InterMat Staff

Event: UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena Date: May 29, 2010 Coming off a rare brutal performance in UFC 113, the UFC Monster isn’t too excited about tonight’s mixed martial arts card from a gambler’s point of view. With the exception of the main event, the much awaited hate-fest between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad “Suga” Evans, there appears to be little betting value with many high-priced favorites and few barking ‘dogs. So, we will keep this short and simple. If you follow my plays tonight, you will be laying an average of $2 for every $1 you want to make. And, you will need to win more than two out of three fights to make any money. If you continue to read this article, you will be risking your hard-earned cash to bet that eight (8) out of the eleven (11) fights listed below will go the way that I predict ... If that it too steep for you, then please move on, and find any Mark Palmer article to read on this Web site. Mark is a great contributor to this Web site. He knows and respects the history of wrestling. You will benefit from his knowledge. Now, on to the fights ... Take Rashad Evans (19-1-1) at –115 to take care of business with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (30-7). Rashad is the better athlete. Rampage hasn’t fought in 15 months, due to making a movie after a mental meltdown a few months before. Rampage was the early favorite, but public money has moved towards Evans. I like the former Spartan All-American with a decisive decision. Michael “The Count” Bisping (19-3) is an obnoxious Brit who is much the better striker than his opponent Dan Miller (11-3), whose specialty is chokehold submissions. But Bisping’s never been submitted, and I don’t see it happening tonight. Striker beats submission with a third-round stoppage by TKO. Take Bisping. Lay the –160. Heavyweight slugger Todd Duffee is undefeated at 6-0. Mike Russow (12-1) has his hands full. Toe-to-toe slugging will please the fans. Duffee wins by KO and covers the –325. The best bet on the board is that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3), Minotauro’s twin brother, will submit Jason “Hitman” Brilz (18-2-1). The juice is high, and this is for bridge-jumpers only, but my coin is on the –550 favorite. Nogs sub in the second. Lat time out, Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez (23-3) got his forehead torn open by a blood-eating BJ Penn. Tonight he tries to rebound with a win over the undefeated Brit, John “The Hitman” Hathaway (13-0), who likes to bang and is lightning quick in his wrestling abilities, transitioning into submission holds. But, Sanchez is a face full of knees, and tonight one of them lands on Hathaway’s chin. Nightmare cashes at –200. On the undercard, you will be able to see two (2) fights for FREE on Spike TV. Those are the first two listed below. Young, improving Amir Sodollah (4-1) will have his hands full with still undefeated veteran Dong Hyun Kim (12-0-1 w/1 NC). Sodollah will try to kick his way to victory, while Kim will use his dirty boxing and superior striking to win a judge’s decision. The modest underdog will pay around +110. Efrain Escudero (13-1) will display a superior set of skills against Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon (12-3), an eccentric brawler looking for a submission. The public is pounding Escudero. Lay the –450. Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (42-9-3) needs a new nickname. He isn’t “young” anymore. But he is still an obsessed beast on a mission. And, he will steamroll his opponent tonight, Waylon Lowe (8-2), who will get his first octagon experience. It won’t be a good one. Guillard at –300 wins in the very first round with some vicious ground-and-pound beating. Luiz “Bahna” Cane (11-2-1) will get back on the winning track tonight with a 2nd round KO over Cyrille “The Snake” Diabate (16-6-3). This one costs you –355. Aaron Riley (28-12-1) is an unkempt brawler who always puts on a good show. I think his vast octagon experience will carry him to victory by decision over Joe “The South Side Strangler” Brammer (7-1-1). Riley’s a reasonable –185. And, finally, I was hoping to get Jesse Forbes (13-5) as an underdog, and he opened at +120. But the bettors have driven the odds to make him now a –125 favorite (and as much as –160 at some books). He’s bigger, stronger, and will find a way to survive a capable Ryan Jensen (15-5). Forbes by decision. So, lots of favorites. Maybe not enough ‘dogs. Betting UFC fights and laying –200 can be hazardous to your wallets, but that’s what tonight’s card looks like to me. Let’s see if we can squeeze out a profit with the following money management plan: Let’s see what we can do with our “fictitious” $1000 bankroll. Let’s lay $115 to win $100 on Rashad Evans to beat Rampage. Let’s lay $96 to win $60 on Michael Bisping. Let’s lay $130 to win $40 on Todd Duffee’s KO power. Let’s lay $110 to win $20 on a Nogueira bridge-jump. Let’s lay $120 to win $60 on Diego Sanchez to get back on track. Let’s lay $50 to win $55 on Dong Hyun Kim in our only upset. Let’s lay $90 to win $20 on Efrain Escudero to dominate on the ground. Let’s lay $90 to win $30 on Melvin Guillard to overwhelm. Let’s lay $71 to win $20 on Banha Cane to bounty hunt. Let’s lay $74 to win $ 40 on Aaron Riley to prevail in a street brawl. Let’s lay $ 50 to win $ 40 on Jesse Forbes. In all, we are risking $996 to try and win $485. It will be hard work to cash, but hopefully, we have enough winners on our side! Let’s give the extra $4 to our cocktail waitress. And, please don’t forget to share your winnings with your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow’s champions are born! Enjoy the fights. I know I will.

Ricky Lundell

Nick Mitchell

Heath Eslinger

Dan Waddell

PHILADELPHIA -- Head coach Rob Eiter announced an addition to his coaching staff with the hiring of former NCAA All-American Kyle Cerminara. “We are thrilled to add an elite competitor like Kyle to our coaching staff,” Eiter said. “He has succeeded at both the college and international levels as a wrestler and has coached some of the best collegiate mid and upper-weight wrestlers in the nation the last two years. He will be a valuable asset in the development of our bigger wrestlers.” Cerminara, a 2006 graduate of the University at Buffalo, was an All-America in 2004 at 197 pounds, finishing eighth. With that trip to the podium, Cerminara became Buffalo’s first -- and only -- All-America while competing as a Division I institution. "I am grateful and excited to have the opportunity to coach at Penn,” Cerminara said. “Penn has great tradition and I am excited to assist Coach Eiter in producing NCAA All-Americas and National Champions on a consistent basis, while maintaining academic excellence." Cerminara graduated as Buffalo’s all-time winningest wrestler with 137 career wins, a distinction he still holds today. His All-America season of 2003-04 saw him establish the single-season win mark as well with 41 wins. He twice won MAC championships and was a three-time NCAA Qualifier. Upon graduation, Cerminara has been simultaneously competing in freestyle and commencing his coaching career. From 2008-10, he served as an assistant coach at Edinboro University, guiding the Scots to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2009 and a 16th-place finish last season. Along the way, Cerminara worked extensively with 2009 NCAA champion at 165 pounds Jarrod King and four other wrestlers who earned All-America honors. In both of Cerminara’s seasons assisting at Edinboro, the Scots claimed EWL championships. While coaching at Edinboro, Cerminara also continued his own wrestling career in freestyle. In 2009, he was runner up at the Pan-American Games and at the U.S. Open. In 2008, he was the third-place finisher at the U.S. Open. Twice he has finished as runner-up at the Hargobin International event as well as the Sunkist International event. In addition, Cerminara has claimed third place at the Dave Schultz Memorial Championship and the Alexander Medved Golden Grand Prix.

