InterMat Staff

Billy Coggins of Rocky Point, New York has given a verbal commitment to the University of Virginia. As a junior, Coggins placed fifth in the New York state tournament at 160 pounds. He is projected to compete at 174/184 pounds in college. "The coaching staff I feel is unbelievable," said Coggins. "They are extremely committed and enthusiastic about bringing the program to the next level. The school itself is a great academic school, which had a lot to do with my decision, as well Virginia's campus. It speaks for itself." Coggins also considered Maryland, Hofstra, and Columbia.

Stephen Abas is one of the greatest U.S. wrestlers of the modern era. He was a three-time California state champion, three-time NCAA champion at Fresno State, and a 2004 Olympic silver medalist in freestyle. In 2005, Abas was one of just 15 wrestlers to earn a place on the NCAA 75th Anniversary Wrestling Team of all-time greats. Abas battled injuries 2004 to 2008, but returned after a long layoff to compete at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, where he finished runner-up to 2008 Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. InterMat recently talked to Abas about what he has been doing since he last competed at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, where he might be coaching this winter, whether he is considering an MMA career, what his emotions were after Henry Cejudo won the Olympic gold medal, what made Jamill Kelly so successful, and much more. Stephen Abas (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)What have you have been doing since you last competed at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials? Abas: I moved out to San Diego to try to get my own wrestling school started. I have been doing a lot of clinics in the area, visited a lot of the high schools. I did a lot of free clinics just to kind of put my name out there and let people know I'm in the area and teaching now. Things really started picking up in the summer. I had a few wrestling camps, a couple in the LA area, one in Michigan, and one in New York. I have just been traveling around the last six months. After the Trials in June of 2008, I had knee surgery and was pretty much laid up for the next couple months trying to rehab my knee. Then I moved out to San Diego. So are you running a wrestling school right now? Abas: No. Actually, I just recently got a job offer (coaching) at Duke University, so I will be looking into that this fall. Congratulations. So you have not accepted yet? Abas: That is correct. You reached the finals of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials while battling injuries. How healthy were you at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials? Abas: I had a missing ACL in my left knee. The great thing about my career is that I didn't have too many serious injuries up until my last few years of wrestling. Those last three years starting at the Olympics in 2004, I tore a ligament in my knee in the finals. Six or seven months after that was when I tore my ACL for the first time and my LCL. That was kind of the beginning of my knee problems. Since then, I had two more surgeries. The last few years have been real tough on my body. It was kind of the reason for my retirement. Stephen Abas (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Describe your emotions after Henry Cejudo won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China? Abas: I watched him wrestle on TV. I stayed up until three in the morning when they aired those matches. I watched every one of his matches. As he made it further and further along, I was a little surprised. When he won the gold, it was kind of a bittersweet feeling. I lost to this guy who was the best in the world and won the Olympic gold. I had that opportunity. It was a little hard to deal with at first. It has already been a year. Obviously, I felt like I could have won the gold medal as well. I'm happy for him. I'm glad he did it. I wish him nothing but the best in his future. You won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. When you reflect back on that Olympic experience, does it bring back good memories? Or is something that still eats away at you because you didn’t accomplish your ultimate goal of winning a gold medal? Abas: It brings back good memories. It took me a long time to get to that point and be at the top of my game. There are a lot of things that happened in that match that could have gone differently. I think of it as just another experience. It's the biggest wrestling experience that I have had. I can't think of anything negative about it. It was the peak of my career. I felt that I did my best. I can’t be mad at that. I moved on. Obviously, I tried to make another Olympic Team, so I'm happy about my medal and my experience at the Olympic Games. Stephen AbasYou had a phenomenal collegiate wrestling career at Fresno State, winning three NCAA titles and posting a record of 144-4. However, your collegiate wrestling career may have been a little overshadowed by Cael Sanderson's collegiate career at Iowa State. Does it bother you that you maybe didn’t get as much national attention as you deserved because of Cael's success? Abas: It's hard to think that because I lived that whole era when I was competing at the same time as Cael Sanderson. I grew up with Cael. We wrestled when we were kids. I have known of him for years. That’s just the way it happened. It's just the way it goes. I can't really be mad or angry that he overshadowed me. He was a great wrestler and I was a great wrestler. He just happened to get all the titles and awards. There's a part of me that wishes that I would have gotten some of those awards. But at the same time, I believe in what he did. He went undefeated. I wish they could have given out two awards. As it goes, that's just the way the wrestling world is right now. With your prep wrestling resume -- three-time state champion, NHSCA Seniors Nationals champion, and Junior Nationals champion -- you could have gone to virtually any college in the country to wrestle. Obviously, your brother, Gerry, wrestled at Fresno State and was a coach there. You're also from California. But did you strongly consider any other schools besides Fresno State coming out of high school? Abas: It was really important for me to stay close to home and be close to my brother, Gerry. He was one of my main coaches growing up and one of my main inspirations. To have him around and helping me out technically, I think was key for my success. It's funny, but I tried to withhold my signing with Fresno State so that I could take some recruiting trips. Ironically enough, nobody really recruited me. I didn't get any phone calls from Oklahoma State or Iowa. I think they assumed I was going to go to Fresno State because Gerry was so successful there. They knew we were close. I was happy with my decision. I had a great college career, so I can't be mad about that at all. You defeated Jody Strittmatter 14-1 during your senior season ... and then you went on to beat him again 13-11 in the NCAA finals. I have heard that you were sick during that NCAA finals match. Is that true? Abas: Yeah, it was a snowy weekend in Iowa City. I had some kind of cold. I was coughing and staying up late. I don’t think I felt it until the last few minutes of that last match. I got pretty tired there at the end. I was feeling it for sure. Stephen Abas (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)This summer, USA Wrestling announced the creation of the Living the Dream Medal Fund to provide compensation for U.S. wrestlers who have success at the World Championships or Olympic Games. A wrestler who wins an Olympic gold medal will receive a quarter-million dollars ($250,000). World medalists are also compensated. What was your reaction when you heard about the Living the Dream Medal Fund? Abas: I thought that was pretty cool. Finally they are giving some money to the guys for the hard times they are putting their bodies through. I'm happy for the new generation of wrestling. Obviously, I wish that they had that when I was competing, but just like anything else, time moves on. It’s good for the wrestlers now. Hopefully it gives them more desire to do better and work harder. Our country needs it. We need some medals. Hopefully that can motivate them to work harder. There has been a lot of talk about this year's U.S. World Freestyle Team being inexperienced. None of the wrestlers have ever competed at the World Championships. Is world level experience overrated or underrated when it comes to competing at the World Championships? Abas: I think the majority of Americans don't realize the intensity of the World Championships. With it being a new team and no experience, it's somewhat common being the year after the Olympics. Usually there are a couple guys who were on the Olympic Team that compete the next year. It will be an experience for them. It's really the toughest competition in the world. I think they have a lot to be ready for. With Zeke Jones coaching them, I believe he can prepare anybody to be a champion. It's all about their experience and what they actually put down on the mat. Jamill Kelly was never a California state champion or a Division I All-American at Oklahoma State, but went on to win a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. How do you explain that? Abas: I grew up with Jamill here in California. I was on multiple Cadet and Junior National teams with him, so I know him fairly well. I got to know him a little better when he went out to Oklahoma State. I went out there a few times to train. Jamill Kelly was a student of the sport. I have never seen another athlete that really broke down technique like he did. He was really technical and really open-minded in the things he saw. He would watch foreigners, the Russians, the best guys, like the Saitievs, and I think he really learned a lot from that. I believe that he could have been a champion for a while. I think it was just his time coming into his own. Stephen Abas (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)A lot of former wrestlers have found success in MMA. Is MMA something you ever considered? Abas: I have. Actually, I'm considering it now. It's been a year since my retirement. My body is pretty much held together now. Every time I step out on the mat and do these clinics and camps, I get a little bit of that hunger back, that desire to compete. Right now, it's just a matter of finding a regular training environment. I think if I could get that, who knows, I might start training. I know there are a lot of people who are willing to help me. I think I could do well at it. I think it's the purest form of combat. It sounds like something I would like to try at least once. I don’t know. We'll see what happens ... if I start training and get some good sponsors and people that would want to see me fight. You mentioned that you have a job offer to coach at Duke. Is one of your aspirations to someday become a Division I head wrestling coach? Abas: It hasn't been. But since this opportunity has opened up, I think that can be an alternate path for me. Ultimately, I would want to open up a wrestling school and just teach wrestling. I love to teach and share my knowledge with people who want to learn. I believe there is always an opportunity for me in coaching ... if I want to take on that kind of profession. Right now, it’s just the opportunity to step into that world and try it out.

