InterMat Staff

Stephen Dutton of Miller Place, New York has informed InterMat that he has given a verbal commitment to Lehigh. Dutton, a 2009 state champion for Rocky Point High School (NY), is InterMat's No. 68 senior recruit. He is a three-time NHSCA Nationals All-American. In 2007, Dutton was a NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion at 125 pounds. The following season, Dutton placed fourth at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals at 130 pounds. This past season, Dutton, who competed at 135 pounds, followed up his undefeated season with a runner-up finish at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Dutton is the second top 100 recruit Lehigh has received a verbal commitment from. No. 19 Frank Cagnina of Queen of Peace High School in New Jersey has also given a verbal commitment to Lehigh. Dutton is projected to wrestle at 141 pounds for Lehigh.

Lee MunsterLee Munster of Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, Illinois has found a great deal of success both on the wrestling mat and in the classroom. He is a two-time Illinois state champion and three-time Scholar Athlete who maintains a 4.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). He is also a seven-time judo national champion. Munster, who competed at 171 pounds this past season, is InterMat's No. 8 senior recruit in the country. He has given a verbal commitment to Northwestern and is projected to compete collegiately at 174 or 184 pounds. InterMat recently caught up with Munster. Why did you choose Northwestern? Munster: I chose Northwestern because they have the perfect balance and emphasis placed between wrestling and academia. The wrestling program is developing and becoming one of the best in the country and the coaches at Northwestern are extremely supportive and devoted to their current and future wrestlers. The academics at Northwestern rank very highly in the country and this will lead me to success hopefully both on and off the mat. Two-time NCAA champion and U.S. World Team member Jake Herbert is around your weight. Have you met him before or had a chance to work out with him? If so, what has that been like? Munster: I have had the pleasure and opportunity to both work with and get to know Jake. After a few select workouts with Jake, I have found that it's an amazing experience to be able to stand opposite someone with such success. Jake is a premier example of a Northwestern product; having both success in athletics and academics, which proves that this is the type of person I hope to continue to become in the future. Having him as a coach and workout partner will hopefully help me to emulate his current and future success. You're a seven-time judo national champion. How has your judo helped your wrestling? Munster: Judo helped me in wrestling specifically because it increased my mat awareness and although the mental approaches to each of the sports are different, it still enabled me to have success through complimentary movements in both arenas. Judo has helped me to understand and learn about defeat because this is a sport that can be won or lost in a second to even the most surprising of opponents. Along with Judo helping my mental abilities in training and competition, judo has helped me tremendously with my balance and footwork; especially in throwing situations in wrestling. Judo has also helped me keep composed in stressful situations and this helped me to have an edge on my opponent. My experiences in the national judo championship matches definitely helped keep my composure in many of the most defining matches of my wrestling career. What are your plans for the summer? Munster: My summer plans are to continue my offseason training by wrestling freestyle this spring and summer. I have participated in the Junior Western Regional, the Junior National Duals, and I plan on wrapping up this summer's competition by competing in the USA Wrestling Junior Nationals in Fargo. I am also preparing myself for my senior season and will continue to try to be as prepared for college as possible. What are your wrestling goals at Northwestern? Munster: My wrestling goals at Northwestern are to be a four-time All American and hopefully an NCAA champion.

