never forget what the wrestling community did for me in support, but also in the lessons I learned before I got sick and how I applied them to beating cancer," says Line. "I knew that I was going to beat cancer. There was never any doubt about that. As a wrestler you learn to deal with an opponent and the stress of competition and I always knew I was going to win." This story also appears in the Oct. 14 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The Oklahoma State Cowboy wrestling team finished fourth at the NCAA Championships to close the 2010-11 season. OSU won the Big 12 team title with the largest margin of victory at the event since 2006 and brought home five individual conference championships. The Cowboys had an individual NCAA champion in 133-pounder Jordan Oliver and two others – Clayton Foster at 197 pounds and Jamal Parks at 149 pounds – joined him in receiving All America honors. While this is an impressive list of accomplishments for any team in the country, especially one that dealt with as much adversity as Oklahoma State faced last year, OSU wrestling has its sights set on much more entering 2011-12. “Really, I was not too disappointed with a fourth-place finish last year considering the season and not having two of our starters in the lineup, but fourth won't do it for me this year,” head coach John Smith said. “So, the key is to make sure we continue to grow, and not just on the mat and getting better as wrestlers, but being better people. An important part of winning is becoming better people.” If the Cowboys are to make a run at their 35th wrestling national championship, they will need junior Jordan Oliver to be as unbeatable as he was a season ago. He will continue to wrestle at 133 pounds, where he dominated the rest of the country last year. Oliver returns as the reigning NCAA champion in his weight class after he defeated No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State, 8-4, for the individual title. Not only does he have the distinction of being an individual national champion, he is also a two-time All-American and two-time Big 12 champion. During the 2010-11 campaign, Oliver posted an unblemished record of 29-0, including an 18-0 dual record. He recorded seven major decisions, six tech falls and 11 falls while beating six ranked opponents. Oliver looks poised as the frontrunner to take home the 133-pound national championship, but Smith has even loftier visions for the young star. “Historically, in the last several years, you haven't seen too many people win multiple national championships in a row, and for Oliver, his focus has to be higher than winning championships. I want Jordan Oliver to think about being an Olympic champion in 2012,” Smith said. “I think you have to raise those expectations and not stay at the same level. For him, I think that his season this year is preparation to try to win and to make an Olympic team, possibly. “Of course, one of the toughest guys that he'll have to face is on our campus training, as well, in (former Cowboy) Coleman Scott. I just think that you have to set higher goals and you have to look at your season as something more than trying to win an NCAA championship, especially after you've won one and had the dominating season you had last year. If you want to keep moving forward, you have to keep raising the bar.” Oliver will be joined by two returning All-Americans in seniors Jamal Parks and Alan Gelogaev. Parks is coming off of a season which saw him finish fifth at the NCAA Championships after defeating No. 11 Andrew Nadhir of Northwestern to pick up his sixth victory against a ranked opponent. Parks finished off the season with a 30-5 record, including a 4-0 victory in the championship match of the 149-bracket at the Big 12 Championships. Smith said if Parks wants to compete for a national championship, he will need to continue to make improvements to his offensive arsenal. “Offensively, he needs to get a little better,” Smith said. “National champions are very offensive wrestlers. I know there's been a few of them that have won on their defense, but the majority of them win because they're aggressive in their attack rate, and that's where Jamal really has to focus: on his attack rate. He can't let anybody ride him. Even though he's gotten a lot better on bottom, there were one or two guys in the country that could ride him, and those one or two guys are normally the guys that are winning. I want to see his attack rate really increase and his bottom wrestling get better. With the experience he's had, it should get better. It is about winning a national championship for him.” The Cowboys will get a big boost with the return of Gelogaev, who sat out virtually all of last season with an injury. Gelogaev, known to his teammates simply as “Z,” earned All-America honors during the 2009-10 season, but only wrestled five times last season, recording four victories before suffering a season-ending injury. In his four wins, he registered one major decision, one fall and one tech fall. During the 2009-10 campaign, Gelogaev was 30-9, which included four victories against ranked opponents and one fall at the NCAA Championships on his way to a seventh-place finish. This season Gelogaev looks to continue his transition from 197 to heavyweight, where he aims for a breakout year. “Z has not had a lot of competition in the last year and a half,” Smith said. “It's a new weight class that he's going to get a full season at. He needs to stay healthy, stay strong during the year and make good decisions in his matches. Let's not try to pin everybody right away. I like his aggressiveness, but some of the positions he gets in, somebody could get hurt. He needs to take care of those positions. It's going to be fun watching him at this weight class.” OSU also gets a big lift at the 197-pound weight class in the addition of senior transfer Cayle Byers. The Alaska native comes to Stillwater from George Mason and steps into the role that was vacated with the graduation of All-American Clayton Foster. Byers was ranked as high as No. 2 at 197 pounds last season, the highest ever of any wrestler at George Mason. In his sophomore season, Byers was one victory away from claiming All-America status at the NCAA Championships. “Anytime you move a program, there's an adjustment time,” Smith said of Byers. “I'm sure he's excited about what he sees here and what the difference is between here and George Mason. What he has with his workout situations is perfect. He's got a great young guy in Blake Rosholt who's going to be nipping at his heels. It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.” Sophomore Blake Rosholt, who filled in at heavyweight last season after Gelogaev was injured, returns to 197 this year and could push Byers for a spot in the lineup. Sophomores Jon Morrison and Ladd Rupp will be competing for the starting spot at 125 pounds. Morrison started for most of last season, compiling a 10-5 dual record and 7-5 record against ranked opponents. Rupp only wrestled six times, but won all of his matches, including two dual victories and two major decisions. Morrison has put together an impressive list of accomplishments and has been ranked in the top 10 nationally. With a completely healthy season, he has a chance to earn All America honors or more. Sophomore Josh Kindig will return to the 141-pound spot after a strong freshman campaign that saw him go 26-10 with a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. Kindig carried his success into the summer as earned the distinction of being a champion at the 2011 ASICS FILA Junior Freestyle National Championships in the 66 kilogram/145.5 pound bracket. He then went on to a fifth-place finish at the World Championships. At 157 pounds, there will be much more competition. Senior Albert White looks to be the starter after an injury-plagued career, but sophomores Stephen Swan and freshman Matt White will challenge for the spot. There should be competition at 174 pounds as well, with three athletes in the mix for the position. Senior Chris McNeil, who finished 