InterMat Staff

2009 Greco-Roman World Team Trials champions Harry Lester and Spenser Mango will be radio show guests Wednesday night. Ohio native Harry Lester recently earned the right to participate in his fourth World Championship tournament by winning the 163-pound Greco-Roman division at the World Team Trials on May 30. Lester won bronze medals at the World Championships in 2006 and 2007 at 145.5 pounds. As a prep, Lester won four state championships for Cuyahoga Falls Valley Christian Academy in Ohio then went to Iowa State University for one year before moving on to Northern Michigan University to be a member of the U.S. Olympic Education Center. One of the most exciting and explosive wrestlers anywhere, Lester helped the United States win its first ever Greco-Roman team title at the 2007 World Championships. 2008 Olympian Spenser Mango won the 121-pound Greco-Roman division at the World Team Trials. He was two-time high school state champion in Missouri for Christian Brothers College High School before enrolling at the USOEC at Northern Michigan University. Mango was a World University champion in 2006. Only 22 years old, Mango has extensive international experience, competing at the senior level since 2004. Mango and Lester will both be seeking gold medals at the 2009 World Championships in Denmark in late September. “On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show.

SUPPLEMENT NO. 11 DI Champs/Sports Mgmt Cabinet 6/09 REPORT OF THE NCAA DIVISION I WRESTLING COMMITTEE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: 1. Championships Date Formula. The committee has expressed interest in conducting fur-ther study surrounding the possibility of moving the championships date formula, effective with the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, such that the championships would take place the weekend after the NCAA Men’s Final Four. This would mean the event could take place during the same weekend as the NCAA Frozen Four. The NCAA Wrestling Committee has developed an internal strategic planning subcommittee, and would like permission to survey the membership if so desired. In addition, the committee also would like permission to survey the general public at the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on various issues surrounding this topic. The earliest a recom-mendation would be submitted would be in time for the June, 2010 Cabinet meeting. 2. Misconduct. The committee issued two misconducts in conjunction with the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The first misconduct was a public reprimand of Brent Metcalf of the University of Iowa regarding Mr. Metcalf’s aggressive post-match ac-tions that could have jeopardized the opposing student-athlete’s safety. The University of Iowa did not appeal this finding. In addition, the second misconduct involved a private reprimand of a head coach at the championships for comments about the officiating on a live broadcast on ESPNU. As stated in the general section of the championships handbook, members of the coaching staff of participating institutions shall not make public statements critical of officiating in any NCAA championship event. The institution also did not appeal this finding. Committee Chair: Brad Traviolia, Big Ten Conference Championship Manager(s): Randy L. Buhr, Championships Marcus Blossom, Championships

Muhlenberg has hired Mike Kocsis, a former ranked Division I wrestler and one of the top natural bodybuilders in the world, as its new head wrestling coach. He replaces Tom Schleicher, who retired in March after 13 seasons at Muhlenberg. Kocsis is a 1993 graduate of Central Connecticut State, where he was a Mike Kocsis four-year starter and two-time East Coast Conference champion. He qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships three times and was ranked as high as 12th in the nation. Kocsis also enjoyed a stellar scholastic career for a Phillipsburg High School wrestling team that won four group state titles and was voted the No. 1 team in New Jersey three times. He finished his career with a record of 90-11 and was a three-time district champion, placing third in the state meet as a senior. After graduating college, Kocsis spent one year as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut, one at Franklin (N.J.) High School and three at Phillipsburg High School. Since 2000, Kocsis has been owner and director of Unlimited Changes Personal Fitness and Performance Center in Easton, Pa. Among the wrestlers he mentored there are Kellen Russell, a two-time Big Ten champion at the University of Michigan, and Jon Gregory, a 2008 Division III All-American at Ithaca College. Kocsis has also enjoyed great success as a natural bodybuilder. In his first professional competition, he placed fourth in the 2002 World Natural Bodybuilding Federation Pro Natural Mr. Universe contest, and he finished second the following year. He won the World Natural Sports Organization Mr. Natural USA title and placed in the top six at the world championships three straight years from 2005 to 2007. A certified personal fitness trainer, Kocsis has had articles published nationally and performs speaking engagements, seminars and camps and clinics for groups all over the country. He was the cover model for FAME Fitness Lifestyle Magazine in February 2007. Kocsis takes over a Muhlenberg program that has produced a Division III All-American in six of the last nine years.

Anna Cummings

IOWA CITY, IA -- Hawkeye junior Brent Metcalf has earned a spot on the 2009 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I all-academic team. He is one of eight NCAA finalists, 17 all-Americans and 51 NCAA qualifiers honored on the national team. “Brent Metcalf is a leader on our team – both academically and athletically," said University of Iowa Head Wrestling Coach Tom Brands. "Earning a spot on this team is one more example of his commitment to the University of Iowa and our wrestling team.” To be considered for the NWCA all-academic team, a wrestler must have at least a 3.2 cumulative grade-point average, have been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule when he competed in at least 60 percent of said schedule. Wrestlers can also earn a spot on the all-academic team if they were an NCAA all-American and posted a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average. Metcalf, who has been named to the NWCA all-academic team for the second straight season, earned his second all-America honor and Big Ten title at 149 pounds in 2009. He was named Big Ten Championships Outstanding Wrestler for the second time, becoming the first wrestler in conference history to earn the honor in consecutive seasons. He posted a 37-1 season record in 2008-09, going 24-0 in dual matches and 8-0 in Big Ten duals. He pinned 20 opponents, which ranks fourth all-time at Iowa. The two-time academic all-Big Ten honoree led the team in eight statistical categories in 2008-09. Metcalf and the Hawkeyes are set to open the 2009-10 season November 20 with the Iowa City Duals.