Tom Owens is one of the most significant individuals in the sport of amateur wrestling from the past 15 years. No, he never won a state or national high school title, an NCAA championship, or an Olympic medal or world title. Nor did he coach a team to a state or national championship. Nor is he a behind-the-scenes bureaucrat in the NCAA, USA Wrestling, or FILA. Yet Owens’ contributions to the sport have had a significant and lasting impact on wrestlers, coaches, and wrestling fans. Tom OwensIn 1995, Tom Owens launched InterMat, the first independent Web site dedicated to covering the nation’s amateur wrestling scene. For today’s wrestlers and young fans, it’s hard to imagine NOT being able to follow wrestling online. These days, there are thousands of Web sites dedicated to the sport (over 6,200 listed at Tom Fortunato’s “The Web's Best of Amateur Wrestling” Web site) … Web sites that provide live streaming video of events around the world, audio and video interviews, athlete profiles, action photos, up-to-the-minute statistics, historical information, and online forums for fans to discuss the sport. However, 15 years ago, the Internet was in its infancy … at least for individuals outside the government, or major universities or corporations that viewed the Internet as a research/communication tool. For wrestling results, photos and athlete profiles, the wrestling community had to wait for the latest issue of Amateur Wrestling News (or their favorite regional wrestling newsletter) to be snail-mailed to their mailbox. Want to see wrestling action from your home? You’d have to wait for one of those rare TV broadcasts … or score a videotape shot at an event. There was no InterMat, no TheMat, no TheWrestlingMall, no RevWrestling.com, no Flowrestling, no TheWrestlingTalk forum. You could say that all these Web sites can trace their roots ultimately back to Tom Owens. From wrestling mat to InterMat Tom Owens was born in Iowa, raised in the small community of Moville in the western part of the state, near Sioux City. He wrestled at Woodbury Central High for Jim Fisher, a coaching legend in the state of Iowa with an incredible 389-95-9 record. Owens continued wrestling as a walk-on in college, but, a neck injury sustained years earlier ended his on-the-mat career. In 1989, armed with his college degree, Owens started a career at Pioneer, the hybrid agricultural business … and also launched his coaching career, at Dallas Center-Grimes. “In the early 1990s, we used the Internet at work, but it was in its infancy stage,” according to Owens. “At the time, it was very much a business tool, but that started to change. ESPN started its Web site in the early 1990s.” “At the time, I started thinking, 'Wrestling just doesn’t get attention online.'” InterMat's logo in 2002“There was also a boom in interest in wrestling recruiting about the same time,” Owens adds. “I remember thinking, 'Too bad college coaches don’t have easy access to information on wrestlers -- records, stats, GPA, outside interests.' Everybody knows the top 20, but beyond that, resources weren’t available.” With that, Tom Owens had a vision for an online college wrestling recruiting service. “I talked to a few college coaches, to see if this would be used, and they said yes.” With that, in June-July 1995, Owens unveiled his amateur wrestling Web site with the clever-but-direct name InterMat. (When asked about the origin of the name, Owens immediately replied, “I have to give credit to my wife, Anne. Before we launched the site, she said, 'InterMat!' tying in 'mat' with the Internet.”) Paying a premium for one-of-a-kind information Following ESPN’s lead, InterMat was introduced as a premium paid subscription service. “I used to do a state-by-state ranking for individual wrestlers, then would put together national rankings based on that information,” according to Tom Owens. To determine rankings based on solid information -- and not just gut feelings -- Owens compiled a one-of-a-kind databank of up-to-date information on individual wrestlers. Click on a name, find a wrestler’s won-loss record and specific statistical information. Because it was online, the stats were updated constantly. Because it was gathered all in one place, it was easy for anyone to access the data. Not just a coach scouting out a particular recruit. Wrestlers and coaches could use InterMat to scope out future opponents. And fans could follow their mat heroes from anywhere. What’s more, by being the first to provide complete results from the Cadet and Junior Nationals, InterMat also helped bring Fargo to members of the wrestling community unable to travel to North Dakota. Tom Owens describes how this came about: “My wife and I spent two weeks the first summer typing in complete results from here in Iowa. Then the second year, we actually went to Fargo and I spent at least 18 hours a day entering results. There were a couple evenings that I was up until 2-3 a.m. entering results. We had to do this for about 4-5 years before USA Wrestling were able to catch up with the technology and enter results so we could actually cover the event instead of spending the whole week entering results.” Tom Owens coaching his oldest son, Zachary, at a kids district wrestling tournament in IowaInterMat provided one-stop shopping convenience for anyone in the wrestling community who sought up-to-date, independent information. Realize that the Internet was a vastly different place 15 years ago. Here’s how Tom Owens describes the online world of the mid 1990s: “There was no DSL, all dial-up, using a 540k phone line. Showing video was a distant dream. A heavily graphic site took minutes to load onto the screen.” “I had to introduce coaches to the Internet,” explains Owens. “When we got started, hardly any schools had a Web site. With that in mind, we offered templates for schools and wrestling camps to create webpages.” “It pretty much was a full-time venture right away,” says Owens. “We saw that we needed to be more than just recruiting information to be financially successful … make it more an online magazine, with rankings, results, stats for both high school and college.” “When we started that, business really took off. If it hadn’t, we wouldn’t have lasted 6-8 months.” “It took a lot of effort, and even more of an investment.” Grappling for their share of the wrestling audience Even in the early days of InterMat, there was competition. “There’s some question as to who’s first,” says Tom Owens. “TheMat was online first, in February 1995. However, it was not as 'national'; it was developed in North Carolina. It was not part of USA Wrestling back then; it was purchased later, around 1999-2000, instead of USA Wrestling starting from scratch. TheWrestlingMall started about the same time.” “This competition put pressure on me. We were set up as a for-profit business, requiring paid subscriptions, competing against Web sites that were not for profit, who had deep pockets and could absorb losses.” One incident that didn’t help InterMat’s situation involved its online forum. “We had a good message board/discussion group up to about 2000,” says Owens. “However, it was difficult to monitor. The administrator shut it down on his own without my permission. By the time it was restored 2-3 days later, many of its users had already migrated to TheMat Forum.” Despite that setback, Tom Owens found a way to expand his business and generate more income. “In 2000, we expanded by opening a retail store for wrestling in Johnston, Iowa, and offering the wrestling merchandise online, too.” “The grand opening was huge,” says Owens. “We had (Dan) Gable, Bobby Douglas, Jim Miller, Tom Brands. Got a lot of press.” “The store offered shoes, singlets, posters, etc. If it had to do with wrestling, we probably had it.” “We had a really good first year,” the InterMat founder continued. “However, 9/11 really hit us hard. After that, we experienced much slower growth, and got stuck with inventory. However, we came out of that OK, and stayed in e-commerce for about four years.” “In spring 2004, we sold the Web site to NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association), and got out of the retail business.” “I worked for NWCA’s InterMat for one year,” according to Owens. “It gave me a chance to stay within the business without the financial risk.” “I think about how much happened in my personal life during the InterMat years. I went from being a newlywed to a father of three.” Why sell? Why did Tom Owens sell InterMat, and, eventually leave the world of wrestling Web sites -- a world he helped establish a decade earlier? A screen shot of what InterMat looked like in 1997“It was harder to separate our product from the competition,” says Owens. “A lot of things that were our backbone as a subscription business were being offered for free elsewhere.” “We had to change our business paradigm almost every year. I was putting in long hours, and having to hire people to update the site. It was getting more costly for servers. We didn’t have deep pockets.” ”We were seeking to present information in a cleaner, more efficient way. But there was no sign the other Web sites were backing off.” The competitive landscape continued to change. According to Owens, “Within a year of the sale, TheMat stopped offering college results. At that point, the NWCA-owned InterMat then focused on college.” Life after InterMat Since selling InterMat to the NWCA (which has since sold the brand to Rev Wrestling Corporation earlier this year), Tom Owens has employed his fascination with statistics in a whole new way separate from the world of amateur wrestling. Owens is now working in risk management for Wells Fargo in Des Moines, and is presently pursuing his MBA. What’s more, Owens also retired from coaching at the end of the 2008 season. “I had been a head coach for two years, an assistant coach for 14 years, and had some volunteer coaching, too,” says Owens. Has Owens divorced himself completely from wrestling? ”I’m just a fan now,” Owens discloses. “I still follow the sport. I attend 4-5 college duals a year, and Nationals each year. I also go to a few high school meets and the state tournament. Most of my time is spent at youth tournaments which my two sons are heavily involved. I really enjoy watching Zachary and Eric compete.” “I use the Internet for wrestling news and scores. If I look at the boards, it’s for factual news stories, not the gossip.” Still passionate about the mat Tom Owens is no longer an amateur wrestling Web site guru -- and is no longer involved in coaching -- but he still cares passionately about the sport in ways that go beyond attending wrestling events. During our interview, we talked at length about ways to promote wrestlers and wrestling … including the need for a career option for wrestlers once they’ve graduated from college that doesn’t necessarily involve WWE or MMA. Owens also has strong feelings about making college wrestling a sport that attracts a larger fan base -- and holds onto it. “There are too many matches that aren’t particularly exciting to watch,” says the one-time wrestler and coach. “There’s just not enough action. Too many wrestlers ride an opponent without making any attempt to score. And, there’s too much reluctance on the part of officials to call stalling.” Tom Owens with his youngest son, Eric, before a wrestling matchOwens would like to open up more scoring opportunities for wrestlers. His proposal: Create an offensive takedown -- one where the scoring wrestler initiates the move -- worth three points. A defensive takedown would be worth two points, and an escape would remain a one-point move. “This would reward an offensive wrestler for being more aggressive, to create more action,” according to Owens. “It could really open up the scoring, and eliminate these too-close, 1-0, 2-1 matches that won’t win over potential fans.” Who decides what’s an offensive takedown? “Give the second mat official more responsibility. Let him decide the scoring on offensive and defensive takedowns.” That’s the kind of creative thinking that helped launch InterMat nearly 15 years ago, and revolutionized the way that wrestlers, coaches and fans get stats, scores and more.

