InterMat Staff

Jamie Clark

Derek Garcia

Tom Minkel

Greg Urbas

Ryan DesRoches shouldn't have been that worried. Last season, as the nation's 15th-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds and a returning NCAA qualifier, his selection by the NCAA at-large committee seemed a guarantee. He'd qualified a weight class for the Pac-10, but because he was upset in the semifinals of the conference tournament, he was forced to wait along with scores of other wrestlers to find out if he qualified for another NCAA tournament. "I remember training after Pac-10s and feeling good about my chances, but every once in a while I'd kinda wonder," says DesRoches, a senior at Cal Poly who is currently ranked seventh at 174 pounds. This season DesRoches earned an automatic berth in the NCAAs despite losing a narrow 5-4 decision to top-ranked Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford in the finals of the Pac-12 tournament. He was happy to not be playing the waiting game he had to last season. Ryan DesRoches received an at-large selection last season (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The Pac-10/12 holds its conference tournament a week prior to other conferences, which gives the member schools an extra week of training for NCAAs, but also forces the wrestlers in contention for an at-large bid to wait a full extra week, something that left DesRoches biting his nails to the very end. "I really did feel confident I was going to be selected, but I was listening to them announce names and mine just wasn't being called," says DesRoches. "I'd waited for almost two full weeks and after 30 names had been called I'm still sitting there wondering. I ended up having to wrestle Andrew Howe, who was the No. 2 seed last season." DesRoches was the last name called. The old system wasn't much better. Ask any bow-legged cauliflower wrestler in his thirties and they'll retell horror stories of waiting after the conference tournament to find out which wrestlers the conference chose. The system used to work off historical data and gave the conferences and their coaches discretion on who to place in the NCAA tournament. An ACC tournament in 2005 might have 16 qualifiers, with 10 automatic and six at-large. Coaches then huddled and attempted to appeal for their wrestlers, and possibly who they thought might benefit the conference's chance at earning more bids in the future. As the coaches discussed, wrestlers were sitting in locker rooms and abandoned auditoriums awaiting their decisions and coming to justifications all on their own for who should and shouldn't go. It was a random process with little justification. The new process does seem to extract more of the top wrestlers from conference tournaments and into the NCAA Championships, though the wrestlers have now become more aware of the process in advance of their conference tournament. Should they falter, how did someone near their RPI do at their conference tournament? Was there an upset? Who would go if ... ? And what if ... ? Matt Nelson is one wrestler who might end up sitting on the bubble (Photo/Virginia Sports Information)Matt Nelson of Virginia is one wrestler who might end up sitting on the bubble. Ranked in the top 20 for part of the season, Nelson has quality wins over other ranked opponents and a solid 15-4 record, but heading into the conference tournament he has alternating visions of his own dominance and the reality that anyone can have a bad day and end up in the mercy of the national at-large selection committee. "There are three spots and I'm the second-seeded guy at the weight," says Nelson. "I'm looking to beat both my opponents, and I'm focused on doing that as best I can with the stuff that I already do well." He does admit that should something happen, he hopes that his work to this point has gotten him far enough. "The last three years I was the guy carrying the water bucket," says Nelson who has spent the majority of his time in Charlottesville suffering from severe concussions. The 2011-2012 season has been his first season on the mat. "I'm thinking about what I can do at NCAAs and I'm sure that if I have to wait to hear from the committee that the time between the end of ACCs and when they announce is gonna stink, but I'm going to train through even if that is the case." The pressure for many of these wrestlers couldn't be greater. Unlike the team sports where blame can be deferred, college wrestlers are forced to take on the reality of their shortcomings in front of their friends, families and teammates. An extended wait period only prolongs the amount of time that support system will pump them up with confidence or analyze the RPI of opposing wrestlers and who they think might also make the cut. It's an exhausting proposition. In the meantime, if they don't automatically qualify, they'll be asked to train as if they were, a tough psychological hedge for any wrestler with goals of being an All-American or NCAA champion, but facing the reality that they might not even be allowed to participate. "I think it's all about getting that chance," says Nelson. "Whether I earn the automatic qualifier spot, or get in at-large, my goal is to be standing on the podium in two weeks. "I'll deal with just about anything to get there."

