InterMat Staff

Some people just seem to have the natural gifts to excel at one thing or another. Be it in athletics, music, art or any aspect of life, some people just seem to be born to do an activity. Often those talents are not given a chance to grow. There are many reasons why the person doesn’t meet his or her full potential. It could be because of a lack of desire by the individual, lack of proper support, subpar instruction, or a host of other potential issues. When everything comes together the results can lead to great things. Early in his wrestling career, Eric Morris has had everything come together. He is the No. 1-ranked junior high wrestler in the nation by InterMat and could just be born to wrestle. Eric Morris, who has won 13 national titles, is InterMat's No. 1-ranked junior high school wrestler in the U.S.Morris got a late start in wrestling. His dad, Mark Morris, wrestled a little bit in junior high, but the Morris' didn’t start out as a wrestling family. Even though Mark didn’t have a long wrestling career, he never lost his love for the sport. He would wrestle around with his two sons when they were young, but early on it didn’t go any further. When Eric was 7, the family was eating in a restaurant and there were some wrestling pictures on the wall. The Morris’ started talking about wrestling and possibly trying it through the school’s program. “I really loved it from the start,” said Eric Morris. “I was just starting out so I was learning things and I caught on pretty fast. I started to get better and go to more practices. I liked it from the start. I like that it is individual. I like the intensity and I like that you can’t really say it is boring.” To say he caught on quickly would be an understatement. It had been five months since Eric stepped on a mat and he had qualified for the Eastern Nationals and took third. Morris had a feeling he had a chance to do something special in the sport leading up to his third-place finish. “I would practice and one of my coaches or my dad would walk up to me and say, 'Do you know what you just did?' I would say, 'No, I was just going with what I thought would work.' They would tell me, 'Well, that was a fireman’s carry' or something like that. I realized I could pick it up on my own and it was something that came naturally.” Since that third-place finish, Morris has dominated his competition. He has won 13 national championships, four Pennsylvania championships, and four Ohio championships. Coming into 2009, Morris had won over 500 matches while losing only 47 … and the wins and championships have only increased that total this year. Eric’s dad started to notice things when he was very young. “Since he was a little kid, even before he started wrestling, he’s always had almost unnatural strength,” said Mark Morris. “Most people who wrestle him say he’s freakishly strong. He works out and wrestles with some Division III college guys and beats starting 133-pounders. Their comment will be about how strong he is.” “He is mentally strong and he has an extremely high pain tolerance,” continued Mark Morris. “Sometimes when we are wrestling or just messing around he gets in some positions where I can tell, if I kept going I could hurt him before he would tell me.” Coming into 2009, Morris had won over 500 matches while losing only 47 ... and the wins and championships have only increased that total this yearBoth Eric and his dad feel his natural strength is one of his biggest strengths, but both also point to the mental side of wrestling as something that Eric has over his opponents. “He is very calm,” said his father. “He doesn’t get flustered on the mat. It doesn’t matter what is going on, he’s always believed he was going to win. He doesn’t care if he is wrestling Rick Bonomo during practice, who is in the NCAA Hall of Fame, he will get frustrated when Bonomo takes him down. He just believes he should win.” “With the people I work with, I have so many different styles,” said Eric. “All the coaches I work with have different styles. That helps a lot because from wrestling with them, I know how to defend that type of wrestling.” Early on, Mark was able to take over management of a wrestling Web site called Pennsylvania Youth Wrestling that has put the family in touch with many East Coast wrestling insiders. Through them Eric and his brother have been able to train in some of the best organizations available. Some of the guys he trains with include, Bonomo, Brian Morrow of Central PA Stars, Adam Smith from Penn State and former Penn State NCAA champion and Olympian Sanshiro Abe. Depending on how close to a tournament he is, Morris might hit four of five practices in a week with all the different organizations and coaches he works with. The workload is something the Morris family deals with on a nearly daily basis. The delicate balance between working enough to keep Eric at the top of his game while remembering he is an eighth grade kid, has been difficult at times, but Mark Morris thinks by keeping communication between all parties open, they have found a good balance. “That is something we always talk out as a family,” said Mark. “We always talked about what his schedule should be and we always talk about what his goals are. I would tell him I was here to help him reach his goals and sometimes I was going to have to tell him some things he didn’t want to hear. I would have to push him to do things beyond what he wanted to do at times. He would tell me when he needed to take a step back.” Eric’s mom often played an important role in mediating between the two. Eric Morris has aspirations of wrestling in Division I and also competing on the U.S. Olympic team“It really helped to have my wife involved to be able to talk to me and say 'I think right now you need to listen to him’ or 'He just needs to get out there and do it.’ So having her perspective really helped reach that balance.” Father and son don’t always agree, but because they are able to communicate effectively, it has made the balancing act easier for all involved. They both work through the amount of training Mark feels Eric needs in order for Eric to compete in the tournaments Eric wants to compete in. As the Morris’ travel to different tournaments this summer, including Greco, freestyle and folksyle. Eric’s short term goals are to obviously win as many matches as he can, but his long term goals are much more ambitious. Morris credits his coaches, his dad and his older brother Adam (who wrestles on his high school team) as people who have made his success possible. In order to reach his long-term goals, he will need to continue to rely on that support system. He wants to wrestle at the Division I level after high school and wants to compete on the U.S. Olympic team if not in the upcoming Games, but for sure in 2016. Those are big time goals for a junior in high school, not to mention someone in junior high, but Morris might just be the guy to do it. He has all the pieces in place: talent, drive, support system and coaching. It is a perfect situation for a wrestler who seems to be born to do it.