Ty Eustice

Des Moines, IA -- Men oft times go by many names. In the case of our June High School Wrestler of the Month, Morgan McIntosh, the moniker of champion has been attached to his God given name nearly as many times as the number of years he has spent on the planet. As a registered member of the Kickapoo tribe of Oklahoma, he is also known as Ane Kwa peta. Morgan is 16 years old, a resident of Santa Ana, CA, where he completed his Sophomore year at Calvary Chapel High School in Costa Mesa. Morgan entered Calvary Chapel as a Freshman, having completed his years of home schooling, a formula that has proved successful for his four siblings before him, Morgan being the youngest. Morgan grew up surrounded by strong work ethic, and with a preponderance for what it takes to become a wrestler, let alone a champion. Morgan's parents, Brooke and Rebecca, contributed greatly, and provided appropriately, to allow him to participate in countless clubs and competitions, along with the travel that was required. Brooke, a professional horse shoer for 30 years, and a former wrestler himself, exhibited the balance of strength and skill Morgan picked up, applying it to thousands of hours on the mat. Morgan's engagement with wrestling began easily and instantly when Rebecca located a flier for a local club, instantly perking Morgan's interest. Days later, the birth of a champion wrestler. Fast forward to his high school career, where he completed his freshman year , going 41-5, and securing 5th in state at 160 lbs. This year he finished with the 171 lb. title, in the nations most populous state, and where 820 schools compete in a single class. He carried a 43-0 perfect season record, and earned the Champion of Champions Award, a result of voting among his peers, based on his complete personal presentation, both on and off the mat. As can be expected of Morgan, he accepted the award with understated humility. The road from age 7, when he entered the sport, to his most recent state title, is one paved with complete dedication, as well as requisite challenges. As Morgan was home schooled during his elementary education, wrestling provided a great source of interaction with other kids his age. His parents pursued every opportunity that was possible for Morgan to learn, train, and compete. He competed in the USA Nationals as many times as the family was able to afford, always finishing in the top three for Freestyle, placing three times in Greco, including 1st Place, and was a Folkstlye National Champion. Along the way, he has also been a State Freestyle and Greco Champion, a two time triple crown winner, twice the Junior High Freestyle Champion, and was awarded the Most Valuable 8th Grade Award title. He also credits a Tulsa Nationals title to his name. He faced one of his greatest challenges in April during the Junior Western Regionals in Las Vegas, when he dislocated his elbow, still finishing 4th. The McIntosh family feared he would be sidelined for the Summer, although Morgan bested all predictions and recovered in time for the Cadet Nationals in Fargo. He completed the event as a finalist in both tournaments, ultimately losing at 189 lbs. to Andrew Campolitano of New Jersey, the second ranked high school wrestler for the past season. Morgan's experience and success on the mat certainly defines well rounded. Impressive records, varied styles, multiple weight classes, and the titles to his name only begin to describe him as a person. He is a avid reader, and excels in History, and Social Sciences. He always delivers an A in Bible studies, and takes an active role in his schools Youth Group, making contributions to many different communities. Head Calvary Chapel Coach Arsen Aleksanyen provided great guidance to Morgan from the day he arrived at Chapel Calvary. Assistant Coaches Josh Holladay and Jake Harmon, are also Youth Pastors, leading the Youth Group, and providing strong inspiration to Morgan. Recently the group has been working on developing new fish farming techniques, employing hydroponics, to provide alternate food sources for missions in Mexico. Morgan completely enjoys learning ways he can help people that are less fortunate than him. He is already focused on college, knowing he will apply his great wrestling experience and talent during his higher education. He also owns a keen interest in the military, and may pursue a career there. He certainly shows the attributes that are necessary to become a leader in one of our nations greatest, and most important resources. TakeDown Radio, and all of the award sponsors, are very proud to select Morgan as the June recipient. He becomes the tenth remarkable young person to earn the prestigious award. TakeDown Radio would like to thank the sponsors of the High School Wrestler of the Month Award. Without Resilite, W.I.N. Magazine, Brute adidas, Intermat, and Sunflower Wrestling Supply, the award would not be possible. We are all very pleased to place our support in some of the nation's most promising youth.

