InterMat Staff

SINGAPORE -- Lucas Sheridan (Concord, Calif.) advanced to the 85 kg/187.5 lbs. bronze- medal match of Greco-Roman wrestling competition on the first day of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. He finished the day on the losing side of a close match with Ruslan Kamilov of Uzbekistan, 1-3, to wrap up competition with a 2-2 record and a fourth-place finish. "He wrestled him tough - it's just a tough tournament," said head coach Mark Halvorson. "I think he knows he was in the match, and both he lost were winnable. It was just one of those matches, and he lost a couple close ones. This whole thing is such a great experience for everyone. This is a great venue and a first-class event." Sheridan opened the pool rounds at the International Convention Center with a quick, 5-0 win against Teia Mweia of the Solomon Islands. He lost a close match to Hamdy Abdelwahab of Egypt, 1-3, followed by a 4-0 win versus Adil Al-Abedi of Iraq to advance to the medal rounds. Sheridan will be a senior at will be at De La Salle High School in California. He was a 2010 Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion. At the 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals, he was second in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman. Sheridan was also second in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman at the 2009 Cadet Nationals. He placed third in the 2010 California state high school tournament. Wrestling competition continues on Monday, Aug. 16, for Team USA. Jenna Burkert (Middle Island, N.Y.) is on the mat in the -60 kg weight category, beginning pool play at 12 noon. She will face Pooja Dhanda of India, followed by Dzhanan Ahmed of Bulgaria and Natasha Puteri of Singapore. The wrestling competition features 112 athletes - 80 men and 32 women - with eight participants in each weight class. An additional wrestling competition at the Youth Olympic Games, beach wrestling, will be held on Saturday, August 21 at Siloso Beach on Sentosa Island. This event is open to all YOG athletes in all sports. The U.S. wrestlers will have the opportunity for another competition if they enter the Beach Wrestling tournament. YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES At Singapore, August 15 Greco-Roman results 42 kg/92.5 lbs. Gold – Murad Bazarov (Azerbaijan) Silver – Yosvanys Flores Pena (Cuba) Bronze – Akan Baimaganbetov (Kazakhstan) 4th – Oleksiy Zhabskyy (Ukraine) 5th – Merhdad Khamseh (Iran) 6th – Henry Pilay (Ecuador) 7th – Mahmoud Hussein (Egypt) 50 kg/110 lbs. Gold – Elman Mukhtarov (Azerbaijan) Silver – Nurbek Hakkulov (Uzbekistan) Bronze – Shadybek Sulaimanov (Kyrgyzstan) 4th – Johan Banguela Rodriguez (Cuba) 5th – Andrei Pikuza (Belarus) 6th - Amine Boughazi (Algeria) 7th – Paal Erik Gunderson (Norway) 58 kg/127.75 lbs. Gold – Urmatbek Amatov (Kyrgyzstan) Silver – Olexandr Lytvynov (Ukraine) Bronze – Artur Suleymanov (Russia) 4th – Jason Afrikaner (Namibia) 5th – Pedro Ramirez Camarillo (Mexico) 6th – Adrian Kranitz (Hungary) 7th – Leonard Gregory (South Africa) 69 kg/152 lbs. Gold – Zanibek Kandybayev (Kazakhstan) Silver – Musa Gedik (Turkey) Bronze – Yousef Ghaderian (Iran) 4th – Aliaksandr Nedashkourski (Belarus) 5th – Abdelkrim Ouakali (Algeria) 6th – Carlos Valor (Colombia) 7th – Ahmad Darwish (Syria) 8th – Jose Gonzalez (Nicaragua) 85 kg/187.5 lbs. Gold – Ruslan Adzhigov (Russia) Silver - Hamdy Abdel-Wahab (Egypt) Bronze - Ruslan Kamilov (Uzbekistan) 4th – Lucas Sheridan (USA) 5th – Varos Petrosyan (Armenia) 6th – Adil Al-Abedi (Iraq) 7th – Jung-Hyeong Choi (Korea) 8th - Teia Mwei (Solomon Islands) U.S. Greco-Roman results 85 kg/185 lbs. – Lucas Sheridan, Concord, Calif., 4th WIN Teia Mwei (Solomen Islands) LOSS Hamdy Abdel-Wahab (Egypt) WIN Adil Al-Abedi (Iraq) LOSS Ruslan Kamilov (Uzbekistan) About Team USA The U.S. Team in Singapore is comprised of 82 athletes in 18 sports, the maximum number of qualified U.S. athletes. Team USA is competing in aquatics (swimming and diving), archery, badminton, basketball, boxing, equestrian, fencing, gymnastics, judo, modern pentathlon, sailing, table tennis, taekwondo, track & field, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling. Complete information on Team USA can be found at youtholympicgames.teamusa.org. About the 2010 Youth Olympic Games Singapore is hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games from Aug. 14-26, 2010, as young athletes age 14-18 compete in 26 sports and take part in the Culture and Education Program. Approximately 3,600 athletes from around the world will participate, and all 205 National Olympic Committees will be represented. The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games aim to inspire youth to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. More information can be found at www.singapore2010.sg. For more information, visit www.teamusa.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- USA Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling in the United States, has named University of Iowa Associate Head Coach Terry Brands and Oklahoma State University Head Coach John Smith as coaches of the 2010 U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Team. Brands and Smith will work with USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones of Colorado Springs, CO, and the USA Wrestling national coaching staff to lead the team that will compete at the 2010 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 6-12. Former Hawkeye wrestler and Assistant Coach Bill Zadick currently serves as USA Wrestling’s Men’s Freestyle Resident Coordinator. Both coaches were selected by USA Wrestling's Freestyle Coach Selection Committee and approved by USA Wrestling's Executive Committee. “I think we have a good group of guys who can score offensive points and do things that some other teams did not do,” said Brands. “I am always fired up to be involved with the World Championships. It is not about me. It about them. As a staff, we will do whatever we have to do to have them as prepared as they can be.” Current Iowa Interim Assistant Coach Mike Zadick (60 kg/132 lbs.) and former Hawkeye two-time NCAA champion Brent Metcalf (66 kg/145.5 lbs.) earned spots on the World Team by winning individual titles at the World Team Trials in Council Bluffs in June. “John Smith and Terry Brands are on the cutting edge of wrestling in the world,” said Jones. “They’ve won at the highest levels of wrestling as coaches and wrestlers and there aren’t two harder workers in the sport. These coaches are on a mission to help America win medals. With Coach Smith’s superior technical ability and Terry Brands’ fire and passion, we’re going to be are hard to beat. My confidence grows, and I know our team’s confidence grows, with them in our corner.” Both have coached past U.S. World and Olympic teams in freestyle wrestling. Prior to taking the Iowa position, Brands worked as USA Wrestling’s National Freestyle Resident Coach from 2005-2008, and coached with the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and three U.S. World Teams (2005-07). Smith was the coach of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team, as well as the 1998, 1999 and 2009 U.S. World Team Coach. Both have coached individual World and Olympic champion wrestlers for the United States. Their programs are annually among the most successful in Division I college wrestling, with Oklahoma State and Iowa having won the most NCAA team titles of any other programs. Both are among the greatest freestyle wrestlers in history, and have been elected as Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Brands was a two-time World champion (1993, 1995) and won an Olympic bronze medal in 2000. Smith won two Olympic gold medals (1988, 1992) and four World titles (1987, 1989-91), stringing his six gold medals in consecutive years. Brands, who is the twin brother of Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands, is in his first season as an associate head coach with the Hawkeyes after serving as an assistant coach for 10 seasons. During his tenure at Iowa, Terry has helped the Hawkeyes win nine NCAA and Big Ten titles, while crowning 22 NCAA and 30 Big Ten Champions. The Hawkeyes have a dual record of 162-12-1 with Terry Brands on staff. Brands was a two-time NCAA champion, three-time all-American and three-time Big Ten champion for the Hawkeyes (1989-92) at 126 pounds. He ended his career at Iowa with a 137-7 record. He still ranks fourth in season wins (43 - 1990-91) and career record, fifth in career wins (137), sixth in career pins (48) and ninth in season pins (18 - 1990-91). He is one of 18 Hawkeyes to post an undefeated season record, going 35-0 in 1991-92.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- As one of his first official moves as head coach at Northwestern, Drew Pariano has added Jake Herbert, arguably the most accomplished wrestler in Wildcat history and a current member of the U.S. World Team, to the NU staff as a volunteer assistant coach. Herbert will be present in the NU wrestling room in September following his bid for a gold medal at the 2010 World Championships in Moscow. In his first trip to the World Championships as a member of the World Team in 2009, Herbert was the only American to reach the finals and compete for the gold, ultimately winning silver at the 84-kg weight class. "Jake Herbert is one of the most dominating wrestlers in the United States right now and has trained at the most elite levels for several years," Pariano said. "Having him in our room on a daily basis immediately elevates the competitiveness of our training. When it comes to mastering technique and thorough preparation for a match, Jake is one of the best mentors a college wrestler could have." "I'm thankful to Drew and Tim Cysewski for asking me back to be part of their team on a full-time basis," Herbert said. "I love Northwestern Wrestling and I never would have been so successful in college or on the international level without their assistance. We have a great team coming back this year so I'm excited to give back and do what I can to keep Northwestern among the best programs in the country." While at Northwestern, Herbert compiled a varsity record of 135-4 on his way to two NCAA championships at 184 pounds and becoming the second four-time All-American in school history. The native of Wexford, Pa., capped his career in 2009 by completing an undefeated 34-0 season and being named the recipient of the Hodge Trophy, the Heisman of college wrestling. Herbert has gained previous coaching experience as a featured clinician at Northwestern Wrestling camps and clinics and last season served as an analyst during the Big Ten Network's broadcast of the 2009 Midlands Championships.