Clackamas Community College’s 285-pound national champion added another title to his growing list of championships. The Portland, Oregon native and Peninsula Club Wrestler has completed a best 2 out of 3 match to represent the United States at the FILA Junior World Team Championships at 211.5 pounds. Fortune beat Kazden Ikehara of the Falcon Wrestling Club 6-0, fall 0:32 in the 1st match and fall 0:12 in the 2nd match. Tyrell has been dominant this year at the collegiate level as well as the Freestyle and Greco level. In April Fortune qualified for the FILA Junior World Team Trials by winning the FILA Junior Greco Title in Las Vegas, NV. “Tyrell is a very special talent and is working very hard to accomplish his goals,” said head coach Josh Rhoden. “Clackamas is very proud to have a young man like Tyrell representing us,” he concluded.

Badger wrestler Andrew Howe finished first at the 2009 FILA Junior World Team Trials Saturday afternoon in Colorado Springs. The Cedar Lake, Ind., native captured the 74 kg/163 lbs. freestyle division and he will be joining fellow sophomore-to-be Travis Rutt on the U.S. FILA Junior World Team. Rutt placed first in the 84 kg/185 lbs. Greco-Roman division Friday and by winning their weight classes, Howe and Rutt earned the opportunity to compete at the FILA Junior World Championships in Ankara, Turkey from Aug. 4-9. Redshirt freshman Tyler Graff also wrestled in the freestyle competition but was unable to qualify for his third-straight Junior World Team. Graff placed second in the 60 kg/132.25 lbs. division. Howe received the No. 1 seed for his weight class and did not have to wrestle in the eight-person challenge tournament. Howe met Alex Meade in the best-of-three finals series and won the first two rounds to win the weight class. Howe dropped his first period in round one, 2-0 but bounced back with close 2-1 and 1-0 victories in the second and third periods, respectively. The Badger grappler then shutout Meade, who wrestles for Oklahoma State, 2-0, 1-0 in round two to qualify for his first Junior World Team. Graff earned a spot in the finals after winning the eight-person challenge tournament. He won three-straight bouts in the challenge tournament and only had one point scored on him. He opened up with a second period pin over Kade Moss, advanced with a 7-0, 3-0 decision against Nick Dardanes and then knocked off Anthony Valles, 4-1, 1-0 in the finals of the challenge tournament. Graff then met Jordan Oliver, who also wrestles for Oklahoma State, in the finals. Oliver won round one by a 2-0, 1-0 score and then secured the victory with a 2-0, 2-0 decision in round two. Graff was unable to qualify for the U.S. FILA Junior World Team this year but he was a two-time Junior World Team member in 2007 and 2008. Complete brackets and other information from the 2009 FILA Junior World Team Trials can be found on TheMat.com.

Jordan OliverOklahoma State freshman wrestler Jordan Oliver and incoming signee Chris Perry earned spots on Team USA for the FILA Junior World Championships after winning the finals of their respective weight classes at the junior world team trials held in Colorado Springs this weekend. Oliver punched his ticket onto the junior world team by claiming a 2-0, 1-0 victory over Wisconsin's Tyler Graff in the first match of their best-of-three series, then a 2-0, 2-0 win to seal his spot on the roster at 60 kilograms. Perry won his best-of-three series with Boise State's Kirk Smith by injury default. Smith sustained his injury in the third period of their first match and was unable to continue, making Perry the 84-kilogram champion. Fellow Cowboy freshman Alex Meade was also a finalist for a spot on the junior world team at 74 kilograms, but lost an 0-2, 2-1, 1-0 decision to 2009 NCAA runner-up Andrew Howe of Wisconsin in the first match of his best-of-three series and a 2-0, 1-0 decision in the second and decisive match. Oliver, Perry and Meade all earned berths into the finals at their respective weight classes when they won at the FILA Junior National Championships this past April. The FILA Junior World Championships are set for August 4-9 in Ankara, Turkey and Team USA will be coached by Oklahoma State assistant Eric Guerrero. FILA junior athletes are from 17-20 years old.

Steve Martin

Matt Cathell

Shore Thing White, a club team from New Jersey, took home the high school team title at the 10th annual NHSCA Duals this past weekend in Salisbury, Maryland. The squad was dominant in their four championship bracket matches on Monday, winning 37-9 over All Business in the round of 16, 43-9 over Virginia Thunder in the quarterfinals, 34-30 over SEPA Blue (a match in which they forfeited the last four dual matches after opening up a 34-6 lead), and then a 47-12 victory in the final over Young Guns Black. The team dominated its preliminary pool with victories by scores of 72-0, 64-0, and 52-3. Four wrestlers on Shore Thing White have twice appeared in the finals of the single-class New Jersey state tournament: Taylor Walsh (140/145), Steve Santos (152), Mac Mancuso (189), and Jimmy Lawson (285); while a pair of wrestlers, Jordan Beverly (135) and Joe McAuley (145), were runners-up this past year in the Garden State. High School division runners-up Young Guns Black steamrolled through its three preliminary pool matches with scores of 70-3, 73-3, and 74-0. In the round of 16 dual meet, they advanced with a 33-19 defeat of Wrecking Crew Red. However, the next two matches went right down to the wire. In the quarterfinals, an 8-6 decision by John Rizzo at 285 pounds (over Tyler Cowman) gave the squad its eighth win of the dual meet enabling it to sneak by Diesel 26-25. Key to Diesel's ability to keep it close was two wins by fall, including one by Marshall Peppelman at 152 pounds against Brandon Zeerip in a battle of state champions. The semifinal bout against Wayne Danger was split at seven matches apiece, all decisions, to make the score 21-21; it came down to criteria and Young Guns Black won. Key to this victory was a 4-1 record by Young Guns Black in one-point matches. This included a 2-1 tiebreak victory for Nico Megaludis over Mason Beckman at 119 pounds, a 2-1 victory for Travis Shaffer over Jordan Moss at 140 pounds, and a 1-0 victory for Nate Gaffney over Spencer Myers at 215 pounds in a state championship bout rematch. Wayne Danger went on to finish third place with a 37-15 victory over SEPA Blue in the consolation match. Renegade Force won the Middle School division with a 36-24 victory over SV River Boyz. Central PA defeated Illinois Outsiders, 32-25, for the title in the Elementary School division.

