InterMat Staff

Things have not gone as expected for Matt Cathell this spring. After going a perfect 16-0 during the season and pinning three opponents in the first period of the East Regional, the 149-pounder from Delaware State dropped his first two matches at the 2009 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Even more heart wrenching than a couple losses on the wrestling mat, was the news that came a month later. His wrestling program, Delaware State, was cut. Matt Cathell is a two-time NCAA qualifier (Photo/BuckeyeWrestling.com)Several factors weighed into the school’s decision to cut the wrestling program, including economic concerns, academics, and gender equity. “I was pretty upset,” said Cathell, who compiled a 45-8 record in two seasons at Delaware State. “I thought I might not be able to wrestle anywhere else because I didn’t know if I would be able to afford any other school or what kind of scholarship offers would be out there. But after I found out that I could go someplace else and afford it, it made me feel a lot better.” Cathell, a Camden, Delaware native who competed at Caesar Rodney High School, originally chose Delaware State because of the pride he has for his home state. “I just like being able to represent Delaware,” said Cathell, who was recently named Delaware State's 2008-09 Male Student Athlete of the Year. “I’m from Delaware. I grew up in Delaware. I wrestle for Delaware. Delaware doesn’t always get the props for its wrestling, even though there’s a lot of wrestling in Delaware. I just want a chance to represent Delaware and do well.” Delaware State was going to pay for Cathell’s education if he stayed at the school, but he has decided to transfer because he still has some goals that he would like to accomplish on the wrestling mat. “I was thinking about maybe staying, but I haven’t placed at the NCAAs,” said Cathell, who was ranked No. 10 at 149 pounds in InterMat’s final regular season rankings. “Maybe if I would have placed one of those years, I would have considered staying. But I want to be an All-American.” Cathell has been weighing his options since the Delaware State’s wrestling program was cut. He recently returned from a trip to Kent State, which is the only school he has visited. Matt Cathell lost narrowly, 4-3, to three-time All-American Lance Palmer of Ohio State in the opening round of the 2009 NCAAs (Photo/BuckeyeWrestling.com)“I’m really, really leaning towards going Kent State,” said Cathell. “I’m pretty sure that I’m going to go there, but I want to look at everything first. But I liked Kent State a lot. They have a lot of great things. I visited there for a couple days. I really like the area. The team is great, too.” Cathell admits that he would like to be a part of a team that is committed to winning. “I would like to be on a team that is competitive and be a part of the overall success,” said Cathell. “We had some close matches at Delaware State, but most of the time we were just wrestling for ourselves with no chance to win.” In 2008, Cathell qualified for the NCAA Championships as a true freshman, going 1-2. This past season, he went 0-2 in St. Louis, losing his first match, 4-3, to three-time All-American Lance Palmer of Ohio State, before falling 9-3 to talented freshman Jason Chamberlain of Boise State in the consolation bracket. “I definitely wish that my conditioning would have been better,” said Cathell of his disappointing performance in St. Louis. “In my first match against Palmer, I was wrestling hard and smart, but I wasn’t taking any big chances. I guess what I learned from that is that you have to take some bigger risks to get something. If I could go back, I would probably be a lot more offensive. I think I wrestled a really good match against Palmer, but coming right back against Chamberlain, I was out of it. I was wrestling hard. He’s just good. You can’t make mistakes against good guys. They’ll capitalize on those mistakes.”

Lou Rosselli

Bubba Gritter

Wynn Michalak

The Upper Iowa wrestling program hosted their annual Legends Dinner and handed out their post-season awards. Tony Gehling was once again the team's leader in the classroom with a 3.71 GPA; he has earned the highest GPA on the team for the last four years. J.R. Baker claimed the most falls on the season with 13. Gehling and Baker tied for the most wins as each had their hand raised 29 times. The Most Improved Wrestler award also went to J.R. Baker, while Gehling was named the team's Most Inspirational Wrestler. Kyle Pedretti was named the team's Most Dedicated Wrestler, while Trevor Franklin earned the recognition as the team's Outstanding Freshman. The final award of the night, Outstanding Wrestler, was split between Upper Iowa's two NCAA All-Americans this year; Travis Eggers was the National Runner Up at 157 pounds and Mitch Norton finished 5th at 174 pounds at the Championships. Upper Iowa took six national qualifiers to the 2009 NCAA Division II Sports Festival and battled to a 10th place finish with three All-Americans to score 37 points. Travis Eggers (157 lbs) earned his second All-American honor with a second place finish. Mitch Norton (174 lbs) lost in the semifinals to the eventual champion. He fought back to claim his first All-American honor with a 5th place finish. Tony Gehling (184 lbs) made the most of his first trip to nationals by earning an 8th place finish and All-American recognition. Kyle Pedretti (125 lbs), Trevor Franklin (133 lbs), and JR Baker (141 lbs) each went 1-2 in the National Championships. The Peacocks finished 3rd in the team standings at the NCAA Division II Super Regional in Marshall, MN, fueled by their six National Qualifiers. Trevor Franklin (133 lbs) and Mitch Norton (174 lbs) each claimed their first regional titles; as they each earn First Team All-Conference honors. JR Baker (141 lbs) and Travis Eggers (157 lbs) wrestled to runner-up finishes giving them Second Team All-Conference honors. Kyle Pedretti (125 lbs) wrestled to a third place finish and Tony Gehling (184 lbs) wrestled back to a true fourth place match to punch his ticket to Houston. Derek Stolarzyk (149 lbs) and Brett Hakeman (165 lbs) both took fifth place respectively. The Upper Iowa wrestling team finished its dual season with a 13-4 record. Within the losses is Division I Edinboro which placed 6th in the team standings. Two of the defeats are from the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls where the Peacock wrestlers finished 7th with a 3-2 record. One of these losses was to Newberry in the quarterfinals; Newberry finished 2nd at this year's Championships. The other came to Western State College, who finished 7th at the Championships. The final loss came at Minnesota State University, Mankato in NSIC dual competition. The Mavericks finished 3rd in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The Peacocks finished 2nd in the Northern Sun Conference race. In their first four years in the NSIC, the Peacocks have finished second twice and claimed conference titles in the second and third years. The Legends Dinner attendance reached a new high as the dining hall was filled with Upper Iowa wrestling alumni and family. The banquet awards sparked the attention of many wrestling alumni and demonstrated that the Peacocks Wrestlers best years in the NCAA Division II ranks are still yet to come.