Back this week to the Brute Adidas studios of Takedown Wrestling Radio. Some say that the summer is the "off time" for wrestling. It isn't so. Congratulations to Michael Johnson Jr. who competed in Utah over the last few days and was able to hobble on to the mat with a previously injured ankle and win the Triple Crown in his age group at 220 pounds. This big kid is 6 ft 2 and has no desire to play football. I can only hope for Olympic Gold for this straight A student from Downers Grove Illinois. Michael Johnson, Jr. (Schoolboy/girl 210 pounds). This is familiar territory for Johnson, who was a Kids Triple Crown winner as a Novice wrestler in 2007. It caps a very strong season for him. Johnson was the Ultimate Dominator in 2008-09, scoring the most points in USA Wrestling’s Ultimate Challenge Series of Folkstyle Wrestling. Joining us this week: Chris Ayres- Head Coach of Princeton joins us to discuss his team, his recruits, the Ivy and summer training and camps. Ray Brinzer- The head man at Angry Fish and one of my all time favorite wrestlers joins us to discuss his mutual effort behind developing "The Open Mat.com". Aside from being informative and a walk down memory lane it should be very fun as well catching up with "Ray man". Eric Betterman- Co-founder of TheOpenMat.com. He'll share with us his goals for his site, his views and why he has developed this site with Ray Brinzer. Brian Antonelli- Asst Head Coach of the US Naval Academy Wrestling team. What's it like to work with Head Coach Bruce Burnett. Navy has a stellar recruiting class ranked in the 25 in the country. When you think about of tuff is is to get into the Academy that's quite a feat! Jimmy May- Baker University in Baldwin City Kansas. Recently inducted in to the Nevada Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Jimmy will tell us of the recruits signed and why smaller colleges, both public and private are adding wrestling at a steady pace. The team is set to start competition fall of 2009. I'm excited! Harley Race- WLW Wrestling Boss Man, Former many x Pro Wrestling World Champion will host a pro wrestling event in Waterloo, Iowa Friday July 10th to benefit to Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. Many of the Legends of Pro Wrestling will be on hand. Many Thanks to Harley, his wife and partner BJ for their unflagging support of the DGIWIM. More information on this event can be had at: http://www.wrestlingmuseum.org Join us for America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners including Takedownradio.com. We air 9 AM to 11 AM every Saturday morning and look forward to having you listen in.

A Blue Earth, Minn., native has been named as the new head wrestling coach and housing manager at Iowa Lakes Community College. Ty Eustice was selected for the position effective today, July 2, 2009. He comes to Iowa Lakes following a year as Assistant Wrestling Coach at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon. At Cornell, The Rams placed eighth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament, counting three All-Americans, including one wrestler who had the most wins in all of Division III wrestling. Ty EusticeEustice was a four-year NCAA Division I national qualifier and a two-time All-American wrestler at the University of Iowa. During his time as a Hawkeye, Eustice was a 100-match winner and a two-time team captain from 2001 through 2006. In 2005, he placed 5th at 149 pounds at the NCAA Division I National Championships and then finished second at 149 a year later. Troy Larson, Athletics Director at Iowa Lakes, says Eustice’s prestigious career will reflect well on his tenure at Iowa Lakes. “He had an outstanding wrestling career at the University of Iowa and has learned from some of the best coaches in the world, including Tom Brands,” Larson said. “You will see a very aggressive, tough, hard-nosed style of wrestling at Iowa Lakes. And, you’ll see a coach who understands the meaning of student-athlete and will have high quality young men in the program.” Eustice already has set goals for the Lakers. “Building off of last year’s great success, I’d like to see continued improvement – first and foremost in the classroom – but also greater dedication to the sport of wrestling,” said Eustice. “The performance level of our athletes – and future recruits – will continue to grow as I instill higher expectations in my athletes and for the program.” After graduating from Iowa, Eustice spent two years as a graduate assistant at Minnesota State University in Mankato. While there he helped coach 12 All-Americans while working under Jim Makovsky. During that time, the team crowned seven All-Americans and two individual champions while placing second in the team race by just one-half point at the 2008 NCAA Division II National Championships. Minnesota State won the team title at the 2008 National Duals. His academic degrees include a bachelor’s degree in art from the University of Iowa in 2006 as well as a master’s degree in sports management from Minnesota State two years later. While at nearby Blue Earth, Eustice won four Minnesota state championships as he wrestled for his father, Coach Jack Eustice. He was also a Cadet and Junior National Freestyle All-American. “Obviously, being closer to my hometown is a neat situation for me and my family. But knowing the talent in the southern Minnesota and northern Iowa area the potential for this program is exceptional,” said Eustice. While in Mankato, Eustice also interned for the Minnesota Vikings during their summer training camp in town, working alongside the Vikings players and coaches. He also has worked with Special Olympics. In 2006, Eustice was a member of a student group which organized a “Raising Spirit” event which included a sport camp and silent auction that raised money for Special Olympics in Mankato. Eustice, along with his wife and son will be relocating to the Estherville area in the near future. Along with his leadership duties as the head wrestling coach, he will assume the position of housing manager. As manager, Eustice’s duties will range from enforcing housing policies and promoting healthy lifestyles, to meeting with students to solve conflicts when necessary.

Appalachian State University wrestling coach JohnMark Bentley rounded out his coaching staff for the 2009-10 season, bringing in Kyle Jahn, Bentley announced Wednesday. Jahn wrapped up his first season as an assistant coach at McKendree University after completing a stellar career on the mat. “I am excited to add Kyle to our staff here at ASU,” Bentley said. “He will be a tremendous asset to our lightweights and he should be a great example for our guys as he will continue training himself in an attempt to make the US freestyle team.” Jahn was a three-time All-American for the Bearcats and won an NAIA championship in 2008 in the 141-pound weight class. He finished seventh at the 2009 United States National Freestyle championships at 132-pounds. Jahn is the second assistant hired by Bentley, joining Christian Sinnott on ASU’s wrestling staff.