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. As the 2010-2011 school year approaches, college recruiting for this year's seniors will begin to get into full swing in the coming months. This year's senior recruiting class is headlined by four wrestlers who are currently ranked as Top 100 recruits in the country according to InterMat. Conor Youtsey (Mason), Devin Pommerenke (Rogers City), Joe Rendina (Dundee), and Roger Wildmo (Durand) have all been dominant in the state of Michigan and have also been very successful at numerous major national events. After the top four, things get a little more dicey as we have a diverse group of wrestlers in this class, some who have gotten out nationally and made a name for themselves, and others who remain under a lot of people's radars. Read below for an in-depth breakdown of the Top 10 recruits coming out of the Great Lakes State. 1. Conor Youtsey High School: Mason Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Conor Youtsey (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)Analysis: 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. 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. 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. 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 and he has a 3.8 GPA. 2. Devin Pommerenke High School: Rogers City Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 285 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Analysis: D-Pomm has been a big name in Michigan wrestling since entering Rogers City High School as an oversized freshman a few years ago. He took some losses his freshman year, but since then all he has done is win and dominate, especially within the state. He has also proven himself against the nation's top heavyweights over the past couple offseasons. He won the FloNationals last spring, but his win at the Northeast Regionals was even more impressive as he knocked off two nationally-ranked heavyweights in Cadet National double champ Brooks Black of Pennsylvania (Blair Academy, NJ) and ASICS High School All-American Lance Moore of New York. Pommerenke is rare in that he is a can't-miss type heavyweight who is not only big, strong, and tough, but he has a lot of tools on the mat and has wrestled almost all his life. When times get tough he has tricks up his sleeve and he is capable of out-wrestling many big men who are all brute strength, with little technical skill. Throw in the fact that it is difficult for colleges to land many top heavyweights due to their playing football, and there is no doubt that D-Pomm is one of the top dogs in this class. He has already committed to Central Michigan where he will continue the long line of top Michigan heavyweight recruits wrestling in Mt. Pleasant (Bubba Gritter, Jarod Trice, and now Pommernke) 3. Joe Rendina High School: Dundee Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130/135 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: Rendina has been consistently performing well against the top guys in the country throughout his career. An injury kept him out of Fargo this year and hindered him a little at the Junior Duals, although he still went 6-2 with a couple big wins over Tyler Pendergrast of Delaware and former Fargo AA Jameson Oster of Illinois. A healthy Fargo for Rendina could have set him up for an argument to be No. 1. Prior to this summer he went deep into the bracket in Fargo every year, including last summer when he was a match from placing as a first year Junior. Last fall he placed sixth at the Super 32 Challenge and this spring he was on a roll before getting injured at the Junior Duals, winning Northeast and Central Regional titles with a few big wins, including a win over Joey Gosinksi in the Central Regional finals. Gosinski went on to place fifth in Fargo at Rendina's weight. Rendina has also been an All-American at FILA Cadets and he won the 2009 Western Junior Regionals in Vegas, so there is no way you can question his ability to compete with the best guys in the country. His length should make him tough to deal with in college, especially if he ends up at 133 pounds in college where most of his opponents will be short and stocky. In addition, he is very good on the mat, scrambles well, and has always competed year-round, so the transition to college wrestling and training should be no issue for Rendina. With all that being said the attribute that might help Rendina the most at the next level is his aggressive nature and his inability to stop attacking. He is always on the attack, always pushing the pace, and doesn't seem to be the kind of kid who will be intimidated or afraid to mix it up regardless of who he wrestles. 4. Roger Wildmo High School: Durand Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 140/145 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Roger Wildmo (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)Analysis: Like Rendina or Pommerenke, there could definitely be an argument for Wildmo as the top guy in this class. The only real difference between him and the three guys ahead of him is what happened over the summer. The top three all had very good summer seasons, while Wildmo has not competed since the FloNationals. He placed eighth at a very tough weight at the Super 32 last fall and he finished third at an equally tough weight at the FloNationals this spring. Wildmo has been one of the best wrestlers in the state for the past three years, winning a state title his freshman and junior years and falling to Ryen Nieman in a thriller his sophomore year. At the FloNationals he showed how dominant he can be on the mat as he man-handled nationally-ranked Jake Sueflohn of Wisconsin in the third-place match en route to a 6-2 win. Wildmo's lack of summer competition may keep him a little under-recognized nationally. However, he has proven his dominance in the state over the past two years as well as his ability to compete with and beat the best kids in the country. He is currently still rated by InterMat as one of the Top 50 recruits in the country and is considered a Top 20 140-pounder by just about every national poll. Also, let's not forget that he barely lost to Ryen Nieman, who left high school a few months ago widely considered one of the best wrestlers in the country, twice during his sophomore season and summer. Wildmo will definitely benefit from college riding time and has the skill set to contend for All-American status almost immediately in college. 5. Chris Rau High School: Dundee Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: Rau has been one of the top wrestlers in the state throughout his career and has really been on the map since his freshman year when he handed B.J. Suitor his first loss. He finally got the monkey off his back last year and won his first state title and odds are that he will win his second state title this year. He did a good job of getting out a lot nationally in the past year and while he failed to place or earn All-American status at any big time events, he fared well against many top name guys at the Americas Cup, Junior Duals, and Fargo. He has proven that he can hang in matches with these guys and that alone benefits him because college coaches know that he is not afraid to get out there and mix it up with the top guys in the land and that he is just a few adjustments away from beating some of those guys. As previously stated, his offense on his feet is dangerous and versatile and he is really capable of taking down anybody. At times he has a tendency to shut down a little in big matches. However, his wealth of national experience should do a lot for his confidence and I would not be surprised to see him breakout this year at a big time event, whether it be The Grappler Fall Classic, Super 32, or Senior Nationals. 6. Victor Vettese High School: Avondale Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: In terms of in-state success there are few people in this class who can match Vettese. His only career loss at the state meet was a good finals match last year to three-time state champ Tyler Keselring, who is now at CMU. Vettese has a long build and wrestles well from all positions. He is a pretty even-keeled wrestler who never seems to lose his cool or get rattled, which is something you like to see at the college level. The big question mark with Vettese is what kind of success he would have on the national level. He has very little out-of-state experience and has not really wrestled in any of the big time national events, which is what keeps him under a lot of radars and out of our top five. While he has not gotten out nationally, he has had close matches with Michigan guys who have had national success, such as Keselring and Alec Mooradian, so one might speculate that he has what it takes to compete with the nation's best. If he takes advantage of some preseason or postseason national tournaments he is capable of scoring some big time wins and seriously raising his stock. However, his in-state success alone should make him very attractive already for most schools. 7. Brandon Fifield High School: Leslie Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 119 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Brandon Fifield (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)Analysis: Fifield is an example of a kid who has multiplied his recruiting stock exponentially during the critical junior year. He won the 112-pound Division 4 state title this year in pretty dominant fashion, but perhaps his biggest accomplishment of the high school season was an overtime loss to Fargo double champ Freddie Rodriguez at the Williamston Classic. Rodriguez rallied in the third to tie the match and win in overtime, but Fifield's ability to compete with Rodriguez proved that he can wrestle with the best guys in the country. He fell a round short of placing at the FloNationals in a stacked weight class, but scored a big win over Greco All-American Alex Calandrino of Howell and lost a close match to Wisconsin state champ Ryan McQuade. In Disney he scored arguably the biggest win of his career, knocking off nationally-ranked George DiCamillo of Ohio. Much like Youtsey, Fifield's potential to be a lifer at 125 makes him valuable for college programs and he is a true mat rat who trains hard and wrestles with a lot of fire. 8. Camryn Jackson High School: Lansing Eastern Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: Jackson emerged as a top recruit this summer as he raised his stock immensely with a strong off-season of freestyle success. He went 7-1 at the Junior Duals and then put together the best couple days of wrestling of his career in Fargo to finish sixth and earn All American honors. After not making the state tournament until his junior season you would expect Jackson to still have a lot of room to grow and improve. With his athleticism and physical tools, he has the capability of developing into a solid college wrestler. He announced his commitment last week and will be wrestling for the University of Michigan, where he should benefit from All-American Kellen Russell and former No. 1 high school recruit Eric Grajales to work out with. Although this summer was the first time he broke out with big-time success, he has trained and competed year-round throughout his career, so the grind of college should be no issue for Jackson. 9. Justin Heiserman High School: Dundee Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Justin Heiserman (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)Analysis: Heiserman is probably the most athletic big man in this class and has been competitive as an upperweight throughout his career. He was a state runner-up as a sophomore at 189 pounds, which is impressive, losing only to two-time champ Kyler Elsworth of Goodrich. He climbed to the top of the podium last with his first state title and a strong showing at the Disney Duals moves him into the Top 10. He scored some quality wins in Disney, including a win over PA state champ Steve Ceremuga. If he can get out a little more nationally this year he has shown the potential to compete with the best in the country and could very well raise his recruiting stock. Regardless of his national success, he should finish his career as a two-time state champ and the top recruit coming out of Michigan from the 157 to 197 weight range. 10. Joey White High School: Dundee Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: White has consistently been one of the top lightweights in the state throughout his career. However, he has fallen just short of winning state titles and up until this summer, he has not done much nationally. However, this summer at Disney he made a statement for himself as a legitimate D1 college prospect, going undefeated with a few big wins including a win over three-time state champ Nick Smith of Ida in a rematch of this year's D3 state finals. In addition to knocking off Smith, who will be wrestling at Northern Illinois this fall, White also knocked off Fargo All-American Tyson Dippery of Pennsylvania and two-time Illinois state champ Topher Carton. White is a little guy who could possibly see time at 125 for a year or two if needed, but look will likely end up at 133 before it's all over. With his success in Disney, he should have now proven that he can compete with the top-tier kids in the country and should begin to open some collegiate options for him.