When Billy Murphy casually walked off the mat at the Regional Recreation Sports Center in Rochester, Minnesota on the night of February 28 after putting a 17-1 beatdown on his opponent in the NJCAA finals at 133 pounds, the wrestling world was eagerly anticipating his next move. Billy MurphyWhy so much buzz? Because anyone who has seen the 21-year old California native compete will tell you that he has all the tools to accomplish great things in the sport. In high school, Murphy went 168-3, won two California state titles, and an NHSCA Nationals title. During the recruiting process, Murphy fell in love with Tom Brands and the style of wrestling he preached. Murphy originally committed to Virginia Tech when Brands was there. But in the spring of Murphy's senior year, Brands was hired to take over at Iowa, so Murphy chose to be a Hawkeye. "Once Tom came out to my house and I met him, I canceled all my other visits," said Murphy. "I was convinced I wanted to wrestle for him." As a redshirt at Iowa, Murphy went a perfect 15-0. But academic and financial hardships forced him to leave the school and wrestling program during the spring semester of his first year in Iowa City. After Murphy left the Iowa program, he began working and competing in local mixed martial arts (MMA) events in Iowa, before making the decision to enroll at Iowa Central Community College during the spring semester in 2008. He focused on his schoolwork and practiced with the team his first year at Iowa Central. Billy Murphy dominated the 133-pound weight class at the 2009 NJCAA Championships and won the Outstanding Wrestler award (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Iowa Central assistant coach Troy Bennett mapped out a plan for Murphy to stay in the program for a year and a half and then transfer to a Division I school. The plan was in place. As long as Murphy could get his academics in order, everything else would take care of itself, because wrestling was the easy part for Murphy. As he puts it, "Wrestling is second nature." This past season, Murphy stepped into the lineup at Iowa Central and looked like a man among boys competing at the NJCAA level. The only blemish on his record was a close loss to Division I All-American Daniel Dennis of Iowa. At the 2009 NJCAA Championships, Murphy won by pin or technical fall in every one of his matches and picked up the Most Outstanding Wrestler award in the process. He was one of five NJCAA champions for Iowa Central, who won the NJCAA team title for the fourth consecutive season and broke the all-time NJCAA tournament scoring record. "It was kind of the same as it was my junior and senior years of high school," said Murphy, who went 107-0 in his final two years of high school. "I don't want to say it was getting boring, but it was getting pretty slow as far as having good competition. But I think the guys around me, the wrestlers and coaches, made it a lot more enjoyable. We had a good practice room. It was real hard, real tough. But at the same time, we were pretty laid back. We knew what we had to do. We had a lot of confidence as team. I had a good experience at Iowa Central. The coaches really looked after me and helped me out." In high school, Billy Murphy went 168-3, won two California state titles, and was an NHSCA Nationals champion (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)But Murphy was never able to get on track academically. "I've been struggling for the last two years," said Murphy. "Being out of my element, I think, is the way to put it. I wasn't too motivated as far as academics and going to class. I could never put my finger on it. But I was just out of my element." Not only was Murphy struggling academically and financially, but aside from his coaches at Iowa Central, he didn't know who trust. "It was frustrating in the sense that I was getting told so many different things about what I needed to do," said Murphy. "After a while, I started figuring out that I was just being told what I wanted to hear. I started talking to other people and they would tell me that these classes weren't transferrable. I was basically getting used. I think it was honestly because they didn't think I was going to succeed anyway and they just needed me then and there. But I mean, that's neither here nor there. I don't really care. I'm responsible for myself." Shortly after Murphy won the NJCAA title, he pretty much gave up on school and came to the realization that transferring to another college was not in the cards. "I think once I came into my own and realized I wasn't motivated and school is not for me at this point, I had to make that choice about what I needed most," said Murphy. "I don't have anything financially. I wasn't going to get enough at any Division I school due to my grades. Once I put it all together, it was kind of sad that I had to leave." Murphy has done some MMA fighting on the side since 2007. He has fought at small, local venues in Iowa, compiling a 5-0 record with three knockouts and two unanimous decisions. However, because his focus has been primarily on wrestling, Murphy's MMA training has been almost nonexistent. He has rolled around with Iowa Central assistant coach Troy Bennett a few times. But that's pretty much the extent of his MMA training. Billy Murphy was one of five NJCAA champions for Iowa Central this past season (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)With his future uncertain, Murphy made a call to former Iowa Central wrestler Joe Soto, a rising MMA star who he has known since he was young, growing up in California. Soto is part of the Nor Cal Fighting Alliance, an MMA academy located in Santa Rosa, California. This past Friday, Soto became the champion in the Bellator promotion and collected a $100,000 bonus check. Soto, who has built a record of 7-0, has earned $175,000 for his three-fight stint in Bellator. "Joe put in a good word to his manager for me," said Murphy, whose MMA nickname is Mighty Mouse. "He said, 'Come on out. We're inviting you.' Joe and I are going to live in an apartment in Santa, Rosa, California. So I'm going to start training and go from there." Murphy's short-term MMA goal is simple: Get in shape and improve in all aspects of MMA. He admits that he's mostly just a wrestler competing in MMA at this point. Murphy's long-term goal is to be the WEC champion at 135 pounds. Even though MMA is Murphy's focus now, he's not ready to give up on his wrestling career. He admits that he loves freestyle wrestling and still has goals he wants to accomplish in wrestling, like making the U.S. Olympic team in 2012. But for now, it's strictly MMA. "I have to be completely dedicated to fighting," said Murphy. "I want to get to the top." To read a November 2008 profile story on Billy Murphy for InterMat, click HERE.