Russ Cozart

Eric Grajales

BOSTON -- The Boston University wrestling program and head coach Carl Adams are excited to announce that seven newcomers will join the team�s roster for the 2009-10 season. The Terriers will welcome six freshmen and a transfer as they look to build off a solid 2008-09 season that saw three wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships. �We feel that this is a quality recruiting class that includes at least a couple of wrestlers that can step right in and compete right away,� said Adams, who is entering his 29th season as the Terriers� head coach. �This group definitely fills some holes in our lineup and is a nice complement to last year�s strong class.� Kyle Czarnecki - Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove 2009 Illinois state champion ... Placed fourth in state as a junior ... Went 5-2 at Senior Nationals, one win away from All-America status ... Named 2008-09 Athlete of the Year at Buffalo Grove. Jordan Frease - Clearwater, Fla./Countryside Posted career record of 151-35 at Countryside to set school record for wins ... Two-time district and conference champion ... Placed fourth in the state as a senior after placing sixth as a junior ... 2009 team captain. Nate Lavallee - Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth Three-time state champion ... 2009 New England runner-up ... Placed fourth at Junior Nationals ... Allowed no offensive points as a senior until New England finals ... Semifinalist for Fitzpatrick Trophy, given to top football player in Maine. Brock Mantella - Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic/Pittsburgh Has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining after competing at Pittsburgh the past two seasons ... Has a collegiate record of 30-33, including an 18-14 mark last year ... Two-time state placewinner in Georgia at Blessed Trinity Catholic, finishing second in 2006 and third in 2005 ... Two-time High School All-America selection. Edgar Remotti - Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry Posted a record of 63-19 as a two-year captain at Dobbs Ferry ... HVAL All-League and Section 1 honoree ... Placed seventh at Western New Englands ... Class Salutatorian. Ian Squires - Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge Four-time placewinner at Virginia state championships and Ironman ... Capped high school career with state championship after finishing third as a junior and second as a freshman ... Placed sixth at 2009 Beast of the East ... Career record of 182-37 with 92 pins ... Member of three top-15 nationally ranked teams ... Team captain as a senior. Nestor Taffur - Bound Brook, N.J./Bound Brook Three-year captain at Bound Brook ... Placed fourth in New Jersey as a senior ... Career record of 130-35 ... third winningest wrestler in school history ... Three-time county champion ... District 18 Most Outstanding Wrestler as a senior ... 2009 Region 5 champion.

Sean Dolan of St. Mark's High School in Delaware has given a verbal commitment to wrestle at North Carolina State. Dolan, a three-time Delaware state champion (103, 112, 119), is ranked as the No. 76 senior in the country by InterMat. He was a 2007 NHSCA Nationals champion at 103 pounds. He was a Beast of the East runner-up in 2007, but did not compete at the event this past season due to injury.