The initial recruiting class rankings for the 2010-2011 "wrestling calendar" were unveiled close to two months ago. Since mid-to-late June, many events within said calendar have happened -- including the Junior National Duals, AAU Scholastic Duals, AAU Junior Olympics, and of most importance "Fargo." Junior & Cadet Nationals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The Junior & Cadet Nationals, hosted by USA Wrestling in Fargo, ND, serve as arguably the pinnacle event for high school aged wrestling in the United States. Though the championships are contested in freestyle and Greco-Roman, as opposed to scholastic, they serve as a major opportunity for the best wrestlers from across the country to come together and battle it out for supremacy. Many of the key figures within the wrestling media community, along with a cavalcade of college coaches, witness the proceedings over seven days in late July. For those wrestlers that have previously gone unrecognized, or under-recognized, a strong performance in this event can serve as a major breakthrough within ranking circles -- and more importantly identification and recognition from prospective college coaches. The week in Fargo served as a breakthrough event for the four highlighted incoming seniors listed here and many others. Taylor Moeder (St James, KS) moves into the Top 100 for the Class of 2011 as the 81st ranked prospect. Moeder was 9-0 on his journey to a Junior National Greco-Roman title at 135 pounds, and only gave up two points during the course of the competition; either shutting out or securing a fall during 17 of the 18 periods he wrestled. In addition, he followed it up with a fourth-place finish in the freestyle competition, going 7-2 with his losses coming against a pair of 2009 Cadet National finalists. Matt Hickman (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)During the course of one Friday morning in Fargo, ND, Matt Hickman (Camarillo, CA) became more than just another state placer. Instead of being a "dime-a-dozen" type of prospect, with three consecutive high quality wins, his name hit the tip of major college wresting coaches’ tongues. After a 4-1 start to the competition, Hickman was able to rack up three period wins over Taylor Massa, Andy McCulley, and Ravaughn Perkins. Massa (St John’s, MI) is the top wrestler in the Class of 2012, and won a pair of Cadet National freestyle titles; McCulley is bound for the University of Wyoming, and was runner-up in Greco-Roman; while Perkins was one of the top wrestlers in the Class of 2010, and a two-time Junior National Greco-Roman champion. Despite then losing to Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) -- who is the nation’s top-ranked senior -- Hickman is now ranked 92nd among Class of 2011 prospects. After a 5-0 start to the Junior National freestyle competition at 145 pounds, Duke Pickett (Woodbery Forest, VA) found himself on the brink of elimination after a loss to Oregon native Zach Brunson. The situation looked pretty bleak, as the University of Minnesota bound Dylan Ness awaited on the horizon. However, Pickett pulled off one of the upsets of the tournament to clinch All-American status. That seventh place finish for Pickett, along with a runner-up finish at the National Prep Championships to Evan Henderson (Kiski Prep, PA) -- ranked 62nd in the Class of 2011 -- establishes his place in the rankings as the 93rd ranked prospect. Though already recognized as one of the nation’s better projected long-term collegiate 125-pound prospects, Earl Hall (South Dade, FL) was still outside the nation’s Top 100 overall recruits in his class. However, with an All-American finish in both tournaments at the Junior Nationals -- third at 112 pounds in Greco-Roman, and fourth at 119 pounds in freestyle -- Hall finds himself ranked 99th among all seniors-to-be. Ben Morgan (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Four names of note moved into the Class of 2012 Top 50 due in part to their performances during the championships in Fargo. Ben Morgan (Forest Lake, MN) recovered from a disappointing in-season state tournament and FILA Cadet Nationals to earn sixth in Junior freestyle at 125 pounds. A 2008 state champion and two-time Fargo All-American, Morgan is ranked 26th in his class. Gage Harrah (Crystal Lake Central, IL) recovered from a somewhat disappointing fourth-place finish in his state tournament with a terrific offseason. The 2009 Cadet National freestyle champion, finished as runner-up at the FILA Cadet Nationals and earned All-American status in Fargo with a fifth place finish in Junior freestyle at 215 pounds. Harrah is ranked 30th in his class. Doug Vollaro (Oviedo, FL) is another wrestler that has had a terrific offseason. He was an in-season state champion and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals runner-up at 285 pounds. That has been followed up with runner-up finishes in both styles at the FILA Cadet Nationals in Akron, OH and at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo, ND. All four losses in the championship match for Vollaro -- now ranked 46th in his class -- came against Brooks Black (Blair Academy, NJ); Black is ranked fifth in the Class of 2013. Finally, Greg Kuhar (St Edward, OH) earned the Junior National championship in freestyle at 285 pounds. Prior to Fargo, this wrestler was more known as being the younger brother of former Fargo champion Ben Kuhar -- who is now wrestling at Northwestern University. Prior to Fargo Kuhar finished in fourth place at his in-season state tournament, also finished in fourth place at the FILA Cadet Nationals, and was a Disney Duals bronze medalist. Now, Kuhar occupies the 50th and final spot in the Class of 2012 rankings. Despite the new rankings being a time for significant change within the ordering of the wrestlers, and with some new wrestlers entering the rankings, the top spot in all five groups remained unchanged. Still ranked first in their classes are Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) for the Class of 2011; Taylor Massa (St John’s, MI) for the Class of 2012; Bo Jordan (Graham, OH) for the Class of 2013; Chance Marsteller (Kennard-Dale, PA) for the Class of 2014; and Mark Hall headlines the list among wrestlers still in junior high. In examining the nature of the Class of 2011, wrestlers that will be shortly starting their senior year of high school, individuals competing for high schools in 29 or the 49 states to sanction scholastic wrestling find themselves among the Top 100 prospects. Though not having as dominant a senior class as last year -- not that says much -- 12 wrestlers competing for high schools located in the Keystone State find themselves on the list, which is the most of any state. Pennsylvania is followed by a rather strong California class, which has 11 of the Top 100 prospects in the Class of 2011. Nine wrestlers from the Land of Lincoln (aka, Illinois) are ranked; eight wrestlers each competing for high schools in Ohio and New Jersey are ranked; six wrestlers are ranked from the state of Iowa; and another five come from Minnesota. Another trend to note is the presence of 12 sets of high school teammates within the Top 100 list. Leading the way with four prospects is Apple Valley, MN -- as McCauley, No. 37 Matt Kelliher, No. 44 Jake Waste, and No. 50 Steven Keogh are all within the Top 50. There are three programs each with a trio of Top 100 wrestlers -- Monroeville, OH; Blair Academy, NJ; and Crystal Lake Central, IL. In fact three of the 11 best seniors-to-be attend little Monroeville High School in northern Ohio; No. 3 Chris Phillips, No. 7 Hunter Stieber, and No. 11 Cam Tessari. On the Blair Academy roster are No. 8 Austin Ormsbee, No. 14 Evan Silver, and No. 79 Caleb Richardson. For the Tigers of Crystal Lake Central, it is No. 45 Austin Marsden, No. 59 Joey Kielbasa, and No. 87 Trevor Jauch. Those with two ranked wrestlers include Waverly Shell-Rock, IA; Townsend, MT with twins No. 33 Jade and No. 63 Valyen Rauser; Calvary Chapel, CA; Selma, CA; Graham, OH; High Point, NJ; Southern Garrett, MD; and St James, KS. View InterMat Grade Level Rankings (Platinum)

Hello again Wrestling Fans. This week I'll be in Virginia announcing the Suzuki White Lightning Motorcycle Races and our producer Randy Crimmins will be hosting the first Best of TDR. We looked hard at the last several months and think you'll agree that these are some of the greatest moments from past TDR shows. Our guests include: Our very special Guests Include: Tony Ersland, Mo Lawal, Joel Greenlee, Brent Metcalf, Mike Kulczycki, Chris Pendleton, Joe Russell, Hudson Taylor. We'll be back next week with a brand new show. Wrestling fans- Episode 70 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!