FARGO, N.D. -- Jahwon Akui came to Fargo with something to prove after not being able to defend his state title in Illinois this past season because of a suspension. On Tuesday afternoon, Akui won the Junior National Greco-Roman title at 171 pounds with a 1-0, 1-0 victory over Kevin Beazley (Michigan) at the FARGODOME in Fargo, N.D. Jahwon Akui (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)"I didn't get to wrestle in the state championship for Illinois after having a perfect season as a senior," said Akui. "I felt like I had a lot of unfinished business. I had a few more titles that I wanted to get before I enter college." Akui will be attending Iowa Central Community College, where he plans to play football wrestle. Akui has won the first two legs of USA Wrestling's Junior Triple Crown this year by winning Junior National titles in folkstyle and Greco-Roman. So will he be wrestling in freestyle competition? "Maybe," said Akui, before chuckling. "I might. Right now I don't know. I've wrestled 171 for the last few years. It's been tough making it this time and at the (Junior) Duals. I'm still thinking about it. Maybe." Akui's title helped Illinois capture the team title in the Junior National Greco-Roman competition. The Land of Lincoln finished with 16 All-American, three finalists, and two champions. The other Illinois wrestler to win a title, in addition to Akui, was Nkosi Moody, who defeated Dante Rodriguez (Nebraska) in the championship at 105 pounds. Moody was happy to contribute to Illinois' success. "I take a lot of pride in being from Illinois," said Moody. It's just a great wrestling team." Moody won a Junior National folkstyle title in April. If he wins the freestyle competition, which gets underway on Thursday, Moody will become just the third Junior Triple Crown winner ever. "Winning the Triple Crown is very important to me," said Moody. "Last year I wasn't able to do it. This year I'm coming after it. I've put in so much work that it would just mean so much to me." Florida crowned four champions, Isaiah Varona (119), Rossi Bruno (125), Kevin Norstrem (130), and Geordan Speiller (160), which was twice as many as any other state. Varona, who attends South Dade High School (Fla.), defeated defending Junior National Greco-Roman champion Tyler Fraley (New Jersey) in three periods to take the crown at 119 pounds. It was a breakthrough performance for Varona, who has come up just short in major events. He was runner-up at the FILA Junior World Team Trials in Greco-Roman. He placed third at the 2010 FILA Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman. He has placed third and fifth at the Florida high school state tournament. "I know what got me here was that self motivation, doing stuff on my own … the running, the lifting," said Varona. I don't even have a partner at my house to practice in my garage." Bruno defeated Zane Richards (Illinois), a 2010 Cadet National Greco-Roman champion, in three periods, 3-0, 0-1, 1-0, to claim the title at 125 pounds. It was Bruno's second straight Junior National Greco-Roman title. "He's tough," Bruno said of Richards. "He's strong. He stayed in good position. I have to give it up to him. He was definitely my toughest match of the tournament." Bruno, who attends Brandon High School, will be going for his fifth state in his senior season, which has never been accomplished in Florida. His Brandon teammate, Clark Glass, who lost in the Junior National Greco-Roman finals at 152 pounds, will also be going for his fifth state title. "I always tease him that I'm going to be the first (five-time state champion) because I'm lighter than him," said Bruno, who plans on taking recruiting visits to Rutgers, Michigan, Lehigh, North Carolina State, and one other school