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. This year is yet another strong year for recruiting in Michigan. However, true to form, the state of Michigan only has a few guys who have received significant amounts national recognition. Jackson Morse and Ryan Nieman appear to be the obvious top two recruits based on their performances at national tournaments. Morse won the Super 32's last fall and he and Nieman both went undefeated at the Disney Duals this summer. Nieman then went on to take third at the Junior Nationals, beating a handful of nationally-ranked wrestlers. Morse is ranked as the No. 24 senior recruit in the country by InterMat, while Nieman is ranked No. 35. Jake Dorulla, the No. 3 recruit on our list, was ranked as the No. 52 recruit by InterMat in the spring. However, he has fallen out of the top 100. Dorulla, Nick McDiarmid, and Mike Curby are the other guys to have placed high at major national events. However, there are a lot of other wrestlers in this class who have gotten out nationally and scored some big wins, but failed to place at Fargo, or gain a great deal of national notoriety. A bit of advice to up and coming high school wrestlers looking to be noticed: Register early and get into the Super 32s and/or start training for Fargo immediately after the high school season. While there is debate over whether Fargo is still the mecca of high school wrestling it once was, most college coaches and wrestling publications will agree that placing in Fargo remains the fastest route to national recognition. Ryan Nieman is a great example of this. Prior to his Fargo performance, the verdict was still out. However, following his third-place finish he will likely be breaking into the national rankings this fall. The Disney Duals are doing great things for gaining exposure to Michigan's best high school wrestlers and competing against top tier competition. However, the Duals still aren't getting the kind of exposure that Fargo, Super 32s, and the NHSCA Senior/Junior/Sophomore Nationals receive. Therefore, a lot of great Disney performances are going unnoticed by the people who do national rankings and those same rankers are focusing heavily on the NHSCA Junior & Sophomore Nationals, which in case you forgot wrestlers from the state of Michigan are not allowed to attend (per the MHSAA). Therefore, some of Michigan's best kids remain to go unnoticed until late into their senior seasons. Below you will find everything you need to know about the wrestlers who we believe are the Top 10 recruits heading into the early signing period, which begins in November. 1. Jackson Morse School: Lowell 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157/165 Jackson MorseScouting Report: Morse first established himself during his sophomore season when he knocked off then nationally-ranked senior and soon-to-be four-time state champ Mark Weber of Goodrich. Since then, all he has done is win. He won an impressive state title his sophomore year downing Senior National All-American and current Old Dominion sophomore Brennan Brumley in a dominant finals match. He then officially sealed his deal as one of the top recruits in the country last fall with an amazing day of wrestling at the Super 32 Challenge in North Carolina. In one day, Morse knocked off three nationally-ranked wrestlers including Junior Freestyle National runner-up and three-time Florida state champ Joe Cozart, Junior National champ and No. 1-ranked Dylan Alton of Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania State champ Joey Napoli. The only hiccup in the past few years for Morse was his one point loss to Taylor Massa at last year's team state finals, a match that was somewhat controversial and a battle of the state's top middleweights. This summer he further proved himself nationally with an undefeated performance at the Disney Duals. He is well put together with a long, muscular frame and he wrestles well from all positions. The best thing about Morse is that he seems to compete the same in big matches when the lights are on, so don't expect him to get caught off guard his first year or two at Illinois. He should be ready to compete right away. Morse is ranked as the No. 21 recruit in the country by InterMat and there is no doubt that he will live up to that ranking and make a huge impact in the Big Ten and the NCAA. Too bad we couldn't keep him in Michigan! 2. Ryan Nieman School: Bullock Creek 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Scouting Report: There were some question marks about Nieman heading into this summer regarding his ability to compete on the national stage. However, he has officially erased all those question marks with one heck of a summer that has seen him dominate the Disney Duals and finish third in a stacked weight in Fargo wrestling in his first national freestyle tournament. His third-place finish in Fargo officially put him on the map as Nieman downed two top 100 recruits, three nationally ranked wrestlers, and the only wrestler to win a period against him was eventual champ Josh Dziewa of Pennsylvania, who Nieman tech-falled in the first period. This kid is the prototypical college 141 or 149-pounder in that he is strong, athletic, and has that in-your-face style that a coach loves. He has great attacks on his feet and is always pushing the pace. However, he also has an innate ability to stay in good position and come out on top of scrambles. With two state titles under his belt, it was already evident that Nieman was tough. However, his performances in Disney and Fargo have launched him into the forefront of the recruiting world and he should begin to get some serious looks from the nation's top programs. 