InterMat Staff

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ian Paddock, a sophomore on the No. 12 Ohio State wrestling team, was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week the conference announced Tuesday. It is the first weekly laurel for the native of Warsaw, N.Y. This past Sunday, Paddock won the 133-pound division at the UB Open in Buffalo, N.Y. Paddock went 4-0 at the tournament, outscoring his opponents by a 35-6 margin en route to the title. Ranked 12th by Amateur Wrestling News, Paddock defeated Bloomsburg's Jeremiah Biddle by a 17-2 technical fall in the opening round, followed by a 2-0 overtime decision over Edinboro's Matthew Hasbrouck. He then took a 10-4 decision against Edinboro's Mitchell Port to advance to the finals, where he defeated 14th-ranked Kevin Smith of Buffalo, 6-0, to earn the title. Paddock and the Buckeyes will return to action at the Buckeye Duals Nov. 21 in St. John Arena. The Scarlet and Gray will host No. 14 Pittsburgh and No. 15 Nebraska. The Panthers and Cornhuskers will begin the day with a 10 a.m. match. Ohio State then will wrestle Pittsburgh at 11:30 a.m. before concluding the event against Nebraska at 1:30 p.m. For fans who cannot make it to the Buckeye Duals, live scoring updates will be available at the NWCA Stat Tracker link on www.nwcaonline.com.

NORMAN, Okla. --Oklahoma tallied two pins in route to a 39-0 shutout over the University of Central Oklahoma Tuesday night. “It was a really strong performance with so many positives,” head coach Jack Spates said. “Two pins on the night and the guys are buying into what we are doing. They believe in their training and they are wrestling confidently and aggressively. It was just a real solid performance. I’m very impressed with our guys and proud of them.” Big 12 Champion Jarrod Patterson started the Sooners off with a 6-0 lead after scoring the first pin of the night on the Bronchos’ Austin Quinton. Patterson had acquired a 9-2 lead before securing the fall in the third period with a time of 5:38. The Sooners jumped ahead 9-0 after freshman Dustin Reed defeated UCO’s Trison Graham, 8-5. The freshman from Choctaw, Okla., managed two takedowns and a near fall in the bout. At 141 pounds All-American Zack Bailey ran out to an 8-3 lead after the first period and never let up on UCO’s Kaleb Cradduck ending his bout with a 19-6 tech fall. Bailey’s tech fall put the Sooners up 14-0. “You look at Zack Bailey and the improvements that he has made. His opponent had him beat on that first shot. Defense has never been his forte, but he keeps fighting, scrambling and coming out. Then you add his top-work, which he has improved a thousand percent. We believe in top-work and it was evident tonight.” Oklahoma redshirt freshman Nick Lester showed great poise after falling behind 5-6 at the end of the first period to the Bronchos’ Ben Morgan. In the second Lester was awarded a three-point near fall to take the lead, 8-6. Lester secured two more points on an escape and 1:16 of riding time to give him the, 10-6, decision. “Look at the poise of a Nick Lester, who gets behind,” Spates said. “Things are looking bad, but he keeps his composure, keeps battling and keeps scoring.” Twin brother Matt Lester continued the momentum after running away from UCO’s Chris Watson in the 157 pound bout. Lester secured a near fall in the second period to go up 7-3, and won the match, 13-3, putting the Sooners up 21-0. Chase Nelson gave the Sooners their second pin of the evening against Derrick Adkins at 165 pounds. Nelson was up 7-1 off of two takedowns and a near fall before making the pin at the 1:01 minute mark. After the third pin of the night the Sooners were up 30-0 over Central Oklahoma. Nolan McBryde filled in for Tyler Caldwell at 174 pounds. After a scoreless first period, McBryde took a 1-0 lead after making an escape. At the end of the third period UCO’s Patrick Finn had a takedown, putting him up 3-1, but McBryde got a reversal with seconds remaining to put the match into overtime. In overtime McBryde scored a takedown to get the victory, 5-3. “Iceberg (Nolan McBryde) did a great job as our backup at 174 in a tight match,” Spates said. “The fact that we are scoring at the end like that is real important.” Erich Schmidtke, fresh off his 184-pound Oklahoma Open Championship, continued his winning ways against the Bronchos’ eight-ranked Tanner Keck. Schmidtke went up 2-0 in the first off a takedown and in the second he secured a three-point near fall. Schmidtke rounded out the third with an escape and 2:17 of riding time to give him a, 7-0, win. Sophomore Keldric Hall added three more points to the Sooners total after downing UCO’s Jarret Edison, 9-3, in the 197-pound bout. OU’s lone senior Nathan Fernandez assured the Sooners shutout after defeating the Broncho’s Randy Toche, 11-4, in the heavyweight bout. The eighth-ranked Sooners are 1-0 in dual action and will travel to Buffalo, N.Y., to take on Buffalo Friday, Nov. 12, before competing in the annual Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic Saturday, Nov. 13. Oklahoma will attempt to win its 12th-straight team title at the event. Results: 125 - Jarrod Patterson (OU) def. Austin Quinton (UCO), Fall 6:38 133 - Dustin Reed (OU) def. Trison Graham (UCO), Dec. 8-5 141 - Zack Bailey (OU) def. Kaleb Cradduck (UCO), Tech. Fall 19-6 149 - Nick Lester (OU) def. Ben Morgan (UCO), Dec. 10-6 157 - Matt Lester (OU) def. Chris Watson (UCO), Maj. Dec. 13-3 165 - Chase Nelson (OU) def. Derrick Adkins (UCO), Fall 1:01 174 - Nolan McBryde (OU) def. Patrick Finn (UCO), Dec. 5-3 184 - Erich Schmidtke (OU) def. Tanner Keck (UCO), Dec. 7-0 197 - Keldric Hall (OU) def. Jarret Edison (UCO), Dec. 9-3 285 - Nathan Fernandez (OU) def. Randy Tonche (UCO), Dec. 11-4

The average winter temperature in Mongolia is -13 degrees Fahrenheit. Siberia's average is -15 F. Washington D.C. checks in at 38 F. Not surprisingly, Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country on the planet (Greenland doesn't qualify) with fewer denizens than Chicago spread across a country significantly larger than Peru. Even so, the quality of wrestling in Mongolia is remarkable. And for the second time in as many seasons, college wrestling fans in the United States are being treated to one of the Asian nation's finest athletes: Ganbayar Sanjaa, 23-year-old American University junior known to his teammates as "Gana." Ganbayar SanjaaGana came to wrestle in America after a wrestling coach in Mongolia insisted that the then 14-year-old use his wrestling talents as a way to leave Mongolia and make a better life himself. Mongolia is a desperately poor country with limited opportunity for higher education and career advancement and, according to Gana, even if he developed into one of the toughest wrestlers in the country, and was invited to train alongside the national team in Greco or Freestyle, he'd still never be paid-to-win like is common in other underdeveloped wrestling-rich countries. Gana's coach sensed that given a friendly nudge, he could make a new life for himself outside of Mongolia. "All you do is practice and train, all the time," said Gana. "That is what the team is always doing and I wanted to get an education." As for wrestling in Nadaam, the nation's annual celebration of the manly pursuits (wrestling, horseback, archery), Gana said, "That is not for my size man." Gana received a student visa a few months after his 19th birthday and chose to attend Utah Valley State University in Orem, Utah, where a cousin had been living and studying. He enrolled in English classes, which he figured would be the first step to getting into school full-time. However, after a year of classes his English hadn't improved. But by chance one of the assistant coaches, an Uzbek who had wrestled for Steve Lampe at Colby Community College (Kansas), knew he could improve Gana's English enough to make him eligible to compete. Steve Lampe"His English was rough, but he could flat out wrestle," said Lampe, who has coached over 20 athletes from Asia. "We went out and got him some remedial books from the elementary school and then made sure we put him in the dorms. He wanted to be in dorms." Gana assimilated quickly to his new surroundings, coach and teammates. He was well-liked among the guys at Colby for being quirky and telling stories from home, but he wasn't without his idiosyncrasies. The heat; Gana hated the heat. The average temperature of his dorm room hovered in the 50s (a nice summer day by Mongolian standards). It was enough to get the mild-mannered and respectful Gana riled up on occasion. The only time Lampe ever saw Gana visibly agitated was after his Colby teammates cranked the heat in an effort to shed a few extra pounds. "He took his shirt off and tried to wrestle guys in the room like it was the 1970s or something. And he's only saying, 'No. Heat. Bad.'" Ganbayar Sanjaa (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)While the heat of a wrestling room was an inconvenience, Gana was also struggling with the difficult decision to leave his family in Mongolia. A few months after arriving at Utah Valley State, Gana was informed that his father had passed away. Upset, he prepped his bags and prepared to travel home for the funeral, but when he spoke to his cousin about the visa process, it became obvious that something might go awry if he left suddenly and then tried to re-enter the United States. That uncertainty ended the discussion. "My mom made me stay," said Gana. "She said, 'You stay until after school.' And that is what I am going to do. I don't want to take a chance with getting back into the country. The life is here." According to Coach Lampe, "[Gana] loves his family but he knows that if he stays here for a few years and gets citizenship, that he'll be with them in America, and a better life." Mark CodyAmerican University head wrestling coach Mark Cody knew that he was getting a special transfer when Lampe described the sacrifices Gana had made to provide a better life for himself and his family. Several years before he'd been referred Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov by Lampe (As the wrestling world is aware, Abdurakhmanov ended up being one of the Eagles' finest wrestlers and if it weren't for one of the more disputed calls in NCAA history, he might have been a national champion). Cody knew from speaking with Lampe that Gana, a two-time junior college national finalist and 2009 national champion, would be another special, top-level wrestler with a leadership-worthy work ethic and commitment to his team and their goals. "If we had a room filled with guys that had Gana's concentration it would almost be too much," Cody said. "Our team is talented and successful, and Gana has proven to be someone they all respect for his kindness and humor." Ganbayar Sanjaa (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Gana hasn't complained about the heat yet, either, as Cody maintains he keeps a pretty temperate room. The season is young but Gana is looking solid after a 2-0 start at this past weekend's Pentagon Duals. That's a start, but he'll have to do a lot of work to make it to the NCAA tournament this season. Ahead of Gana in the EIWA are four wrestlers ranked among the InterMat Top 20 at 149 pounds: No. 2 Kyle Dake of Cornell, No. 5 Kevin LeValley Bucknell, No. 12 Corey Jantzen of Harvard, and No. 14 Marion Mason of Rutgers. Another difficulty many foreign competitors face is staying healthy for the entire five-month trudge that is the Division I wrestling season. Maybe the final obstacle for Gana, like Abdurakhmanov before him, is the need to continually improve on the mat. Though Coach Cody assures that he's "got some stuff on top," it's no secret that Asia hasn't churned out the style of wrestling conducive to domination on the mat. But then again, maybe Cody was right -- last Friday Gana posted an 18-3 technical fall in his match against Franklin & Marshall. Regardless of this season's outcome, Cody is already making one promise to his star Mongolian: If Gana wants to be a wrestling coach, he'll make sure it happens. Gana can be like the men who've helped him get to this point and reach out to an athlete in need. He'll have an education and maybe even some of his family beside him as well. With any luck, he may even get control of the thermostat.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Virginia Tech 133-pound true freshman Devin Carter has been named the first Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week of the 2010-11 season after winning the first six matches of his collegiate career, including a major decision over the nation’! s No. 8-ranked wrestler in his weight class. Carter, a native of Christiansburg, Va., opened with a 15-0 technical fall over Iowa State’s Ben Cash in the Hokies narrow 17-16 loss to No. 25 Iowa State in last Friday’s dual meet. Carter then claimed the 133-pound title in Sunday’s Hokie Open at Salem, Va., with an impressive sweep of his five matches. Carter’s victories included wins over ACC opponents Pat Owens (10-5) and Mike Rappo of North Carolina (injury default), and a pin of Old Dominion’s Justin LaValle in 2:32. Carter capped his tournament showing with a dominating major decision over Old Dominion’s eighth-ranked Kyle Hutter in the title match.

