InterMat Staff

Manheim, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Board of Directors meeting concluded at the annual NWCA Convention at the Delray Beach Marriott in Delray Beach, Fla., Aug. 5, 2010. The board recognized outgoing NWCA President, Coach Jim Beichner, for his exemplary leadership of the association. Among the many extraordinary accomplishments under his direction was the development of an innovative Coaches Leadership Academy. Not only was Coach Beichner instrumental in helping to develop the curriculum but he also played a major role in implementing a scholarship program designed to provide all head college coaches with the opportunity to enroll in the Academy at no cost. “This Academy is one of the most significant accomplishments of the NWCA in its 82 year history,” said executive director, Mike Moyer. Coach Brian Smith, the head coach at the University of Missouri, assumed his role as NWCA President with his two-year term beginning at the completion of the board meeting. The Board of Directors voted Rob Koll, head coach at Cornell University, as President-elect. He will serve a two-year term in that role before his term as NWCA President officially begins. The NWCA added high school coaches Wayne Branstetter of California and Craig Hanson of Washington to the Board of Directors as new scholastic representatives for the next two-year cycle. Collectively, these coaches have combined for over 60 years of coaching experience, have both been named state coach of the year and hold multiple other awards. They will work closely with the NWCA’s scholastic directors and John Licata, the NWCA Coaching Development Coordinator. They will be replacing Brian Smith (Moon Valley/Arizona) and Les Combs (Bend/Oregon) who have competed their terms. “Both Coach Smith and Coach Combs have made significant contributions to the NWCA as evidenced that under their leadership, the membership grew from approximately 1,000 to 8,500 scholastic coaches. We are forever grateful for their tireless efforts to grow our organization,” said Mike Moyer. A significant element in the board meeting involved the passing of the Coaching Code of Ethics. The Board expressed its intent to elevate scholastic and collegiate wrestling to the highest of standards among all sports. The Code of Ethics will be an integral educational component of the NWCA’s educational outreach programs. “We are extremely grateful to the primary architects of the code of Ethics, Todd Hibbs (former head coach at Olivet College), Dr. Dan Gould (Professor at Michigan State University), and Ron and Jan Mirikitani (NWCA Board Members),” said NWCA President, Brian Smith. In addition, the board passed the NWCA strategic plan and goals, which highlights the three core competencies of the NWCA: Coaching Development, Student-Wrestler Welfare, and Promotion and Advocacy for Wrestling. The board also adopted a position statement of securing unanimous support of all Division I coaches for a “reformatted” National Dual Meet Championships for the 2012 season. The Board has also pledged its full support in collaborating with the coaches of the non Division I levels to design an alternative National Dual Meet format that is viable. In the absence of this unanimous support, the National Duals will be dissolved at the completion of the 2011 Championships. The goal is to develop a model that places more emphasis on the outcome of each dual meet throughout the season. In doing so, the Board expects to significantly grow the spectator and media base at the institutional level. If successful, this should position wrestling to grow its spectator and media base at the conference and national levels as well. The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: Coaching Development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling.

Head Coach Rob Eiter announced a change to the start time of Penn's dual with EIWA rival Bucknell on Jan. 29, with the first bout now scheduled for 3 p.m. in The Palestra. The Quakers, who return seven previous NCAA Championships qualifiers including former 2010 All-America Scott Giffin and 2008 EIWA champion Rollie Peterkin, open their 2010-11 campaign with the annual Intrasquad Meet on Nov. 6. The tournament season begins on Nov. 14 at the Binghamton Open. Penn's first home dual is Jan. 9 against Bloomsburg.