Bill Farrell

Michigan's Kellen Russell wasted little time making an impact at the college level. A 2007 graduate of Blair Academy in New Jersey, Russell won Big Ten titles in each of his first two seasons in the Wolverine lineup at 141 pounds. He earned All-American honors in 2009 with a seventh-place finish in St. Louis, Missouri. This past season, Russell redshirted and now has two seasons of eligibility remaining. InterMat recently caught up with Russell and talked to him about his decision to redshirt, where he made his biggest gains during his time away from competition, whether he plans to stay at 141 pounds next season or move up a weight class, what kind of impact he thinks Eric Grajales can make at the college level, and much more. Kellen RussellYou redshirted this past season. What went into the decision to take a redshirt season after competing in the lineup the previous two seasons? Russell: I was just trying to give my body a little bit of a rest. I have been wrestling pretty much for six years straight. Four years in high school wrestling all year round ... and then two years wrestling all year round in college. So I just really wanted to give my body a break and work on some stuff that I really haven't had time to work on. Most wrestlers who redshirt compete in open tournaments. You chose not to compete in any open tournaments during your redshirt season. How come? Russell: My body was just kind of beat up and I needed to rest it. I wasn't really ready by the time any of the tournaments came around. Did you attend the NCAAs? And if so, what was that experience like watching it and not competing? Russell: I didn't get to go down there because of school, but I watched most of it online or on TV. It was definitely different having to watch it on TV. It made me wish I was wrestling in it then. But it was good to be able to just sit back and watch it. I haven't really watched an entire NCAA tournament like that before. Kellen Russell (Photo/Tony Rotundo,Tech-Fall.com)When you reflect on this past redshirt season, where do you think you made your biggest gains? Russell: I have been working all stuff on my feet right now, pushing the pace, and not letting others dictate the pace. I worked on my offense instead of my defense. My freshman year I was scoring with a lot of counterattacks ... and I did that my sophomore year too, but now I'm working more on my attacks, pushing the pace, and doing what I want to do. There has been speculation as to whether you will stay at 141 pounds next season or move up to 149 pounds. What weight class do you plan to wrestle next season? Russell: Right now I'm planning on wrestling at 141. I didn't really gain that much weight over the redshirt season, so as of right now I plan on going 141. You came out of Blair Academy and then stepped right into the Michigan lineup as a true freshman and made an immediate impact. What is it about the Blair program that helps wrestlers prepare for college wrestling? Russell: I think it's just that you're wrestling the best kids in high school every weekend and those kids usually end up being some of the best kids in college. You're used to wrestling on a big stage and having lots of people watch you. The workouts are similar to what we do here. It's a lot of hard drilling and situational live go's. It translates well going from Blair to college. Two years after you enrolled at Michigan, another Blair Academy wrestler, Sean Boyle, became a Wolverine. Now Michigan has signed another Blair Academy wrestler in Max Huntley. How does it make you feel knowing that you helped start that pipeline from Blair Academy to Michigan? Russell: It's great. I think Michigan is a great university. I think being able to wrestle in the Big Ten is real important. It's one of the toughest conferences in the country. Blair kids really thrive in the Big Ten. It's a great pipeline. Eric GrajalesEric Grajales was one of the nation's top recruits from the Class of 2009. Having been around him, what kind of impact do you think he can make as a redshirt freshman? Russell: He's going to make a big impact. He's a real gamer. He wrestles real hard in practice. He's a real good scrambler. He can throw people. I think he's going to do real well next season. One of your high school teammates at Blair, Mario Mason, recently made the decision to transfer from Minnesota to Rutgers, where former Blair wrestler Cory Cooperman serves as an assistant coach. Were you surprised when you heard that he was moving back to New Jersey to wrestler for Rutgers? Russell: I was kind of surprised that he was transferring. But once I found out that he was thinking about leaving, I thought that Rutgers would probably be a good place. Cooperman is a great coach. I think that's a good place for him. Kellen Russell (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)How different is competing at the NCAAs compared to every other wrestling event? Russell: Crazy stuff happens at the NCAAs. Crazy stuff happens at every tournament, but it seems to happen the most at the NCAAs. I think my freshman year I was just kind of awestruck almost at the NCAAs, which doesn't normally happen to me. I thought about it too much. Sophomore year I got caught and pinned. It's a lot of pressure. You have to deal with the pressure. I think now that I'm a little bit older I'll be able to deal with the pressure a little better than I did my freshman and sophomore year. It was certainly a down season for Michigan by program standards. The Wolverines failed to win a conference dual meet and finished 43rd at the NCAAs. Is there reason for Wolverine fans to be worried? Or was this past season just an aberration? Russell: We had a ton of freshmen and sophomores wrestling. We didn't have any starters graduating. A lot of those guys just didn't have enough mat experience yet. They got a lot of experience last season. Hopefully they can carry it over into next season. I think a lot of people are going to make big jumps this summer and early next season. You have had a lot of success in freestyle throughout your wrestling career. Do you plan to pursue a freestyle wrestling career on the senior level? Russell: Yeah ... right now I'm working out with Josh (Churella) a couple times a week. Just working out with him has really pushed me to want to do it. I think I'm going to keep wrestling after I graduate ... at least for a couple years. Bahna Wrestling CenterThere has been a lot of talk around the country about Michigan's state-of-the-art wrestling facility that opened this past season. What has it been like training there? Russell: It's great. We have a lot more room to wrestle. We have three 50 x 50 mats, which is a lot bigger than we used to have. We are off campus a little bit. We have our own training site, our own building, so it's nice. We have our own weight room. We can go in there and lift whenever we want. We have an awesome training room with a hot tub and cold tub, so we have the best rehab and recovery stuff that we can get. I think it's just great being able to have our own building ... and be able to hang out there. It allows a lot more people to come in and get in extra workouts than before when we had to share a weight room. We weren't always allowed in the weight room. You're a two-time Big Ten champion and have been in the mix to win a national title the past two seasons you have been in the lineup. Now that you're heading into your junior season, do you feel a sense of urgency to win the national title? Russell: I don't feel a sense of urgency, but I feel that I have been putting in the time and effort to win a national title. I think all the extra workouts that I got during my redshirt season will really allow me to make that jump to get into the NCAA finals and win a championship.

New Northern Iowa head wrestling coach Doug Schwab to go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, May 26, 2010. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and 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. Schwab was recently named the head wrestling coach at the University of Northern Iowa. He was an assistant coach for the University of Iowa prior to his arrival. Schwab was a three-time All-American and 1999 NCAA champion for the Hawkeyes, as well as a 2008 Olympian.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team headed up to Nashville this week to help with the cleanup from the recent flooding in the area. The Mocs donned the haz-mat suits and got down and dirty with a number of other volunteers in an effort to start rebuilding after the record-breaking floods. UTC spent two days working with the volunteer organization, Hands on Nashville, helping clean up areas throughout the community. On Wednesday, they worked in a trailer park removing rotting trash and damaged items from the 30 or more homes. "The first day was definitely a challenge," stated head coach Heath Eslinger. "It was pretty nasty. Four other groups tried to do but our guys were the only one who could go in there and not get sick." "We removed old appliances and refrigerators that were full of food that had just been sitting there for three weeks with no electricity. When they heard that four other groups had tried and couldn't do it, it was almost like a challenge to the guys to get it done." On Thursday, the team helped to haul off trash and debris from an apartment complex in Antioch. They also helped to strip the interior of a nearby home that was to be rebuilt. "Our kids are back in town training and we believe this is part of training," added Eslinger. "It is a lot more than just lifting weights and wrestling it is about learning how to live your life. This was a good opportunity to be hands on and do that." "I am proud of how our guys are learning how to tackle everyday stuff. It is one thing to work hard when you are getting a reward. It is another thing to work hard when someone else is getting the reward. It is a lot of fun helping people and I think our guys learned that over the last two days." The group of 20+ representing the Mocs was made up of student-athletes, coaches, trainers and alumni. Be sure to check out the photo gallery at the top of the page and a link to a story on the Mocs from Nashville's WKRN TV.

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Another post-season honor in yet another category was bestowed on Wyoming Cowboy wrestler Joe LeBlanc recently, when the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) awarded UW’s 184-pounder with its annual All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year award. Within the last few months, LeBlanc has earned his second All-America honor on the wrestling mat after placing fourth at the 2010 NCAA Championships, has been recognized by the National Wrestling Coaches Association on its annual Division I All-Academic team and has now rounded out his resume with the distinction from the NSCA. The classification awarded to LeBlanc by the NSCA recognizes student-athlete dedication to strength and conditioning training. He was selected for the honor by UW strength and conditioning coach Rob Hartman, CSCS. “Joe LeBlanc is an athlete who has embraced the weight room and is reaping its benefits,” Hartman said. “He began wrestling collegiately at 157 pounds and since that time has worked hard in the weight room throughout both the school year and summer months. Joe has gained both size and strength, which has contributed to his two All-America honors at 184 pounds. He has been awarded the title of a weight room leader, and in our program that is just like being an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for us. I look forward to having him around for the next few years and to the energy he brings to the weight room.” LeBlanc (Meeker, Colo.), had a dominant season in 2009-10. In addition to his afore-mentioned finish at nationals, he was the 2010 Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Year. He won his second NCAA West Regional Championship at 184 pounds and led the `Pokes to the 2010 West Regional team title, as well as the 2010 WWC Regular Season Dual team title. LeBlanc’s season record was 39-6 with 28 bonus point margins. Twelve of his wins came by fall, 12 by way of technical fall and four by major decision. He earned a team-best 69 points this past season in 15 duals, an average of 4.6. He was recently named the 2009-10 UW Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s Male Athlete of the Year, as well as the 2009-10 DICollegeWrestling.net West Region Wrestler of the Year. The NSCA honored a total of 232 collegiate athletes from 106 schools this year. The program is in its 32nd year, and is made possible by a grant from Power Systems, Inc., a Knoxville, Tenn., fitness product leader.