Wartburg College head wrestling coach Jim Miller and Joe Breitbach, owner of Joe’s Knight Hawk Restaurant will be radio show guests this week. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Miller has lead Division III power Wartburg College to seven NCAA team championships since he took over the program in 1991. The Knights are currently ranked third in the pre-season polls. Miller was a two-time NCAA Division II champion for Northern Iowa in the 1970s and was also a two-time NCAA Division I All-American. Waterloo, Iowa native Joe Breitbach owns Joe’s Knight Hawk Restaurant in Waverly, Iowa and will be hosting its annual early season wrestling social on Wednesday, November 17. Breitbach competed as a wrestler in high school at Waterloo East and collegiately at Wartburg. He also officiated for 15 years.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- With the start of the 2010-11 season less than two weeks away, the University of Iowa wrestling team has updated information about some upcoming events. The team will hold its annual wrestle-offs this weekend in the Field House practice gym. The dual with Michigan State has been moved to Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and the athletic department has released some helpful parking hints for fans planning to attend the Iowa City Duals on Nov. 19. Wrestle-offs will be held Friday at 4:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in the Field House practice gym. Match-ups will be available later this week, and results will be posted on hawkeyesports.com after the matches. Iowa’s Big Ten opener with Michigan State has been moved to Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. from its original date of Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. The event will be held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and is scheduled to be streamed live on bigtennetwork.com. Parking for the Iowa City Duals on Nov. 19 will be extremely limited in the vicinity of Carver-Hawkeye Arena throughout the entire day of competition. All parking lots will be screened and monitored to allow parking for only University of Iowa employees in their respective assigned lots. The Iowa Athletics Department is encouraging wrestling fans attending the Iowa City Duals to use a continuous free shuttle service from Hawkeye Commuter parking lots throughout the entire day. Buses will be designated to and from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The shuttle will start at 1 p.m. The last pick-up from Carver will be 8:30 p.m. The only exceptions for parking near Carver-Hawkeye Arena during the entire day are as follows: Lot 46: Limited number of ADA parking - “State Issued Permits Only” - $5.00 parking fee upon entrance; Media – parking placard needs to be requested from Traci Wagner in the SID office Arena Commuter Lot: Placard issued – assigned contributor parking – any entrance; Remainder of lot will open at 3:30 p.m. - $5.00 parking fee - west entrance Lot 65 (Finkbine Commuter): Extremely limited number of parking spaces open to the public - $5.00 parking fee upon entrance – when full will be directed to Ramps 3 & 4 Ramps 3 (Clock Tower) & 4 (Field House): Regular hourly parking rate will be charged Softball and Varsity Track Complex: Free wrestling parking within walking distance (15 minute walk) Downtown Iowa City: Use parking lots or ramps and use the regular free Cambus service Hancher Parking Lot: Use regular free Cambus service, Red and Blue routes

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling squad, ranked preseason No. 8 by the NWCA coaches poll and ninth by Intermat, kicks off the 2010-11 season this Tuesday, Nov. 9, when it hosts the University of Central Oklahoma inside the McCasland Field House at 7 p.m. "Central Oklahoma is going to be a real fun dual meet, given that there will be a ton of Oklahoma wrestlers on the mat,” head coach Jack Spates said. “Of course UCO has that great division-two national champion tradition. We are looking forward to Tuesday night and want to encourage Sooner fans and wrestling fans to come out and see some good action." The Sooners have five Sooners individually ranked to begin the season, headlined by returning All-Americans Zack Bailey, ranked No. 1 at 141 pounds, and Tyler Caldwell, No. 8 at 174 pounds. Also in the top 10 are Big 12 Champion Jarrod Patterson, slated No. 9 at 125 pounds, and No. 10 Nathan Fernandez among heavyweights. The Sooners also return starters Jeff James (184 pounds) and Erich Schmidtke (184 pounds). James wrestled at 174 pounds for the Sooners last year and was ranked as high as No. 15 preseason in the 174 pound weight class. Schmidtke, ranked No. 18, continues to man the 184 pound position for the Sooners after defeating James by a 2-1 decision in the Red/White Classic. “This is a good opportunity for some of our fans to see Zach Bailey, one of the premier wrestlers in America and ranked No. 1 in several of the national rankings,” Spates said. “He is also a participant in the NWCA All-Star meet where the best two wrestlers in the nation compete. Fans will also see a young, hungry team that is really working hard. We want to encourage Sooner fans to come out and lead their team on to victory.” Oklahoma recorded a 27-10 defeat of the Bronchos in last year's season opener and leads the overall series by a 42-8-1 margin. Following the match fans will be able to get player and coaches autographs as part of Fan Appreciation Night. The Bronchos are led by head coach David James, now in his 29th season at UCO. His overall record of 326-116-5 makes him the winningest coach in school history and one of just 35 coaches in the history of collegiate wrestling to notch over 300 victories. Last season, the Bronze and Blue collected an 8-5-1 overall record, after battling a myriad of issues. Tuesday also marks UCO's first dual of the 2010-11 campaign.

This fall, one of the biggest stories in college wrestling is Cornell University being ranked as the preseason favorite by wrestling magazines and websites to win the team title at the 2011 NCAA Division I championships. If the Big Red matmen do that, they will be the first Eastern school to win an NCAA team championship since Penn State in 1953 ... and only the second private college in the 80+ year history of the NCAAs, following Cornell College of Iowa, who did it at the 1947 NCAAs. However, two years ago, the mood among Cornell University wrestlers, coaches and fans was 180 degrees in another direction. In the fall of 2008, they were concerned about Adam Frey, the Big Red wrestler who was about six months into what would be a nearly two-year battle against testicular cancer. Frey passed away the day after Christmas, 2009 ... but his spirit lives on in the hearts of those who knew him, and, thanks to Adam Frey: A Collection of Blogs and Stories by Adam Frey and Jamie Moffatt, a brand-new 180-page book published by Exit Zero Publishing, Inc. As the title suggests, the book brings together Adam Frey's blogs -- the unflinching-yet-moving journal he posted online about his cancer battle -- along with recollections and stories from Frey's family and friends. Moffatt's name should be familiar to wrestling fans. He is the author of last year's Strobel: Stories From a Life With Wrestling about former Oregon State wrestling champ and long-time Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel ... along with Wrestlers at the Trials about wrestlers competing for slots on US Olympic teams from 1960 through 1988. In 2003, Moffatt partnered with Roger Olesen to tell the various stories of the 1953 NCAAs in A Turning Point. This fall, Moffatt was named recipient of the 2010 Bob Dellinger Award from Amateur Wrestling News as the best wrestling writer of the year. Get to know Adam Frey Jamie Moffatt used a May 2009 installment of Adam Frey's blog to introduce the late wrestler to readers: My name is Adam Frey. I am 23 years old. I go to Cornell University where I wrestled and hope to one day wrestle again. During my wrestling career, I was fortunate enough to capture three individual national titles and before getting cancer, was ranked as high as #2 in the USA as a [college] freshman. I have had cancer since around my 21st birthday (January 6, 2007) and was finally diagnosed in March of 2008. I have a very rare strain of cancer that is extremely deadly, but I am still fighting and remain hopeful ... I have a very strong faith in God and though not knowing His plan, I try my best to follow suit. I guess most people would consider me a funny guy or a wise guy, or some other things. I like to think I have a strong faith and good solid American values of hard work, dedication and faith. I guess if you read all of the 250 posts revealing my life in the most brutal and honest way I can put forth, you will notice an evolution of character. I don't know much about who I was when I wrecked my car into a tree and got sent on a wild ride a year ago March. The Frey familyFrey launched his blog just three days after being told he had cancer. His three tumors were discovered during a routine, precautionary scan of his body after he had walked away from a serious car wreck on his way to class days after competing at the 2008 NCAA championships. Before that diagnosis -- and sharing his journey with cancer in words that were often startling in their honesty -- Adam Frey had made a name for himself as a wrestler. A native of Pittsburgh, Frey had been introduced to wrestling as a shy six-year-old who was getting beaten up on the school bus. In a February 2007 InterMat profile, Adam Frey disclosed, "At first I wanted to quit. But mom wouldn't let me. Dad decided to help coach me. We'd work out together in the basement. My next season I was 40-3. I guess it worked out for me." Instead of staying in Pittsburgh for high school, Adam Frey left home to attend Blair Academy, a highly respected boarding school -- and wrestling powerhouse -- in New Jersey, where he won national wrestling titles ... and the attention of major collegiate mat programs. Frey hit it off with Cornell head coach Rob Koll, and chose the Ivy League school based in Ithaca, New York. How a blog became a book How did Jamie Moffatt choose to make Adam Frey the subject of his fourth book? "I finished the Strobel book about a year ago," said the author. "By January of this year, I started thinking about the next project. I had followed Adam's blogs, and, before that, his wrestling career, since I was a Cornell alum myself." Jamie Moffatt"I met Cindy Frey (Adam's mother) for the first time at the EIWAs (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championships, Cornell's mat conference). We sat and talked for about a half-hour. I asked if she would be interested in having a book written about her son, with proceeds going to the Adam Frey Foundation. She thought about it for 30 seconds, then said, 'Let's do it.'" "I wanted to make it true to Adam -- the whole roller coaster ride of laughs, tears, his faith, especially his faith," Moffatt continued. "He had done such an incredible job expressing all that in his blog." Early on, Moffatt decided to incorporate Adam Frey's blog. However, as the author said in an interview for this article, "The book would've been too long if I had included all the blogs. About the half the blogs appear, so, hopefully, it's still true to who he was." Friends and family weigh in with thoughts of their own "I decided to take his blogs, and add in friends comments," Moffatt continued. "My editor -- Jack Wright from Exit Zero -- and I talked about how to bring it all together. We decided to treat the interviews as sidebars, and put them into the text where appropriate, and make them contrast in the overall design." (The text of Frey's blog is black type on the white page -- what you see in most books -- while the sidebars have white type on black. What's more, the authors of the sidebar stories are clearly identified, so there is no confusion as to who the author of a particular passage is.) "The blog is so intense, so gripping on its own, it seemed to make sense to break up the installments." Moffatt does a masterful job in seamlessly weaving the text from Frey's original blog with the comments and remembrances from those who knew him well. The sidebar stories from friends and family are specifically located to complement what Adam Frey had written in his journal. When asked if there were any challenges getting Adam Frey's friends and family to talk, Jamie Moffatt responded, "I had a couple who didn't respond. Otherwise, everyone in the book was very anxious to talk." "Without exception, everyone who made a contribution to the book knew Adam as a special person, and all wanted to share." What made Adam Frey special So what made Adam Frey so special? "He wasn't just a great wrestler, not just a bright guy," answered Moffatt. "It wasn't all about Adam -- it was about friends, about helping them. He was very compassionate, of great faith and of doing the right thing. For example, initiating the Adam Frey Foundation. It wasn't about talk, but from action to help other families make it through tough cancer treatments." (According to its website, the Adam Frey Foundation is "is a non-profit organization formed by Adam Frey to give comfort to and provide enjoyment for those receiving treatment for cancer." The Foundation helps people get the food they needed, money for gas to travel to medical appointments, prescriptions, airfare, and other necessities not covered by insurance.) Jamie Moffatt and Adam Frey met in person only once. "I talked to him about 5-6 weeks before he passed away," Moffatt recalled. "It was at a Penn event. He was there to see his brother Garrett wrestle for Princeton. I gave him the Strobel book, and we started talking. Light conversation, about 10-15 minutes, up in the stands. I had no idea at the time that I would do a book." A gift of a lasting legacy In his early 2007 interview with InterMat, when asked about his future plans, Adam Frey responded, "I hope to get into politics. Since I've been three I've wanted to be President." He chuckled immediately after making that statement, then followed up with, "I want to do my part to make the world a better place." Adam Frey (Photo/Darl Zehr)By sharing his cancer journey in his blog, Adam Frey did just that. Now, thanks to Jamie Moffatt's Adam Frey: A Collection of Blogs and Stories, the story of the courageous wrestler will reach an even larger audience. Adam Frey: A Collection of Blogs and Stories is not just about wrestling. Nor is it merely about cancer. It's a book that transcends both issues in a way reminiscent of the classic movie Brian's Song about Brian Piccolo of the Chicago Bears. Both share the same theme of athletes battling courageously, supported by family, friends and faith, to provide a story that is, yes, tragic, but, ultimately uplifting. For all these reasons, the book would be an excellent choice for teachers and coaches to assign to young readers ... or for parents to give to their sons and daughters, even if they aren't athletes. To learn more about Adam Frey: A Collection of Blogs and Stories -- or to purchase a copy online -- visit the website www.adamfreybook.com.