to be determined. Another Brandon wrestler, Kevin Norstrem, won the title at 130 pounds, with a shutout victory in the finals over Jacob Velarde (Washington), 3-0, 1-0. "I wasn't going to settle for anything less than first," said Norstrem, who is ranked as the No. 7 junior in the country by InterMat. "I had a goal … I didn't want anybody to score on me this tournament either, and I achieved that as well." Norstrem said his Brandon teammates are like family. "We're a team, but we're more of a family," said Norstrem, who went 65-0 en route to winning his third state title this past season. "We spend more time together than we do with our own relatives. It's just great having those guys working out with you every day, having those guys beat on you, you beat on them. We get a little hot sometimes, but that only helps." Norstrem's younger brother, Kyle, finished third in the Cadet Greco-Roman competition at 98 pounds. "I had to one-up him," said Norstrem. "He took third and that's kind of hard to beat, but I had to one-up him. I'm proud of him. He's only a first-year Cadet. I didn't place my first year here. Him taking third is huge." Florida's fourth champion was Geordan Speiller, who defeated Alex Meyer (Iowa), 3-0, 3-1, to take the title at 160 pounds. There were three wrestlers who repeated as Junior National Greco-Roman champion. In addition to Bruno, Missouri's Colton Howell (112) and Wisconsin's Devin Peterson (189) repeated as champions. Howell, a FILA Junior National Greco-Roman champion this year, registered a shutout victory over Phillip Laux (Iowa), 1-0, 3-0, to take the title at 112 pounds. Peterson, who is ranked as the No. 24 senior recruit by InterMat, defeated longtime rival Jake Waste (Minnesota), 5-0, 1-0, to claim the title at 189 pounds. Peterson was not the only Wisconsin wrestler to win a title in the Junior Greco-Roman competition. Wisconsin's Alex Dieringer (Wisconsin) defeated Clark Glass (Florida), 2-0, 1-0, to capture the championship at 152 pounds. Dieringer, a three-time time state champion, will be heading to Oklahoma State, a school not known for training Greco-Roman wrestlers. So what that Dieringer's last Greco-Roman tournament? "I don't even know," said Dieringer. "Maybe when I'm a little older, after I'm all done with college, maybe I might switch over. But I feel freestyle is my best style, so I think I'm going to stick with that." Dieringer will move up a weight to 160 pounds for the freestyle competition. "Every year I have been going up," said Dieringer. "It's my last year. I want to have fun, so I'm going to go up to 160 and see how that goes. If I don't win it, it's alright. I still want to win it, though … That's for sure." Ben Whitford (Michigan), a Cadet National double champion last summer, cruised to an easy technical fall victory in the finals over Chase Ferman (Oklahoma), 9-2, 7-0. "Now I'm back at Michigan," said Whitford, who won two individual state titles as a freshman and sophomore at Marmion Academy (Ill.). "I've still got a lot of great guys to practice with. Everyone in the Massa room is great to practice with." Whitford will be attending St. Johns High School (Mich.) for his junior season and reuniting with friends, like Taylor Massa, he grew up wrestling with. "I'm glad to be on the team with them," said Whitford. "Hopefully win a state title or two and put our team out there and have really great success." Another Michigan wrestler, Adam Coon, took the title at 215 pounds with a second-period pin over Lee Wildes (Florida). Johnson Mai (California) had a come-from-behind victory over Bobby Nachreiner (Wisconsin), 2-5, 3-2, 3-0, to win a stop sign at 105 pounds. Joe Schumacher (North Dakota) won a title in his home state with a 2-0, 1-0 victory over Casey George (Idaho) at 140 pounds. Jacob Falk (Utah), who will be attending Utah Valley State in the fall, defeated multiple-time Fargo champion Oliver Pierce (Texas), 2-1, 1-0, in the championship match at 145 pounds. Parker Betts, who won the heavyweight title, was Minnesota's lone champion. Betts, who will continue his Greco-Roman wrestling career at Northern Michigan, defeated Wisconsin recruit Connor Medbery (Colorado), 1-0, 2-0.