Parker BrandParker Brand of Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) in Minnesota has always thrived as the underdog. As a high school sophomore, Parker reached the state finals at 171 pounds when most people thought he would be lucky to even place. After his senior year of a high school, Parker, who was not ranked nationally, competed at the NHSCA High School Nationals, went 6-1 against the nation’s best high school wrestlers, finished third, and took home the award for the most falls in the least amount of time. In February, Parker, who was unranked and failed to win a match at the regional tournament, reached the finals of the 2009 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Championships while competing at 197 pounds. Growing up in Southeastern Minnesota Rushford, Minnesota is a small agriculture town nestled in the heart of southeastern Minnesota's Bluff Country. Parker Brand’s father, Dale Brand, was born and raised in Rushford, where he excelled in wrestling and football. He qualified for the Minnesota state wrestling tournament at heavyweight in 1983. He then went off to college at the now-defunct University of Minnesota-Waseca, where he played football. Dale passed on his love for sports to his two sons, Parker and Logan. When Parker was in kindergarten, Dale took over as coach of the elementary school wrestling program at Rushford-Peterson. After Parker started wrestling in kindergarten, it wasn’t long before his younger brother (by 18 months), Logan, followed suit and started wrestling. Parker and Logan would wrestle in five or six local tournaments a year and usually fared well. There were seasons where both boys would finish the season undefeated. “It was always my brother and me competing against each other for the most pins of the year,” said Parker. “We always had little competition between us.” Dale chose not to send Parker and Logan to tournaments in other areas of the state. He also held the boys out of regional and state events. “I saw kids back in my day that did a lot of wrestling,” said Dale. “And they kind of got burned out by it. I didn’t want my kids to get burned out. I always wanted them to want more. Maybe I should have taken them to some more tournaments, but it always kept them striving and wanting more.” Wrestling varsity Parker began wrestling varsity in seventh grade for Rushford-Peterson. A year later, when Parker was in eighth grade, Rushford-Peterson combined its wrestling team with its neighboring school, Lewiston-Altura, and became Lewiston-Altura/Rushford-Peterson (LARP). “My first few years on varsity were really rough,” said Parker. “Not too many wins. But I had good practice partners that really helped me improve.” When Parker was in seventh grade, he practiced regularly with Hank Becker, a senior at the time who went on to place in the state tournament that season. Hank had his way with Parker in the wrestling room. One night, Parker came home from wrestling practice and his nose was so sore that he couldn’t touch it because Hank had been crossfaced him so much. Parker said to his mom, 'Don’t tell Dad about it … because I don’t want him to say anything.’” In ninth grade, Parker broke his leg just a few matches into the season, which forced him to miss most of the wrestling season. He came back shortly before the section tournament and nearly qualified for the state tournament. The next year, when Parker was a sophomore, he reached the state tournament for the first time in his career … and the state finals. “Making it to state was pretty sweet,” said Parker. “I had a goal that year just to place. At the state tournament, I really wasn’t looking at the bracket too much. I have never really believed in looking at the bracket or scouting. It all comes down to heart at the end if you keep it close. All of a sudden, before I knew it, I was in the state championship match. Then the nerves really kicked in. I was really nervous there.” Parker lost in the state finals as sophomore, but that performance helped him gain notoriety on the wrestling mat. But it wasn’t only on the wrestling mat where Parker was gaining notoriety. The previous year, he had started on Rushford-Peterson’s varsity baseball team that reached the state finals. He was also excelling on the gridiron in football. As a junior, he helped lead Rushford-Peterson’s football team to the state title. Parker, a running back and linebacker, was named the Player of the Game by a local radio station in all the state tournament games. Parker Brand capped off an undefeated senior season by winning a Class A state title in Minnesota at 215 pounds (Photo/The Guillotine)As a junior, Parker placed third in the state wrestling tournament at 189 pounds. In the fall of his senior year, he and his dad visited Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC), a school located in Rochester, Minnesota, and an hour drive from Rushford. They met with RCTC wrestling coach Randy Rager. “Parker was looking at playing two sports,” said Rager. “He wanted to do football and wrestling. There aren’t a lot of schools that will let you do both anymore. They want you to specialize in one or the other.” Shortly after that visit, Parker made the decision to attend RCTC. As a senior, Parker dominated his competition all season long. He went undefeated and won the state title at 215 pounds, becoming Rushford-Peterson’s first state wrestling champion ever. “I had gotten third and second, so there was only one more place to get,” said Parker. “I had a lot of desire to get there. I was ranked No. 1 all season. I never let anything stop me. I just had a lot of determination and believed that no one could beat me.” The Brands had initially heard about the NHSCA High School Nationals, an annual event for all high school grade levels, back in 2006 when Parker qualified for the event by finishing second in the state tournament. But Parker chose not to compete that year or as a junior. During Parker’s senior year, Dale Brand talked to some people in the Minnesota wrestling community who encouraged him to send Parker to the NHSCA High School Nationals. Not only did they see it as a good opportunity for Parker to test himself against the nation’s best high school wrestlers, but it was also an opportunity to get some national exposure. Every year, coaches from all the top wrestling schools in the country attend the NHSCA High School Nationals in hopes of landing some recruits in the late signing period. Parker flew to Virginia Beach with the assistant wrestling coach at LARP, Mike Buringa, while Parker’s mom, dad, brother, and sister drove nearly the nearly 1,000 miles. When Parker arrived at the tournament, he was amazed by the enormity of the event. “Going there, walking into an arena that holds 30 mats and easily could get another 10 more in there, it was kind of overwhelming,” said Parker. “But I was there to have fun. My goal was to place and become an All-American.” Parker won his first match 11-2 and then pinned his next three opponents. He suddenly found himself in the semifinals in one of the nation’s most prestigious high school wrestling events. His opponent in the semifinals was Marcel Dubose, a three-time Michigan state champion and Junior Nationals champion whose physique resembled that of a body builder, not a high school wrestler. Marcel DuboseParked jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period against the heavily-favored Dubose. In the second period, Dubose reversed Parker with a Granby roll, scoring nearfall points in the process, to go up 4-2. Parker came back with a reversal of his own to knot the score at 4-4. But Dubose retook the lead, 6-4, with a reversal in the closing seconds of the second period. In the third period, Dubose cut Parker to make the score 6-5. Parker then got in on Dubose’s legs … before Dubose took an injury timeout. When the action started up again, Dubose countered one of Parker’s shot and converted it into a takedown to go up 8-5 with just under a minute to go in the match. In the final 20 seconds, Dubose was riding Parker and got a little high. Parker slid through the back door and was closing to getting the reversal before Dubose screamed and called for another injury timeout. When the action resumed, Brand quickly added an escape. But it was too little too late and Dubose held on for the 8-6 victory. Parker still believes he could have and should have won that match, which would have put him in the national finals. “In Minnesota, you don’t see a lot of injury breaks,” said Parker. “If you’re taking an injury break, you’re hurt bad. There’s no just stopping to take a breath. There was a lot of that going on out there.” After losing to Dubose, Parker pinned his next opponent and closed out the tournament with a 13-1 victory to place third. He also won the trophy for most the falls in the least amount of time. Randy RagerRCTC wrestling coach Randy Rager was back in Minnesota following Parker’s progress throughout the tournament. As the tournament wore on, and Parker kept winning (and pinning), Rager wondered if Parker would still be honoring his commitment to attend RCTC or whether he would look elsewhere after his breakthrough performance. He was now on the radar of college wrestling coaches all throughout the country. “I was definitely worried,” said Rager. “I was keeping good track on how he was doing. We are in a situation where it’s sometimes difficult to recruit. We don’t give scholarship money. Kids come here because they want to wrestle.” After his NHSCA High School Nationals performance, a lot of schools showed interest, including some Division I schools. But because Parker had not taken his ACT, which is not required to attend RCTC, it made it difficult for Parker to even consider going anywhere but RCTC. Plus, he wanted to play football and wrestle, which he may not have had the opportunity to do at another school. “Parker in a way wanted to go look at these schools, but he knew himself he wasn’t really wasn’t ready for that step,” said Dale Brand. “It was really an honor for him. He felt really privileged to be getting the offers.” A rollercoaster first year at RCTC Parker enrolled at RCTC last fall and joined the football team. He quickly earned a spot as the starting fullback on the team. He got off to a fast start. He scored a touchdown in his first game and was averaging five yards per carry through the first two games. But in the third week of the season, while doing a drill with the defensive backs in practice, Parker posted his hand on the ground, his thumb got caught, and he completely tore the tendon in his thumb. The injury put him in a cast for eight weeks and put an end to his football season. Parker missed the first few weeks of the wrestling season while still recovering from his thumb injury. He finally recovered from his injury and returned to the mat. But less than a week after returning, he suffered another setback. While wrestling in practice, he dislocated the ring finger on his other hand, which put him on the shelf for another six weeks. “Being hurt all year, it was really hard mentally,” said Parker. “But I kept my mind in it. Through the injuries, it was really hard to do that since it was also my first year of college and all that brings. I kept my mindset. Once I came back, nobody knew who I was. I wasn’t ranked because I hadn’t wrestled.” Parker Brand reached the finals of the 2009 NJCAA Championship after going 0-2 at the North Central Region (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)He entered the North Central District Regional, a qualifier for the NJCAA Championships, with only eight matches under his belt. At that event, Parker lost his first two matches and failed to place. “I can’t blame it on anything,” said Parker. But if anything, it would be that I was not in shape at all. I fell apart in my first match. I had already majored the guys that got second and third and pinned the guy that got fourth.” After Parker was knocked out of the tournament, Dale Brand approached his son and had a heart-to-heart with him. “I gave him an hour to cool down, and then he and I sat down against the wall in the hall and had a talk,” said Dale. “He just wanted to get back to town and help his younger brother prepare for the state tournament. I said, ‘Parker, Coach Rager already talked to me and he is pretty sure you are going to get in on a wildcard. You have to realize that I’ll take care of your younger brother. I’ll do him good just like I did you good. Don’t worry about him. Right now, you have the opportunity to go and win a couple matches hopefully. Try to be an All-American there. You just have to learn to adapt. Your willpower and heart will take over. Just give it one hundred percent. Don’t hold back. You’re going to regret it when you get older if you don’t give it one hundred percent.’” Just as Rager predicted, Parker received a wildcard into the NJCAA Championships. Parker also took his father’s words to heart. “After that, getting the wildcard, being hurt, and not in shape, I knew that I had to kick it down if I was going to make a run at it,” said Parker. “So I put in a couple extra hours that whole week up until nationals.” At the NJCAAs, which were held in Rochester, Parker got on a roll. He pinned his first two opponents, and then picked up decisions in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Once again, he found himself in a position not many people expected him to be … wrestling for the national title. “Everything was clicking,” said Rager. “With Parker, it’s all about feel. When you get those kids that are all about feel, they’re going to be pinners. It’s not going to be a thing where they’re going to score a lot of points and win a lot of close matches. Either they’re going to get a pin or they’re going to wrestle someone who is fundamentally better and end up losing. But he found himself in a position to get quite a few pins. He was starting to take some shots that he wasn’t comfortable taking earlier in the year … and he was in better shape.” Parker Brand lost 15-6 to Iowa Centra's Phil Hawes in the finals of the 2009 NJCAA Championships (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Parker’s RCTC teammate and training partner, Devin Clark, also got on a roll and reached the NJCAA finals at 184 pounds. “We fed off each other all season,” said Parker. “He helped me so much … and I think I helped him.” Clark went on to capture the national title, but Parker’s run was halted in the finals as he lost 15-6 to Phil Hawes of Iowa Central. The future After an injury-filled season and a strong finish on the mat, Parker has made the decision not to continue on with this football career. He wants to focus strictly on wrestling. After he finishes up at RCTC in the spring of 2010, he hopes to continue on with his college wrestling career. But at this point, he’s not yet sure where he’ll end up. “I’m going to take one year at a time,” said Parker. “I just want win a national title next season.” This story also appears in the June 26 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on how to subscribe, click HERE.