A pair of two-time 125-pound All-Americans finalize the main event lineup at the 2010 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by the Marines. Minnesota junior Zach Sanders and Arizona State senior Anthony Robles will reacquaint themselves with one another on November 21 at Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif. Robles, a Mesa, Ariz., native is one of the best stories in all sports. He came on the scene as a high school senior, winning the high school nationals at 112 pounds. His win wasn’t the remarkable thing, but born without a right leg, Robles excelled in a sport where it’s tough enough for wrestlers with both of their lower extremities. Robles, a fan favorite nearly every place he competes, has placed twice at the NCAA Division I championships and most wrestling fans love to watch his style of wrestling. Sanders, a five-time high school state champion from tiny Wabasha, Minn., is one of the most active wrestlers in the country at the weight. The two will each be the second representatives of their programs in the 45th annual wrestling event. Sanders joins teammate Sonny Yohn, wrestling at 197 pounds, while Robles joins teammate Bubba Jenkins, who is wrestling at 157 pounds. Robles went 32-4 last season en route to a seventh-place finish at the 2010 NCAA Division I Championships. Sanders went 29-7 and finished fifth. The two did not meet last season, but split matches in 2009. Sanders beat Robles at the Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational in December of 2008, while Robles earned a 19-10 victory in the consolation semifinals in the 2009 NCAA Division I Championships. Robles’ inclusion pushes the total numbers of Pac-10 Conference wrestlers to six, with Jenkins, Boise State’s Andrew Hochstrasser, Adam Hall, Kirk Smith and Stanford’s Nick Amuchastegui also competing. By contrast, Minnesota’s pair comprises two-thirds of the Big Ten entries. Illinois’ Jordan Blanton is the only other Big Ten wrestler competing in the 2010 event. The 45th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Marines will be held at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California on Sunday, November 21, 2010. The doors open at 2:00 p.m. The All-Star Classic follows a weekend of fundraising events. For more information about the tournament, purchasing tickets and the fundraising events, visit the www.nwcaonline.com's event page. To donate to the effort to save collegiate wrestling programs, visit http://nwca.ticketleap.net. 2010 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by the Marines Rankings by W.I.N. Magazine 125- #3 Zach Sanders, Jr. (Minnesota) vs. #5 Anthony Robles, Sr. (Arizona State) 133- #1 Jordan Oliver, So. (Oklahoma St.) vs. #2 Andrew Hochstrasser, Sr. (Boise St.) 141- #3 Zack Bailey, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. #5 Germane Lindsey, Sr. (Ohio) 149- #4 Torsten Gillespie, Jr. (Edinboro) vs. #5 Kevin LeValley, Sr. (Bucknell) 157- #1 Adam Hall, Sr. (Boise State) vs. #4 Bubba Jenkins, Sr. (Arizona State) 165- #5 Josh Asper, So. (Maryland) vs. #11 Shane Onufer, Jr. (Wyoming) 174- #3 Jordan Blanton, Sr. (Illinois) vs. #6 Nick Amuchastegui, Jr. (Stanford) 184- #1 Kirk Smith, Sr. (Boise St.) vs. #2 Joe LeBlanc, Jr. (Wyoming) 197- #3 Sonny Yohn, Jr. (Minnesota) vs. #4 Clayton Foster, Sr. (Oklahoma St.) 285- #2 Jarod Trice, Jr. (Central Michigan) vs. #4 Alan Gelogaev, Jr. (Oklahoma St.) Local Feature Matches: About California USA Wrestling California USA Wrestling is a non-profit organization committed to the success and health of their athletes and dedicated to the promotion and preservation of collegiate and international styles of amateur wrestling. As the official California affiliate of USA Wrestling, the national governing board for international-style amateur wrestling in the United States, the club is responsible for the organization and execution of sanctioned USA Wrestling events in the state. California USA Wrestling educates the community about the styles of wrestling and the value of being involved in the sport. They strive to provide fun, exciting and well-planned events and improve the quality of California wrestling at the competitive level. For more information, visit www.ca-usaw.org. About NWCA The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to supporting and elevating the sport of amateur wrestling. NWCA provides leadership and guidance primarily to scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs, but is an advocate to all levels of wrestling. The NWCA promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events and serves as a resource for education and information pertaining to the sport of wrestling. Additionally, The NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of any competitive sport. For more information, visit http://www.nwcaonline.com.

All-American Gophers Sonny Yohn and Zach Sanders have been selected to compete at the 2010 NWCA All-Star Classic later this month in Fresno, Calif. The The 45th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Marines will be held at the Selland Arena on Sunday, November 21, 2010. At 197 lbs., Yohn will meet up with Oklahoma State's Clayton Foster in a matchup of 2009 All-Americans - Yohn finished eighth at 197 pounds, while Foster finished sixth at 184 pounds. The two met once last season, in the dual meet between the two schools and before Yohn moved up from 184 to 197. Foster won the match 13-1. It was also Yohn's only loss at 184 before moving up. Sanders and Arizona State senior Anthony Robles - also two former All-Americans - will reacquaint themselves with one another in a matchup of 125 pounders. Robles, a Mesa, Ariz., native is one of the best stories in all sports. He came on the scene as a high school senior, winning the high school nationals at 112 pounds. His win wasn't the remarkable thing, but born without a right leg, Robles excelled in a sport where it's tough enough for wrestlers with both of their lower extremities. Robles went 32-4 last season en route to a seventh-place finish at the 2010 NCAA Division I Championships. Sanders went 29-7 and finished fifth. The two did not meet last season, but split matches in 2009. Sanders beat Robles at the Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational in December of 2008, while Robles earned a 19-10 victory in the consolation semifinals in the 2009 NCAA Division I Championships. Minnesota's pair of wrestlers in this year's event comprises two-thirds of the Big Ten entries. Illinois' Jordan Blanton is the only other Big Ten wrestler competing in the 2010 event.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling team opened its 2010-11 season with a pair of dominating victories over Sacred Heart and East Stroudsburg this afternoon at the Louis Brown Athletics Center. The Scarlet Knights opened the day with a 56-0 victory over the Sacred Heart Pioneers in a match that saw seven RU grapplers (Matt Fusco, Trevor Melde, Mario Mason, Scott Winston, Alex Caruso, Dan Rinaldi and DJ Russo) record victories by pin fall. In addition to the pin fall victories, freshman Mike Wagner picked up a technical fall victory in his first collegiate match and Mike DeMarco won a 10-3 decision. Sacred Heart forfeited the 157 pound bout. The 56-0 victory was the largest victory for RU since a 59-0 victory over Wagner in 2002. Rutgers carried its momentum from the SHU victory into its second match of the day with East Stroudsburg as both Joe Langel and DeMarco recorded early pin falls at 125 and 133 pounds. After a Melde decision at 141, Mason (149) and Daryl Cocozzo (157) each picked up major decision victories in their respective weight classes to push the RU lead to 23-0. Winston and Caruso each picked up their second victories of the day by recording a pair of decisions before ESU’s Brendan McKeown picked up a 4-3 decision over Jesse Boyden at 184 pounds to give the Warriors their first points of the match. After Wagner picked up his second victory in a RU singlet with an 8-2 decision, senior Sean DeDeyn closed out the match falling to Will Weaver 4-0. Despite the loss at 285, RU downed the Warriors by a score of 32-6. The Scarlet Knights return to action next weekend when they travel to Brockport, N.Y. to compete in the Oklahoma Gold Tournament. Results: RU 56, Sacred Heart 0 125: Matt Fusco (RU) pins Andrew Polidore (SHU), 4:55; RU leads, 6-0 133: Mike DeMarco (RU) dec. Paul Galipean (SHU) 10-3; RU leads, 9-0 141: Trevor Melde (RU) pins Joseph Evangelista (SHU), 1:17; RU leads, 15-0 149: Mario Mason (RU) pins Tim Rich (SHU), 2:12; RU leads, 21-0 157: Daryl Cocozzo (RU) wins by forfeit; RU leads, 27-0 165: Scott Winston (RU) pins Austin Al-Paw (SHU), 2:47; RU leads, 33-0 174: Alex Caruso (RU) pins Zach Moran (SHU), 4:25; RU leads, 39-0 184: Dan Rinaldi (RU) pins TJ Neidhart (SHU), 1:36; RU leads, 45-0 197: Mike Wagner (RU) tech fall Sam Morrison (SHU), 16-0; RU leads, 50-0 285: DJ Russo (RU) pins Paul Swagheart (SHU), 6:52; RU wins, 56-0 RU 32, East Stroudsburg 6 125: Joe Langel (RU) pins Chris Carpenter (ESU), 3:39; RU leads, 6-0 133: Mike DeMarco (RU) pins Andrew Arnold (ESU), 2:27; RU leads, 12-0 141: Trevor Melde (RU) dec. Adam Hluschak (ESU), 6-1; RU leads, 15-0 149: Mario Mason (RU) m. dec. Eddie Stephenson (ESU), 14-5; RU leads, 19-0 157: Daryl Cocozoo (RU) m. dec. Evan Baer (ESU), 21-7; RU leads, 23-0 165: Scott Winston (RU) dec. Thad Frick (ESU), 6-1; RU leads, 26-0 174: Alex Caruso (RU) dec. Jeff Jacobs (ESU), 7-2; RU leads, 29-0 184: Brendan McKeown (ESU) dec. Jesse Boyden (RU), 4-3; RU leads, 29-3 197: Mike Wagner (RU) dec. James Gonzalez (ESU), 8-2; RU leads, 32-3 285: Will Weaver (ESU) dec. Sean DeDeyn (RU), 4-0; RU wins 32-6

The Navy wrestling team opened the 2010-11 season on Saturday with the 19th-annual Eastern Michigan Open in Ypsilanti, Mich., where senior Bryce Saddoris (157 pounds) and junior Luke Rebertus (184 pounds) each went 4-0 to claim individual titles. With his four wins on the day, Saddoris moved into a three-way tie for fifth place on Navy's all-time wins list with 114 career victories. Saddoris is now tied with Dan Hicks (1992-95) and Tanner Garrett (2003-06). "We had some good performances, and most importantly, today let us know where we are at," said Navy coach Bruce Burnett. "We've got a lot of work to do, both technically and tactically, but I'm proud of the guys today. It was nice to bring home some hardware" Several other Mids posted medal-worthy performances in Saturday's event that included over 300 competitors. Aaron Kalil went 4-1 and took third at 125 pounds while sophomore Eric Filipowicz went 4-2 and placed fourth at 149 pounds. Senior Matt DeMichiel posted the most wins of any Midshipman on the day, going 5-1, to take to take third place at 174 pounds. Other top-finishers for Navy included 125-pounder Allen Stein (4-2, fifth place), 133-pounder Ben Levin (2-2, fifth place) and 165-pounder Bobby Barnhisel (2-2, fourth place).