Glenn County, Calif. -- Purdue assistant wrestling coach Tom Erikson took time last weekend to participate in the Field of Dreams charity event in Northern California, donating his time for the fourth consecutive year to the wonderful cause. Field of Dreams is an annual event in which children with disabilities or have lost a parent in the military are given the opportunity to spend a day outdoors fishing and hunting with celebrities from several realms of life. Field of Dreams was founded by Tom Dermody of Williams and is sponsored by the California Deer Association, of which he is a member. With the help of several organizations and celebrities, the event allows children to spend a day in the sun, enjoying a barbecue and fishing or hunting in the north state. The event expanded this year to provide a day of fun to children of fallen veterans. This year's event was held at Stonyford Ranch, in western Glenn County, between Stonyford and Elk Creek, and brought in 11 families with 27 kids from as far away as San Diego. Among those who donated time to the worthy event included Erikson, fellow MMA icons Don Frye, Gary Goodridge and Rick Vardell, actor-comedian Rob Schneider, actor Tim Abell and 2008 Beijing Olympic gold-medalist Stephanie Brown-Trafton. Field of Dreams gives a lot of kids the opportunity to get out and do some fishing when they might not otherwise get to go," said Erikson. "It's really a family event. Families are great people." Erikson said some of the people attending Field of Dreams are living with tragedy in their lives 365 days a year, 24 hours a day -- whether it's the family with a disabled or dying child or family living with the loss of a parent in the Iraq War. "Our goal is to get them out and do something fun," Erikson said. "If all of us spending five minutes here and five minutes there with these kids makes a difference in their lives, then that is what we want to do."

Join the Takedown Wrestling Radio crew Saturday morning from 9-11 AM CST as we come to you live from our Brute Adidas studios in Des Moines, IA. This weeks guests include: Brian Cimmins from Grapplers Quest will talk about the 2009 U.S. Nationals and All Star Pro Challenge in Morristown Pennsylvania. Mark Cody, Head Coach of American University, will describe his incoming class of freshmen and his current squad. Shane Jensen of TheWrestlingTalk.com will join us to discuss all of the coaching changes that have happened and those yet to be completed. Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling, will join us to discuss the upcoming World Team Trials sponsored by the United States Marines, to be held in Council Bluffs Iowa, May 30 and 31. "Big" John McCarthy will join us to talk about his Ultimate Training Academy in Valencia California. Find out how you can train with the stars of MMA. We'll also have some live updates from the Great Plains Regional in Waterloo and Randy Lewis' improbable journey. Join us Saturday Live for America's Wrestling Radio program Takedown Wrestling Radio. 9 AM to 11 AM CST also at Takedownradio.com