TEMPE -- Ben Ashmore, a member of the Arizona State University wrestling team, has been named the recipient of the 2010 Pac-10 Conference Sportsmanship Award, the Conference announced today. Ashmore, who recently completed his first season with the Sun Devils, joined the Stanford women’s rowing team as this year’s honorees. The Sportsmanship Award is selected by members of the Pac-10 Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and is based on good sportsmanship and ethical behavior in participation of intercollegiate athletics, as well as a demonstration of good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. Conference award winners are then nominated for the NCAA Division I Sportsmanship Award. A native of Dallas, Texas, Ashmore came to Tempe in time for the 2008-09 season after transferring away from Oklahoma State and worked hard in practice to make the starting line-up in 2009-10. An All-American candidate at 125 pounds heading into this past season, Ashmore voluntarily moved up to 133 pounds in order to keep teammate Anthony Robles in the starting position at 125 pounds where he was an All-American (fourth-place) and national semifinalist one year earlier. Wrestling up one weight class, Ashmore finished fourth at the Pac-10 Championships and earned the league’s final automatic qualifying spot at 133 pounds and advanced to his first NCAA Championships appearance, where he went 1-2 in the event. Along with finding success on the mats, Ashmore has continued to work toward a degree in interdisciplinary studies while also remaining active in the community. During the past season, Ashmore attended several events with his teammates, including the Wilson Community Clean-up in central Phoenix and also participated in a walk for Autism. He also attends local high school wrestling meets and serves as a good role model for younger wrestlers. Ashmore is the second Sun Devil to be selected for the award since it was created in 2004. That year, football player Grayling Love was the recipient.

With wrestling's rich history, and the compelling characters and dramas that the sport annually produces, it seems difficult to believe that 2006-2007 was the first season that a movie director documented from start to finish. Thankfully, however, award-winning filmmaker Todd Hickey -- a former PA high school wrestler himself -- decided to do just that. Now he and producer Kirk Ledger are touring the country, showcasing the fruits of their labor. Takedowns and Falls tells the true story of veteran Coach Jeff Sweigard and his 2006-07 Central Dauphin (PA) High School Rams. It paints a wonderful portrait of the team's personal and athletic trials and tribulations throughout the season, the ups and downs that might befall any high school wrestling team in America. Like any good documentary, every character brings a different quirk or endearing attribute to the table, and it's easy to root for each kid as the drama of the season unfolds. While the movie doesn't focus on the larger community of Harrisburg as much as I had originally anticipated, it does feature a variety of outstanding original music, and the editing and cinematography are first-class, and at times, breathtaking. Afterwards, Hickey was gracious enough to sit down with me and delve a little deeper into a project that has consumed much of his life for the past three years. What was the biggest challenge in making this movie? Hickey: Although we would all like to think of film as a medium of art, it is also a business, so people (investors, producers etc.) want to feel there is a good chance to make their money or sweat equity back. Documentaries are struggling to find funding and audiences, in general, and our film was no different. We spent a lot of time fundraising and pitching the project. I think our belief in the idea of the film was contagious, so we were able to get it off the ground. We started shooting before we had the whole budget, so that presented some tense moments, and we raised money throughout the entire process, a little at a time and kept it going. Outside of funding the film, I'd have to say editing it was the most challenging aspect. We shot a daunting 500 hours of footage. As with many docs, we had several possible films to make that lived in that raw footage. Shaping a film that would appeal to wrestling and non-wrestling fans alike was tricky and taxing. We were editing for 2.5 years, during the course of which we went through three different editors and almost a dozen assistant editors. Docs of this size don't pay as well as many other film or TV jobs, so it is difficult to keep people on board for long durations. In short, I guess there are two answers; getting the film off the ground and then getting it finished. How did you decide on Central Dauphin High School, specifically? I remember you saying that this movie was originally supposed to compare PA wrestling geographically? Hickey: (Producer) Kirk Ledger and I had wrestled for Coach Sweigard at Susquehanna (PA) Township in the late 80's, and when Walter (Peppelman) lost in the '06 PIAA state finals, we decided that maybe this was the time to make the documentary idea that we had been talking about for a decade and a half. Walter PeppelmanWe initially imagined and wrote up the idea as more of a mosaic of PA wrestling, following four or five wrestlers from different areas of PA, chronicling and comparing each of their journeys on the road to a state title. Once we got to PA and started shooting, we quickly realized that we were inspired by many of the personal stories and the "cast" that CD's team provided the film. We thought it was important to build relationships, spending a lot of time with one team would help do that. So, we decided to make the film centered around this team, that is not the champs, but not the worst ... Just your average PA high school wrestling team ... or so we thought. You've made many different documentaries before ... What made this subject material so compelling in your mind? Hickey: For any film to be compelling, you must care about what your characters are going through, and you have to be able to relate, or at least juxtapose, their experiences to your own. Audiences will quickly engage with subjects that they believe are passionate about what they are doing. Wrestling is a very intense world that is not often exposed in film, and sports films in general have great built in arcs and obstacles. Our film also has some health elements that raise the stakes. I feel that the film is compelling because at some point in the film you really start pulling for the cast, that you laugh when they do, and get sad when they are sad. As an audience member (and film maker) I really enjoy the time I spend with the cast during the film, and care about them and the outcome. Spoiler alert* How do you think CD's improbable state title run that year affected your movie? Hickey: It would have been a different film. It would have been more of the mosaic that we talked about earlier. Like I mentioned earlier, although we decided to spend the majority of our time with CD, we did film all over PA and interviewed lots of coaches, wrestlers and CD's opponents. (Some of which is in the DVD extras) We were in the right place at the right time and enabled ourselves to capture, then share this moment in time. What is your personal background with PA wrestling? Hickey: I grew up in Harrisburg and wrestled in middle and high school. I was not very good and an underachiever in the sport. In college I missed wrestling, and realized that instead of trying hard I was always looking for an excuse, or an easy way out. But at that point it was too late to use this new found revelation in wrestling, so I made a promise to myself that I would never half-ass something I loved to do again. This attitude drives me as an adult and as a filmmaker. If you want to be good at something you have to love it, you have to really try, and you can't be afraid to fail. I saw a quote the other day on a wrestling Web site "In wrestling there are no losers. Just winners and learners." I can relate to that. How much did your prior relationship with Coach Sweigard help in the making of this film? Did your impressions of him change as you spent the year around he and his team? Jeff SweigardHickey: It helped us a lot. He enabled this film to happen. Coach told us he would have never let someone that didn't wrestle for him have this sort of access to him and his team. He wanted to be sure that things were not taken out of context, or misunderstood by someone who is not familiar with him or the sport. I think it also helped because once the team realized we had been student-athletes under Coach Sweigard we got some credibility, we had that in common. As always, having a past we had a shorthand and lots of old stories that we could talk about that helped us segue into conversations and have fun during down time. He is a really funny guy, and made us feel comfortable and welcome. That carried over to how other people treated us too, which helped. I would say my impression of him solidified more so than changed. I have always had a lot of respect for him, but now 15-plus years removed from being a high school kid and a coach, we are now both adults and my respect for him progressed to that perspective. Do you have a favorite moment of the film? Hickey: For sure ... It would be hard to pick one. I have several favorite moments. Lots of little smiles and comments. I am still affected by the ups and downs of the season and cast. When Tony Dallago wins in the state semis ranks up there, as does the end of the film. How did making this documentary compare with other ones that you've made or been involved with? Hickey: I served as the cinematographer (director of photography) on the other documentaries I have worked on. This is the first film that I produced, directed and shot. So, this has been the most, top to bottom, intensive experience. This is often referred to as a "passion project." As far as story/subject, all of the docs I have been a part of have been about people who are trying to, in their own way, make the world a better place, either in broad strokes, one on one, by working on oneself or leading by example. In this case a man trying to teach life lessons via the sport of wrestling. How did you think this movie was going to play with non-wrestling fans? And what has the general response been? Hickey: It has been playing very well to non-wrestling fans. After every screening we have had people come up to us and say something along the lines of "I was only here because my boyfriend, but I loved it!" We have been saying for along time, if we can get the girlfriends to like it we will be OK, and break out of the niche and reach mass audiences. Marshall PeppelmanWe are glad that non-wrestling fans are enjoying the team's journey too. It is important to the film's success, and has always been our intention to make a film about the people of the sport, rather than a film about the sport itself. We find that all types of audiences can relate to this inspirational story. Wrestling is the world that it takes place in. That being said, it is also important that wrestling fans enjoy the film too. The wrestling community has been so supportive throughout this whole process. We wanted to make an authentic and honest film that everyone could enjoy. Where are you planning on showing the film in the future? Hickey: We just did a screening in Arizona with Sunkist Kids ... We are looking into screening at Fargo in July ... And we are booking more screenings in LA, New York, the Northwest, a drive-in theater in Virginia. Kirk Ledger and I are planning on doing another theatrical run in the fall to lead up to wrestling season. We are also doing screenings with booster clubs and teams as benefits and stuff like that. We want to bring it to wherever people want to see it. Several screenings have happened because people e-mail us and ask us to bring it to their town. Those screenings tend to very well because of the local support and grass roots-style promo. Takedowns and Falls was produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Todd Hickey. Todd attended the Radio-Television-Film Department at Temple University in Philadelphia then apprenticed under directors Spike Jonze, Paul Boyd, Billie Woodriff and D.P.'s Daniel Pearl, Roberto Schieffer, Chewy Chaves, and Amy Vincent. His first narrative feature film as a D.P. After Sex, is an ensemble piece staring Mila Kunis, Emmanulle Chriqui, Taryn Manning, Jane Seymour and John Witherspoon. Todd also lensed the award-winning documentary "Freestyle, the art of Rhyme" for director Kevin Fitzgerald and "Sonny Boy," directed by Soleil Moon-Frye. Todd recently penned the story for The Hungry Rabbit Jumps, a script written by Robert Tannen, currently in production and starring Nicolas Cage, January Jones and Guy Pearce. Todd's work has appeared on MTV, MTV2, MTV Europe, VH1, Much Music, and Fuse.