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Championship performances by Ian Paddock (133), Colt Sponseller (157) and Nick Heflin (174) kicked off the No. 12 Ohio State wrestling team’s 2010-11 season as it competed at the UB Open Sunday at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. A native New Yorker from Warsaw, Paddock was the No. 2 seed and after winning three matches met No. 1-seed Kevin Smith of host Buffalo in the final. The Buckeye sophomore secured a 6-0 shutout in the title bout to open the season on a strong note. In his previous three matches, Paddock won by a combined 29-4 margin. Earning a bye in the first round, Paddock recorded a convincing 17-2 win over Bloomsburg’s Jeremiah Biddle before being taken to overtime by Matthew Hasbrouck of Edinboro. Paddock was able to escape with a 2-0 win en route to the semifinals. A 10-4 decision over Hasbrouck’s Fighting Scot teammate Mitchell Port ensued to secure Paddock’s place in the final. Like Paddock, Sponseller earned his title over a UB wrestler in Mark Lewandwoski. A senior from Glenmont, Ohio, Sponseller posted a 4-1 decision as the No. 1 seed in the championship match to begin the season 4-0. After a bye in the opening round, Sponseller recorded a pin and technical fall, respectively, to advance to the semifinals. Sponseller first dropped Zack Noernberg (4:37) of Notre Dame College before tallying 19 points (19-4) against Kent State’s Drew Howard. Facing fifth-seed Marshal Giovannini, Jr., of American International University next, Sponseller tallied a 7-1 decision. Heflin, a redshirt-freshman who calls Massillon, Ohio, home, witnessed consecutive opponents in the semifinals and final withdraw because of injury. Despite not wrestling his final two matches, Heflin did see action initially, first pinning Mark Smilek (Notre Dame College) in 1:42 and beating seventh-seed Ron Majerus (Buffalo), 3-0. The third-seed, redshirt-freshman Peter Capone (Johnson City, N.Y.) finished third at 184 pounds. Losing his second-round bout, Capone rebounded nicely in wrestlebacks, winning four consecutive matches. For the third-place title, Capone downed Chris Daniels of Gannon, 12-0. Buckeye teammates Dominic Jontony and C.J. Magrum matched up in the semifinals at 197 pounds with Magrum prevailing on a forfeit. However, in the final, Magrum suffered a 4-0 setback to finish second. Wrapping up the evening, redshirt-junior Zach Stolarsky finished fourth in the heavyweight division. The home schedule will begin at 10 a.m. Nov. 21 in St. John Arena when Ohio State hosts the Buckeye Duals. The Scarlet and Gray will host No. 14 Pittsburgh and No. 15 Nebraska. The Panthers and Cornhuskers will begin the day with a 10 a.m. match. Ohio State then will wrestle Pittsburgh at 11:30 a.m. before concluding the event against Nebraska at 1:30 p.m. For fans who cannot make it to the Buckeye Duals, live scoring updates will be available at the NWCA Stat Tracker link on www.nwcaonline.com.

SALEM, Va. -- The Virginia Tech wrestling completed a dominating performance at the third Hokie Open by winning four titles with five other taking second place Sunday at the Salem Civic Center. Two others took third place and two another two placed sixth to wrap up a big opening weekend. Devin Carter continued to dazzle as a true freshman at 133 pounds. He won the title by going 5-0, including a 12-3 major decision over No. 8 Kyle Hutter of Old Dominion in the title match. Chris Diaz won a title at 141 pounds, avenging a loss to No. 14 Chris Drouin from yesterday in Sunday’s semifinal. Pete Yates won at 157 pounds by going 5-0 and Tommy Spellman took the 184-pound title by going 4-0. Jarrod Garnett placed second at 125 pounds and freshman Ty Mitch took third place at the same weight class. At 141 pounds, transfer Zach Neibert lost in sudden victory to Diaz in the championship bout and Nick Murray took sixth place. At 149 pounds, Brian Stephens fell in the championship match and Jesse Dong forfeited to Yates at 157 pounds in the title bout to take second place. Matt Epperly placed third at 165 pounds, beating No. 20 Andrew Sorenson to highlight his day. David Marone made it to the title match, but lost to Matt Gibson of Iowa State - a guy he beat Saturday in the dual - and took second place. The Tech team (0-1) will travel to Pennsylvania next weekend for the Duals at Hershey, where the Hokies will take part in four dual matches. Tech will face Kent State, Edinboro, The Citadel and George Mason in side the Hersheypark Arena. For more information, go to: http://www.wrestleforacure.org/events/thedualsathershey .

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Erich Schmidtke and Joe Bach each claimed individual titles at the Oklahoma City Open Sunday, Nov. 7, at the Abe Lemons Arena on the OCU campus. “This was an important tournament for us,” head coach Jack Spates said. “This was a great opportunity for our guys to grow and I think they took good advantage of it. We saw a lot of our guys grow up during the tournament. They learned a lot throughout it.” Schmidtke, a redshirt sophomore from Aberdeen, Wash., pulled off the biggest upset of his career with an 11-3 major decision victory over OSU’s fifth-ranked Chris Perry. The Sooner victory at 184 pounds was huge for Schmidtke who finished last season with an overall record of 16-19. “Especially impressive was Erich Schmidtke,” Spates said. “In the finals he beat an outstanding wrestler in Chris Perry from Oklahoma State, the No 5 ranked wrestler in the country. It was a hard-fought bout, but he (Schmidtke) never flinched and our wrestlers got to see that if you keep battling and you fight through the tough situations, good things happen.” Bach, a redshirt sophomore from Liberal, Kan., claimed the second tournament title for the Sooners in the heavyweight division. Bach also defeated an opponent from in-state rival OSU. Back won by an injury default over the Cowboy’s Alan Gelogaev. “Also a big congratulations to Joe Bach on an outstanding performance and a championship as well,” said Spates. “Our second team heavyweight did a great job, had some key wins and has been making big strides. Two other Sooners, Alex Eckstrom and Keldrick Hall, competed in the 133 and 197 pound finals, respectively. Ekstrom, a sophomore from Palmyra, N.Y., was defeated by Oklahoma State’s Jordan Oliver be a 7-3 decision. Hall, a sophomore from Dallas, Texas, fell to OSU’s Clayton Foster. Both Oklahoma wrestlers placed second in their respective weight classes. Six other Sooners finished the Open with a third place finish which include: Greg Cannon (4-1) at 125 pounds, Dustin Reed (133 pounds) after going an impressive 5-1, Kendrick Maple at 141 pounds, Seth Vernon at 149 pounds, Kyle Detmer at 165 pounds after defeating fellow Sooner Derek Peperas in the third place bout and Nolan McBryde who defeated Sooner Ronnie Balfour in the 174 pound bout. Other Sooners competing in the Open include: Quincy Mondaine, Ronnie Balfour, Scott Chene, Kyle Colling, Sean Datte, Justin DeAngelis, Dillon Dennis, Ian Fisher, Derek Geiges, Chase Gordon, Kosta Karageorge, Dax Perrier, Clay Reeb, Dustin Reed and Ben Bridell. “It was a good experience overall and it will help prepare us for Central Oklahoma, which is going to be a real fun dual meet, Tuesday, given that there will be a ton of Oklahoma wrestlers on the mat,” Spates said. “Of course UCO has that great division-two national champion tradition. We are looking forward to Tuesday night and want to encourage Sooner fans and wrestling fans to come out and see some good action.” The Sooners host their first dual meet against the University of Central Oklahoma on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the McCasland Field House. Admission is free to the public.

SALEM, Va. -- James Nicholson won the 125-pound weight class while Kyle Hutter took second at 133 on Sunday at the Hokie Open in Salem, Va. "The Hokie Open was a great gauge to evaluate our weaknesses and strenghts technically," head coach Steve Martin said. "With our young team we will continue to get better each week." The Monarchs had seven wrestlers take finishes in the top-six of their weight class, starting with Nicholson taking first at 125 and Eric Dunnet taking fifth, also at 125. Nicholson was solid all day, starting the day with a 6-2 win over Kent State's Steve Mitcheff, and following that with a 17-2 triumph over Gardner-Webb's Brett Kostern. The Des Moines, Iowa native fell behind early to Chattanooga's Presscott Garner in his next match, 6-3, but rallied for an exciting 17-11 win. He cruised past Iowa State's Patrick Hunter 16-3 to reach the finals before topping No. 10 Jarrod Garnett (VT), 5-3. Dunnet was solid as well, picking up wins over Jake Corrill and Trevor Dearden. He took an early 2-0 lead over Garnett, but ended up falling 8-3. Dunnet fought back to pin UNCG's Robert Gribschaw to take fifth place. Kyle Hutter defeated Iowa State's Tyler Cash with a takedown 17 seconds into overtime before falling to Virginia Tech's Devin Carter 11-3 in the finals. Sophomore Brennan Brumley picked up four wins at 141 for the Monarchs. Brumley was dominant in his opener, pinning Gardner-Webb's Richard Spicel in the first period. He followed with wins over Danny Lopes (UNC) and Shawn Greevy (UTC) before falling to Virginia Tech's Zach Neibert. Joey Metzler was solid on the day as well, winning his first three matches en route to a fourth place finish at 149-pounds. Joey wrestled well throughout the tournament," Martin said. He wrestled hard for 7 minutes and he continues to make gains each match." Joe Budi picked upa fourth place finish for ODU at 184-pounds. Budi was ahead 15-3 when Duke's Diego Bencomo was disqualified and beat UNC's Nick Tenpenny 8-2 before falling to UNC's Antonio Giorgio. "We were pleased that Joe was attacking on his feet," Martin added. "He wrestled well in his matches but at times was overaggressive and made mistakes in each match cost him a title." Grant Chapman and Dan Rivera had two wins apiece while Rodin Ndandula and Billy Curling also picked up wins. "As a team we still have several weight classes that are up for grabs, we are looking forward to each day of practice as this is a team that will be twice as good at the end of the year," Martin said. "This is a hungry group that has a lot to prove to themselves." The Monarchs are back in action next Sunday when they travel to Binghamton for the Binghamton Open.