Archie Randall

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson has finalized his new staff as two of his assistants at Iowa State will join three members of the former staff to complete the new wrestling brain trust. Cody Sanderson, Cael's brother, has been named associate head coach while Casey Cunningham has been tabbed head assistant coach. The positions mirror the twosome's positions at ISU. The duo assisted Sanderson at Iowa State during the new Lion mentor's successful run at the helm of the Cyclones. In addition to the two new hires, Sanderson has announced that former staffers Matt Dernlan, Troy Letters and Aaron Anspach will all remain at Penn State with each assuming new duties. The moves finalize Penn State's new wrestling staff as Sanderson embarks upon his first year at the helm of the Nittany Lion program. Over the past three seasons, the Sanderson brothers and Cunningham have led Iowa State to second, fifth and third place finishes at the NCAA Championships and have qualified all 30 of their wrestlers for nationals. A total of 15 Iowa State wrestlers earned All-America status during the last three campaigns. Cody Sanderson served as associate head coach at Iowa State during brother Cael's three-year run as mentor of the Cyclones. Prior to joining Cael in Ames, Cody was the head coach at Utah Valley State (now Utah Valley University), where he started the school's wrestling program from scratch in 2003. Sanderson's efforts helped create the nation's first Division I wrestling program started from scratch in 30 years. Prior to beginning the program at UVSC, Cody served as administrative assistant at Iowa State from 2001 to 2003. As an athlete, Sanderson was a two-time national finalist at 133 pounds, advancing to the NCAA title bout in 1999 in the Bryce Jordan Center and in 2000 in St. Louis. He ended his stellar Cyclone career with a 116-33 record, including a 33-3 mark his senior year. He also claimed the Big 12 title as a senior and helped spur ISU to a National Runner-Up finish at the NCAA Championships in 2000. Sanderson graduated from Iowa State in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in pre-medicine. He wife, Sarah, was a standout Gymnast at Iowa State and the couple has three children (sons Kade and Mason and daughter Tylar Ann). Cunningham served as Cael Sanderson's assistant head coach last season at Iowa State. Prior to his one year stint in Ames, he was an assistant coach at Central Michigan for seven years (2001-2008). During his tenure at CMU, he helped lead 18 Chippewas to All-American honors and 35 Mid-American titles. During Cunningham's last season as an assistant, Central Michigan finished seventh at the 2008 NCAA Championships. CMU dominated the MAC during Cunningham's time with the Chippewas, winning the last 10 regular season championships (including all seven during his run as an assistant). As a wrestler, Cunningham is among Central Michigan's all-time greats. He capped off his collegiate career in 1999 by winning the 157-pound title in the Bryce Jordan Center, earning the school's first Division I national title and only the second individual title in school history in any sport. The two-time All-American (he was national runner-up in 1998) won three MAC championships (1996, 1997 and 1999) and was twice named MAC Wrestler of the Year (1998 and 1999). Cunningham finished his Chippewa career with a 134-19 record. An accomplished international competitor, Cunningham won the 2008 Pan American Games silver medal and retired from international competition in 2008. Cunningham earned his bachelor's degree in sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice from CMU in 1999. His wife, Tara (Nott), is an Olympic champion, having won the gold medal in weightlifting at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. The couple has three sons, Hayden, Asher and Ryder. Three members of the former coaching staff will remain at Penn State, but each in a new position. Dernlan will now serve as the program's Director of Wrestling Operations, Letters has moved to the assistant coach position (volunteer) and Anspach will now slide over to work and coach with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. In addition, Tiffany Clark, the former office manager, has assumed the title of Administrative Assistant for Wrestling. Cael Sanderson was named the 12th head coach in Penn State's long wrestling history on April 17, 2009, and officially welcomed to the Penn State family at a public introduction and press conference on April 20. Penn State Wrestling season tickets for the 2009-10 seasons can be reserved now. To make a $20 deposit on the best Rec Hall locations, fans should call 1.800.NITTANY between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Current wrestling season ticket holders do not need to make a new deposit and will simply go through the coming renewal process. Penn State wrestling season tickets are all reserved locations in Rec Hall. The exact seat assignments for new commitments will not be available until the renewal cycle is complete, but new season ticket commitments made now will be assigned locations based on Nittany Lion Club point totals and the time/date the deposit was received by Penn State Athletics. Season ticket pricing for the 2009-10 season will be finalized and announced by July 1, 2009.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Two-time national champion and former IU grappler, Joe Dubuque, is returning to Bloomington for the 2009-10 season as an assistant coach for the Hoosier wrestling program. Dubuque spent the last three years as an assistant at Hofstra University. “We are very excited to have Joe rejoin us at IU,” said Head Coach Duane Goldman. “He is the one of the most decorated athletes to ever represent IU. To have him here as a coach is tremendous for our staff, as well as our student-athletes. Joe brought so much to us as an athlete; I am looking forward to him being in the coaching seat.” This past season, Dubuque helped Hofstra to a 27th-place showing at the NCAA Championships. Now back at IU, he joins his former teammate Pat DeGain as Indiana’s two assistant coaches. While a Hoosier, Dubuque was a three-time NCAA All-American who captured national titles at 125 pounds in 2005 and 2006, posted an overall record of 114-18, including a 69-6 dual mark and a 19-6 Big Ten record in four years at Indiana University. As a senior during the 2005-06 season he recorded a 28-1 mark, including a 7-1 record against ranked opponents, and defeated three ranked opponents at the NCAA Championships en route to the 125-pound crown. Dubuque became just the second Hoosier in Indiana history to capture two national titles and the first Hoosier to register back-to-back NCAA crowns. In 2004-05 Dubuque placed third in the Big 10 Championships and then defeated three ranked opponents on his march to claim the 125-pound title at the national championships. He became the first Hoosier to appear in a NCAA final since Roger Chandler did so in 1997, and the first IU grappler to claim a national championship since Brian Dolph captured the 150-pound title in 1990. He finished the year with a 29-3 overall record, an 18-1 slate in duals, a 6-1 mark in the Big Ten and a 12-2 mark against ranked opponents. A year earlier Dubuque qualified for his first NCAA appearance with a fourth-place finish at the Big 10 Championships and then went on to earn All-America honors with an eighth-place showing at the NCAA Championships. He finished the year with a 34-9 overall record, a 21-2 dual mark and captured the 125-pound title at the Northern Iowa Open. Dubuque, a native of Bloomfield, New Jersey, was a scholastic national champion as a senior and a two-time state champion at Glenn Ridge High School. After redshirting the 2001-02 season, he tallied a 23-5 overall record and a 15-3 mark in dual meets, and ranked as high as 12th as a freshman, but missed the Big 10 Championships due to an injury. Dubuque earned a bachelor's degree in recreation sports management from Indiana. He and his wife, Jaime, have a son named Chase.

