InterMat Staff

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- With the season-opening dual meet now less than a month away, the Lehigh wrestling team is hard at work inside the Sheridan Wrestling Room in the Gerald G. Leeman Wrestling Complex. Monday marked the first official day of practice for the Mountain Hawks, and as Lehigh returns to the mats, third-year head coach Pat Santoro likes what he’s seen from his team so far. “The first two days were good days,” said Santoro. “The guys have been getting after it in the room. They’re excited to start competing. After our summer workouts and our preseason workouts, our guys want to go out and compete, which is good; but there’s a lot we need to work on before the first dual. There are definitely some holes to fix before November 5. Santoro then commented on his goals for his team over the next month and leading into the season, “We’re continually working to be more aggressive and score more points. Last year we found ways to win a lot of matches but I want to see us score a lot more points. I’m focused on our performance. Not necessarily wins and losses but scoring points and doing the things that will help us come March.” Lehigh opens preseason with a roster of just 30 men, including 11 true freshmen, but Santoro believes that there will be a lot of tough competition at a number of weight classes. “Everything’s wide open,” Santoro contends. “We have a good idea about some weight classes, but there’s a lot to be figured out, especially in the first five weights. There will be some good battles that could possibly come down to wrestle-offs, both here in the room and on October 28 as well. Santoro continued about the large freshman class, “They look real good. They have a great work ethic and they’ve jumped right in. They’re fighting hard. They’re hungry and they want to learn. Anytime you work with a group of young guys who are hungry, that’s a good thing.” The Mountain Hawks return six of the ten wrestlers who represented Lehigh at last year’s EIWA Championships, including a quartet of NCAA qualifiers in juniors Brandon Hatchett, Joe Kennedy and Zach Rey and sophomore Robert Hamlin, who moves up a weight class to 184 this season. Rey, who won an EIWA title last year and placed third at the NCAA Championships to earn Lehigh’s 128th All-American medal and first since 2006, will have an especially busy month. Rey won the University World Team Trials in late May and will represent the United States at the 120 kg/264.5 lb. weight class at the University World Championships in Turin, Italy October 26-30. “It fits well with his training,” Santoro said. “Any time you can compete against the best in the world it’s a good thing. Zach has great expectations. He wants to one day be a world and Olympic champ, and that’s something we want the guys in our program to strive for. It’s a huge opportunity for him.” Lehigh’s annual wrestle-offs are scheduled for Thursday, October 28 at 7 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The regular season begins Friday, November 5 when the Mountain Hawks host Drexel at 7 p.m.

As the wrestling season's start is fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From early August until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and from Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to the potential stars of future NCAA Championships. The rankings within this article do not necessarily reflect those done by InterMat. Did you a miss a Wrestling 49 feature? Visit Wrestling 49 archives. This list represents the Top 10 seniors in the state of Tennessee along with six honorable mention selections. The wrestlers comprising this Top 10 list have amassed 16 state titles in 26 state final appearances. One wrestler in this list will attempt to become the first-ever five-time Tennessee state champion, one will seek his fourth title, and yet another will seek to make his fifth finals appearance. The wrestlers mentioned in this article range from tiny schools just outside of Knoxville to state powerhouse programs in Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis. Seven different schools are represented in the Top 10 list, climbing to nine when you add the honorable mentions. Wrestlers from DI and DII are split evenly amongst the Top 10. Only one school claims more than one wrestler in the top ten (Baylor with four). Each wrestler in the Top 10 owns at least one state title and all are multi-time finalists. Tennessee wrestling has been improving over the past few years and these wrestlers, and many others around the state, are working to ensure that trend can continue. No matter how you measure success on a state level, (NCAA All-Americans and champions, nationally-ranked high school wrestlers, various All-American performances, teams competing at national level events, participation growth, etc.) Tennessee is improving. While this list doesn't contain any USAW Fargo All-Americans, like last year's senior class with three or some of the classes below them, there are several wrestlers who have tested themselves and found success as part of the Tennessee National Team at the USAW National Duals and in Fargo. This list does contain NHSCA grade-level national champions, Super 32 placewinners, and various other accolades. Many of these wrestlers can be found amongst the various national rankings as recognition for the work they have put in, but it doesn't determine the outcome of a single match they will wrestle. Some of them will move on to college wrestling, be it DI or DII, NAIA, NWCA, etc. and others will end their careers on the mats in Franklin, TN on February 19. One of them will continue their athletic career on the DI football field. Beyond the numbers and statistics, every wrestler on this list has achieved things that many wrestlers strive for through every grueling practice and every punishing tournament. They have won titles, lost important matches, and pushed their bodies to bend and break the will of an opponent who has the exact same goal in mind. They are wrestlers ... and regardless of what other sports they may compete in, it is the wrestling mentality that they will carry with them and be better because of it. 1. Michael Kennedy School: Blackman Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Michael KennedyAnalysis: Leading this year's class of seniors in Tennessee is InterMat's No. 100 overall recruit, Michael Kennedy. Kennedy is a two-time state finalist, bringing home the 215-pound title as a junior and losing a narrow match as sophomore in the 189-pound finals. Kennedy also brought home a sixth-place finish at 189 as a freshman. Kennedy ran his record to 133-9 with his 42-0 junior campaign. While it is always tough for an underclassman that starts off at the upperweights, Kennedy had an extra challenge as his state finals lose as a sophomore was to nationally-ranked Cameron Croy, now wrestling for Harvard. While Kennedy has had an impressive run in the state, it is his performance nationally that has put him at the top of this list. Kennedy has had a good run at the NHSCA grade-level nationals where he finished 1st as a sophomore and fifth as a freshman. Kennedy didn't compete at the NHSCAs following his junior campaign. Kennedy also added a fifth place at the 2009 Super 32. Kennedy has had the interest of several colleges and is expected to make a decision soon. Kennedy wrestles a very fluid style for an upper-weight, showing a variety of attacks from an ankle pick to upper-body throws. This combination is what makes Michael Kennedy is the most sought after senior in Tennessee. 2. T.J. Duncan School: McCallie Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 T.J. DuncanAnalysis: T.J. Duncan may go down as the most decorated wrestler in the history of the state. Duncan has already claimed four state titles, making him the state's seventh four-time champion, and will seek to become the first five-time champion this season. Duncan picked up his first state title as an eighth-grader wrestling at 119 pounds. Duncan then added subsequent titles at 135, 140, and 152 pounds. Duncan is quite possibly the most dominant wrestler in the state in neutral, where few have shown the ability to come even close to holding him off. Duncan uses excellent hand-fighting skills to compliment his natural strength and explosiveness, allowing him to be effective when his opponent leaves him space or closes the gap. Duncan is a quick finisher who wastes little time coming to his feet on all of his shots. These abilities make Duncan a tough draw for any wrestler, as he showed in a 7-4 loss to last year's National Prep champion Jason Luster in the finals of the Southeast Prep School Slam. Duncan also finished with a 4-2 record at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Like the wrestler who sits at No. 1 on this list, Duncan hasn't tested himself on the regional or national freestyle and Greco-Roman circuit. It is Duncan's lack of major national placings that relegate Duncan to No. 2 on this list, even though he may go down as the most decorated in-state wrestler ever. Duncan has made three trips to the Super 32 where he sports an 8-6 record, with his best showing be a 4-2 performance at 152 in 2009. 3. Alex Manley School: Baylor Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Alex ManleyAnalysis: Alex Manley is a four-time state finalist who captured his first state title as a junior at 125 pounds. Manley has amassed a 180-13 record while finishing as runner-up at 103, 112, and 119 pounds. As a junior, in addition to his state title, Manley won the Southeast Prep School Slam and was elected to the All-Tournament Team at The Clash for his 5-0 performance. Manley is known as a very physical wrestler who excels when he can capture an opponent's head. However, unlike many wrestlers who focus on short-arm offense, Manley is adept at creating his own singles and countering with re-shots from this position. This style of wrestling was also a trademark of Alex's older brother, Spencer, who won two Tennessee state titles for McCallie before continuing his wrestling career at the Naval Academy. On the national scene, Manley was 3-2 at 130 in the NHSCA Junior Nationals, where his two loses came to the champion and fifth-place finishers. Manley also finished 2-2 at the 2008 Super 32. Manley has also been a member of the Tennessee National Team, competing at the 2009 Junior National Duals where Manley finished with a 3-3 record in freestyle. 4. Stuart Doster School: Baylor Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Stuart DosterAnalysis: Stuart Doster is a three-time state champion who will look to join a select group of four-time Tennessee state champions this year. Doster his picked up state titles at 119, 125, and 140 pounds each of the past three seasons. During that time Doster has compiled 136 wins against just 16 losses. Doster comes from a family that has grown accustomed to winning state titles at Baylor. They have claimed seven individual state titles dating back to 1971. Similar to the achievements claimed by our No. 3 wrestler Alex Manley, last season Doster won the Southeast Prep School Slam and was 5-0 at The Clash. Doster wrestles a fluid style and is proficient not just on his feet but also on the mat. In addition to being one of the most dominant wrestlers in the state, Doster has stepped outside his comfort zone and wrestled for the Tennessee National Team in the 2008 Cadet Duals and 2009 Junior Duals. Doster will be one of two wrestlers seeking to claim their fourth state titles this season, making him either the eighth or ninth wrestler to accomplish that feat. 5. Jeremy Miller School: Greenback Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Jeremy MillerAnalysis: Coming in at No. 5 on our list of seniors is one of the more interesting stories in the way of Jeremy Miller. Miller holds one state title to go along with three state finals appearances and four medals overall. Miller picked up his first title as an eighth-grader competing at 103 pounds. Never one to cut much weight, Miller moved up to 119 pounds for his freshman campaign where he claimed a third-place finish. The following two seasons Miller has found himself on the losing side of very close decisions in the state finals, at 135 as a sophomore and 145 as a junior. During his sophomore year, Miller spent much of the season competing individually at 130 pounds and bumping up in the lineup to help his team, a very small program, in dual meets. A miscalculation regarding the descent plan in the weight management system forced Miller to compete at 135 pounds during the state tournament as opposed to 130 pounds. Last year Miller dropped a 2-0 decision in the state finals to Brennen Cox, who is No. 7 on this list, after taking a win from Cox earlier in the season. Of all of the great wrestlers on this list, Miller may be the most well-rounded. Like virtually all of the wrestlers mentioned here, Miller can get the job done on his feet, but it is his mat wrestling where Miller often outclasses the competition. Miller is an excellent rider who has been known to turn even the best wrestlers the state has to offer. This blend of ability in all positions should serve Miller well when he moves on to wrestling at the collegiate level. Perhaps even more remarkable is that Jeremy Miller has accomplished all of this coming from Greenback High School, which has a coed enrollment of about 200 students. Miller has compiled a record of 180-12 during his four years of varsity competition. 6. Marvin Lopez School: Cleveland Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 133/141 (UT-Chattanooga) Marvin LopezAnalysis: Marvin Lopez is one of the state's hardest working and most active wrestlers both in his approach to individual matches and activity to get better. Lopez's hard work culminated in his first state championship at 130 pounds as a junior. Prior to his state title, Lopez finished fourth as a freshman and second as a sophomore, both at 119 pounds. Lopez wrestles a very active pace, keeping very heavy hand on his opponent and has been known to look for opportunities to throw. This is a style Lopez has developed while being the most active senior on this list in the summers. Lopez has twice been a member of the Tennessee National Team competing at the Junior & Cadet National Duals where he sports a combined record of 6-4. However, Lopez has shown what makes him arguably the state's best Greco-Roman wrestler at Fargo where he shows a 9-4 record in Greco, coming up just short of All-American status following his freshman and sophomore season. Lopez was honored as the Tennessee Greco-Roman Athlete of the Year by the Tennessee Wrestling Federation in 2009 for his efforts. Lopez sports an overall record of 11-8 in Fargo. Unfortunately, Lopez was unable to compete this past summer due to an injury. Lopez has already eliminated one distraction from his senior season, where he will try to add to his 90-19 record, by giving his verbal commitment to the hometown UT-Chattanooga Mocs Wrestling team. 7. Brennen Cox School: Independence Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Brennen CoxAnalysis: Brennen Cox became the first wrestler from Independence High School to win a wrestling state championship when he defeated Jeremy Miller, 2-0, for the 145-pound crown last year. Cox, a rarity in that all three of his first season came at the same weight, was the state runner-up at 145 as a sophomore and was a state qualifier as a freshman. Cox is a stingy wrestler who controls ties and positions well. When up against top competition it isn't unusual to see Cox attempt to control the pace and look to come out on top in low-scoring match by controlling the flow of the match. Last year Cox split matches with our No. 5- rated senior, Jeremy Miller. To go along with his 125-19 record on the mat, Cox carries a 4.0+ GPA, is a two-time NHSCA Academic All-American, is an active volunteer in several organizations, and is a certified lifeguard. Cox is yet to make a college choice but wherever he lands will surely be better for having him. 8. Ethan Hames School: Bradley Central Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Analysis: Ethan Hames has claimed two state championships and a fourth-place finish while wrestling for state powerhouse Bradley Central High School. Hames picked up his first state title as a freshman at 103 pounds before moving up to 112 pounds as a sophomore and finishing fourth in an extremely deep field. Hames continued his climb up the weight ladder as a junior and also climbed back to the top step of the podium at 119 pounds. 9. David Helton School: Baylor Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215/285 Projected College Weight Class: Football (Duke) David HeltonAnalysis: David Helton is a two-time state finalist who picked up his first state title wrestling at 215 pounds last year. Helton previously claimed second and third place finishes at 189 pounds. Like his teammates listed earlier Helton earned a title at the Southeast Prep School Slam as part of his junior season. Helton is a lanky wrestler who uses his leverage to help control opponents and often scores from the top position. Helton doesn't have a lot of out-of-state accomplishments, primarily due to the fact that he also excels on the football field. Helton did not compete for much of last season with his first real appearance coming at the aforementioned Southeast Prep School Slam. Helton has already made his commitment to play football for Duke University once his prep career comes to a conclusion. The combination of Helton's football commitment and sparse activity last year has caused some in the wrestling community to wonder whether he will choose to add to his 86-23 record this season. Regardless, at this point in the season, Helton has earned his spot as one of the top senior wrestlers in the state. 10. John Mackey School: Baylor Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215/285 Projected College Weight Class: 285 John MackeyAnalysis: John Mackey has wrestled varsity for Baylor for two seasons and has made the state finals both years, while compiling an 83-26 record. In his first season Mackey finished as the state runner-up at 215 pounds as a sophomore and claimed the state heavyweight title as a junior. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Mackey spent the majority of last season wrestling at 215 pounds, where he held his own nationally, going 3-2 at The Clash. Mackey moved up to heavyweight at the end of the season when Helton made his return to the Baylor lineup. Clearly, the move worked out for both wrestlers as both won the Southeast Prep School Slam along with their state titles. Mackey is a strong wrestler who is good at moving his opponents out of position before coming in with an explosive shot for an upper-weight wrestler. However, Mackey is not limited solely to offense on his feet as the three pins he racked up during the state tournament show. Mackey has also been a member of the Tennessee National Team competing in the 2008 Cadet National Duals in freestyle. Mackey is expected to hold down the heavyweight position for Baylor again this year. Honorable Mention: Mick Anthony (Christian Brothers) Tucker Bolton (Bradley Central) Bradley Colbaugh (Bradley Central) Chase Martino (McCallie) Nate Rupiper (Christian Brothers) Mark Simpson (MBA)