Several InterMat Top 100 recruits have given verbal commitments to colleges in recent weeks, including the nation's top two recruits, Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) and Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, CA). InterMat caught up with McCauley, McIntosh, and 12 other InterMat Top 100 recruits who recently committed, and talked to them about their college decisions, goals, and much more. No. 1 Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) College Choice Wisconsin Projected College Weight Class: 149 McCauley, the nation's No. 1 recruit by InterMat, is arguably the best high school wrestler ever to come out of Minnesota. He will follow in the footsteps of another former Apple Valley great, Matt Demaray, who went on to win two NCAA titles for Wisconsin before a successful international wrestling career. McCauley, though, will spend a year at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs before he arrives on campus in Madison. Barring a Larry Owings over Dan Gable-like upset, McCauley will finish his career as a five-time state champion. He won a Junior Nationals freestyle title this past summer and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. Destin McCauley (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)McCauley on his decision to commit to Wisconsin: "My ultimate decision on why I chose Wisconsin was my fit in their program. I felt like I easily got along with their whole team and their coaching staff. They already were treating me like one of their own. Also they were very supportive with my goal of wanting to go to the Olympic Training Center for a year." McCauley on his decision to spend time at the Olympic Training Center before enrolling at Wisconsin: "I wanted to go to the Olympic Training Center for a year because my goal is to give a run at the 2012 Olympics. Going out there and focusing on freestyle mainly the whole time will give me great preparation for the Trials. While I'm there, I'll still take classes, generals, but just enough to get me going and not starting my NCAA clock. Plus, I'll be traveling overseas to train and get competitions as well." McCauley on the recruiting process: "The recruiting process for me had its ups and downs. I liked the thought of everyone calling me and wanting me to be a part of their team. I thought that was really cool. But as time went on it got harder to narrow the choices. Making the phone calls to the coaches to tell them I wasn't coming was one of the hardest things I've ever done because I hate to disappoint people. I also met some great people through it as well." McCauley on being the No. 1 overall recruit in the country by InterMat: "When I saw I was the No. 1 recruit overall I was very surprised. That was one of my goals as a youth, and I finally was able to achieve that goal!" McCauley on the strength of Apple Valley's team this season: "The Apple Valley team this year I think will be very tough, and should be considered the No. 1 team in the nation. We had I think six or seven All-Americans in Fargo this year. Along with that we have six of our seven state champs from last year all returning. We are solid the whole way through our lineup. I think we will be pretty tough to beat. Our team is always in real good condition, and we know how to push ourselves to make everyone better. That's one thing that makes us stand out." No. 2 Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, CA) College Choice Penn State Projected College Weight Class: 184/197 Penn State coach Cael Sanderson added another prized recruit to his deep stable of Nittany Lions with the addition of McIntosh, the nation's second-ranked recruit. McIntosh is a two-time California state champion, FloNationals champion, and Junior Nationals freestyle champion. He will be looking to become just the 15th California three-time state champion. Morgan McIntosh (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)McIntosh on his decision to commit to Penn State: "I'm really excited about my decision, and it's a big relief to have it done. I think Penn State is a great university in a lot of ways, and I don't think that there is a (wrestling) room in the country that can help me reach my wrestling goals better than the Penn State room, under Coach Sanderson." McIntosh on Penn State coach Cael Sanderson: "He's been great through this whole process, and I really look forward to the future, wrestling under him and his coaching staff." McIntosh on what others schools he considered: "The five schools that I visited were Oklahoma, Ohio State, Minnesota, Cornell, and Penn State." McIntosh on what drives him in wrestling: "I like the challenge of trying to make the most of the gifts God gave me. I also like the people that I have met." McIntosh on wrestling goals after high school: "My goal is to live up to my potential, both in the NCAA, and in freestyle, internationally." No. 19 Nick Gwiazdowski (Duanesburg, NY) College Choice Binghamton Projected College Weight Class: 197/285 Gwiazdowski, who is ranked as the No. 19 recruit in the country, chose to say in his home state of New York and wrestle for Pat Popolizio at Binghamton. It marks the second straight year that the top wrestler in the Empire State has committed to Binghamton. Last year it was four-time NHSCA Nationals champion Tyler Beckwith who chose to become a Bearcat. As a junior, Gwiazdowski compiled a record of 49-1 en route to winning a state title. He is also a FloNationals champion. Gwiazdowski on his decision to commit to Binghamton: "It was a tough decision. I was attracted to other places, but in the end I knew that I would find the most success at BU. I've known the coaches and many guys on the team for a while and felt this would be the best place for my college wrestling career. Being closer to home, so family and friends could watch was also important." Gwiazdowski on Binghamton coach Pat Popolizio: "Pat's a great coach and it shows in his team's successes over the past four years. From starting with nothing and resurrecting a program to Top 25 status is proof of what kind of coach he is. He was coached in high school by my current coach and that gave me a good feeling for what he's about and how he coaches his guys in and out of the wrestling room. I definitely look forward to training under him and Dennis ... and having him in my corner." Nick GwiazdowskiGwiazdowski on whether he expects to be a 197-pounder or heavyweight in college: "I plan on competing at 197 for a few years, then possibly a move to heavyweight, depending on my size and if or when I redshirt. As for now, though, I plan on stepping in as a 197-pounder." Gwiazdowski on winning FloNationals: "It was a great tournament and I would like to thank the guys at Flo for establishing it. In the beginning I had a few doubters, but a few matches in I gained momentum and start wrestling my best later into matches and that definitely proved to be an important piece to the puzzle. My coaches, Frank Popolizio and John Degl, were also critical in helping me realize my goal and that I could win the tournament by wrestling to my potential." Gwiazdowski on wrestling goals for senior season: "I want to win another State title and also pin everybody I step on the mat against, and not to give up any points would also be nice. It's also important to help the younger guys on the team to learn more about the sport and help them become better wrestlers as well ... so our team still finds success in the future." No. 20 Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield, CA) College Choice Cal State Bakersfield Projected College Weight Class: 165 It's not often that one of the nation's top recruits commits to a recently reinstated program, but that's exactly what Hammond did when he announced his decision to attend Cal State Bakersfield, following in the footsteps of his father, Ray, a former CSUB wrestler. Not only are there family ties to the program, but also coaching ties. CSUB assistant coach Gerry Abas has coached Hammond since he was young. Hammond is a state champion (fourth in 2009), Five Counties champion, NHSCA Nationals champion, and Cadet Nationals runner-up. Bryce Hammond (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Hammond on his decision to commit to Cal State Bakersfield: "I really feel that Cal State Bakersfield is the place for me. This is where I grew up. I've been coming into that room every summer since I can remember. You can't beat going to a place where you have no doubt that you will be comfortable. The coaches are some of the best in the country, and I am confident that I will achieve my goals here." Hammond on his relationship with Gerry Abas: "I have always had a great relationship with Coach Abas. Being around someone who has the same philosophy and who can inspire you to wrestle better is huge. We just click, I guess. We have spent countless hours working together over the years. A huge part of my offense on my feet, and comfort in funky positions has come from him. Wrestling with him makes wrestling fun for me. Wrestling for him excites me. He is one of the best coaches technically in the country. I have been fortunate enough to learn from him in the past, and I cannot wait to begin working with him full time." Hammond on how he felt when Cal State Bakersfield's wrestling program was reinstated: "CSUB wrestling being reinstated was very important to college and high school wrestling, this state, as well as this town. The wrestling community of Bakersfield was up in arms when the program was dropped. The support here for wrestling is amazing. This town will not let the program go without a fight. In the past this program has proven its ability to produce successful athletes. Wrestling needs this program to stay alive, and California wrestling especially needs this program to turn around and be successful again. With this coaching staff it can be done. All they need is the recruits to work with. I was very excited to see the program reinstated. There is potential here, and I want to see the program reach what it is capable of. Also, I should say that the president of Cal State Bakersfield, Dr. Horace Mitchell, was a wrestler himself. He has stood by the community's efforts to have the program reinstated. I want to thank him for his support, and for allowing me to become a Roadrunner wrestler." Hammond on his support system: "My family is a huge aspect to my success and I was not willing to give that up to go to a program across the country. I feel that family support is a tremendous asset in being successful. My church family is also very important to me. My wrestling friends provide another big support system. You can't beat having people who love you around to support you. " On his college wrestling goals: "My goal in college is to be a four-time NCAA champ." No. 23 Jake Sueflohn (Arrowhead, WI) College Choice Nebraska Projected College Weight Class: 141 Sueflohn is a state champion and two-time state finalist who hails from the same high school in Wisconsin as Ben Askren and Max Askren. He won the Cheeshead last year, which included victories over 2010 recruit Simon Kitzis (Missouri) and 2011 recruit Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State). Sueflohn on his decision to commit to Nebraska: "I loved everything down there: the university, the people, the direction of where this program is going and I really wanted to be a part of it. I really look forward to it." Sueflohn on wrestling in Wisconsin: "Wrestling in Wisconsin has given me the opportunity to work with great coaches and wrestle great competition that has helped me transform into a better wrestler." Jake SueflohnSueflohn on winning the Cheesehead last season: "A very well-run tournament where I had the chance to wrestle the nation's best. Winning the tournament was awesome, but to be chosen as the Outstanding Wrestler was a true honor." Sueflohn on the Askren brothers, Ben and Max: "I have been able to work out with the Askrens a few times during my high school career and I have definitely benefited from their knowledge. They are great people with a lot of knowledge about this sport." Sueflohn on his biggest strength as a wrestler: "I would have to say my work ethic. My work ethic has increased my conditioning to the point where my opponents have a hard time going a full six minutes with me. And my conditioning paired with the fact that I never give up has given me the ability to beat some of the nation's best." No. 35 Vince Rodriguez (Clovis North) College Choice George Mason Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Rodriguez won an NHSCA Junior Nationals title, but will enter his season without a state title after finishing third as a sophomore and runner-up last season. He becomes the highest-ranked recruit George Mason has landed in several years. Vince Rodriguez (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Rodriguez on his decision to commit to George Mason: "After taking a few recruiting visits, committing to George Mason was an easy decision for me. The thing that attracted me the most to George Mason was the team and coaches. The team is not very big compared to others, but overall they have a high-ranked GPA and all seem to be very close and not cliquish. As for the coaches, they seem real sincere and care about each one of their wrestlers. Overall, I firmly believe that George Mason is a place where I can accomplish my goals in both academics and wrestling." Rodriguez on moving from the West Coast to the East Coast: "As for moving from West Coast to East Coast, I'm real excited about it. Ever since I was a little boy one of my life long goals has been to travel the world, and I believe this is a good way to start it. It's an opportunity of a lifetime, and I am very fortunate I get to experience it." Rodriguez on the pursuit of a state championship: "My main high school goal has always been to be a state champion. Unfortunately, I haven't accomplished that yet, I won (NHSCA) Junior Nationals and received OW of the Junior division this past wrestling season, but I would still trade that for a state title anytime. It's my last year, and I'm willing to sacrifice anything, and do whatever it takes to obtain a state championship." Rodriguez on his wrestling style: "My style is what I like to call 'slick' and 'greedy,' taking points, and not giving them any. Breaking them down, not physically, but mentally." Rodriguez on the wrestler he admired the most while growing up: "Growing up, the person I admired the most wasn't an Olympic champion, but one of my valley's local high school wrestlers, Darrell Vasquez. To me, he was one of the greatest wrestlers I had ever seen. I loved his refuse to lose attitude, and I wanted to be just as successful as he was." No. 37 Matt Kelliher (Apple Valley, MN) College Choice Wisconsin Projected College Weight Class: 133/141 The name Kelliher has been a staple in the Apple Valley lineup for several years. Matt's older brothers, Tom and Craig, are wrestling in Division I programs after successful wrestling careers at Apple Valley. Tom is a redshirt sophomore at Wisconsin, while Craig is a redshirt freshman at Central Michigan. Matt will be joining Tom on the Badger wrestling team. Kelliher is a two-time state champion and three-time state finalist. He won a FloNationals title in the spring and finished runner-up in the Junior National freestyle competition in the summer. Kelliher on his decision to commit to Wisconsin: "It was a tough decision to make. I felt that Wisconsin was the overall best fit for me for a lot of reasons. I'm very excited to be a part of the program at Wisconsin." Matt Kelliher (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Kelliher on Wisconsin coach Barry Davis: "Barry Davis is a good, high-energy coach. I could tell by watching practice that he really enjoyed coaching the team and working with them." Kelliher on Apple Valley's team this year: "Not many people get the opportunity to say that they wrestled for the No. 1 high school team in the country. I think it is a great opportunity for everyone on the team and with our tough schedule it should be an exciting year." Kelliher on Apple Valley coach Jim Jackson: "Coach Jackson really dedicates everything he has to his Apple Valley team and it pays off. He is a great coach to have around to push me and my teammates to work harder and become better wrestlers every day." Kelliher on what drives him as a wrestler: "Mostly what drives me in competition is knowing that I've pushed myself during training, that I've trained to the point where I can be confident that I'm in better shape. While I'm training I know that everything I do is going to put me at an advantage over my opponents." No. 41 Bricker Dixon (Park Hill, MO) College Choice Cornell Projected College Weight Class: 125 Dixon became the fourth InterMat Top 100 recruit to commit to Cornell this recruiting season. He is a three-time state finalist and 2010 state champion. He finished third in the Junior National freestyle competition at 119 pounds this past summer in Fargo. Dixon on his decision to commit to Cornell: "It was a very tough decision but one that I'm extremely happy with. At this point in time, Cornell is the most balanced school between wrestling and academics. Ultimately, I have to put myself in the best position to succeed not only in wrestling but in my career after wrestling and Cornell seemed to be the perfect place to do that." Dixon on Cornell coach Rob Koll: "Coach Koll was great during the whole recruiting process. He has taken the Cornell wrestling program from the bottom to being ranked No. 1 in the country during his career as a coach, which to me, was impressive. I really got the sense that he genuinely cares about his athletes and that was important to me. I can't wait to wrestle under him for the next four years." Dixon on Cornell's chances of winning a national championship this season: "I think Cornell has a very good shot at winning the team race this year. They have an experienced team with great leaders. I think that there is a lot of parity between the top teams in the country but I believe that if everyone wrestles to their potential, Cornell will win the team title." Dixon on Park Hill's wrestling program: "We have a very different program than we did last year after graduating four Division I signees. However, I think we are still in contention for a team state title this year. Our focus is to win as many individual championships as we can and the team aspect will fall into place. Our team is working very hard on a daily basis and I'm excited to see what we can accomplish." Dixon on his emotions after winning a state title: "There is nothing more gratifying than setting a goal for yourself and reaching that goal. One of my coaches, Joe Gonier, was especially instrumental in helping me win my first state title. It was one of the best feelings I've ever had." No. 44 Jake Waste (Apple Valley, MN) College Choice Buffalo Projected College Weight Class: 174/184 Waste, like Dylan Ness last year, will begin his senior season as a national champion in all three styles, but still without the elusive state title at the high school level. (Ness went 44-0 with 42 pins in his senior season en route to winning the state title.) Waste was a Cadet Nationals Triple Crown winner in 2009. He won the FILA Cadet Nationals in Greco Roman and was named Outstanding Wrestler. He is a three-time folkstyle national champion. Waste also won the inaugural InterMat JJ Classic last month. But perhaps his most impressive accomplishment is winning a college open tournament (Kaufman-Brand Open, Amateur Division) before his junior season of high school wrestling. Waste has the ability to be a program changer for Jim Beichner's Bulls. Jake Waste (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Waste on his decision to commit to Buffalo: "The reasons I decided to go to Buffalo are endless. In the end it came down to schooling, wrestling, and where I felt most at home. Buffalo had all of that." Waste on the recruiting process: "It was a great experience. The final decision was very tough and draining, though." Waste on his favorite style of wrestling (folkstyle, freestyle, or Greco-Roman): "Greco is probably the most fun of the styles, but I think folkstyle is my favorite." Waste on his decision to transfer to Apple Valley after his sophomore year: "My family and I felt that it was the best decision for me. It was very hard, but in the end I think everything turned out for the best." Waste on the importance of winning an individual state title as a senior: "I want to be the best one-time state champion to ever come out of Minnesota. With that I believe it is very important." No. 50 Steven Keogh (Apple Valley, MN) College Choice Minnesota Projected College Weight Class: 165 Keogh may only be the fourth highest ranked recruit on his own team (according to InterMat), but is the No. 50 recruit in the country. He won his first state title last season at 160 pounds. Keogh has been making waves on the Minnesota high school wrestling scene for what seems to be an eternity. He was a state placewinner (fourth) as a seventh-grader and owns five state medals. He is also an NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion, FloNationals third-place finisher, and a fourth-place finisher in the Junior National freestyle competition this past summer. Keogh became the second InterMat Top 100 recruit to commit to the Gophers this recruiting season, joining No. 13 recruit Logan Storley (Webster, SD). Steven Keogh (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Keogh on his decision to commit to Minnesota: "Minnesota has one thing on its side that most colleges don't, and that is history." Keogh on the recruiting process: "It was fun, but stressful. It was sort of a rollercoaster. But with the help from my family and coaches I think that I made the right decision." Keogh on his decision to transfer to Apple Valley after his sophomore season:"I wanted to get better, more national attention, and I wanted to be a part of the best team in the nation. I also wanted to wrestle Division I and going to Apple Valley would be the best place to prepare me for that." Keogh on his goals before arriving at Minnesota: "Repeat state champ, undefeated season, and a Fargo title." Keogh on his goals at Minnesota: "Simple. NCAA champion." No. 58 Stevan Knoblauch (Clovis West, CA) College Choice Grand Canyon Projected College Weight Class: 125 Knoblauch, a state runner-up as a sophomore, may have flown under the radar a bit after an injury prevented him from competing for a state title as a junior. He won the Reno Tournament of Champions last season and should make an immediate impact at Grand Canyon. Knoblauch on his decision to commit to Grand Canyon: "The reason I chose Grand Canyon was the fact they had a smaller campus. When I went to visit I felt at home there. Also it's not too far from home." Stevan Knoblauch (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Knoblauch on the disappointment of being injured last season: "It was really hard last year to watch my teammates wrestle as I sat on the side. I'm just happy I will be able to wrestle this year. If I had surgery I would have not been able to wrestle this year as well." Knoblauch on his college wrestling goals: "My goal in college is just to do the best I can. Hopefully become a national champion." Knoblauch on the wrestling accomplishment he's most proud of: "The accomplishment I'm most proud of is winning Reno TOC. I'm hoping this year I will have another win." Knoblauch on wrestling in California: "I believe California has some of the best wrestlers in the nation. It is pretty awesome for as big of a state California is we have one true champion." No. 66 Connor Medbery (Loveland, CO) College Choice Wisconsin Projected College Weight Class: 285 Medbery, a two-time Colorado state champion, NHSCA Nationals champion, Cadet Nationals champion, and multiple-time Junior Nationals All-American, will be joining high school teammate Tyler Graff at Wisconsin. He also plays running back and linebacker for Loveland's football team, and is one of the state's top football players. He rushed for 315 yards in a single game this season. Medbery on his decision to commit to Wisconsin: "Overall, Wisconsin just seemed like the perfect fit for me. It has everything I was looking for and more. When I was out on my official visit I just knew it was the place for me to accomplish my wrestling goals and academic goals. I really connected with the coaches and the team. The icing on the cake was that it had a physical therapy program, and since that is what I want to study I knew this is where I should be." Medbery on whether he enjoys football or wrestling more ... and why: "Honestly, they are really close. They both have their perks. Football is a team sport, so it builds more team unity, but wrestling has some team aspects as well as individual aspects. It was a tough decision to pick one over the other, but I think leaving the sport of wrestling would have been impossible. I have more that I want to accomplish to reach my ultimate goals." Medbery on his relationship with Tyler Graff: "I was fortunate enough to have one year in high school with Tyler and he really helped me develop as a wrestler. He is a perfect example of hard work and dedication and how it can be so helpful and pay off in the long run. Knowing that he will be there with me in Wisconsin is incredible and makes me even more excited knowing I have someone there from my high school that I already know and connect with." Medbery on his college wrestling goals: "My goals for college wrestling are set to the highest possible potential. I want to be a four-time national champ. I am aware that this will take hard work and many hours of training, but I know it is my goal and what I want to achieve. I also want to help my team win a national title." Medbery on studying physical therapy at Wisconsin: "This subject is a big interest to me. Ever since I took anatomy last year I knew it was what I wanted to do. I also feel this will keep me connected with the two sports I love for the rest of my life." No. 74 Vincent Waldhauser (Oak Ridge, CA) College Choice Virginia Projected College Weight Class: 165 Virginia added to an already strong and deep recruiting class with the addition of Waldhauser, a state runner-up and NHSCA Nationals All-American. Waldhauser on his decision to commit to Virginia: "The reason I chose Virginia is because the campus was amazing. I got along very well with the coaches, and I really liked all the guys on the team. I felt like the tradition that Virginia had was incredible and I really liked that aspect that they had to offer." Vincent Waldhauser (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Waldhauser on Virginia coach Steve Garland: "The reason I like Coach Garland so much is because he is such a great guy and has such an outgoing personality. He is kind of wiry, which I think is awesome, but he is so well known around campus and by other colleges for being such a standup character and I really enjoy that about him." Waldhauser on his wrestling style: "I would have to say my wrestling style is mostly aggressive. I don't like to mess around. I just attack, attack, attack, and try to tire my opponent out because I think I can wrestle better tired than my opponent can. Also, I think I'm pretty well known on top for pinning people. I enjoy being on top the most also. Waldhauser on his emotions after finishing as a state runner-up: "My emotions on finishing as the state runner up were pretty sad. I really think I could've won state and the guy that beat me is an excellent wrestler. I'm not trying to take anything from him, but I just believed I could have won in my heart and it was crushing that I didn't. I got second, though, and that's good, but it's not quite the best yet." Waldhauser on what he enjoys outside of wrestling: "The things I enjoy outside of wrestling would be hanging out with my good friends. I mean wrestling is my No. 1 love. It's what I enjoy doing the most, so usually I just wrestle when I don't have to. But I'd say hanging out with friends, boating maybe, and just doing things outside because I love the outdoors. " No. 90 Harrison Honeycutt (Lake Norman, NC) College Choice North Carolina State Projected College Weight Class: 197 Honeycutt, a two-time state champion, will take a 105-match winning streak into his senior season. He has placed multiple times in Fargo and was a Super 32 Challenge runner-up in 2009. Harrison HoneycuttHoneycutt on his decision to commit to North Carolina State: "I feel great about my decision to attend North Carolina State. It's a program that is quickly improving and I'm happy to soon be a part of it." Honeycutt on wrestling at 197 pounds in college after wrestling at 215 pounds in college: "I think 197 is a good weight for me. I weigh about 205, so it's a good fit." Honeycutt on the importance of winning his third state title: "It is very important for me to win my third state title. Not very many people get the opportunity to be a three-time state champ." Honeycutt on the wrestler he admired the most while growing up: "The wrestler I admired the most while growing up was Alexander Karelin. He was so dominant in his Olympic years." Honeycutt on his college wrestling goals: "My college wrestling goals are to be a multiple-time All-American and help turn NC State into a national powerhouse."