11-3 in tournaments last year, senior Mike Benefiel and sophomore Zach White could all challenging for the starting spot. The starters at 165 and 184 pounds look set after breakout performances by Dallas Bailey (165) and Chris Perry (184) in their freshmen seasons last year. Now sophomores, each wrestler has an entire season's worth of experience under his belt. Bailey finished the year at 23-9, including a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. He went 12-5 in dual matches and recorded wins over five ranked opponents. He entered the NCAA Championships as the No. 6 seed, but finished 0-2. Perry put up a record of 25-7 last season, including a 10-7 record against ranked opponents. He took the Big 12 Championship at 184 pounds after defeating No. 10 Josh Ihnen from Nebraska, 3-2, in a tiebreaker. He was also an NCAA quarterfinalist after claiming wins over Tony Dallago of Illinois and Ihnen in the first and second rounds, respectively. With all these pieces set in place, Smith said he believes he has the talent, experience, depth and leadership to make a real push for a national championship in 2012. “All you ever hope for is to have that opportunity. You're not hoping to win a national championship – instead, you can kind of control your destiny by what you have, and I think we're in that position right now,” Smith said. “I'm not in the hope mode that things work out, I'm in a pretty good position to be thinking, ‘I need to control our destiny of where we finish.' You're not always in that position and I feel like I'm in it now. I think we can control what we do over this season at a very challenging time when there's several good teams out there.” 2011-12 Weight Class Breakdown Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith breaks down each weight class heading into the 2011-12 season. 125 pounds Probable Starter – Jon Morrison or Ladd Rupp Keep an eye on – Tyler Dorrell “At this point, we have a returning starter in Jon Morrison, who was injured a lot last year. It cost him to have some injuries that really hampered him throughout the season. Ladd Rupp has made a commitment to move down. He struggled last year with this weight. I see a lot of maturity with him and he's ready to tackle the responsibility and I'm seeing some good things from him. I think we can see both of those guys wrestling. Tyler Dorrell is kind of a tweener. He's a good wrestler that's between 125 and 133, so we just have to wait and see where he's going to end up.” 133 pounds Probable Starter – Jordan Oliver Keep an eye on – Tyler Dorrell “Jordan Oliver, obviously, is an NCAA champion and is showing that he can handle the weight class and be responsible with his weight. I'd like to see him even grow more this year in making everything secondary to it – being a little bit more disciplined with his intake. That's what usually happens as you get older. Winning an NCAA title – they don't get easier, they get tougher. He needs to address it in that manner. He's definitely one of our leaders and I believe he'll get even better here this year.” 141 pounds Probable Starter – Josh Kindig “Josh Kindig wrestled as a true freshman and had great year. He's got a great attitude. He finished fifth at the Junior Worlds this summer. I think he's grown a lot over the summer. It's going to allow him to have a really great year this year. He's a hard worker. He's got a great spirit about him and he does a lot for this team.” 149 pounds Probable Starter – Jamal Parks Keep an eye on – Luke Silver “Obviously our senior Jamal Parks is an All-American. The one thing that's not on his resume is a national championship and I know that's what his goal is this year – to be the best at the end of the year. He has developed nicely and grown a lot over the years. I'm just real excited about his senior season.” 157 pounds Probable Starter – Albert White Keep an eye on – Stephen Swan, Matt White “It's Albert White as of right now. He's been plagued with injuries most of his career. He broke his neck in the middle of January and was out the rest of the season. I think the key is to stay healthy. We really haven't been able to see him wrestle a whole lot because of the injuries. I look forward to having an injury-free season with him. I think you've got to look at Matt White and Stephen Swan. Both of these guys are going to be on his heels. Matt White is a freshman and Stephen Swan is a sophomore and I think they've both got real opportunities to break in. We'll just wait and see how this weight goes. It would be nice to see Albert have a healthy season.” 165 pounds Probable Starter – Dallas Bailey Keep an eye on – Alex Munoz “You look at Dallas Bailey as a returning starter. He grew a lot last year. He didn't have a bad year. He had some really exciting matches and is a lot of fun to watch wrestle. He just needs to tighten things up and get focused on what's really going to make the difference at this level. He needs to focus on his position a little bit more – not giving up easy takedowns and letting people get to the legs. I see him stepping in and showing that maturity from a full season of heartaches last year. Alex Munoz is definitely somebody that could see some action as well.” 174 pounds Probable Starter – Zach White, Chris McNeil or Mike Benefiel Keep an eye on – Elliott Hellwege “This is a weight class where I'm just looking for somebody to step up and show that they want it. I think you start with Chris McNeil and Zach White. Chris McNeil is a senior and Zach White is a sophomore. Both need to mature in their wrestling and be a little bit tougher in critical situations in matches. Those are some things they haven't shown in the past that they really need to show now. They've got some experience of what not to do and they really need to focus on what to do. I'd look for those guys to step out right away. Mike Benefiel is still in the picture, but we'll just wait and see if he can toe the line on rules and regulations. If Elliott Hellwege makes the weight, he could be a threat here.” 184 pounds Probable Starter – Chris Perry Keep an eye on – Elliott Hellwege “Chris Perry is coming off of a full year as freshman – some good and some bad and some ugly. We've got a year of experience under his belt and I'm excited about his season this year. I'm excited about where he's at right now and he looks like a much more mature individual. For Chris it's going to be about a little bit higher attack rate in his offense.” 197 pounds Probable Starter – Cayle Byers or Blake Rosholt “We have a transfer in Cayle Byers who was an All-American two years ago. What I've seen in his work ethic at this point has been really impressive. We like what we see in his work ethic. I don't know enough yet about him at this point to really make a comment on him. Blake Rosholt, who had a full year after Z got hurt last year, has moved down to this weight class. He's a Rosholt and Rosholts don't give things away. We'll see how this 197 develops, but I do believe we've got two good people. One's a senior and one's a sophomore, in Rosholt, so we've got an upper classman and some youth there. That's real positive for this weight class now and in the future.” 285 pounds Probable Starter – Alan Gelogaev Keep an eye on – Tyson Yoder "At heavyweight, Z (Gelogaev) was hurt and out for the year in the first tournament last year. That was a real blow to us. When you think about our program having two of our starters injured and out for the year with him and Albert White, it really sets you back and that makes it rough to really finish the way you want. With Z, he just needs to be a little bit more conservative with his offense and try to keep himself in position to not get injured. He's only had one tournament at heavyweight and that was at the Oklahoma City Open and that's not a real indication of the people he's going to hit this year. I'm just looking forward to him being back with the team as a starter. Tyson Yoder is a guy that anytime we need him, he's there. He's been a real important asset to our program. If he's ever needed, he'll get the job done.”