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri wrestling volunteer assistant coach Joe Johnston and assistant strength and conditioning coach Nicholas Marable will compete in an international tour during the next two weeks, going up against some of the best grapplers in the world. Marable, a two-time All-American at Mizzou, and Johnston, a two-time All-American at Iowa, leave Tuesday and will wrestle in the Ramzan Kadirov Cup in Grozny, Russia on Oct. 9-10. Johnston will wrestle at the 66 kg/145.5 pound level, while Marable will wrestle at 74 kg/163 pounds. The following week, Johnston will compete once again, this time at the Intercontinental Cup in Khasavyurt, Russia. The International Cup is a major dual meet tournament that will be held from Oct. 15-17. Both Johnston and Marable will provide updates and analysis on their trip throughout the coming days. Stay tuned to mutigers.com for more from them.

Former Northern Iowa wrestler Jordan Holm will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, October 6. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Holm wrestled for the University of Northern Iowa and was one match away from being an All-American in 2003 at 184 pounds. He won both the Greco-Roman and freestyle portions of the Northern Plains Regional in Waterloo, Iowa, in May. Holm currently resides in Minnesota.

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan junior heavyweight Jarod Trice will represent the United States at the 2010 University World Championships later this month in Italy. Trice will be part of the United States' Greco-Roman roster. He will compete in the 120 kg (264.5 pounds) weight class. The Greco-Roman competition is scheduled for Oct. 29-30 in Torino, Italy. "I think it's a great honor for him to represent the United States at the world championships," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "It should be a great experience for him not only from a wrestling standpoint but also to have the opportunity to see another part of the world." Trice finished runner-up at the University World Team Trials in both freestyle and Greco-Roman in May. He swept the freestyle and Greco-Roman titles at the 2010 University Nationals. One of Trice's coaches in Italy will be John Matthews, a member of CMU's inaugural hall of fame class (1984) who was a part of the United States Olympic teams in 1976 and 1980. Trice earned All-America honors after placing eighth at heavyweight at the 2010 NCAA Championships. He won four straight consolation bracket matches to secure All-America honors. Trice won the heavyweight title at Midlands in 2010 and won 20 consecutive matches during the season, tied for the second longest winning streak in school history. He is a two-time national qualifier with a career record of 50-17. CMU opens the 2010-11 season at the Eastern Michigan Open on Saturday, Nov. 6. The Chippewas' first dual meet is slated for Nov. 19 at Cornell.

California Community College updated rankings released. 125 1. Steven Cabanas Cerritos College 2. Alex Perez West Hills College 3. David Sok Delta College 4. Isaac Taz Pilgram Santa Rosa Junior College 5. Chris Padilla Fresno City College 6. Sergio Martinez Fresno City College 7. Janik Santana Chabot College 8 .Jordan Saunders Cuesta College HM Rueben Gonzalez Shasta College HM Jake Harrison Cerritos College HM Abror Adilov Sierra College HM Curtis Hulstine Bakersfield College HM Chris Diaz Cuesta College 133 1. Jason Arreola Santa Ana College 2. Marty Rubalcaba Fresno City College 3. Chad Thornack Cerritos College 4. Pierce Lowry Mt. San Antonio College 5. AJ Jaramillo West Hills College 6. Archie Tovar Fresno City College 7. Jonathon Gay Cuesta College 8. Jon Champine Sacramento City College HM Justin Lee Lassen College HM Kent Tran Cerritos College HM Mario Di Benedetto Sacramento City College 141 1. Kevin Rojas Fresno City College 2. Kyle Chene Santa Ana College 3. Eric Orozco West Hills College 4. Tyler Diamond Sacramento City College 5. Josh Van Hatter Fresno City College 6. Tillman Tran Cerritos College 7. Terry Mathews Shasta College 8. Charlie Saeng Delta College HM Audrie DeCastro Palomar College HM Milton Nkunku Sacramento City College 149 1. Conrad Rangel Fresno City College 2. Alex Rodriguez Sierra College 3. Spencer Hill Fresno City College 4. Hector Ruelas Cuesta College 5. RJ Pilkington Sierra College 6. Jesse Ponce Cerritos College 7. Anthony Harris Sacramento City College 8. Wesley Young Santa Rosa Junior College HM Abel Avila Rio Hondo College HM Anthony Vega Sacramento City College HM Jake Shilling Fresno City HM Steven Ackley Modesto Junior College 157 1. Tyler Johnson Sierra College 2. Eric Lopez Victor Valley College 3. Chris Abeyta Mt. San Antonio College 4. Cody Bollinger Cerritos College 5. Craig Simmons Shasta College 6. Tyler Brown Sacramento City College 7. Spencer Anderson Cuesta College 8. Marques Foro Sierra College HM Josh Lujan West Hills College HM Jose Solis Fresno City College HM Adam Cruz Santa Rosa Junior College HM Carson Garcia Cuesta College 165 1. Tigran Adzhemyan Fresno City College 2. Dustin Rocha West Hills College 3. Eric Sauvageau Cerritos College 4. Vlad Dombrovsky Sierra College 5. Chris Heath Fresno City College 6. Taylor Sare Mt. San Antonio College 7. Ben Martinez Fresno City College 8. Sergio Guerrero Mt. San Antonio College HM Ramon Estrada Cerritos College HM Craig Sherman Chabot College HM Russell Williams Sacramento City College HM Marshall Rodriguez Lassen College HM Gaaret Marinelli Sacramento City College HM Steven Yale Santa Rosa Junior College 174 1. Martin Fabian Fresno City College 2. Jordan Williams Sierra College 3. Jacob Hoxsey Mt. San Antonio College 4. Travis Shaffer Modesto Junior College 5. Taylor Hodel Sacramento City College 6. Thomas Estrada Cerritos College 7. Tyler Edwards Sacramento City College 8. Matt Cox Fresno City College HM Kyle Pivaroff Cerritos College HM Brent Pfitzer West Hills College HM Paul Bracamonte Fresno City College HM Nick Rohrer Sacramento City College HM Jarred Douglas Sierra College HM Alex Zonio Chabot College HM Chase Mirrasau Rio Hondo College 184 1. Sam Temko Skyline College 2. Jesse Hellinger Sacramento City College 3. Tyler Ceremello Fresno City College 4. Fito Juarez Fresno City College 5. Marco Orozco Sacramento City College 6. Santino Delfino Bakersfield College 7. Ryan Collins Cerritos College 8. Nick Gill Sierra College HM Adam Charles Skyline College HM Milo Anderson Chabot College HM Matt Lewiston Palomar College HM Tyler Wood Sierra College HM Charlie Galvez Cuesta College 197 1. Sean Dougherty Cuesta College 2. Mario Delgado Cerritos College 3. Jesse Green Sacramento City College 4. Dan Colbert Cuesta College 5. Lucas Keene Fresno City College 6. Matt Granillo East Los Angeles College 7. Kevin Keisler Sacramento City College 8. Gio Castinon Cerritos College HM Nick Brantley Fresno City College HM Jamal Lewis Cerritos College HM Andre Bulatao Chabot College 285 1. Jose Lopez Cerritos College 2. Brad Carls Bakersfield College 3. Marco Delgado Modesto Junior College 4. Trevor Gwin Palomar College 5. Cheyne Cook Victor Valley College 6. Luis Contreras Fresno City College 7. Mike Perez West Hills College 8. John Parker Fresno City College HM Lance Gordon Shasta College HM Sam Gomez Chabot College HM Ben Davis Sacramento City College HM Anthony Chu Delta College HM Dakota Smith West Hills College Teams 1. Fresno City College 2. Cerritos College 3. Sacramento City College 4. Sierra College 5. West Hills College 6. Cuesta College 7. Mt. San Antonio College 8. Santa Ana College 9. Chabot College 10. Bakersfield College Modesto Junior College 12. Victor Valley College 13. Santa Rosa Junior College 14. Skyline College 15. Delta College Shasta College 17. Palomar College 18. East Los Angeles College Lassen College 20. Rio Hondo College