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- With the season opening dual just over a month away the Lehigh wrestling team return to the mats for the first official day of practice Thursday inside the Sheridan Wrestling Room in the Gerald G. Leeman Wrestling Complex. Expectations are high for second-year head coach Pat Santoro after the Mountain Hawks enjoyed a record-setting 23-1 dual campaign and second place EIWA finish in 2008-09; but there remains unfinished business for this Lehigh team in March and the start of official practice marks the first step towards that ultimate goal for the Mountain Hawks. “The first official day of practice is an exciting day,” explained Santoro, the 2009 EIWA Coach of the Year. “The guys have been working out in the offseason, but this is the day where everyone puts everything aside. The first day where everyone gets together as a team and we get everyone focused on the national championship. Doing well in March is always going to be the goal for this program.” Santoro said the team’s offseason program was very productive, but the wrestling season is a long one and it’s important to keep everyone fresh for the long haul. “There were some hard workouts in the offseason program and there will be some hard workouts early in camp,” said Santoro. “We want to push them, but we also need to keep them fresh, so we’ll push them for a few weeks then dial it back a bit for a week. The most important thing for the guys is to bring it every day in practice and learn to trust the coaches because we will make sure we keep them fresh for the right times during the season.” The Mountain Hawks return a wealth of talent, led by their six member senior class: Seth Ciasulli and David Craig own EIWA titles, Matt Fisk, Mike Galante and Manuel Schubert have qualified for the NCAA tournament, and Justin Allen is expected to challenge for time at 197 after shedding close to 60 pounds in the offseason. In addition, this year’s Lehigh team returns nine starters from last year and seven wrestlers who have competed at the NCAA Championships. The program has also been bolstered by the addition of five newcomers, including former state champions Joey Napoli and Austin Meys. Earlier this week two major publications unveiled their preseason rankings, with seven Lehigh wrestlers being ranked in both polls. On Monday, W.I.N. Magazine announced its rankings with sophomore heavyweight Zach Rey coming in at No. 7. Fisk comes in at No. 9 at 133 and is joined in the rankings by Ciasulli, Galante, Craig, junior Alex Caruso and sophomore Joe Kennedy. Wednesday, Amateur Wrestling News published its rankings with Rey again leading the way at No. 6. Ciasulli and Craig were also ranked in the top ten, Ciasulli eighth at 141 and Craig ninth at 184. “We have a focused group with a lot of good senior leadership,” said Santoro. “We’ll find out a lot about our team early on with all the tough early duals on our schedule. We have a real talented team. We’ll work with the guys to help them succeed on an individual basis then take those individual efforts to help mold a successful team.” Lehigh’s annual wrestle-offs are scheduled for Friday, October 30 at 7 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The regular season begins Sunday, November 8 when the Mountain Hawks host Rider at 2 p.m.