Fight Now USA TV Presents Takedown Wrestling from our Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! This week we take the show on the road to help celebrate the third anniversary of Max Muscle Sports Nutrition super store in Clive, Iowa. Join Scott Casber on location and Brad Johnson in studio with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News. Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. to noon ET. This week's guests: 9:00: Joey Boyens, Founder Max Muscle in Clive, Iowa, with special guest Matt Hughes 9:15: Brad Johnson in studio with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News 9:20: Matt Hughes, UFC legend 9:40: Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino 10:00: Andrew Hipps, Co-founder of InterMatWrestle.com to talk about the InterMat JJ Classic 10:20: Ryan and Trent Freeman, Wrestling brothers from Missouri 10:40: Steve Knight, Excel Wrestling (the annual banquet is coming up Nov. 20.) Takedown Wrestling is available on radio on AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa, online at Livesportsvideo.com, or on your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app.

InterMatWrestle.com has released its NCAA Division I preseason team tournament-strength and individual wrestling rankings for the 2011-12 season. Defending NCAA champion Penn State tops the team tournament-strength rankings with 108.5 points, 9.5 points in front of second-ranked Iowa. Oklahoma State is third with 84.5 points. Minnesota, the lone program with 10 ranked wrestlers, begins the season ranked fourth. Cornell and Lehigh share a No. 5 ranking. The Big Ten has six teams ranked in the top 10. In the individual rankings, six of the 10 No. 1-ranked wrestlers are NCAA champions. Updated rankings will be released every Tuesday during the college wrestling season. View Preseason Rankings

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Lehigh wrestling team is gearing up for the 2011-12 season which begins in less than a month. Official practice began on Monday for the Mountain Hawks. The first two days of the season featured morning practice in the Billy Sheridan Wrestling Room in the Gerald G. Leeman Wrestling Complex, followed by lifting and conditioning sessions in the afternoon. The Mountain Hawks will be looking to build upon a successful season that saw Lehigh return to the top ten at the NCAA Championships, while producing three All-Americans and the program's 27th national champion in Zach Rey. “It's great to get everyone back together as a group,” explained head coach Pat Santoro. “We can start to do some instruction now and build up the intensity level. That's a good thing for us coaches to get our eyes on them and work with them on a daily basis.” Rey returns for his senior season as the nation's No. 1 heavyweight. He will be looking to become Lehigh's first two-time national champion since Darryl Burley (1979 and 1983). National runner-up Robert Hamlin, the first wrestling All-American from Vermont, returns for his junior season at 184, while Brandon Hatchett returns after placing seventh at 165. “It's good to have them back,” Santoro said. “When you have All-Americans who graduate its still good for the program, but when they come back to the room, the guys who work with them every day see them and know that its something that can be done. It adds some credibility.” Lehigh begins preseason practice with 31 wrestlers on its official roster. In addition to the Mountain Hawks' three returning All-Americans Santoro notes there are plenty of wrestlers hungry to try and leave their mark. “We have a couple of round of 12 guys that had losses that left a sour taste in their mouths,” Santoro said. “The freshmen are pretty hungry and there are some other guys that are trying to knock on that door for a starting spot. It will be interesting to see how it plays out over the next few weeks.” Senior Joe Kennedy (197) and sophomore Steve Dutton (141) are the two men who fell one win short of All-America honors in Philadelphia. Senior Sean Bilodeau returns for his senior season at 157 giving Lehigh six returning starters from last year's EIWA Championships. NCAA qualifier Joey Napoli is expected to defer his eligibility this year while he moves up to 149 and at 174 Austin Meys will sit out while he recovers from illness, opening the door for others to try to work their way into the lineup. Among the veterans who will look to crack the lineup, senior Kyle Rosser and junior Shane Welsh return at 149, while junior Kevin Bailey will drop down to compete at 174. Santoro and the rest of the coaching staff are high on the freshman class that includes Anthony Salupo, coming off a year of deferred eligibility, and true freshmen Mason Beckman (125), Chris Dinnien (133), Eric Hess (157/165), Nate Brown (174) and John Bolich (174) among others who will compete to make an immediate impact. “The young guys are expected step up and wrestle well, just like the older guys,” Santoro said. “It depends on their attitude. So far the attitude has been great but we need to keep that focus until March.” Santoro knows that there is a lot of work to be done during preseason camp, leading up to the annual Wrestle-Offs, October 27 at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. “We have a lot of guys back but we still have to do a lot of work,” Santoro said. “If we stay the same, we're going to get worse. We have to continue to improve. We set high goals this year. We want more people on the podium and more national champions. He continues, “Fundamentals are really important. There are some new rules changes that we need to make adjustments for. Hopefully we can use those to our advantage. Other than that it's the same as every year. We're just trying to get better.” The regular season begins on Sunday November 6, when Lehigh will send approximately 20 wrestlers to the Buffalo Open in New York. The Mountain Hawks' first dual meet is set for Saturday, November 13 when Pittsburgh visits Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall at 7 p.m.