BLACKSBURG -- The Virginia Tech Athletic Department, along with head wrestling coach Kevin Dresser, announced Thursday that former Iowa State standout Kurt Backes will join the staff of the Hokies beginning immediately. Backes will serve as volunteer assistant wrestling coach for Virginia Tech after spending the 2009 season as strength and conditioning coordinator for the University of Missouri. Kurt Backes (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)“I saw how well Virginia Tech did [in 2008-09],” Backes said. “They have a lot of talent, and I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to come aboard and help. Coach [Kevin] Dresser worked under Dan Gable, so he learned from the best, and now I feel like I can learn from the best in Coach Dresser.” Prior to his Missouri stint, Backes was a two-time All-American at Iowa State University. Backes took seventh place at the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds his freshman year, and then collected runner-up honors as a senior at 197 pounds. Backes won Big 12 titles at 184 pounds in 2005 and 2006. In his Cyclone career, Backes tallied 109 wins. He spent the 2008 season as a member of the support staff for the 2008 Big 12 Champion Cyclones. While redshirting his freshman season at Iowa State, Backes won the 185-pound title at the 2003 Men’s FILA Junior Freestyle National Championships and wrestled on the U.S. squad at the 2003 World FILA Junior Championships. “Kurt Backes is exactly the kind of guy we need right now to continue the growth of Virginia Tech wrestling,” Dresser said. “Kurt is a young guy who can make an immediate impact in our room. His background in New Jersey and at Iowa State will also be addition to Virginia Tech wrestling. He will work the entire team, however wrestling with the big guys will be an asset.” Backes was born May 13, 1983 and graduated from Iowa State in 2007 with a degree in business finance. A native of Neshanic Station, N.J., he attended Blair Academy, where he was a three-time national prep and New Jersey state champion.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Lou Rosselli of the Ohio State wrestling team has been promoted to associate head coach, Tom Ryan, Buckeye head coach, announced. Rosselli wrapped up his third season as the Scarlet and Gray’s assistant coach in 2009, working primarily with the lighter weight classes. Lou Rosselli“I am honored Tom Ryan and the athletics department think that highly of me,” Rosselli said. “I look forward to continuing our quest to become national champions.” Rosselli and the Buckeyes nearly completed their quest in becoming the best team in the nation this spring at the NCAA championships in St. Louis. For a second-consecutive season, Ohio State was national runners-up and crowned at least one individual champion in J Jaggers at 141 pounds. Prior to the national competition, Rosselli was named 2009 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Assistant Coach of the Year. “Lou is one of the most knowledgeable coaches in the nation,” Ryan, who took home national coach of the year honors by the NCAA and RevWrestling, said. “His 17 years of college coaching combined with world class international experience makes him priceless to our program. It has been a great honor to work alongside Lou as we bring great pride to Buckeye nation.” Rosselli added to his international coaching resume in April when he helped the U.S. National Team to a second-place finish at the Pan American Championships in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Rosselli has been lauded with several honors during his coaching career, including the 2007 Terry McCann Award, USA Wrestling’s Freestyle Coach of the Year. A 1993 graduate of Edinboro, Rosselli also was honored by the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Alumni Association at the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony with the Young Alumni Award. That honor complements his memberships in the Edinboro and Eastern Wrestling League halls of fame. Lou Rosselli has been instrumental in the development of several Ohio State wrestlers, including two-time NCAA champion J Jaggers (Photo/BuckeyeWrestling.com)As an international competitor, Rosselli qualified for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team for the Atlanta Games (114.5 pounds) and was a three-time U.S. Open champion in 1995, 1996 and 1999. A letterwinner for the Fighting Scots from 1989-1993, Rosselli was a two-time All-American (1991 and 1993) and three-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion at 118 pounds. In 1989, Rosselli was named EWL Freshman of the Year and became the first Edinboro freshman to earn a trip to the NCAA championships. Following his senior year in 1993, Rosselli earned EWL and PSAC Wrestler of the Year honors after winning titles in both conferences. Rosselli graduated with a degree in health and physical education in 1993. He and his wife, Amy, have three children, Jordan, Ty and Jaxson.

With much of the country talking about the coaching changes across the Division I college landscape, Wrestling 411 is also keeping the wrestling community abreast of things across all divisions. In keeping with this directive, Wrestling 411’s Jason Bryant and Kyle Klingman will talk with the newly-hired head coach at the University of Indianapolis, Josh Hardman on Thursday, May 14. Hardman, previously the head coach at NAIA Dakota Wesleyan, will assume his role as head coach for the Division II program on Friday. As an athlete, Hardman was the team captain at Division III Manchester College underneath Hall of Fame coach Tom Jarman. A two-time Division III All-American, he helped Jarman coach at his alma mater before heading to South Dakota State before landing the head position at Dakota Wesleyan. Hardman takes over for Terry Wetherald, the interim coach after Jay Yates was released. Wrestling 411 airs live on www.wrestling411.tv at 10 a.m. Central and the archived podcast is available shortly thereafter. The podcast is also available on iTunes by searching “Wrestling 411.”