Hello again wrestling fans. It's another special week in wrestling as Johnnie Johnson and I head to Stillwater, Oklahoma and the Inductions and Honors Weekend at the Hall of Fame. Saturday June 6 we take the Brute Adidas studios of TDR back on the road and we'll air LIVE from the Hall of Fame Library. From 9 to 11 AM CST we'll do our best to present to you what this special weekend is all about. Our scheduled Guests include: Steve Garland of Virginia Chris Ayres of Princeton BJ Thomas of Undefeated Sports Nutrition and many many more Thanks for listening to America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show. Takedown Wrestling Radio. Tune in to Takedownradio.com from 9 to 11 AM CST on a computer near you or a radio station near you. You can also order the podcast of TDR on Itunes.

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Jackson has announced that former Cyclone assistant coach and NCAA champion Chris Bono and former Columbia head assistant wrestling coach Yero (yah-ROO) Washington are joining the ISU wrestling staff as assistant coaches. Bono has been head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga the past three seasons, where his teams won a trio of Southern Conference titles and he was the league’s coach of the year three times. Washington was a club and volunteer wrestling coach at Columbia for the 2008-09 season. He has coached at Columbia for a decade, including a stint as head assistant wrestling coach from 2004-07. “Both Chris and Yero have been world-class wrestlers who have had a successful run of 10 years of coaching,” Jackson said. “Both understand exactly what it takes to be an NCAA champion and a successful international competitor and will guide our wrestlers to their goals. Yero will work with our lighter weights, Chris with the middle weights and I will work considerably with the upper weights. They both have administrative experience as NCAA coaches and that will be of great assistance to me as well.” Bono joined the UTC staff in 2005 after serving nine years as a wrestling assistant coach at Iowa State, where he graduated in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science. He then worked for former Cyclone head coach Bobby Douglas as an assistant coach and was the Cyclones’ head assistant coach for the his final three years (2002-2005) in Ames. Bono was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2002 for his role in ISU’s success that season. The Cyclones compiled a 17-5 dual match record and were NCAA runners-up with five wrestlers earning All-America status. “First and foremost, I am coming back to the school I love, my alma mater,” Bono said. “I know Kevin well, have worked with him in the past and believe in his vision for Iowa State wrestling.” Bono was a three-time All-American at Iowa State, winning 130 matches from 1994-97, including the NCAA 150-pound championship in 1996. He ranks fifth on the ISU’s all-time wins list. A four-time NCAA participant, he placed fifth at the national meet as a sophomore and second as a senior. Bono won the Big Eight Conference title as a junior and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the inaugural Big 12 Conference Championship in 1997. “Chris has a great passion for Iowa State University,” Jackson said. “He wants to be here. His experience will ease my transition to collegiate coaching.” Bono has had a distinguished post-collegiate freestyle wrestling career. He was a U.S. World Championships team member in 2001, 2002 and 2005. He won U.S. national titles in 2003 and 2005. “I have known Yero for many years and he is extremely skilled, has coaching experience and will be a great teacher for our wrestlers, especially in the lighter weights,” Jackson said. “He has trained under me and knows what we want to do here.” Washington first joined the Columbia staff in 2002, as a graduate assistant. After a year as a resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, pursuing a berth on the United States Olympic Wrestling Team, Washington returned to Columbia in 2004. “The primary reason I’m headed to Iowa State is Kevin Jackson,” Washington said. “Kevin is an extraordinary leader. The fact that Iowa State is a collegiate wrestling powerhouse was also a factor in my decision.” Washington also participated in the Olympic Trials for the 2000 Games after winning the Northwest Regional Qualifier. The 1998 Sunkist International Tournament champion, he has been a member of the U.S. National team, America’s World Cup team and America’s Nations Cup teams. Born in Berkeley, Calif., Washington was a California state champion in high school in Porterville. A two-time junior college All-American at Fresno City (Calif.) College, Washington won the California State Junior College Championships. Transferring to Fresno State, he twice made All-American, in 1996, when he finished sixth in the nation at 134 pounds, and 1997, when he was third in the nation. He served as chief assistant wrestling coach at Fresno City College from 1997 to 1999, and was on the 1999-2000 Fresno State staff, working closely with Stephen Abas, a three-time NCAA champion, along with Stan Greene, a two-time NCAA All-American. Washington earned his bachelor of science degree from Fresno State in 1999.