Zeke Jones

Badger wrestler Travis Rutt is going to Anaka, Turkey. Rutt, a sophomore-to-be, won the 84 kg/185 lbs. Greco-Roman competition at the FILA Junior World Team Trials Friday in Colorado Springs. With his first-place finish, Rutt secured a spot on the U.S. FILA Junior World Team, which will compete at the World Championships in Anaka, Turkey from Aug. 4-9. Rutt secured his spot in the finals by winning three straight bouts in the challenge bracket and out-scoring his opponents 17-0. The New Prague, Minn., native opened up with a 1-0, 3-0 decision over Clete Hanson and then continued with the same 1-0, 3-0 score over Brent Haynes. To earn a spot in the finals, Rutt defeated Mark Stenberg 7-0, 2-0. In the finals, Rutt faced the No. 1 seed, Rabert Barbour in a best-of-three series. The No. 1 seed for each weight class did not have to wrestle in the challenge bracket and was automatically entered into the finals. Rutt and Barbour wrestled a tight match in the first round with Barbour winning the first period 0-2. Rutt then stormed back to win the second period 2-0 and capped off the victory with a 1-0 score in the third period. Rutt was then declared the winner after an injury forfeit by Barbour. “As the tournament went on, I started wrestling better and better,” Rutt said. “It’s a great feeling to make the team. It was definitely a goal of mine to make the team this year since I didn’t make it last year.” Incoming Badger freshman Kalvin York also competed in the Greco-Roman tournament and he finished third out of seven wrestlers at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. He dropped his first match, 4-0, 4-10, 7-0 against Tanner Andrews but bounced back to win two bouts for third place. He defeated Alex Fleming 2-0, 6-0 before winning by a pin in the finals. He matched up against Robert Gulla and won the first period 4-3 but Gulla came back to win the second, 1-3. York sealed the victory with a pin in 1:48 during the third period. Fellow Badgers Andrew Howe and Tyler Graff will wrestle tomorrow in hopes of joining Rutt on the FILA Junior World Team. Howe (74 kg/163 lbs.) and Graff (60 kg/132.25 lbs.) are wrestling in the freestyle competition which takes place Saturday at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Howe has the No. 1 seed so he does not have to wrestle in the challenge tournament. Graff, who is already a two-time member of the FILA Junior World Team, will compete in the challenge tournament. Be sure to log onto UWBadgers.com tomorrow for results from the freestyle competition.

Wheaton, Ill. -- Wheaton College Athletic Director Dr. Tony Ladd has announced the hiring of Jim Gruenwald as the head wrestling coach for the Thunder wrestling team. He replaces Dan Weber, who served the program as its head coach for one season. Jim GruenwaldGruenwald, a two-time member of the US Olympic Greco Roman wrestling team, comes to Wheaton after serving as an assistant coach for US Greco Roman wrestling team at the US Olympic Education Center in Marquette, Michigan since 2005. Gruenwald finished sixth at 60 kg in the greco roman competition at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and was 10th at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. A three-time US Champion, Gruenwald completed his competitive career in 2008 as a National Champion, he also won titles in 2003 and 2004. Ladd says of Gruenwald, “Jim Gruenwald brings a level of expertise and experience to Wheaton that will help our wrestlers achieve a high level of competitive success. His ability to recruit and passion for collegiate wrestling will help the program reach its highest potential.” Ladd adds, “A proven winner on the mat, Jim brings a wealth of coaching experience at all levels that will enable him to be successful at Wheaton.” Gruenwald is a 1994 graduate of Maranatha Baptist Bible College, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Math Education in 1994. He compiled a four-year record of 154-19 on the mat in his career at Maranatha. Gruenwald was a three-time National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Champion, earning MVP honors in 1989 and 1991. A former Wheaton Invitational Champion, Gruenwald is a member of Northwestern University’s Midlands Invitational Tournament 20-Win Club, with 22 career victories at the prestigious tournament. Jim and his wife Rachel have four children: son Adin and three daughters, Arwyn, Ava and Autumn.