Mark Perry

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. A year removed from watching as their state brethren put forth one of the finest performances at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, the expectation for New York wrestlers runs high. This is especially true of the talented group of young men who will enter the collegiate ranks next season, as the pressure to build off of and continue the line of success will fall directly on their shoulders in the years to come. However, judging by the credentials that the Class of 2011 will carry into their respective senior seasons, the future looks bright and Empire State enthusiasts need not worry about the ball being fumbled anytime soon. Despite having had the bar set mighty high by the last few senior classes that have come before them, it is our sincere and objective opinion that it will be this core group of upperclassmen, consisting of 37 All-State grapplers that will establish a new standard of excellence for the N-Y. This Top 10, representing seven different sections (I, II, IV, V, VIII, XI, and the CHSAA) within the Empire State, was drawn from a senior class that has accumulated 39 All-American honors to go along with the aforementioned 37 All-State performances, and truly does succeed in identifying the creme de la creme from both of the state's two divisions (seven from Division I, four from Division II). In evaluating their collective accolades, we were astonished at the statistics that were uncovered: 24 NHSCA All-American distinctions and 17 All-State honors. If not convincing enough, it was also revealed this special group of 11 seniors had combined to win eight state titles among two divisions, finish as the state runner-up six times, and account for six appearances in the finals of various national tournaments, with one of our wrestlers emerging with the championship hardware. Competing in the international styles, two of the selected few have been successful in proving themselves to be three-dimensional (folk, free, Greco) in their wrestling abilities by virtue earning All-American honors on either the Cadet or Junior level while competing under the FARGODOME. While there are very few certainties in this sport, one guarantee that can be made is that led by this ambitious and talented class of wrestlers, the upcoming season should prove to be another exciting and fun-filled year for anyone who calls themselves a New York wrestling enthusiast. 1. Nick Gwiazdowski High School: Duanesburg (Division II/Section II) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215 Projected College Weight Class: 197/285 Nick GwiazdowskiAnalysis: The current No. 19 recruit in the country according to InterMat, no Empire State wrestler had a more complete and successful 2010 campaign than did the rising senior from Duanesburg. Commencing with a third-place finish at the prestigious Super 32 Challenge (considered the premier offseason tournament in the nation), it was evident from the get-go that Gwiazdowski was a man on a mission, looking to improve upon a third-place finish in the DII state tournament the prior year. Compiling an overall record of 49-1 (with the lone loss coming at the hands of 2010 two-time NYS state champion/University of Oklahoma true freshman Kyle Colling), Gwiazdowski would cruise to the title that had alluded him his first two years of high school, pinning his first two opponents before outscoring his final two by a margin of 13-4 to claim the 215-pound DII hardware. Not content to rest on his laurels, the product of the Journeymen Wrestling Club would follow his impressive in-state performance by testing himself against the finest talent in the nation by participating in the inaugural FloNationals. This would be a decision that would pay major dividends as Gwiazdowski utilized his full repertoire of skills in defeating California's highly regarded Tank Knowles, 5-3, in the finals to earn his spot atop the podium. In doing so, he secured his third folkstyle All-American distinction to go along with a runner-up finish at the 2009 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals, and a fifth-place finish at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals. Gwiazdowski would lock up the No. 1 spot in the Top 10 in July when he became the only rising senior in NY to be crowned a double All-American in the International styles in Fargo (finishing third in both freestyle and Greco). While still keeping his options open, the self described "solid in all three positions" wrestler did say that at the moment he is considering schools such as Binghamton, Penn State, Lehigh, and Virginia, to name only a few. 2. Grant Greene High School: St. Anthony's (Division I/CHSAA) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Analysis: A household name on the NY wrestling scen since finishing as the DII state runner-up as an eighth-grader, Greene has continued to flourish within the Empire State, making the DI state finals the past two years (winning in 2009 at 112 pounds). Armed with one of the best dumps that we have ever seen in our collective years following the world's oldest and greatest sport, Greene will enter 2011 with the opportunity to lay claim to the title of best wrestler ever to compete in the Catholic League. Should Greene be successful in accomplishing what most NY wrestling aficionados are predicting (a second state title), he would join current University of Pennsylvania freshman/2010 NYS DI champion Andrew Lenzi as the only grapplers in league history to win multiple titles. If this achievement is not enough, it should also be noted that the rising senior from Cold Spring Harbor is on track to surpass the 200 career victories mark, further etching his name into the annals of NY wrestling history. With wins over both the No. 3 and No. 8 (twice) wrestlers in this Top 10 during his run to the title as a sophomore, Greene's selection to the No. 2 spot was justified and indisputable. The scary thing for his foes is that we believe we have not yet seen the best version of this talented student-athlete. In chatting with Greene following his state title loss in 2010, the gentleman was very candid about wanting to compliment his immense physical skills by using the offseason to become a more mentally tough wrestler. Working like a madman with his longtime personal coach, former two-time World freestyle champion Vougar Oroujov, it is more certainty than question that Greene will enjoy a breakout season as senior (which is saying a lot when you consider his already impressive credentials on the mat). In addition to his success in NYS, the St. Anthony's wrestler is no stranger to national success as well. In fact, much like the student-athlete that precedes him on this list, Greene has been consistent in that he has earned an All-American honor in each of his three seasons competing on the scholastic level. As a freshman, he would enjoy his highest national finish thus far, taking home fourth at the NHSCA Nationals. The following March, he would return to Virginia Beach and emerge with a still impressive fifth-place finish. This past season, Greene would put an exclamation mark on his junior campaign by finishing eighth at the aforementioned FloNationals. Before recently giving a verbal commitment to Northwestern University, Greene was also considering Cornell, North Carolina, and Virginia. 3. Bob Dierna High School: Wayne (Division I/Section V) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 133/141 Analysis: One of, if not the most reliable/steady wrestlers in NY State, Dierna will come into his senior season with the opportunity to become a five-time state placewinner. He is one of two wrestlers on this list that will have the ability to accomplish such (joining No. 6 Casey Lanave). As an eighth-grader, the Wayne High School product, despite being slightly undersized, counted on his supreme talent to aid him in finishing fifth in the 2007 DI tournament � 2008 would be a banner year for Dierna as he would go on to win the first of what hopefully will end up being a pair of NYS DI crown, defeating the likes of Damon McQueen (2010 NYS DI champion/NHSCA Senior Nationals bronze medalist) and Sean McCormick (2010 NHSCA Junior Nationals champion) in ascending to the top spot at the 96-pound weight class. Dierna would enter 2009 as the favorite to repeat as a titlist and seemed well on his way to doing just that until he ran into a man on a hot streak, the No. 2 wrestler Greene, who came out possessed, locking up a cradle and getting the fall to dash Dierna's goal of repeating. To his credit, Dierna would show great perseverance, shaking off the loss to finish third at 112 pounds. Last season, competing in what was arguably the deepest weight class in NYS (the only weight class with two selections on this Top 10 list), Dierna would again have to settle for less than a title, finishing fourth with his losses coming to eventual champion Nick Meinsen (freshman at Binghamton) and Lanave. As impressive as the Wayne High School wrestler has been on the NY scene, it was his national credentials, coupled with the opinions of several prominent NY wrestling experts that ultimately landed him in the No. 3 spot on this list. Winning an NHSCA Junior Nationals championship last season to go along with a third -place finish as a sophomore, Dierna has repeatedly proven time and time again that he can hang with the nation's elite. While we were unable to reach him for comment regarding his future plans, we are confident in stating that we believe him to be a top-caliber recruit who will be an asset to whichever respective program he ends up representing at the collegiate level. 4. Nigel McNeil High School: Huntington (Division I/Section XI) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 119 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Nigel McNeil (Photo/TheMatSlap.com)Analysis: If Gwiazdowski had the best 2010 among the talented core of rising seniors, then McNeil no doubt was a close second. A non-state qualifier through his first two years at renowned Suffolk County powerhouse Huntington, McNeil enjoyed the proverbial dream season as a junior, compiling an unblemished 38-0 record en route to the 112-pound DI state crown (including a 13-10 semifinal win over 2009 state champion Brian Realbuto). McNeil's success would carry over to the national stage as well, as he would go on to finish as the NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up (with his loss coming in the closing seconds to fellow NYer, the previously mentioned McCormick). Despite not possessing as collective a list of accolades as other members of this list, McNeil's selection was based as much on his ceiling as it was on his scholastic career thus far. In fact, one trusted individual who is familiar with the world of DI college wrestling assessed McNeil as having perhaps the biggest upside of any wrestler in the Class of 2011. His ability to blend strength and quickness with polished technique makes him the prototypical hot commodity. McNeil is one of only two New York wrestlers to land in the InterMat Top 100 recruits in the country (currently No. 97). Similar to Dierna, McNeil was unavailable for comment. However, with an endless ceiling like his, perhaps one of the reasons he was unable to respond to our inquiry was that he was too busy answering the phone from all of the calls he is seemingly receiving from coaches hungry to land a natural athlete such as himself. 5. Joe Kavanagh High School: Wantagh (Division I/Section VIII) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 174/184 Joe KavanaghAnalysis: Much like his Long Island brother, McNeil, 2010 marked a coming-out party for the talented junior from Nassau County. After qualifying, but not placing at the DI tournament in Albany in 2009, Kavanagh, who I have heard described as a "scores in bunches" type of offensive wrestler, refocused and put forth the type of junior campaign that undoubtedly gets you noticed by DI college recruiters. With a win total hitting 40+ last season, Kavanagh could have been well on his way towards putting together an immaculate/undefeated season if not for Long Island rival/current University of Virginia freshman Billy Coggins, who issued the Warrior student-athlete his only two losses on the season (including a 3-2 decision in the State finals). Eager to put the loss behind him, it had been Kavanagh's intention to compete at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in an attempt to the show the country just how dynamic a grappler he can be when pitted against the nation's elite. However, an injury during trailing derailed that plan, leaving Kavanagh temporarily concerned how his absence might affect his stock on the recruiting market. Fortunately for the young man, hometown school Hofstra University, who have had the pleasure of watching him develop the past three years, had seen enough and offered him a scholarship. Kavanagh, whose dream has always been to compete for the Gold and Blue of the HU Pride, gladly accepted, giving the Hempstead, NY-based school a verbal commitment in early July. Having previously earned All-American honors as a sophomore by placing fourth at NHSCA Nationals, Kavanagh, who along with Greene also trains with the Russian legend Oroujov, will step onto the mat in 2011 as a heavy favorite to win the state title that has thus far escaped his determined grasp. 6. Casey Lanave High School: Chenango Forks (Division I/Section IV) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 133/141 Analysis: Once hailed as the possible second coming of Troy Nickerson, a comparison that has to do as much with the fact that both attended the same high school as it did with Lanave's unmatched early success (state finalist as a seventh-grader), the Chenango Fork's rising senior has yet to land on the top step of the podium, making him perhaps one of the most decorated grapplers in state history not to have won the "big one." This is a label that the four-time All-State wrestler hopes to remove by the end of his scholastic career. With the aforementioned Dierna expected to be in his weight class for a second consecutive season, this will be an objective that is, as the expression goes, easier said than done. However, working in Lanave's favor is the fact that the last time these two blue-chippers met in Albany, it was he and not the 2010 NHSCA Junior Nationals champion emerging with the "w" in the third-place match. Hence, he would seemingly own the mental edge should these two be opposite each other in the 2011 NYS finals. A bronze medalist the past two years at the DI tournament, Lanave also has a fifth-place finish as a freshman to his name. Making these accomplishments jump off the page is the notion that in each instance, Lanave may have been competing in the toughest weight class in the state (96 as a seventh-grader, 119 as a freshman, 125 as a sophomore, 130 as a junior). Cultivated/groomed by 2009 USA Wrestling Developmental Coach of the Year Rich Gumble, as well as the famed staff at the Shamrock Wrestling Club, Lanave would have been much higher on this list if not for the fact that the majority of his national success has occurred in the international styles. A four-time Cadet Nationals placewinner, with his highest finish being fourth place in freestyle in 2008, Lanave has more than proven that the potential is there to hang with and get the best of the nation's cr�me de la cr�me. However, before he can elevated on this list, we felt it was necessary that he first compile an equally valid resume as a folkstyle wrestler. Lanave did not respond to inquiries regarding his plans for 2012 and beyond. 7. Craig Scott & Owen Scott High School: Palmyra-Macedon (Division II/Section V) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 160 (O) & 171 (C) Projected College Weight Class: 174 (O) & 184/197 (C) Analysis: Without fear of sounding clich�, let us say that to separate one Scott brother from the other would be like separating the hydrogen atoms from the oxygen atom in water, the yin from the yang, and for you soap opera watching mothers reading this article, Luke from Laura (a reference to infamous couple on General Hospital). Craig and Owen are a dynamic duo and deserve to be recognized together (like any twin combination), because above all else, they are the ones who have pushed each other to a greater level of greatness. In fact, so influential is this tag team that last season they led their high school to the unofficial DII team title in Albany. They are expected to do it again in 2011. As the closest thing that New York has to the Alton brothers, both enter the upcoming season with an individual state title to defend. For Craig, in addition to making it 2-for-2 in respective year, 2011 will mark his opportunity to go 4-for-4 in NYS tournament placement. As a freshman he finished fourth, with his only loss in the championship bracket suffered at the hands of four-time NYS DII champion Alex Ekstrom (entering his second year at the University of Oklahoma). A year later he would wrestle his way into the spotlight, earning a berth in the state finals, before having to settle for a runner-up finish. Last season, all of the stars aligned properly for this future Ivy Leaguer as he pinned one of his opponents and outscored the other three by a margin of 27-4 to seize the 160-pound DII title. He did this only minutes after walking brother, Owen, win the hardware at 152 pounds. Owen ScottSpeaking of Owen, it might have been easy to get lost in the shadows when you have such an accomplished twin brother. Such was not the case with Owen, who despite not making All-State as a freshman, has enjoyed every bit the same level of success as Craig. Finishing fourth as sophomore in 2009, Owen would blitz the state in his junior campaign, outscoring his four opponents by a tally of 33-4, with a pin in walking to his first state crown. Combined, the terrible twosome accounted for an 83-4 record last season. If it is Craig with a slight edge with regard to NYS credentials, it would be Owen leading the way on the national scene. With both having earned a pair of NHSCA All-American finishes, it is Owen's national runner-up finish as a freshman and third-place finish as a sophomore just barely edging out Craig's sixth-place finish as a sophomore and fifth-place performance last season. While yet to be finalized, both brothers indicated that they are in the process of verbally committing to Coach Rob Koll and his Cornell Big Red. Stay tuned for the official announcement. 8. Steven Rodrigues High School: Fox Lane (Division I/Section I) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 133/141 Steven RodriguesAnalysis: Formerly the No. 74 recruit on the InterMat Top 100 recruits list, Rodrigues being spotted at No. 8 is indicative of the overall strength of the senior class. Despite being ranked towards the bottom, this young man is no joke. In fact, unbeknownst to them, when seeking opinions from several of his fellow Top 10 seniors, almost all of them where in universal agreement that the Fox Lane stud was one of the hardest working, most determined, wrestlers in the Empire State. It is this work ethic that they predicted would yield SRod a state title in his senior campaign. Finishing second and third respectively the past two years in weight classes that included the likes of Greene and Dierna in 2009 (112) and Nick Arujau (three-time NYS DI champion) and Justis Flamio (three-time NYS DI finalist) last season at 125, the self-described "Iowa style" wrestler will hit the mat in 2011 as the odds on favorite to bring home the 130-pound state title. Echoing the sentiments of his colleagues, such a glorious ending to his scholastic career could not happen to a more deserving student-athlete. Taking his talents to the big stage, Rodrigues was a runner-up at the inaugural FloNationals last season. This, when added to the NHSCA Sophomore All-American honor (sixth) he earned the previous year, is a testament to the potential that this young man possesses. Entertaining a wide variety of collegiate options, Rodrigues shared with us that at the moment, he was considering offers from schools in the Big Ten (Iowa, Ohio State, and Indiana), Big 12 (Oklahoma), and ACC (Maryland) conferences. With his "tenacious trying to physically, mentally, emotionally break my opponents every time I step on the mat," mentality, whichever program is fortunate enough to land his services will be getting a diamond in the rough. He's the kind of gentleman who will not only make himself better, but will make his teammates better by virtue of setting a positive example in the wrestling room. 9. Derak Heyman High School: Tioga Central (Division II/Section IV) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 140 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: A two-time DII state finalist/2009 champion, Heyman, who referred to himself as a scrambler, has some unfinished business at 140 pounds and will stay at this weight for the second consecutive season with the hopes of claiming the state title that slipped through his fingers by the narrowest of margins (a 6-5 loss in the finals). With the wrestler that defeated him in the title match having graduated, Heyman, who capped off his junior season with an overall record of 45-2, will be a heavy favorite in 2011 to wrap up his much heralded high school career with yet another DII crown. In addition to his incredibly distinguished performance within the borders of the Empire State, it is perhaps the resume that he has compiled in Virginia Beach that has us the most excited to see what this student-athlete will do at the next level. With All-American honors in each of his first three seasons, Heyman is the only member of this 2011 class with the chance to become a four-time NHSCA Nationals All-American. The journey to accomplish such a feat commenced in 2008 when he finished with the bronze medal as a freshman. One year later, Heyman would put forth his best effort, advancing all the way to the national finals before coming up a little short in the title match. As a junior last season, Heyman continued to show why he is on the radar of all of the DI college coaches in NYS, finishing a respectable fourth. With a third, second, and fourth already to his name, might it be the Tioga HS product's destiny to conclude his career with the only spot that he has thus far not earned? Heyman certainly is prepared to do all that is required to make the answer an emphatic YES! While still officially on the market, when we chatted with him a few weeks ago, Heyman did suggest that he is leaning towards committing to defending Colonial Athletic Association champion Binghamton University. 10. Kyle Wade High School: Islip (Division I/Section XI) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152/160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Analysis: To say that state titles run in the Wade family would be the understatement of the year. Having watched his two older brothers, Chris and Lance, both reach the pinnacle in 2005 and 2007 respectively, little brother has witnessed firsthand what it takes to go all the way. In fact, in what might closely resemble a case of d�j� vu, Kyle's path to NYS glory bares a striking resemblance to that of his middle brother. Like Lance, Kyle was successful in earning his spot in the DI finals as a junior, only to drop the title match to a fellow blue-chipper (Lance lost to former UVA wrestler Michael Chaires; Kyle was defeated by Brown University freshman Giuseppe Lanzi). The good news is that if history means anything, Wade would be the most confident individual in NYS in 2011. After all, as proven on two occasions, there are three certainties in life -- death, taxes, and a Wade winning the state title as a senior. While still undecided whether he will return to the 152-pound weight class for a second straight year or make the move up to 160, it is likely that regardless of his choice, the Islip High School product will be the preseason No. 1. Despite not being someone who participates in a plethora of national tournaments, as a freshman, Wade did demonstrate an ability to challenge and defeat his national counterparts, finishing as the NHSCA Nationals runner-up in 2008. Projected as a 157-pounder at the next level, Wade admitted to having serious interest in top programs -- hometown favorite Hofstra and perennial EIWA contender Lehigh. He would be an asset to both programs. Honorable Mention: Joe Barbato (Wantagh): Two-time NYS DI All-State (sixth in 2009, second in 2010), 2010 NHSCA Junior National All-American (third) Abdulgawi Mohamed (Lackawanna): 2010 NYS DII champion, 2010 NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Arik Robinson (Peru): Three-time NYS DII champion (2008-2010), 2010 NHSCA Junior Nationals placewinner (fourth) Colton Perry (Windsor): Three-time NYS DII placewinner (third in 2008, third in 2009, fourth in 2010) Chris Perez (Levittown-MacArthur): Two-time NHSCA All-American (2009-sixth, 2010- seventh) Sean McCormick (Johnson City): Three-time NYS DI placewinner (2008-second, 2009-fourth, 2010-fifth), two-time NHSCA All-American (2010-champion, 2008-fourth) Vin Fischetti (Monsignor Farrell): 2010 NYS DI place-winner (fifth), 2010 NHSCA Junior National All-American (eighth) Matt Ross (Rocky Point): 2009 NHSCA Sophomore National All-American (eighth), 2008 NYS DI placewinner (fifth) Pat Hogan (Peru): Two-time NYS DII placewinner (sixth in 2009, fourth in 2010) Lewis Cucchiara (Gates-Chili): 2010 NYS placewinner (third), 2010 NHSCA Junior National All-American (seventh) Andy Lyman (Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk): Two-time NYS DII placewinner (sixth in 2009, third in 2010), 2009 NHSCA Sophomore National All-American (eighth) Louis Puca (Huntington): 2010 NYS DI finalist at 160 Nick Lalone (Cato-Meridian): Two-time NYS DII placewinner (sixth in 2008, second in 2010), 2009 NHSCA Sophomore National All-American (fourth) Chanse Menendez (Hauppauge): Two-time NHSCA All-American (2008-second, 2010-sixth) Michael Almaviva (Shenendehowa): Two-time NHSCA All-American (2008-champion, 2009-fifth)

Matt Winninger with NationalWrestler.com and Marty Dickey of Waterloo will be radio show guests this week. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Former University of Wyoming wrestler Matt Winninger operates NationalWrestler.com which seeks to increase the exposure of amateur wrestling by providing championship videos for fans, coaches and athletes. At Wyoming, Winninger won the Western Athletic Conference championship at 157 pounds in 1999 and was an NCAA tournament qualifier. Marty Dickey won a high school state championship for Waterloo (IA) West High School in 1966 at 120 pounds for legendary coach Bob Siddens. He also wrestled collegiately at Iowa State University. Dickey ran the WaHawk Wrestling Club in Waterloo for over a decade and helped produce many champions from Northeast Iowa.