SALEM, Va. -- The Iowa State wrestling team staged a furious comeback to topple Virginia Tech 17-16 after going down 10-0 after the first three matches Saturday at the Salem Civic Center. The Cyclones also took out 14th-ranked Kent State, 23-19. Iowa State junior Jerome Ward found his team needing a win in the last match of the dual to beat Virginia Tech. Ward stepped up for the team and defeated Chris Penny 6-4 to secure a 17-16 win for the Cyclones. The Cyclones got off to a slow start with losses at 285, 125 and 133 pounds, but Chris Drouin was determined to get the momentum going Iowa State's way. Drouin defeated returning All-American Chris Diaz in a hard-fought 2-1 victory. "Chris Drouin battled back in a match against a really tough kid," Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. "It was a match that we needed to win and he went out there and got it done." Nate Carr, Jr. garnered the deciding takedown with only eight seconds left in overtime to defeat Brian Stephens at 149 pounds. Andrew Sorenson and Jon Reader came through with two of the most impressive performances of the Virginia Tech dual as both wrestlers pounded their opposition on their way to major decisions. "Andrew Sorenson came out and competed exactly like he trains, like a Cyclone," Jackson said. "He really took it to a kid that was rated ahead of him, and I really think that was the most important match in the dual for us. Jon Reader just came out and dominated, which is exactly what we expected of him." True freshman Matt Riley wrestled well but was unable to crack his opponent's defense in the match at 184-pounds, falling 1-0. After the 184-pound match, the team score was 16-14 in favor of Virginia Tech, but Ward would not allow the win to slip through the fingers of the Cyclones. Junior 285-pounder Kyle Simonson started off the Kent State dual in exciting fashion with a pin over Brenden Barlow, the 14th-ranked heavyweight in the nation. "Kyle's pin was a huge way for us to start the dual," Jackson said. "He is a pro the way that he wrestles and he sticks to what he does well. He pinned a highly-ranked kid, and I expect him to jump up in the rankings as well." In the first dual match of his Iowa State career, Brandon Jones dominated Sean Collins the entire match en route to 9-3 victory. Drouin immediately notched his second victory as a Cyclone with an 11-4 victory over Chase Skonieczny, while compiling well over three minutes of riding time. Nate Carr won another close match with a 2-1 decision victory over Marcell Clopton. Chris Spangler won a back-and-forth match over Ross Tice in overtime. Spangler notched the winning takedown with fifteen seconds left. Jon Reader dominated from the whistle in his match against Chris Estep. The two-time All-American piled up six takedowns in the third period to ice the dual with a 24-9 technical fall. Tyler Christensen and Phil Hawes suffered defeats from a pair of tough opponents to close out the dual. "We have to clean things up and improve before we hit the mat tomorrow," Jackson said. "We did not wrestle great today, but we won, and that is what matters. We expect to wrestle better and bring a lot of intensity tomorrow." The Cyclones will be back in action Sunday at the Hokie Open in Salem, Va. Iowa State vs. Virginia Tech 285 pounds - David Marone dec. Matt Gibson, 7-4 125 pounds - Jarrod Garnett dec. Patrick Hunter, 7-2 133 pounds - Devin Carter tech. Ben Cash, 23-8 141 pounds - Chris Drouin dec. Chris Diaz, 2-1 149 pounds - Nate Carr, Jr. dec. Brian Stephens, 6-4 157 pounds - Pete Yates dec. Trent Weatherman, 8-1 165 pounds - Andrew Sorenson mdec. Matt Epperly, 13-3 174 pounds - Jon Reader mdec. Nick Vetterlein, 14-6 184 pounds - Tommy Spellman dec. Matt Riley, 1-0 197 pounds - Jerome Ward dec. Chris Penny, 6-4 Iowa State vs. Kent State 285 pounds - Kyle Simonson pin Brenden Barlow, 6:18 125 pounds - Nic Bedelyon pin Patrick Hunter, 0:47 133 pounds - Brandon Jones dec. Sean Collins, 9-3 141 pounds - Chris Drouin dec. Chase Skonieczny, 11-4 149 pounds - Nate Carr, Jr. dec. Marcel Clopton, 2-1 157 pounds - Matt Cathell pin Trent Weatherman, 6:38 165 pounds - Chris Spangler dec. Ross Tice, 7-5 174 pounds - Jon Reader tech. Chris Estep, 24-9 184 pounds - Casey Newburg dec. Tyler Christensen, 8-2 197 pounds - Dustin Kilgore mdec. Phil Hawes, 13-2