As the wrestling season's start is fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. Between now until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce you to the top senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and from Maine to California, you will gain exposure to the potential stars of future NCAA Championships. Did you miss a Wrestling 49 article? Check out the archives. The 2009-2010 seniors in Vermont bring different levels of experience to the table. The wrestling depth of this class is not as strong as the last two years ... although there is some tremendous upside and potential for all of these kids to perform at the college level. Many of these kids did a lot of offseason wrestling with clubs and at local and regional tournaments. A few have branched out and wrestled on the national level. 1. Mike Bradley School: Mt. Anthony 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 112/119 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Scouting Report: Bradley is a two-time state finalist, winning a championship in 2008 at 103 and finishing second in 2009 at 112. He placed fourth in the New England Championships at 112 pounds. He finished the season with a 52-9 record and has recorded 140 career wins in high school. He is the only senior from Vermont who placed in the New England Championships. Bradley is a devoted wrestler who puts in his time in the offseason, wrestling about 80 matches. He competed in the Brute Scholastic Showcase and many regional tournaments. 2. Steven Rich School: Spaulding 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 160/171 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Scouting Report: Rich has been in the state finals three straight years. He is a two-time state runner-up (2007 and 2008). Rich broke through for his first state championship in 2009 at 160 pounds, where he turned in an outstanding season that saw him win numerous outstanding wrestler awards at tournaments. A season record of 46-5 saw him just come up short of placing at the New England Championships. Rich is a standout football player on his high school football team. He also has over 100 career victories ... and is on pace to be one of Spaulding's top wrestlers in school history. 3. Zach Weinfurt School: Mt. Anthony 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 145/152 Projected College Weight Class: 149/157 Scouting Report: Weinfurt came on late last season to place third in the State Championships at 145 pounds -- a key reason his team was able to win its 21st straight state championship. A scholar athlete, Weinfurt has tremendous upside. He did not begin wrestling until high school and has worked very hard at improving his game. A solid offseason which saw him compete at the Brute Scholastic Showcase for underclassmen and many wrestling camps should provide him with the edge to move up the ranks on the New England level. Weinfurt finished 47-15 last season. 4. Damian Mason School: Spaulding 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Scouting Report: Mason came out on nowhere last season to help Spaulding seriously challenge for a state championship. A short, powerful wrestler, Mason finished second in the state while compiling a 36-17 season record. Tremendous upside for Smith, who is poised to have an outstanding senior season. 5. Mike Smith School: Rutland 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 140 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Scouting Report: Smith has placed third in the last two State Wrestling Championships. An injury slowed him down this offseason. Smith is a tough, hardnosed wrestler who does not get rattled when competing. He has his eyes set on standing at the top of the podium this season in a very competitive weight class. Smith tallied a 33-11 record last season. 6. Matt Simpson School: Randolph 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Scouting Report: Simpson is a standout on a very small Randolph squad hurt by the lack of practice partners. He is a three-time state place finisher, coming in third last season at 125 pounds. Simpson compiled a 30-11 season record in 2009. 7. Paschal Perrotte School: Mt. Mansfield 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Scouting Report: Parrott gave Steve Rich all he could handle in the semifinals of the State Championship last season. A powerful catch wrestler, he put together a strong run late last season. He finished the year with a 25-12 record. 8. Brad Sawyer School: Mt. Anthony 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 184 Scouting Report: Sawyer placed fifth in the State Championships. A season of offseason wrestling and weight room work will put him in the running for a state title. One highlight for Sawyer last season was finishing third in the tough Heart of Dixie Wrestling Classic held at Vestavia High School in Alabama. Competing in many regional tournaments and the Brute Scholastic Underclassmen Duals should also add to his resume of experience. Sawyer will have over 100 career wins and finished last season with 44 wins. 9. Justin Felion School: Fair Haven 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Scouting Report: Felion had and up and down junior season. At times he was dominant. He hopes to improve upon his fifth-place showing at 152 pounds. Felion finished last season with a 38-10 record. 10. Sam Webster School: Mt. Anthony 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 285 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Scouting Report: Webster becomes an interesting Top 10 pick. He has wrestled JV for three years behind two-time state champion Ethan Furlon, who graduated. Webster is a three-time JV state champion and has waited for his turn. If he was not behind Furlon last season, he would have been one of the state's top heavyweights. Webster has put in a lot of offseason work on the mat, and in the weight room. He is a starting offensive lineman on his football team. Webster is a hard worker with tremendous upside. Honorable Mention: Ricky Sawyer (Mt. Mansfield) Charlie Kline (Essex) Devon Sandon (Essex) Patrick Infurna (Fair Haven) Evan Bilodeau (Spaulding) Simon Flynn (Vergennes) Evan Bathalon (Otter Valley)