3. Jake Dorulla School: Rockford 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 171 Projected College Weight Class: 174 Scouting Report: Dorulla finally got the monkey off his back last year by winning his first state title after losing in the D1 state finals his first two high school seasons. He has also proven himself nationally with a big win over Iowa state champ Kyven Gadsen in last fall's Preseason National finals. He flies under many recruiting radars because he doesn't wrestle summer freestyle events. However, Dorulla is without doubt one of the most talented kids coming out of Michigan this year and he has all the physical tools to be a great college wrestler. He is very athletic for his size and much like most Rockford greats, Dorulla can ride and turn on top with the best of them. His Disney Duals performance was solid, but not great, so really the only thing separating him from the top two here is breakout success on the national level. He will most likely graduate as a four-time state finalist and two-time state champ. His stock could go up even more if he chooses to wrestle at the Super 32s or Senior Nationals this year. 4. Mike Curby School: Hillsdale 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 171 Projected College Weight Class: 174 Scouting Report: When it comes to national experience, at Fargo in particular, Curby is without a doubt the most accomplished kid in this group. Most of his success has come in Greco-Roman and while some people would argue that Greco-Roman success does not say a lot for a college future, winning is winning, and his experience should leave him as prepared as anyone for the grind of college. He is already committed to Eastern Michigan and he is a big pick up for EMU. Curby is a quiet, humble kid who is a hard worker and much like many "Greco Guys,” he is a grinder who just keeps coming. While his Greco-Roman success is impressive, keep in mind that he also won a high school state title last year over John Rizgallah, who is a top recruit as well and he upended Oklahoma standout Ronnie Balfour in freestlye at Fargo. He has already committed to Eastern Michigan and having David Bolyard to work out with every day should be a nice fit for him. 5. Josh Houldsworth School: Holly 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149/157 Scouting Report: The past six months have really pushed Houldsworth towards the top of the conversation regarding this year's top recruits. He was pretty dominant in winning the Division 1 state championship and he wrestled well in Fargo, finishing just short of placing with both his losses coming to nationally-ranked guys. In Fargo, he scored possibly the biggest win of his career when he upended No. 9-ranked Luke Vaith of Minnesota. Houldsworth is built well for college. He is strong, wrestles from good position, and really has very little weaknesses -- good takedowns, good on top, defends well … you get the picture. Houldsworth does not have a ton of national exposure. However, he could be a steal for some college coaches out there looking for a solid middleweight. 6. Nick McDiarmid School: Fowlerville 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 215 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Nick McDiarmidScouting Report: McDiarmid is without a doubt the most highly-touted upperweight in this year's group. He was an undefeated state champion last year at 215 pounds and his only loss at the Disney Duals was to the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the country, Orlando Scales. In his loss to Scales, McDiarmid was leading much of the match and gave up controversial nearfall points in the third period that cost him the match. His close loss to Scales, as well as a win over Dallas Brown, who was third in the state of Pennsylvania, further solidified McDiarmid as a big time recruit. He was also third at the Super 32s, losing only to highly-ranked Antonio Giorgio of Pennsylvania in another close match. He is already committed to Michigan State and while McDiarmid is strong and athletic for a big guy, his best quality appears to be his ability to compete with the nation's best. In his matches with Scales and Giorgio he was competitive and wrestled to win, which is what he will need to do when he arrives at MSU and has to do battle with those Big Ten 197-pounders. 7. B.J. Suitor School: Swan Valley 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 119 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Scouting Report: Suitor is the only guy in this class with a shot at being a four-time state champ. Last year, in his first year not at 103, he dominated all the 112 pounders in Division 3 en route to his third title. An injury kept Suitor out of Disney this year, which did not help his recruiting value. He has not had the most national experience. However, last summer he did very well in Disney and scored a huge win over Ohio state champ Ty Mitch, who won in Fargo this year. His three state titles, the win over Mitch, and the fact that Suitor will likely be a 125-pounder for life in college definitely make a strong case for him as one of the top recruits in this class. Throwing in the fact that he has good grades (3.6 GPA/ 29 on the ACTs) is the icing on the cake. 8. Nick Smith School: Ida 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Scouting Report: Smith came out of nowhere in 2008 to win his first state title. However, he showed that it was no fluke by repeating last year with a 7-2 win over Darius Wass in the finals. This summer he went to Disney, and while he lost four times, all of his losses were to pretty tough kids, including a 9-6 loss to No. 3-ranked Shane Young of Pennsylvania. He also scored wins over Ohio state runner-up David Bolger and Illinois state placewinner Chris Williams. Smith has little national level experience and he still has room to improve. However, he has been getting better and better throughout his career as he was 37-19 as a freshman. Smith has been 119 his whole career so he shouldn't get too much bigger, but with his stocky build leads one to believe he will end up around 133 in college. 