Event: UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida Date: May 23, 2009 Venue: MGM Grand (Las Vegas, Nevada) Let me introduce myself to InterMat readers. I am the UFC Monster, a life-long fan of the mixed martial arts, and the father of three wrestling sons. My mission with this column is to provide analysis of the UFC fights … and also to try to turn the nation’s fastest growing sport into a little extra spending money, by beating the Las Vegas oddsmakers with my predictions. Unlike NFL football where the bookies have all the information to create a very tight betting line, the UFC has grown so quickly and by such quantum leaps, that new talent is always on the card and setting betting odds on the fights is a major challenge in itself. Often opening lines are not similar to the closing odds. This gives the bettor some great opportunities to make some dough, due to the weakness in the Vegas number. Wrestlers have done extremely well in the sport of mixed martial arts. As MMA demands cross-trained athletes, versed in all aspects of the various fighting styles, wrestlers have always shown that a strong wrestling background with the ability to control your opponent’s body will often lead to success on the mat. It’s difficult to punch somebody with your shoulder blades pinned to the mat! With that being said, let’s take a look at tomorrow’s UFC 98 card. The featured match is the battle for the light-heavyweight (205-pound) championship, between the defending champ, former Michigan State wrestler and undefeated Rashad Evans (18-0-1) against Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida also undefeated at (14-0-0). Machida is a replacement for the injured Rampage Jackson. While Rashad Evans always gets behind early and often struggles to stay alive before always ending his fights in surprise victories, Loyota Machida is the textbook of a perfect technical fighter, winning each and every round he has ever fought in the UFC! Although he claims to be a Karate specialist, his counter-punching and strange angles with an unorthodox style has created problems for all of his long list of victims, including such names as BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, Tito Ortiz, Sokoudjou, and most recently, a devastating KO of previously unbeaten Thiago Silva. True to form, the champ is an underdog again in a title fight. That alone should make an Evans play the value side to be on. But I’m going against the champ, and sticking with Machida to win a convincing five-round decision. I would prefer a KO or submission, but I believe Evans will give away early rounds as he tries to measure his prey for that sudden KO. Machida will have nothing of that and will make Evans look awkward and in a fight with less action that desired, Machida cashes the ticket @ -200. In the co-main event, we have a legitimate grudge match between welterweights (170 pounds), Matt Hughes (43-7) and Matt Serra (16-5). These guys simply do not like each other. At all. As opposing coaches on the UFC Ultimate Fighter, they continued a long running feud. For years, Hughes dominated this weight division with his brute power and matching wrestling skills. But the former Eastern Illinois athlete has grown slower and lost much of his power, and has battled many injuries as his career comes to a close. Serra has also battled a back injury. His better days may be behind him as well. But he is the last man to beat Georges St. Pierre, and that counts for something in my book. Hughes looked awful against Thiago Alves, and Serra looked worse in his rematch with GSP. But throw that out the window, as this fight will get rolling in a hurry. Neither one is a strong puncher, though both can land a lucky one. Hughes controls the wrestling, but Serra has the better jiu-jitsu. In a battle for bragging rights where both athletes will leave it on the mat, I’m going with the underdog Serra @ +230 to win with a third-round armbar submission. In a most intriguing lightweight (155-pound) fight, we have one-time champion Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk (37-3-1) battling with Frank Edgar (9-1-0). The only losses on Sherk’s resume are to BJ Penn, GSP, and Matt Hughes. Edgar’s only loss was to strongman Gray Maynard. And that could be trouble for him as Sherk is a beast. But Edgar, who competed at Clarion, is an outstanding wrestler as well, and may have a more rounded game. Sherk also likes to stand and punch, where that strategy could get him in trouble with Edgar, where he may be looking to end it with a punching combination. I’m afraid it could be a ground-and-pound seminar if Sherk has his way with take-downs, and is able to ride his opponent on top. But getting Edgar @ +280 is just too good to pass up! Let’s hope for the upset as Edgar squeaks out a close split decision. Middleweight (185-pound) Dan Miller (11-1-0) is coming off a beating he gave to former undefeated Okie State wrestler Jake Rosholt. But tonight’s mission is to beat former WEC champion Chael Sonnen (23-10-0). Sonnen is coming off a submission loss to Damian Maia, and may need this one a bit more, if he is to continue to climb in the UFC. He has a well-rounded game, and I believe he has enough take-down defense and punching power to pull an upset here. Take Sonnen @ +160 with a third-round TKO. Why is this next fight on the main card? Other middleweights Drew “The Massacre” McFedries (7-5-0) and Xavier Foupa-Pokam (20-10-0) square off in a fight where neither has a ground game, and punches and kicks will dominate. While McFedries has huge power, he is one-dimensional, a puncher. The X-man has a strong Muay Thai base and after a number of leg kicks, should be able to get this to the ground where he will end it with a ref’s stoppage. I like Foupa-Pokam and advise laying the -200. On the undercard we have six fights: Heavyweight Pat Barry (4-0-0) will try to stay unbeaten with some vicious kicks against a much larger opponent, Canadian Tim Hogue (9-1-0), who outweighs him by 30 pounds and is five inches taller. In the land of Giants, it is often wise to take a bigger man with punching power against a smaller opponent, especially when the oddsmakers make that man a big underdog! I’ll take my puncher’s chance with Hogue @ +300. Light-heavyweight Krzysztof Soszynski (18-9-1) comes out of Dan Henderson’s camp and is a replacement for Houston Alexander. He will take on Andre Gusmao (5-1-0). While Gusmao may own the better ground game, I see another slight underdog @ +125 in the “Polish Experiment”, who has a decent chance at winning. Let’s go with Soszynski to win by second-round KO. Welterweight Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida (10-3) is the biggest favorite on the card @ -500 to beat Brandon Wolf, who is still recovering from the brutal knees of Ben Saunders and a brutal Muay Thai beating he took about a year ago. He also had some surgery of his own. None of which bodes well in a fight with Yoshida. Let’s bridge jump and lay the lumber. Yoshida wins by first-round KO. Lightweight Phillipe Nover (6-1-1) disappointed in his UFC debut, but should get the job done against journeyman Kyle Bradley (13-6-0). Nover is expected to show off his world-class jiu-jitsu in earning a victory with a first-round triangle choke. The odds of -350 will look like a bargain after this one. When two lightweights fight, it is often the longer, lankier opponent that gets the victory, due to leverage in submissions or reach in punching. Here we have Dave Kaplan (3-2-0) at 5’6” tall, and we have George Roop (8-5-0) at 6’1” tall. Roop is the favorite @ -165, and he should be able to cash your ticket with a second-round rear-naked choke submission. And, finally, Minnesotan Brock Larson, a welterweight (26-2-0), was expected to have a battle with Chris Wilson (13-5-0), but Wilson has been scratched today due to failures by his doctors to return some paperwork to Nevada officials! Are you kidding me? Wilson was also recently robbed at gunpoint in Brazil, and was taken hostage for a few hours, so one must wonder where his head is at anyways. Maybe this is for the best? He has been replaced by Mike Pyle (17-5-1). No betting line is posted. So there you have it. Predictions from an old man who has followed the sport since its inception. Let’s see how we can do with a “fictitious” $1000 bankroll, should we? Let’s lay $200 to win $100 on Machida. Let’s lay $70 to win $161 on Serra. Let’s lay $40 to win $112 on Edgar. Let’s lay $50 to win $80 on Sonnen. Let’s lay $150 to win $75 on Foupa-Pokam. Let’s lay $40 to win $120 on Hogue. Let’s lay $70 to win $87.5 on Soszynski. Let’s lay $120 to win $ 24 on Yoshida. Let’s lay $175 to win $ 50 on Nover. Let’s lay $80 to win $ 50 on Roop. No bet on Larson/Pyle. In all, we are laying $995 trying to win $859.50. Let’s donate the remaining $5 to your local youth wrestling program! Good luck and enjoy the fights.