Lee Kemp, one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the history of the sport, has joined the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling staff. "What an opportunity for UW Whitewater and our wrestlers and staff," UW-W head coach Tim Fader said. "I am really excited for the Warhawk wrestlers in our program. This is a chance for our guys to really learn and take from one of the best wrestlers our country has ever had. I have the opportunity to hear Lee speak and relate to younger wrestlers and have always been impressed. He has coached at the highest level of our sport. He is more than "just interested" in topics that can make a difference in a college wrestling career -- nutrition, technique, motivation and preparation. I am excited to be around that level of knowledge and that type of success and achievement. He is a very sincere and inspiring person and we welcome Lee Kemp to our program," Fader added. Kemp's resume' is so extensive that his name transcends the sport of wrestling. His collegiate career came just 45 miles from Whitewater at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kemp went 143-6-1 for the Badgers, with five of those losses coming in his freshman year. His first year accomplishments included a win over Dan Gable and a second place finish in the NCAA championship. He lost the championship match on a split referee's decision in overtime. That would be Kemp's only loss in NCAA championship competition as he won titles in 1976, 1977 and 1978. His 39-0-0 record in 1976 was the only undefeated season in Division I wrestling. He went 103 consecutive matches without a loss (sixth best ever), and 87 in a row without a loss or tie (fourth best ever). Kemp was a three-time Big Ten champion, and three time Midlands Tournament winner. Kemp's international career spanned the globe. He won three world championships (Mexico City 1978, San Diego 1979, Alberta, Canada 1982), the first coming at the age of 21, just after finishing college and the youngest American to win a world or Olympic title at the time. Kemp added gold medal honors in World Cup competition four years in a row (1979-82), the first American to accomplish that feat. He also won Pan American Games gold medals in 1979 and 1984, as well as seven national championships (Amateur Athletic Union and United States Wrestling Federation). He was selected for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, but the U.S. boycotted the games in Moscow, Russia (USSR at the time). His coaching career, like his competitive career, came at the highest levels of the sport. Kemp coached the U.S. freestyle team that competed in the 2007 World Championship in China, coach the U.S. freestyle team at the World Junior Championship in 2007 in Beijing, China, and he was the head coach of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team that competed in Beijing. Kemp's honors and awards, just the highlights, include some of the most coveted in sport. Amateur Wrestling News named him the Outstanding Freshman in 1975 and the Outstanding Sophomore in 1976. The same publication honored him on the "Post 1958 Era All-Time Collegiate Wrestling Team". He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1989, one of six hall of fame selections he has earned. That group includes the George Martin Wrestling Hall of Fame (1983) in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame (2009), and the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame, conferred during the 2008 Olympics. He was named the United States Wrestling Federation Man of the Year in 1978, and was a two time finalist for the Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. "Five years ago I made an important decision to get back into wrestling and use my background and experience in wrestling and nutrition to make a positive impact on the athletes I was working with," said Kemp. "I really enjoy getting on the mat and working with the athletes, and realize that I have lot to give and share. I believe the timing is perfect for me to connect with UW Whitewater and do what I can to help them win big." Kemp's unique abilities will be shared in a weekly learning moment that will include training tips, motivation and inspiration elements. The sessions, just ten minutes long, will be held at 2:30 every Tuesday from now through December 13 in the upper lobby of Williams Center on the UW-W campus . Everyone -- UW-W athletes, UW-W students, fans, members of the community, is welcome to attend the free sessions. "Lee Kemp brings world class insight to the wrestling program at UW-Whitewater. His background and experiences will make an immediate impact on our team," UW-W athletic director Paul Plinske noted. "I'm especially excited about the work that Lee will be doing with all of our programs. His weekly thoughts on training for peak performance will be shared with all of our student-athletes. Many will benefit as we strive to establish championship performances in our program," said Plinske. Kemp is the proud father of three children, Jordan (18), Mercedes (17), and Adam (11). The UW-Whitewater wrestling team placed third in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference last year and twenty-ninth in the NCAA Division III championship. The Warhawks will open the season with a quad meet at UW-Madison November 13 that also includes Northern Illinois and Loras. The first home appearance of the season will be November 17 at 7:00 with UW-La Crosse visiting Williams Center.

Ben Askren

Cody Sanderson

The Ohio University wrestling program took another step forward on Sunday night when the coaches secured the verbal commitment of Wadsworth senior Kagan Squire. A three-time state place winner for the Grizzlies, Squire will sign his NLI in November, has his sights sets on a state championship in March, and plans on arriving in Athens next summer. Kagan is the 26th-ranked senior in the InterMat Top 100 and he finished his junior year ranked ninth at 125 pounds. "The Bobcats are a rising program, they are trying to build something great, and that is something I want to be part of," stated Squire over the phone on Monday night. "Ohio is a great school for wrestling and academics and together that is a great combination for me." Kagan Squire is ranked as the No. 26 recruit in the country (Photo/Bob Tuneberg, BuckeyeWrestling.com)Kagan has a 3.5 accumulative GPA and scored a 25 the first time he took his ACT. He selected Ohio University over Army, Michigan State, and Appalachian State. One thing Ohio had that the other schools didn't, Brad Squire. "Having my brother (Brad) at OU definitely helped the Bobcats, but after looking around I think I made a great decision and I am excited to be a Bobcat," explained Kagan. "He would have supported me whatever my decision was. At the same time I think it is a special opportunity to be on the same team with him again." A current sophomore at Ohio, Brad went 134-12 as a four-time state place winner and a two-time state champion at Wadsworth. Both Squires were integral parts of the 2010 State Championship team that ended Lakewood St Edward's run of thirteen consecutive Division I state championships. With an older brother that was hammer, Kagan started high school with expectations and has not disappointed with a 134-15, career record in three years in the varsity lineup. As a freshman he went 44-8 and placed third at 112 pounds, as a sophomore he finished 40-4 taking second at 119, and as a junior he improved to 50-3 and placed second at 125 pounds. "The goal this season is to win an individual state title at 132 pounds," offered the high school senior. "As a team we should have a pretty tough so we want to challenge for one of the top five spots at state." Kagan Squire will take a 134-15 record into his senior season (Photo/Kevin Schlosser, BuckeyeWrestling.com)Kagan projects as a 133-141 at Ohio University while Brad is expected to continue competing at 149 pounds creating a potential one-two punch of Squires for at least two years. When asked if he wanted to wrestle or redshirt as a true freshman, Kagan seems open to whatever the OU coaches think is best. "I'm not worried about next year in college when I still have goals to accomplish as a high school senior. Right now it isn't an issue if I redshirt or wrestle as a freshman, that is something that will sort itself out when I get in the room and see where I am at next fall." stated Kagan. A year-round wrestler, Squire is also a two-time Cadet Ohio state freestyle champion and the 2009 Cadet National champion. He hasn't been to Fargo the last two years, but he has wrestled at a number of Junior level tournaments with his only loss coming to Mark Grey at the 2011 Junior Duals. "Freestyle is fun and it is something different to do when you are not wrestling for the school," responded Kagan when asked about his success in the Olympic style. "In college I will probably wrestle Juniors or Universities, but I need to focus on making the adjustment to college wrestling and classes before I look too far ahead." With his focus on the present, Squire hasn't forgotten his past or turned a blind eye towards the future. "I would like to thank my coaches, teammates, friends, teachers, and family for being there for me over the years. Their support and guidance have meant a lot to me as a wrestler, a student, a friend, a brother, a son, everything ... They have helped me to become the person I am today and to get the opportunities I have in the future so it is up to me to continue making them proud," concluded Kagan. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/43845