9. Tyler Keselring School: Greenville 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 125 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Scouting Report: Entering last season you could argue Keselring as one of the top five wrestlers in this class, and he still has the tools to remain in that argument. He suffered a setback as the two0time state champ did not place at this year's state tournament. However, weight issues seemed to take a heavy toll on Keselring as he was undefeated all year up to the regional tournament and scored big wins all year long including a win over Wass (No. 10) and the eventual champ in his weight, Conor Youtsey. While his state tournament was disappointing, he appeared drained and did not look like the same wrestler. That bad weekend does not change the fact that this kid is one of the most talented wrestlers in the state of Michigan. He is slick on his feet and has an array of setups and shots in his arsenal. He has gotten out as much as anyone nationally and while he has failed to place in Fargo or score any breakout wins, he has been right in the mix with many of the nation's top wrestlers. Last fall he finished third at the Preseason Nationals, with his only loss coming in way of a 4-3 barnburner to Jesse Thielke of Wisconsin, who is currently ranked 18th in the country by InterMat. His state tournament performance may have raised some question marks. However, Keselring's past success and track record of being competitive with the nation's best should still sustain his status as one of the top prospects in this class. 10. Darius Wass School: Swan Valley 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Darius WassScouting Report: Wass' track record is strikingly similar to that of former Swan Valley teammate Jared Germaine, who entered his senior year as the No. 10 recruit as well. Wass, like Germaine a year ago, is arguably the best wrestler in the state never to have won a state title. Also like Germaine, he has made up for his lack of Palace success with a lot of national experience and there is no doubt that he is one of the most talented athletes in this group. This summer in Disney he continued to thrive on the national stage with a big win over Tyler Razauhan of Pennsyvania, who is currently the No. 16-ranked wrestler in the country at 119 pounds by InterMat. He also lost a close 2-0 match to Fargo champ Ty Mitch of Ohio. While he has not won a state title, Wass has lost only three times in the past two years of high school wrestling: this year's state finals to Smith (No. 8), the Goodrich finals to Keselring (No. 9), and last year's state finals by way of a third-period comeback to Roger Wildmo (No. 1-ranked junior). He may be the most dangerous wrestler in the state as he is the kind of kid who will try anything against anybody. He is also very strong for his size. Whether he ends up winning his first state title this year or not, Wass will be a good pickup for somebody.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers wrestling head coach Scott Goodale has been selected for induction into the 2009 class of the South Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame, the organization announced Sunday. Scott GoodaleGoodale and the seven other inductees will be enshrined at the 30th annual induction ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Masso’s Columbus Manor on the Black Horse Pike in Williamstown, N.J. Tickets for the banquet are $35 and may be purchased by calling Mike Schuld (609-206-2206). The deadline for ordering tickets is Monday, Nov. 2. “I am humbled and honored to be inducted into such a prestigious group,” said Goodale. “It’s nice to receive this type of recognition in a sport that means so much to me.” Along with Goodale, this year’s class of eight inductees includes former two-time state champion Mark Saul (Millville), state champions Larry DeVault (Paulsboro), Damien Covington (Overbrook) and Shawn Scannell (Absegami) and state place winner Michael Lamb (Highland), who coached at Sterling and Gloucester County College. Rounding out the Class of 2009 are two highly successful coaches, Ron Hamrick (Collingswood) and Dave Chambers (Cherokee). Goodale enters his third season as head coach of the Rutgers wrestling team. Last season, Goodale led the team to a school record 20-win season in dual competition. Goodale is a 1990 graduate of Jackson High School. He was a four-time District 25 and two-time Region 7 Champion. Goodale put his name on the map with a 16-2 decision to win the district championship at 108 pounds as a freshman. The Jackson, N.J. native won successive district titles as the result of 20-7, 1:10 fall and 19-7 wins at 119, 135 and 145, respectively, to make Goodale the 13th wrestler in South Jersey history to win four district titles. Goodale helped Jackson to a second place district finish as a freshman and then to three straight district titles. He won back-to-back regional titles with a 16-3 decision in 1989 and a 1:02 fall in 1990. As a junior, Goodale sustained an 18-16 overtime loss to unbeaten and eventual state champion Erik Saunders of Overbrook in the state quarterfinals on the way to a 31-4 campaign and fourth-place finish. As a senior, Goodale had a 33-1 season with the lone blemish an 8-6 loss to unbeaten Brian Unkert of Pope John in the state finals to finish 115-11 in his scholastic career. Goodale attended Lock Haven University where he compiled a 99-26 record and was a three-time NCAA Qualifier. Goodale coached Jackson Memorial High School for seven years with a career record of 155-16. His teams were No. 1 in New Jersey in 2006 and 2007 and ranked 10th and 7th in the United States. The Goodale led squads won seven straight district titles and four Shore Conference championships. His teams were second in the Shore Conference his other three years. The multitalented Jersey native also served as offensive coordinator for 3 Group Champion Football teams at Jackson.