Related: Inside Trip: Vietnam (Part 2) There's a new trend in fitness and wellness education that insists to be lean and happy, you need to understand how primal societies operated, in essences an anthropologically-based plan for diet and exercise. Primal eating plans, barefoot running, the ascension of Vitamin D for healthy lifestyles are just a few examples of anthropologically rooted sciences supporting a new way of living in the 21st century. Books like Christopher McDougall's Born to Run have created narratives for inspecting the roots of sport on human development and questioning what within modern life is important and what's frivolous. When it comes to being hip, all that's old is new again. Tim Foley stops for a quick beer on the Mekong. The rented scooter cost him $2.50 for four hoursThe American wrestling community has long considered its sport the world's most natural, organic (read: it's most vital). Put two toddlers in a crib and their first instinct isn't to blow up a ball and build equal size nets 100 meters apart; it's to lock up and grapple. The babies have fun, establish a social hierarchy and sharpen their endurance, balance and toughness (essential for the barefoot hunting). Does the wrestling community have it right? Does wrestling deserve an elevated role in modern society? Should the Think Primal community consider the role of wrestling on personal health, fitness and culture? How much of any culture's development can be traced to its relationship with wrestling? I don't know the answers and while starting my research into them I had to ship off to Vietnam as part of a month-long adventure vacation with some high school buddies. But asking these questions about wrestling's role in the primal discussion got me thinking about what I might find in Vietnam. I decided to start small: Does Vietnam have a tradition of wrestling? The Vietnamese government claimed the nation enjoyed a strong wrestling tradition and pointed to Lieu Doi, a small village in north Vietnam, as the country's center for the all things "vo vat" the Vietnamese name for their traditional form of wrestling. I was pleased to see the beginnings of a story and so I decided to test the voracity of their claim, and to either gain traction or lose interest in the idea of wrestling-based anthropological research. Thoang and I searched the Internet so he could understand what the hell it was I was keeping on about. After three days of travel from LA-Hanoi-Nam Dinh l'd ended up at a Catholic church in Lieu De talking with Thoang, a priest understudy, and the father of the church, who was serving me hot tea and cold beer. Lieu De, I was explained after arriving at the church, is a lovely town with many monuments and shops, a great place to visit. However, what I was looking for was Lieu Dei -- the previous day's navigators failing to accommodate for my subtle mispronunciation of a Vietnamese. It seems that Lieu Doi (pron: Lou-eh-Doy!) and Lieu De (pron: Lou-eh-Day!) are separated by one vowel and more than 120km -- hence my guzzling grog beneath a shrink-wrapped statue of the Virgin Mary. The Liue De townspeople had directed Tim Foley to the cathedral by clasping their hands together. Oddly, though, Tim knew what they meant. Then he saw these prayer hands as he arrived at the cathedral"Oh, Vo Vat," Thoang finally exclaimed. "You fight Vo Vat," I explained that I did and that I was there to see the Vietnamese people scrap it out. He grabbed my arms how he thought a wrestler might and began to chuckle. "Would a foot sweep be in bad taste?" I restrained myself and after some map-searching Thoang produced bus numbers and a translated outline of my project so as to quicken the delivery of my projects goals, which were simplistic: Find Lieu Doi and inspect its wrestling tradition. The day was getting long and I still had a three-hour bus ride to the next big city, surrounded by farmers and, oddly enough for a Communist country, a burgeoning homosexual community. I kicked off my shoes and bit into a dragon fruit. When I imagined Lieu Doi it looked a lot like the halls of Central Dauphin high school with herds of big-backed, cauliflower-eared teens. In reality I had the suspicion that the Vietnamese state had just promoted the wrestling program and annual Lieu Doi Wrestling festival as a piece of propaganda, the truth being known that the Vietnamese are not a presence on the Asian or International wrestling scene. Google "Vietnamese wrestling videos" and you get a blue singlet getting lifted, tossed and otherwise maimed by a Japanese opponent. I was thrown from the moving bus in Phu Ly, Ha Nam, a small industrial city 50k south of Hanoi. I set out to find a hotel for the night and a café to enjoy a late lunch of pork pho. I needed a taxi willing to explore the Vietnamese countryside. All this without a workable word of Vietnamese. I tried to order extra pork for my pho but was struggling more than Tom Brands in formal wear. Finally the shop's proprietor called into the restaurant and an attractive 20-year-old girl, Van (pronounced: Von) introduced herself in perfect Miley Cyrus english. She got me the extra plate of pork I'd been requesting and read my letter from Thoang to her father. "Yes" he said. "I've heard of the festival." I asked for directions and through Von he said, "There are two Lieu Doi's: One has many wrestlers, one doesn't. Which one, I don't know." The villages were 20 km in opposite directions. I chose south, hailed a taxi, and set off to find the last wrestling village in Vietnam. That is of course, if I guessed right. I spoke no English so I just kept repeating the name in three syllables 1:Lou 2: swallowed "eh" 3: Hard and rising: "DOY!" My cab driver, an intellectual lightweight in any country, refused to speak to me in anything other than really fast Vietnamese, so I repeated the one phrase I was sure to never mispronounce again. "Lou-eh-Doy!" Gibberish from the dolt. "Lou-eh- Doy!" More gibberish "Lou-eh-Doy!" He takes a right. After a few minutes listening to me yell, the Dolt adopts my style with villagers on bicycles and shop owners squatting by baskets of fruits and fresh cut meat, "Lou- Eh-Doy!?" he'd scream, and they'd wave their hands to go that way. Dolt would drive another forty feet and ask again. "Lou-eh-Doy!" he screamed again, and again he'd be sent in the same direction. It was Groundhog Day in Northern Vietnam and I was ready to grab the toaster. We finally took a hard left onto an elevated embankment used by motorbikes, our wheels just barely fitting atop the road. We're now in the middle of a rice paddy, green to the right, more to the left. When we find Lieu Doi it's the length of a short par four with one dirt trail the middle. Kids are playing with sticks, chasing each other and, like their father's in town, just squatting and chatting. Then I see one teenager with bowed legs and the cocky stride you get after elevating a person above your head, spinning him 180 degrees on his north-south axis and releasing him onto his dome. I sprung from the taxi and handed my letter to a group of boys lounging in hammocks. They laugh and exchange awkward glances with each other. At first I thought that Thoang had added a Vietnamese joke, but when I realize he's studying to be a priest I begin to wonder if I'm just in the wrong village or possibly just wrong about Lieu Doi and vo vat. The Lieu Doi Wrestling Arena used for both practice and the festival held in JanuaryI walk another fifty feet and cross an earthen bridge to a group of older men spreading gravel outside an old open-roomed school house. The first two men laugh like the boys, an attempt to disassociate from the moment. The third reads the letter carefully and points around the school house to the entryway of a 200x100 head high cement wall. As I walk towards the entry way I can see that the middle of poorly maintained grass lot is a 30-meter-wide earthen circle. A red sign, in Vietnamese (later translated) hovers above, reading "Wrestling Arena, Liue Doi" the other side, "Strong for the growth and protection of the country." I'm immediately swarmed by kids. Ten, twenty, thirty, like ants to a watermelon the strapped little fellas drew close and pawed at me. The mightiest of the bunch is a 150 pound shy teenager, the one I'd seen on the road. After some cajoling from his buddies he grabs a leopard print tee shirt from a much smaller kid and walks to the center of the arena. He's lean but strong with workman's hands. He breaks down into a stance is a little wider than shoulder width and his hands dropped straight down in front; the kid's all defense. Don't sleep on this kid's snatch single. Thankfully for Tim Foley, a 2004 All-American at the University of Virginia, he outweighed him by 30 poundsLieu Doi may or may not be the Atlantis of Asian wrestling, but out in the sun, one 30m circle among the rice paddies and various day jobs, provides these kids a chance to scrap -- kids like the one trying to hit a snatch single on my lead leg. Big time competitors like Jake Herbert didn't just wrestle in youth tournaments their entire life, that's not enough to place on the world stage. Jake and his ilk were home the other weekends laying brick and building houses for dads like Jim Herbert. And it was evident to me that somewhere in this village this kid had a Jim Herbert. He hits the snatch single. I got lazy with my lead leg and he's in deep and looking to finish. I whizzer and lay all my extra weight into his shoulder thankful for the extra serving of pork. He's certainly not polished but he fights for the finish and good head position. I bat his head a little, fake a front head and look for a snatch single of my own, only to be rejected. All defense. We roll a few more minutes but end our session when the sky begins its thunderous applause and ushers us out of the arena. We ran to the exit and my new buddy walked me to the taxi, a big ass grin on his face. I left the arena wanting more answers. Where did he learn to wrestle? Are there more wrestlers in town? What's the deal with the festival? I don't even know what rules he's using. Plenty to ponder, but I'd answered my first question and found wrestling in Lieu Doi, Vietnam.

Rob Hermann of Pensacola, Fla. has been named the head coach for USA Wrestling's Greco-Roman program at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University. Hermann is one of the most respected Greco-Roman coaches in the nation. He has served as a head coach for the 1996 Olympic team and assistant coach for the 2000 Olympic team, and has led numerous other U.S. teams at major international competitions. Rob Hermann“Rob and I have worked closely together for 14 years,” said National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser. “He has been a two-time Olympic coach and has coached many of the greatest wrestlers from our country. He will bring to Northern Michigan University his excellent coaching experience which will help the athletes to reach the next level. I am very excited that he will be part of our official USA Wrestling coaching staff.” Hermann will officially assume his duties at Northern Michigan University on August 16. He will work with Willie Madison, who remains the assistant coach for the Greco-Roman program there. “This is one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make. It is something I have not taken lightly. I am jumping into this with both feet,” said Hermann. “My expectation is not much different than the coaches before me. I will challenge the athletes to be at the top of their age groups, and if I can slide in some Olympic hopefuls, like Adam Wheeler, Harry Lester and Spenser Mango have been, that would be great. I have high expectations.” Hermann has been named as a World Team coach for the 2010 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team, which will compete at the World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 6-12. Hermann served as the head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, which won three silver medals at the Atlanta Olympic Games. The U.S. team won three silver medals at the Games, from Brandon Paulson (52 kg), Dennis Hall (57 kg) and Matt Ghaffari (130 kg). He was also the assistant coach of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, which won three medals in the Sydney Olympic Games, including Olympic champion Rulon Gardner (130 kg), silver medalist Matt Lindland (76 kg) and bronze medalist Garrett Lowney (97 kg). He was also head coach of the 1993 U.S. World Team, which was 14th at the World Championships. Hermann also was an assistant coach with the 1994 and 1997 U.S. World Teams. He was the head coach of the 1995 Pan American Games team which placed second. Hermann also served as head coach of the 1990 Pan American Championships team and the 1992 World Cup team. He was also coach of the 1991 and 1995 U.S. CISM World Military teams. Since 1983, he has served the head coach of the All-Navy team, where he has developed a number of nationally ranked athletes. Among the athletes he worked with was 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Adam Wheeler. He was named USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Coach of the Year in both 1992 and 1996. Hermann is a gold certified coach with USA Wrestling’s National Coaches Education Program, the highest level of achievement. As an athlete, Hermann competed on three U.S. World teams and won a bronze medal at the 1983 Pan American Games. He won four U.S. Senior national titles, and competed in five World Cups. During his career, Hermann was a CISM World Military champion, and captured 11 Armed Forces titles. He was named 1984 and 1992 Navy Athlete of the Year. Hermann was a 12-time All-Navy Wrestling champion. He hails from Crystal River, Fla., where he was a 1976 Florida state high school champion. In his military career, Hermann served in the U.S. Navy from 1976 through 1998, when he received an honorable discharge. A major part of his military service included coaching wrestling at the Olympic level. He was a Ship’s Serviceman from 1976-1987. He was converted to Master at Arms in 1987. Hermann served in the Security Department at NAS Pensacola from 1987-1993. He was assigned to NORU Recruiting Command from 1996-1998. He received two Navy Achievement medals and one Navy Accommodation medal while on active duty. “Rob has a great grasp of techniques that all of these young kids coming out of high school will need in Greco-Roman. He has a great sense of the game, with knowledge of what makes wrestlers successful. For many years, he worked with younger athletes through the U.S. Navy program. He also has experience in recruiting, which is an important part of this job. He will help our wrestlers who want to focus on becoming Olympic and World Champions some day,” said Fraser. Hermann becomes the fourth coach in the history of the USOEC Greco-Roman team since its inception, following Gordy Morgan, Ivan Ivanov and Dennis Hall as head coaches for the program. The USOEC program has produced numerous champion athletes for the United States on both the age-group and Senior levels. “I am going to approach it like I did with the Navy. I will teach Greco-Roman, the rules, the techniques and the strategies. I will treat it like my own Olympic team. I will hold them to that standard. I am used to this age group, since my Navy athletes were between 18-24 years old. Working in the college setting will be new to me. I am looking forward to this new challenge. I am very excited. With assistant coach Willie Madison on board, I think we can achieve great things,” said Hermann.

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- Randy L. Buhr’s foray into wrestling wasn’t exactly the smoothest, but in 10 years the Associated Director of Championships for the NCAA has become a very influential and important member of the wrestling community. For his efforts to improve the visibility, promotion and importance of college wrestling and its championships have been rewarded, as he was awarded the 2010 NWCA Dan Gable America Needs Wrestling Award. This award is to recognize those individuals who have given significant time and effort to the sport of wrestling. Those efforts must have had significant impact on the preservation or promotion of the sport. Under Buhr, who has worked at all three levels of NCAA wrestling championships, attendance and media exposure of the NCAA wrestling championship events has grown to new heights. The NCAA Division I championships have gone from the finals shown via tape delay to the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals being shown live on ESPN. Buhr, who joined the NCAA in 1999, has worked to bridge and foster relationships between existing wrestling organizations like the National Wrestling Wrestling Coaches Association, USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “Working with Randy on a variety of projects and initiatives has not only been beneficial to the NWCA, but to the heath of wrestling as a whole,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “Randy has adapted and learned the sport and its policy to the point that he became one of the sport’s biggest allies within the NCAA office. “His efforts are recognized with the Dan Gable America Needs Wrestling Award and we are pleased to honor his work over the past decade for the benefit of wrestling,” said Moyer. According to his peers, Buhr helped elevate the level of professionalism at the NCAA Championships and has been active on the board of USA Wrestling. He’s helped transform wrestling into one of the five revenue-producing championships the NCAA hosts annually. The NWCA has developed a very strong partnership with the NCAA and much of the credit can be given to Buhr. Seven of the 10 NCAA Division I Championships Buhr has overseen have drawn over 90,000 fans and on Buhr’s watch, a new all-time attendance record was also set. Buhr was also instrumental in spearheading the Division I qualification system.