Joe McFarland

Tom Shifflet

Tom Borrelli

Art Martori

Head wrestling coach Chris Ayres is continuing to build a foundation of young talent at Princeton, and he believes his Class of 2013 will be another strong layer for the program. His incoming class includes 19 state or national prep placewinners, 11 state or national prep finalists and nearly 1,000 total victories. “This class achieves several positive things for our program,” Ayres said. "We were able to add a lot of talent to our program. We strengthened areas of our lineup that were lacking depth. The last two years we have struggled with the issue of depth at the lower weights (125-141) and upper weights (197-285), and the addition of four wrestlers in the lower weights and three in upper weights should allow us to avoid forfeits and will force individuals to become more competitive in our wrestling room. I believe these eight individuals are of the highest character and will immediately raise the level of our program with their arrival. With the addition of these eight recruits, plus the return of Tony Comunale, Anthony Salerno, and Justin Spain from injury, we will have a much improved team for the 2009-2010 season. In contrast with the three state medals owned by my first team during the 2006-2007 season, next year’s team will boast 37 state or national prep medals, adding the necessary talent and depth to move our program in position to do great things in the near future. We will be young, with many of these freshmen representing Princeton each competition, but I am extremely excited to see these young wrestlers develop across the season and achieve great things.” Zach Bintliff (Gladstone, Mo.) is anticipated to wrestle at either 133 or 141 at Princeton. He posted a career record of 132-27 at Oak Park High School, including a 39-4 record as a senior. After two straight state runner-ups, Bintliff ended his high school career by winning the 2009 130-pound Class 3 state championship. Greg Field (Moraga, Calif.) will be looking to compete for the starting heavyweight position next year. He went 43-17 for Campolindo High School and was a three-time league placewinner, as well as a two-time NCS qualifier. Charles Fox (Sioux Falls, S.D.) is a former Brute/Adidas national champion who will look for early varsity time at 197 pounds. He went 101-25 at Canton High School and was a Top-4 state placewinner in both Florida and South Dakota. He finished second regionally and fourth at the Florida state championships, then moved to Sioux Falls and finished second in the South Dakota state championships. Garrett Frey (Pittsburgh, Pa.) wrestled for the powerhouse Blair Academy over the last four years and will compete for either the 125 or 133 starting spots next year. He went 124-24 throughout his career and finished in the top three at the national prep championships over the last three years; as both a junior and senior, he reached the national prep final. He was a third-place finisher at the Ironman and a sixth-place finisher at the Beast of the East. Bobby Grogan (Florham Park, N.J.) is an upperweight from Delbarton who won nearly 100 matches in his career and won the Region 3 championship as a senior. Grogan placed sixth at the 2009 New Jersey state championships. Andrew Hirai (Honolulu, Haw.) hails from The Punahou School and will compete for a lower weight position next season. He has a career record of 102-23, including a 35-2 mark as a senior, and won the Interscholastic League of Honolulu title this past season. He is a two-time league finalist and a 2009 state runner-up, which followed a third-place finish in the state his junior year. Jason Ott (Chesterfield, Mo.) is the lone middleweight recruit in the Class of 2013, but he brings terrific credentials from The Whitfield School. He posted a career record of 150-9 and is a four-time district champion and a four-time state medalist. He won the Missouri state title as a junior and never placed lower than third. Luis Ramos (Clemmens, N.C.) won 253 career matches for Parkland High School and will compete for the 141-pound starting spot. He ended his career as both the regional and state champion, and he never finished below third in the regional championships. Ramos placed in the state competition in all four years, improving from fifth to first in each year.