Three years ago when Brandon Fifield first stepped foot into Leslie High School, head coach Todd Stern wasn't sure what to expect. "He weighed about 85 pounds and I knew he was a great wrestler who could win a couple state titles for us, but I never thought those state titles would come anywhere besides 103," said Stern, "I thought he would be a four-year 103-pounder." Fast forward to the fall of his senior year, and the former 85-pound fireplug is now one of the top recruits in the state, gunning for his second straight state title, and is now the most recent big-time senior to make his college commitment. Fifield, who is currently rated as the No. 7 senior recruit in Michigan, informed Michigan Grappler over the phone that he has verbally committed to wrestle for Michigan State next fall following his prep career. "I went on a visit and really liked the campus, the academics, and the coaches," said Fifield. "Plus I am really excited to work with Chris (coach Chris Williams)." The Leslie senior is the latest in a string of mid-Michigan prospects to announce plans of staying close to home and wrestle for the Spartans. "They are bringing in alot of really good recruits and I think being able to work out with Freddie(Rodriguez), Danny (Osterman), Brenan (Lyon), and the coaches will be a good situation," said Fifield. "I really like the a lot of the guys on the team." Fifield, who was projected by most to wrestle four years at 103, is now projected to compete at 133 pounds in college. He won the Division 4 state title at 112 pounds last year, and had strong showings at major national events last spring, last summer, and this fall. Not bad for someone who failed to qualify for states as a freshman 103-pounder. Fifield credits much of his success to Jeff Therrian, the man who has worked one-on-one with him over the past three years. "The summer before my freshman year I walked into his (Therrian's) basement and he weighed me in at under 80 pounds," said Fifield. "Training with him, putting in all the extra time, working out twice a day, lifting, running, drilling ... it's all paid off." The addition of Fifield makes the future Spartan lower weights look increasingly bright as Freddie Rodriguez verbally committed to the Green and White earlier this fall and is slated to join the Spartans in the fall of 2012, a year after Fifield. Rodriguez projects as a lifetime 125-pounder while Fifield, who wrestled 119 at the Grappler Fall Classic and Super 32 this fall, projects at 133 pounds for now, but with the amount of weight he has put on over the last three years - who knows? Stern says the best thing about Fifield is that no matter what weight he ends up or what happens with him, you always know what you're going to get -- everything he has. "Brandon still has some things to work on before he gets to MSU, but I am not worried about him. His work ethic has gotten him here and will get him to the next level. He is like the energizer bunny and you will have a hard time finding someone in better shape than him," said Stern. This article was published on MichiganGrappler.com. Original: http://www.michigangrappler.com/files/High_School/HS1011/fifield_MSU.html

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Tickets are on sale for the 2011 National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen National Duals, which will take place Jan. 8-9, 2011, in the UNI-Dome. Top wrestlers from each collegiate athletic division (Divison I, II, III, NAIA, NJCAA and Women’s) will compete for a national dual title. The NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals is one of the largest collegiate national sporting events in the country, with more than 1,400 wrestlers and 80 teams attending. Tickets are available by visiting www.unitix.uni.edu or by calling 319-273-4TIX (4849). Ticket prices are as follows: All Tournament Pass: $45 All Tournament Senior/Student*: $35 All Sessions Group (10+): $30 One Day Session Pass: $25 One Day Session Senior/Student*: $20 One Day Session Group (10+): $10 * Must be under 18 or have a valid College ID

Hokie Open

Lincoln, Neb. -- The Nebraska wrestling team kicked off the 2010-11 season at the annual Red-White Wrestle-Offs on Friday, Nov. 5, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The 12th-ranked Huskers welcomed over 200 wrestling coaches from the region, as the Wrestle-Offs were held in conjunction with the 2010 Fall Coaches Clinic. The Wrestle-Offs marked the return of senior Jordan Burroughs, who missed the majority of last season with a knee injury. The Sicklerville, N.J. native was dominant in his return going 2-0, while recording a fall (2:56) in his first match against Jerad Gubbels. In his second match, Burroughs defeated freshman Robert Kokesh by a 10-4 decision to finish his night. Burroughs, now a 165-pounder, is the school’s only undefeated national champion after finishing the 2008-09 season with a 35-0 record. Mike Koehnlein, a 141-pound senior, also won both of his matches on the night defeating Blake Meeks, 4-0, after he opened the night with a 11-2 major decision victory over freshman Chad Stroh. Koehnlein is one of the Huskers’ four returning national qualifiers after making the NCAA Tournament a season ago. True freshman Cody Magrew was impressive in his Nebraska debut, taking down redshirt freshman Mike Klinginsmith twice on the night. In their second match of the night, the 157-pound Magrew was able to escape with a 5-3 overtime win to collect his second win. Nebraska opens the 2010-11 regular season on Sunday, Nov. 21 at the Buckeye Duals in Columbus, Ohio, when the Huskers take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Huskers will also dual Pittsburgh the same day in double-header action. A complete list of results is below. Wrestle-Off Results Mat One 157- Mike Klinginsmith (RFr.) vs. Cody Magrew (Fr.) Magrew by dec. over Klinginsmith, 4-0 141- Luis DeAnda (Fr.) vs. Blake Meeks (Fr.) Meeks by major dec. over DeAanda, 13-5 197-Livingston Lukow (So.) vs. Dustin Pond (NA) Lukow by dec. over Pond, 9-2 141- Mike Koehnlein (Sr.) vs. Chad Stroh (Fr.) Koehnlein by major dec. over Shroh, 11-2 141- Skylar Galloway (Fr.) vs. Greg Amos (Fr.) Amos by decision over Galloway, 3-1 157- Mike Klinginsmith (RFr.) vs. Cody Magrew (Fr.) Magrew by dec. over Klinginsmith, 5-3 (SV) 141- Mike Koehnlein (Sr.) vs. Blake Meeks (Fr.) Koehnlein by dec. over Meeks, 4-0 Mat Two 149/141- John Svoboda (Fr.) vs. Skylar Galloway (Fr.) Galloway by dec. over Svoboda, 3-2 165/174- Robert Kokesh (Fr.) vs. Jerad Gubbels (RFr.) Kokesh by dec. over Gubbels, 8-1 184- Spencer Johnson (Fr.) vs. James Nakashima (Sr.) Nakashima by dec. over Johnson, 5-2 184/197- Josh Ihnen (So.) vs. Matt Dwyer (Fr.) Ihnen by major dec. over Dwyer, 12-0 165- Jordan Burroughs (Sr.) vs. Jerad Gubbels (RFr.) Burroughs by fall over Gubbels, 2:56 133- Ridge Kiley (So.) vs. Karl Bonner (Fr.) Kiley by dec. over Bonner, 8-1 165- Jordan Burroughs (Sr.) vs. Robert Kokesh (Fr.) Burroughs by dec. over Kokesh, 10-4 149/141- John Svoboda (Fr.) vs. Greg Amos (Fr.) Svoboda by dec. over Amos, 5-1