Independence High School (IA) assistant wrestling coach Keith Donnelly and filmmaker J.D. Oliva 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. Keith Donnelly spearheaded an effort to produce a documentary about the 2009-10 Independence High School wrestling team. The premier of “Independence: Wrestling With A Community” will take place on Saturday, August 14 at the Starlight Cinema at 9:00 p.m. in Independence. J.D. Oliva’s company, Video Infinity, produced the Independence Wrestling documentary. Oliva has been involved with many projects and is currently working on a documentary about the road to the 2012 Olympics in London, England. Oliva was recently filming in Waterloo, Iowa and Colorado Springs, Colo., and will be attending the World Championships next month in Moscow, Russia.

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. Below is a look at the Top 10 high school senior recruits from Maryland's Class of 2011. Jakob "Bubba" Scheffel1. Jakob "Bubba" Scheffel High School: Southern Garrett Projected 10-11 High School Weight Class: 171 Projected College Weight Class: 174 Analysis: Winning titles at NHSCA Junior Nationals and two Mount Mat Madness tournaments, Scheffel is perhaps the most accomplished wrestler in Maryland heading into his senior season. He has placed in both styles in the Cadet division at Fargo, but did not attend the championships this past season. A determined wrestler with an excellent cradle, he is going for his third state title after finishing third as a freshman. 2. Patrick Downey High School: North County Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 184 Analysis: Downey has not lost a match in Maryland since his freshman year, after transferring from Mt. St. Joseph to public school. Riding a 69-match unbeaten streak, he is on pace to become a three-time undefeated state champion. He has earned All-American honors at several national tournaments with his upper-body style and great hips. Like Scheffel, he is also the quarterback on his school's football team. 3. Lex Ozias High School: Southern High (Southern-Garrett) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Ozias raised his stock nationally with his performance at Fargo this summer, earning All-American honors in both styles in the Junior division. Last season, he won a Mount Mat Madness title, Maryland's most prestigious tournament with an aggressive, attacking style fueled by offensive shots. Like teammate Scheffel, he is going for his third state title this winter. 4. Mat Miller High School: John Carroll Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Analysis: After redshirting a year, Miller captured his first state title last season as well as his first MMM title. He will look to duplicate those efforts this year, utilizing his punishing leg rides and body-scissors with which he's knocked off many nationally-ranked opponents. 5. K.K. Smith High School: Spalding Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 184 Analysis: Though he has yet to win a state title, Smith is one of top recruits in the state of Maryland. The two-time state finalist is best known for his explosive double leg, quickness, and raw athleticism which will translate well at the next level. Though still prone to rookie errors in judgment in big matches, Smith has one of the biggest upsides of any Maryland wrestler and is a favorite to win a state title this season. Mark Colabucci6. Mark Colabucci High School: Reservoir Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Analysis: Colabucci had a breakout season last year, going 44-0 and winning a state title. Constantly improving, he proved himself to be among the top wrestlers in the state when he defeated Old Mill's two-time state champ Ron Vaughters with some slick and funky moves, including a stud cradle that won him the match. 7. Ron Vaughters High School: Old Mill Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: A tough, physical bruiser, Vaughters is a two-time state champ, who will be heavily favored to win his third title next season. Known for staying in perfect position, and for his hard nosed, basic style, Vaughters burst onto the high school scene as a freshman and has only gotten better. He could join Scheffel, Downey and Ozias in all claiming their third state championships next season. 8. Bernard Wolley High School: Seneca Valley Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Analysis: Maryland has a long history of producing top heavyweight prospects (think, Tom Reese, J.R. Plienis, Mike Faust, Bode Ogunwole, Greg Forbes and DeShawn Barrett, among others). Wolley could be the next in that long line. Last season, he was the surprise winner of a stacked 215-pound state tournament in which he defeated defending champ Mwanza Wamulumba, who has the physique of a body-builder. Wolley used raw power, athleticism and superior balance to take home the title. That skill-set should serve him well with the right coaching at the next level. 9. Charlie Lynch High School: Spalding Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 140 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: Tough and skilled, Lynch was one of the most improved wrestlers in Maryland last season, during which he captured his first state title. Lynch will be shooting for a repeat performance, along with a National Prep title, as his team, Archbishop Spalding, emerges as a premiere program in the state. 10. Brady Massaro High School: Mt. St. Joseph Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Another wrestler who showed vast improvement last season, Massaro won a state title and earned cadet All-American honors at Fargo. Known for a vicious headlock and an attacking style, Massaro will be difficult to stop this season. Honorable Mention: Cole Gallagher (Spalding) Shane Arechiga (Good Counsel) Justin Kozera (Winters Mill) Josh Hamilton (Reservoir) Tyler Weedon (Catonsville) Kevin Johnson (Mt. St. Joseph) Parke Overmiller (Magruder) Jordan Tolbert (Magruder) Zach Eure (Parkside) Connar Zimmerman (La Plata)

Event: UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen Venue: Oracle Arena (Oakland, California) Date: August 7, 2010 After coming off a winning UFC 116 night of $458 in profit for InterMat readers, it will take a near perfect card to best that in a night full of great mixed martial arts fights for UFC 117. My record is well documented in the archives of this Web site. My mission is to find weaknesses in the oddsmakers' betting lines, and apply them to give InterMat readers an edge in making some additional money in UFC wagering. But ALWAYS remember that the first rule of gambling is to NEVER play with money you cannot afford to lose! For those who can afford to take chances, the challenge tonight will be to get our favorites through with victories, and hope that my handicapping skills and bookie-busting experience get the job done. Let's give it a shot. Tonight's featured match is the middleweight (185 pounds) championship as strong wrestler Chael Sonnen (26-10-1) tries to solve the Anderson "Spider" Silva's (26-4) pure dominance in the sport. The Spider has won all 11 of his UFC fights, never close to losing, and has become bored with the challenges. Coming off an embarrassing verbal taunting and easy decision of Damien Maia, a man who submitted Sonnen in the first round, Silva has been criticized and boo'ed for his lack of effort. All that will change tonight. As much as Sonnen has used his trash-talking technique to hype the fight, the truth of the matter is that Sonnen will find himself laid flat before the bell sound for the second round. Either a knee to the head from a bull-rush takedown attempt, or a triangle choke submission if he does get Anderson to the mat, will end this one quickly for Sonnen. He will look like a chump as the Spider raises his hand once more. Easy money. The bridge jump is warranted. Lay the lumber. I got on Spider at -400. Heavyweight killer Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos (11-1) has lightning quick striking and underrated jiu-jitsu skills. His opponent is the recently crowned TUF champion, Roy "Big Country" Nerlson (15-4), who despite his flabby, beer-gut appearance has lead in his fists and a surprising submission game the traps you under his brutal ground-and-pound. The winner may get a shot at the Brock Lesnar/Cain Velasquez winner, so much is at stake here. Tho' a bit steep in price, I'm taking athleticism here and dropping my dough on Dos Santos at -290. Cigano by first round TKO. When lightweights fight in the UFC, you can be guaranteed plenty of action. But when Clay "Tthe Carpenter" Guida (26-8) fights, you will think your TV remote is stuck in fast forward. He goes and goes and relentlessly goes, usually ending up bloodied for his efforts, but often with his raised as well. Brazilian Rafael Dos Anjos (14-4) brings a strong jui-jitsu game to an underrated striking attack. This fight is a candidate for "Fight of the Night," tho' I have other thoughts. In what is basically a toss-up fight, I will be making a small play on Guida at -110 to win a close decision. This should be an entertaining fight. In what I will be betting is the "Fight of the Night", welterweights Jon Fitch (25-3) and Thiago "Pitbull" Alves (22-5) will have rematch of a fight they had four years ago when surprisingly, Fitch gave Alves his only TKO loss. But Alves has progressed radically since that day, and I believe he will be hungrier to win the rematch, despite his failure to make weight! He now loses 20 percent of his purse as penalty, and this should make the Pitbull even more rabid! I like that. The winner gets a rematch for GSP's title, if he gets by Koscheck again. I respect the former Purdue wrestler's awesome UFC career, but tonight is not his night. Thiago Alves wins this one with a second round TKO at a bargain price of even money. Of all the betting lines that surprised me the most, this next fight caught me off guard. I thought the bookies would make welterweight UFC legend Matt Hughes (45-7) the favorite to defeat Ricardo "Big Dog" Almeida (12-3). UFC fan polling told me the same, as nearly 75% feel that Hughes should win the fight. So why did the oddsmakers open with Big Dog a -155 favorite? Because "Big Dog" is going to win, and the bookies know only the "smart money" will follow. And it has, driving the odds to Almedia -180 and beyond. I think Hughes has looked awful for about two years now. He will look like he should retire after Almedia makes him tap in the second round. Smart money is on Almedia minus whatever….. Now let's take a quick look at the exciting undercard … Welterweight Dustin Hazelett (14-5) will use his lanky frame and superior jits to submit Rick "The Horror" Story (10-3) with a second round triangle choke. He's a bargain at -115. How can you not like former wrestling bad guy from Oklahoma State Johny Hendricks (8-0)? He has been methodical in his destruction of opponents in the octagon. Apparently he wrestled tonight's opponent, Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman (12-1) back in 2004, but can't remember it. Hendricks can win this fight any way he wants. A small bridge jump at -400 will be in play here. I love welterweight Ben "Killa B" Saunders' (8-2-2) knees. They put money in my bank account, and will do so again tonight as they wipe out old veteran Dennis "Superman" Hallman's (64-13-2) chances of a UFC victory. Man, Hallman's had 80 mixed martial fights and his resume includes two victories over Matt Hughes on it! Who woulda thunk? One fighter is on the rise, the other is on the decline. Saunders cashes for me at -240 with a third round TKO over a game Hallman. Finally, 6'11" heavyweight Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve (23-4) will pick on someone almost his own size when he takes on undefeated (8-0) UFC newcomer, 6'8" Christian Morecraft, who hasn't had a fight outside of Massachusetts. Asking him to fight in Hell's Angels country in front of a sell-out crowd against such an experienced fighter won't bode well for the rookie. I like Skyscraper Struve, and am laying the reasonable -190. Middleweight Rodney "Shonuff The Master" Wallace was supposed to fight Stansilav Nedkov, but an injury to Nedkov put undefeated former Penn State Division I national wrestling champion Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis, into the cage with him. And, that's not a good thing. A vast reach advantage and superior skills will make this look easy for Davis. But at -700, I can't play it and will pass on the action here. Same with heavyweight bomb-throwers Tim Boetch and Todd Brown. Botsch went from a big underdog against Thiago Silva, to a big favorite over Brown, when Silva got injured and pulled out of the fight. I'm on the sidelines here, too. So, that's it 11 fights with action on nine. Let's now take a look at how we can wisely spread our betting action to maximize the profits of our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll. Let's lay $200 to win $ 50 on Anderson Silva to make a statement over Sonnen. Let's lay $145 to win $ 50 on Jr. Dos Santos to make Roy Nelson look over-matched. Let's lay $55 to win $ 50 on Clay Guida's energy and "no quit" fighting style. Let's lay $70 to win $ 70 on Pitbull Alves to dominate and get his revenge over Fitch. Let's lay $124 to win $ 80 on Big Dog Almeida sending Matt Hughes into retirement. Let's lay $92 to win $ 80 on Hazelett to win by submission, and wish we had bet some more! Let's lay $100 to win $ 25 on Johny Hendricks to stay unbeaten. Let's lay $95 to win $ 50 on Skyscraper Struve and his octagon experience. Let's lay $120 to win $ 50 on Killa B Saunders and his lethal Muay Thai. In all we are risking a dime ($1001) to win a nickel ($505) in gambler's lingo. It will take a near perfect effort on my part to do so, but that's what makes it so challenging. I like my sides more than my opponents. And, my money will do the talking. Let's not forget to share our winnings with your local youth wrestling programs, where tomorrow's champions are born. And, for crying out loud, guys, for all the winners I am giving you, there is no excuse for not reciprocating with an InterMat Platinum subscription (less than $35/year) to this outstanding Web site! So PLEASE sign up today, or you may find future picks no longer free of charge. Good luck and enjoy the fights! I know I will.