The National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholastic Board of Directors is proud to announce the 2010 National Scholastic Award winners. The three award categories are: National Coach of the Year, National Assistant Coach of the Year, and National Senior Wrestler of the Year. The 2010 National Head Coach of the Year is Jim Morgan of Tennessee. Morgan is the head coach of the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn. Morgan announced his retirement following the 2009-10 season, ending a 49-year coaching career at the college and scholastic levels. As the head coach at Baylor for the past 25 years, Morgan amassed over 500 dual meet victories, six state dual team championships and 60 individual state champions. His overall record at Baylor was an impressive 539-84-1. Before starting his tenure at Baylor School, Morgan coached a few miles down the road at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. While the head coach of the Mocs, he lead the squad to 203 dual meet victories and placed as high as third at the NCAA Division II Championships. He coached 13 All-Americans and six NCAA Division II Champions. “I have been very fortunate in my career to be surrounded by great people. My coaching philosophy is that everyone is important, even the third or fourth string wrestlers,” said Morgan. “You never know when one of them will need to step up and be there for the team. This is my first year as a coach that I have had to forfeit a weight because we had no one that could wrestle in that spot. I want everyone to feel important and part of the team. When I was in high school, I was second string but I was there as part of the team.” “I am blessed to have a wonderful support system throughout my coaching career at both Baylor and UTC,” said Morgan. ‘I have an extremely supportive wife, Sis, who was there for me during all of my travel and recruiting. Being a coach is a 365-day a year job and on a leap year, 366 days. You never want to miss a chance to make your team better. My wife is my number one cheerleader and for that I am very blessed.” Morgan is also a chemistry teacher at the Baylor School. “Coach Morgan is a great example of the type of coach that the NWCA wants to recognize. He has spent his years educating young men in the classroom and on the wrestling mat. His record and years of service speak for them self,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. “Our goal as a coaches association is to continue to recognize coaches for their outstanding accomplishments, especially when they are closely aligned with an educationally based athletics philosophy.” The National Assistant Coach of the Year honors are being awarded to two very deserving men who have spent a combined 63 years teaching the sport of wrestling. Coach Mike Shuda of Arcadia High School in Wisconsin and Dalen Wasmund of Apple Valley High School in Minnesota will share this year’s award. Coach Shuda has been coaching for 35 years and has coached 17 consecutive undefeated junior varsity teams along with 15 individual state champions. He has dedicated his career to not only coaching wrestling but also football, girls basketball and track along with molding young minds a teacher in many subjects including: Math, Physics, and Computer Science. “I believe that the best teachers are coaches and the best coaches are teachers. Athletes develop a respect for the coach and that carries into the classroom. They know that they will learn from you and we know what our expectations of the athletes/students are. We hold them to a higher caliber,” Coach Shuda said. “Coaching wrestling is amazing and there is no other sport like it.” Shuda credits his coaching longevity to having good head coaches involved in the program, noting that it is much easier to stay when you are surrounded by such great people. “Receiving this award to me is an amazing accomplishment. Many of the people I admire and look up to have previously won this award. We are currently fighting to get my college program (River Falls) back, and this is a great start,” said Coach Shuda. Coach Wasmund has been coaching for 28 years at Apple Valley High School in Minnesota. He briefly left the school, but returned when his sons began wrestling, coming back aboard to also serve as their coach. Wasmund stated, “I am honored and fortunate to be in this position. Receiving an award like this is a result of having a great program, great coaches, great families, a supportive administration and a great support system. We bear the fruits of having things go well.” The 2010 Apple Valley Wrestling Team completed their season with seven champions, two runners-up, a third-place finisher and a fifth-place finisher at the AAA Individual State Tournament. Since Coach Wasmund has been coaching at Apple Valley, they have won the State Championship 18 times. He joins head coach Jim Jackson as an NWCA Award Winner. Jackson was the 2008 NWCA National Head Coach of the Year. “Both of these coaches had given a large amount of their time to the success of their high school programs, both on and off the mat. They are examples of strong leaders who are committed to educational principles,” said NWCA President Jim Beichner. Nick Moore of Iowa City West High School in Iowa, receives this year’s National Senior Wrestler of the Year Award. Finishing off his senior campaign with a 52-0 record and a career record of 183-1, he earned the title of four-time State Champion. He joined an elite group of wrestlers to win four state titles, as he was the 19th wrestler in the history of the Iowa State Tournament to do so. He capped off his high school career with 147 straight wins and is the most decorated wrestler in school history. He also finished with 110 career falls. Ranked 12th by InterMatWrestle.com, Moore will be attending the University of Iowa, joining older brother Nate, next year as he transitions to collegiate wrestling. “Nick Moore is an exceptional athlete who is dedicated his life to wrestling. We look forward to watching him continue to pursue his academic and athletic goals in college and hopefully, one day as a coach,” said Moyer. All of the National and Regional Award Winners will be honored at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships in Philadelphia. We would also like to recognize the award recipients of the NWCA Regional Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Senior Wrestlers of the Year. In order to be considered for National Honors, the nominee must have been selected as a Regional Award Winner: Region Award Type Nominee School (State) 1 Assistant Coach of the Year John Farrelman Penfield HS (NY) 1 Head Coach of the Year Pat Conners South Jefferson HS (NY) 1 Wrestler of the Year Jimmy Lawson Manchester TWP HS (NJ) 2 Assistant Coach of the Year Mike Kallai Sr Wadsworth HS (OH) 2 Head Coach of the Year John Gramuglia Wadsworth HS (OH) 2 Wrestler of the Year Marshall Peppleman Central Dauphin HS (PA) 3 Assistant Coach of the Year David Henson Gilmer County HS (GA) 3 Head Coach of the Year Jim Morgan The Baylor School(TN) 3 Wrestler of the Year Cameron Croy Brentwood HS (TN) 4 Assistant Coach of the Year Mike Shuda Arcadia HS (WI) 4 Head Coach of the Year Rick Caldwell Waverly Shell-Rock HS (IA) 4 Wrestler of the Year Nick Moore Iowa City West HS (IA) 5 Assistant Coach of the Year Dalen Wasmund Apple Valley HS (MN) 5 Head Coach of the Year Bill Erneste Park Hill HS (MO) 5 Wrestler of the Year Alan Waters Park Hill HS (MO) 6 Assistant Coach of the Year Ronnie Delk Perry HS (OK) 6 Head Coach of the Year Doug Duell Burlington HS (CO) 6 Wrestler of the Year Louis Trujillo Rio Rancho HS (NM) 7 Assistant Coach of the Year Dan Mills Laguna Hills HS (CA) 7 Head Coach of the Year Bryan Smith Moon Valley HS (AZ) 7 Wrestler of the Year Cory Ryak Finch Safford HS (AZ) 8 Assistant Coach of the Year Doug Tovey Roseburg HS (OR) 8 Head Coach of the Year Mike Leck North Fremont HS (ID) 8 Wrestler of the Year Derek Garcia Olympia HS (WA)

Steve Garland

MINNEAPOLIS -- University of Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson and the Golden Gopher Wrestling Program are pleased to announce the recent signing of high school seniors Brandon Bigelbach and Corey Hodowanic. A native of Cornell, Wis., Hodowanic signed his national letter of intent at a press conference at Cornell High School yesterday (May 20). He capped his four years with the Cornell/Gilman wrestling program with a 2010 state championship at 119 pounds. He also placed third at the state tournament as a junior in 2009. Just last month he finished second at 119 at the 2010 Asics Folkstyle Nationals. He is expected to wrestle at 125 for the Golden Gophers, and will redshirt in his first season. Hodowanic is the first scholarship athlete to come out of Cornell High School, as well as the first to be a Big Ten athlete. He has been accepted into the College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences. Bigelbach is a native of nearby Vadnais Heights, Minn., and has signed an Acceptance of Admission. He will graduate this spring from Mounds View High School and will compete at 125 or 133 for the Golden Gophers. He is a two-time state meet qualifier, and placed third at the regional championships this past winter. Also an impressive student, Bigelbach has been accepted to the Carlson School of Management. Bigelbach and Hodowanic are the 11th and 12th Gopher Wrestling signees this season, joining an already stellar class of recruits for 2010-2011. Recently, the 2010 Gopher wrestling recruiting class was honored as the No. 4 ranked class in the nation by InterMat. The 2009-10 group of Minnesota wrestlers finished their season with a seventh place finished at the NCAA Championships and will return three All-Americans next season.