Two-time state champ Roger Wildmo of Durand (Michigan) had a tough decision to make with three big-time wrestling programs knocking on his door this summer, but in the end Wildmo chose to stay close to home and stay in his comfort zone with coach Tom Minkel and Michigan State University. Roger Wildmo (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)"I chose Michigan State because I have been training there since middle school and I have always wanted to be a Spartan," said Wildmo in a phone interview. "I am really looking forward to working with coach Minkel and wrestling for his team." Wildmo is currently ranked by InterMat as the No. 34 pound-for-pound recruit senior recruit the country, the highest ranked Michigan recruit by InterMat right now. He is arguably the biggest in-state pickup for the Spartans in recent years, and he steps into a program that has had a great deal of success from 133 through 149 the past couple of years. "I look forward to working with Chris (Williams) and Roger (Chandler), I think they will help me get better and continue to learn and improve," said Wildmo regarding the Spartan assistant coaches. "Seeing some of the wrestlers who have had success there with them makes me confident that they will be able to help me." Wildmo, who finished third at the FloNationals last year and eighth at the 2009 Super 32 Challenge, is projected to wrestle at 149 in college. He says the plan is to redshirt his first year, which will allow for NCAA qualifier David Cheza to finish up his senior season next year and Wildmo to slide right in for State in the 2012-13 season. "I plan on redshirting to start, but I like setting my goals high," said Wildmo. "I want to win an NCAA and Big Ten title, but my main goal is to at least be an All-American for Michigan State." Wildmo will join a Spartan team that has been towards the bottom of the Big Ten conference the past few years, but he says that he is confident they have what it takes to become a top-tier Big Ten program in the near future. "I think the program is picking up and I would like to be a part of helping MSU move forward towards the top. It will be cool getting to wrestle with Danny (Osterman) and a couple other guys I have known for a while," said Wildmo. "I have a good work ethic and I like to make my partners better, so I hope that MSU can get more people like me to build a good room and a good team." Wildmo had narrowed his college choices down to three big time programs before deciding to commit with Michigan State. "I had narrowed it down to State, CMU, and Indiana. They were all close in my mind but my relationship with the coaches and the program at Michigan State, as well it being so close to home is what made me choose to go there." Wildmo, the No. 4 recruit in Michigan Grappler's recruiting rankings, was the No. 1 recruit in our Spring recruiting rankings and appears to be built for college wrestling. He is tough on top and has proven to be competitive with nation's best middleweights. This year he will be a huge favorite to win his third state title after dominating everyone in Division 3 at 140 pounds last year, however he also plans on getting some more national competition in as the Grappler Fall Classic (Oct 16 in Tecumseh, MI) and the Super 32 Challenge (Oct. 31 in Greensboro, NC) are also on the docket for him this fall. Wildmo is the fourth member of Michigan's Class of 2011 to commit as Conor Youtsey committed to the US Military Academy a week ago and Devin Pommerenke (CMU) and Cam Jackson (Michigan) committed earlier this summer as well. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from MichiganGrappler.com. http://michigangrappler.com/files/High_School/HS1011/wildmo_michiganstate.html

Jim Heffernan

Event: UFC 118: Penn vs. Edgar 2 Venue: TD Garden Arena (Boston, Massachusetts) Date: August 28, 2010 Let's forget about UFC 117's long list of upsets that halted the UFC Monster's winning streak, and take a look at the long anticipated rematch of B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar, and the laughable matchup of Randy "The Natural" Couture and James "Lights Out" Toney. Wrestler vs. Boxer, a true circus sideshow. Then throw in a "Fight of the Night" matchup with local hero Kenny Florian, trying to be the first to defeat "The Bully," Gray Maynard. And, let's add two world-class submission artists, Demien Maia and Nate Diaz, fighting two sluggers, Miranda and Marcus Davis, and tonight's PPV card is awesome. Plus, there is the bonus of getting two preliminary fights (Lentz vs. Winner, and Lauzon vs. Ruediger) for FREE on Spike TV. With some quick finishes we will most likely see replays of the other three preliminary fights, as well. In the lightweight title fight between champion B.J. Penn, and challenger Frankie Edgar, I was the only one on the planet (outside of the East Coast) who bet on Edgar and cashed as a big 'dog. I knew the only way Frankie could win that fight was to out-point B.J. and earn a decision. He fought brilliantly and did just that! Why not again? … and why is he a +250 'dog? Why? Because B.J. Penn will finish him tonight and make a statement. The judges can sit on their hands because I think B.J. will catch Edgar early with some powerful punches and quickly have him in a world of trouble on the mat. B.J. wins by first round submission, and leaves no doubt as to who will own the 155-pound division. Lay the -300, and I'll see you at the winner's window (again). Bridge jumping in this sport is always dangerous. And, let's not forget that a washed up former boxer, Ray Mercer, needing money desperately, knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion, Tim Silvia, in a matter of seconds. So weird stuff happens. But in my worst nightmare I just can't see Randy "The Natural" Couture, our legendary hero, getting KO'd by a fat, out of shape James Toney in a 15-minute misadventure. Can you? I see Toney having about 10 seconds to try and throw a connecting bomb onto Randy's chin, before the Greco beast drills him with a double leg takedown pinning him to the mat. From there it will be ground and pound to teach all boxers a lesson in MMA, and then Randy will nicely transition to an arm bar submission and leave poor James licking his wound and searching the floor for his pride. I got down at -550. Middleweight Demien Maia has shown us what his jiu-jitsu skills are all about. His body triangle will suck the life out of your very existence. And, I suppose one could argue that his striking skills leave him vulnerable to those who can keep him standing. Marquardt put him out in a matter of seconds. Miranda has accurate striking skills as well. But when these two Brazilians tangle, I think Maia will find his opening, and when you see that happen, and this thing goes to the mat, you will also see me heading towards the winner's window. Laying -215 on Maia looks cheap to me. The UFC Monster has been in some hot water with InterMat writers on my next pick. I like Kenny "KenFlo" Florian at -155 to hand Gray "The Bully" Maynard his first loss. Wrestling worshippers point out that not only is Maynard undefeated (giving Edgar his only loss!), but he has consistently man-handled his opponents and "bullying" them on the ground. He doesn't finish fights, but he wins. That makes him unattractive to UFC powers, who want crowd-pleasing finishers, not judge's decisions. So, herein lies the problem for Maynard. He will take chances, and he will get caught. KenFlo is a better striker, and a better submitter. That leaves Maynard in his best scenario, laying on top of KenFlo, hoping to rack up points. But that will fail when Kenny's razor-sharp elbows open up some nasty cuts on Maynard's forehead, and the blood flow stops this match … told you so. Now let's see what will happen on the undercard. On FREE Spike TV, you can watch wrestler Nik Lentz pull a mild upset at +105 against striker Andre Winner. And you can see Joe Lauzon at -345 show off his long leg wrap submission skills as he beats Gabe Ruediger, who may be a very nice guy, but has no place on this fight card to continue a UFC career. I think Mike Pierce is worth the risk at -260 as his wrestling superiority should be enough to defeat Alves. Dan Miller should get back in the win column at -275 with a submission victory over Salter, who was to have fought Phil "New York Bad Ass" Baroni, who was actually favored to beat Salter! And, I will listen to some wise Asian advice and bet on Soto as a growing +165 underdog to upset Nick Osipczak. Okay, so now let's see what we can do with our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll. Let's lay $210 to win $70 on B.J. Penn to finish Frankie Edgar. Let's lay $300 to win $60 on Randy Couture embarrassing James Toney. Let's lay $107 to win $50 on Demien Maia's world class submission skills. Let's lay $62 to win $40 on KenFlo to give Maynard his first defeat. Let's lay $100 to win $50 on punk brother Nate Diaz subbing Irish Hand Grenade. Let's lay $69 to win $20 on Joe Lauzon's triangle choke. Let's lay $55 to win $20 on Dan Miller's lethal guillotine choke. Let's lay $52 to win $20 on Mike Pierce's superior wrestling skills. Let's lay $20 to win $33 on Soto. And, let's lay $25 to win $27 on Nick Lentz in a mild upset. In all, we are risking an even $1000 to win just $380! Why? Because our sides have clear-cut advantages in fighting styles, experience, motivation, and all the intangibles that go into making champions. Not that our opponents aren't formidable. But, often in MMA you will see large numbers of favorites winning, and there is a reason for that. Tonight I see very little advantage in playing longshot underdogs, who most likely will be laying flat at the end of their matches. At any rate, have fun and enjoy the fights. I know I will. And, PLEASE don't bet with money that you cannot afford to lose! Don't forget to share any winnings with your local youth wrestling program where tomorrow's champions are born!

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: 9:01 Joel Greenlee- Head Coach of the Ohio Bobcats. Ohio Athletics announced that Seth Morton has been named the 2010 Senior Student-Athlete of the Year. Morton (Canal Winchester, Ohio) began his senior season by winning 13 of his first 14 matches and finished the season with an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship by placing second at the 2010 MAC Championships. He finished the dual meet season with a 12-2 record, tying a team high in dual meet victories. He recorded four major decisions, two technical falls and two pins on the season. He was a 2010 All-MAC Honorable Mention, a three-time Academic All-MAC honoree and was a 2010 National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All-American. Additionally, he has compiled a 3.299 cumulative GPA while majoring in Physical Therapy. 9:20 Dr. William Rizk- After competition, why should athletes be concerned with weight and what are the options. 9:40 Steve Costanzo- Head Coach of St. Cloud State- Jayson Ness, a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, will the guest clinician at the 2010 Fall Wrestling Clinic at St. Cloud State University. The clinic is open to all youth wrestlers in grades 1-12, and it will take place in the University's Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse on Saturday, Oct. 30. The clinic will begin with registration at 8 a.m. 10:01 5 Minutes with comedian and friend Greg Warren- Greg is currently on tour and starred on USA Wrestling's Living the Dream Telethon with host J. Bryant. 10:20 Cody Saveraid, Devin Carter- They debuted in July of 2005. Its been over 5 years and the Iowa promotion 3 XW wrestling is a alive and on the grow. These 2 guys are reasons why. Next show date Clobberpalooza Sept 3rd. 10:40 Heath Eslinger- Head Coach of U Tennessee Mocs- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team put four student-athletes on the National Wrestling Coaches Association annual Division I All-Academic Team, tying for the most in the nation. Sophomores Demetrius Johnson, Jason McCroskey and Brandon Wright and freshman Dean Pavlou were all honored for their work in the classroom. 10:50 Amy Williams (Rubel)- Wildrose Resort and Casino 515-883-0042 Wrestling fans- Episode 72 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! 1.78 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Delayed Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, TDR TV: Mediacom Cable 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 5PM (Premiers September 3rd) 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!