Hello again Wrestling Fans. We return to the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Join Scott Casber, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT. Our Guests Include: (All times Central) 9:01 Jack Childs- Drexel Head Coach, Special announcement 9:20 Kevin Dresser- Head Coach Virginia Tech 9:40 Brian Keck- USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals 10:01 Josh Zupancic- Asst. Coach Cleveland State Vikings 10:20 Bruce Burnett- Head Coach US Naval Academy 10:40 John Hartupee- Head Coach Norwich 10:50 Maureen Roshar- Wildrose Resort and Casino Wrestling fans- Episode 78 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check your TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! 4.5 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, TDR TV: Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 (Check Local Listings) Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM Western Reserve Ohio Cable Ch. 9 Fridays at 5:30 (Premiers October 15th) Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV TDR on Internet: You can join us 9 to 11 AM Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com TDR TV On Internet: 31 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!

What hath Kyle Dake and Matt McDonough brought upon the world of wrestling? Last season ended with two freshman earning NCAA titles, leaving us to wonder if freshman dominance is a developing trend in the college ranks, or a brief blip. The following list of 10 impact freshmen combines the redshirts and the true young ones; as both are taking their first crack at the NCAA Championships. Logan Stieber (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)1. Logan Stieber (Ohio State, 125) International accomplishments and consistent mention in discussion of an NCAA title make Stieber the most popular choice to make the NCAA finals in 2011. Standing between him and an NCAA title is loose-kneed, heavy-hipped defensive juggernaut, defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough. Oh, the symmetry. Go ahead and circle your wall calendar for January 23, 2011: Stieber. McDonough. Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 2. Chris Perry (Oklahoma State, 184) He beat his (former) coach ... and that coach was Chris Pendleton, two-time NCAA champion. The family legacy seems safe with this Perry. In many ways (physical maturity, coaching, redshirt success) the Oklahoma native seems the surest bet to place as a freshman. His third-place finish this year at the FILA Junior Worlds shows that he's coming into the season with the idea of winning the title, not settling. If his last six months is any indication, I'd place money on him in March. (Note: Perry is a humble kid ... "Coach still hands me some beatings. He's been my favorite coach since I was in sixth grade.") David Taylor (Photo/Kevin Schlosser, BuckeyeWrestling.com)3. David Taylor (Penn State, 157) Is love as powerful a motivator as fear? Taylor is a trendy choice for All-American honors in Philadelphia, but could this youthful Ohioan actually make the NCAA finals as a Nittany cub? While he lacks the physical maturity of a Chris Perry or Jake Deitchler, he's won at every level and because of that success has been talked about on message boards since he was a baby-faced sub-100-pound high school freshman, so expect the young man to be under immense pressure to win every match from now until March 19. Judging from his relationship with Coach Cael, he'll have a trusty resource to tap should he go undefeated for a spell, or stumble on the path to an NCAA title. 4. Chris Villalonga (Cornell, 141) The Jersey Kid's toughest test might be in the wrestling room where he'll compete against fifth-year senior Corey Manson. While others around Manson's weight (and hometown) have won NCAA titles for the Big Red, the Chattanooga-native Manson has become a fan favorite in Ithaca by working hard and wrestling without fear. If Villalonga can beat Manson for the starting spot, look for him to have an explosive season. The weight is competitive nationally, so he'll have to improve with haste, but if he follows the trajectory of his prep career, there could be an All-American plaque in Villalonga's future. First up, though: Manson. 5. Ed "Baby" Ruth (Penn State, 174) Coach Cael again. Ruth's down from 184 pounds, but Cael feels he's ready and improving. If the prep accolades out of Susquehanna Township weren't enough to make him a top recruit, a year under Buxton at Blair and another as a redshirt for Coach Cael should lead to a respectable finish in March. Maybe one of his biggest assets is Casey Cunningham, a coach geared to help upper middleweights dominate on the mat, as well as on their feet. Jake Deitchler (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)6. Jake Deitchler (Minnesota, 157) I'll always bet on the Olympian. Yes, it was in Greco, but making the U.S. Olympic Team as a high school student lets me know that Deitchler has uncommon poise. That's good because he'll have a tough year in his conference, facing up-and-comers David Taylor and Northwestern's Jason Welch. Though Deitchler's eligibility was ultimately reinstated by the NCAA after appeal, I'm pulling for the Minnesota native to win the NCAA title and pull Quint Kessenich aside and tell America what he thinks of the Eligibility Gestapo in Indianapolis. 7. Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State, 141) Like several freshmen on this list, Kindig might be stuck behind a talented upperclassmen, but he's on the list because if we've learned one lesson about Oklahoma State, it's that their bench prepares to win (see: Pat Smith, Jake Rosholt). 8. Jake Swartz (Boise State, 174) Boise State's room is among the best in the country for upper weight talent. Leading a group of tough-looking blue-turfers is Kirk Smith who is a consensus No. 1 at 184 pounds and one of the leading preseason candidates for the Dan Hodge Trophy. According to coach Greg Randall, little Swartz will battle Brock Gutches for the starting spot, but should he emerge unscathed from his own room, expect him to make easy work of the Pac-10 and steal a seed at the NCAAs. Randall and others in Boise are expecting an All-American performance from the former Fargo champion. 9. Derek St. John (Iowa, 157) Like Perry, St. John has a wrestling pedigree. With a room full of middleweight talent, look for St. John to start strong and finish strong. He went 26-4 as a redshirt. The goal is yellow medals. Marshall Peppelman10. Marshall Peppeleman (Cornell, 165) Peppleman is at best a 50/50 shot to make the Big Red lineup, as he's parked behind 2010 round-of-12'er Justin Kerber. Whoever makes the lineup, I'd expect to become an All-American. If Peppleman makes it out, it'll be him, for a team contending for the NCAA team title. That'll always make an impact. Honorable Mention: Eric Grajales (Michigan, 133) Expect Grajales, who went 217-0 in high school, to make an immediate impact for a young Michigan team looking to get back to national prominence. He and 141-pound All-American Kellen Russell should form a solid one-two punch for the Wolverines. Mike McMullen (Northwestern, 285) Athletic, hard-working PA kid who came out as a top recruit. Can Jake Herbert prove to be an effective coach and send this true freshman to the podium? David Thorn (Minnesota, 133) Winning is a family trait. His brother, Mike is a returning All-American for the Gophers, and his father, John, was an All-American for Iowa State. Who else wants to see another come-from-behind-miracle takedown from a Gopher 133-pounder capped off by a Lambeau Leap? I do. John Fausey (Virginia, 174) Coach Steve Garland has been praising his Pennsylvania redshirt, "Natural feel, good redshirt year ... We think he's going to be a big one." Can he become the first freshman All-American from the ACC since ... since ... I have no idea, but a very, very long time. Andrew Alton/Dylan Alton (Penn State, 141) According to Coach Cael, there is nothing stopping one of the Pennsylvania twins from cracking the lineup, "We are looking to field the best team we can. One of the Altons could see the lineup." Will they have an impact? Probably a big one.

AMES, Iowa -- Eric Voelker, a former two-time NCAA 190-pound champion and part of Iowa State’s 1987 NCAA championship team who will be inducted into the ISU Letterwinners Hall of Fame next weekend, has joined the Iowa State wrestling program as an assistant coach. Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson, a teammate of Voelker on that 1987 team, made the announcement Friday while laying out the individual responsibilities of each Cyclone coach on his staff. Jackson announced that current Iowa State assistant coach Yero Washington has been named head assistant wrestling coach. Former ISU national champion Nate Gallick continues to serve Iowa State as a volunteer coach, working with Cyclones in the wrestling room and with the Cyclone Wrestling Club. Former Iowa State head coach Bobby Douglas will continue serving the Cyclone wrestling program as the Cyclone Wrestling Club coach. Former Cyclone four-time All-American Dwight Hinson will continue to assist the program and Molly Donnelly remains director of wrestling operations. “We are excited about Eric Voelker joining our coaching staff,” Jackson said. “I have known Eric since our days at Iowa State. He brings great personal knowledge of wrestling and extensive experience working with young people on and off the mat. Ultimately, he is an Iowa Stater in every way and we are on the same page in terms of building a better man, not just a better wrestler. Ultimately, that is what Iowa State wrestling is all about. Eric has been outside our program and that experience will assist him as an ambassador to alumni and fans on behalf of the Cyclone wrestling program.” Jackson affirmed Washington’s contributions to the Iowa State wrestling program. “Yero Washington has been my right-hand man with exceptional knowledge and experience,” Jackson said. “He has been a great asset to our program from the start and his presence is a major asset to the future of Iowa State wrestling.” Douglas, Gallick, Hinson and Donnelly are committed to the Cyclone wrestling legacy. “Bobby Douglas has been the best of mentors to myself and countless Iowa State wrestlers for nearly 20 years,” Jackson said. “He will help us develop training plans for our senior-level athletes in the Cyclone Wrestling Club. Nate Gallick will continue to work with our athletes in the practice room and have some Cyclone Wrestling Club responsibilities. Dwight will be working on behalf of our program at the grass-roots level. He builds great relationships with young people and we will take advantage of that fact. Molly does so much for our wrestling program behind the scenes and we appreciate her contributions.” Voelker won NCAA titles at 190 pounds in 1987 and 1989. A three-time All-American and Big Eight Conference champion, he finished his Iowa State career with a record of 101-13-1 and is excited about the Cyclone wrestling program. “I told the team (Thursday) that I came to Iowa State and became a champion over time, working early on with guys like (three-time NCAA champion) Nate Carr and (Big Eight champion) Wayne Cole in the wrestling room,” Voelker said. “I am anxious to get started helping our student-athletes to succeed at the next level academically and as a wrestler. We have a great head coach in Kevin Jackson and the rest of our staff is positioned to develop young men in the wrestling program.” Voelker earned his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State in 1989 in speech communication. He has since earned a Master’s of Divinity from Bethel Seminary (2008) and a Master’s in Educational Leadership in 2010 from Iowa State. “Iowa State has given me the education of a lifetime,” Voelker said. “I want to give back to this special place.” Voelker has worked as a prep wrestling coach at his alma mater, Dallas Center-Grimes and as a club coach since graduating from Iowa State. In addition to his upcoming induction to the Iowa State athletics hall of fame, Voelker is a member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Glen Brand/Dan Gable Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School wrestling hall of Fame. Voelker is married to the former Cheryl Cybulski , also a coach and a former Iowa State volleyball player. They have three daughters. Eric Voelker Career Highlights: - Two-time national champion at 190 pounds (1987 & 1989) - Three-time All-American at 190 pounds (1987, 1988, 1989) - Three-time Big Eight champion (1987, 1988, 1989) - One of 16 multiple NCAA champions in ISU wrestling history - His 4-3 win over Minnesota’s Mike Dean in the 1987 190-pound NCAA title bout helped ISU secure the national title - Placed third at the 1988 NCAA Wrestling Championships, winning the Gorrian Award for most falls in the tournament - Defeated Mike Whitehead of Northwestern, 7-2, to win the 1989 190-pound NCAA wrestling title - Finished his senior season at 21-2-1 - Ended career with a 101-13-1 overall mark