Frank Mir

Tervel Dlagnev

Travis Paulson

Carl Perry

Jim Heffernan

Jarrod King

Paul Beatty, father of University of Iowa wrestler Chad Beatty, suffered a severe injury while trimming a tree seven years ago. The fall caused damage to his spine and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Paul's friends and his family are attempting to raise enough money to get him to Germany and have stem cell work done. This treatment involves taking live stem cells from his hip and implanting them in his damaged spine. If this procedure takes, it could possibly enable him to walk again. This surgery has to be done in Germany because stem cell work is still in the research stage in the United States. We, in the Iowa Wrestling Family, are asking you to assist Paul in his quest to walk again. There have been many fundraisers to date and the response has been overwhelming. On Aug 15, 2009, we are having a day, in Tipton, Iowa, dedicated to raising money for Paul's benefit. On this day, there will be the H.A.W.K. 5K road race along with numerous adult and kids games throughout the day. This will be topped off with a hog roast and live entertainment as the day winds down. You can find info on the H.A.W.K. 5K at http://roadrunner5k.home.mchsi.com or e-mail -- roadrunr@mchsi.com or William Bails 319.331.7939. My wife, Kathy and I operate the Tipton Motel. All the day's festivities will take place on the motel property except, of course, the 5K, which will start and finish in front of the motel. Rooms will be available for rent to only those that are coming in for the days events. You can call 563-886-3111 and mention that you are coming in for the Paul Beatty Benefit. There are only 13 rooms available, so call early. Thanks, William Bails Audio Interviews by Scott Casber: William Bails Paul Beatty Chad Beatty

If you would like to be an official at the 2011 InterMat JJ Classic, please send an e-mail to contact@intermatwrestle.com.