As almost any wrestler will readily attest, tallying up personal win-loss records and the total number of championship titles won are certainly not the only means by which to ascertain individual accomplishments within the sport. Case in point is this year's Dellinger Award winner Mark Palmer, whose own journalist body of work -- compiled over the course of the past 12 years -- has not only already left an indelible imprint upon the wrestling community at large but, also perhaps, well beyond its customarily established borders. Mark PalmerOverall, Palmer is the 47th individual recipient of the Dellinger Award, which -- since 1960 -- has been given out annually by Amateur Wrestling News magazine in order to recognize some of the sport's most outstanding journalists. The award itself is named after its first honoree, Bob Dellinger, an Oklahoma sportswriter and editor who spent 25 years providing statewide and nationwide coverage of wrestling at both the high school and college levels respectively. In addition to Palmer's long-time status as a staff writer for the online media outlet InterMat -- formerly known as RevWrestling.com -- as well as his frequent contributions to Amateur Wrestling News, he also coauthors the ongoing series "Where Are They Now" for Wrestling USA magazine and has written for the Guillotine, a Minnesota-based wrestling publication with a corresponding online site. His work has also been incorporated into two Division I NCAA national tournament exhibits, including "Family Ties" -- the 2011 presentation which has since been adapted into a book format. Additionally, he has offered written reviews of nearly two dozen wrestling-related books and three wrestling documentaries -- "Takedowns and Falls," "Veritas," and "Independence" -- and has recently finished writing a book manuscript detailing the life of former Oklahoma State head coach Ed Gallagher, which has yet to be released. He has also made several appearances on "Takedown Radio" and has been a one-time guest of the radio broadcast "On the Mat" as well. Introduction to the sport Despite the fact that Palmer himself never wrestled, nor did any of his immediate family members, the inherit value of the sport has yet to go unnoticed by this recently named award winner. "I grew up in a town called Sterling, Illinois, which is in northwestern Illinois, about one hundred and twenty miles straight west of Chicago and as I tell people, about twenty miles from Iowa," explained Palmer. "We got our television coverage from the Quad Cities, which straddles Iowa and Illinois, and being aware of wrestling in the state of Iowa and thinking about the people that I was aware of when I was in junior high and high school -- which is about the time that I guess I would say I was becoming a fan -- were Dan Gable, the Peterson brothers, and Russ Hellickson." Individuals who later went on to wrestle in the 1972 Olympics as Palmer is quick to recall, vividly recounting it as the first Olympic coverage of wrestling that he remembers viewing on television. "I remember watching ABC Wide World of Sports, because they covered the NCAAs on a tape delayed basis, " continued Palmer, "and I remember watching Dan Gable losing to Larry Owings two or three weeks after the fact in the match that was Dan Gable's only loss in high school and college." "Back then, you didn't have the Internet," added the 2011 honoree. "I did not subscribe to any magazines. My coverage, or my awareness, was pretty much limited to the Des Moines Register. My dad would get the Chicago Tribune and the Sunday Des Moines Register. It was right around the corner from where we would go every Sunday in Sterling, so he would pick those up, and I would read both papers just really thoroughly." "The Tribune didn't cover wrestling much, but they'd cover the Midlands," he further clarified. "That was the big event that I was aware of as a kid. Then, the Des Moines Register would cover both Iowa State University and the University of Iowa -- back in the 1970s, before Iowa became the force that it is now, it was more Iowa State and Gable being a wrestler at Iowa State." "When I went over to Ohio University," continued Palmer, a journalism advertising graduate who -- along with his family -- relocated to the state of Ohio as a high school senior, "it was a chance to go to matches more easily; that made it more possible to follow (wrestling), and the student newspaper did a good job of covering the sport, so I was kind of able to grow that interest a little bit more." Online contributions "That's one of the beauties of the Internet is that it's really made it more possible to follow a team or program and individuals wherever they are," indicated Palmer. A technological advancement he has since put to exceedingly good use in terms of his own subsequent involvement with the sport which resulted in the creation of Amateur Wrestling Fan Attics (AWFA), an online Yahoo user group launched by the Cincinnati-based wrestling enthusiast nearly twelve years ago and, to date, boasts a membership of three thousand. "Yahoo has this function where people can set up a group and invite people in and post photos and articles," offered Palmer. "Generally, we (group members) post links to stories about college, high school, international wrestling, and anything amateur wrestling related. Sometimes there are discussions and even arguments," he added. "It's basically a way to make people aware of news stories and maybe keep people posted on events. It's not specific to a team. It's not specific to a wrestler, so hopefully it serves a wide range of people wherever they might be." What are specific though are his other online groups, which showcase individual wrestlers as well as other assorted topics, including his Dan Gable and Cael Sanderson offerings along with his Vintage Amateur Wrestling and NCAA Heavyweight Champs websites. "Thanks to the Internet, there are more and more people who are setting up websites, and I think that's tremendous," further acknowledged Palmer. "More and more people are doing quick interviews -- video and audio -- and that's great. I think the more these people's (wrestling-related) stories get told, the better it ultimately is for the sport. Maybe fans or young wrestlers or would-be wrestlers get to hear or read these things and maybe it'll help grow the sport." History in the making However, it was not until almost nine years ago, when Palmer actually started adding his own written accomplishments to his online resume, after he was approached by AmateurWrestlingPhotos.com and asked to write a post-event recap of the 2003 Division I NCAA national tournament that would run in conjunction with the site's hundreds of photos highlighting the wrestling action -- spanning the preliminary matches right up through the final championship rounds. Since then, he has written online national tournament recaps every year after that, whether from a distance or onsite while sitting on press row. Then, six or seven years ago, he was asked to write for what was then a newly launched online media enterprise formerly known as RevWrestling, where his primary focus was doing profile pieces which were assigned to him by his editor, featuring either wrestlers or coaches--high school and college alike. When the website opted to purchase InterMat several years ago, Palmer made the transition as well, continuing on, again, as one of their regular feature-producing contributors. "We -- InterMat editor Andrew Hipps and I -- always laugh about this, because I usually get to talk to people before they become really successful and well-known to everybody (collegiately)," shared Palmer, immediately citing two fairly recent Cornell competitors -- two-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake and the late Adam Frey. "I interviewed Kyle in his first month at Cornell," he further expounded, "before he had a single dual-meet match I believe. Here was some young guy -- an 18 year old -- who was very, very enthusiastic, with just the whole world ahead of him." "Another individual in a similar situation, but with a very sad ending, was Adam Frey," continued Palmer, "who I interviewed during his freshman year, before his cancer diagnosis and, of course, before his passing away -- again, somebody who was just full of that future vision. Sadly, his life was over before he was even able to finish school." Book