Coming out of high school, Mike Benefiel was expected to deliver big things in college. A 2007 graduate of Montini Catholic High School in Illinois, Benefiel compiled a high school record of 200-4. He won four Illinois state high school titles, becoming just the ninth person in Illinois state history to accomplish the feat. He won many of the most prestigious high school wrestling events in the country, including Cadet Nationals, Junior Nationals, and the Walsh Ironman. He also won the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. He was ranked as the No. 6 recruit in the country by InterMat. Mike Benefiel was a four-time Illinois state champion with a 200-4 record while wrestling at Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, Illinois (Photo/BuckeyeWrestling.com)Benefiel signed to wrestle at Northwestern … and for a year and half, he was a member of the Wildcat wrestling team. As a redshirt at Northwestern, Benefiel compiled an impressive record of 19-4. Then some unfortunate circumstances led to Benefiel leaving Northwestern this past December. He enrolled at St. Louis Community College in Meramec, Missouri in January with the intention of transferring to another Division I school. But NCAA transfer rules, along with transfer rules that are unique to each school and conference, have complicated the situation. “I’ve threatened to write a book about college athletic transfers for dummies because it has been a really tough situation,” said Mike’s father, Dan Benefiel. “None of the rules match up. The Big Ten rules don’t match up with the Big 12 rules. The Big 12 rules don’t match up with the NCAA rules. Each college is different with what classes transfer. It has just been a real mess. I’m sure everybody goes through the same thing, but I didn’t realize it would be quite so complicated.” Benefiel has talked with many of the nation’s top wrestling programs, including Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Iowa State, Nebraska, Missouri, Virginia Tech, Oregon State, Tennessee-Chattanooga, and several others. As it sits now, according to Dan Benefiel, there is “a ninety-five percent chance” that Mike will be wrestling at Oklahoma State next fall. Benefiel finished up his coursework at Meramec last Friday and began classes this past Monday at Northern Oklahoma College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. If everything goes as planned, Benefiel will enroll at Oklahoma State this fall and join the Cowboy wrestling program. However, because of transfer rules, Benefiel would not be eligible to compete for Oklahoma State until December 12, which is exactly one year after he took his last final exam at Northwestern. Benefiel, a native of Aurora, Illinois, grew up wrestling at the Overtime School of Wrestling, an Illinois-based club run by Sean Bormet that has facilities Naperville and Crystal Lake. One of Benefiel’s coaches at Overtime, John Kading, a four-time All-American and NCAA champion for Oklahoma, has nothing but praise for the wrestler he has worked with for the past eight years. “He’s an exceptional kid,” said Kading. “Words can’t really describe what the kid is really like. He’s pretty much a coach’s dream when it comes to being on the mat. He displays a tremendous amount of sportsmanship. But once he steps on the mat against his competition, it’s all fair game. He’s one of the most competitive individuals that I’ve ever been able to coach.” Mike Benefiel recently won the University Nationals title in Akron, Ohio (Photo/BuckeyeWrestling.com)On April 26, Benefiel, won the University Nationals title in freestyle at 79 kg (174 pounds) in Akron, Ohio. He went 6-0 and defeated three NCAA qualifiers en route to winning the title. “I didn’t really expect him to do as well as he did at University Nationals because he didn’t have anyone other than Deron Winn (NJCAA champion at Meramec) to get him going and motivated,” said Dan Benefiel. “He kind of had to do it all on his own. I didn’t think he was conditioned enough. I thought he might place, but I didn’t think he would win it all. He wrestled better than I thought. I was extremely ecstatic because it was kind of all on his own.” Kading was also amazed by how well Benefiel competed after such a long layoff. “I thought he did an exceptional job,” said Kading, who coached Benefiel at University Nationals. “I think he has been away from competition for a year. As technically on as he was after being away from competition for a year or longer, it’s amazing that he accomplished what he did at that tournament.” If Benefiel does in fact enroll at Oklahoma State in the fall, like he’s expected to do, he will become the final piece of the puzzle in what is an already incredible recruiting class for the Cowboys. Oklahoma State has signed five wrestlers ranked in InterMat’s top 100: No. 3 Chris Perry (Stillwater, Oklahoma), No. 11 Jon Morrison (Carl Sandburg, Illinois), No. 21 Dallas Bailey (Catoosa, Oklahoma), No. 53 Ladd Rupp (Perry, Oklahoma), and No. 71 Zach White (Woodward, Oklahoma). In addition, Albert White, who won an NJCAA title for North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) in 2008, is transferring to Oklahoma State. Benefiel is expected to wrestle collegiately at 174 pounds. Kading believes Benefiel has an extremely bright future. “The sky is the limit with that kid if he continues to work hard like he has been lately,” said Kading. “Mike is just one of those kids. He puts in the hard work and then wrestling becomes easy for him. Any time you are the man at Oklahoma State, you have a chance to win a national title. If Mike can battle through the competition in that room and be the man at his weight class for OSU, he’s going to be right in the hunt for the national title. I think that may be his toughest hurdle.”