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan University head wrestling coach Tom Borrelli has announced the signing of 10 high school student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent. Along with the 10 signees, two other student-athletes have committed to join the program as preferred walk-ons. Six different states are represented in the recruiting class. Eight individuals claimed at least one state championship during their high school careers, and eight boast a grade-point average of at least 3.3. “We're excited to bring this class of recruits into our program,” Borrelli said. “They are all successful academically and have the potential to develop into very good college wrestlers. We know that they will be in the program for four or five years, and our program has proven that you can be successful if you hang in there through that process.” CMU finished tied for 14th at the 2009 NCAA Championships, its fifth top-15 finish in the last six years. Mike Miller (national runner-up, 174 pounds) and Scotti Sentes (seventh place, 125 pounds) earned All-America honors, marking the sixth straight year and ninth time in the last 10 years CMU has produced multiple All-Americans. 2009 CMU Wrestling Recruiting Class Cameron Amateis – 125/133 pounds – Harrison Township, Mich./L'Anse Creuse HS Preferred walk-on ... two-time Michigan state champion ... won the 125-pound Division 1 state title in 2009 ... posted an overall record of 61-2 as a senior ... 2008 Division 1 state champion at 119 pounds in 2008 ... was 62-1 as a junior ... placed seventh in the state at 119 pounds as a sophomore ... high school coach was Keith Weiand ... scored a 24 on the ACT ... plans to major in secondary education. Zach Aylor – 184 pounds – Oklahoma City, Okla./Carl Albert HS Oklahoma Class 5A state champion at 189 pounds in 2009 ... record of 33-1 as a senior ... finished runner-up in 2008 ... placed fourth in the state at 171 pounds in 2007 ... two-time all-city selection by The Oklahoman ... high school coach was Fay Barnett ... CMU President's Award recipient ... high school class valedictorian with a perfect 4.0 GPA ... scored 27 on the ACT ... plans to major in sports medicine or pre-physical therapy. Jeff Beebe – 197 pounds – Allendale, Mich./Allendale HS Michigan Division 3 state champion at 215 pounds in 2009 ... placed fourth in the state in 2008 ... posted a career record of 87-29, including 57-0 as a senior ... high school coach was Duane Watson ... carries a 3.5 GPA ... scored 23 on the ACT ... plans to major in biology or education. Zack Cline – 157 pounds – Hartville, Ohio/Lake HS Finished fifth at 135 pounds at the Ohio state tournament in 2008 ... two-time state tournament qualifier ... posted a 41-5 record as a senior ... high school coaches were Mike Mattingly and Dave Cline ... high school teammate of current Chippewa Mike Miller and fellow signee Scott Mattingly ... CMU President's Award recipient ... maintains a 3.7 GPA and scored a 22 on the ACT ... plans to major in either chemistry or biology. Jacob Jeske – 149/157 pounds – Midland, Mich./Swan Valley HS Michigan Division 3 state champion at 145 pounds in 2009 ... posted 57-2 record as a senior ... finished runner-up at 140 pounds in 2008 ... was 57-4 as a junior ... high school coach was Darrell Burchfield ... plans to major in sociology or criminal justice. Craig Kelliher – 184/197 pounds – Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS Placed in the top three in the state of Minnesota in 2008 and 2009 ... finished third at the state tournament at 152 pounds in 2008 ... moved up to 189 pounds and placed runner-up at the state tournament in 2009 ... was fifth at 152 pounds at 2007 Cadet Nationals ... named most outstanding wrestler at 189 pounds at 2009 high school national duals ... career high school record of 159-45, including 47-2 as a senior ... high school coach was Jim Jackson ... carries a 3.3 grade-point average ... plans to major in engineering or physics. Dillon Kern – 184 pounds – Webberville, Mich./Fowlerville HS Division 2 state champion at 189 pounds in 2009 ... posted a 60-2 mark as a senior ... named to the 2009 Lansing State Journal Wrestling Dream Team ... named Livingston County co-Wrestler of the Year by Daily Press & Argus ... placed runner-up in the state at 171 pounds in 2008 ... high school coach was Chris Tyle ... carries a 3.74 GPA ... scored 26 on the ACT ... plans to major in pre-physical therapy or education. Taylor March – 133/141 pounds – Avilla, Ind./East Noble HS Placed in the top three of the state tournament all four years of his high school career ... capped high school career with a state title in 2009 after finishing second in 2006 and 2007 and third in 2008 ... Fort Wayne News-Sentinel co-Wrestler of the Year in 2009 ... set school record with 163 career victories ... posted 39-1 record as a senior ... high school coach was Bill Knapp ... CMU President's Award recipient ... named high school valedictorian with a GPA of 4.091 ... scored 27 on the ACT ... plans to pursue a degree in sports medicine or pre-physical therapy. Scott Mattingly – 141 pounds – Uniontown, Ohio/Lake HS Placed in the top four at the Ohio state tournament three times ... was fourth at 135 pounds in 2009, third at 125 pounds in 2008 and fourth at 112 pounds in 2007 ... finished sixth at 125 pounds at Junior Nationals (freestyle) in 2008 ... high school coaches were Mike Mattingly and Dave Cline ... high school teammate of current Chippewa Mike Miller and fellow signee Zackery Cline ... CMU President's Award recipient ... boasts a 3.8 grade-point average and a score of 30 on the ACT. Adam Miller – 165/174 pounds – Sparta, Mich./Sparta HS Two-time Michigan high school state champion ... won Division 2 titles at 160 pounds in 2008 