Nick Catone

John Leonardis

Cory Cooperman

Scott Goodale

On Sunday, two InterMat top 100 recruits, Jerome Robinson of St. Ignatius High School in Ohio and Sean McMurray of Portage High School in Indiana, gave verbal commitments to colleges. Robinson, who is ranked as the No. 32 recruit, gave a verbal commitment to Old Dominion, while McMurray, who is ranked as the No. 76 recruit, gave a verbal commitment to Michigan State. As a junior, Robinson compiled a 39-3 record and won an Ohio state title in Division I at 112 pounds. He placed third in the state tournament as a freshman at 103 pounds. Robinson was a key member of Team Ohio that won the 2009 Junior National Duals title in freestyle. He went 10-0 and was named to the All-Tournament Team at 112 pounds. Jerome RobinsonRobinson also considered Iowa State, Arizona State, Northwestern, Ohio, and Ashland, but ultimately decided that Old Dominion was the best fit. "Old Dominion is a growing success," said Robinson. "They are building a program and that is something I want to be a part of. Also, I have known Steve Martin and his coaching staff since I was very young. It felt right to be here. This was the best choice for me because I know I will improve not only on the mat but off of it as well. You cannot beat the practice partners and the family environment." There are some things Robinson still wants to accomplish before he heads off to college. "I want to win another state championship," said Robinson, who plans to compete collegiately at 125 pounds. "I want my name written in the Ohio history books for young wrestlers to look up at and know they too can accomplish something special." McMurray is a two-time Indiana state champion and a 2009 NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up at 152 pounds. As a junior, McMurray went a perfect 49-0 en route to winning the state title at 152 pounds. He is projected at 157/165 pounds in college. "My decision to become a Michigan State Spartan was decided by a number of things,” said McMurray. "First, it's a very big and very clean campus with tradition you can only find in the Big Ten. The coaches bring a lot of experience to the table and the wrestlers are like a group of brothers. Michigan State is exactly what I was looking for in a school. I wanted to go away to school, but at the same time it's within distance of my home in Portage, Indiana." McMurray also considered Old Dominion, Virginia Tech, Maryland, and Central Michigan. Michigan State is the only Big Ten school he considered. "I felt more comfortable with the Michigan State coaches than I did with any I've met or talked to in this recruiting process," said McMurray. "Coach Minkle, Roger, Williams, and Alex Dolly all see eye to eye with me and we have many of the same goals for my college wrestling career." He hails from the same high school, Portage (Indiana), as Leroy Vega, a former three-time All-American at the University of Minnesota. He plans to major in journalism and minor in education at Michigan State.