Matt Pell

Jack Spates

The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has announced its annual Division I All-Academic Top 30 Team and the NWCA Individual All-Academic wrestling team for the 2008-09 season. For the second straight year, American University took home top team honors while five NCAA Division I Champions highlighted the individual team. Mark Cody’s American University Eagles led the Division I teams with GPA of 3.2839 after tying with Duke University in 2008. American was closely followed by Harvard University which had their highest team finish under head coach Jay Weiss. Rounding out the top five teams are Stanford University, Duke University, and Davidson College. All eleven conferences were represented in the top 30 teams with the EIWA leading the way with six teams. For teams to be eligible for consideration, the team GPA is comprised of 12 student athletes, including the 10 wrestlers that were the entries in the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. If teams had less than 10 entries for their respective qualifier, they may fill those spots with wrestlers that competed in at least one varsity dual during the season. “We are finding that year in and year out, coaches strive to have their team’s listed as an All-Academic Team. This is another measure of success for these programs,” said Executive Director Mike Moyer. “There is so much more to wrestling than what is done on the mat and we see just one part of that here with the All-Academic Team.” The 2008-09 All-Academic individual team is highlighted by a total of 51 NCAA Qualifiers, 17 NCAA All-Americans, 8 NCAA Finalist and 5 NCAA Champions. In total 73 individuals representing 45 schools are being honored this year on the All-Academic Team. The five NCAA Champions earning a spot on the individual team are: Jarrod King of Edinboro University (3.78) a Health and Physical Education –Human Performance major, Stephen Luke of the University of Michigan (3.35) a Biology major, Jake Herbert of Northwestern University (3.179) a Communication Major, Fraklin Gomez of Michigan State (3.098) majoring in Human Resources, and J. Jaggers of the Ohio State University (3.02) in Communications. Sitting at the top of the All-Academic Team is NCAA Qualifier Nicholas Amuchastegui of Stanford University who holds a 3.928 in Mechanical Engineering. Rounding out the top five individuals were Liberty’s Christian Smith (3.92), Tucker Lane (3.919) of Nebraska, Jeffrey Newby (3.82) of Utah Valley, and Jarrod King (3.78) of Edinboro University. Individually, wrestlers must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule – and must have competed in at least 60 percent of said schedule. The other way to qualify for the All-Academic team is have a 3.0 cumulative and been an NCAA All-American. “The student-athletes on this All-Academic Team exemplify what we are looking for in the sport of wrestling. You see teams and individuals from the largest institutions that sponsor wrestling to the smaller colleges listed. There is diversity here that you do not always get to see when it comes to compiling these type of teams,” said Jim Beichner NWCA President. Utah Valley State led all schools with four wrestlers earning All-Academic accolades followed by The United State Military Academy (ARMY), Old Dominion University, and Northwestern University with three individuals named to the All-Academic Team. “As a coaches association, we look forward to recognizing the accomplishments of our coaches and wrestlers each year. This is just another way to showcase our sport’s close alignment with educational values,” said Moyer.