Jeff Sitler

Brandon Slay

Terry Brands

Mark Branch

We return to the Brute Adidas Studios of TDR for another episode of America's Wrestling Radio program. The World Team Trials are coming up May 30 and 31 in Council Bluffs, Iowa and hope you all plan on being there to see some incredible action and to witness history. This week we are joined in studio by: Father/Son duo from Chicago, Illinois. Michael Johnson, Sr. and Jr. You must hear this story. Fantastic! 9:05 Brian Smith- Head Coach of Missou joins us to discuss wrestler health and room treatment, recruiting and coaching changes. 9:20 Mark Matzek- Augsburg's new Head Coach. He was interim for a while, but no longer. What pushed him over the top for Joel Swenson? 9:40 Tom Borrelli- Head Coach of the Chips of Cent. Mich- Importance of the off season, International competition and recruits, recruits, recruits. 10:05 Georges "Rush" St. Pierre- The UFC welterweight champion from Montreal, Quebec, Canada holds a current record of 18-2. St-Pierre puts his belt up for grabs against Brazilian knockout artist Thiago "Pitbull" Alves on July 11th in las Vegas, Nevada at UFC 100. Georges is having a logo contest for his fans. www.gspfightclub.com 10:20 Joe McFarland- Head Coach of Mich. Wolverine Wrestling. Brand new building is moving closer to completion and what a facility. Joe will talk to us about that and Andy Hrovat's Olympic aspirations. Join us each week for America's Wrestling Radio program 9 to 11 AM for TDR. Find us at 1460 KXNO (Iowa) and at Takedownradio.com and Kxno.com and later in the day on Supertalk 1570 (Flint-Saginaw) from 7 to 9 PM. Let us hear from you. Svideoman@aol.com.

Salisbury, MD. -- National High School Coaches Associations 10th annual East Coast Wrestling Duals, presented by the US Navy, will kick off this weekend at Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland. While most families will be spending their weekend on the beach or up in the mountains, the top young wrestlers from 108 teams out of 21 states, on the east coast of the United States, will be in Salisbury, Maryland competing at the Duals with their club teams. This scholastic-style team event will include a total of 108 teams and will be contested for wrestlers in three age groups: the High School Division (grades 9-12), which will feature a field of 62 teams; the Middle School Division (grades 6-8), which will feature a field of 27 teams; and the Elementary Division (grades 4-6), which will feature a field of 19 teams. Participants on the top four teams in each division will be officially declared All-American Team Members. “This is the top wrestling team event in the country, and you will be seeing many state champs from the East Coast competing. One team will emerge as the TOP CLUB TEAM. There will be college coaches from all over the country at this event scouting high school kids in hopes of finding the next NCAA champion.” Says Bob Ferraro, Executive Director of the NHSCA. Times and dates for tournament: Saturday May 23rd, 2009 • 9am wrestling matches Sunday May 24th, 2009 • 9am wrestling continues Monday May 25th, 2009 • 9am completion of matches, consolations • 10:30am quarter finals • 12pm Semi Finals • 2pm championship and consolation

Craig Sesker

Mike Denney

Across the nation, the months of February and March hold a special place in the hearts and minds of coaches, wrestlers, and fans alike. It is during those months that state tournament glory and legacies are defined. While the feelings and emotions associated with state tournaments are the same across the country, how exactly these events are conducted is not. This feature will examine some of the key aspects of each of the state-level championships throughout the country. These include 43 states that have their own season-ending tournament; the New England Regional Championships -- which include Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont ... as well as the National Prep Championships. In addition to the New England Regional and the National Prep Championships, seven other state-level championships are one division events; this includes those held in California, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Texas. The other 36 champions have multi-divisional formats ranging anywhere from two to six different classifications based on enrollment -- except for Tennessee, which has separate tournaments for public and parochial schools. Thirty-one of these championships have two, three, or four different divisions. The championships contested in Arizona involve six divisions. Those held in Georgia, Oregon, Utah, and Washington have five. Fifteen states have three divisions, nine have two divisions, and seven have four divisions. Most of these tournaments, 88 when you break it down by divisions, involve 16 wrestlers competing for an individual title. Only 37 tournaments have some other format. This ranges from the 16 tournaments that have 8-man brackets to the 40-man bracket used by the state of California, which admittedly is a single-class tournament for the biggest state in the country. Over the years, the full double-elimination bracket has become the prevailing format of these individual state tournaments. Only those tournaments in Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tennessee (for Division I only -- two division state), and Wisconsin do not use this format. In Hawaii (20-man bracket) and New Jersey (24-man bracket), the first round losers are eliminated, and it becomes double-elimination at that point. In Illinois (big-school Class 3A), Minnesota, and Wisconsin -- only those wrestlers that lose to a state semifinalist are eligible to wrestle-back for third place. In the 32-man bracket used for Division I wrestling in Tennessee, only those wrestlers that lose to a quarterfinalist can wrestle-back to third place. Only those that lose to a finalist in Illinois' classes 2A and 1A can come back and compete for placement. Most uniquely, the Indiana 16-man bracket is most like a single-elimination tournament. Those losing in the first round are out of the tournament, wrestlers that lose in the quarterfinal compete for places five through eight, while the two semifinal losers wrestle for third place. With the exception of nine tournaments from the 125 that are considered state-level championships, there are either one or two levels of qualifying tournaments. Indiana has three levels of tournaments prior to state, while certain districts in Pennsylvania have to advance through three tournaments in order to make it to state. On the other hand, state championships in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee (Division II only) are truly “open” tournaments. In the overwhelming majority of cases, these qualifying tournaments will create a “symmetrical” state bracket. Most commonly this is a “4x4” system in which four wrestlers exit each qualifier to form a 16-man state tournament bracket. All four quarter-brackets have an individual from each of the qualifiers, as well as one that took each of the four places at those qualifiers. While the ultimate goal in each of these state brackets is to take home the championship, every tournament will recognize a certain number of wrestlers with all-state recognition (i.e. placing at the state tournament). Depending on the state and tournament -- four, six, or eight individuals earn the honors. Six wrestlers placing at state is the most common number, with 77 state-level tournaments utilizing this format. Eighteen tournament brackets place only four wrestlers. This includes all but one of the 17 tournaments that involve eight or nine wrestlers (Georgia Class 1A places six from an eight-man bracket), and also the 12-man bracketed tournaments in Illinois classes 1A and 2A. The remaining thirty state-level tournaments have eight wrestlers earning placement honors. Notably this includes the tournaments in elite wrestling states such as California, Iowa, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania; as well as at the National Prep championships. The vast majority of these state championships (38 out of 45) will officially crown a team champion; only those in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Wisconsin do not have an official team score kept. All seven of those states crown team champions through a separate dual meet tournament. Ten other states have state-sanctioned dual meet championships as well -- Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In determining those teams that eligible to qualify for dual meet state, four states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin) use the first level of qualifying for the individual state tournament to set the field. Only Michigan and North Dakota have a tournament bracket in which every single team battles for the state title, like you would see in basketball. The other 11 states have varying qualifying criteria for dual meet state and/or to make it into the qualification tournaments for dual meet state.