Heath Eslinger

Jay Hammond

Danny Felix

Jon Sioredas

Ethan Bosch

Mark Munoz

Jim Andrassy

Mike Dixon

Teague Moore

The Brute Adidas studios will be lively this week with the best in sports talk radio, Wrestling Talk! The gang is getting back together again. Join Steve Foster, Chris Arns, Randy Crimmins and I for the best 2 hours in radio Saturdays at 9 AM CST at Takedownradio.com. Our Guests this week include: Tim Flynn- Head Coach of Edinboro Fighting Scots Brad Penrith- Head Coach of the Panthers of UNI Rex Kendle- Former Michigan State Spartan, now beginning his MMA career Mike Moyer- Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Andrew Hipps- The man behind Intermatwrestle.com 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 21 of TDRtv is now up on all the top web sites around the country and is available for your viewing. Please join us for the show that started it all, 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.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Since the off-season hire of Head Coach Cael Sanderson, wrestling fans have been anxious for the chance to get a closer look at the Penn State Wrestling program. That closer look is now available –literally -- with today’s announcement that a set of exclusive, premium season seats will made available for the team’s home duals this season at Rec Hall. “We’re making a few changes heading into a new era of Penn State Wrestling,” said Greg Myford, Associate Athletic Director, “and we want all of those changes to enhance the experience of both our fans and our team.” Two rows of 20 individual premium seats will be offered this season, just off the mat on the west side of Penn State’s most historic athletic venue. Each of the 40 floor-level seats will come with access to an exclusive hospitality room offering complimentary snacks and soft drinks, a specially designed season ticket, and a copy of the match night media notes and event program. Row one seating, priced at $125 for the season, will be directly on the floor surface with the second row directly behind and slightly elevated at $100 per seat. Fans can call 814.863.1000 and ask for Joel Diamond for more information or to purchase the new seating option. A maximum of four (4) seats per customer will be made available, and seats will be offered to current Nittany Lion Club members and season ticket holders prior to the general public. Fans who have already renewed their season tickets (or paid in full on a new season ticket) can apply that payment towards the purchase of new premium seating. A deadline of September 30, 2009, has been placed on reserving or purchasing the new premium season seats.

Minot State University Athletics Director Rick Hedberg announced the hiring of Robin Ersland, from the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, to re-establish the wrestling program. For the past 15 years, Ersland has been the head wrestling coach and strength coordinator for the UCM Mules. While there, he was responsible for all aspects of the Division II program including initiating a wrestling hall of fame, leading 10 teams to top-20 national team finishes and coaching 30 All-Americans, including one individual national champion. During his almost 30 years of coaching, Ersland has participated at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels. Ersland also served as a coach on various national and international teams. Hedberg says the Minot State Athletics Department is fortunate to receive a coach of this caliber to reinstitute wrestling. "Robin will do a great job of building our wrestling program," Hedberg said. "He has more than 15 years of NCAA Division II head coaching experience, and he’s been successful at the DII level. Robin is well connected in the wrestling community, and I look forward to working with him."

KENT, Ohio -- Two-time NCAA Tournament qualifier Drew Lashaway has returned to the Kent State wrestling program as a volunteer assistant. In another recent staff move, Andrew Wolf was promoted to assistant coach after serving as a volunteer assistant last season. Lashaway makes his coaching debut following a stellar senior season with the Golden Flashes. At 141 pounds, he finished 31-7 and won a Mid-American Conference title. Lashaway went 4-0 in MAC duals, placed first at the Body Bar Invitational and second at the Southern Scuffle. A native of Bowling Green, Ohio, he piled up 91 career victories in four seasons. Lashaway is also working toward a master's degree at KSU. “We're happy to be able to keep Drew around,” Head Coach Jim Andrassy said. “He had full-time offers with other schools, but he chose to stay here. He'll do a nice job of filling the gap between the rest of the coaches and the athletes and he'll be able to show the younger guys how we want things done both on the mat and in the classroom.” Before joining Kent State last season, Wolf spent one year coaching at Mount Union during the 2007-08 season. Prior to coaching, he a four-year letterwinner at Indiana. Like Lashaway, Wolf was an NCAA qualifier and served as a team captain with the Hoosiers. A native of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Wolf was also a FILA Freestyle All-American. “The new position that we got for Andrew was a perfect fit for all of us,” Andrassy said. “He brought some great things to the table last year and our guys have become familiar with him. With this kind of coaching staff, we're looking for even better things come.” The Golden Flashes begin their 2009-10 season with a dual meet at Virginia Tech on Nov. 7.

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio Wrestling team has released its schedule for the 2009-10 season. Featured on this schedule are six home events, beginning with the Green and White Intrasquad match on November 1. The rest of November for the Bobcats will include trips to Blacksburg for the Hokie Open and East Lansing for the Michigan State Open. Much of the Green and White's December will be spent on the road, with the Bobcat Duals being the exception. After this home meet the team will travel to Northern Colorado, Air Force, The Reno Tournament of Champions and the Southern Scuffle. The `Scuffle in Greensboro will be the last event of the 2009 calendar year for the `Cats. 2010 starts off with the team traveling to the Virginia Duals, then coming home to host Northern Illinois and North Carolina State. Ohio rounds out the first month of 2010 with trips to American and Buffalo. Three of the final four dual meets will take place within the Mid-American Conference, with Kent State coming to the Convo on February 12 and the team traveling to Central and Eastern Michigan. The lone nonconference event among these will be when West Virginia meets the `Cats at the Ohio University Eastern Campus in Saint Clairsville on February 13. The final events of the 2009-10 season are the MAC Championships on March 6 and 7 (Mt. Pleasant, Mi.) and the NCAA Championships on March 18-20 (Omaha, NE).