University of Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson was among the speakers at the Norman Borlaug Memorial on Oct. 8. It is Dr. Norman Borlaug Day today in Minnesota, as proclaimed by Governor Tim Pawlenty. Borlaug was a Minnesota and Golden Gopher Wrestling alum, graduating from Minnesota in 1937 before earning his Ph.D in 1942. He passed away on Sept. 12, 2009 at the age of 95, leaving behind a proud legacy of his lifetime of work in agriculture. In 1970 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as his work resulted in saving millions of humans lives, preventing famine and malnutrition, and alleviating hunger and malnutrition. Borlaug's daughter Jeanne Borlaug Laube will be an honorary Grand Marshall in the homecoming parade on Saturday, Oct. 10. She will be surrounded by current Golden Gopher Wrestlers around the car and senior Jayson Ness will escort her onto the field before the game. In the coming week, Coach Robinson will be traveling to Iraq to spend a week with the soldiers. Robinson will be with the USO as well as the 34th infantry division of the Minnesota Red Bulls. Robinson completed a year-long tour in Vietnam in 1972, serving with the First Cavalry Division as the Information Officer for the Third Brigade.

Steve Trott

Wrestling fans, I hope you have taken the time to listen to our many stand alone interviews we do every day of the week. You can find them on the front page of Intermatwrestle.com. Recruits, current college stars, our coaches and fans. Take a listen and if you know of someone deserving let us know and we'll make time to talk to them. The cast and crew will be live at The Brute Adidas studios again this week with the best in Wrestling Talk! Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Chris Arns, James Moncherry and Randy Crimmins for the best 2 hours on Radio Saturdays at 9 AM CST at Takedownradio.com. Now you can watch the show LIVE at LiveSportsVideo.com. Our Guests this week include: 9:05 Bill Miller of LightHouseWrestling.com joins us to discuss the early season and what moves are being made and by who 9:20 Kevin Dresser has received verbal commits from some good boys like Ty Mitch but who does Kevin expect to step up and lead this team? 9:40 Mike Denney- Head Coach of the Mav's of U of Nebraska at Omaha has the KB Tournament coming up and as always its a doozie with over 1300 matches in 1 day at the Sapp Fieldhouse. Amazing! Sat Nov. 21st Tickets 402-554-MAVS 10:05 Ken Kraft - Founder of the Holiday Classic, the Midlands joins us to run down those expected to compete and maybe ken can share with us a favorite memory or 2. This years Midlands, December 29th and 30th in Evanston. We'll be there, How about you? 10:20 Kirk Trost- Long time assistant Head Coach at Michigan joins us to discuss the unveiling of the new facilities for the Wolverines. long time coming for this Big 10 Powerhouse, well put together by the powers that be, Good Job indeed. Missed an episode of TDR? Now You can get TDR on your PDA or iPhone at Lightsout.tv and at iTunes Please note that Episode 26 of TDR TV is now up on all the top web sites around the country and is available for your viewing. You'll enjoy a very good conversation with Speaker Dennis Hastert and much more. It's appointment Radio! Join us for Takedownradio.com. America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show is on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa and on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Takedownradio.com. We air 9 AM to 11 AM CST every Saturday morning and look forward to having you listen in.

Anthony Salupo

John Hughes

Eric Hess

Waterloo, Iowa -- Former University of Minnesota wrestling great Alan Rice welcomes the first ever inductions to the Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions. The event will take place Oct. 16-17 and will include former Gopher Wrestling stars. Rice wrestled for the Golden Gophers from 1947-50, earning All-America honors in 1949 with a fourth place finish at 128 pounds. Rice helped the maroon and gold to seventh (1948) and fifth (1949) place finishes nationally during his tenure. In those same seasons he also won individual Big Ten titles, becoming just the third Golden Gopher to do so. The 1949 team finished as runner-up at the Big Ten tournament. Named in the honor of Rice and his late wife Gloria, the Rice Wing is located in the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. A long-time supporter of Greco-Roman wrestling, he made the United States Greco-Roman Olympic Team in 1956, while also winning national titles in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling. By pulling off the double, he remains one of the last two men to accomplish the feat. Rice coached the 1972 Greco-Roman Olympic team and has also coached two World teams. His wife Gloria, was also influential in wrestling circles, as the two helped found the Minnesota Wrestling Club. She was also the first woman to learn the complicated international parings system and then taught it to American officials. "This is a tremendous honor for Greco-Roman wrestling, and for Gloria and me," said Rice. "Greco-Roman is a very tough, physical style that demands total commitment and dedication. I am thrilled that the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum has chosen to honor these special athletes in such a fashion." Among the honorees are Doug and Janet Reiter of Jesup, Iowa. They will receive the Legacy award , which honors a family that has made a large impact on the wrestling scene in the state of Iowa. Among their four sons are former three-time Golden Gopher All-American Mack Reiter and current freshman Bart Reiter. The event will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, followed by a reception and a banquet at 7:00 p.m. the public is invited to attend and can do so by calling 319-233-0745.