St. Cloud, Minn. -- St. Cloud State University head wrestling coach Steve Costanzo announced the signing of eight student-athletes to Letters of Intent. In addition, SCSU received notice that four additional student-athletes plan to attend SCSU in 2010-11. Eric Ellington of Fairview Heights, ILL., Josh Howk of Blue Springs, MO, Matt Leibforth of Lemont, ILL., Dustin McKinney of Luck, Wis., Ben McPhail of Pine Island, Cullan Morrissey of Lena, Wis., Cody Paulsen of Brooklyn Center and Dylan Wright of Inver Grove Heights have all signed National Letters of Intent to wrestle for the Huskies. In addition, Scott Hines of Fairmont, Charlie Janssen of Forest Lake, Michael Kairouz of Agoura Hills, CA, and Tyler Mathison of Fremont, Neb. have signed St. Cloud State University Acceptance of Admissions Letters, indicating they plan to join the team in the fall. Ellington, a transfer from Rend Lake Community College, posted a two-year mark of 67-14 for the Warriors. He is a two-time NJCAA All-American where he placed second and third at the national tournament. In addition, Ellington earned two Midwest Region Championships and was honored as the “Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament” during his sophomore campaign. Ellington plans on pursuing a major in physical education at SCSU. Ellington is projected to compete at the 133-pound class. Howk, out of Blue Springs High School, is a three-time Missouri High School state place winner and a 2010 Missouri state champion. He compiled a career mark of 159-32 with 77 wins by fall. In addition, Howk is a member of the National Honor Society and was a three-time Academic All-State selection. He plans on majoring in accounting at SCSU. Howk is projected to compete at the 149-pound class. Leibforth, out of Lemont High School, is a two-time Illinois High School state place winner and 2010 Illinois state champion. He ended his senior campaign with an unblemished 45-0 record which included 21 wins by fall. Over his four years, Leibforth collected a 157-17 mark with 78 wins coming by a fall. In addition, he was a 2009 NHSCA High School All-American when he placed eighth at the prestigious junior nationals. He plans on studying athletic training at SCSU and enter physical therapy school at the completion of his undergraduate degree. Leibforth is projected to compete at the 141-pound class. McKinney is a three-time Wisconsin state place winner from Unity High School. He ended his senior campaign with a record of 46-1 and a state championship. He is Unity High School’s only four-time WIAA state tournament qualifier and amassed a mark of 171-17 in his four year campaign. He plans on majoring in athletic training at SCSU and pursue physical therapy school at the completion of his degree. McKinney is projected to compete at the 141/149-pound class. McPhail is a three-time Minnesota state place winner from Pine Island High School. He is a two-time Minnesota state finalist and amassed a career record of 170-64. In addition, he earned All-American honors as he placed fifth at the 2009 USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. An excellent student-athlete, McPhail was selected as a first team member of the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association All-State Academic Team. He plans on pursuing a degree in math education at SCSU. McPhail is projected to compete at the 174/184-pound class. Morrissey, out of Oconto Falls High School, is a four-time Wisconsin state medal winner and a three-time WIAA state runner-up. He has amassed a career mark of 176-8 in the last four years. Morrissey is a four-time Greco Roman state champion, three-time Freestyle state champion, Northern Plains Freestyle and Greco Roman champion and Cadet Greco Roman All-American. In addition, he is a 2010 USA Wrestling Nationals All-American where he placed second. An excellent student, Morrissey is a member of the National Honor Society and plans on pursuing a degree in criminal justice at SCSU. Morrissey is projected to compete at the 133/141-pound class. Paulsen is a two-time Minnesota state place winner from Totino-Grace High School. He finished his senior campaign with a runner-up finish at the Minnesota state tournament and ended his career with a mark of 141-32. Paulsen is a four-time Section Champion and a 2009 Minnesota Christmas Tournament Champion. He was selected as a first team member of the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association All-State Academic Team. He will pursue a degree in electrical engineering at SCSU. Paulsen is expected to compete at the 125-pound class. Wright, out of Simley High School, started his High School career in Poway, Calif. where he finished third in the prestigious Frosh/Soph. California State Tournament. After his sophomore year, the Wright family moved from California to Inver Grove Heights. He led the Spartans to back-to-back state titles in 2009 and 2010. He is a two-time Minnesota state place winner, 2009 Minnesota Christmas Tournament Champion and placed seventh at the 2009 USA Wrestling Nationals. He accumulated a two-year mark of 54-13 for Simley. He plans on pursuing a degree in education at SCSU. Wright is projected to compete at the 125-pound class. Hines is a two-time Minnesota state qualifier from Fairmont High School. He is a two-time Section 3AA Champion and 2010 South Central Conference Champion. He accumulated a record of 73-14 over the past two seasons. While at SCSU, Scott plans to major in Elementary Education. He is also enlisted in the Army National Guard and intends to enroll in the ROTC program. Hines will compete at the 285-pound class. Janssen hails from Forest Lake High School. He was a three-time Minnesota state place winner and amassed a career record of 192-46. His career wins (192) are a school record for the storied FLHS wrestling program. In addition, Janssen was a three-time Freestyle and Greco Roman state champion. He is planning on majoring in physical education at SCSU. Janssen is expected to compete in the 157-pound class. Kairouz, out of Agoura High School, finished his senior season with a 54-6 overall record. He was the first Agoura wrestler in 20 years to win a CIF-Southern Section title, the meet before the Masters. He was a second team All-Marmonte League selection and his career record at AHS stands at 88-19. Kairouz plans on majoring in engineering at SCSU. Kairouz is projected to compete in the 157/165-pound class. Mathison is a graduate of Oakland-Craig High School. He was a three-time state qualifier and capped off a perfect 23-0 record, a District Championship and a Nebraska state championship during his senior campaign. He amassed a career mark of 98-32 during his four years. Mathison is planning on majoring in education at SCSU. Mathison is projected to compete in the 133-pound class. “First, I would like to say that I am extremely excited about this recruiting class,” said Coach Steve Costanzo. “These individuals not only have demonstrated their ability as competitors in the sport of wrestling, but their ability to perform in the classroom as well. Also, I would like to commend my coaching staff for their persistence, time and effort in seeking individuals who will best fit in with our team philosophy. Exciting times will continue for Husky wrestling.” The Huskies posted a 14-7 dual match record during the 2009-10 campaign. SCSU also placed second at the 2010 NCAA DII regional meet this season, and the Huskies' seventh place finish at the NCAA championships is the best national place for SCSU since 1983.

Wrestling fans the Brute adidas studios of Takedown Wrestling Media will be back in Des Moines this week for a very special show brought to you by Kemin Agri Foods. I would like to thank all the good folks in Ohio that hosted us last week for our broadcasts to support Wrestle Against Autism. Their event raised some 40K to benefit kids and families that suffer from various forms of Autism. Jeff Sitler and company, Great work! Special Guest host- Yero (yah-ROO) Washington, Iowa State Asst. Coach Joining us: Tom Minkel- Head Coach Michigan State Steve Garland- Head Coach of Virginia Lee Roy Smith Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Honors Weekend is coming up. Lee Roy will fill us in on the details. Tim Flynn- Head Coach of Edinboro Cisco Cole- Head Coach of Jamestown Wrestling fans- Please note that Episode 58 of TDR TV wrestling news. It's on over 30 different web sites and on Mediacom cable Systems in 6 midwestern states. Now It's appointment Radio and TV! Saturday mornings Join us at Takedownradio.com for America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show. TDR airs Saturdays at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, Saturdays at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa, on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!