The inaugural NWCA Coaching Leadership Academy kicked off the 2009 Convention with tremendous momentum. Twenty nine young, aspiring college coaches and twenty four mentors (seasoned veteran coaches, administrators, and business leaders) gathered for a one-day workshop, which was led by internationally renowned coaching development expert, Dr. Dan Gould of Michigan State University. The purpose of the focus group was to utilize "peer group discussion" among college coaches, athletic administrators, and CEOs to develop "best practices" for protecting and strengthening intercollegiate wrestling programs through this challenging economy. Specifically, the goal of the Leadership Academy is to help coaches strengthen their CEO skills and better align their programs with educational values (i.e. improve eligibility and graduation rates, etc.). The NWCA Coaching Leadership Academy features three key components. -Online educational modules that help coaches understand general CEO principles required to protect their teams. -An "in person" workshop where coaches and mentors can collaborate to customize the general principles (learned in the online modules) to meet the unique needs on each campus. -Assigned mentor program so the coaches can receive ongoing help to overcome unique challenges on their respective campuses. "The NWCA, mentors, and the college coaches who attended cannot begin to express their gratitude to the Academy benefactors: John Harmon, Irv Naylor, and Greg Hatcher," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "These three donors collectively provided enough grant money to pay all travel, lodging, and convention registration expenses for the coaches to participate in the Academy, many of which would not otherwise been able to attend. "Many thanks also needs to be given to Dave Bunning and Mark Mestemacher who collectively have underwritten all of the development costs associated with the Leadership Academy course curriculum. Both of them played pivotal roles in underwriting the entire development of the College Coaches Leadership Academy." Lt. General Martin Steele, retired United State Marine Corps, was also on hand as the keynote speaker for the Academy. His address to the attendees was, "Making Transitions: A Key to Effective Leadership." His message was extremely motivating to all in attendance. "This was a tremendous opportunity for those who have given so much to the sport, but it was also more importantly a time to reach out to those who will shape the future. This will eventually help their athletes, colleges, and communities to shape the future leaders of this sport," said Lt. Gen. Steele. He encouraged the coaches in the room to seize off of each other's strengths rather than attack each other's weaknesses. Also to be better tomorrow than they are today. One of the primary purposes of this Academy was to group coaches according to "likeness of institution," then to assign mentors to each group, and through the use of professional facilitators, stimulate discussion aimed at establishing "best practices" for overcoming some of the greatest challenges on each respective campus. All twenty nine coaches will complete "part two" of the Academy next summer and then their graduation will be celebrated at the 2010 NWCA convention. Coaches and mentors from all collegiate divisions (Division I, II, III, NAIA) were represented at the Academy. One of the primary topics discussed at the workshop was the importance of building relationships with key decision-making people on campus, in the community, with athletes, parents, and alumni. Todd Hibbs, who recently retired as head coach at Olivet College and has now stepped into an administrative role, was brought into the Academy as a mentor and a presenter. His message was delivered on topics that focused on character, integrity, ethics, alumni and administration as opposed to the technical and tactical aspects of coaching. "What I admired the most was the cross learning that took place between the mentors and the coaches. This helped the sport so much more than I have seen before. You had rivals both young and old sharing their experiences with one another, focusing on the important topics that effect our sport daily, not talking double legs and single legs," said Hibbs. "I left that Academy proud of this sport, because we worked together; we shared our faults and our victories." There was talk of the Leadership Academy all through the convention that followed, all of which was extremely positive. "I am very proud that not only do I serve the role as NWCA President, but that I was also selected to be among the mentors for the inaugural NWCA Leadership Academy. To be part of this group is an honor as so much was shared between the experienced coaches and those who are just beginning their coaching careers. Each and every one of us was able to walk away with something," said NWCA President and University of Buffalo head coach Jim Beichner. Coaches who participated in the Academy came from different backgrounds and divisions, some who are just within their first few weeks as a head coach to those within their first five years. Second-year head coach Trent Goodale of South Carolina's Limestone College said, "The NWCA Leadership Academy has been the most beneficial coaching experience I have ever been involved in. I was able to learn from some of the greatest coaches in the country. It showed me that there are many different ways in which a team can be successful, and even the greatest programs and coaches have overcome much adversity. I am very appreciative of the mentors taking time out of their busy schedules to help educate some of the coaches, such as myself, that could be the future of our great sport." A recurring theme throughout the Leadership Academy and the convention was that no program was safe from being discontinued. The coach should be doing everything in his power to make sure that his program is well represented on campus and in the community. All intercollegiate wrestling programs are being evaluated against other teams at their respective schools. It is important for every one of our wrestling programs to outperform the other sports at their school in every evaluated area. Tom Layte, at MIT, and Shawn Charles at Arizona State attended the Academy and both represented very challenging situations. They must all figure out a way to completely endow their programs or face certain elimination in the future. In