VESTAL, N.Y. -- Binghamton University wrestling has filled out its coaching staff with the hiring of Jasen Borshoff, a former NCAA qualifier and Academic All-American from American University. Borshoff joins head coach Pat Popolizio's staff after a stellar collegiate career at American University. He was a four-time EIWA placewinner and 2008 NCAA qualifier before graduating cum laude in 2008. Borshoff was a two-time Academic All-American and received his bachelor's degree in health promotion with a 3.6 grade-point average. He was a six-time Dean's List honoree and helped the Eagles produce the highest wrestling GPA in the nation two times and second-highest another year. "Jasen will have an immediate impact on our wrestling program," Popolizio said. "He is an accomplished wrestler and will bring discipline, character and a strong work ethic to Binghamton University. He will work predominantly with the light weights. I am looking forward to having him this year and the strides our program will make by adding such a creditable person to our staff." After graduation, Borshoff worked as a sales associate with Biometrics, a nutrition and fitness company in Maryland, and also was a health coodinator at Virginia Hospital Center. A Rochester native, Borshoff won 180 scholastic matches and went unbeaten in four years of dual matches. He was a four-time county finalist and sectional champion for Pittsford Sutherland. His father, Tom, was a standout wrestler at Binghamton in the 1970s and was inducted into the University's Hall of Fame in 2001. The Bearcats open their 2010-11 season by hosting the Binghamton Open on November 14.

Related: Inside Trip: Vietnam (Part 1) In a perfect wrestling world, cultures would still achieve oral and written tradition alongside the physical, the passing along of local wrestling techniques, rules and ceremony are excellent examples of cultural identifiers. Sumo is different than Kushti is different than Scholastic and each of the variables reflects priorities and provides information about local values. Yesterday I'd discovered that someone in Lieu Doi was passing these traditions to members of his small village. But who? I was at the pho shop at 10 a.m., I'd need a translator and the only person I knew in Phu Ly (the closest town with accommodations) was Van and her high-pitched Hollywood English. She was sitting in the back of her family's open air restaurant watching the Mark Wahlberg/M. Night Shamalan collaboration, The Happening. I asked her about translating for the day and she said, "No problem, I tell my father and we can go at 1 p.m. ... I'll take you at the coffee shop." Van guided me through the back alleys of the neighborhood where kids were playing beneath red flags emblazoned with the hammer and sickle. Some were kicking the soccer ball, while others were crouched over shooting marbles. Van chose me a seat at the coffee shop, ordered me a ca phe and mango shake. The caf� smelled enough like pork and coffee to remind me of morning, but not enough for me to want to order their bacon. "I come back at 1:15," she said. "Then go to Lieu Doi." She was back in 10 minutes. "I cannot go with you to Lieu Doi because my father said it is not OK." She then reached in her bag and presented me with an egg shell white ceramic wind chime in the image of a pagoda, the sides hand painted with flowers and Vietnamese lettering. She apologized effusively and made a quick exit -- ever so sorry that she'd disappointed me. I did my best to allay her guilt and told her I'd be fine on my own. "No big deal, I'm sure your father is just worried." Was I the evil American in some Vietnamese after-school special about stranger danger, only specifically about bulky white Americans? The news ruined my plans to visit Lieu Doi. I stayed on the computer to catch up on e-mails and enjoyed six more mango shakes and two more cold ca phes. The plan was to catch a bus to Hanoi by 5 p.m. ... and rent a room and sleep before my early morning flight to Ho Chi Minh. Without a translator I'd learn nothing in Lieu Doi. I paid my bill and unplugged the computer. As I did, a 10-year-old girl bedazzled in Hello Kitty gear appeared staring nervously. "For you. stay," she said before disappearing in the David Copperfield manner in which she arrived. Dear Mr. Timothy, Would you please wait me in Bom's Cafe till 1h 30 pm? I and my little sister will come there and we will go to Lieu Doi village, oki? Best wishes, Van Van showed up on time and we hailed a taxi. Her sister, a diminutive 15-year-old with a strong aversion to spoken communication, sat in the backseat as I hopped up front with a cigarette guzzling cabbie with dark sunken eyes. We exchanged names, his was "Mikey" and though I repeated "Timothy" several times, we all settled on "Pimchee." Mikey called his boss as flummoxed as the Dolt about where exactly he might find Lieu Doi. Once we hit the main street, I told Van that I remembered the way. After six or seven turns on dirt paths marked by puddles, hay barrels, and one blue moped, Mikey complimented my sense of direction. I felt the need to clarify, "My father was a Marine, as were both my grandfathers. Soldiers, you know. Bang bang." Van's interpretation was met with a grim silence and the enormity of my idiocy becomes apparent. "No! No! No!" I blurt out "I'm a civilian. Only Vo Vat ... No soldier ... No bang bang." "Ugly American: What to do when if you meet one. Who to call and how to act ... Special Presentation at 4 p.m. Van's sister is still winning the quiet game, while Mikey and I fill the time with playing twenty questions through Van, who is proving to be a good but at times confused translator. She's only just taken off her jacket and decorative surgeons mask; the Vietnamese woman has a vampire-like aversion to the sun, the implication being that a tan is akin to being a farmer, a clearly established social hierarchy was defined by this skin tone differentiation (same was true in Cambodia and Thailand). Many of the women take severe measures to ensure their light skin; rays to the skin are considered more dangerous than softball sizes of hail against your noggin. We arrive and Mikey decides to join our crew of reporters. A look of "This I must see" splattered across his face. Mikey, Pimchee, Van and the Mute: of this scene United Nations Christmas cards make. I try to catch up with Mikey who has stopped to interrogate an old man walking the road with a cane. I peak over a gate and call a few boys lounging in hammocks (napping is a national pastime). The first to emerge was my cheetah-shirt pal from the day before. We exchange greetings and they chuckle awkwardly. Where yesterday the group of boys was engaging, today they were quiet and aloof; less interested in questions about wrestling and more concerned with acting cool in front of Van, an attractive girl. While you'd imagine she was being scoped and thus quiet or passive, the boys were actually squatting down picking at grass only answering her questions over their shoulders. The more she forced them to speak the more I realized that Van was not to be trifled with. As she navigated the mind of the teenage boy, Mikey pulled through and commented that the older gentleman had directed our motley crew to the residence of the Lieu Doi wrestling coach. Truong Nguyen, a slight build, bowl cut and weighing 155 pounds, is the 27-year-old coach, teacher, and local pho shop owner. He invited me into his home and sat poured some voit tea (sweet and similar in taste to green tea), for the guests. He looked at me and smiled. Before we shook hands or Van explained why we had showed up, he reached across the table and pointed at me ears. "Yeah, vo vat." I said as the smiles continued. The room was cinder with a permanent black tarpaulin above our heads. We sat on small red plastic chairs and rested our arms on a low table. Van introduces the group and immediately started translating my questions. The Lieu Doi wrestling festival is Vietnam's only wrestling-specific festival. According to Troung, the festival is a deep-rooted Vietnamese tradition, having been practiced "for centuries." He's been a competitor, claiming to have won several tournaments and placing in many more. There are other festivals, some even in the Nam Dinh province which have more wrestlers, but those have less meaning because they are wrapped into larger festivals. Lieu Doi is their NCAA tournament. Last year's festival welcomed more than 150 grapplers all competing in a single weight class. Presumably there has been little need for expanding the weights because the rules tend not to favor the heavier opponents and many Vietnamese are similar slight builds. The tournament and surrounding festival takes five days to complete, with some time spent on ceremonies on day one, and closing ceremonies on day five. That was the extent I could learn about the festival. There was too much information for Van, just a college student, to be able to translate. Accumulating facts about the festival would be for another trip. For now, I wanted to roll with Troung, who'd mentioned he'd been injured playing soccer earlier in the week. He went to change for some light drilling and technique. I was most interested in the rules and ceremony surrounding each competition. Are the Vietnamese praying to a deity? Are they donning ornate robes? Who do they pay tribute too? Take the example of Sumo. Japan, a country of diminutive people, exalt their national sport which consists of giants many of whom are taught to act in accordance with traditional Japanese values of conformity, modesty and fair play. When you contrast that with Mongolian wrestling culture, or even Vietnam, you begin to get a superficial understanding of the natural and inextricable impact wrestling has had on the development of local culture. Tim Foley arm wrestles MikeyTroung says that he will change into work clothes and we can walk to the stadium. In the meantime Mikey has gotten edgy from the lack of combat and challenges me to arm wrestling competition. This guy is 140 pounds when holding a first-grader, yet, he's already latched onto the table with his left hand, speared the table with his right elbow and presented his hand for our physical tete-a-tete. Van is in hysterics; this she just has to see. She snatches the camera from the table and stands to take photos. We lock hands and I allow Mikey to open up a big lead. He's strong, but in the end I put on a show for the table, we stand to hug and take another drink of tea. Troung and I enter the arena with the Mute, Van and two neighborhood kids we picked up on the walk. Van is cowering beneath an umbrella. She has recruited the smaller of the two boys to hold an umbrella over her head as she snaps photos. The boy, at most 50 pounds, has him arm fully straightened in the air, like Mary Poppins descending from a rooftop. At some point he quivers, maybe his nose was itchy, but the umbrella falls away from Van's face and she gets pelted by some UV. There was something barked sharply in Vietnamese, the point clear to even the English speaker: Let the umbrella fall again, country boy and I'll eat you. Pre-competition danceWe start with the modified electric slide, I am whirling my hands in a tight circle as I kick up my feet in bowing retreat from where they will place their statue. The dance then turns to face Truong and we make a series of sumo-like stomps along with stares and intimidating slapping gestures (you thought that was just Americans?). These aggressive motions signal to my opponent that I am prepared to wrestle and that I intend to give him my full "spirit." We then bow a few times and start to drill. The festival, I've been made to understand, has a much more complicated series of dances and garb. Troung starts by showing an outside single. I showed a basic elbow tap setup to the outside single. He showed a duck under -- I replied with an inside trip. We went back and forth for 20 minutes in front a few dozen locals who'd come to see their coach scrap with the fat American. (I weigh 180 pounds.) Van was taking photos and translating when we'd pause the action to stand flat-footed, arms stretched wide, saying aloud in our native tongues, "What the hell are you doing?" Troung gives Tim Foley a knee to the crotchThe rules for Vietnamese traditional wrestling, as best I could tell, are simple. You accumulate wins by lifting your opponent's feet off the ground, or placing him on both his shoulders. Action is restarted once you hit the ground with anything but your opponent's back exposed. These rules lend to a straight legged wrestling style, bent at the hips head sticking forward to block. All defense and very little risk. Front head locks are tempting, but didn't seem effective and may only open you up for a duck under or fireman's carry (Troang's favorite). The foil is the belt, which is popular in several Asian wrestling styles. Knowing I was unfamiliar and seeing a thick black leather belt around my waist, Troung took time to show me how to best utilize your leverage and lift your opponent's feet into the air. He gave me a knee to the crotch and guess what? My feet left the earth. Still a bit tender I grabbed Truong and gave him an aggressive head fake, he down blocked and I snapped his head, which he circled out of in his recovery. I'm not too sure anything was communicated past that point, but his ankle seemed fine as he tried for a duck under. Like a little kids wrestling practice the light drill had suddenly gone live. Troung came in hot, stepping into a high-duck which I posted out of, sagging my weight and managing my right arm into an under hook, we were now in over under. He feinted a high single to my over-hook side which opened up a well hit inside trip. He transferred his weight back to the post leg and stepped out with little effort. We scrap a few more moments, soaked with sweat and Van offers to video the performance. Truong and I took photos with some of the kids, the rest having scattered at the sight of a camera. Mikey drove us the 150 yards to Truong's restaurant-home, where we shared a hand shake, modified bro-hug and our e-mail addresses. He asked me to come back and I gave him a cordial head nod of appreciation. He insisted and told Van, "He is special guest. Stays in my house and competes in the festival." Tim Foley with Truong and kids post-workoutI was flattered. Not only had he offered for me to enter his tournament also his home. I'd have to come early, he told Van, because only one foreigner had tried before, a judo coach from Russia, and there was lots of paperwork. I thanked him again and said that I'd work on the return trip, hopefully to write about his town's festival in January, next time with a professional translator in tow, not to mention the watchful eye of the hammer and sickle. When you are planning to compete, it's never too early to prepare I'll be busy breaking down the video of our 90-second match to look for weaknesses and find out what happened to that well-executed inside trip. I'm not entering this festival to lose; winning I'm sure is a universal value of wrestling.