Ben Askren

Halloween lurks around the corner this weekend, which brings with it the month of November, and the official start of wrestling practices for high schools across the country. While there have been varying local and regional dual meet tournaments and bracket tournaments already this wrestling season, this weekend's Super 32 Challenge emits that clear smoke signal for the scholastic wrestling season finally being upon us. The steady growth of this tournament came to a nadir last year when the approximately 1,200 wrestler high school division field reached its capacity less than 45 minutes after the start of open registration. As a result, the tournament expanded from a one-day event into a two-day event. Both the high school and middle school divisions have a record number of participants in their respective fields. Just over 1,500 high school wrestlers are slated to commence competition on Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time), while another 300 wrestlers will join those able to advance through day one of the competition to battle it out on Sunday. With eight Division I college wrestling programs within the Tar Heel State -- second most among any state in the country -- Greensboro, North Carolina serves as an ideal host for a national showcase event. Additionally, another eight programs are located in the bordering states of South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Over 50 college programs -- including schools from all three NCAA divisions and the NAIA -- attended last year's tournament, with close to that amount possibly to come this year (32 programs have registered for attendance as of October 26th on the Super 32 website). When these college coaches arrive, they will get to witness a showcase field featuring some of the nation's best scholastic wrestling talent. This group of wrestlers is anchored by those in the Class of 2012. The top four wrestlers in that class are registered to be competing in the tournament -- Taylor Massa (St. John's, MI) at 160 pounds, Jason Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) at 171 pounds, Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, IN) at 140 pounds, and Felipe Martinez (Oregon Clay, OH) at 152 pounds. Six other members of the top 20 ranked, and a total of 15 in the top 50 are in the tournament field. Among the Top 100 seniors, 19 of them are registered for the tournament; 15 of the top 50 sophomores are in the field; as are 7 of the top 25 freshman; and the top ranked junior high wrestler in the country Mark Hall -- he is registered in the 135 pound weight class. In addition, four other members of the top 15 junior high wrestlers are registered for Sunday's middle school competition. Nuts & Bolts What: Super 32 Challenge Where: Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center; Greensboro, NC When: Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31; both days starting at 8:00 a.m. ET Format: The high school tournament will start on Saturday, and continue until the quarterfinals and consolation round of 16 are set. Competition will resume at that point on Sunday morning for the high school tournament and continue to the tournament's completion, along with the commencement and completion of the middle school tournament. Website: http://www.super32.com InterMat Coverage: High School Analyst Josh Lowe will be in Greensboro, NC covering the tournament. Periodic updates will be posted on Lowe's twitter account (@JLowe_intermat). In addition, InterMat will provide a recap of each day of the competition. Social Media: The tournament can be followed on Twitter (@thesuper32) and on Facebook Bracket information will also be available through the Super 32 website. Weight-by-Weight Breakdown 103: Already in the tournament's opening weight class, the nature of the Super 32 field comes to a head. There are six additional wrestlers in this field that earned All-American honors at the Cadet and Junior Nationals in Fargo, ND this past summer: Brenden Calas (Seton Hall Prep, NJ); Zac Hall (St. John's, MI); Micah Hight (Caesar Rodney, DE); Colton Howell (Brandon, FL); Zach Howell (Caesar Rodney, DE); and Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan, PA). Another four incoming freshmen were either champions or runner-up in their weight class at the middle school Super 32 last fall: Ryan Millhof (Archer, GA) and Michael Olsen (Park Hill, MO) were champions while Sean Russell (Collins Hill, GA) and Christian Clary (Dayton Chrsitian, OH) finished as runners-up. In addition to the 14 wrestlers described above, another pair of wrestlers won scholastic state titles in 2010, Richie Bliss (Springstead, FL) and Ryan Diehl (Berkeley Springs, WV). While another pair -- Billy Rappo (Council Rock South, PA) and Javier Vieyra (Salina South, KS) -- were Fargo All-Americans in 2009. In his freshman year of high school, Nathan Tomasello was a state champion and followed that up with a FILA Cadet National freestyle title at 101 pounds and was third in Cadet freestyle at 98 pounds. Fellow sophomore Darian Cruz sustained an injury midway through his high school season and was unable to compete at the state tournament, but placed at the Beast of the East, and had a terrific offseason that included a runner-up finish at 98 pounds in Cadet freestyle. Projected Final: Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, OH) vs. Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) 112: Should the Freddie Rodriguez-Nick Roberts matchup materialize, it would amazingly be the first time I can recall these two superstars competing against one another in a competitively relevant platform in calendar years 2008-2010. Rodriguez swept his way to freestyle and Greco-Roman titles at the FILA Cadet Nationals in April and the Junior Nationals in July, while Roberts was twice a Cadet National double champion before representing the United States at the FILA Junior World Championships this summer in Budapest. However, there are a whole litany of wrestlers in this field that are studs in their own right and stand in the way of this showcase matchup. Nine additional wrestlers in this weight class were ranked in the top 20 of their high school weight class at the end of the 2009-10 season and/or are currently ranked in their graduating class: Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, NJ); George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, OH); Drew Ferguson-Mitchell (Collins Hill, GA); Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, OK); Cody LeCount (Perry Meridian, IN); Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, PA); Zain Retherford (Line Mountain, PA); Jacob Schmitt (St. John's, MI); and Connor Schram (Canon-McMillan, PA). Additional credentialed wrestlers in this field include Beast of the East champion Zach Bridson (Timberlane, NH), National Prep champion Will Mason (Cape Henry Collegiate, VA), Junior National freestyle third place finisher Jordan Wigger (Summerville, NC), returning Super 32 placers Austin Miller (Hempfield, PA) and Jake Smith (Robinson, VA), as well as NHSCA freshman champion JR Wert (Morgan County, GA). Projected Final: Freddie Rodriguez (Grand Ledge, MI) vs. Nick Roberts (North Star, PA) 119: The sophomore Joey Dance, champion at 103 pounds last year, is the lone returning champion in the field this year; 12 of the 14 champions from 2009 were seniors, while Old Dominion verbal commit Chris Mecate (Redland East Valley, CA) is not returning. During the season, Dance competed at 112 pounds where he placed at the Walsh Ironman, Beast of the East, and Powerade before winning a state championship and finishing runner-up at the FloNationals. This summer, Dance finished fourth in Greco-Roman. Multiple-time state champion Earl Hall was top four in both styles at the Junior Nationals this summer after finishing third at 112 pounds at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in April. In addition to Dance and Hall, five other wrestlers earned Junior National All-American honors this past summer: Greco-Roman runner-up Nathan Kraisser (Centennial, MD); four-time state finalist Eric Devos (Waverly Shell-Rock, IA); Eric Friedman (St. Paul's, MD); state champion Nick Harrison (Stillman Valley, IL); and Alex Calandrino (Howell, MI). Another trio of wrestlers in this weight was gold medalists at the AAU Scholastic Duals this past June -- state champions Dean Heil (St. Edward, OH), Brandon Fifield (Leslie, MI); and Michael Waters (Davie County, NC). Projected Final: Joey Dance (Christiansburg, VA) vs. Earl Hall (South Dade, FL) 125: Brandon teammates Rossi Bruno and Kevin Norstrem help anchor a team that will contend to be No. 1 in the country this coming season. Three-time state champion Bruno was a Junior National Greco-Roman champion this past summer and placed sixth in last year's Super 32 at 119 pounds. Two-time state champion Norstrem placed seventh in last year's tournament at 125 pounds, and was a double All-American at both the FILA Cadet Nationals in April and the Junior Nationals in July. Among the other notables in this weight are returning Super 32 placers Joe Rendina (Dundee, MI) and Kyle Casaletto (Southern Regional, NJ); former Super 32 placers John Fahy (Trinity, KY) and Narcisco Incharregui (Lorain, OH); as well as Cadet National All-Americans Josh Bennett (Francis Howell Central, MO) and Josh Pennell (St. John's, MI). Projected Final: Rossi Bruno (Brandon, FL) vs. Kevin Norstrem (Brandon, FL) 130: Should the finals matchup between Tyler Liberatore and Brandon Jeske materialize, it would match up the Junior and Cadet National freestyle champions at 130 pounds from this past Fargo. Liberatore was absolutely dominant in sweeping through the Greco-Roman and freestyle tournaments after a season in which he earned a state championship. Returning Super 32 runner-up Jeske was runner-up at the Beast of the East and National Prep Championships as a freshman. In addition to the national title in Fargo, his off-season also included a FILA Cadet freestyle championship and a runner-up finish in Greco-Roman at Cadet Nationals. Five proven veteran competitors serve as the prime challengers to this duo, and all are seniors. Three-time state champion Kyle Bauer (Wheeling Park, WV) was one match away from placing at the Super 32 last year, and finished fourth at the FloNationals; Bobby Dierna (Wayne, NY) was champion of the NHSCA Junior Nationals at 130 pounds; state runner-up Steven Rodrigues (Fox Lane, NY) was a FloNationals runner-up; state champion Nick Soto (Springstead, FL) was fifth at the NHSCA JuniorNationals; while Joey Mazzi (LaSalle, PA) is a three-time state qualifier and twice a state placer. Four additional wrestlers in this field have previous place finishes at the Super 32 Challenge: freshman sensation Solomon Chisko (Canon-McMillan, PA) placed eight at 112 pounds as an eighth-grader; Greg Flournoy (Fauquier, VA) was eighth at 119 pounds; Cameron Throckmorton (South-Western, PA) placed as a freshman in 2007; while sophomore Shayne Tucker (Bella Vista, CA) placed fifth at 103 pounds last year. Other notable wrestlers in this field include two-time state champion and FILA Cadet National All-American Alec Mooradian (Detroit Catholic Central, MI); former state champion Arty Walsh (Schuylkill Valley, PA); and Junior National freestyle All-American Camryn Jackson (Lansing Eastern, MI). Projected Final: Tyler Liberatore (Brandon, FL) vs. Brandon Jeske (Cox, VA) 135: In keeping with the lead of this preview, my predicted finals matchup features a pair of sensational juniors that ended last season ranked nationally at 130 pounds, and are among the top 20 regardless of weight class in the Class of 2012. Steve Spearman earned a state title in 2010 after being an All-American at both the FILA Cadet and Cadet Nationals in freestyle during the off-season of 2009. Nate Skonieczny was champion at the Walsh Ironman and Cheesehead in 2009-10, runner-up at the FloNationals, and earned a gold medal at the AAU Scholastic Duals. The group of primary challengers to this dual features five returning state champions: Junior National freestyle runner-up Terrel Wilbourn (Francis Howell Central, MO); returning Super 32 placer Cody Ross (Springstead, FL); and a trio of two-time champions in Bronson Steuber (Jackson County Central, MN), Zach Tanenbaum (Blue Valley North, KS), and Cody Broomall (Sussex Central, DE). Other notables in this weight include junior high sensation Mark Hall; state placer Dan Neff (Solanco, PA); returning Super 32 placer Brent Fickel (Padua, OH); state placer Brandon Choate (Blue Mountain, PA); FloNationals placer Ty Lydic (Greater Latrobe, PA); state placer Matt Rappo (Council Rock South, PA); NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Will Switzer (Archbishop Spaulding, MD); as well as state champions Jake Ekster (Cy-Fair, TX), Taylor Simaz (Allegan, MI), and Scotty Hardiman (Hibriten, NC). Projected Final: Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell, PA) vs. Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, OH) 140: This is yet another weight class that features a pair of juniors as the projected finalists. Jason Tsirtsis finished second at the Super 32 last year before winning a second consecutive state championship; which was followed up by a FloNationals championship, a FILA Cadet championship, and finishing third in Junior National freestyle. Jacob Crawford placed at the Super 32 in 2008 and earned a second consecutive state title during 2009-10 after placing third at the Beast of the East and Mount Mat Madness. Another quintet of wrestlers is breathing down their backs seeking to spoil that matchup. Both Elijah Sullivan (Iowa City West, IA) and Taylor Moeder (St. James Academy, KS) were Junior National Greco-Roman champions this past summer; Sullivan was a state runner-up during the scholastic year, while Moeder was fourth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals and in Junior National freestyle. Returning Super 32 placer Quinton Murphy (Holley Central, NY) earned a second state title this past season in his third finals appearance. National Prep placer Charlie Lynch (Archbishop Spaulding, MD) was runner-up at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Finally, Super 32 placer Matt Cimato (LaSalle, PA) made a tremendous leap in the off-season after failing to place at state during the regular season; when he placed at the FloNationals, was a FILA Cadet National and Junior National freestyle All-American, and earned a silver medal at the AAU Scholastic Duals. A trio of wrestlers that have made the Garden State podium will seek to rise to the Super 32 podium -- for Devon Gobbo (Delbarton, NJ) it would be a repeat appearance, while it would be a debut appearance for Lou Mascola (Seton Hall Prep, NJ) and Michael Bakuckas (Hammonton, NJ). Projected Final: Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, IN) vs. Jacob Crawford (Millbrook, VA) 145: College coaches pay attention. Senior studs abound in this weight class, though some have already verbally committed to colleges. Six members of the InterMat Top 100 wrestlers for the Class of 2010 anchor this weight class, including four of the top 34 and five of the top 48. Anchoring the field are FloNationals champion James Green and NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Nick Hodgkins. Green was runner-up in the Garden State last year, and undefeated at the Junior Duals in freestyle; while Hodgkins earned a third consecutive top three finish in the state tournament. The four other anchor seniors are FloNationals runner-up Pete Baldwin (Osceola, FL), runner-up at state the last two years after winning it as a freshman; FloNationals third place finisher Roger Wildmo (Durand, MI) placed at the Super 32 last year and earned a second state title in three finals appearances; Junior National double All-American Lex Ozias (Southern Garrett, MD) was third at the NHSCA Junior Nationals and is twice a state champion; while FloNationals champion Eric Roach (Crown Point, IN) won his first state title in 2009-10. Other notable seniors include two-time state placer CJ Cobb (Williamstown, NJ); state runner-up Josh Clark (Matoaca, VA); two-time state placer Matt Martoccio (Council Rock South, PA); two-time third place finisher at state Brody Grothus (Davenport Assumption, IA), one match away from placement last year; two-time National Prep placer Brady Massaro (Mt. St. Joseph, MD); two-time state champion Ron Vaughters (Old Mill, MD); returning Super 32 placer, and three-time state placer, Jayshon Wilson (Carlisle, PA);and multi-time state champion Damen Capper (Berkeley Springs, WV), who was also one match away from placement last year. Underclassmen to watch in this weight class include a pair of two-time state placers in junior Michael Minotti (Easton, PA) and Andrew Morse (Lowell MI), as well as sophomore state champion Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, VA). Projected Final: James Green (Willingboro, NJ) vs. Nick Hodgkins (Wyomissing, PA) 152: Like clockwork at the Super 32, this is yet another weight class with tremendous depth. The anchor figure in this weight class is one of the finest talents in the whole nation -- two-time state champion Felipe Martinez, who is ranked fourth nationally in the Class of 2012. Formerly at Graham High School, Martinez came to the fore with a runner-up finish at the Walsh Ironman as a freshman. This past year, he sealed his state title with six wins over former Super 32 champion Tucker Armstrong over the course of ten weeks. Codey Combs is a returning Super 32 placer, three-time Delaware state champion, and Beast of the East runner-up. However, the gap between the projected finalists and not even being in a placement position is very minute in this weight class. Seven other wrestlers in this field are ranked in their respective graduating classes: Ryne Cokeley (St. James Academy, KS) is a returning Super 32 placer, three-time state champion, and NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up; Max Schneider (Lane Tech, IL) is a two-time state champion and Youth Olympic Games Judo champion; two-time state champion Clark Glass (Brandon, FL) placed third in Junior National Greco-Roman; senior Lorenzo Thomas (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) was a state runner-up; Henry Carlson (Cox, VA) and Duke Pickett (Woodberry Forest, VA) were Junior National freestyle All-Americans at 145 pounds; and NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion Tyler Askey (Northgate, GA) was a Cadet National double All-American. Other wrestlers meriting significant attention in this weight class are FloNationals runner-up Jordan Wohlfert (St. John's, MI); state placer Brian Brill (Central Mountain, PA), who was one match away from placing last year); state champion and NHSCA Junior National All-American Austin Wilson (Hastings St. Cecelia, NE); two-time state champion Cody Allala (Hopewell, VA), also one match away from placement last year; as well as state champion Brian Henke (Richmond, MI). Projected Final: Felipe Martinez (Oregon Clay, OH) vs. Codey Combs (Sussex Central, DE) 160: Taylor Massa made his debut on the high school national scene with a semifinal appearance in this tournament two years ago as an eighth grader. Since then, his stock has continued to sizzle with two Cadet National double championships, double All-American honors at the Junior Nationals this past summer, a FILA Junior National freestyle title this past April, a FloNationals title, and two undefeated state championships in high school. However, the one thing to escape his grip has been a Super 32 championship belt -- as he was runner-up each of the last two years; in 2008 to Andrew Alton, and in 2009 to Jackson Morse. Though the perception of this weight class would be Massa in one corner and the field in another, the proverbial “field” is a very deep group of wrestlers with limited differentiation. The designated leader of the field is NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Nikko Reyes, who was third in his state tournament after ending up one match away from placement in this tournament last year. Among the other names to watch is NHSCA Junior National champion, and National Prep runner-up David Wesley (St. Christopher's VA); state champion and Beast of the East placer Jay Matheus (Sussex Central, DE), who was third at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals; sophomore Cody Wiercioch (Charleroi, PA), who burst onto the scene with MVP honors at the Powerade and a state title during his freshman year; state runner-up Adam Bonner (Greenville, MI), the only wrestler to knock off Jackson Morse in 2009-10; AAU Scholastic Duals silver medalist Travis McKillop (Burrell, PA), a state placer; two-time state champion Issah Meade (Caesar Rodney, DE); and a pair of NHSCA Junior National All-Americans in Patrick Jennings (Longwood, NY) and Doug Hamann (Jackson Memorial, NJ). Another group of notables are state champions Rich Eva (Christiansburg, VA); John Lampe (St. Xavier, KY); TJ Duncan (McCallie, TN); and Forrest Przybysz (Jefferson, GA). Projected Final: Taylor Massa (St. John's, MI) vs. Nikko Reyes (Clovis West, CA) 171: Three years ago while Massa was making his run to the semifinals of the Super 32, another junior high wrestler was making an impression in the tournament as well. Jason Luster -- also an eighth grader at the time -- was also in the field and involved in a match against Joey Cozart (Brandon, FL/Iowa State) that went right down to the wire. The physical tools that Luster has are undeniable and have led him to two National Prep championship finals, including a title last year; as well as a FloNationals runner-up finish to Massa this past spring. On the other hand, until this summer, Wally Figaro was a known commodity in the national context but in need of a perception breakthrough. That came with a terrific Junior Duals tournament followed up by a Junior Nationals double All-American finish at 160 pounds in Fargo. Other wrestlers to watch in this weight include state placer Colin Hedash (Northern Lehigh, PA); two-time state champion and NHSCA Junior National All-American Patrick Downey (North County, MD); two-time state champion and FILA Cadet Greco-Roman champion Brandon Griffin (Sprague, OR); state placer and FloNationals placer Jackson Bratcher (Eastbrook, IN); three-time state placer Colin Hewitt (Franklin, NJ); National Prep placer Stout Watson (Forsyth County, NC); and two-time state placer, three-time state qualifier Tylan Coleman (Mayfield, OH). Projected Final: Jason Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) vs. Wally Figaro (Brandon, FL) 189: About the only thing in common the two projected finalists in this weight class have are they both were undefeated state champions in the Keystone state. While Stephen Ceremuga was a relative unknown in his state title run, and probably still is; Courts has been on the forefront of the national landscape since the Super 32 three years ago when he finished runner-up as a freshman to Collin Palmer (St. Edward, OH/Ohio State). After that Super 32 runner-up finish, Kenny Courts would defeat Dylan Alton (Central Mountain, PA/Penn State) in the finals of the Top Hat and earn Outstanding Wrestler honors at the Beast of the East prior to sustaining an injury that ended his freshman season of high school. In the last two years, Courts was runner-up and champ at the state tournament, and this past year earned titles at the Beast of the East and Powerade during the regular season. This weekend, he is the clear favorite to earn his first Super 32 belt. Along with Ceremuga, other notable challengers include state runner-up, and NHSCA Junior Nationals champion, Josh DaSilveira (Cardinal Gibbons, FL); NHSCA Junior Nationals All-American, and Junior National Greco-Roman All-American, Cody Johnston (Warrensburg, MO); state runner-up Michael Mauk (St. Mark's, DE); Super 32 and National Prep placer Nick Kidd (Northfield Mt. Hermon, MA); along with state champions Tory Bennett (Berkeley Springs, WV) and Mac Bennett (Collins Hill, GA). Projected Final: Kenny Courts (Central Dauphin, PA) vs. Stephen Ceremuga (Commodore Perry, PA) 215: To the general wrestling consumer, these last two weight classes are going to be pretty limited in terms of high profile names that create sizzle and cache in the mind. However, there are a group of credible wrestlers in each of these weight classes seeking to increase their place on the radar of wrestling fans. Michael Kennedy is ranked 100th among the Top 100 wrestlers in the Class of 2011 nationally. The returning Super 32 placer was a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion in 2009 and won his first state title this past year. Ian Kirkman was runner-up at the state tournament this past year, but made his slight dent on the national scene with a Gold medal at the AAU Scholastic Duals. Other notables in this weight are a pair of state runner-ups Zachary Nye (East Pennsboro, PA) and Matt Mongera (Seneca, PA); New England Regional champion, and NHSCA Junior National All-American, Patrick Gillen (Shelton, CT); state placer Andrew Marra (Wall, NJ); 2009 state placer Scott Syrek (Owen J. Roberts, PA); Beast of the East champion Matt Idelson (Garnet Valley, PA); and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion James Suvak (St. Edward, OH). Projected Final: Michael Kennedy (Blackman, TN) vs. Ian Kirkman (Morehead, NC) 285: On the surface, this weight class is a golden opportunity for three of the finest upper-weight wrestlers in the southeast to showcase on the national landscape, and provide some clarity on which is best. Colin Campbell, a state champion and returning Super 32 placer, made his significant dent on the national scene with a 5th place finish in Junior National freestyle this past summer. Jacob Aiken-Phillips, a fellow state champion, was third at the NHSCA Junior Nationals this past spring. The third member of this trio is state champion Ross Burbank (Cox, VA). Others to watch in this weight class include state champions Chandler Ford (James Martin, TX) and Wayne Purnell (Salesanium, DE); Cadet National double All-American James Dreggors (Springstead, FL); state placer and returning Super 32 placer Caleb Baker (General McLane, PA); and New England Regional third place finisher Ben Tammany (Timberlane, NH). Projected Final: Colin Campbell (Person, NC) vs. Jacob Aiken-Phillips (Central Gwinnet, GA) Middle School Nuggets Frankie Bruno (Brandon, FL), the younger brother of Rossi Bruno, is among those in the field at 85 pounds. Vincenzo Joseph (St. Phillip, PA) and Cameron Kelly (Bellbrook, OH) are proven commodities at the junior high level from power states, both are in the field at 90 pounds Matthew Kolodzik (Miami Valley, OH) is ranked third nationally among junior high wrestlers, and heads the field at 95 pounds. However, AC Headlee (Margaret Bell Miller, PA) is a proven commodity in PJW competition and Kyle Norstrem (Brandon, FL) is the younger sibling of Kevin Norstrem -- both also in that weight class. The 100-pound weight class features two nationally-ranked wrestlers -- Dylan Lucas (Brandon, FL) ranked fourth, and Sam Krivus (Hempfield, PA) ranked 13th. Isaac Dulgarian (Horizon Academy, KS) is a proven national commodity in USA Wrestling events, and is a wrestler to watch at 112 pounds. Twelfth-ranked Mason Manville (Hayfield, VA) is among those in the field at 136 pounds.