Trent Paulson

Success doesn’t always come right away. In wrestling, unless you are Cael Sanderson, you know at some point you will lose. Even Dan Gable tasted defeat. The key for most successful wrestlers is to not get too high when they have success and to not get too low when they lose. The successful wrestlers are not only physically strong, but mentally strong. For one of the top young wrestlers in the nation, Kevin Norstrem, who is ranked as the No. 4-ranked freshman in the U.S. by InterMat, it has been has been a steady rise to the top, but one that was not without lessons that have shaped the Brandon, Florida freshman into the wrestler he is today. Norstrem, who capped off his eighth grade high school season with a 112-pound state championship while wrestling for Tampa Bay Christian, started wrestling early. His dad, Tim, wrestled in high school and at the club level in college while growing up in Wisconsin. During college, he made the decision to start coaching wrestling. After coaching for a few years, Tim and his wife moved to Florida. While looking for a house, Tim mentioned to an acquaintance that he was a wrestler. The acquaintance told him, “If you are a wrestler, you’ve got to live in Brandon.” Kevin Norstrem went 45-1 and won a Florida state title at 112 pounds will competing for Tampa Bay ChristanNorstrem and his wife took the advice, settled in Brandon, and started a family. When Kevin, their first child, was 5 years old, Tim brought his young son to a wrestling tournament. Not initially impressed, Kevin then went to his first practice. He was soon hooked. “(Brandon High School head wrestling coach Russ) Cozart is really easy to work with,” said Norstrem. “I enjoyed all the friends that I made.” Kevin took his time early on. When his dad first mentioned traveling out of the state, Kevin took a measured approach. He was willing to try it, but was not willing to fully commit. One thing that made committing a whole lot easier was winning. “I traveled to a tournament when I was 7 or 8 and took second in that tournament,” said Norstrem. “I realized that I’m actually getting somewhere. Then I started working a little bit harder and a little bit harder. The next thing I knew I started winning tournaments outside of Florida. Then I really got into it and started working a lot harder.” Getting to that point was not an easy path. “When Kevin started out, there were a lot of times that he wasn’t coming home with medals around his neck,” said his dad. “There were times when I would talk to Coach Cozart and he would say, 'Here’s your goal -- if he doesn’t cry this weekend, he gets ice cream on the way home.’ Early on, (Kevin) would go 0-2 at a tournament.” Kevin stuck with it and kept improving and although his early career may have seemed like a roller coaster, it was more of a steady climb. Each threshold Kevin has reached, he has gotten there by putting in the time, working hard to improve and eventually getting there. “That perspective that he has of what it’s taken,” said Tim Norstrem, “he’s fought for every inch and he is not willing to relinquish any of it.” One tournament early on in his career was a good indicator of what it was going to take and what kind of a hard worker Kevin is. “At the USA freestyle and Greco kids nationals, before they had bantam, he was a first-year midget. He had two real tough Greco matches and lost both of his matches,” said Tim Norstrem. “I’ll never forget it. While the other kids were wrestling, we went in the back and had a little talk and he said 'I am not happy. This will not happen again.' We went over our match strategy for freestyle. What are we going to do, what are we going to work on let’s focus on what did we learn from Greco? He came back, made it to the finals and beat the kid who won Greco in the championship match.” Much of Norstrem’s career has followed a similar pattern. He did not go right to the top. He came to each new level and conquered them one at a time. With each level change, he would have to work to get to the top of that level. Hard work has never been a problem for Kevin. Kevin Norstrem is the No. 4-ranked freshman in the U.S. by InterMat“He’s got a good work ethic,” said his dad. “He’s got a good curiosity level. When you teach him something he wants to know the right way to do it -- he wants to know exactly the right way to do it. If he doesn’t get it, he wants to figure it out until he does get it.” With that approach, Norstrem has learned to focus on the task ahead of him and not worry about the past. “He is very good at being focused on what’s important next and looking ahead,” said his dad. The support he has received from his family is a big reason why Norstrem has been able to keep moving up the wrestling ladder. “My family is super supportive,” said Norstrem. “In this house it is all about wrestling. My dad is the one who got me into it. My mom really loves watching me. They are always there to help me whether it is to lose weight, find different training partners. They are one of the biggest reasons I am where I am at now.” Kevin’s family also gave him a good athletic base to start from. “We are a very athletic-oriented, fitness-oriented house,” said Tim. “My wife teaches spin classes and exercise classes at the YMCA. We eat right and eat healthy. I’ve done triathlons, running, weight lifting, body building -- all sorts of stuff. That was kind of the backdrop for it. We have an expectation of fitness.” The level each of the Norstrem kids reach is dependent on how much they want to put into it. “Every level that Kevin is willing to commit to, we’re willing to commit family resources and time to allow him to get to that next level,” said Tim. “If he is willing to train his butt off, we are willing to send him to the Olympic Training Center. We will meet you at your level of commitment.” Russ CozartMuch of the credit for Norstrem’s success goes to Coach Cozart and his wildly successful Brandon High School wrestling program. Brandon’s wrestling program lost one dual meet last season and it was the first in over 450 matches. The historic streak has given Norstrem more than enough motivation to keep working hard. “I see all the other guys that came out of Brandon and a lot of them are really successful,” said Norstrem. “I thought if I work as hard as these guys and train as hard as these guys, maybe I can be just a percentage of what they are. Just because of that I was very focused and very driven.” To say that drive has paid off is an understatement. Norstrem has placed or won a number of tournaments across the country as he has progressed. Most recently, he won the USA Wrestling Southeast Cadet freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments as well as compiling a 5-1 record in freestyle and a 5-0 record in Greco at the East Coast Duals. Kevin said his preferred style is Greco. The transition to Greco was seamless in Coach Cozart’s program. Right after the high school season ends, Cozart and his staff transition right into Greco. For Kevin, it was a perfect fit. On his feet he likes to work inside and set up his shots from the inside. He enjoys hitting the big throws and controlling his opponents while in tight quarters. The Norstrem’s feel fortunate to be in the situation they are in. To be involved in wrestling and to be in Coach Cozart’s Brandon program has allowed Kevin to evolve into the wrestler he is today. “The friends, the support, the coach, that we have -- unbelievable,” said Tim Norstrem. “We just feel extremely fortunate that we have that opportunity to have those resources with us. Russ (Cozart) is an awesome coach. Russ is like an uncle to Kevin. It’s one of those deals where Russ hardly has to say anything to him.” With as accomplished a coach and wrestler Russ Cozart is, possibly the best compliment Kevin Norstrem could have received came from Cozart’s high school coach, George Beresford. Kevin, his younger brother Kyle, and Tim were at a tournament in Reno. The boys were walking around in the stands wearing Brandon wrestling t-shirts when Cozart’s high school coach, noticed them. Tim and the boys explained that Coach Cozart was not there, it was just the three Norstrem boys. Both Kevin and Kyle made the finals of the tournament and were wrestling at the same time. Obviously, Tim could only be helping one of his kids. So after talking with Beresford, Tim asked him if he would sit in Kevin’s corner so he could watch Kyle. Kevin Norstrem“Beresford said, 'I don’t know how to coach him. I don’t know what he does',” said Tim. “I said, 'Just coach him like you would coach Russ.’ After the match -- Kevin had won his match -- Beresford came over to me and said, ‘You’re right. He wrestles just like Russ. I had a blast. Thanks for having me down.'” High praise coming from the coach of someone as accomplished as Russ Cozart is praise that has been earned. It is praise that comes because of a wrestler’s commitment to keep improving and to go back out there even when he has struggled. Kevin Norstrem was not handed his success on a silver platter. His path and the lessons he has learned along the way have made him made him what he is -- mentally tough and one of the best young wrestlers in the nation.