I like Cornell University head coach Rob Koll; I really do. However, if he continues to make these recruiting press releases a daily ritual, then I am afraid I am going to have to end our friendship. While it goes without saying that the previous statement was obviously meant in good fun, the one thing that is not joke is the amazing job that Koll and staff have been doing thus far in landing elite talent from the Class of 2011. As the calendar switches to October and next month’s early signing period will be here before we know it, there has been no rest for the weary in Ithaca as seemingly every day a new blue chip recruit is informing us that they have selected the Big Red as their college choice. Less than 24 hours after putting the finishing touches on the press release announcing that No. 65 recruit Joe Rendina has decided on the returning NCAA runners-up, I find myself experiencing a touch of deja vu as again I am back on my laptop to formally break the news that for the second straight evening, an InterMat 100 recruit, No. 93 Duke Pickett of Woodberry Forest High School, has given a verbal commitment to the Ivy League institution of higher learning. Pickett, a 2010 Virginia state champion, becomes the third Top 100 honoree and fifth overall student-athlete to pick (no pun intended) Cornell. He joins Rendina, along with No. 79 Caleb Richardson and twin NYS DII champs Craig and Owen Scott. Pickett, who shook off a disappointing sophomore campaign in 2009 that saw him go a steady 32-13 but settle for fourth-place honors at the state tournament, really rallied last season, accumulating a 41-3 overall record at 140 on his way towards earning his first title in two finals appearances. (In 2008, he was the state runner-up at 112.) In a situation where his school also participated in the National Prep tournament, Pickett added a national runner-up finish, with his finals loss coming by a score of 10-5 to recent University of North Carolina commit Evan Henderson of the Kiski School. By virtue of this impressive bounce back season, the multiple-sport athlete (he currently is playing tailback for Tiger football program), will bring a 108-24 career record into his senior campaign. In addition to his second-place finish at Prep Nationals, the future Big Red wrestler has more than held his own against the best the country has to offer, racking up a laundry list of solid credentials, starting with a fifth-place finish at the prestigious Beast of the East in a weight class that coincidentally was won by future teammate Chris Villalonga. With the intent of fully solidifying his position among the nation’s elite, Pickett took his talents to the inaugural FloNationals, a decision that ultimately paid dividends when he emerged with a fourth-place finish to claim all-American distinction. Demonstrating that he also possesses some skills in the international styles, Pickett added another all-American honor to his resume when he placed seventh at the USAW Junior Nationals in freestyle. Projected on the collegiate level as a 157-pounder, Pickett, like the rest of the Cornell Class of 2015 cohort, will have plenty of quality workout partners ready to culminate his natural ability. Whether it be Craig Eifert, Jesse Shanaman, Marshall Peppelman, or any of the other countless studs in the Friedman Wrestling Center, Pickett will have every opportunity in the world to reach his full potential. Everyone at Lighthouse Wrestling sincerely extend their congratulations to Duke, his family, his coaches, as well as our friends at Cornell on what is surely very exciting breaking news for all parties involved. In addition, we wish Pickett and his Tiger teammates the very best of fortune on a successful upcoming season. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from LighthouseWrestling.com.

There are intriguing matchups that wrestling fans look forward to every college wrestling season. After the 2009 NCAAs, many wrestling fans anticipated seeing the Darrion Caldwell-Brent Metcalf rivalry renewed in 2009-10. But surgery kept Caldwell off the mat last season, which prevented the matchup from happening; Metcalf went on to win the NCAA title. Other times, a highly-anticipated matchup does not take place until the final match of the season ... like in the case of Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. Mack Lewnes (Cornell) last season. Both cruised through the regular season undefeated and met in the NCAA finals, with Borschel coming out on top. So what are the potential intriguing matchups in Division I college wrestling this season? There are many that have wrestling fans excited about the upcoming college wrestling season. I have chosen one potential matchup in each of the 10 weight classes that I would like to see this collegiate wrestling season. 125: Matt McDonough (Iowa) vs. Logan Stieber (Ohio State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: January 23, Iowa City, Iowa (Dual Meet) Matt McDonough (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)It's seems virtually impossible for an Iowa Hawkeye wrestler to come out of nowhere, but McDonough somehow managed to do it last season. Sure, he was a three-time state champion and multiple-time All-American in Fargo coming out of high school. But he lost eight times at 133 pounds as a redshirt and opened last season unranked by InterMat. All he did as a freshman was go 37-1 en route to winning the NCAA title in a weight class that included two past NCAA champions. Stieber, who was ranked as the nation's No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2010 by InterMat, has the ability to contend for an NCAA title immediately as a true freshman. He placed third at the U.S. Open after his junior year of high school and many believe he will be in the mix to make the U.S. Olympic Team in 2012. 133: Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State) vs. Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: January 8-9, Cedar Falls, Iowa (NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals) February 11, Stillwater, Oklahoma (Dual Meet) Hochstrasser, an All-American in 2009, wrestled sparingly last season, going 8-0, but was unable to compete in the postseason. Many speculated this offseason whether Oliver, who finished fourth NCAAs as a freshman, would move up to 141 pounds for his sophomore season. John Smith felt that Oliver might be better suited for 141 pounds, but Oliver managed his weight and ultimately decided to return to 133 pounds. 141: Kellen Russell (Michigan) vs. Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: December 3-4, Las Vegas, Nevada (Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational) The 141-pound weight class was viewed as wide open last season with six to eight wrestlers in the mix to win an NCAA title. When the dust settled in Omaha, it was a true freshman (Kyle Dake) beating a wrestler who began the season third on his own team's depth chart (Montell Marion). With Dake moving up to 149 pounds and Marion not competing this season, the weight class is once again wide open. But All-Americans Russell and Kennedy, who are both coming off redshirt seasons, will help fill the void of losing both NCAA finalists. Kennedy has twice been an All-American at 133 pounds. He wrestled at 141 pounds as a redshirt last season and finished runner-up at the Midlands to Alex Krom of Maryland. Russell has posted a 63-11 record in two seasons, earning All-American honors in 2009, but did not wrestle a single match last season while redshirting. 149: Darrion Caldwell (North Carolina State) vs. Kyle Dake (Cornell) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: December 3-4, Las Vegas, Nevada (Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational) December 29-30, Greensboro, North Carolina (Southern Scuffle) Kyle Dake (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)This is one of two potential matchups between NCAA champions that could happen this college wrestling season. Caldwell, a 2009 NCAA champion, is the best college wrestler in the country regardless of weight class. Sure, he's coming off surgery and hasn't competed since the summer of 2009, but there isn't a college wrestler in the country that is as skilled and athletic as Caldwell. Dake had a sensational true freshman season, going 34-2 and becoming the first true freshman since Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) in 2006 to win an NCAA championship. Dake, who was named InterMat Freshman of the Year in 2010, is strong in every position, especially in the top position, and isn't afraid to mix it up and take risks, which is why a potential matchup with Caldwell has wrestling fans excited. 157: Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State) vs. David Taylor (Penn State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: January 7-8, Hampton, Virginia (Virginia Duals) Jenkins and Taylor were teammates at Penn State last season. The two faced off at the East Stroudsburg Open, with Jenkins edging Taylor, 4-3. Jenkins' bitter divorce from the Penn State wrestling program last season was well documented. He and his then-coach, Cael Sanderson, butted heads and Jenkins, a 2008 NCAA runner-up, transferred to Arizona State for his senior campaign. Taylor was the nation's top recruit in 2009 and has been successful at every level of wrestling. He went 21-2 as a redshirt with his only losses coming to teammates Jenkins and Cyler Sanderson. Expectations are sky-high for Taylor, who has Olympic aspirations. Jenkins, a Junior World champion in 2007, has said this will be his final season of wrestling and that he will not pursue an international wrestling career. So beating Cael's protégé, Taylor, in the NCAA finals would be a redemptive finish to his wrestling career. 165: Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) vs. Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: December 29-30, Evanston, Illinois (Midlands Championships) January 21, Madison, Wisconsin (Dual Meet) Andrew Howe (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)Like 149, this is a potential matchup of NCAA champions. Burroughs was an NCAA champion in 2009 at 157 pounds, but suffered a season-ending knee injury last December that prevented him from defending his title. He was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA and has moved up to 165 pounds for his final season. Howe is on track to become one of collegiate wrestling's all-time greats. He has reached the NCAA finals in each of his first two seasons at Wisconsin, winning the NCAA title last season. He went 37-0 last season to run his career record to 67-5. 174: Mack Lewnes (Cornell) vs. Ed Ruth (Penn State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: December 29-30, Greensboro, North Carolina (Southern Scuffle) On paper, this looks like a mismatch and it very well may be. Top-ranked senior vs. freshman. Lewnes, an NCAA runner-up last season, has been one of the most dominant wrestlers in the country over the past two seasons. He was crushing opponents all last season before falling in the NCAA finals to Jay Borschel of Iowa. Don't sleep on Ruth. He has the potential to be a great one. The shy, unassuming Ruth was 14-3 as a redshirt last season with two of those losses coming to teammate Quentin Wright and the other coming to Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro. 184: Kirk Smith (Boise State) vs. Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: January 8-9, Cedar Falls, Iowa (NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals) February 11, Stillwater, Oklahoma (Dual Meet) Smith, an NCAA runner-up last season, is the highest returning NCAA finisher and is expected to begin the season ranked No. 1. He is the leader of a Boise State team that is expected to be in the hunt for a team trophy in Philadelphia. Perry, the younger brother of two-time NCAA champion Mark Perry, is an immediate impact wrestler who has high goals in the sport. He was 15-1 as a redshirt and won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in Hungary over the summer. 197: Anthony Biondo (Michigan) vs. Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: December 29-30, Greensboro, North Carolina (Southern Scuffle) February 11, Ann Arbor, Michigan (Dual Meet) Sonny Yohn (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)These two met twice last season with Biondo coming out victorious in both matches. However, it was Yohn who found a spot on the podium in Omaha, not Biondo. Both move well and like to create action, which has resulted in some crazy scramble situations in their previous meetings. 285: Dom Bradley (Missouri) vs. Alan Gelogaev (Oklahoma State) Potential Meetings Before Postseason: January 8-9, Cedar Falls, Iowa (NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals) February 4, Stillwater, Oklahoma (Dual Meet) With 2009 NCAA champion Mark Ellis no longer in the picture, it will be Bradley's time to shine for the Tigers. A Junior World champion in 2009, Bradley has battled and beaten some of the nation's top collegiate heavyweights. He finished third at the U.S. World Team Trials this past summer, losing only to 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev. He notched a victory over former Ohio State standout Tommy Rowlands, who placed fifth at the 2007 World Championships. Gelogaev, who grew up in Russia and trained under wrestling legend Buvaisar Saitiev, wrestled his first season of folkstyle wrestling last season at 197 pounds and became an All-American with a seventh-place finish. He has a lot of tools on his feet, but has struggled mightily on the mat.