Those of you who have followed my writings from local message board icon (kidding, of course) to freelance wrestling journalist know that I have always had a special place in my heart for the New York State Catholic League. It was the place of origin of my now well established affinity for the world's oldest and greatest sport (to borrow from one of my literary heroes, Mike Chapman). Therefore, it is no understatement to say that I take immense pride and satisfaction when learning that one of its student-athletes has "done good." For this reason, last night took on great significance to me when I was informed that the league's brightest star, three-time NYS finalist/2009 NYS DI champion Grant Greene of St. Anthony's High School, had given a verbal commitment to compete for Coach Drew Pariano as a part of the class of 2015 at Northwestern University. Grant GreeneGreene, who will be named to the Top 10 seniors list when the New York installment of the InterMat Wrestling 49 series is released at a future date, becomes the first rising senior from the recruiting class of 2011 to formally announce his intentions to continue his academic and athletic pursuits at the Evanston, IL based institution of higher learning. Emerging onto center as an eighth-grader, it was not long before all Empire State wrestling aficionados knew Greene's name as he would go on to finish as the 2007 DII state runner-up at the 96-pound weight class as a representative of Nassau County and Cold Spring Harbor High School (with a first period pin over the current No. 29 recruit from the class of 2012, Quinton Murphy, highlighting this run to the championship bout). As a freshman, Greene and his family opted to seek out a higher caliber of competition by enrolling in the South Huntington located private school. In addition to putting him in a position to compete for a chance to qualify for the DI state tournament, the family's decision also allowed Greene's vast talents to be cultivated further by an excellent coaching staff consisting of former West Virginia University/nationally-ranked U.S. senior-level freestyle wrestler Antoni Walters, former NYS runner-up Keith Eckert (who competed for St. Anthony's from 1998-2001) as well as a host of other gifted staff personnel (three-time NCAA DI All-American Charlie Heard and the renowned T.J. Hill) who have and continue to serve in an official capacity for the returning Catholic state champion Friars. Greene would make an immediate impact for STA, cruising to the Catholic state finals before losing a hard fought decision to current U.S. Military Academy wrestler Connor Hanafee. With his freshman campaign seemingly over following the loss (only the CHSAA champion is invited to participate in the Federation state tournament), Greene was the benefactor of some good fortune when an injury prevented the aforementioned Hanafee from competing. Given new life, the future NU Wildcat wrestler would rebound from an opening-round loss to win his next two bouts before bowing out one victory short of placement, an impressive feat when you consider that the weight class he was competing in (112) was stacked with the likes of fellow DI wrestlers Nick Arujau (three-time NYS DI Champion; true freshman at American University), Steven Keith (two-time NYS Champion; 2010 NCAA qualifier for Harvard University), and Justis Flamio (three-time NYS DI finalist; freshman at the U.S. Naval Academy). Despite not placing in Rochester, 2008 would end in grand fashion for Greene, as he earned All-American honors in Virginia Beach, finishing fourth at 112 pounds at the NHSCA Freshman Naitonals. There would be no sophomore jinx for Greene as 2009 would be the year that he would finally claim the top spot on the podium at the NYS tournament, outscoring his first two opponents by a margin of 21-4 before punching his ticket to the title match with a 0:24 semifinal pin of returning DI state champion/fellow 2011 blue-chip recruit Bob Dierna (who was a 2010 NHSCA Junior Nationals champion at 130 pounds). The pinnacle would be reached later that evening when Greene built up a sizable early lead and then fought off of his back midway through the championship bout to defeat yet another highly-touted member of the rising senior class, Steven Rodrigues (who finished second at 125 this past year at the inaugural FloNationals), 11-7. Greene would again enjoy success at the national level, repeating as an NHSCA All-American, finishing fifth at 112 (including another win over Rodrigues in the placement round). With a complete determination and ambition to maintain his position atop the NYS latter, Greene would again walk through the Catholic state tournament in 2010, scoring bonus points in all of his bouts en route to a second consecutive CHSAA state crown. In his mind, this was a precursor to the larger mission of repeating as a DI state champion. And, for the first two rounds, it appeared that he was well on his way towards doing just this as he unleashed an offensive juggernaut, combining to score 32 points in advancing to the semifinal round. Unlike the previous season where Greene was able to put to bed his semifinal opponent in the time it takes most people to tie their sneakers, 2010 would require more work as the defending state champ was pushed to the brink by Billy Watterson (freshman at Brown University) before ultimately etching out a 9-7 victory to again earn his spot in the "big dance." Pitted against returning state runner-up Damon McQueen (who competed at 103 in 2009), Greene was successful in hitting a pair of his signature dumps to claim the early lead. However, demonstrating the heart of a champion common to most wrestlers from the Empire State, McQueen (who was the 2010 NHSCA Senior Nationals bronze medalist) would fight back, rallying in the closing seconds of the match to send the bout to sudden victory with the score all knotted up at seven apiece. Greene would come out aggressive in the 1:00 SV period, getting in deep in his Suffolk County opponent. However, with the momentum still very much in his corner, McQueen was able to fight off the shot. This strong display of defense would pay dividends a few seconds later as it would be McQueen getting his first taste of championship glory, earning the deciding takedown at approximately the half way point of the extra frame. To his credit, rather than sulk, Greene proved that he is as much a champion off the mat as he is on it, putting aside his own feelings of disappointment to not only embrace McQueen and his family, but only to support one of his closest friends, Arujau (Greene has long been a star pupil of Arujau's father, two-time World champion Vougar Oroudjov) in his quest for a third title. A third All-American distinction would put an exclamation mark on the 2010 season as Greene again proved his is among the nation's best, finishing seventh (down a weight class at112) at the FloNationals. Projected as either a 125 or 133-pounder at the collegiate level, before deciding upon Northwestern, Greene had narrowed down his college choices to Cornell, Virginia, and North Carolina, to go along with the eventual winner of his services. In expressing the reasons for his selection, Greene cited the strong film program at the U.S. News and World Report's No. 12-ranked national university, as well as the opportunity to work out with two-time NCAA DI All-American Brandon Precin (who will remain in Evanston after graduating) as motivating factors. He also expressed how difficult the decision was and how truly grateful and appreciative he is to all of the coaches and university personnel who actively pursued him. On behalf of everyone at LHW, we sincerely congratulate Grant, his family, and the St. Anthony's program on this exciting announcement. We wish Greene and his teammates the very best of fortune as they look to repeat at team champions in 2011. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from LighthouseWrestling.com.

Cal State Fullerton wrestling has hope for a future. The sport, designated last week for termination at the end of the 2010-11 season, has been given a reprieve to continue fund-raising efforts to keep the program competing. A combination of positive reaction to the “finality” of last week’s announcement and some accounting adjustments renewed hope that approximately $450,000 can be raised by next Spring to fund the program for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. “The university will allow the wrestling program to use existing pledges toward future seasons to cover the shortfall that was created when the program missed its August goal of approximately $196,000 in the bank to fund the 2010-11 season,” said Director of Athletics Brian Quinn. “All new money coming in must first go to covering this year’s shortfall.” Fullerton competes in the hybrid Pac-10 for wrestling against Arizona State, Boise State, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Oregon State and Stanford. The season begins on Nov. 19 with a home meet vs. Stanford.

Boiling Springs, N.C. -- Gardner-Webb wrestling head coach Richard Wince along with the Gardner-Webb athletics department is pleased to announce the addition of Conor Beebe to coaching staff in 2010. Beebe, who graduated in August 2010 with a degree in Business Administration, excelled on the mat during his time at Central Michigan University. While at Central Michigan, Beebe was a four-time NCAA qualifier, while in 2010 he was the MAC Conference Champion and was named to the 2010 First-Team All-Conference. In 2010, Beebe, a two-time Midlands Place winner, received the Coaches Award, as he served as the captain of the wrestling team. Beebe, who has done various charity work through the Red Cross, Special Olympics and Adopt a Family Charity, has spent the last four summers working various wrestling camps at Holland High School, Loyola Academy and Central Michigan University. “We are excited to have Conor join our staff,” stated assistant coach Daniel Elliott. “His knowledge, skill set and experience will help our team tremendously.”

Randy Lewis, 1984 Olympic champion and two-time NCAA champion for the University of Iowa, will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, August 25. “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 5:00 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Lewis will be on the show for a roundtable discussion on the greatest University of Iowa wrestling team in program history. The Hawkeyes have won 23 out of the past 35 NCAA team titles and are arguably the greatest dynasty in sport. Lewis – along with co-hosts Kyle Klingman and Doug Van Gelder – will rank Iowa's top five NCAA championship wrestling teams with their reasons why. Lewis wrestled for the University of Iowa from 1977 through 1981 and was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion. He is currently involved with the program as a club coach. A replay of the show will be made available at www.wrestlingmuseum.org.