Steve Garland

Robbie Waller

Scott Moore Lock Haven University Sports Information It was announced today that long time Virginia assistant Scott Moore and his family would return to Pennsylvania. Moore will be added to Robbie Waller's staff as an assistant at Lock Haven University. Two-time All-American Scott Moore is marked his final season of coaching at Virginia and his second as the team's associate head coach this last year. With a vast array of experience as a coach and wrestler, Moore proved to be an invaluable asset to the Virginia program. Moore coached nine Cavaliers to ACC titles and 22 to berths in the NCAA Championships, including Chris Henrich, who became Virginia's first two-time All-America in 2009 and 2010. The Cavaliers won the ACC Championship in 2010 - UVa's first league title since 1977. Virginia also recorded a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2010, marking UVa's top finish at the national championships since 1957. The Cavaliers have earned Top-25 national rankings in each of the last two seasons - the program's first-ever national rankings. Moore is a master recruiter, helping Virginia bring in six-consecutive Top 25 recruiting classes, including Top 10 groups in 2007 and 2009. The 2007 class was ranked as high as fifth nationally, while the 2009 group was tabbed as high as sixth nationally. The results of Moore's efforts were especially evident over the last three seasons. In 2010, after falling short by two points in each of the previous two years, Virginia broke through and won the ACC Championship as Henrich and Mike Salopek each won individual crowns. Behind Henrich's third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, UVa notched 15th place - tops among ACC schools. Brent Jones also won the Gorrarian Trophy at the NCAA Championships, becoming the first Cavalier to do so since Moore in 2004. In 2009, despite a slew of injuries, Virginia took second at the ACC Championships with three individual champions (including tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler Brent Jones) and then qualified a school-record seven wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. In 2008 Moore helped UVa to a school-record 18 dual wins, two ACC champions and three NCAA qualifiers. Moore, one of 11 UVa All-Americans all-time, turned in one of the most prolific wrestling careers after just one season as a Cavalier. In 2003-04, Moore etched his name into numerous categories in the UVa wrestling record book. Moore finished his dominant season with a record of 51-1 overall and 17-0 in dual matches with 34 of his wins (65 percent) coming by fall. He shattered both the UVa single-season and career record for most falls in just one year. Moore's 51 single-season wins rank first all-time at UVa and his 17 dual match wins are the third-best mark at UVa. His .981 winning percentage is the second-best winning percentage for a single season at Virginia. This also marked the second season that Moore led the nation in pins and wins. Moore finished third in the 2004 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, was ranked No. 1 in the country for most of the season and was the top seed at 141-pounds at the NCAA Championships. He was named ACC Wrestler of the Week four times during the season and was awarded ACC Wrestler of Year for his efforts. Moore also won all seven regular season competitions in which he competed, including the Michigan State Open, Cornell Body Bar, Mat Town Invitational and prestigious Southern Scuffle. He also won his match at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic against reigning national champion Teyon Ware. Moore was also awarded the Gorrorian Award for the most falls in the least amount of time at the NCAA Championships. Moore began his wrestling career at Penn State (1999-2003) and went 125-42 over four years of competition (including one medical hardship season). In 2002-03, he set the NCAA record for most matches competed (63) and set a PSU school record for most wins a single season after going 54-9 with 24 falls during an All-America season for the Nittany Lions. Moore also is the single-season leader in falls for Penn State with 24 and second in career falls with 34 in three seasons. Moore claimed the Big Ten championship in 2003 before placing fourth at the NCAA Championships and leading his team to a sixth-place national finish. In 2003 and 2004 he was awarded the Wade Schalles Award, given to the nation's top pinner. He and his wife, Sherry, will reside in rural PA. They are the parents of a daughter, Sloan.

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 Barry Davis- Wisconsin's head man joins us to talks recruits and preparing for fall 9:20 Carl Adams-Boston's Head Coach joins us to talk about his evolving program 9:40 Gary Abbott- Gary will review the JR. Worlds that took place in Budapest, Hungary 10:01 Dr. Craig Sesker- Joins us to review Fargo and discuss his new book about Bobby Douglas 10:15 Ryan Irwin- founder of Nutrisport and Full Potential Training 10:25 Al Bevilacqua- co-founder of Beat The Streets will update us on the Living The Dream Medal Fund and the coming USA Wrestling Telethon 10:40 Nate Yetzer- assist coach at Virginia Tech. joins us to discuss new facilities and the new building at Virginia Tech. Wrestling fans- Episode 69 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 TDR on Internet: 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!

John Clark

Jordan Burroughs

Erik Paulson and Matt Granahan, authors of a new wrestling book called “Rough and Tumble: The History of American Submission Wrestling,” will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, August 4. “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. Paulson and Granahan recently co-authored a book on the history of American submission wrestling. The book explores many of the great names associated with college, international, submission and professional wrestling. Paulson currently trains mixed martial arts fighters in California.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team has had a busy summer in 2010, scoring awards, filling some roster spots and working hard in the classroom and on the mats. The most notable achievement of the summer was rising sophomore Cashé Quiroga adding to his 2010 accolades with NWCA Freshman All-Academic honors. Quiroga’s achievement gives the Boilermakers their fourth all-academic honoree for the 2009-10 season, tying for the most by any school in NCAA Division I. The Purdue quartet matches five other institutions, including Big Ten rival Ohio State University. The rest of the list is made up of American, Edinboro, Chattanooga and future conference foe Nebraska. Quiroga is the second Purdue rookie to earn first-year honors in the three-year history of the award, joining junior teammate A.J. Kissel. The Boilermakers have had two exciting announcement in regards to the 2010-11 roster, receiving a medical hardship from the NCAA and adding another member to this year’s already outstanding recruiting class. Senior Sam Patacsil will have one more chance to add to the family legacy as he is the beneficiary of an extra year of eligibility due to major injuries in his collegiate career. Patacsil is 38-22 (after the removal of limited stats in 2008-09 due to the medical redshirt) in his career, including an 18-11 mark at 149 and 157 pounds last season. He joined his father, Frank Patacsil, and brother, Jake Patacsil, on the Boilermakers’ single-season and career record lists for back points last year, posting 79 on the season (12th in single-season history) and 141 for his career, tied for ninth all-time. Fort Wayne, Ind. native Brock Norton is the latest Boilermaker signee, signing a national letter of intent and ready to join the squad this fall. Norton won the 2010 Indiana High School State Championship at 135 pounds, finishing the year a flawless 39-0 at Carroll High School. He’s the second 2010 state champion to sign with the Boilermakers, joining Lawrence North High School’s Brandon Nelsen, and is projected to wrestle at 141 for the Old Gold and Black. While the Boilermakers have a pair of solid additions in Patacsil in Norton, they suffered a loss in the departure of three-year assistant coach Glen Lanham. Lanham left West Lafayette this summer, accepting an assistant coaching position at Duke University under head coach Clar Anderson. The move is a homecoming of sorts for Lanham, who came to the Boilermakers from North Carolina in 2007. Purdue is currently still in the search process for an assistant coach and will announce the new hire when the decision is reached by the coaching staff and administration. The Boilermakers have announced their 2010-11 schedule as well in the past few weeks, putting together one of their most impressive lineup of opponents and events in school history. Purdue opens its season at Edinboro on Nov. 6, where the Boilermakers will face the host Fighting Scots and Hofstra University, kicking off the year with a dual bout for the first time since 2004-05. Those will be followed by Michigan State’s annual open tournament on Nov. 13 and a dual contest with Calumet College of St. Joseph on Nov. 20, before the Boilermakers head back to the desert for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 3-4. Purdue welcomes perennial Big 12 power Missouri to Holloway Gymnasium for its home opener on Dec. 12, and opens the Big Ten Dual schedule the following weekend, heading to Champaign, Ill., for a contest with the Fighting Illini on Dec. 19. Purdue will skip the Midlands Championships for the first time since 2004, replacing the event with one of greater prestige in the 2011 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. It will be the Boilermakers’ third trip in school history to the outstanding event, returning after back-to-back invitations in 1992 and 1993. This year’s field is as loaded as ever, currently projected to feature Boise State, Central Michigan, Cornell, Iowa State, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio State, Oregon State, Northern Iowa, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. The Boilermakers restart the conference schedule at Michigan on Jan. 14, followed by a non-conference spat with Kent State and Ashland at the Wendy’s Classic in Ashland, Ohio the next day. The remainder of the slate rolls out in Big Ten fashion with contests at Northwestern and Wisconsin, at home against Minnesota, Michigan State and Indiana and Purdue’s second straight neutral-turf bout with defending national champion Iowa. The Purdue wrestlers report to campus with the rest of the student body in late August and will officially begin practice in October.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Heath Eslinger announced the 2010-11 schedule today. Highlighting the slate are three opponents that finished in the top-25 at last year's NCAA Championships, including a Nov. 26 trip to three-time defending NCAA Champion Iowa. The Mocs are set to host five home matches, face eight opponents on the road and compete in one dual tournament and three open events. UTC opens the season with the annual Blue & Gold Match on Thursday, Oct. 28 at Maclellan Gym. "I am excited about this year's schedule," stated Eslinger who is entering his second season as coach of the Mocs. "I would like to have one more home match, but we have a chance to wrestle Iowa that we cannot turn down. They are going to give us a return date in one of the next two years, so that makes our future home schedule look even better." The regular season begins with a match against Kent State on Nov. 6 in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Golden Flashes finished 25th at last year's NCAAs. Chattanooga continues the weekend swing with the Hokie Open in Blacksburg, Va., on Nov. 7. The Mocs open the regular season home schedule with a Nov. 7 double header against Liberty and Cumberland. Action begins at 2:00 p.m. in Maclellan Gym. UTC will be on the road for the rest of the calendar year with trips to Gardner-Webb and the ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Nov. 20-21. The visit to the Hawkeyes closes out the November action. Chattanooga's two dates in December include a west coast swing to Stanford on Dec. 18 in Palo Alto, Calif. The Mocs will also take part in the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 19 in Reno, Nev. The new year begins with a Jan. 3 match at Ohio. The Mocs will also take part in the Virginia Duals on Jan. 7-8 in Virginia Beach, Va. UTC ends the long road swing with a Jan. 15 trip to Missouri. The Tigers finished 10th at last year's NCAA Championships. The Mocs' return home on Jan. 30 to face Southern Conference foe The Citadel at 2:00 p.m. in Maclellan Gym. They are back on the road Feb. 5-6 with back-to-back matches at UNC Greensboro and Appalachian State. The regular season concludes with a pair of SoCon home meets. The Mocs host Davidson on Feb. 13 and VMI on Feb. 20. Both matches are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Maclellan Gym. Appalachian State will serve as the host for the 2011 SoCon Championships on March 5 in Boone, N.C. The NCAA Tournament is set for March 17-19 in Philadelphia, Pa.