Just 10 days after getting verbal commitments from a pair of NYS DII Champions in the persons of the Scott twins, Cornell head coach Rob Koll had cause to celebrate again when 2010 Michigan state champion Joe Rendina, the No. 65-ranked recruit in the land according to InterMat, announced live on Wrestlingaddix.com that the Big Red had won the sweepstakes for his services. The EIWA conference powerhouse beat out the hometown favorite Spartans of Michigan State (who in their own right have had an impressive start to the class of 2011 recruiting season), as well as the University of North Carolina, who represented the only other institutions to make the final cut on Rendina's short list of schools. Rendina, who will carry a 164-2 record into his senior campaign at Dundee High School, enjoyed what can only accurately be described as a dream season in 2010, going unblemished in all 64 of his bouts en route to his first state crown. In doing so, he successfully achieved an objective that he ambitiously, but confidently dedicated himself to at the youthful age of five. Perhaps for Rendina, all last season symbolized was the culmination of a feat that he had always known was his destiny. A state bronze medalist as a sophomore (65-1) with his only loss coming in the state semifinals, last season was the proverbial nail in the coffin of two previous seasons that had met him with frustration and discontentment. After all, if not for a season ending injury as a freshman and the aforementioned loss in the state semis in '09 (the gentleman who beat him did go on to eventually win the title), Rendina might have already had the hardware that he had worked the entirety of his life to capture. If patience really is a virtue, than this young gentleman is one virtuous individual. It is this perseverance and ability to bounce back from adversity and disappointment that will ultimately make this dynamic student-athlete a real asset to Koll and staff. Nationally, Rendina arrived on the scene at the 2009 Super 32 Challenge, finishing sixth at a stacked 125-pound weight class consisting of current DI wrestlers Devin Carter (Virginia Tech), Nick Arujau (American), Mitchell Port (Edinboro), T.J. Mitchell (Virginia Tech), and Justis Flamio (US Naval Academy), to name a few. Already registered to compete in 2010, the Ithaca, NY-bound standout will be among the favorites in a deep 130-pound weight class. Projected on the collegiate level at either 133 or 141 pounds, Rendina could find himself in position to crack the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2012 following the graduation of the incumbent starter at 133, 2008 All-American Mike Grey. With future teammates like fellow 2011 recruit Caleb Richardson, Cody Kelly, Joe Stanzione, Ryan Dunphy, Mike Nevinger, Chris Villalonga, and returning NCAA champion Kyle Dake, coupled with the coaching prowess of Jeremy Spates and Matt Azevedo, Rendina certainly will not have to look hard to find a guy capable of pushing him to the next level. As the USA Wrestling motto goes, steel sharpens steel. And today, by virtue of his college selection, one Great Lakes State wrestler finds himself several steps closer to becoming one of the sharpest knives in the cabinet. On behalf of everyone here at LHW, we sincerely congratulate Joe, his family, and the Dundee program on today's exciting news. We wish both the young man and his teammates the very best of luck in 2011 as they look to build off of the momentum created by a state runner-up team finish last season. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from LighthouseWrestling.com.

Hello again Wrestling Fans. We return to the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Join Scott Casber, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT. Our Guests Include: (All times Central) 9:01 Joe Bastardi- the chief hurricane and long-range forecaster at AccuWeather and a national bodybuilding competitor and our Penn State Wrestling Insider 9:20 Rich Bender- USA Wrestling Executive Director, 9:40 Andrew Hipps- IntermatWrestle.com JJ Classic Update 10:01 Eric Guerrero- Assist. Head Coach for Oklahoma State 10:20 Jim Heffernan- Head Coach of Illinois 10:40 Nick Mitchell- Head Coach Grand View College 10:50 Amy Rubel- Wildrose Resort and Casino Wrestling fans- Episode 77 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check your TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! 4.5 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, TDR TV: Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 Sat. 12 Noon Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM Western Reserve Ohio Cable Ch. 9 Fridays at 5:30 (Premiers October 15th) Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV TDR on Internet: You can join us 9 to 11 AM Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com TDR TV On Internet: 31 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan wrestling head coach Joe McFarland announced Tuesday (Sept. 28) the addition of Brian Dolph to the coaching staff. Dolph, an NCAA champion and 11-year collegiate coaching veteran, will serve as the Wolverines' volunteer coach while overseeing the freestyle program at Michigan's USA Wrestling Regional Training Site. "I'm excited to reconnect with Brian," said McFarland. "I coached him earlier in my career when I was down at Indiana, and I've stayed in touch with him over the years. I know he's been wanting to get back into college coaching; so, I think he's excited about coming up here, and we're excited about having him. He's got a great wrestling mind, and he just loves being on the mat. I think he can help us out in a number of different areas, not only with his collegiate background but with his freestyle background as well. We're looking to take our program here to the next level, and I think Brian will play a big role in that endeavor." "I feel like I am a good fit with the rest of the staff here," said Dolph. "We all have similar philosophies, and I think we'll work well as a team. I think my experience as a coach at all levels will be an asset to the program, and with the experience I have, I'll be able to really connect with the kids. I think they will respect that and listen to what I have to offer. I'm looking forward to getting started." Prior to his arrival at Michigan, Dolph worked on the coaching staffs at Pennsylvania (1994-2003) and Cleveland State (2006-07) and served as head coach at Massillon Perry High School (2004-06) and North Canton Hoover High School (2007-10) in Ohio. He was instrumental in developing a competitive middleweight corps at Penn and helped guide nine different Quaker wrestlers to NCAA All-America honors over his tenure. Among his most decorated pupils are Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA finalist Brandon Slay, NCAA champion Brett Matter and two-time All-Americans Rick Springman and Yoshi Nakamura. While at Perry High School, Dolph earned back-to-back Stark County Wrestling Coach of the Year honors (2004, '05) and coached a pair of future NCAA champions in Michigan's Steve Luke (2006-09) and Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter. As a collegiate wrestler at Indiana University (1986, '88-90), Dolph compiled one of the most esteemed careers in Hoosier program history, spending his final two seasons under McFarland's leadership. He became Indiana's first NCAA individual champion in 50 years as a senior in 1990 by capturing the 150-pound NCAA title, earning an 11-5 decision over Northern Iowa's Gary Steffensmeier in the championship bout. A three-time NCAA All-American, Dolph also posted national finishes of third (1989) and eighth (1988) and, at the time of his achievement, was the first Hoosier wrestler in program history to register three consecutive All-America performances. Dolph's 127-9 career record ranks fourth in all-time wins at Indiana, while his 46 wins during the 1989-90 season and .934 career winning percentage remain IU program records. In addition to his success at the NCAA Tournament, Dolph captured two Big Ten titles at 150 pounds (1989, '90), advancing to the finals in each of his final three seasons, and won the prestigious Midlands Championship in 1989. After graduation, Dolph completed a successful 10-year run in the 68kg/149.5-pound and 76kg/167.5-pound freestyle divisions, qualifying for the World and Olympic Trials every year. He was the 167.5-pound runner-up at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials and traveled to Sydney, Australia, as an alternate on the U.S. Olympic Team. Dolph was a six-time national team member and a champion of several international tournaments, including the Alexander Medved International in Russia, where he did not give up a single point. A native of Canton, Ohio, Dolph received his bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Indiana in 1990. He and his wife, Jenelle, have a son, A.J.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- With the Lehigh wrestling team set to officially begin practice in less than two weeks, head coach Pat Santoro announced the Mountain Hawks 2010-11 schedule on Monday. Lehigh will wrestle eight home dual meets and will take on six of the top 15 finishers from last year’s NCAA Championships. The Mountain Hawks finished 17th at last year’s NCAA tournament and should benefit from having the 2011 NCAA tournament in Philadelphia, a mere hour from Lehigh’s campus. “I’ve always told our guys that to get to the top you have to compete against the best,” said Santoro who begins his third season as head coach. “That’s what this schedule does. Right out of the chute we’re facing teams like Pitt, Penn State and Michigan plus Virginia, Missouri and George Mason at the Northeast Duals. We’re facing a number of top-15 teams in the first five weeks of the season.” Santoro continued, “We have some young guys and some guys with experience, but very early on we’ll find out where we are and what we need to be working on to get ready for the postseason. The postseason is always going to be the focus for our program and this schedule that we’ve put together should prepare our team well for March. ” The 102nd season of Lehigh wrestling begins with the annual wrestle-offs, scheduled for Thursday, October 28 inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The dual season begins on Friday November 5, when the Drexel Dragons come to town. Lehigh has won 90 percent of its duals (39-4-1) in Pat Santoro’s first two seasons as head coach. The following weekend brings a pair of tough tests against long-time in-state rivals. On Friday November 12, Santoro will square off against his alma mater when the Mountain Hawks face Pittsburgh. Two days later, Lehigh will face Penn State at Rec Hall in the 99th meeting between the longtime rivals. As a prelude to the Lehigh-Lafayette football game on November 20, the Mountain Hawks will face rival Michigan on Friday November 19 in the first of two duals this season slated for Stabler Arena. Lehigh and Michigan will be wrestling a dual meet for the 34th straight season, with the Mountain Hawks having won the last two duals. For the fourth straight year, Lehigh will spend Thanksgiving weekend in the capital region of New York as the Mountain Hawks will take part in the Northeast Duals at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. on November 27. Lehigh will wrestle three duals on the day beginning with NCAA 15th-place finisher Virginia and tenth-place finisher Missouri before wrapping up against George Mason. In March, Bucknell will host the EIWA Championship for the first time. Lehigh will get a preview of Lewisburg when the Mountain Hawks face Bucknell on Friday December 3. The final dual of the fall semester will be Sunday, December 12 when Lehigh hosts Central Michigan at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. After breaking for final exams and the holidays in December, action will pick up once again on December 29 and 30 when Lehigh heads to Evanston, Illinois for the Midland’s Championships, hosted by Northwestern. Last year Lehigh made its first Midlands appearance since 2004 and the Mountain Hawks came away with a school-record six place-winners. Lehigh will usher in 2011 with its fourth straight appearance at the Virginia Duals, January 7-8 at the Hampton Coliseum. The Mountain Hawks have posted back-to-back second place finishes at the Duals, losing to Central Michigan in 2009 and Oklahoma State in 2010. The Mountain Hawks will follow up their Virginia Duals appearance by facing two of their oldest rivals. On January 15, Lehigh travels to Annapolis, Maryland to face Navy and then on Thursday January 20, the Mountain Hawks will welcome four-time defending EIWA Champion and NCAA runner-up Cornell to Stabler Arena. Lehigh and Cornell staged a memorable dual last year in Ithaca, N.Y. with the Mountain Hawks winning the final three weight classes to earn a 15-15 tie. The next weekend will be a busy one for the Brown and White. Lehigh heads to Blacksburg, Virginia to meet the Hokies of Virginia Tech on January 28. Two days later its back home to Leeman-Turner Arena as the Mountain Hawks host EIWA rivals Harvard and Brown. Lehigh’s three February duals will all be against EIWA opponents. The Mountain Hawks will host American on Sunday February 6 at Grace Hall. Following a weekend off, Lehigh will visit upstart Rutgers on Thursday the 17th before wrapping up the dual season against Penn inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall on February 20. Bucknell will host the 107th EIWA Championships at Sojka Pavilion on March 5 and 6, while the NCAA Championships will be in Philadelphia at the newly renamed Wells Fargo Center (formerly Wachovia Center) March 17-19. “We’re excited to have the NCAAs in Philadelphia,” Santoro explained. “It’s great for east coast wrestling. There are a very high percentage of schools that will be within driving distance. Not having to travel as far will certainly be helpful for our team. I know the fans are excited about it and our wrestlers are excited too.” The Mountain Hawks return four NCAA qualifiers including EIWA Champion and All-American Zach Rey for the 2010-11 season.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Takedown Wrestling Media and Western Reserve Cable's Channel 9 have established a relationship that will bring the popular TDR TV amateur wrestling program to over 50,000 homes in the NE Ohio area three times per week. The first broadcast of TDR TV on Channel 9 in NE Ohio will be Friday October 15th at 5:30 PM Fridays, 10 PM Saturday nights and 11 PM Tuesday nights. (Check your local listings for availability on additional channels.) TDR TV is a 30-minute weekly TV show that covers all aspects of amateur wrestling in the U.S. Host Scott Casber updates viewers on the latest developments in high school, college and international wrestling, conducts insightful interviews with the sport�s top wrestlers and coaches, and shares his passion for the �oldest and greatest sport� in a fun, fast-paced show. TDR TV is already available on the Mediacom cable TV system serving six Midwestern states, Time Warner Sports NY, Comcast Cable in Tennessee and can be viewed online at www.TakedownRadio.com and at over thirty other affiliated amateur wrestling web sites. �The NE Ohio area is a hotbed for championship wrestling at both the high school and collegiate levels,� said Channel 9 Managing Producer Jeff Cole. �We are pleased to be adding Takedown Wrestling Media�s news program, TDR TV, for all of our subscribers who appreciate this outstanding and demanding sport.� Casber, founder of Takedown Wrestling Media, said, �This is an important step forward for the athletes, coaches and fans of wrestling across the country. Western Reserve Cable's Channel 9 is a respected name around the country. They understand wrestling fans and the need for promotion of the sport in order to continue its positive growth. This is a special opportunity to partner with Channel 9 in the distribution of TDR TV. We understand the responsibility we have in this undertaking and will do our best to present wrestling in a positive manner.� �Western Reserve Cable's Channel 9 will present our weekly TV program throughout the prime wrestling hotbed in Ohio where collegiate wrestling got its start more than a century ago, and is home to a number of great programs at Kent State, The Ohio State, Cleveland State, Ohio and many others,� said Casber. �In addition, we�ll now be seen in the part of the country that features some of the best prep and high school wrestling programs in the nation.�

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- During meetings held at the U.S. Olympic Assembly this past weekend, USA Wrestling’s Executive Director Rich Bender of Colorado Springs, Colo. was unanimously elected as the chair of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s National Governing Body (NGB) Council. The mission of the NGB Council is to “assist the National Governing Bodies and Paralympic Sports Organizations as they strive to achieve sustained competitive excellence.” Bender was selected for this volunteer leadership position by the chief executives of the National Governing Bodies and Paralympic Sports Organizations affiliated with the U.S. Olympic movement. He will complete the term which was previously held by Skip Gilbert of USA Triathlon, which includes the current four-year Olympic quadrennial that runs through the 2012 London Olympic Games. “USA Wrestling has flourished under Rich’s decade of leadership as Executive Director and the organization is one of the strengths within the NGB family,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “I am excited to have Rich in such an important leadership position and am confident that he will serve the NGBs and the Olympic movement with distinction. We look forward to working with him and the NGB Council as we develop programs and opportunities that benefit U.S. athletes and their Olympic and Paralympic dreams.” The NGB Council is an organizational entity which is included in the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, and is also included in the bylaws of the U.S. Olympic Committee. The combined activity of the organizations included in the NGB Council includes the presentation of over 60,000 sports events each year and represents over 13,000,000 individual NGB members. “It is very exciting to be involved with an organization which is committed to helping NGBs to improve their operations and serve as a voice within the U.S. Olympic Committee,” said Bender. “I am humbled to be chosen by a group which includes many of America’s top sports executives.” Bender believes that the NGB Council will continue to play an increasingly important role in the growth and success of Olympic sports in the United States. “The NGBs have the daily responsibility of managing the Olympic sports in our nation, preparing America’s athletes for success on the international level and ensuring the growth and expansion of Olympic sports programs in the United States. We are the 365-day-a-year operation of the U.S. Olympic movement,” said Bender. In February 2001, Bender was named Executive Director of USA Wrestling and has served in that position since. Bender had served as Acting Executive Director for USA Wrestling prior to being offered the position on a permanent basis. He has been a full-time employee with USA Wrestling for over 22 years. Prior to his current position, Bender served as the Associate Executive Director of Programs, where he oversaw USA Wrestling’s events, National Teams and developmental programs activities. He previously served as USA Wrestling’s National Events Director, managing the organization’s regional, national and international events. Bender supervised major events including the 1995 World Freestyle Championships, age-group World Championships, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, the U.S. Olympic Festival, the World Cup, the Goodwill Games, and numerous World Dual meets. He also directed the combined ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet National Championships, the world’s largest wrestling competition. Bender also served as the Competition Manager for wrestling at the 1996 Olympic Games, working for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG). Bender organized a staff which presented one of the best Olympic wrestling competitions in history. Over 115,000 fans witnessed the wrestling competition in Atlanta. As Executive Director, he has made a commitment to strengthen USA Wrestling’s membership and put the organization on its most solid financial footing in history. The organization has also focused on providing a safer environment for its participants. Bender has also welcomed the sport’s legends back to active involvement with USA Wrestling. USA Wrestling set three all-time membership records in the recently completed 2009-10 season in the categories of athlete members, sanctioned events and registered clubs. USA Wrestling’s combined membership, including athletes, coaches and officials, reached 175,883 last season. USA Wrestling’s budgeted revenue was $6.3 million dollar in fiscal year 2001-2002, Bender’s first full year as Executive Director, in comparison to $9.1 million in revenue for the current 2010-11 fiscal year. Women’s wrestling has flourished during Bender’s tenure. The sport was added to the Olympic program at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. USA Wrestling’s women’s program has seen the addition of a U.S. Olympic Training Center Resident Athlete Program and the hiring of a National Women’s Coach, which led to a second-place finish at the 2003 World Championships. Also during his service as Executive Director, USA Wrestling won its first World Team Title in Greco-Roman wrestling in 2007. Bender served as a U.S. Olympic Committee intern in the fall of 1988, working for USA Wrestling. He was hired as Events Assistant for USA Wrestling in January 1989, and became Manager of National Events in September 1989. He has served on the Board of Directors for the United States Olympic Committee, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Coaches Association. He received a degree in Sports Management and a minor in Business Administration from Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1988. Bender was a three-sport athlete at Boscobel High School, earning two varsity letters each in football, baseball and wrestling. He and his wife Michelle have three daughters, Madeline, Chloe and Gabriella.