Danny Felix

Sammie Henson

ITHACA, N.Y.­ -- Jeremy Spates will join the Cornell wrestling staff as an assistant coach, it was announced by Rob Koll, the David R. Dunlop ’59 Head Coach of Wrestling. Spates comes to East Hill after serving as an assistant coach at Oklahoma the past five seasons. Spates will assist the Big Red in all areas of coaching, including recruiting and on-the-mat instruction. A former 149-pounder, he will work with all Cornell wrestlers but will specialize with the middle to lower weight classes. “I have known Jeremy for a very long time, and I helped him with his technique when he was in junior high,” Koll said. “We tried to get Jeremy to join our staff a few years ago, but the timing was not right. We are very glad to have him back in New York. Jeremy will bring a unique perspective to our staff, having wrestled and coached in the Big 12.” Spates helped lead Oklahoma to a 16-4 dual record this season, its best in its past five campaigns. The Sooners crowned two Big 12 champions and qualified eight wrestlers for the NCAA tournament. In his five seasons, Spates has helped Oklahoma notch two top-three team finishes at the NCAAs. At the 2004 national tournament, Oklahoma crowned a 141 pound champion, Teyon Ware, and produced four All-Americans. The Sooners followed with five All-Americans in 2005 and its second-straight third-place team finishes. Spates served as an interim assistant coach for the 2004-05 season, and he was promoted to assistant coach prior to the 2005-06 campaign. A three-time NCAA qualifier, Spates finished his wrestling career at Missouri with a 106-38 record and was only the 10th Tiger in MU history to reach 100 wins. Spates rounded out his senior campaign by placing fifth at the NCAA tournament to earn All-America honors. The first Missouri three-time captain, he was invited to compete at the 2004 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic, where he defeated Cornell All-American Dustin Manotti. A 1999 Norman HS graduate, Spates was a high school All-American and a three-time junior All-American. He earned an Oklahoma state championship while wrestling for the Tigers. Spates is the son of Jack Spates, who coached the Big Red from 1988-93. Jack Spates had a 74-14-1 record as the fifth head coach of Cornell and tops all wrestling coaches with a .837 winning percentage. He led the Big Red to five Ivy titles and placed first at the EIWA tournament his last two seasons. The Big Red’s 10th-place mark at the NCAA tournament in 1993 was Cornell’s best in 32 years. Jack Spates is currently in his 16th season as the head coach at Oklahoma. He has led the Sooners to top-four placings nationally in six of the past 10 seasons.

1980 Olympian Chuck Yagla and 2008 World Champion Clarissa Chun will be radio show guests Wednesday night. Waterloo, Iowa native Chuck Yagla will be inducted this weekend into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Yagla was a state runner-up for Waterloo Columbus High School in 1972 at 145 pounds. He went on to the University of Iowa where he was a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion, winning the Outstanding Wrestler award as a senior in 1976 at 150 pounds. A member of two world teams, Yagla was a 1980 Olympian and unfortunately did not have the opportunity compete in Moscow, Russia due to then President Carter's boycott of the Summer Games. Yagla was one of top wrestling officials in the nation for several years, working the NCAA Division I tournament for 13 years before recently ending his officiating career. Clarissa Chun won the women's freestyle division at 105.5 pounds last weekend at the World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Chun placed fifth in the 2008 Olympics and won the 2008 world title. A native of Hawaii, Chun was a US Nationals champion in 2006 and a three-time University Nationals champion. She attended Missouri Valley College. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show.