reviews Not only is Palmer recognized for his chapter contributions to the book "The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps," he is also known for his numerous wrestling-related book reviews, which he began writing five or six years ago and can be found at InterMat Rewind -- with its link located on InterMat's homepage. In terms of selecting the books themselves, often times it is a matter of the author approaching Palmer himself; whereas other times, it comes down to him contacting the book's author on his own. Either way, the result is generally the same and almost always involves uncovering the story behind the book itself. "It's always fun for me as a writer to talk to another writer," acknowledged Palmer, "whether it's a historical book or if it's a novel -- to hear what motivated them, to hear about how another writer thinks and puts things together and how they even come up with the idea of a story." "One of the neatest interviews that I had was with Nolan Zavoral, author of "A Season On the Mat," about Gable's last year as a coach," he added, "because that was a book that I really enjoyed reading when it came out -- to get to talk with the author and get the inside scoop about how the book came together and how he actually followed Gable and the Hawkeyes that 1997 season and then had three months to put the finished book together and went off to the monastery at Saint John's in Collegeville, Minnesota, and having to fax pages in the middle of the night to get the book published on time -- that one in particular just stands out." Historical pieces Also found at InterMat Rewind are Palmer's historical pieces, including profiles of wrestlers and coaches from forty, fifty, sixty, and seventy years ago as well as stories on the evolution of everything wrestling related from the changing of uniforms, to rules, to actual mat construction itself. True gems -- each and every one of them -- that are not only a reflection of this wrestling enthusiast's passion for history in general, but more specifically his equally strong feelings regarding the history of the sport. "I interviewed the first African-American to wrestle at the NCAAs, which was back in 1949, and that was Harold Hanson, and then also Simon Roberts, who was the first NCAA champion of color," noted Palmer. "He was the 1957 NCAA champion for the University of Iowa. I interviewed both of those gentlemen over the phone -- both pioneers in the sport and really neat guys." "Those people of the past -- they were great athletes, and they deserve to have their stories told," he further explained, "and sometimes, there's just a real human interest angle to it, too, including what it was like to be the only black person among one hundred and fifty to two hundred white guys, wrestling at an NCAA tournament held in Colorado, back in 1949." "A lot of my stories about historical things are my ideas or spark from something someone has said," admitted the recent award recipient. "I did a story about the 1958 NCAAs because I had all this material about them and had the DVD of the finals to watch and then was able to interview three or four guys who actually competed at those NCAAs." "I really enjoy doing those (articles about the past)," he added, "because I learn a lot from them and have received nice feedback from other people about those stories where I think they're learning something, too, and maybe gain an appreciation for people who might not just be names to them anymore." Representation of wrestling at the collegiate level Recently, Palmer has further extended the application of his talents and knowledge of the sport into his written work for Examiner.com, which he describes as a news organization where people are encouraged to write about an area of personal interest or knowledge and then focus primarily on that given subject matter. "I am the College Wrestling Examiner," Palmer explained, noting that he has been representing the collegiate aspect of the sport in this particular vein for about the past two and a half years. "I write about college wrestling wherever it is in the United States. I am, to my knowledge, the only person who writes about college wrestling as a beat (for Examiner.com), consistently." "We're encouraged to write often," he added, noting that he himself tries to write one relatively short, quick news story per day. "My goal is to talk to all college wrestling fans or maybe talk to that Iowa fan about something that may be going on outside their realm that's important, whether that's a possible coming apart of the Big Twelve again or changes in rules. Coaching changes are a really big thing, and I cover a lot of obituaries as well, because I think that people deserve to have their careers acknowledged and highlighted." "Another thing I write about is the connection between college wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA)," continued the Cincinnati-based writer, whose justification for the coverage has to do with informing those college wrestling fans who perhaps do not read MMA magazines or visit those websites pertaining to that particular sport who may want to keep abreast of their favorite collegiate wrestler's progress as he makes his way into the world of mixed martial arts. Touching greatness Along with the countless hours of time spent with respect to shared conversations during the interview process itself, some of Palmer's most treasured memories within the sport are the actual written correspondences and in-person meetings with some of wrestling's greatest names, including Rulon Gardner and his family during the 2001 World Team Trials in Cincinnati, Ohio. "What a neat story that was," stated Palmer, referring to Gardner -- the dairy farmer from Wyoming with the learning disability -- who defeated the Russian Lion Aleksandr Karelin, a three-time gold medalist who was undefeated during thirteen years of international competition and expected to win a fourth title when he and Gardner met in the 2000 Olympics. "I think Gardner is one of those figures that the wrestling community loves, but I think it goes beyond that, too, which I think is important for wrestling," he added. "That people who hit the consciousness of people who are not necessarily fans of the sport but are aware of them and admire them. Gardner I think is one of those examples of somebody, who because of his personality and his achievements, kind of transcends that." "I think that's something that the sport could use more of," further recognized the Dellinger Award winner, "because I think with all the challenges the sport faces -- programs being eliminated and funding cuts -- that people need to see the value of the sport." Recognition outside the sport itself "Back when we were approaching the tenth anniversary of when Dave Schultz was murdered by John du Pont, I thought some kind of tribute was needed," declared Palmer. "So, I started doing some research, because I guess in my own mind, I basically knew what happened, but there were a lot of details I didn't know." "In doing that research, I was then put into touch with people who knew him and had been at Foxcatcher, the estate where all of this occurred and was a training facility for a lot of the United States' wrestlers," he added, "and what I thought was going to be a typical one-part "Rewind" story, ended up being a five part (series)." Contacts which later included an email to Palmer from Schultz' now college-age son Alexander, who was eight or nine years old at the time of his father's death -- an experience which the Cincinnati-based writer then later also wrote an article on for InterMat. As it turns out however, that was not the only direct form of contact Palmer received regarding the Schultz series. "I was approached last fall by an Australian television network or production company that have a series about sensational crimes involving the rich," acknowledged Palmer. "They were interested in the story because of John du Pont being a multi-millionaire. They had interviewed the police and prosecutorial people in the Philadelphia area that were involved in the case, and they came across my stories." As a result of those stories, they then asked Palmer to talk about the wrestling aspect of Schultz' life during a filmed interview in Cincinnati, Ohio. Palmer has yet to see the finished product, but has been told by friends that they have seen the segment aired here in the States as part of the Discovery channel's "Behind Mansion Walls" series. "I think of the stories I've done, that one really seemed to speak to a lot of people, and maybe people learned from it," shared Palmer. "I certainly did which is a lot of why I write, because I want to know something, and I'm curious about something. I'd like to think it helps not only to tell individual stories, which I think is important, but maybe also helps to promote the sport." The above feature is a revised version of the original article as it appeared in the Oct. 15, 2011, issue of Amateur Wrestling News magazine.