When Joe Heskett was hired as the new Army head coach in July many people in the wrestling community saw him as a perfect fit for the job or someone that could make a difference. With less than thirty days on the job it didn’t take long for him to make an early impact when he secured a verbal commitment from one of the nation’s hottest recruits, Conor Youtsey, over the weekend. A senior at Mason High School in Jackson, Michigan; Conor is a two-time state champion, three-time state place winner, freestyle All-American, and is currently the No. 55 recruit in the InterMat Top 100. "I am proud to announce to everyone that I will be attending the United States Military Academy," stated Youtsey over the phone on Sunday night. "I am confident that I made a great decision and I am looking forward to having a great senior year." Conor Youtsey (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)It takes a special recruit to wrestle at a service academy and Conor has had as much success in the classroom as he had on the wrestling mat. A standout wrestler and an outstanding student, he has a three-year record of 157-2 while maintaining an accumulative GPA of 3.74. As a freshman he placed third at 112 pounds before moving up and winning state at 119 and 125 pounds the last two years. "I just got back from West Point and I really loved the military environment. The campus, the facilities, and the atmosphere were amazing. Spending time with coach Heskett, some of the cadets, and getting to meet with some of the colonels and officers was huge. It is a place and an opportunity where I can be challenged academically, athletically, and personally," asserted Youtsey. A member of the National Honor Society and Varsity M Club, he selected Army over Air Force, Cornell, Michigan, and Michigan State. "The academics were one of the most important factors in my decision. Forbes ranked West Point as one of the top schools in the United States for a reason. I know it is not going to be easy, but there is nothing I like more than a challenge. I can thank wrestling for helping to put me in this position so it is up to me to make the most of the opportunity," offered Conor when speaking of the importance of his degree. At the same time the opportunity to wrestle for Black Knights under new head coach Joe Heskett wasn’t lost on future cadet. "I have really gotten close to Coach Heskett and his family. He has a vision for Army Wrestling that I want to be a part of. As a recruit he made me feel right at home, as a wrestler he was one of the best around, and as a coach he knows what it takes. He is sincere, it isn’t a sales pitch, but a belief that he can bring everyone together and put West Point on the college wrestling map. I am excited to be a part of the future of the program and I am excited to have Joe Heskett as a coach," responded Conor. Youtsey is expected to sign his National Letter of Intent in November. From there he hopes to be undefeated and wrestling for his third state title in a row next March and plans on continuing wrestling until it is time to enroll at West Point in the fall. Conor anticipates attending the prep school his first year on campus to prepare to compete for a spot in the starting lineup during the 2012-2013 season. He projects as a 125 pound wrestler throughout his four or five-year college career. Setting the standard As part of InterMat’s ongoing 49 States in 49 Days series, Conor Youtsey was selected as Michigan’s top senior wrestler by the MichiganGrappler.com. "Coming into this spring and summer the top three or four guys in this class were all pretty similar in terms of in-state and national success. However, over this summer Youtsey has created a bit of separation from the pack," stated Tony Greathouse. "Since winning the FloNationals without surrendering an offensive point, he went on to put together a summer filled with big-time wins, including three wins over wrestlers who ended last season ranked Top 10 in the country by InterMat: Bricker Dixon (No. 4 at 112), Jerome Robinson (No. 5 at 119), and Mark Grey (No. 9 at 119). He beat Grey, who is a three-time Fargo national champ, at the FILA Junior Nationals where he also took Pitt freshman and NCAA qualifier Anthony Zanetta to three periods. He was 11-1 at the Junior Duals in Freestyle and was an All-American in Fargo, finishing seventh at 119 pounds." Greathouse was a 2001 Michigan state champion for Mason HS that wrestled five years in college at Michigan State. He has coached Youtsey at practice and in competition snd currently writes for InterMat and the Michigan Grappler. "His physical and stingy style should help him compete right away in college. He holds position and keeps himself in matches, which sets him up for big time wins. A couple other intangibles that make Youtsey attractive to college coaches should be his small stature and his performance in the classroom. He has been the same size for almost three years and still did not appear to be a full 119-pounder this summer in Fargo, so staying at 125 pounds for his collegiate career should not be an issue." "Between the Junior Duals and Fargo, Youtsey beat five wrestlers are 2010 Freestyle All-Americans: Hunter Weber (WI), Dixon (MO), Rob Deutsch (NJ), Eric DeVos (IA), and Thomas Gilman (NE). He has been one of the best wrestlers in Michigan since arriving on the scene as a freshman, losing only twice throughout his prep career. However, his past summer of big wins is what has sealed him as the No. 1 recruit in this class," concluded Greathouse. Premium InterMat subscribers can read the complete article profiling the Top 10 Michigan high school seniors at: http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/7184 Wrestling with Conor Youtsey It is no secret that Michigan high schools have some of the strictest regulations regarding out of state travel and a team’s ability to wrestle schools from other states. Without the ability to attend many of the in-season national tournaments it is hard to gauge how you stack up against the best in the country if you haven’t wrestled them before. "I started wrestling nine years ago and pretty much only wrestled folkstyle until the last couple of years so I didn’t get to see a lot of guys. I think wrestling freestyle has really helped me develop as a wrestler. It has given me the chance to see some great competition outside of Michigan," offered Conor, "but at the same time I think winning an event like FloNationals put me on the map as far as recruiting goes." "As a wrestler you want to challenge yourself and that means wrestling the best. If we only wrestled during the high school season in Michigan you see a good kid every once in awhile, at a national tournament you get to see good and great kids almost every match. It is big in a lot of different ways when you are competing on the national stage," said Youtsey. When asked what drives him on the wrestling Conor admits he likes to challenge himself. "I want to do the best I can in class and in wrestling, I like the challenge to do your best. In wrestling people like to see big wins but I want to get better every day. I think you learn from your wins and losses… from practice and from competition. Adversity and opportunity build character. I have been watching a lot of video of my matches and film of some of the best guys out there to see what I can work on." When asked about some of the people who have contributed to his success Youtsey was quick to credit his coaches and family. "I have had a lot of people help me or get behind me over the years from my coaches, to my teachers, to my practice partners, and most definitely my family. They have always challenged me to be my best and that is the way it is going to be at Army. If it wasn’t for the people around me, I don’t think I would be who I am or in the position I am in and that is one of the reasons I am excited about West Point." "In wrestling I am always looking for a good workout and Roger Massa runs a group up at St John that always has a lot of guys in the room that are always ready to work hard. Tony Greathouse has done a lot with me at practice and has coached me on the national level." "As far as family goes, it is very important to me so I don’t think I can say enough. I come from a big family and we get together every other week. I really have to give credit to my dad, (Darren), for pushing me through the hard times in wrestling and academics; and to my mom, Chantell Marston, who has been great when things go good and when things don’t go as planned." With his college decision made Youtsey has twelve months before making a decade long commitment by choosing to go to one of the service academies. "I have a year or two to get ready to wrestle in college depending on how you look at it. It is hard to say if I am going to be able to wrestle the same schedule I did this year after the high school season but I am going to try to again next year. I am planning on going back to Fargo and I definitely want to continue wrestling freestyle while I am at the Academy," asserted Youtsey. "Hopefully after five years at West Point we have accomplished our goals and I am in a position where I can continue wrestling with the WCAP program in Colorado Springs. I definitely have a lot to look forward to and a lot of challenges ahead." InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/37584

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. The Class of 2011 is a very talented and accomplished group that features six returning state champions, four wrestlers in pursuit of a rare fourth California state medal (only 21 wrestlers have earned four medals since 1973), and nine competing for a respective third. At the national level, this group has performed very well among the elite states at the Freestyle/Greco nationals in Fargo and the NHSCA national tournaments, producing thirty-six All-American honors and five national champions overall. In addition, eleven Golden State wrestlers are ranked among the Top 100 seniors per InterMat. Once again, the Central Valley has the greatest representation, followed by the Sac-Joaquin and Southern Sections respectively. Leading this talented group of seniors is two-time state champion Morgan McIntosh from Santa Ana's Calvary Chapel High School in the Southern Section. After a solid performance this summer winning a Flo and junior freestyle title in Fargo, McIntosh returns primed to win his third state title and fourth medal overall. In my humble opinion, he is among the top five high school wrestlers in the country (all weight groups) and ready to step on the mat at the division one level. Joining McIntosh in their pursuit of earning a rare fourth state medal are returning state champion Nick Pena (Selma), Turlock's Fabian Garcia, and Cody Tow of Union Mine in El Dorado. Other returning wrestlers that have great D1 potential include, returning state champions Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield), William "Tank" Knowles (Calvary Chapel), and two-time placer Chris Mecate (Redlands East Valley). Despite not having a California state title behind their names, Vince Rodriguez (Clovis North), Lucas Sheridan (De La Salle), and Vince Waldhauser (Oak Ridge) are each returning medalist and All-Americans that have great potential to win state. This summer, Sheridan earned a national title in Greco and Rodriguez and Waldhauser are each returning state finalists and in position to earn their third state medals. Others to watch include returning state champion and four-time All-American Nashon Garrett (Chico), Damien Arredondo (Buchanan-Clovis), Jesse Baldazo (Liberty-Brentwood), Nick Cano (Saint Francis), Orry Elor (College Park), Matt Hickman (Camarillo), Bradley Johnson (Canyon Springs), Shane Tate (Oakdale), Justin Lozano (Selma), Nathan Zarate (Selma), and returning state champion and two-time medalist David Ferry of Oakdale. On a final note, I expect the California State Championships to be a barnburner this season and am confident that our top seniors in California will do very well on the national stage, which include high caliber tournaments such as Walsh Ironman, Reno TOC, and NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach. While compiling this list, it was very difficult to pick the top ten in California because many of wrestlers listed below are very close in talent. Many of the kids listed in the "honorable mention" section are just as talented and are more than capable of being in the top ten. In short, there is a great deal of depth this season and the road to the top podium in California will be a hard fought battle to say the least. Below is a look at California's Top 10 high school recruits and list honorable mention wrestlers from the Class of 2011. 1. Morgan McIntosh High School: Calvary Chapel-Santa Ana (Southern Section) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 184 Morgan McIntosh (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: Morgan McIntosh can be described in one word ... NAILS! McIntosh enters the 2010-11 season rated among the top seniors in the country. In a brief description, McIntosh is very powerful on his feet, possesses great mat awareness, and has a style that is relentless from start to finish. In my humble opinion, McIntosh has the tools to be the top "Blue Chip" in the country. In the state of California I expect him to dominate his opponents from the beginning of the season to end. With two state championships and three medals under his belt, McIntosh is in position to earn a rare fourth state medal and become the fifteenth 3x state champion. This past summer he earned national titles at the Flo and Junior Nationals in Fargo, each in dominating fashion. Moreover, McIntosh is a five-time All-American and is more than ready to compete at the division one level. McIntosh is a two-time California state champion (fifth in 2008), Junior Nationals champion, third-place finisher at FILA Junior Nationals, FloNationals champion, two-time Cadet All-American (double finalist), and two-time Five Counties champion. 2. Bryce Hammond High School: Bakersfield (Central Section) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 171 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Bryce Hammond (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: Bryce Hammond is a true competitor and among the top wrestlers to compete in the Golden State this past decade. Entering last year's CIF State Championships with an injury suffered to his elbow at the Central Section Masters meet (aka, Valley), Hammond overcame his injury and dominated the competition in route to his first state championship. Not only does Hammond have great mat sense, he is tough to score upon and is dominating on the mat. It is this high level of wrestling that has contributed to his earning of All-American honors and finals appearance at the Cadet Nationals in 2008, and a title at the NHSCA Nationals in 2009. Entering the 2010-11 season, Hammond is rated among the top seniors in the country and is in position to earn a second state title and third medal overall. Along with McIntosh, Hammond has the necessary tools to compete at the division one level and earn All-American honors and more. Hammond is a state champion (fourth in 2009), Five Counties champion, NHSCA Nationals champion, and Cadet All-American (finalist). 3. Nick Pena High School: Selma (Central Section) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Nick Pena (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: Ranked in the top three in California for a majority of last season, Nick Pena set himself above all when he defeated highly rated Bobby Morales of Laguna Hills in the state finals in a well balanced and competitive weight group. This season, Pena is in position to earn a rare fourth California state medal and is ranked among the nation's top light middleweights. Placing a strong fourth at the nation's most competitive tournament, Walsh Ironman in Ohio, I expect Pena to be the favorite to win a second California state title and rank high on the national level. Keep an eye on this kid ... He's a good one. Pena is a state champion (third in 2009, sixth in 2008) and fourth-place finisher at the Walsh Ironman. 4. Vince Rodriguez High School: Clovis North (Central Section) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Vince Rodriguez (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: Since his freshman year, Vince Rodriguez has been a fixture in the top tier of the lightweight division. Yet to win an individual state title, Rodriguez is a returning state finalist and finished third his sophomore year. After losing a hard fought state final in 2010 to Chris Martinez of Clovis West, Rodriguez capped the season off by adding to his 2009 All-American performance by winning the NHSCA Junior Nationals. In short, Rodriguez is a highly competitive wrestler who has the tools to compete at the next level and beyond. Rodriguez is a state runner-up (third in 2009), NHSCA Nationals champion (two-time NHSCA All-American), and Five Counties champion. 5. William "Tank" Knowles High School: Calvary Chapel-Santa Ana (Southern Section) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Tank Knowles (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: A strong fixture at the 215-pound weight group since his freshman season, William "Tank" Knowles enters the 2010-11 season ranked among the top heavyweights in the country. His credentials tell the entire story ... a great deal of mat time and success. After coming one match short of placing at state his freshman season, Knowles has not let up since with his aggressive non-stop style of wrestling that mirrors many in the lightweight division. With two state medals (one championship) and solid victories at the Reno TOC & Walsh Ironman, Knowles will be tough to beat at this weight, both in California and across the country. This past summer he earned his third and fourth All-American honors at the Flo and junior nationals in Fargo and appears determined to be the top heavyweight in the country entering his senior season. Knowles is a state champion (fourth in 2009), FloNationals runner-up, Five Counties champion, Walsh Ironman champion, Reno TOC champion, Junior Nationals All-American, and two-time Cadet Nationals All-American. 6. Lucas Sheridan High School: De La Salle-Concord (North Coast Section) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 184 Lucas Sheridan (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: I have had the privilege to watch Lucas Sheridan compete since his days in the kid's circuit. One thing is certain ... Sheridan is a focused, dedicated, and determined wrestler who has the drive to be the best of the best. The extra mat time in the post season is beginning to pay off during the regular season. In 2010, he placed a solid third at the California state championships and earned a junior national title at the Greco-Roman championships in Fargo. In addition, he earned a trip to compete at the first ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, placing fourth in a highly competitive weight group. To date, Sheridan has earned five All-American honors and has had made several finals appearances. Entering the 2010-11 school year, Sheridan is among the top light heavyweights in the state and will challenge for the state title. More importantly, I believe he has the potential to make the Olympic team someday in Greco-Roman ... A true competitor! Sheridan is a Junior Nationals (Greco-Roman) champion, fourth-place finisher at Youth Olympic Games, two-time FILA Cadet Nationals All-American, state third-place finisher, and two-time Cadet Nationals All-American. 7. Nashon Garrett High School: Chico (Northern Section) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 112 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Nashon Garrett (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: Nashon Garrett first entered my radar when he earned double All-American honors at the Cadet Nationals in 2009. Last season he had a solid performance at the prestigious Five Counties Invitational and capped it off by winning a competitive weight at the state championships. He then finished the post season with another double All-American performance at Fargo, making it four in two years. With additional growth, Garrett has the tools, skill, and competitive edge to compete at the collegiate level, and challenge for future US World Teams and more. Nashon Garrett is a true competitor that has the vision to become the best of the best. Garrett is a state champion, Five Counties champion, two-time Junior Nationals All-American, and two-time Cadet Nationals All-American. 8. Chris Mecate High School: Redlands East Valley (Southern Section) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Chris Mecate (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: The state of California has produced many wrestlers that are like a diamond in the rough. Often, the difference between winning our one division state meet or placing in the top six is a last second takedown in overtime during the semis. This is the case for Redland's Chris Mecate, a wrestler who has been in the mix since his freshman year, placing fifth and sixth at state respectively, but arguably good enough to have won it all. Mecate has proven to be among the top seniors in the country with his strong finish at the tough as nails Five Counties Invitational in Southern California, beating highly rated Zach Zimmer of Clovis West in the finals. Prior to the beginning of last season, Mecate opened a lot of eyes when he won the pre-season Super 32, defeating several nationally ranked kids in the process. Entering the 2010-ll season, Mecate will definitely be among the favorites to win a prestigious California state title and is ranked among the Top 100 seniors in the country by InterMat. Mecate is a two-time state placewinner, Five Counties champion, and Super 32 champion. 9. Fabian Garcia High School: Turlock (Sac-Joaquin Section) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Fabian Garcia (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: Fabian Garcia has been in the spotlight since placing seventh at state his freshman year entering the tournament unranked. Since that time, Garcia has earned two additional medals, placing fourth and sixth respectively. Despite not having the national credentials, as does many of the top ten and wrestlers listed in the honorable mention section, Garcia is truly among the top tier in the state and is more than capable of competing with the nation's best. Along with McIntosh, Pena, and Tow, Garcia is in position to earn a rare fourth state medal and has the talent and skill set to win it all. Garcia is a three-time state placewinner. 10. Vince Waldhauser High School: Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (Sac-Joaquin Section) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 171 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Vince Waldhauser (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: Waldhauser is a returning state finalist and two-time placer that has the potential to challenge for the title in 2011 with Bakersfield's Bryce Hammond being his toughest opponent. Although he has national experience earning All-American honors at the NHSCA Nationals, Waldhauser has been low on the national radar, but in my humble opinion has the potential to compete with the top tier in the country. Keep an eye on this kid; I believe he will open some eyes in 2011. Waldhauser is a state runner-up (seventh in 2009) and NHSCA Nationals All-American. Honorable Mention: Damien Arredondo (Buchanan-Clovis, CS), 4th, 6th State Jesse Baldazo (Liberty-Brentwood, NCS), 8th State ** Nick Cano (Saint Francis-Mountain View, CCS), 3rd State * Orry Elor (College Park-Pleasant Hill, NCS), 8th State *** David Ferry (Oakdale, SJ), State Champion, 8th State Matt Hickman (Camarillo, SS), 6th State * Bradley Johnson (Canyon Springs-Moreno Valley, SS), 5th State ** Shane Tate (Oakdale, SJS), 3rd, 5th State Cody Tow (Union Mine-El Dorado, SJS), 6th, 7th, 6th State Justin Lozano (Selma, CS), 5th State ** Nathan Zarate (Selma, CS), 2nd, 5th State * *All-American honor (Cadet/Junior/NHSCA) A special thanks to John Sachs and Tony Rotundo at Tech-Fall.com for the use of photos.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Takedown Wrestling Media and Comcast Cable have established a relationship that will bring the popular TDR TV amateur wrestling program to an additional 140,000 homes in the state Tennessee. The first broadcast of the weekly TDR TV on Comcast Cable in Tennessee will be Saturday, September 3rd, on Channel 96 at 5 PM. (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 also available on the Mediacom Cable TV system serving six Midwestern states in and around Iowa, Time Warner Cable Sports in New York and can be viewed online at www.TakedownRadio.com and at over thirty other affiliated amateur wrestling websites. “Chattanooga, Tennessee is a hotbed for championship level wrestling on both the high school and collegiate levels,” said Heath Eslinger, Head Coach of UTC's Men's Wrestling program. “We know wrestling fans across the state will enjoy the visibility that TDR TV will bring to the sport across the state." Casber, founder of Takedown Wrestling Media, said, “This is an important step forward for the athletes, coaches and fans of wrestling across the country. Comcast Cable 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 Comcast Cable in the distribution of TDR TV. We understand the responsibility we have in this and will present wrestling in a positive manner.” “Comcast Cable will present our weekly TV program throughout Tennessee where collegiate and High School wrestling enjoys a very strong fan base. “We're very excited that we'll be seen in a part of the country that features some of the best high school wrestling programs in the nation.” Takedown Wrestling Media started 13 year ago as a single one-hour radio program broadcast from Clear Channel's KXNO studios in Des Moines. TDR quickly added Internet distribution of its audio format and began to broadcast live events along with its weekly program. Founder Scott Casber is well-known throughout the wrestling community, speaking to wrestling groups around the country and promoting the sport wherever he can. TDR TV was born as an addition to the radio program, initially available only on the Internet, but now available on 31 different web sites, as well as in six Midwest states through its distribution on Mediacom Cable. More information can be found at: Takedownradio.com Comcast Corporation is one of the nation's leading providers of cable, entertainment and communication products and services, with 23.2 million cable customers, 16.4 million high-speed Internet customers and 8.1 million Comcast Digital Voice customers. Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable networks and in the delivery of programming content.