At age 14, Alex Cisneros has already accomplished a lot on the wrestling mat. Alex CisnerosTake a look at just some of the titles he’s won in his just-completed freshman year at Selma High School in California: Reno Tournament of Champions. Five Counties Invitational. The Western Junior Freestyle Tournament in Las Vegas. The 2009 CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) 103-pound state title. In fact, Cisneros won every tournament he entered … and every match he wrestled, compiling a 46-0 record in his first year of high school competition. If that weren’t enough, Cisneros maintains a 4.1 grade point average in college prep classes, is active in his school’s ROTC program, and helps young kids at his church with their Bible studies. And he’s very modest about all of it. “He’s a kid who’s never opened his mouth and said 'I’m going to do this or I’m going to do that,’” Sam Lopez, his high school coach, told the Fresno Bee. “He just wrestles. I mean, he wants to win, there is no doubt about that. But he’s not a kid that’s going to put himself out there and brag about himself. It’s hard to believe a kid can be that humble, because if I was that good, I’d be telling everybody who would listen.” California’s youngest state champ When asked for this article to name the greatest accomplishment of his decade-long wrestling career, Alex Cisneros immediately replied without hesitation, “Winning the state title. It’s the biggest by far. It’s so much more meaningful because my brother Joe had won it.” At age 14, Alex Cisneros was the youngest wrestler ever to win a state title in California (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)In March, Alex Cisneros became only the seventh freshman to win a state championship in the 35-year history of the event in California. Making that achievement all the sweeter: At age 14, Cisneros was the youngest to win a state title in the Golden State … the first freshman champion to go undefeated all season … and the second member of his family to win a state title as a freshman, following in the footsteps of his older brother Joe who did it in 2004. At the 2009 CIF state championships in Bakersfield, Cisneros was the top seed in the 40-man bracket at 103 pounds. In his first match, he got a 15-0 technical fall over Norwalk’s Steven Joyce … while, in the second round, he pinned Michael Nolasco of El Modena at 1:42. Cisneros followed up with a 1:10 fall over Beyer’s Jake Congleton in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the Selma freshman shut out Vinny Moita of De La Salle, 4-0. Now it was time for the state title match. Before the tournament, there had been a lengthy profile of Alex Cisneros in the Fresno Bee … and a lot of speculation in the wrestling community throughout California -- and beyond. Much of that buzz centered on whether Cisneros was on his way to becoming only the second four-time state champ in California history … before he had even wrestled a single match at the state tournament. The only wrestler to win four CIF titles weighed in with his perspective. Before the state tournament, Darrel Vasquez, who, until recently, had been an assistant coach at Harvard, told the Fresno Bee, “He's done far more than I ever did [at his age]. I didn't win a schoolboy state title, I didn't win a cadet state title. I won tournaments and was always right there, but I never won the big tournaments going into my freshman year like he has." Alex Cisneros (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Would Cisneros be able to deal with the pressure, and make some history? Just before the championship match, Alex Cisneros was comforted by the sight of a familiar face: “As I was walking to the mat for the finals, it was great seeing Joe in the front row.” For the 103-pound title, Alex Cisneros faced off against Stevan Knoblauch of Clovis West, who brought a 26-5 record to the state tournament. The undefeated freshman from Selma kept his perfect record, getting a decisive 11-1 victory over his sophomore opponent, and earning the state championship in one of the few states where all wrestlers compete in a single class. What helped Cisneros win the title? Here’s Sam Lopez’s analysis: “At the state finals, both wrestlers were equal on their feet. However, on top is where (Alex) came through, using the Mendoza double tilt.” “Most kids work on their strengths, focusing on what they’re already good at. Alex works on his weaknesses, and it’s one way he continues to get better and better.” A gamble in Las Vegas pays off About a month after winning the California state title, Alex Cisneros entered the Western Regional Tournament in Las Vegas … with a bit of a gamble. “We bumped him up to 112 to give him more competition,” discloses Sam Lopez, who was named 2009 Wrestling Coach of the Year by the Fresno Bee. Turns out that gamble paid off big time for the newly crowned 103-pound CIF champ. Alex Cisneros won the 112-pound title at the Western Junior Freestyle tournament for high school wrestlers April 8-10 in Las Vegas … by beating a string of other prep state champs, including Christopher Ornelas of Arizona, Minnesota’s Mike Fuenffinger, Ryan Nakagawa of Hawaii, Utah’s Carson Kuhn, and Steven Romero of the state of Washington. In the finals, Cisneros pinned Iowa high school state champ Eric DeVos at 1:59 to win the event’s title. An early start toward success Alex Cisneros first started wrestling at age 3. “We lived in Ventura (California),” says the 14-year-old state champ. “I’d go to wrestling practice with my older brother Joe. I’d roll around on the mat. I thought it was fun.” Alex Cisnerous finished his freshman season undefeated at Selma High School (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)“My dad also wrestled in high school.” Alex Cisneros started participating in the wrestling program at the Boys and Girls Club in Ventura. He started competing in school as a fifth grader, which was about the time his parents, David and Jocelyn Cisneros, started taking him to tournaments, including major ones such as the Reno Tournament of Champions, and the Tulsa Nationals, where he went up against the top mat talents from across the nation. Wrestling has remained fun for Cisneros, even as he’s gone up against older, top-ranked talent from across the nation … and had to deal with all the attention leading up to the state tournament in March. “I’m never focused on the pressure, but on having fun,” says Cisneros. “Going undefeated, along with all the hype, put on some pressure. But I’m pretty much used to that.” “I had already been to some big tournaments before the state championships, which took some of the pressure off.” In fact, Alex Cisneros snagged the title at every tournament he entered this past season, including the Reno Tournament of Champions, Five Counties Invitational, MidCals Invitational, the Central Sequoia League Championships, the Sequoia-Sierra Divisionals, the Central Section Grand Masters, and the Clovis West Shootout. It’s a family affair The Cisneros family is very much in Alex’s corner … and then some. “His dad delivers fuel, working at night,” according to Sam Lopez. “He takes his son to early-morning workouts, and attends Alex’s matches.” Sam LopezAlex Cisneros weighs in: “Four or five days a week, dad takes me to the gym at 5:30 a.m. after he’s worked all night.” Coach Lopez adds, “Dad works with Alex on technique, striving to make him a better wrestler.” “Mom is also very supportive,” Lopez continues … a thought backed up by Alex. “When we lived in Bakersfield, dad would have to go to work even earlier, so mom took us to practice early,” says Cisneros. “They both want Alex to succeed in life,” according to Lopez. “They see wrestling as the way to do that. After all, you need to be a champion out in the real world.” Alex Cisneros serves as something of a champion in his role as a big brother. “I set the example for my three younger brothers -- Jacob, who will be seven in August, Josh, who’s ten, and Chris, who’s 12. I try to be the role model for them through wrestling.” One of a kind “I’ve been coaching for about 20 years, and I’ve never seen anyone quite like Alex,” says Sam Lopez, who just completed his first season as head wrestling coach at Selma High. “His work ethic is amazing. He’s very mature for his age; you’d think he was 20. He’s incredibly coachable.” Lopez, who once wrestled at Fresno State, elaborates. “Alex’s anticipation is incredible for his age. He does a great job wrestling angles. His positioning is outstanding.” “Like all the great ones, he makes things look easy, but he works incredibly hard.” "When he comes to practice, he is really focused," Lopez told the Fresno Bee. "The guy doesn't waste time. For being a freshman, he's drilling hard and working hard. It's just business. He's not screwing around.” “He’s one of those guys who leads by example,” Lopez said in an interview for this article. “After winning huge tournaments like Reno, Five Counties, it could be expected that he might want to take it easy, or brag on what he’s just done. But just comes in to work, then stays to help roll up the mats.” Alex Cisneros (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)“I think he’s willing to outwork other guys in his weight class.” For Cisneros, it means early-morning workouts with weights in the gym, then, after a full day of classes, at least a couple hours of wrestling practice. But, the 2009 103-pound state champ isn’t comfortable taking it easy. "I always think if I am laying down on the couch, there is someone else out there working just to beat me. I tell myself I have to push harder and harder every day to get to the next level," Cisneros told the Fresno Bee, in a quote that sounds very much like what Dan Gable said as an Iowa State wrestler and force in freestyle. “Alex has incredible time-management skills,” concludes coach Lopez. “He’s mature beyond his years.” Driven to compete Sam Lopez also cites another trait that makes Alex Cisneros a winner: An incredible competitive drive that’s on display on the wrestling mat … and off it, too. “He finds a way to win. He has a very aggressive style, always pushing the pace. He can apply pressure from the bottom, from all positions. He’s incredible at leg riding and grapevining.” “He loves to compete, even in practice. He hates to be taken down, whether it’s by a teammate, or one of us coaches.” In a separate interview, Alex Cisnero’s self-analysis lines up with his coach’s: “I see myself as an all-out, in-your-face wrestler. I’ll be setting the limit, wrestle my style.” Lopez, who is a special ed teacher, also sees that competitive fire in Alex Cisneros outside of wrestling. “Alex is a leader in our school’s ROTC program,” according to Lopez. “He’s very focused on being the best. I think he likes the structure, likes preparing for inspections.” Alex Cisneros (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)In fact, Alex Cisneros considers ROTC to be his favorite class. “I’m thinking about the U.S. Naval Academy or other military service academy,” says Cisneros. “I’m interested in a career in civil engineering. The academies would provide a great education in that field, with career opportunities after.” One could also imagine Cisnero’s competitive fire comes through in his favorite sport outside of wrestling: paintball. Yet Alex Cisneros has a quieter, more contemplative side as well. He is a young man of deep religious faith, active in his church, Valley Life Christian Church in Selma, who enjoys helping kids study the Bible. With all his mat talent, a powerful work ethic, an unquenchable competitive spirit, and a love of working with youngsters, it might make sense that Alex Cisneros might someday want to be a wrestling coach. When asked, he immediately responded, “Yes” but then followed up, “Right now, I’m living one year at a time, one match at a time.” For wrestling fans from Selma, California to Selma, Alabama, it’ll be fun to see what more great things Alex Cisneros accomplishes … one match at a time, one year at a time.