Hempstead, NY -- Hofstra University Head Wrestling Coach Tom Shifflet has been given a four-year contract extension to coach the Pride through the 2013-14 season, Director of Athletics Jack Hayes announced Monday. Shifflet, who became the 10th head wrestling coach in University history in May, 2006, has recorded a 47-30-4 record in four seasons with the Pride. In addition, Hofstra has captured three Colonial Athletic Association championships with 13 student-athletes claiming individual conference titles. He has also coached a total of 24 Pride wrestlers to the NCAA Championships including seven or more Pride wrestlers in three of the four years. As a team, Hofstra has placed in the top 15 in two of the championships and Pride wrestlers have earned All-America honors six times during his tenure. Tom ShiffletHis first season as the Hofstra Head Wrestling Coach in 2006-07 was one for the record books. Shifflet directed the Pride to an 18-4-2 dual record, a final record season ranking of ninth, the program’s sixth straight Colonial Athletic Association championship and the school’s seventh consecutive conference title, an upset victory of top-ranked Minnesota in November, a sixth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals and, most importantly, a seventh-place finish at the 2007 NCAA Championships in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Along the way, the Pride developed four All-Americans, seven conference champions including the CAA Wrestler of the Year and the Rookie of the Year. For Shifflet’s efforts, he was named the Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year. In 2007-08 Shifflet directed the program to its 11th consecutive winning season with a 13-8 overall record and a 6-0 conference while leading Hofstra to its seventh straight CAA wrestling championship and eighth consecutive conference title. Along the way the Pride faced 13 Top 25 opponents and posted victories over No. 4 Iowa State, No. 13 Edinboro and No. 22 Old Dominion. Hofstra placed third at the Southern Scuffle, 10th in the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational, first in the CAA Championships with three conference champions and seven national qualifiers, and 15th in the NCAA Championships with two All-Americans and the Gorrarian Award winner. In 2008-09, Shifflet, faced with a rebuilding season, captured the University’s ninth consecutive conference championship with three individual champions, posted a 10-6 dual record and a 5-1 mark in the CAA and sent eight wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis. He was also named CAA Coach of the Year. Last season was a year filled with injuries to starters in three weight classes while a fourth was red-shirted as the Pride struggled through a 6-12-2 season. Nonetheless, three Pride wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2010. Tom Shifflet (Photo/Tony Rotundo, Tech-Fall.com)Shifflet came to Hofstra after four seasons as head wrestling coach at UNC Greensboro. His tenure at UNCG was marked by annual improvements in recruiting, recognition and success. He also created and organized the annual 35-team Southern Scuffle wrestling tournament, which is one of the largest and more competitive Division I regular season tournaments in the country. During his tenure at UNC Greensboro Shifflet recorded a 32-32 dual meet record and had nine wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships. A three-time All-American and a four-time national qualifier as a student-athlete at national powerhouse Edinboro University from 1992 through 1995, Shifflet began his coaching career as an assistant at Georgia State University in1995, helping the Panthers post back-to-back winning seasons, and develop three conference champions and four NCAA qualifiers. In 1997 Shifflet left Georgia State to begin a five-year tenure as an assistant coach at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. During his time with the Big Red, Shifflet coached 24 NCAA qualifiers, three NCAA All-Americans and helped head coach Rob Koll to a pair of Ivy League championships in 1999 and 2001. More importantly, Cornell was also consistently ranked among the nation’s top-15 programs. His final Big Red recruiting class placed fifth at the 2006 NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City.

Event: UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop Venue: Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) Date: September 25, 2010 Winning $4 on last UFC 118's card may have saved the UFC Monster from getting his "pink slip" from InterMat's senior management team. I had the audacity to go against both Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar, two great wrestlers who won as underdogs, after being advised that I may be on the wrong side of each wager. Betting against wrestlers can be hazardous to your wallet. Picking against them on a wrestling site may be hazardous to your employment! But a modest profit and a slap on the hand has apparently saved my job! So, please read on ... In the first UFC ever in the state of Indiana, 11 fights are scheduled, but with no titles on the line. That means that all fights are just three rounds, and with two fights scheduled for FREE on Spike TV, quick finishes on the main card will lead to more viewing of the interesting undercard. Tonight's featured match pits former heavyweight champion Frank Mir against legendary striker Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. Let's get the ball rolling and pick some winners, as we try to stay ahead of the bookmaker's traps and build our bankroll. Frank Mir is a rare heavyweight who not only has solid striking, but few big men have the submission arsenal that he does. Cro Cop is a weather-beaten athlete whose better days are behind him. He has struggled to finish his opponents, and it is unlikely that he will catch Mir napping. It is more likely that Mir will stand and trade punches until the opportunity to grab Cro Cop presents itself. And, once it does, Mir will lock up a painful kimura and a broken arm will end this one. Lay the –225 on Mir. Cro Cop's broken arm wins Frank the submission of the night. Light heavyweight Ryan Bader, former Arizona State All-American wrestler, is unbeaten in his MMA career. Strangely, he has become an over-powering striker who throws fists until he overwhelms you with his ground-n-pound. But that strategy will be disastrous against Rogerio Nogueira, Minotauro's younger brother. While Bader's career is on the rise, Nogueira's is on the downside. I'm not sure it is wise to go to the mat with a Nogueira, but my guess is that's what Bader will do. Proof of his dominance will soon be evident as the ref pulls Darth off the battered Brazilian. Bader –165 is the play here. Shawn "Muscle Shark" Sherk once dominated the lightweight division. But injuries, age, and a change in fighting styles (from dominant wrestler to short-armed boxer) have taken its toll on Sherk's career. His 32-4-1 record is still awesome, but a battle with undefeated, up-and-comer Evan Dunham, a Couture protégé, is not a good match-up for him. A long layoff won't help, and Dunham's huge reach advantage will spell doom. A decisive decision will justify the –240 risk. Once upon a time, Matt Serra was the welterweight champion. And, once upon a time, about four years ago, he fought tonight's opponent, Chris "Lights Out" Lytle in the The Ultimate Fighter 4 show. He won a controversial decision, and Lytle is delighted to get the opportunity to redeem himself in front of his hometown fans. The brash East Coaster Serra will thrive as a distinct underdog. Though known for his relentless attacks and heavy hands, surprisingly Lytle wins most of his fights by submission or decision. And, Matt Serra will not get submitted. His Renzo Gracie black belt was the first to be awarded to an American. I see this as the Fight of the Night with back-and-forth action, and both fighters showing their guts and letting their hearts hang out. Serra wins a decision, if he doesn't knock him out. Take Serra and grab the +120 underdog odds. If the above fight isn't the F-O-N, this one will be. Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard is a beast who has gotten better while training with Greg Jackson. His striking is crisp and his focus is renewed. But Jeremy Stephens has lead in his paws. Stephens is a better wrestler ... though he rarely uses that skill set. He prefers a powerful overhand right to do his speaking. This one should be toe-to-toe bomb throwing. Guillard has been known to gas (see Diaz fight), and that will be his downfall here. A thundering right-left-right combo will end this late in the second round. Another 'dog cashes! Let's try Stephens with a generous +140 price tag. This is KO of the night. Now let's take a quick look at the intriguing undercard ... You can see the following two fights FREE on Spike TV. Heavyweights Matt "Meat" Mitrione and Joey "Mexicutioner" Beltran will try to prove whose got the better blasting power. Don't look for much mat action here. Mitrione will be the one landing the lucky punch. He wins and cashes at –140. C.B. "The Doberman" Dollaway is another former ASU standout who has shown an erratic career inside the Octagon. His task of putting away Canadian journeyman Joe Doerksen won't be easy. Doerksen is a submission artist whose experience makes him very dangerous. Dollaway has a tendency to be overaggressive, and extending arms on a grounded opponent will lead to disaster. Hopefully Dollaway will know that and this will end with another TKO by the Doberman. Lay the –295. Julio Paulino has already beaten Terry Martin and Yundt, two UFC guys. While T.J. Grant looked bad against Johny Hendricks. Grant may be better skilled, but Paulino will have his hand raised when this one is over. Take the +140. I like Waylon Lowe at –120 to outwrestle Steve Lopez and finish him in the second. Thiago Tavares has some of the best jits around and has fought often in the UFC. Laying –300 on him to beat an inexperienced, small venue fighter like Pat Audinwood is a gift. Tavares chokes him out in the first round. In a circus sideshow, heavyweight 5-10" Mark Hunt, who hasn't won a fight in over four years, takes on a 6-7 300-pound giant in Sean McCorkle, who hasn't fought outside of Indianapolis. But guess whose beaten Hunt? Josh Barnett, Gegard Mousasi, Alistar Overeem, Melvin Manhoef, and Fedor Emelianenko. My God. E'nuff said. I'll take my chances on him and lay the –235 juice. First round KO. So let's see what we can do with our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll. Let's lay $225 to win $100 on Frank Mir to finish Mirko with submission of the night. Let's lay $99 to win $60 on Ryan Bader to keep his streak alive. Let's lay $144 to win $60 on Evan Dunham over the "Muscle Shark." Let's lay $70 to win $84 on Matt Serra in the fight of the night against Lytle. Let's lay $70 to win $98 on Jeremy Stephens' haymaker KO of the night. Let's lay $49 to win $35 on Meat Mitrione's fists. Let's lay $120 to win $40 on C.B. Dollaway to dominate. Let's lay $30 to win $42 on Paulino's mild upset over T.J. Grant. Let's lay $60 to win $27 on Hunt's knockout power. Let's lay $43 to win $40 on Lowe's powerful ground-n-pound. Let's lay $90 to win $30 on Thiago Tavares showing off his jits. OK, so in total, we are risking $1000 to win $616. Let's do it! Don't forget to donate part of your profits to your local youth wrestling program where tomorrow's champions are born. Enjoy the fights. I know I will.

MINNEAPOLIS -- A trio of All-Americans will represent the University of Minnesota wrestling team this year as captains, Gophers head coach J Robinson announced this week. Senior Mike Thorn and juniors Zach Sanders and Sonny Yohn have been tabbed to lead the team, which returns seven starters from last season, as the Gophers look to compete for their fourth national championship of this decade. “We have three great leaders on our team this season that represent the aggressive and dominating style and attitude our team wants to bring to the mat this year,” Minnesota head coach J Robinson said. “It’s going to be a fun year with these three leading our team.” Thorn returns to Minnesota as a senior after earning his first All-America honor in 2009-2010. The St. Michael, Minn. native earned a Big Ten championship as a junior at 141 lbs. before finishing seventh at the NCAA championships. Thorn finished off his junior campaign by scoring a comeback pin over Virginia Tech’s Christopher Diaz to push his career record to 72-39 with 23 pins and 15 major decisions. Excelling off the mat as much as on it, the business marketing major also earned Academic All-Big Ten and NWCA All-Academic Team honors in 2009-2010. Sanders, a junior, is a two-time All-American at 125 lbs, having placed fifth at nationals as a sophomore and sixth as a redshirt freshman. The Wabasha, Minn. native recovered from a first round loss at the NCAA tournament last year to record a career-best fifth-place finish, earning a 6-2 win over Purdue’s Cashe Quiroga in his final match. Sanders holds a 68-17 overall record with 12 career pins. Yohn enters his junior year fresh off his first appearance at the NCAA tournament, competing at 197 lbs. The Alamos, Colo. native wrestled to an eighth-place finish at nationals earning All-America honors after earning runner-up honors at the 2010 Big Ten Championships. Yohn holds a 38-28 career record, going 27-13 in his sophomore season. Yohn’s younger brother, Cody, joins the Gophers this year as a freshman. Minnesota opens the 2010-11 season on Nov. 13 at the Bison Open in Fargo, N.D.

Hello again Wrestling Fans. We return to the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Join Scott Casber, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT. Our Guests Include: (All times Central) 9:01 John Smith- Head Coach Oklahoma State 9:20 John Smith- Head Coach Oklahoma State (Continued) 9:40 Rob Hjerling- Head Coach of the Citadel Bulldogs 10:01 Rob Koll- Head Coach Cornell University 10:20 Shawn Charles- Head Coach AZ State 10:40 Tony Wenck- Big Brothers Big Sisters 10:50 Maureen Roshar - Wildrose Resort and Casino Wrestling fans- Episode 76 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check your TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! 4.5 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, TDR TV: Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 Sat. 12 Noon Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM Western Reserve Ohio Cable Ch. 9 Fridays at 5:30 (Premiers October 15th) Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV TDR on Internet: You can join us 9 to 11 AM Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com TDR TV On Internet: 31 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!