and 2009 ... finished runner-up at 152 pounds in Division 2 in 2007 ... finished career with 93-match winning streak ... was 46-0 as a junior and 47-0 as a senior ... high school coaches were Gary Stamos, Scott Bitley and Tom Bennett ... plans to major in business. Joe Roth – 125 pounds – Dixon, Ill./Dixon HS Won the Illinois Division AA 119-pound state championship in 2009 ... placed sixth in the state in 2008 ... placed sixth at 119 pounds at Senior Nationals in 2009 ... was eighth at Junior Nationals (freestyle) in 2008 ... high school coach was Evan Thorpe ... plans to major in secondary education. Justin Zimmerman – 141 pounds – Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville HS Preferred walk-on ... finished runner-up at 130 pounds at the Michigan Division 1 state tournament as a senior ... was 48-1 overall as a senior ... placed second in the state at 103 pounds as a sophomore ... high school coach was Jeff Henderson ... carries a 3.9 GPA ... scored 26 on the ACT.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia wrestling coach Steve Garland has announced the signing of nine student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2009-10 academic year. Once again, Garland and his staff – associate head coach Scott Moore and assistant coach Matt Pell – will welcome one of the nation's premier classes. The 2009-10 class includes three wrestlers who are listed in the top 100 of InterMat's individual rankings – Jon Fausey (No. 16), Zach Clemente (No. 34) and Nicky Gordon (No. 83). While updated national recruiting rankings have not yet been released, this class was highly regarded in the national rankings after the early signing period. The class ranked fourth nationally, according to W.I.N. Magazine, at that time. In the last three years under Garland, each of Virginia's recruiting classes has ranked among the nation's top 25, including a No. 5 ranking in 2007. The class is comprised of eight true freshmen as well as one transfer student-athlete: Jon Becker (Rahway, N.J./Bergen Catholic), Zach Clemente (Clifton Park, N.Y./LaSalle Institute), Matt Cubillos (Schenectady, N.Y./Guilderland), Stephen Doty (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood), Jon Fausey (Dalmatia, Pa./Line Mountain), Gabe Gomez (Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield), Nicky Gordon (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Seminary College Prep), Matt Snyder (Lewistown, Pa./Bloomsburg University) and Andrew Williams (Yorktown, Va./Tabb). A Breakdown of the 2009-10 Class (with projected weight class): Jon Becker (Rahway, N.J. – 184/197) High School: Bergen Catholic • Ranked No. 10 nationally at 189 pounds • 2007 Cadet National Champion • 2007 New Jersey State Runner-Up • Three-time New Jersey State Placer Zach Clemente (Clifton Park, N.Y. – 141/149) High School: LaSalle Institute • Ranked No. 2 nationally at 145 pounds • Two-time New York State Champion (2008, 2009) • 2009 High School Senior National (NHSCA) Runner Up • 2008 Junior National Runner Up – Greco • 2008 Junior National fourth-place finish – Freestyle Matt Cubillos (Schenectady, N.Y. – 133) High School: Guilderland • Career Record 167-35 • Took fourth place at 2009 New York State Championships • Earned fifth place at 2008 New York State Championships • Two-time Sectional Champion and two-time Sectional Runner up Stephen Doty (St. Louis, Mo. - 174) High School: Kirkwood • Career Record: 121-8 • Went 55-0 this season, falling one short of the Missouri state record for wins in a season • 2009 Missouri Class 4 Champion at 171 pounds • Placed sixth at state in 2008 • Had 80 high school career pins • Also was crowned Missouri USAW state champ in freestyle and Greco Roman recently • He began wrestling as a sophomore at 152, then wrestled 171 the last two years Jon Fausey (Dalmatia, Pa. – 184) High School: Line Mountain • Career Record: 148-15 • Ranked No. 3 nationally at 189 pounds • 2009 Pennsylvania State Champion • 2009 Winner of Dapper Dan (defeated No. 1 Chris Perry of Oklahoma) • Three-time Pennsylvania State Placer • 2008 NHSCA Junior National Runner-up • 2008 Junior National sixth-place finish – Freestyle • 2008 Junior National third-place finish – Greco • Attended same high school as current UVa wrestler Kellon Balum Gabe Gomez (Broomfield, Colo. – 125) High School: Broomfield • Career Record: 147-20 • State champion in 2008 • Two time state runner-up (2006, 2009) • Took third place at state in 2007 • Two time Ironman placer (sixth as senior, eighth as junior) • Took seventh at junior nationals last year Nicky Gordon (Kingston, Pa. – 141) High School: Wyoming Seminary College Prep • Career Record: 217-32 (Pennsylvania high school career win record) • Five-time National Prep Place Winner (6th, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd) • Three-time National Prep Finalist • Two-time Pennsylvania Prep State Champion (2007, 2009) • Took second at Beast of the East (2008), third in 2007 • Fifth at 2008 Ironman Tournament • Third at 2006 Cadet National Freestyle Tournament (Fargo) Matt Snyder (Lewistown, Pa. – 125) Last School: Bloomsburg University High School: Lewistown • Tallied a 25-12 record last season at Bloomsburg during his redshirt season while competing in open tournaments • Finished second at 119 pounds at 2008 Pennsylvania AAA state championships • Finished senior year with a record of 40-2; was third in the 2007 Pennsylvania State AAA championships at 112 pounds • Ranked 13th best senior in country at 112 pounds by Wrestling USA • Was third at 2006 PIAA “AAA” championships at 103 pounds Andrew Williams (Yorktown, Pa. – 133/141) High School: Tabb • Career Record: 158-15 • Career Pins: 98 • Four-time Virginia 2A State Champion • Four-time Beast of the East Placer • Two-time Walsh Ironman Placer