Ty Mitch

Max Huntley

Brandon Jones

Drake Houdashelt

Shane Lee

Buy Tickets to the Endowment Fund Meet by Clicking Here Corvallis, Ore. -- The Oregon State wrestling program is encouraging fans to help ensure the long-term future of the wrestling program by attending the November 22 meet against Wisconsin and Boise State in legendary Gill Coliseum. The meet will raise money for the Wrestling Endowment Fund. Tickets are $10 for the meet with 100 percent of the admission cost being contributed to the endowment. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. Also taking place during the meet, a banner displaying all of Oregon State’s National Champion wrestlers will be unveiled before the Wisconsin dual. And before the Boise State match up, the induction of Robin Reed and Les Gutches into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will be celebrated. While single-meet tickets are not available to the general public at this time, by printing off the flier attached to this release, fans can purchase tickets to this meet. The Oregon State wrestling team kicks off its 2009-10 campaign at the Best of the West Tournament in Ashland, Ore., on November 13-14 before returning home to host this historic meet. Support Oregon State University Athletics by making your tax deductible donation to the Beaver Athletic Student Fund. For more information follow this link or call 541-737-2370. You can make an “everyday champion.” Follow Beaver Athletics on twitter.

The good news for Buckeye wrestling fans continued this week when Derek Garcia chose to go public with his verbal commitment to The Ohio State University. Derek Garcia won a Junior Nationals title (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)A three-time Washington state champion, his decision to wrestle for at OSU is making waves from coast to coast in the wrestling world. In a press conference at Sedro-Woolley High School this afternoon he let everyone know that he was going to be a Buckeye. "After speaking with the coaches and visiting Columbus, I decided that Ohio State was the best choice for me,"said Garcia in a phone interview. "Some people are going to be surprised, but I am confident it is the best place for me to develop as a wrestler, a student, and as a person." The tenth-ranked high school senior in the InterMat Top 100, most were expecting Garcia to spend a year of residency at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs before choosing a college. It was where he spent last summer and where he will be training next year before moving on to Ohio State for classes in the fall of 2010. The Road to Ohio State As a high school junior, Garcia completed all of his high school credits and began taking advanced placement courses. After wrestling season, he was able to move to the OTC and trained with 2006 World champion Bill Zadick as a developmental athlete until July. Leaving Colorado to win his first national championship in Fargo, he returned to Washington in August for his senior year of high school. "Training in Colorado was one of the best experiences I have ever had,"said Garcia. " I got to wrestle with all the World Team Members and a number of former Olympians. Being in the room with guys like that every day - it was get better or die! I was forced to improve every day just to survive. I really owe a lot to Bill Zadick and Brandon Slay. They took me under their wings and helped me get better every day." A two-sport athlete, Garcia is a standout in football and wrestling. Derek proved to be a leader in the classroom and in competition as a team captain in both sports. Turning down an opportunity to train at the Olympic Training Center to finish school with his classmates was a sacrifice he made for them but also for himself. Derek Garcia is ranked as the No. 10 recruit (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)"Derek is one of those kids that are one in a million. He is that special. His success comes because he is phenomenal athlete and how hard he works. He is the most competitive kid I have ever been around. His work ethic unmatched,"offered his high school football coach Bryan Alexander. "He has been a leader by not just what he says but what he does and how he lives his life. He takes his work ethic and puts it into everything he does and that is what has made him successful in sports, in the classroom, and in life." Garcia was humble when speaking of the decision to return for his senior year. "It means a lot to be a part of a team whether it is in football or wrestling. It was important for me to come back and help both teams achieve our goals." Although a knee injury has put some doubt on how his football career will end, Garcia is confident that he will conclude his wrestling career as the sixth four-time state champion in Washington. "The goal this season is to win my fourth state title,"he said. "I probably won’t be able to make all of the tournaments, so getting the title at the end of the year is a big thing for me and my team. It is important