SALEM, Va. -- The Virginia Tech wrestling team jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but the 25th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones came roaring back to beat the Hokies 17-16 Saturday afternoon in an exciting match at the loud and raucous Salem Civic Center. Both team won five matches, but Iowa State pi! cked up one more bonus win to pull the upset over the 13th-ranked Hokies. Tech jumped out to a 10-0 lead by winning the first three matches, but the Cyclones won the next two matches to make it 10-6 heading into the intermission. The match started at heavyweight with Tech’s David Marone picking up a 7-4 win over Matt Gibson. Marone, ranked 12th in the country after redshirting last year, gave up an early takedown, but reversed Gibson and got two more takedowns later to pick up the win. At 125 pounds, 10th-ranked Jarrod Garnett fell behind early to ISU’s Patrick Hunter, but battled back to take a 3-2 lead after the first period. He got an escape and a takedown in the third period and eventually got riding time to win 7-2. At 133 pounds, true freshman Devin Carter lived up to the hype with a dominating 23-8 technical fall over Ben Cash. Cash didn’t record an offensive point as Carter picked up eight takedowns and a reversal to highlight an impressive debut. However, he couldn’t get back points for the five team points, which ! would loom large at the end. At 141 pounds, Iowa State’s Chris Drouin - ranked 14th - used a reversal in the fourth period to upset eighth-ranked Chris Diaz, 2-1. The Cyclones pulled another upset at 149 pounds as unranked Nate Carr, Jr., picked up a takedown late in the sudden victory off a counter to Stephens’ near takedown to stun 16th-ranked Brian Stephens with a 6-4 win. After the break, 15th-ranked Pete Yates controlled the action at 157 pounds, but couldn’t get bonus points as he beat Trent Weatherman 8-1. At 165 pounds, 20th-ranked Andrew Sorenson of ISU dominated Tech’s Matt Epperly, who was ranked 15th. He used five takedowns and rode him for over two minutes as he picked up a 13-3 major decision. Fifth-ranked John Reader used six takedowns to control the match at 174 pounds as he picked up a 14-6 major decision over Tech’s Nick Vetterlein to give the Cyclones a 14-13 lead with two matches left. Tommy Spellman, ranked 11th in the country pulled out a 1-0 win over Matt Riley courtesy a third period escape at 184 pounds to give the Hokies a 16-14 lead with one match left. Tech sophomore Chris Penny gave it all he had against No. 10 Jerome Ward, wearing him down throughout the match. After a scoreless first period, Ward took a 3-0 lead before Penny reversed him. Penny cut it to 4-3, but Ward got a takedown and then held on with Penny having ahold of one leg on the edge of the mat as time ran out to pick up the 6-4 win and secure a 17-16 team win for Iowa State. While the Hokies wrestled well, they fell behind most of the time as Iowa State recorded the first offensive points in seven of the nine matches that featured an offensive point. Kent State defeated Chattanooga 24-12 and then Iowa State downed Kent State, 23-19. Tech (0-1) will host the Hokie Open Sunday at the Civic Center, welcoming a dozen teams and over 300 wrestlers to the arena. #25 Iowa State (1-0) 17; #13 Virginia Tech (0-1) 16 285: #12 David Marone (VT) dec. Matt Gibson, 7-4 125: #10 Jarrod Garnett (VT) dec. Patrick Hunter, 7-2 133: Devin Carter (VT) tech fall (4) Ben Cash, 23-8 (7:00) 141: #14 Chris Drouin (ISU) dec. #8 Chris Diaz, 2-1 149: Nate Carr, Jr. (ISU) dec. #16 Brian Stephens, 6-4 (SV) 157: #15 Pete Yates (VT) dec. Trent Weatherman, 8-1 165: #20 Andrew Sorenson (ISU) maj. dec. #15 Matt Epperly, 13-3 174: #5 John Reader (ISU) maj. dec. Nick Vetterlein, 14-6 184: #11 Tommy Spellman (VT) dec. Matt Riley, 1-0 197: #10 Jerome Ward dec. Chris Penny, 6-4 Kent State (1-0) 24; Chattanooga (0-1) 12 285: #14 Brendan Barlow (KSU) dec. Matt Lettner, 5-2 125: #6 Nic Bedelyon (KSU) maj. dec. Prescott Garner, 15-5 133: Sean Collins (KSU) dec. Cody Hood, 12-9 141: #7 Cody Cleveland (C) fall Chase Skonieczny, 5:22 149: Marcel Clopton (KSU) dec. Dean Pavlou, 5-4 157: Josh Condon (C) dec. Mallie Shuster, 3-1 (SV) 165: Ross Tice (KSU) dec. Brandon Wright, 5-2 174: Brandonn Johnson (KSU) maj. dec. Levi Clemons, 21-10 184: #19 Jason McCroskey (C) dec. Casey Newburg, 4-3 (TB1) 197: #3 Dustin Kilgore (KSU) maj. dec. Niko Brown, 14-4 #25 Iowa State (2-0) 23; Kent State (1-1) 19 285: Kyle Simonson (ISU) fall #14 Brendan Barlow, 6:16 125: #6 Nic Bedelyon (KSU) fall Patrick Hunter, :47 133: Brandon Jones (ISU) dec. Sean Collins, 9-3 141: #14 Chris Drouin (ISU) dec. Chase Skonieczny, 11-4 149: Nate Carr, Jr. (ISU) dec. Marcel Clopton, 2-1 157: Matt Cathell (KSU) fall Trent Weatherman, 6:38 165: Chris Spangler (ISU) dec. Ross Tice, 7-5 (SV) 174: #5 Jon Reader (ISU) tech fall Chris Estep, 24-9 (7:00) 184: Casey Newburg (KSU) dec. Tyler Christensen, 8-2 197: #3 Dustin Kilgore (KSU) maj. dec. Phillip Hawes

The #20 American University wrestling team opened its 2010-11 season Saturday with a pair of dominating wins at the Pentagon Duals, the first sporting event to ever be held inside the Pentagon. The Eagles beat Army 26-6 in its first dual of the day before taking down Franklin & Marshall 33-10. American (2-0) won eight of 10 bouts against Army (1-1), including an 18-1 second-period technical fall by #8 Ryan Flores over Christian Botero. The Black Knights picked up the first victory at 125 lbs. but the Eagles answered back with five straight wins to take control of the meet. Returning All-American #2 Steve Fittery earned his first victory of the season with a 7-1 decision at 157 lbs., while 2010 NCAA Qualifier #20 Daniel Mitchell also registered his first win at 197 lbs., 3-0. Ganbayar Sanjaa made a successful American debut with a 9-3 win at 149 lbs. and Matt Mariacher returned from a redshirt year with a hard fought 1-0 decision at 141 lbs. American returned to the mat against Franklin & Marshall (0-2) and picked up seven victories, five of which came with bonus points. Flores again highlighted the Eagles' efforts as pinned Daniel Canfield in just 1:04 for the fastest fall of the day. Fittery also recorded a first-period fall over Eric Norgard at the 2:43 mark. Sanjaa earned an impressive 18-3 technical fall while Patrick Graham posted a 17-7 major decision at 165 lbs. Thomas Barreiro, Fittery, Flores, Graham, Mariacher and Sanjaa each posted two wins on the day, while Kevin Tao, Corey Borshoff also picked up a win. The Eagles will return to action next Saturday, November 13, at the Brockport Invitational in Brockport, N.Y. Other teams competing in the tournament include #9 Oklahoma, #21 Rutgers, Maryland, Buffalo, Army and Brockport. #20 American 26, Army 6 125: Travis Coffey (Army) dec. Thomas Williams (AU), 3-2 133: Kevin Tao (AU) dec. Jordan Thome (Army), 7-4 141: Matt Mariacher (AU) dec. Casey Thome (Army), 1-0 149: Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU) dec. Daniel Young (Army), 9-3 157: #2 Steve Fittery (AU) dec. Rudy Chelednick (Army), 7-1 165: Patrick Graham (AU) dec. Jake Vetter (Army), 4-0 174: Collin Whittmeyer (Army) dec. Phillip Barreiro (AU), 10-4 184: Thomas Barreiro (AU) dec. Will Brown (Army), 4-3 197: #20 Daniel Mitchell (AU) dec. Ryan Ross (Army), 3-0 HWT: #8 Ryan Flores (AU) tech. fall Christian Botero (Army), 18-1 #20 American 33, Franklin & Marshall 10 125: Corey Borshoff (AU) dec. Matt Murray (F&M), 6-0 133: Jacob Bucha (F&M) dec. Glenn Donatelli (AU), 13-6 141: Matt Mariacher (AU) win by forfeit 149: Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU) tech. fall Andrew Murano (F&M), 18-3 157: #2 Steve Fittery (AU) fall Eric Norgard (F&M), 2:43 165: Patrick Graham (AU) major dec. Anthony Bongarzone (F&M), 17-7 174: Matt Fullowan (F&M) dec. Tanner Shaff (AU), 9-3 184: Thomas Barreiro (AU) dec. Matt Latessa (F&M), 9-5 197: Colin Ely (F&M) major dec. Kenny Clessas (AU), 10-1 HWT: #8 Ryan Flores (AU) fall Daniel Canfield (F&M), 1:04

EDINBORO, Pa. -- The 20th-ranked Purdue wrestling team opened its season with a 1-0-1 start at the Edinboro Comfort Suites Duals on Saturday, topping Hofstra University, 28-6, and tying Edinboro, 16-16. Seniors Colton Salazar, Logan Brown and Roger Vukobratovich and junior A.J. Kissel all went undefeated on the day, led by Vukobratovich’s nine team points and first pin of the season. The Boilermakers got off to a roaring start against Hofstra, taking upset wins in three of the first four matches over ranked Pride opponents. Freshman Camden Eppert got things started with a narrow 4-3 win over No. 16 125-pounder Steve Bonanno as Eppert scored a takedown in the second period and a reversal in the third to earn his first collegiate victory. Boilermaker junior Jake Fleckenstein followed up with an impressive 2-1 win over No. 6 Lou Ruggirello at 133 pounds, scoring the bout’s only takedown towards the end of the third period and riding the Hofstra senior to the buzzer. Hofstra got on the board at 141 as junior Vince Varela topped Purdue senior Akif Eren, 5-2, but senior Sam Patacsil got things back in motion for Purdue at 149 pounds with a 9-3 win over No. 18 Justin Accordino. Patacsil started quickly, scoring a takedown and three back points in the first and an escape in the second to build a 6-0 lead, and rode it in for the victory. No. 16 Salazar continued the trend at 157 for Purdue, taking down freshman Zach Clemente, 11-6, and Hofstra’s No. 10 165-pounder P.J. Gillespie battled back for the Pride with a 6-1 win over Boilermaker freshman Pat Kissel. Despite a couple tight scores, it was all Purdue the rest of the way. No. 12 174-pound senior Luke Manuel outlasted 15th-ranked Ryan Patrovich in a second-sudden victory, 4-2, while seventh-ranked A.J. Kissel edged Ben Clymer at 184 pounds, 2-1. Ninth-ranked Brown put on a takedown clinic at 197 pounds, posting a four-point technical fall win over Matt Loew, 25-10, and Vukobratovich put the exclamation point on the match by pinning Paul Snyder at the 6:06 mark of the heavyweight contest. In the match with the host Fighting Scots, the Boilermakers got themselves in a hole early, and found themselves without the services of Manuel, who was injured in his match against Hofstra, but managed to battle back to a tie. In a complete reverse of their first match, Purdue dropped three of the first four with Eren snagging the only win, a 5-4 victory over Vinny Pisani at 141. Patacsil came within an eyelash of toppling two ranked opponents on the day, suffering a 7-5 sudden victory loss to sixth-ranked Torsten Gillespie at 149 pounds. Salazar picked up his second win of the day at 157, edging Johnny Greisheimer, 4-3, but Patrick Kissel dropped a 9-1 major decision to Matthew Laird at 165, and fellow rookie Kyle Mosier lost in Manuel’s stead at 174 to Chris Hrunka, 10-3. The top of the Purdue order came up clutch to prevent the loss as A.J. Kissel rolled out an 11-0 major decision over Kenneth Massey, Brown notched an 8-3 win over Shawn Fendone and Vukobratovich earned a 12-7 decision over Ernest James. While Vukobratovich’s nine team points were a team high, Brown and A.J. Kissel were right behind with seven apiece, and Salazar notched six. The Old Gold and Black return to action next weekend, heading to Big Ten rival Michigan State for the Spartans’ open tournament on Saturday. Visit PurdueSports.com this week for a full preview of the event. Results #20 Purdue 28 – Hofstra 6 125: Camden Eppert (PU) def. #16 Steve Bonanno (HU), D 4-3 (3-0) 133: Jake Fleckenstein (PU) def. #6 Lou Ruggirello (HU), D 2-1 (6-0) 141: Vince Varela (HU) def. Akif Eren (PU), D 5-2 (6-3) 149: Sam Patacsil (PU) def. #18 Justin Accordino (HU), D 9-3 (9-3) 157: #16 Colton Salazar (PU) def. Zach Clemente (HU), D 11-6 (12-3) 165: #10 P.J. Gillespie (HU) def. Patrick Kissel (PU), D 6-1 (12-6) 174: #12 Luke Manuel (PU) def. #15 Ryan Patrovich (HU),SV2 4-2 (15-6) 184: A.J. Kissel (PU) def. Ben Clymer (HU), D 2-1 (18-6) 197: #9 Logan Brown (PU) def. Matt Loew (HU), TF4 25-10 (6:34) (22-6) 285: Roger Vukobratovich (PU) def. Paul Snyder (HU) Fall 6:06 (28-6) #20 Purdue 16 – Edinboro 16 125: Evan Yenolevich (EU) def. Camden Eppert (PU), D 7-5 (0-3) 133: Eric Morrill (EU) def. Jake Fleckenstein (PU), D 8-4 (0-6) 141: Akif Eren (PU) def. Vinny Pisani (EU), D 5-4 (3-6) 149: #6 Torsten Gillespie (EU) def. Sam Patacsil, SV 7-5 (3-9) 157: #16 Colton Salazar (PU) def. Johnny Greisheimer(EU), D 4-3 (6-9) 165: Matthew Laird (EU) def. Patrick Kissel (PU), MD 9-1 (6-13) 174: Chris Hrunka (EU) def. Kyle Mosier (PU), D 10-3 (6-16) 184: #7 A.J. Kissel (PU) def. Kenneth Massey (EU), MD 11-0 (10-16) 197: #9 Logan Brown (PU) def. Shawn Fendone (EU), D 8-3 (13-16) 285: Roger Vukobratovich (PU) def. Ernest James (EU), D 12-7 (16-16)