Event: UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard 3 Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas Date: Oct. 8, 2011 The UFC Monster is coming off another winning card from UFC 135, but now it's time to again find more winners than losers, and do it again! My mission is to find flaws in the Las Vegas betting line on UFC fight cards, and turn those flaws into winning betting opportunities for our readers. It is not our intention to promote gambling, but rather to give some strong handicapping tools and opinions for those who do. I have done well over the years as archived on this website. We generally favor wrestlers over strikers, buy today's mixed martial arts athlete is cross-trained in all aspects of the sport. One-dimensional fighters are a thing of the past in the UFC. Tonight's card features two (2) championship bouts. Undefeated Gray "The Bully" Maynard (10-0-1) will try to capture the lightweight (155 pounds) belt from champion Frankie "The Answer" Edgar (13-1-1), whose only blemishes have been to Maynard. Both are strong former Div.1 AA wrestlers.Their last fight was an amazing back-and-forth affair, where Maynard dominated early, and Edgar came on strong later. How can this rematch not be "Fight of the Night" (+175 odds)? I'll take the bait. I also like Maynard in this rematch as a slight underdog (+120). The fight is even. I'm not sure how a guy 0-1-1 against his opponent warrants being the favorite? With the support of the MMA fighters who were polled, I will take the odds on Maynard, as he shockingly ends this fight in the third round with some dominant ground-and-pound. A TKO win goes on the Bully's resume. That puts me on UNDER 4.5 rounds at +190 as well. The other title bout is the featherweight (145 pounds) championship between Jose "Scarface" Aldo (19-1) vs. challenger Kenny "Ken Flo" Florian (14-5), whose sharp elbows, solid striking, jiu-jitsu skills, and Octagon experience will offer a challenge to Aldo. But Scarface is on another level. His speed, power, and range of skills have dominated his weight class. KenFlo beats many good fighters, but always seems to lose the big ones (Shawn Sherk, B.J. Penn, Gray Maynard). Kenny likes to say that "he finishes fights!" But an improved, hard-working Florian will again be disappointed as Jose Aldo lays him flat midway through the second period. Take Aldo at -350 to retain his championship belt by TKO. There is no bigger trash-talker in the UFC than wrestling's Chael Sonnen (25-11-1), a middleweight (185 pounds) who takes on ex-Marine and powerful striker Brian Stann (11-3). One of the best handicapping tools to use in this sport is to lay odds on a ground controlling wrestler to be an overzealous striker. This fight fits that profile perfectly, as 15 of Sonnen's 25 wins have been by boring decision. He doesn't "finish" fights. He gets his takedown and then lays and prays, doing just enough to control his opponent and earn a decision. Stann will need some great takedown defense to survive here. And, I think he can get it with a knee of quick strike while Chael shoots for the takedown. The +210 underdog odds make this an attractive play for me, as I want to bet with my heart and not my head here. I am not a fan of Sonnen's and his disrespect for the sport I love, MMA. However, Chael is a great ambassador for amateur wrestling. NOBODY, not even Scott Casber, promotes wrestling like he does! He is one hundred percent behind amateur wrestling and he wants to educate the public and promote the sport. Believe me, nothing would make me happier than to see Chael leave the UFC (after a loss to a patriotic marine) and make himself a full-time ambassador for wrestling. A smart gambler leaves his emotions on the sidelines. So I will PASS on this fight, and just watch and hope for the best for the USMC. Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard (29-8-2) is a beast at 155 pounds. And, he has been on a mega-roll since joining Greg Jackson's camp. He has won 19 fights by KO, and has won eight of his last nine fights, losing only to Nate Diaz by submission … and this is where we find our edge. Guillard has lost seven of his eight losses by submission! And, Joe Lauzon is a submission guru with 16 submission victories out of his 20 wins!!! The key for Lauzon, of course, will be to survive the early onslaught and attacks by Guillard, avoiding the KO, and then find an opportunity to grab and limb and head to the mat. Once there, it becomes Lauzon's world. A stunning rear-naked choke ends this early in the second round, after Guillard wins the first. Take the incredible +350 on Lauzon, and throw a little on this being the FON at odds of 10:1. Lauzon also gets submission of the night here. Lightweight Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia (15-7-1) likes to bang. And he likes to have close fights. There have been four split decisions and one draw in his last seven fights! Now that's good match-making by Joe Silva. His opponent tonight, Nam Phan (16-9), is in revenge mode as he lost a close and controversial decision to Garcia in their previous fight. This will be a back-and-forth, toe-to-toe, wild swinging affair. Another FON candidate. I'll stay with the fighter looking for revenge, and lay the -230 on Phan. That completes the main card. Now let's take a quick look at the undercard. The following two fights can be seen for FREE on Spike TV tonight at 7 p.m. CT. And they should be good ones. Damien Maia's (14-3) jiu-jitsu is some of the best in the world. He stormed onto the UFC and rolled out sub after sub after sub. He then lost a boring decision to Anderson Silva, and he has struggled ever since in finishing his opponent's off. Tonight he takes on another Brazilian, Jorge Santiago (23-9), a seasoned veteran with the ability to end fights by strikes or on the mat. Maia wants no part of a stand-up fight (see Nate Marquardt for details). And, so this one will be fought on the ground. Santiago may have good jits. Maia has great jits. A second-round choke submission ends this. Lay the -260 on Maia. Anthony "Showtime" Pettis (13-2) will forever be remembered for his amazing kick off the cage in his WEC finale. His opponent, Jeremy "Little Heathen" Stephens (20-6), can throw lead with his powerful uppercuts. He is a head-hunter. This one should be full of stand-up, macho fighting. Who will go down first? No one. This ends with a unanimous decision for the favorite, Anthony Pettis, at -290. The rest of the undercard: Joey "The Mexicutioner" Beltran (13-5) has had five fights in the UFC, going 3-2. His opponent, undefeated Stipe Miocic (6-0) has had five fights in Cleveland, Ohio, and none in the UFC. So, why is he the favorite here? I guess I'll find out. But tonight I will bet on the underdog with more Octagon experience. It doesn't get any easier than that. Beltran at + 200 stuns Miocic with a first round KO, and sends the UFC Monster to the winner's window (again). Aaron "A Train" Simpson (10-2) should have little trouble disposing of Eric "Red" Schafer (12-5-2), a journeyman with a decent ground game. Simpson overpowers here and wins by second round ground-and-pound TKO. Lay the juice, -325. Thiquan Zhang (15-1) at -130 wins a close decision over a game Darren Elkins (12-2). Steve Cantwell (7-4) tries to get his career back on track with a unanimous decision victory over Mike Massenzio (12-5). I'll play Cantwell and lay the -140, which I find to be a very reasonable price. So, that's it, eleven fights with action on 10. Now let's see if we can keep our winning streak alive with our fictitious $1000 bankroll. Let's lay $100 to win $120 on Gray Maynard winning the lightweight belt. Let's lay $20 to win $35 on Maynard/Edgar FON (Fight of the Night). Let's lay $140 to win $40 on Jose Aldo retaining his featherweight belt. Let's lay $70 to win $245 on Joe Lauzon's submission work. Let's lay $10 to win $100 on Lauzon/Guillard FON. Let's lay $92 to win $40 on Nam Phan, surviving Bad Boy Garcia. Let's lay $130 to win $50 on Damien Maia's submission lesson. Let's lay $116 to win $40 on Showtime. Let's lay $56 to won $40 on Steve Cantwell. Let's lay $78 to win $60 on Tiequan Zhang. Let's lay $130 to win $40 riding the A Train. Let's lay $60 to win $120 on the Mexicutioner's KO power. In all we are risking $1002 to win $930. GOOD LUCK, and don't forget to give some of your winnings to your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow's champions are born. Enjoy the fights! I know I will.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team announced its 2011-12 team captains on Friday morning, honoring seniors A.J. Kissel and Roger Vukobratovich and sophomore Cashé Quiroga, who were selected by team vote. Kissel remains a team captain for the third straight season, while this is the first leadership honor for Vukobratovich and Quiroga. “This is a tremendous honor for our guys,” said Purdue head coach Scott Hinkel. “To be a captain on a Big Ten wrestling team is an honor in itself, but I think it is extra special to be elected by your peers. Those are the guys you go into battle with, day in and day out, and to know they want you at the front of the pack is humbling.” Kissel has been a team captain in each of the last two seasons and is looking to make his final season extra special. Voted as high as 10th in the nation in the various preseason polls, Kissel will take the mat in his senior year at 197 pounds, moving up from 184. He sits just three pins short of the Boilermakers' career record of 48, currently held by Hinkel, and needs 23 wins to reach the 100-career victory plateau, achieved by just 16 wrestlers in Purdue history. Vukobratovich is the favorite to win the Boilermakers' 285-pound starting position, heading into his final collegiate campaign with a career mark of 25-31, including eight career falls. His best season thus far was in 2008-09, when he finished 10-4 on the year with five pins, a technical fall and two major decisions. Vukobratovich received a medical hardship from the NCAA for the 2009-10 season, and looks to finish strong in his senior year. Quiroga returns to the mat for the Boilermakers after taking a redshirt in 2010-11, moving up from 125 to 133 pounds. Quiroga was a 2010 All-American at 125 pounds, finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships and setting several Boilermaker freshman records in the process. He was just the fourth true freshman in school history to earn national honors and his 124 takedowns on the year are the most ever by a Boilermaker rookie and the sixth-best single-season total in the Purdue record books. Quiroga's return to the mat is anticipated across the country as he's been tabbed as high as fifth in the nation at 133 pounds in the preseason polls. The Boilermakers start their practice schedule on Oct. 17 in preparation of the Eastern Michigan Open on Nov. 5.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Members of the Northwestern wrestling team voted on captains for the 2011-12 season and redshirt senior John Schoen (Homer Glenn, Ill./Lockport) and redshirt junior Jason Welch (Walnut Creek, Calif./Las Lomas) were elected to lead the squad. The two upperclassmen have wrestled in more than 150 matches combined for Northwestern. "We had a very successful season last year and much of that was due to our leadership from the 2010-11 captains,” Northwestern head coach Drew Pariano said. “Andrew Nadhir, Bobby Joyce and Brandon Precin served that purpose well. This season, the team has selected John Schoen and Jason Welch to represent them as their captains." A three-year starter at 197, Schoen begins his final season with the Wildcats. He posted a 16-12 overall record last year, the best overall mark of his career, and went 10-7 in dual action. "Schoen will be a dominating presence in the upper-weights for us,” Pariano said. “He has much-needed experience, and will be called upon to provide senior leadership to our core of upper-weights." Welch returns for his junior year after posting a 29-7 overall record and 18-1 dual mark as a sophomore at 157 lbs. Welch achieved All-American status last year as he placed sixth at the 2011 NCAA Championships and finished third at the Big Ten Championships. In two seasons with the Wildcats, Welch has amassed records of 55-17 overall and 31-4 in dual meets. "Welch was one takedown away from wresting for a national championship last season,” Pariano said. “That experience drives him every day in practice and it will enable him to lead this Northwestern team to great heights this season." Northwestern begins the 2011-12 campaign at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, hosting Stanford at Marist High School in Chicago, Ill. This season, the Wildcats host six duals at Welsh-Ryan Arena, the NU Duals on Dec. 11 and the 49th annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships. Tickets are on sale NOW for Midlands and fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-888-GO-PURPLE or by visiting the Midlands Tournament Info section on NUSports.com.