Nick Purler

Randy Lewis

We are pleased to announce that the Iowa's legendary NBC Affiliate, WHO TV 13 will be adding TDR TV news to their Web site offerings starting immediately. WHO TV 13 has, along with Des Moines Sports Station 1460 KXNO has embraced the wrestling community and joins a growing list of Radio and TV affiliates who are now airing TDR TV. Most recently SuperTalk 1570 Flint- Saginaw, Michigan joined our family in airing the radio program Saturday evenings 7 to 9 PM eastern. About TDR TV: TDR TV is an off shoot of Takedown Wrestling Radio. TDR is a 13 year old weekly radio program that airs Saturdays through the year. TDR's primary goal is to continually tell the story of wrestling. TDR TV engages younger demo's with video, pictures, graphics and a hot set. More information can be found at TakedownRadio.com.

CEDAR BLUFFS, Iowa -- Former Wildcat Jake Herbert competed as the top seed in the 84-kg weight class in the 2009 World Team Trials Sunday in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and came away successful in his attempt to qualify for his first U.S. World Team. Herbert defeated former Bloomsburg wrestler Bryce Hasseman in the final 0-1, 1-0, 3-1, punching himself a ticket to Denmark to battle the globe’s best at the 2009 Wrestling World Championships Sept. 21-27. A year ago, Herbert became a member of the U.S. University World Team during his redshirt season from Northwestern in his bid to reach the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. On Sunday, the 2009 Hodge Trophy winner became one of the youngest members of this year’s senior squad. “This isn’t just the result of three months of training, it’s years and years and years of hard work,” Herbert said. “Everyone out on the mat knows that but it’s hard for people on the outside to see all that goes into winning an event like the World Team Trials. It’s just unbelievable.” Herbert’s victory at the U.S. Championships back on April 13 guaranteed him a spot in the finals this weekend in Council Bluffs while Hasseman, an NCAA qualifier while at Bloomsburg in 2004-05, advanced through the preliminary rounds for the right to face Herbert. In freestyle wrestling scoring, each period begins with a score of 0-0 and a wrestler must win two of three periods to advance. A native of Wexford, Pa., Herbert finished his college career as Northwestern's leader in winning percentage (.973) and second in career wins with a 149-4 career record. He won the 2007 and 2009 NCAA title at 184 pounds while also becoming Northwestern’s first three-time Big Ten champion.