Hype: Webster's Dictionary defines it as, "Excessive publicity and the ensuing commotion." Phil DavisThat is how one could describe MMA rising star Phil Davis. But Davis' impressive wrestling credentials (NCAA champion, four-time All-American) and fast start in MMA (6-0) have even the toughest of critics singing praise and believing that the former Penn State wrestling standout is much more than just hype. "When it comes to athleticism, he's like a bigger version of GSP (Georges St. Pierre, UFC welterweight champion and world-renowned fighter)," said Joe Rogan, UFC color commentator. High praise for a man who has only two fights in the UFC. The 25-year-old Davis is scheduled to fight Rodney Wallace on Saturday at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. He took the fight on two week's notice. Most fighters prefer eight-week training camps before stepping into the Octagon. So why did Davis take the fight? "The UFC likes guys who step up," said Davis. "I am one of those guys. The UFC respects guys who fight last minute." Phil Davis (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)His quest to succeed in the MMA world is not uncommon among high-level wrestlers. After winning the 2008 NCAA Division I title at 197 pounds, Davis continued his MMA training at the Central Pennsylvania Mixed Martial Arts Center that actually started while still in college on the Penn State campus. After training under Lloyd Irvin, Davis won a gold medal at the No Gi World Jiu-Jitsu Championships on November 7. But it's an accomplishment Davis would rather not focus on. "I don't consider myself a World champion," said Davis. "There were a lot of slick guys that weren't in the tournament." Nonetheless, after four wins in smaller MMA venues with wins coming by decision, TKO (twice) and submission, Davis got his break when he was placed on the UFC 109 card against Brian Stann in February. Davis dominated Stann in the fight. He was close to getting a submission several times throughout the fight, but settled for a unanimous decision. Yearning to finish a fight and learn from his first fight, Davis fought Alexander Gustafsson two months later in Abu Dhabi at UFC 112. Davis dominated again, earning the aforementioned praise from Joe Rogan and finishing the fight before the first round ended with a D'Arce choke. Phil DavisNow, four months later and on short notice, Davis will try for his third UFC win at UFC 117. A win this Saturday will only feed the fans who are already clamoring for Davis to fight big names in the UFC light-heavyweight division. "People tell me that there is hype, but I don't read that stuff," said Davis. "I'm not on the Net feeding it or my ego." As a former NCAA Division I wrestling champion, Davis has been successful incorporating his wrestling into his MMA game, but it hasn't been as seamless as one would think. Davis missed a few takedown attempts in each of his first two UFC fights. He addressed it in his post-fight interview, calling it "not acceptable." His coach, Lloyd Irvin, shared a story about Davis' early MMA days. "I let him wrestle with Brandon Vera a while," said Irvin. "Vera, a former wrestler with the Air Force Academy, struggled to stay with him. Davis was all over him. In the next session, I put him with Vera again, but this time in a cage. I saw his eyes open up. It's a different ballgame and he was trying to adapt on the fly." Davis further explains the difference. "I don't mean to sound cliché, but it's so different wrestling in a cage opposed to a mat," said Davis. "In wrestling, most of those takedowns, I'm going to complete them. In the Octagon, they can use the cage to stop my leverage and suddenly stop my momentum." The difference from the cage to the mat notwithstanding, Davis also has a much different mentally in MMA than in wrestling. "When I was wrestling, I was really confident," said Davis. "I knew that nine out of 10 times, I was going to thrash my opponent. In MMA it can get a little frustrating. I'm trying to be patient and stay humble. I was a winner in wrestling. At times in MMA, I'm like, 'I'm really bad at this.'" Davis, who signed a four-fight deal is on the cusp of winning his third fight, earning more respect from the promotion for taking it on short notice, and could be in line for a pay raise after his current contract is up. While some feel that MMA is hurting Olympic wrestlers, Davis is an advocate for a wrestler doing what he or she needs to do. Phil Davis (Photo/Sherdog.com)"Wrestling is the greatest sport there is, but we work way too hard and way too long not to have an opportunity to make a living with the skill set we worked on our whole lives. "The top guy in our country isn't getting paid what you can make in MMA unless he wins the gold medal. (Davis' former wrestling teammate with the Angry Fish Wrestling Club, Jake Herbert, won a World silver medal in 2009 and earned $25,000.) You have to be the best in the world. All wrestlers should take whatever opportunity they can to provide for their families. There are too many good guys." When asked if a professional wrestling league could co-exist following the MMA model, Davis makes a valid point. "The market is almost too saturated now," said Davis. "People want to see wrestlers wrestle and punch guys in the face. It's too closely related now. It's too bad. The opportunity is past now." Humble, shy, a team player ... Hardly a formula for the nickname "Mr. Wonderful." He is a few wins from earning big pay day, higher rankings, and about all things a top prospect is going to be rewarded. So how did he get a self-righteous nickname? Phil Davis"Like most nicknames, it was given to me and I just went with it," said Davis. Now training with the American Kickboxing Academy in California, Phil Davis is the future of the UFC light-heavyweight division, along with former wrestlers Ryan Bader and Jon Jones. All former All-American wrestlers. All undefeated in MMA. And all on the rise to MMA stardom. UFC President Dana White recently told Takedown Wrestling Media's Scott Casber, "One of the things you absolutely, positively better have is wrestling to be a well-rounded fighter in MMA. It's the future." Davis' response to hearing this: "Well, I don't want to be arrogant and say he's totally correct. I am a former wrestler, so I will leave it at this ... He is the boss, so what he says is correct," Davis said chuckling. Laughing matter or not, wrestlers are the future of MMA, and Davis is just one shining example. For all the latest news on Phil Davis, follow him on Twitter or visit his blog. For all things MMA, follow Tony Nguyen on Twitter.