Hello again Wrestling Fans. This week we're back in the Brute Adidas studios of KXNO for Takedown Wrestling Radio presented by Kemin Agrifoods. We have another great show lined up for you. Join Scott Casber, Randy Crimmins, Ryan Freeman and Geoff Murtha for an exciting, fun filled 2 hours of wrestling talk. This week we have a special in studio guest, Mike McClintock of Hopkins Sporting Goods and Sunflower Wrestling Supply. Our very special Guests Include: JP O' Connor- Formerly of Harvard University took home ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District first team honors. He concluded his career with his best season, going a perfect 35-0 at the 157 weight class, as he captured the NCAA championship. Andrew Pariano- Head Coach of Northwestern University. Drew recently hired Jake Herbert. Also you can get 10.00 off the price of admission for the Midlands. Tune in and find out how. Be prepared to act quickly. John Clark- Asst. Hd Coach of the Brown Bears. The Bears have announced the class of 2014. With new recruits coming in to the room John has a reason to be happy these days. Jim Andrassy- Head Coach of the Golden Flashes of Kent State. Last season The Golden Flashes clinched a top 25 finish at the NCAA Championships for the second straight season. Jim Heffernan- Head Coach of the Fighting Illini. July 1st Longtime Fighting Illini wrestling fan Dave Williams completed a bicycle journey from Huff Hall to the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pa., home of the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships in an attempt to raise $25,000 to support Illinois wrestling. We'll find out how he did. Wrestling fans- Episode 71 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Delayed Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, TDR TV: Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM Time Warner Cable Ch. 813 New York Sat. 12 Noon Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV More cities and states will be announced in the next few weeks. TDR on Internet: You can join us 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!

Below is a letter written by Cal State Fullerton wrestling coach Dan Hicks To our fans, friends, donors, parents and wrestling folks from across the country, I am sure that many of you have heard the news that Athletic Director Brian Quinn announced the termination of the wrestling program at the end of this school year. Basically they chose to disregard our Lasting Impact Pledge drive ($70,000) which would have been enough to cover the 10-11 season expenses of $196,145. Year one of the pledge drive had a 98% fulfillment rate. $20,000 is in contracted pledge agreements. Never the less, these were not considered as having met the August 1st goal of cash in the bank. The bar was also raised higher by informing us in late May, that the next goal would be two years ahead by March 1st, 2011 ($400,000) in cash. Our Pledge Drive would not be counted, nor any other event or camps after March 1st. Basically the administration has made it clear they want cash up front for the continuation of the wrestling program. As we have done before, we will continue to find ways to overcome the obstacles and save Cal State Fullerton Wrestling. We can continue to fund the Lasting Impact Pledge drive, develop other fund raising events, explore opportunities for a Fight for Wrestling Night, like Cal Poly and Cal Bakersfield, and look for donors who have the means to help us reach the goal of $400,000 by March 1st to secure the 11-12 & 12-13 season. Our 10-11 recruiting class is very, very good. We have had interest from all of the country in coming to California to wrestle. We have found an exception in the residency policy allowing out-of state wrestlers into cal State Fullerton,l as residents, because we are a Regional Olympic Training site for USA wrestling. This provides a great opportunity for wrestlers from states that do not have college wrestling to come to CSUF to continue their wrestling careers. We have potential to develop into a premier college program. We can be the place that turns around this trend of cutting D-1 wrestling. We must survive for the 27,000 plus high school wrestlers in California who want a chance to wrestle in college. There are too many states with no college opportunities. We must find a way now. Please spread the word to everyone who loves this sport to get involved. Continue to donate to the program. Continue to pass on to others the dream and ask them to donate. $400,000 is doable. We raised $300,000 for last year and this year so far. Help us find a way to buy two more years and then we can focus on an endowment. To Download Donation Form for CSF Wrestling Donate Online To CSF Wrestling by clicking here I sincerely thank all of you who have supported us in the past and for the many people I have met across the country that love this sport and what it does for our young people. It is a battle worth fighting . Dan Hicks Head Wrestling Coach Cal State Fullerton dhicks@fullerton.edu 657-278-2138 714-222-4395cell www.savefullertonwrestling.com

USAFA, Colo. -- Air Force wrestling head coach Joel Sharratt has announced the addition of Tony Black to the Falcons' coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. Black, a 2003 NCAA All-American, currently serves as the Manager of State Services for USA Wrestling. "I am very excited that Tony Black will be joining the Falcon wrestling staff this season," said Sharratt. "I have had the opportunity to work with Tony at several camps and clinics and he is an outstanding coach and educator who will help raise the bar in our program." Black was a four-year starter at the University of Wisconsin from 1999-2003, earning All-America honors in 2003 by finishing fifth at 125 pounds. He served as an undergraduate assistant coach for the Badgers from 2003-05, while working as a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin from 2005-06. A native of River Falls, Wis., Black was a two-time WIAA state champion (103 pounds in 1998, 112 pounds in 1999) at River Falls High School, while earning USA Wrestling Cadet All-America honors in 1996, placing fourth at 88 pounds. "Tony will be a contributor in many ways, but will have a special focus early on in developing our lower weights," continued Sharratt. "As an NCAA All-American, Tony knows what it takes to be podium-ready and he is excited to share those winning character traits and skill sets with the men in our program."

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern and the Big Ten Conference announced on Thursday that the 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, previously scheduled to be held at Purdue, have been moved to Welsh-Ryan Arena on the campus of Northwestern. The tournament is set for Saturday-Sunday, March 5-6, 2011. "I speak for the entire Northwestern Athletic department when I say we are 100 percent committed to hosting an outstanding Big Ten Championships," said first-year Wildcat head coach Drew Pariano. "We will work endlessly to create an exceptional environment for the student-athletes and thousands of fans arriving in Evanston this March. "Our team could not be more excited about the news of our hosting this event," Pariano continued. "It gives our seniors a chance to compete in Welsh-Ryan Arena one final time before heading to Philadelphia for the NCAA Championships." Fans interested in purchasing tickets should submit their initial requests to the Northwestern ticket office via e-mail at wrestling.northwestern@gmail.com. Please include your the following information in your e-mail: Full name Phone number E-mail address Mailing address Number of single-day (indicate which day) and/or weekend-long passes you would like to purchase You will be contacted at a later date by a member of the Northwestern ticket sales staff to finalize your transaction. No single-day or weekend-long ticket prices have been set at this time. Northwestern, which has hosted the Big Ten Wrestling Championships on 13 prior occasions, last held the event in its home arena in 2001. Welsh-Ryan Arena now will be the site of two of college wrestling's premier events in 2010-11, with NU also set to host the 48th annual Midlands Championships Dec. 29-30, 2010.