for me to be there because we have a really good chance of winning the team state title." When read back the comments of Garcia, his high school head coach Jay Breckenridge stated, "That is what Derek Garcia is all about. As much as Derek wants personal accomplishments, the success of the team is just as important. He thinks of the whole picture, not just himself. After finishing in the top four the last few years we are going to be in the running this year for a team title and it is important for Derek to put us back on top before he leaves." For a coach that won six straight titles before Garcia stepped in the high school wrestling room, Derek has proven that you can teach an old dog new some news tricks. "Derek brought so much to our program it is hard to put into words. As a wrestler he has helped our coaching staff tremendously. Working with Bill Zadick, John Smith, and Eric Guerrero and coaches from across the country he is always bringing something back,"said Breckenridge. Asked to describe Garcia as a wrestler, Breckenridge was quick to respond. "On the mat Garcia is ferocious. He could care less who you put in front of him. When it comes to competition he is a machine. He is focused and an animal on the mat. He is one of, if not, the hardest working wrestlers I have ever coached. The qualities that make him a great wrestler make him an even better person. His grades are outstanding and in the community you could ask for anything more. He makes you feel proud of whatever he does." Becoming a Buckeye Garcia's decision to attend Ohio State was a compilation of factors. Originally planning on returning to the Olympic Training Center, his recruitment began this summer after Fargo and started to heat up once school began. Taking an official visit to Columbus two weeks ago, he was on campus for the OSU-Illinois game, able to tour the school, and got to watch the Buckeyes first wrestling practice of the year. "My long term plans really changed after talking with and getting to know Coach Ryan,"said Garcia. "He had me thinking a lot about myself and what I needed as a person. Ohio State is great opportunity for me to grow athletically, academically, and socially. I am not that social of a person, so the college experience is important to help me become the best person I can be outside of wrestling." Garcia chose OSU over Iowa, Iowa State, Boise State, and Cornell. "Academically, Ohio State is great school. The facilities were amazing compared to those that I have seen before. The coaches are great people and the wrestlers I met seemed like a bunch of guys I could really get along with. Overall I just felt really comfortable in Columbus and it made a tough decision easy to make,"he said. The presence of the Ohio Regional Training Center also played a large role in choosing Ohio State according to Garcia. "They have the Ohio RTC and it is a great organization. JD Bergman, Shawn Bunch, and Tervel Dlagnev -- with what they have accomplished, I know it is a good situation for me as a college wrestler and in freestyle,"said Garcia. "Coach Rosselli is one of the best around so I will be in a situation where I have to get better every day." Derek Garcia is a three-time state champion (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)Winning state titles at 125, 140, and 152, Garcia plans on moving up two weights for his senior year but expects to drop down to wrestle in college. "This year I will probably wrestle 171 and college-wise I will probably be a 165 pounder unless I get a lot bigger." Academically advanced, Garcia plans on majoring in sports medicine and working on a minor in sports management. As far as wrestling or redshirting his freshman year, Garcia is planning on deferring to the coaches. "When I get to Ohio State I will do whatever the coaches think is best for me. Everyone would like to wrestle right away. But I trust they will do what is best for my development and for the team,"he said. High School coach Jay Breckenridge has high expectations for Garcia in Columbus. "With the coaching staff and talent in the room at Ohio State there is no ceiling for what Derek Garcia can achieve,"said Breckenridge. "He has the potential to be a NCAA champion and with the Ohio Regional Training Center on campus I believe that one day you will see him on the Olympic or World Teams. With his work ethic and talent, even the loftiest of goals are attainable. We will miss him tremendously here but we wish him all the best." Derek Garcia is the third member of the 2010 Ohio State recruiting class. He joins Logan Stieber and Josh Demas to give the Buckeyes three recruits ranked inside the InterMat Top 50. Rated amongst their senior class; Stieber is the nation’s top recruit, Garcia is No. 10, and Demas is No. 42. In college Stieber is projected as a 125/133, Garcia a 165/174, and Demas a 174/184. All three are expected to submit their NLI’s during the early signing period in November. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/25823

Lee Pritts

Jackson Morse