this deteriorating economy, there are many more coaches who will likely find themselves in similar situations. The key is to be proactive with your fundraising and make sure the money is flowing in from alumni and friends before there is a crisis on your campus. Once the announcement is made to eliminate a program, it is generally too late to save it. Charles, who took over the Sun Devils program this summer, is in a unique situation. A little over a year ago, the program was announced as being dropped effective immediately. In a very unique turn of events due to some influential people, the program was reinstated within two weeks, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done by Charles and his staff. "What stuck out to me through this Academy, was the ability I had to sit down with mentors and talk about how to raise money towards an endowment," said Charles. "ASU is in a unique situation thanks to Art Martori who is currently funding the program; however our overall goal is to get the program endowed. I was able to sit down with (Cornell coach) Rob Koll and some of the other mentors to discuss how to effectively fundraise for our program." "This experience has taught me that I need to constantly be cultivating relationships with our alumni, boosters, and community right away. I would recommend this Academy to all coaches." Tom Layte, the part-time Head Coach at MIT, is at another school that desperately needs fundraising help after being dropped this past spring. He at this point is hopefully that the funding is there and that the university will rule in their favor to reinstate the program. "What I took back with me from the Leadership Academy, was information from the areas I did not focus on as much before being a part-time coach. As I have come to learn these areas are vital to my program as our school dropped the program in April due to budget cuts throughout the university. I need to focus my efforts to have a better relationship with my administration, engage my alumni, to grow support in the community and to fundraise at every possible turn. My goal after this Academy is to begin to model our program after more successful programs, and hopefully we will soon see our program reinstated for the 2009-10 season," said Layte. The goal is to eventually have all college coaches and their assistants go through this course, in small groups each year. The NWCA is also discussing trying to expand this Academy to college seniors who are planning to become coaches after graduation. Former Iowa head coach Dan Gable was on hand throughout the Academy as one of the featured speakers but also to listen to what these coaches were saying, along with giving some of his personal advice. "What was interesting to me as an observer," said Gable, "was that I really did not see one person in that room that wasn't taking in every aspect of what was said in that 24-hour workshop. Even for those seasoned veteran coaches, who have been successful like Tom Borrelli, Jim Miller, and Jeff Swenson, when you see coaches like that sitting there taking notes and being entertained and energized about our profession, it gives me a sense of pride." "I looked around and wished that all 265 programs were represented; it would have been a huge momentum leap for this sport, together. If you were at any point questioning what you were doing as a coach this Academy was energizing. We still have a lot of work to be done, and the key is staying energized, which will happen with these coaches. That is where the impact is, in keeping the momentum from what took place with those coaches; that is the impact we are looking for," said Gable. The 24 hours these coaches and mentors spent together hopefully will leave a lasting impression. This was not a time to talk about wrestling and how to coach your athletes to make their skills stronger. This was a lesson in life that many situations will come the way of a college coach, no matter the size of the school you coach at and down the road seeing how to react and what can be learned. It was not about winning and losing, but a lesson in humility and sharing those learning experiences with others. Participants included: Shawn Charles (Arizona State), Mark Branch (Wyoming), Teague Moore (Clarion), Beau Vest (Dana), Tim Homan (Sioux Falls), JohnMark Bentley (Appalachian State), Risto Marttinen (Cal State-Fullerton), Ben Stehura (Cleveland State), Todd Roberts (Millersville), Jason Borrelli (Stanford), Heath Eslinger (Chattanooga), Dax Charles (CSU-Pueblo), Trent Goodale (Limestone), Ryan Smith (Newman), Ben Berogan (Mary), Jason York (Bridgewater State), John Garriques (Centenary), Tony Islas (Knox), Tom Layte (MIT), Casey Brewster (Sacred Heart), Joey Rivera (East Stroudsburg), Joe Pollard (College of New Jersey), Mike Kocsis (Muhlenberg), Clint Manny (Simpson College), Greg Ilaria (Merchant Marine Academy), Casey Stouffer (Mt. St Joseph's), Brandon Brissette (Olivet), Scott Hawes (Hannibal-LaGrange), and Thomas Prairie (Plymouth State). Mentors and Presentors included:Lt. General Martin Steele (ret.), Derek van der Mewre, Dan Gould, Alan Utter, Joe McFarland, Brian Smith, Greg Strobel, Pat Pecora, Paul Kendle, Jim Beichner, Jim Fallis, Ron Beaschler, Jim Miller, Jeff Swenson, Dan Harris, Jim Makovsky, Todd Hibbs, Col. Billy Walker, Tom Borrelli, Rande Stottlemyer, Dave Icenhower, Darrell Randall, Rob Koll, Dave Kemmy and Tom Kessler.

For many high school athletes, the college decision process can be difficult and stressful. But for Trey Stavrum, who competes for the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the decision to commit to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was anything but difficult and stressful. It was a no-brainer. "The new coaching staff played a big part in my decision to commit to UTC," said Stavrum, who admits that UTC was his first and only choice. "I'm a real big fan of Heath Eslinger and the guys he brought in. It's also real close to home. I'm from Chattanooga." Stavrum is a four-time Tennessee Division II state placewinner. His highest finish at the state tournament came this past season when he placed third at 135 pounds. He has also been a member of four state championship teams at the Baylor School, the same school that produced Jordan Leen, a three-time All-American and NCAA champion for Cornell. Stavrum said that he will likely compete at 145 pounds for his senior season. He projects at 149 pounds in college.