Wrestling and writing are a winning combination. A number of great authors once wrestled, including novelists Terry Davis (Vision Quest), Ken Kesey (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest), and John Irving (The World According to Garp). Former wrestler David Gillaspie has found a way to bring together writing and wrestling -- and express himself creatively -- with his blog "DeeGee's B&B" and with his eBook, Wrestle With Care: Inspirationals from Life with Sport. Gillaspie's grappling groundwork The acts of wrestling and writing have long been tied into Gillaspie's life. He won a Greco-Roman title in high school in his native Oregon. He then went to the University of Southern Oregon, where he continued his wrestling career for one year, leaving the mat to concentrate on his studies. David GillaspieNext, Gillaspie had a stint in the U.S. Army. "I tried out for the Army team, saw what a buzzsaw that was, and decided to focus on racing (marathons)," said the Oregon native. "Talking to other wrestling guys, you realize you'll never be in that type of shape of again -- wrestling shape," said Gillaspie. "So you test yourself in other ways. For me, it's marathons." Despite no longer competing in wrestling, Gillaspie continues to see the value of the sport. "I wanted my sons to experience wrestling. I'd talk up wrestling in front of them, introduced them to youth wrestling ... Once they got to high school, I encouraged them to go out for wrestling." "My sons have learned tenacity from the sport. They now are in intramural basketball in college, but they go all-out." "I don't worry about my sons. I know they will avoid trouble because of what they've learned from wrestling." Wrestler's discipline in writing David Gillaspie continues to use what he learned in wrestling in his life beyond the mat, especially as a writer. "In wrestling, you find your stance, and you build everything upon that," said Gillaspie. "You use that same foundational approach in real life." "My wrestling background guides me to write with structure, to be clear, to get to the point." It's one thing for Gillaspie to say this. But an independent organization -- International Blogging Recognition Council (IBRC) -- designated "DeeGee's B&B" a "Recognized Blog" which is reserved for "those blogs that effectively connects with the audience and promotes the sharing of ideas and experiences." Gillaspie estimates he's written 120,000 words in his "DeeGee's B&B" blog, which, according to the header, is "where writers, wrestlers, caregivers, and historians walk, talk, and squawk." As makes clear in his biography at his blog, David Gillespie's writing focus isn't limited to wrestling. In August, he shared his adventures of traveling with his family (including his mother-in-law) to Spain, writing about everything from an olive oil-tasting tour, to dealing with his wife being hospitalized with pneumonia far, far from home. However, even in dealing with that health emergency, Gillaspie called upon his mat background to stay cool in a crisis, and get his wife the help she needed, not knowing Spanish, or understanding the health care system in Granada. Whether he's writing about Spain, Dan Gable or any other topic for his blog, Gillaspie does it with a wrestler's discipline. As he put it in this interview for InterMat, "I write in a standard newspaper column format -- 700-800 words ... I write in the standard "set-up, conflict, resolution" pattern, hopefully not in a formulaic way." Wrestle With Care From these blog entries/essays sprang Gillespie's book Wrestle With Care: Inspirationals from Life with Sport, available online as an eBook from Amazon.com. Here's how he described this venture online: Civilized people predict the end of wrestling. A dying sport. Others scoff at the notion of an ebook. It's a novelty. Naturally I've combined both, an ebook of wrestling stories both informational and informative. An essay tells you something. A story makes you feel something. I've linked my best essays. Thirty three thousand reads later I've written the story. Wrestle With Care, a free Kinkle reader for PC download on Amazon, tells the story of a former wrestler who goes to the hospital bedside of his wrestling coach, turning the tables, scoring a reversal as wrestler becomes coach and mentor to the man who performed those functions for him at an earlier stage of life. Gillespie has lived all this. What's more, he incorporated his experience as caregiver for his father-in-law who battled Parkinson's disease. "In caregiving, as in wrestling, you anticipate when the other person is about to shift balance," said Gillespie. "In wrestling, you go on the attack. In caregiving, you go in to prevent a fall." Wrestling and writing inspiration Gillaspie's writing background goes beyond his blog and Wrestle With Care eBook. "I've taken a ton of writing courses -- novel writing, screenplay writing, news writing. I've participated in writing workshops at the University of Iowa, and the USC (University of Southern California) screenwriter workshops." David Gillespie in 1973In terms of writing and wrestling, Gillaspie described Ken Kesey as his inspiration. "I thought it was cool that he was from my area, writing about where I grew up, with great books such as Sometimes a Great Notion and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest." Gillespie and Kesey shared more than an upbringing in the same part of the world -- and a love for writing. They both shared a love of the oldest sport. Kesey wrestled at Springfield High School in Oregon, and at the University of Oregon. "To my mind, he invented the 60s," Gillaspie said of Kesey, who, in addition to being a noted novelist, was a counter-culture figure who became part of the Merry Pranksters that traveled the nation in a school bus with friends (including Beat writers like Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac), and chronicled in Tom Wolfe's book, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Despite his association with these Beat icons -- and his status as one of the great writers of the 1960s -- Kesey said in a 1999 interview, "I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a hippie." David Gillaspie also cites Dan Gable as a source of inspiration. The name of the Iowa State wrestler and University of Iowa head coach pop up frequently in his DeeGee's B&B blog; for example, in the opening of the August 13, 2010 installment: One name represents wrestling in America. Dan Gable. The DG. He marked the sport like no other competitor or coach marked any other sport. Gable's name also was mentioned more than once during the interview for this profile. In talking about the Cyclone mat great's one college loss -- to Larry Owings of the University of Washington in the 142-pound finals at the 1970 NCAA championships -- Gillaspie said, "With Gable, that one loss helped him be the coach that he was -- so he could help others prevent what happened to him." For additional inspired insights into wrestling -- and all aspects of life -- check out David Gillaspie's DeeGee's B&B blog ... and his eBook, Wrestling With Care. It's wrestling writing that's richly rewarding to read. To learn more about Wrestling With Care -- and to get a free copy of this eBook -- visit http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003B667V6

USA Wrestling and the Living The Dream Medal Fund are pleased to announce the inaugural Living The Dream Telethon on Friday, August 20 at 9 p.m. Eastern. Featured on the webcast will be all 21 U.S. World Team Members and stand-up comic and past NCAA All-American from Missouri, Greg Warren. Greg has been on the stand-up circuit for several years and has been a sensation on Flowrestling with the character Wesley "Wes" Wesley. Donations will be able to be made online and via call-in, where World Team members and coaches will be fielding your calls. ALL proceeds go directly to the Living The Dream Medal Fund. USA Wrestling will provide the webcast free on its Ustream channel here and on the front page of TheMat.com. For More Information on the Telethon, Click Here. Greg Warren Web Site: www.gregwarrencomedy.com Wesley "Wes" Wesley on Flowrestling: Click Here. Donate: www.livingthedreammedalfund.com CALL IN NUMBER: (1-800-999-8531)

The NWCA Leadership Academy kicked off the 2010 Convention with a tremendous blast of enthusiasm. Thirty-three young, aspiring college coaches and 24 mentors (seasoned veteran coaches, administrators, and business leaders) gathered for a two-day workshop, which was facilitated by internationally renowned coaching development expert, Dr. Dan Gould of Michigan State University. The purpose of the focus group was to utilize peer group discussion among college coaches, athletic administrators, and CEOs to develop best practices for protecting and strengthening intercollegiate wrestling programs through this challenging economy. Specifically, the goal is to help coaches strengthen their CEO skills and better align their programs with educational values (i.e. improve eligibility and graduation rates, etc.). Qualifying to receive a full scholarship to attend the NWCA Leadership Academy is predicated on completing the following three pre-requisites: online educational modules that help coaches understand general CEO principles required to protect their teams, a program assessment survey, and a 360 evaluation to assess how others perceive the competency of the coach to be. Once the pre-requisites are completed, the coaches are awarded full scholarships to attend the Leadership Academy workshop where they can collaborate with mentors to customize the general principles (learned in the online modules) to meet their unique needs on each campus. Upon completion of the Academy, each coach is assigned to a mentor so they can receive ongoing guidance on an “as needed” basis. “Being able to scholarship these thirty-three coaches is a testament to those generous donors who believe that we can better ourselves as a sport through education and leadership. By attending the Academy, these coaches are taking ownership of their program and asserting themselves as the CEO of their team,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. A highlight of Academy was the keynote speech which was presented by Arkansas businessman and wrestling benefactor, Greg Hatcher, which focused on “outrageous service.” Hatcher, founder of The Hatcher Agency, delivered a phenomenal message on providing great customer service and overcoming your greatest enemy which is time itself. Hatcher encouraged the participation of the coaches during his speech and ultimately challenged them to be sure to apply the newly acquired knowledge toward the improvement of their programs upon their return back to campus. In addition, Hatcher provided each attendee a copy of his book “55 Steps to Outrageous Service.” One of the newly appointed Women’s Wrestling Coaches, Marcie Van Dusen, said, “the 2010 NCWA Convention was a wonderful educational experience for me. The Academy and the Convention provided me with knowledgeable leaders and innovative speakers who shared their insights. It was a unique setting where I was able to learn from the successes and failures of the best coaches in the nation. These coaches shared with me the tools they used to create their wrestling traditions. It was an inspiring experience for me and I can’t wait to implement what I have learned to create a stronger Women’s wrestling program at Menlo College.” The 2010 Leadership Academy consisted of the following coaches: Matthew Azevedo, Alaina Berube, Seth Bloomquist, Matthew Burlingame, Ken Caudell, Sevond Cole, Derek DelPorto, Timothy Dernlan, Ramon Diaz, Daniel Elliott, Ron Headlee, Josh Henson, Scott Hinkel, Eric Keller, Dock Kelly, Jason Loukides, Mike Mendoza, Nick Mitchell, Bob Patnesky, John Petty, Ken Prophete, Ken Ramsey, Matt Sedivy, Nathan Shearer, Michael Simon, Chad Smith, Pat Sole, Walter Ulrich, Marcie Van Dusen, Andy Vogel, Robbie Waller, Kevin Ward, and Mauricio Wright. With coaches from all divisions present in the 2010 Academy the response was virtually the same. “The Leadership Academy really opened my eyes to new ideas and strategies that I need to incorporate into the Purdue Wrestling Program. It was such a valuable experience to listen and learn from all the outstanding mentors and coaches that were in attendance. I will certainly nominate any coaches that are on my staff to attend in the future. Thank you NWCA so much for the opportunity to attend,” said Scott Hinkel, head coach at Purdue University. Mentors for the 2010 Leadership Academy were: Ron Beaschler, Jim Beichner, Coyte Cooper, Tim Fader, Mark Gumble, Dan Harris, Todd Hibbs, Jay Jones, Dave Kemmy, Rob Koll, Jon Laudenslager, John Licata, Jim Miller, Carl Poff, Archie Randall, Frank Romano, Brian Smith, Jack Spates, Rande Stottlemyer, Greg Strobel, Jeff Swenson, Alan Utter, Derek van der Merwe and Billy Walker. The Friday Luncheon was kicked off with the graduation recognition of the Inaugural NWCA Leadership Academy Class from 2009 (not all of them were able to be in attendance): JohnMark Bentley, Ben Berogen, Jason Borrelli, Mark Branch, Brandon Brissette, Shawn Charles, Dax Charles, Heath Eslinger, John Garriques, Trent Goodale, Scott Hawes, Scott Hinkle, Tim Homan, Greg Ilaria, Tony Islas, R.C. LaHaye, Tom Layte, Clint Manny, Risto Marttinen, Joe Pollard, Tom Prairie, Todd Roberts, Ryan Smith, Ben Stehura, Casey Stouffer, Beau Vest and Jason York. “The Leadership Academy would not have been possible without the help of many wrestling ambassadors who have dedicated their time to making sure the coaches received the most out of this experience, especially the primary architects Dr. Dan Gould and Derek van der Merwe. Both were instrumental in the delivery of the program and the foundation it was built on. Further, we are forever grateful for the many mentors that have given so generously of their time and knowledge to help guide the coaches through the program as well,” said Moyer. With the goal of inspiring each and every coach that participated in the Academy, the mentors and staff will be working throughout the year to encourage dialogue and implementation of these practices in their daily routines with the school, community and athletes. "The NWCA Leadership Academy was one of the most beneficial experiences in my coaching career. I was amazed at the depth and breadth of areas we covered in just two days. I left the convention energized and inspired to implement several of the strategies we discussed. The NWCA Leadership Academy is going to single handedly elevate the level of college coaching in America," said Tim Dernlan, Ashland University.