By the numbers, the second Adam Frey Classic, held July 17 at Rider University in New Jersey, was a success. Over 1,000 fans watched 19 exhibition matches featuring 38 of the top current and recent college mat talent ... raising over $15,000 for the Adam Frey Foundation. Photo/Danielle HobeikaBut numbers don't tell the whole story. The event was intended to honor the memory of Adam Frey, Cornell University wrestler who was diagnosed with testicular cancer days after the 2008 NCAA Division I championships. The 23-year-old Big Red wrestler passed away the day after Christmas 2009. The first Adam Frey Classic, conducted last August at Alumni Gym at Rider, was the brainchild of Frey and Josh Liebman, a former coach who is on the board of directors for the Adam Frey Foundation. The Foundation was established to provide for the needs of cancer patients beyond research or medical care. As Liebman described it, "We donate food cards, money to pay bills, whatever it takes for patients and their families to be comfortable while the patient is in the hospital." "It all came from Adam being in the hospital, watching the family of another patient split a hamburger four ways because that's all they could afford. Adam felt blessed to be part of a family that didn't have to worry that way, and wanted to see about helping others not as blessed." "The Foundation was all Adam's doing. It was very important to him." Last year, the Adam Frey Foundation was the top contributor to Pittsburgh's Hillman Treatment Center -- one of the facilities where Frey received treatment for his cancer --for what they call patient services, i.e., non-research-related donations. Brothers in the battle Josh Liebman has known Adam Frey for years. The two first met when Liebman was a freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling coach, until he was disabled in a car accident. Ray Brinzer and Josh Liebman (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)"He and I became close on a road trip to Brockport," Liebman disclosed. "I couldn't sleep, so I went across the street to Tim Horton's at 2 a.m., and Adam was there with a box of a dozen donuts. We stayed there talking till 5 a.m." "I have a lot of health issues myself. But, when Adam would come out of chemo, he'd ask how I was doing." "He was very compassionate." That compassion -- and passionate love of the sport of wrestling -- led Adam Frey and Josh Liebman to join forces to create the first Adam Frey Classic in 2009. "When we started the event last year, we wanted to go beyond merely raising money," said Liebman. "He wanted a relaxed event, a chance for him to catch up with his friends in wrestling, and have fun." "After the matches last year, Cindy (Adam's mom) had to pull him out of the hospitality room. That's how much he enjoyed seeing everyone." Creating a template for success That first Adam Frey Classic was a tremendous success in terms of raising funds for the Foundation (a reported $15,000) ... and for bringing together the wrestling community. "Last year, I had to contact everyone (wrestlers and coaches)," said Liebman. "This year, I had a core group of participants from last year. It was a lot easier to put together." That's not to say there weren't challenges at the second Adam Frey Classic. There were issues with the sound system, and last-minute match changes that are par for the course with any all-star event like this. Billy Ashnault vs. Mark McKnight (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)"One of our heavyweights wasn't able to come," said Liebman. "We found out late. I asked if the Rider heavyweight was on campus, but he wasn't. Found out Steve Mocco was planning to come to the event. I called him, and he showed up to wrestle." "Mark McKnight was scheduled to be a clinician. At the last moment, he stepped up to wrestle Billy Ashnault, giving up 25 pounds, and just coming off shoulder surgery." As Liebman was quick to point out, the wrestling matches at the second Adam Frey Classic were strictly an exhibition. The matches were shorter than a regulation college bout, with a two-minute first period, followed by two one-minute periods. This was all with the idea that it was summer ... the wrestlers would not be in prime, peak-of-the-season condition ... and it was all for fun. The four-minute matches also made it possible for there to be more matches -- nineteen in all. The fact it was an exhibition doesn't mean there wasn't real wrestling. There was. "The guys wrestled competitive but not with the intensity of the NCAAs," according to Liebman. "Guys opened up and wrestled. Egos were put aside." "They wrestled hard but still had fun. You should've seen the smiles on their faces." "There's a level of competition, but it's all for fun, for the love of the sport, and for the love of Adam." A who's who of college wrestling The second Adam Frey Classic was a who's who of decorated collegiate wrestlers, as well as some recent grads -- "all exciting, entertaining wrestlers," as Liebman described them. A number of the competitors knew Adam Frey -- a native of Pittsburgh -- from his days at Blair Academy in New Jersey, or from his career at Cornell. Steve Mocco vs. Zach Rey (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)Among the matches with the greatest "star-power": Two-time NCAA heavyweight champ Steve Mocco, a Blair alum who wrestled for the University of Iowa and Oklahoma State, stepped in to take on 2010 NCAA All-American Zach Rey of Lehigh. Hudson Taylor, University of Maryland's first three-time All-American, wrestled newly crowned 184-pound national titlewinner Max Askren of the University of Missouri. And in a battle of NCAA lightweight champs who originally hail from the Garden State, Penn's Matt Valenti went up against Joe Dubuque of Indiana University. "Every one of the guys who participated is a class act," said Liebman, with sincere appreciation. "I know we're competing with the beach, vacations, summer wrestling camps to get these guys, so we're thrilled to have the level of participation we got." In a message posted at his Facebook account, Josh Liebman wrote, Thanks for all the support at last week's Adam Frey Classic. It was a great event and was great to see all those top-notch wrestlers come out and put egos aside in the name of friendship and paying respect to Adam. Everyone did a great job but I want to give a special thanks to Mark McKnight and Steve Mocco, Mark Rappo and Pat Stritski for stepping up to fill spots and put on a great show for everyone. I know the day meant a lot to me personally and it meant a great deal to the Frey family. I am working very hard to make each year better than the last. Hope to see everyone next year. From what Josh Liebman said in the interview for this article, his wish may be granted. "Matt Cathell called me on his way home, saying how much fun it was, and he wants to be here next year." "J.P. O'Connor told me he plans to bring his Harvard teammates next year." Wrestlers, coaches and fans can go ahead and mark their calendars. The third Adam Frey Classic will be held the second Saturday in July -- July 9, 2011 to be exact -- at Alumni Gym at Rider. You can expect a great day of wrestling, all for a great cause. Results: Patrick Hunter dec. Ross Gitomer, 2-0 (OT) Steve Mocco dec. Zach Rey, 1-0 Boris Novachkov dec. Steve Mytych, 6-0 Jared Platt pinned Harry Turner, 2nd Period Dan Rinaldi dec. Scott Giffin, 5-3 PJ Gillespie dec. Ryan LeBlanc, 3-1 Matt Cathell maj. dec. Franklin Meile, 11-0 Kellen Russell dec. Mike Rappo, 3-1 Steve Bell dec. John Trumbetti, 7-2 Mark Rappo dec. Pat Strizki, 4-3 Rollie Peterkin dec. Steve Bonnano, 3-0 Billy Ashnault dec. Mark McKnight, 4-3 Mario Mason dec. Alex Krom, 3-2 JP O'Connor maj. dec. Richard Santiago, 8-0 Danny Lopes dec. James Fleming, 1-0 Alex Caruso dec. Rob Morrison, 3-2 Hudson Taylor dec. Max Askren, 2-0 (OT) DJ Russo dec. Jim Powers, 1-0 Joe Dubuque dec Matt Valenti 3-1 Photos (by Danielle Hobeika): http://adamfrey.us/?p=603

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University wrestling head coach Clar Anderson has announced the addition of Glen Lanham as an assistant coach to the program for the 2010-11 season. Lanham will assist Anderson in all facets of the program and will take a lead in the Blue Devils' recruiting efforts. He also will work closely with the middle and upper weight classes. Lanham joins the Blue Devils after three seasons as an assistant coach at Purdue University of the Big Ten Conference. Possessing a wealth of experience in coaching wrestling at all levels, Lanham helped head the Boilermakers' recruiting efforts and worked closely with the middle weight classes. "We are very excited to have Glen join our program here at Duke," Anderson said. "He brings with him a lot of experience at all different levels and I know that will be instrumental in Duke's success on the mat. His recruiting and coaching resume speaks for itself and he will have an immediate impact on the Blue Devil wrestling program." Lanham quickly impacted the Purdue program, helping several Boilermakers to breakout seasons. He mentored a selection of student-athletes to the NCAA Championships during his three seasons. Under Lanham's watch Luke Manuel earned three bids to the NCAA postseason and climbed to as high as fifth at 174 pounds. The Boilermakers' last two recruiting classes have garnered a wealth of national honors with help from Lanham, including the nation's No. 12 class from InterMat.com. It marked the second straight top-20 national recruiting class for the Boilermakers as they reeled in three of the nation's top-100 ranked recruits, including a pair of 2009 USA Wrestling Junior national champions. Prior to his three years at Purdue, the former Oklahoma State competitor coached at the University of North Carolina for four years. With the Tar Heels, Lanham also worked closely with the middle to upper weight classes and headed their recruiting efforts. In his time in Chapel Hill, Lanham tutored four Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Champions and nine NCAA Championships qualifiers. He also went to great lengths to improve the Tarheels' program, bringing in an Intermat Wrestling Top-25 recruiting class in 2006-07. Prior to UNC, Lanham worked as a high school teacher and wrestling coach in Oklahoma from 1991-2003. He was at Midwest City High School for seven years, where he mentored several state champions and sent them on to prestigious college programs. While at Midwest City, he was also volunteering his time at Oklahoma University with several All-Americans. Lanham served as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State University (OSU) from 1988-1991, helping the Cowboys to a pair of NCAA Championships. As a college competitor, he garnered All-American honors at both OSU and the University of Tennessee, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in human service with an emphasis in juvenile counseling in August of 1988. He competed internationally post-college as a member of the Sunkist Kids team and was freestyle wrestling All-American.

The University of the Cumberlands men’s wrestling program is one with a rich tradition of NAIA All-American athletes, NAIA National Champions, and numerous NAIA Academic All-Americans that have filled the program over the past years. That success is due to the diverse talent that is recruited across the country by a top notch coaching staff. The University of the Cumberlands (UC) wasted little time in continuing to support this tradition of excellence by announcing today the hiring of Matt Lowers as the head coach of the men’s wrestling team. Lowers is a native of Wadena, MN where he was an All-State athlete while competing in wrestling, football, and track and field for Wadena-Deer Creek High School. After suffering a severe neck and back injury in high school, Matt attended Concordia College where he was graduated in 2006 with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in coaching. “I am humbled and honored to be named the head coach at the University of the Cumberlands,” said Lowers. “I am excited to get to work with the athletes and begin working towards helping them reach their individual goals which will in turn result in the team reaching our goals.” Lowers will lead UC after having served the past two years as a graduate assistant at St. Cloud State University. Before joining that staff, Lowers was with the 2007 National Champion University of Minnesota Wrestling team staff. Matt joined the Gophers in 2006 when the team captured the Division I National Dual Team Championship, Big Ten Championship, and finished second at the NCAA’s. In 2007 the Minnesota Wrestling team repeated as National Dual and Big Ten Champions and also won the NCAA’s for the third time in school history. While also serving as an assistant with the University of Minnesota’s wrestling team, Matt worked as the Director of Wrestling Operations for J. Robinson Intensive Camps. J. Robinson Intensive Camps have set the standard for intensive camps while training over 3000 athletes each summer. Prior to his time with the Gophers and J. Robinson Camps, Matt spent three seasons as an assistant at his alma mater Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. In his final two seasons at Concordia, Lowers was able to work with Minnesota and North Dakota Hall of Fame Coach Clay Nagel. During those two years with the Cobber’s, Matt played a significant role in helping Nagel by more than doubling their roster size and equaling the schools highest ever dual meet win record. During this time, Lowers also served as the Director of the Cobber Wrestling Camp which, in its first two years of operation, averaged over 285 campers per year while bringing in a world class staff. Lowers has not had a chance to meet with many of the players as of yet, but he will be getting acquainted with his team in the near future as he gears up for the move to Williamsburg and a Mid-South Conference championship season. For more information on the Patriots’ wrestling team as well as other Patriot athletics, please visit www.ucumberlands.edu/athletics.