Nick Simmons

Brian Keck

Zeke Jones, USA Wrestling’s National Freestyle Teams Head Coach, and Craig Sesker, Communications Director at USA Wrestling, will be the featured Wrestling 411 Radio guests this Wednesday, May 13 at 10 a.m. During the spring and summer months, Wrestling 411 Radio will broadcast live shows on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10 a.m. CDT. Each show will include a featured guest and brief commentary on the recent happenings in wrestling. This Wednesday’s edition of Wrestling 411 Radio will air at 10 a.m. CDT. The show can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv and clicking on the “Listen Live” link. An archive of the broadcast will be available immediately following the show. Jones is the current National Freestyle Teams Head Coach for USA Wrestling, a position he has held since last year. Prior to his current position, he was the head wrestling coach at the University of Pennsylvania. As a competitor, Jones won the World Championships in 1991, and was an Olympic silver medalist in 1992. Sesker is the current communications director at USA Wrestling. Sesker has won several prominent awards, including journalist of the year honors by both the National Wrestling Media Association and W.I.N Magazine. Sesker will preview the upcoming World Team Trials to be held in Council Bluffs, Iowa on May 30-31. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Questions for any of the guests are welcome. You may e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com.

Troy Steiner

Hudson Taylor

On May 7, Mark Matzek was named Augsburg's head wrestling coach after serving one season as the interim head coach and three seasons as an assistant coach. This past season, Matzek guided the Auggies to a National Duals title and a runner-up finish at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As a "competitor," Matzek compiled a record of 129-21 and won two NCAA titles at Augsburg. Off the mat, he was a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American, an ESPN The Magazine (CoSIDA) Academic All-District honoree three times, and a first-team selection on ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-American (CoSIDA) team. InterMat recently talked to Matzek about having the interim tag removed from his title, the highs and lows of this past season, how Jeff Swenson has mentored him, what it's like coaching against Jim Miller, his expectations for next season, and much more. Mark Matzek (Photo/The Guillotine)You served as the interim head wrestling coach at Augsburg this past season. That interim tag has now been lifted and you are officially the head wrestling coach at Augsburg. What does it mean to you to be leading a program with such a rich wrestling tradition? Matzek: First off, I'm really humbled to have this position and excited at the same time to take on this challenge and give these wrestlers a championship experience just like I had when I was here. That's my goal. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens. This past season, Augsburg dropped its first dual meet of the season to another MIAC school, St. John's. Augsburg had won the previous 22 meetings against St. John's with many of those meetings being lopsided. What did you learn from that loss? Matzek: Leave nothing to chance. Never take for granted that these guys are still college guys who need guidance, even seasoned wrestlers do for the first dual meet. They need to be reminded how to prepare for a dual meet. I will train them the same way … like I did the rest of the season. And our dual meet record was pretty good after that. After that dual meet, I took a look at what I used to do to prepare myself for dual meets. Then I talked to the assistant coaches and asked them what they used to do. Then I called up some of the successful Augsburg alumni and asked them what they used to do. We came up with a plan and did pretty much a variation of the same thing to prepare for a dual meet. And then we put that into place and made all of our guys do it … whether they liked it or not. The success we had the rest of the season in dual meets speaks for itself. Obviously, the expectations at Augsburg are to win the national title every season. This past season, you were ranked No. 1 for the last few months of the season. On the one hand, you had seven All-Americans and an NCAA champion in Jared Massey. On the other hand, you came up short of your team goal of winning the NCAA team title. Describe your emotions after the NCAAs this past March. Matzek: It was a little bitter sweet. It was a great feeling coming off the mat after Jared Massey had a dominating performance in the finals. But at the same time, we knew that it was our title to lose, especially after the first round when a few of Wartburg's big names went down. That was our window of opportunity. We needed to really take that opportunity in the second round … and we didn't. Second in the nation, maybe in the grand scheme of things, it's not too bad. But our expectation going into that national tournament was to win it. So, like I said, it was a little bitter sweet. We left with a national champion in Jared Massey, but at the same time, we came up a little short. A lot of what ifs. There are a lot of places in that national tournament where I could find 12 points. This past season, former Augsburg coach Jeff Swenson, who also serves as the athletic director at Augsburg, was on your coaching staff. How involved is Jeff in the day-to-day operations of the wrestling program? Jeff SwensonMatzek: He has been a mentor for me this past year when I took on that interim position. And he will always be a mentor to me. He’s always welcome at the practices. I value his opinion. I think anyone in the nation, if they had the opportunity to have Jeff in the room, would be crazy not to have him on speed dial to get another opinion. I made the decisions … and he didn't have any problem with that. With his legacy and me as a young coach, we implemented a lot of different things in the program … from the training to the weight management of our guys, and he was onboard with all of it. He was a mentor, but he was also my greatest supporter. Augsburg and Wartburg have dominated Division III college wrestling for many years. Wartburg is coached by Jim Miller, someone who is 30 years older than you. He has won seven national team titles and amassed more than 300 wins. Is it intimidating being so young and competing against a coach who has been around so long and accomplished so much in the sport of wrestling? Matzek: I wouldn't say it's intimidating. I'm honored to coach against Jim. I relish that opportunity to not only wrestle against him when I competed, but now coach against him. This rivalry has done a lot for Division III wrestling. We had about 1,500 people at our dual meet at Augsburg. I wouldn’t say it's intimidating. I just feel lucky to coach against him and hopefully there are more years to come with that. In 2009, Mark Matzek led Augsburg to a Nationals Duals title and a runner-up finish at the NCAAs (Photo/The Guillotine)You are a native of Ellsworth, Wisconsin, but came to Augsburg, where you won two individual national titles as a competitor. Coming out of high school, what drew you to Augsburg? Matzek: My high school, Ellsworth, has a great wrestling coach by the name of Jack Radabaugh. It's a very successful high school wrestling program. And I wanted to continue on in a successful wrestling program. When I came to Augsburg, there was a returning national champion in my weight class. I knew that I was going to have to take my lumps and do my time. But I was confident that I could be successful there. I didn't want to take a step down. We were used to winning every single dual meet. We were used to winning state championships. I wanted to go to a place where when you put on that maroon and white singlet, you're confident, and you’re always in the match no matter the score or who you’re against. High school wrestling in the state of Minnesota is arguably as strong as it has ever been. In many cases, you are recruiting kids who are also looking at nearby schools, like Minnesota, Minnesota State-Mankato, and St. Cloud State, that can offer athletic scholarships. How do you sell a kid on your program when you are unable to offer athletic scholarships? Matzek: I feel like it's about the experience you're going to have and living a little bit more of a balanced life. Wrestling is very important to us, but at the same time, there is also a little bit more to life than just wrestling. That's not to say that we're not training them as hard as we used to. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you get a more well-rounded experience at Augsburg. I don’t care what division you are in. Wrestling and competing for a national championship, it doesn’t matter … I don’t care if you are in Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, or junior college. If you’re competing for a national championship every single year, that's an experience second to none. I don’t care what division it's in. The Augsburg wrestling programs has produced some very successful MMA fighters in recent years, most notably Roger Huerta and Marcus LeVesseur. What is your stance on MMA? And how would feel if one of your wrestlers wanted to fight while being a member of the Augsburg wrestling team? Matzek: Being a member of the team, I wouldn't support it because they have the rest of their lives to do MMA fighting. You have a very small window of opportunity in your life to wrestle at the collegiate level. Four, maybe five years. That's it. In the grand scheme of things, if you're looking at an entire lifetime, that's not very long. To jeopardize that is not in their best interest. But I feel that as sport, we really need to embrace MMA because I think we can somehow work together and promote both our sports at the same time. MMA has taken off. Because there are so many wrestlers getting into MMA, I want wrestling to have a hand in the success of MMA. As a competitor, Mark Matzek won two NCAA titles at 133 pounds for Augsburg (Photo/The Guillotine)Compare the feeling of winning an individual NCAA championship to coaching a wrestler to an individual NCAA championship. Are they at all similar feelings? Matzek: They are very similar. But I would say coaching someone to a national championship is better. I think it was Dan Gable who said that helping others succeed is much more gratifying than succeeding on your own. That why I'm into coaching. I want as many of my wrestlers as possible to have that feeling that after the whistle is blown in the national finals … and they have their hand raised and look up in the stands and see 200 to 250 Augsburg wrestling fans rooting them on … and to know that every single thing they did to get there was worth it. Looking ahead to next season, you return seven starters and four All-Americans, including NCAA champion Jared Massey. Based on what you have returning, plus the recruits you are bringing into the program, how great can Augsburg be next season? Matzek: I feel like we can be just as good or better than this past year's team. Our goal is to win both the National Duals and the NCAA championship next year. As you said, we have seven starters returning. That’s seventy percent of the starters back. I feel like we'll have great senior leadership next year. That's an intangible that I feel is a necessity to having a national championship team. I'm really excited for next year. This story also appears in the May 15 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on how to subscribe, click HERE.