Bob Patnesky

Alex Radsky

Kendall Cross

Doug Schwab

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Each year, the Beat the Streets Gala is held to celebrate wrestling and raise funds for Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc., the successful program which has provided wrestling opportunities for thousands of middle school and high school students in New York City. "We have raised over $900,000 tonight," said Mike Novogratz, Chairman of the Board, organizer of the event and the U.S. Freestyle World Team Leader. "All of the donations will go to sending kids to camp and to support our coaches." This is the seventh Beat the Streets Gala event, which have all been successful fundraisers for New York City wrestling. It was the first time that there was a wrestling card included with the event. The Main Event was conducted on the Deck of the USS Intrepid with over 1200 people witnessing some of the nation's top wrestlers with several local middle and high school wrestlers from the Beat the Wrestling Streets Program being showcased streaming live on theMat.com. At the conclusion of the Main Event, the donors and sponsors went below deck to attend the annual Gala & Benefit. The 900 guests were greeted by Mike Novogratz, as he introduced the 25 World and Olympic Champions with many of the icons of the sport as a backdrop to the announcement of the New York City Coaches Awards.Presentation. The evening was elegant and the music provided by the Lost Trailer Band in between the special recognitions of the impact of the program is having with several young people. The Beat the Streets Wrestling program is not only involved in after school wrestling within the public schools, it is far more than just teaching a sport. The contributors, many of whom traveled from 27 states, were there to financially support the program while recognizing the impact that wrestling has in teaching life skills, building confidence and self-reliance. The program provides after school tutoring with study halls at the 10 training centers located in all 5 boroughs. Wrestling is holistic in nature in that it is passed through the professionalism of our coaches, all of whom are professional educators, helping students during and after school in many special ways. This aspect has not gone by unnoticed by the principals of the schools, where most of them were very reluctant to add wrestling. We have to win the principals and administrators, the kids are the easy part. Mike presented a video, that is being produced as a "reality show", that has been following several students and their coaches during the wrestling season. The video was shown to all the donors and sponsors and it is still a work in progress. A special guest, Ruth Leger, a young lady who has been wrestling for two years in our newly created girls wrestling program, spoke in a very moving way of the impact of the Beat the Streets program has had in her life. Our staff held a Essay contest asking all the students to write about the impact that the Beat the Streets program has had on their life thus far. We will post snippets of some of the outstanding essays received on our website. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we sincerely thank all of you who attended and all who have responded in such a positive way through letters, phone calls and e-mails. It means a great deal to all of us. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and the website: www.beat-the-streets.org. We are doing some amazing things in New York City. Mike Novogratz has said it best in an interview recently with Scott Casber, TDRadio ..."We are producing a culture of wrestling and we are in it for the next 15-25 years." With your help and continued support until then, we will turn it over the New York City to keep it going! BEAT THE STREETS GALA Battle on the Intrepid At New York, N.Y., May 13, 2010 Results: Middle School 135 lbs. -Will Wilson dec. Shateek Palmer High School 150 lbs. - Jorge Jimenez dec. Andre Antoine Women's freestyle 59 kg - Leigh Jaynes pin Kelsey Campbell, 0-1, 0:41 Greco-Roman 66 kg -Ellis Coleman dec. Spenser Mango, 5-3, 1-6, 2-1 Men's freestyle 74 kg - Ben Askren dec. Moza Fay, 2-0, 9-2 Men's freestyle 96 kg - Andy Hrovat dec. Kyle Cerminara, 0-5, 2-1, 7-1 Men's freestyle 66 kg - Brent Metcalf dec. Bubba Jenkins, 2-0, 6-0