As the wrestling season's start is fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From early August until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and from Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to the potential stars of future NCAA Championships. The rankings within this article do not necessarily reflect those done by InterMat. Did you a miss a Wrestling 49 feature? Visit Wrestling 49 archives. This is a list I have compiled of the Top 10 senior recruits in Washington, plus 10 honorable mention honorees. There are many more great wrestlers but we had to limit to 20, so this is it. All of these wrestlers have proven themselves on the mat and all should have great seasons. As in every season, some will have great joy at the end of the season and others will feel the sting of what might have been. We salute all the wrestlers whose past deeds have earned them a position on this list of honor and we also salute the thousands of wrestlers not listed here that will go out and give their all on the mat. Although a few select teams travel outside of the region to seek out national competition, the biggest gauge of Washington's area's talent will be seen once again this year at the Tri-State Classic taking place in Coeur d'Alene the third weekend of December, and the Pac Coast Championship held in Vancouver, Washington the first weekend of January. Below is a look at the Top 10 high school senior recruits from Washington's Class of 2010-11. Chris Castillo (Photo/Dave Jedlicka, jedicheetah.com)1. Chris Castillo School: Zillah Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: The No. 1-ranked senior is Chris Castillo. Castillo is a three-time state champion who is looking to join the elite fraternity of Washington four-time state champions. Only five wrestlers have won four titles in Washington. Castillo has also proven himself on the national level by going to Schoolboy Duals and dominating along with placing in Fargo as both a Cadet and Junior. 2. Ruben Navejas School: Kentwood Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 112 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Analysis: Navejas won the state 4A 103 title in 2009 after placing fifth in state as a freshman. He followed that up by winning the USAW Junior National freestyle title in Fargo in the 98-pound weight class. In 2010 he was defeated in the state final by Steven Hopkins, who has also placed at Nationals. They split four matches between them last year. Navejas went back to Fargo in 2010 and took second in the Junior 105 weight class. 3. Scotty Bacon School: Republic Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Bacon is a two-time state champ in the B Division, the smallest division in the state. However, Bacon has proven himself by winning the Tri-State tournament in Idaho as both a sophomore and a junior. He was voted the Outstanding Wrestler at Tri-State in 2010. He went back to the NHSCA Junior Nationals in Virginia in March of 2010 and took third place. Note: I have been informed that Bacon has moved to California for his senior year. More details to follow. Antonio Brown (Photo/Dave Jedlicka, jedicheetah.com)4. Antonio Brown School: Orting Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Analysis: With a third-place finish as a freshman, and runner-up finishes as a sophomore and junior, Brown looks to finally add the title of state champion 1A in 2010-11. He was champion at the prestigious Tri-State tournament in Idaho. 5. Dylan Rutledge School: Auburn Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 184 Analysis: Rutledge was the 4A state champion at 171 in 2010 and placed third as a sophomore in 2009 at 160. He also placed first at the Tri-State tournament and at the Pac-Coast tournament. Josh Lauderdale (Photo/Dave Jedlicka, jedicheetah.com)6. Josh Lauderdale School: Lakeside in Spokane Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 140 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: Tough kid who is just a couple of moves away from going for a third title this year, but instead he will be looking to capture his first state title as a senior. Lauderdale competes in 1A and has taken second, third and second the past three seasons. Each time he was defeated in close matches by a multiple-time state champs. This year looks to be his turn. He also has a 4.0 GPA, which should be of interest to many college coaches. He is the younger brother of a three-timer who is currently wrestling at Oregon State University. 7. Nikko Veltri School: Orting Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Orting competes in 1A, but goes with the big boys in many larger tournaments during the season ... and has great success. The program has a Top 10 senior recruit almost every season and has two this season. Veltri placed third as a sophomore and was the 1A state champion last season at 145. 8. Brian Chamberlain School: Moses Lake Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Analysis: Moses Lake has been producing champions for decades and this season looks to be a big one for Chamberlain. He placed sixth as a freshman, but didn't place as a sophomore. Last season he was the 4A 215 champion and plans on returning to claim a second title. His practice partner is the returning 4A state champion at 285 and steel always sharpens steel. Dylan Hyder (Photo/Dave Jedlicka, jedicheetah.com)9. Dylan Hyder School: Yelm Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Analysis: Hyder flirted with a state title in his first two trips to the Mat Classic, taking second as a freshman and third as a sophomore. Last season he won the 3A title at 119 and looks to see if he can gain a second straight title and a fourth state medal. 10. Josh Musick School: Enumclaw Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Analysis: Another tough brother from a family of wrestlers who has his sights set on winning his first state title. He competes in 3A and took third and second in state over the past two seasons. He comes from a school with a long tradition of winning. Honorable Mention: Bryce Evans (Rogers) Hunter File (Enumclaw) Chris Mayolo (LaCenter) Billy Rhoads (Deer Park) Amando Deleon (Othello) Easton Hargrave (Tumwater) Caleb Thornhill (Yelm) Manny Ybarra (Quincy) Kabe Fluaitt (Moses Lake) Cameron Wade (Archbishop Murphy)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The University of Illinois announced its 2010-11 schedule Wednesday, highlighted by a season-opening dual against Missouri for the second-straight year and a Big Ten dual in December for the first time since 1996. The Illini begin the season by squaring off with Missouri on Friday, Nov. 12, at the Jon Davis Wrestling Center in Edwardsville, Ill., and will host Purdue on Sunday, Dec. 19, at 1 p.m. in a Big Ten clash just before the holidays. “As usual, our schedule is very challenging,” Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan said. “We try to make sure that our wrestlers face some of the best teams and individuals nationally throughout the year to best prepare them for the postseason. Between our duals and tournament schedule, we have achieved that.” After facing Missouri on Nov. 12, the Fighting Illini’s next event will be the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 3-4, one of the top early tournaments in collegiate wrestling. Illinois then returns home for final exams before hosting Purdue on Dec. 19. Just before the calendar turns to the new year, the Illini compete in the 48th annual Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill., on Dec. 29 and 30. Illinois then welcomes West Virginia to Huff Hall on Jan. 7 before continuing Big Ten action at Northwestern on Jan. 14 and at Wisconsin on Jan. 16. The Illini return home to wrestle SIU Edwardsville on Jan. 21 and Minnesota on Jan. 23. The Orange and Blue will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face the Wolverines on Jan. 30 before coming back to Huff Hall on Feb. 4 to face Ohio State. On Feb. 11, the Illini square off with Penn State in University Park, Pa., before traveling to Lock Haven for a dual on Feb. 12. Former Illini NCAA champion Matt Lackey currently is an assistant coach at Lock Haven. After returning home from the east coast, the Illini welcome Indiana to Huff Hall for the final dual of the season as well as the third-annual “Great Escape” promotion. The 2011 Big Ten Championships will be held at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill., on March 5-6, 2011, and the 2011 NCAA Championships will be held in the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pa., from March 17-19.

NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion University wrestling will take on six opponents that were ranked in the top 25 last season, as ODU head coach Steve Martin released the 2010-11 schedule Wednesday afternoon. ODU begins the 2010 campaign with its annual Blue/Silver intersquad match on Sunday, October 24 before hitting the road for its first 11 events of the season. "We're excited to release the schedule, just in our dual meets we face seven teams that were in the top 20 last season," Martin said. "We're also excited about our home matches, facing three teams that were ranked in the top 25. The basis of the schedule is to have us at peak performance at the end of the year." The Monarchs will compete in the Hokie Open and Binghamton Open on consecutive weekends to begin the year. The Hokie Open will consist of nationally ranked programs such as Virginia Tech, Iowa State, Virginia and Kent State. ODU won six individuals at last year's event, including returners James Nicholson, Kyle Hutter, John Nicholson and Joe Budi. The Monarchs open match play on Nov. 20 at Northern Iowa and take on eight-time national champion Iowa State Nov. 21. The Panthers had four NCAA qualifiers last season while the Cyclones sent their entire squad for the fourth-straight year, producing two champions and three All-Americans. Old Dominion will stay in the Midwest to compete in the Hoosier Duals on Nov. 27 before returning east, traveling to American on Dec. 19. American had three all-Americans (second most) and finished tied for 14th at last year's NCAA Championships. ODU finishes 2010 at the Southern Scuffle and the Midlands Tournaments. ODU will face South Dakota State, Liberty, Northern Illinois and Indiana at the Hoosier Duals. South Dakota State and NIU each produced one national qualifier last year. Liberty produced six national qualifiers while the Hoosiers had six as well, with four returning after helping IU 14th place tie with American at the NCAA Championships. The Southern Scuffle will feature national title contender and 2009-10 runner-up Cornell, as well as Minnesota, Edinboro, and Kent State. The Midlands features some of the top teams in the country, including 23-time national champion and reigning champion Iowa. New to this year's field will be seven-time national champion Oklahoma, and Nebraska, who finished 12th at the NCAA Championships last season. ODU begins the new year at the Virginia Duals on Jan. 7-8 in Hampton before competing at the CAA Duals a week later. This year's duals will feature several top 20 teams, including Arizona State, Bucknell, Edinboro, Kent State, Penn State and Virginia. The Monarchs begin their home portion of the schedule on Sunday, Jan. 23 when they host George Mason. The match will be Youth Wrestling Night, featuring 3-4 youth matches during halftime. Old Dominion goes back on the road for two-straight matches, traveling to Central Michigan and NC State before ending the season with three-straight home matches. The Chippewas were one of just four teams to send their entire 10-man lineup to the NCAA Championships last year (Iowa, Iowa State and Oklahoma the others). They ranked as high as No. 6 during the year and have won nine-straight Mid-American Conference Championships. ODU begins the home stand on Feb. 10 versus Virginia Tech and follows that with a tri-meet, hosting Binghamton and UNC Greensboro on Feb. 13. The match against the Hokies will be fan appreciation and Spirit Night. The Monarchs will host Virginia on Feb. 20, which will also be senior day. The Hokies sent six wrestlers to last year's championships, producing one All-American, ranking as high as No. 14 during the year, while the Cavaliers had eight qualifiers, and finished 15th overall. Binghamton finished 21st at the NCAA Championships.

Bob Buzzard, 1972 Olympian and two-time All-American for Iowa State, and Dan Gable, 15-time NCAA championship coach for the University of Iowa, will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, September 22. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Buzzard was an Olympian on the 1972 Greco-Roman Olympic team at 149.5 pounds. A two-time All-American for Iowa State in 1964-65, Buzzard was part of the Cyclones’ first NCAA championship team in 1965. Gable, a 15-time NCAA championship coach for the University of Iowa and a 1972 Olympic champion, will discuss his experience at the recent World Championships in Moscow, Russia.