Six home meets, return trips to Midlands and the NWCA National Duals and some new opponents highlight the 2009-10 wrestling schedule that was released today. The Badgers will wrestle 14 duals next season, not including the NWCA National Duals, and 12 of those opponents placed within the top 25 at the 2009 NCAA Championships. “I’m very excited about the schedule and I’m very excited about everything that’s going on with our program right now,” UW head coach Barry Davis said. “Most of the teams we’re competing against were in the top 25 of the country or better last year so that’s a plus for is. It’s also good to have six home dual meets in Madison. I think we have a pretty well-rounded schedule which will really prepare our guys for the national championships in March, which is the most important thing.” Wisconsin’s non-conference season is tough once again, but 2009-10 brings some new challengers. The season begins Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in Madison against Old Dominion, who is out of the Colonial Athletic Association. This is just the second time in school history the Badgers and Monarchs are meeting, with Wisconsin winning 33-7 during the 1992-93 season. Old Dominion returns five NCAA qualifiers off last year’s squad that finished second at the CAA Tournament. Two days later, the Badgers travel to Big 12 country to take on Nebraska at 1 p.m. in Lincoln. The Huskers are the defending Big 12 champions and finished fourth at the 2009 NCAA Championships. The team returns a strong squad that includes 2009 NCAA Champion at 157 lbs., Jordan Burroughs, runner-up at 197 lbs. Craig Brester and 2008 All-American at 165 lbs., Stephen Dwyer. Wisconsin leads the all-time series against Nebraska, 7-3-2. The last time these two teams met, the match resulted in a 19-19 tie during the 2004-05 season. The Badgers then wrestle two Pac-10 opponents on Sunday, Nov. 22 in Corvallis, Oregon. Wisconsin will meet Oregon State and Boise State beginning at noon. Oregon State, who is coached by Davis’s former college roommate, Jim Zalesky, traveled to Madison last year when the Badgers tallied a 24-13 win. Wisconsin holds the 5-2 advantage all-time against Oregon State. Boise State placed 12th at the 2009 NCAA Championships and this will be the second meeting between the Badgers and Broncos in as many years. Wisconsin matched up against Boise State in the first round of last year’s NWCA National Duals and fell 24-12. The all-time series between these two teams is tied at 2-2. “I think it’s always nice to have a change in your schedule and go to places you’ve never been before or wrestle teams you’ve never been against,” Davis said regarding the different non-conference opponents on next season’s schedule. “We usually get the best teams anyways with our Big Ten schedule, but it’s nice to have some diversity in the non-conference schedule. It gives you a chance to promote your program other places besides the places you always go to like Nebraska, or the west coast with Oregon State and Boise State.” December continues with Wisconsin returning to the Cliff Keen Invite for the fifth-consecutive year, but this year’s tournament will be held in Primm, Nev., from Dec. 4-5. A week later, Wisconsin meets Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for its annual meeting which is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Dec. 11. The Badgers head back to the Midlands Championships, which take place Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, Ill. Wisconsin had three wrestlers make it to the finals at last year’s Midlands and placed fourth as a team with 98.5 points. The year 2010 begins with a return trip to Cedar Falls for the NWCA National Duals from Jan 9-10. Pairings for that tournament will be announced at a later date. January also brings the start of Big Ten Conference action and the final non-conference dual of the season. Indiana travels to Madison Friday, Jan. 22 for a 7 p.m. match to begin the always tough conference season. The following night, Wisconsin hosts Northern Colorado for a 7 p.m. dual inside the UW Field House. This will be the third meeting between Northern Colorado and Wisconsin with the Badgers holding the 2-0 advantage. This year’s Border Battle heads back to Minneapolis when Wisconsin takes on the Gophers Friday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. The Badgers’ stay on the road is short as they return Sunday, Jan. 31 to host Penn State at 1 p.m. February begins with three conference duals on the road. Wisconsin visits Purdue on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. in West Lafayette, Ind., and then travels to Champaign, Ill., for a 1 p.m. dual on Sunday, Feb. 7 against Illinois. The Illini finished just two points ahead of Wisconsin for eighth place at last year’s NCAA meet. Wisconsin then makes the first of two trips to Ann Arbor, Mich., when it meets the Wolverines on Valentine’s Day at 1 p.m. to close out the Big Ten road dual schedule. The UW Field House plays host to the final two duals of the season when Northwestern and Iowa come to town. The Wildcats visit Madison Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. and the dual season comes to a close Sunday, Feb. 21 when defending Big Ten and NCAA champions Iowa visit Madison. Wisconsin will not face Ohio State or Michigan State during next year’s Big Ten dual schedule. The post-season begins in Ann Arbor as the host of the 2010 Big Ten Championships, which take place March 6-7. Omaha, Neb., plays host to the 2010 NCAA Championships from March 18-20. The UW wrestling team has a lot of talent returning to the 2009-10 squad including All-Americans Andrew Howe and Kyle Ruschell. Seven starters return off last year’s team that finished fourth at Big Ten’s and ninth at NCAA’s and some new faces will work to fill in for the three departing All-Americans. Be sure to stay tuned to UWBadgers.com throughout the summer for updates on the squad as they work towards the 2009-10 season.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Former Davidson head wrestling coach Charlie Parker was inducted into the North Carolina chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in a ceremony held on Sunday, May 17 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. After graduating from Davidson in 1938, Parker took over the head coaching post for the wrestling team and except for a five-year break with the U.S. Army Air Corp in World War II, spent four decades as the Wildcats' wrestling coach. He recorded 104 wins during his career, the top mark of any Davidson coach, and also holds the school record for matches coached. He served in several national amateur wrestling associations, including the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Committee (1959-1960) and the National AAU Committee. One of the highlights of his career was in 1963 when he coached the U.S. wrestling team in the Pan-American games in Brazil. Parker, who died in 1979 following a lengthy illness, edited the NCAA Wrestling Guide and was secretary-treasurer of the Carolina Wrestling Officials Association. He was a certified international wrestling official and a charter member of the National Athletic Trainers Association. Several areas in the Baker Sports Complex on the Davidson Campus are testimony to the impact Charlie Parker had on wrestling at Davidson College. The Charles W. Parker Wrestling Room and the Wildcats' dressing room were both given in his honor by former Davidson wrestlers. “Charlie Parker is truly a legend in Davidson wrestling,” said current Wildcat head coach Bob Patnesky. “He paved the way for many successful people not only in wrestling but in life, and his legacy will live on for a long time.” Parker was inducted into the Davidson Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992, becoming the first honoree to be selected from the wrestling program. He is also the first Davidson representative to earn a place in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Other inductees into the Hall of Fame this year are Dr. Jerry Barker from N.C. State University, former Brevard High School head coach Rex Wells, Davie County High School head coach Buddy Lowery, current Treasurer of the North Carolina chapter of USA Wrestling Lorenzo Carmon and U.S. Amputee Athletic Association Founder and President of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Dick Bryant, who received the Medal of Courage Award.

Lee Kemp

Six wrestlers associated with the University of Northern Iowa wrestling program will be competing at the 2009 World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa, May 30-31. The winner of each weight class will represent the United States at the World Championships in Herning, Denmark, Sept. 21-27. Cruse Aarhus, Tervel Dlagnev, Moza Fay, Mark Rial, Brett Robbins and Sean Stender will represent the Panthers as they attempt to qualify for the World Championships in Herning, Denmark, Sept. 21-27. Aarhus (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) earned his berth into the team trials by winning the 55 kg/121 lbs. Northern Plains Regional freestyle championship May 16. For the Panthers in 2008-09, he joined the lineup for the Michigan dual at the National Duals (Jan. 10). He then posted nine wins, including a fall the rest of the season. Dlagnev (Arlington, Texas) found his way to Council Bluffs through his second-place finish at the 2009 U.S. Nationals in the 120 kg/264.5 lbs. weight class. So far in 2009, Dlagnev won the Ukrainian Memorial International title, placed second in the Dan Kolov International event and took third in the Takhti Cup. In 2008, he won a pair of titles (New York AC International and World University), while placing third at the U.S. Nationals. Dlagnev won the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Division II heavyweight national titles while at the University of Nebraska-Kearney for head coach Marc Bauer. Dlagnev currently serves as the Panther Wrestling Club coach. Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) was tabbed with a wild card selection into the 2009 World Team Trials at 74 kg/163 lbs. Fay capped his Panther wrestling career with back-to-back All-America seasons at the NCAA Championships. Fay placed fifth at 165 pounds in 2008 and then secured a sixth-place finish in 2009. He finished his Panther wrestling career ranked No. 7 on the all-time wins list with 119 triumphs. Fay made three NCAA appearances and posted as a 12-7 mark in those 19 matches on the national scene. Fay totaled 37 falls in his collegiate days, which ranks as the fifth-most in UNI history. Fay was named a two-time Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Year. Rial (Fort Dodge, Iowa) will compete in the Greco-Roman portion of the World Team Trials at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Rial placed second at the 2009 U.S. Nationals. Rial won the 2008 U.S. Nationals title and placed second at the Dave Schultz Memorial International. Rial wrapped up 2008 with a fifth-place effort at the Vehbi Emre Grand Prix in Turkey. Rial's highlights include a third-place finish at the 2005 and 2007 U.S. World Team Trials, a fourth-place finish at the 2005 U.S. Nationals, a seventh-place effort at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and a fourth-place finish at the 1994 Cadet World Championships. Rial was a national qualifier for UNI in 2001. He currently serves as a conditioning specialist for the UNI wrestling team. Robbins (Bloomington, Ill.) earned his spot into the World Team Trials by winning the 70 kg/154.25 lbs. freestyle title at the 2009 ASICS University & FILA Cadet National Championships. Robbins was a perfect 6-0 in the tournament and won the title with a 0-1, 2-0, 3-1 decision over Albert White, a four-time state champion in Illinois. Robbins saw limited dual action for the Panthers in 2008-09 after missing the majority of the past two seasons following Tommy John surgery. Stender (Eldridge, Iowa) is ranked No. 3 in the U.S. at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and earned his spot at the World Team Trials through the National Open. Stender placed sixth in 2009 U.S. Nationals, third in 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and sixth in 2006 and 2007 U.S. Nationals. Stender also has a strong international wrestling resume by winning the 2008 Dave Schultz Memorial International and then placing second in 2006 and fifth in 2009. Stender took third in the 2008 Kimitri Korkin International. Stender placed third a tthe 2005 NYAC Holiday Championships. He also captured the 2005 Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open. Stender was a three-time All-American at UNI, which included a runner-up finish at the 2005 NCAA Championships. Stender currently serves as a volunteer assistant coach for the UNI wrestling team after serving three seasons as a conditioning specialist for the Panthers.