Manheim, PA. -- Eight Division I wrestling programs are recognized for having the highest Academic Progress Rate in their conference for the second straight year. The NCAA released its 5th annual APR report earlier this week and wrestling showed vast improvements with 21 teams improving by 15 or more points from last year. Iowa State (Big 12), Northwestern (Big 10), George Mason (Colonial), Pittsburgh (Eastern Wrestling League), Northern Illinois (MAC), Stanford (Pac 10), Davidson (Southern Conference) and Air Force (West Regional) are the eight wrestling programs with the highest APR score in their conference for a second year in a row. Iowa State placed third at the 2009 NCAA championships and Northwestern finish 13th, while both programs also produced a national champion. Pittsburgh University, which placed 38th at the NCAA championships, defended its APR title in the Eastern Wrestling League, which showed the largest improvement of all conferences in the nation. Bucknell, which has a perfect 1000 APR score, led the very competitive EIWA wrestling conference. The EIWA, comprised of 14 eastern wrestling programs including those in the Ivy League conference, had the highest average APR score of all conferences in the country at 971. The University of Virginia is the top program in the ACC, while Millersville University lead all teams in the East Regional. West Virginia University, a member of the Eastern Wrestling League, improved 38 points from a year ago - the best among the 84 NCAA Division I wrestling programs. Two other EWL conference schools were in the top-20 for most improved including Pittsburgh (18-point improvement) and Clarion (16 points). The average improvement in APR scores in the EWL was 14.7 points The University of Iowa, which won its second consecutive NCAA title in March finished tied for 7th on the most improved list by improving 25 points from a year ago. Top-20 Most Improved APR scores (# represents the improvement from a year ago) 1. West Virginia (38) EWL 2. UC Davis (33) Pac 10 3. Eastern Michigan (29) MAC 4. Binghamton (27) CAA 4. Oklahoma (27) Big 12 4. UT Chattanooga (27) Southern 7. Iowa (25) Big 10 7. Millersville (25) East Regional 9. North Dakota State (24) Western Region 10. Liberty (22) East Regional 11. Princeton (20) EIWA 12. Pittsburgh (18) EWL 12. University of North Carolina (18) ACC 14. Rider (17) CAA 14. Clarion (16) EWL 14. Buffalo (16) MAC 17. CSU Bakersfield (16) Pac 10 18. University of Virginia (15) ACC 18. Appalachian State (15) Southern 18. Purdue (15) Big 10 18. Old Dominion (15) CAA

Augustana College head wrestling coach Jason Reitmeier announced Friday that six high school standouts have signed national letters of intent or written offers of admission and financial aid from Augustana to wrestle for the Vikings beginning in the fall of 2009. Joining the Viking program are Kale Merrell of Belle Fourche, S.D., Isaiah Curtis of Winner, S.D., Michael Roberts of St. Paul, Minn., Samuel Fischenich of Windom, Minn., Darcy Huffman of Burwell, Neb., and Sean Derry of Omaha, Neb. Merrell (157 pounds) comes to Augie after starting and lettering for four seasons at Belle Fourche High School. He finished his senior season 39-8 and took second in the state at 152 pounds. In 2008-09 he was also was named to the All-Black Hill Conference team. In 2007-08 he finished 11th in state with a 41-21 record at 145 pounds, while earning Black Hills All-Conference honors. He went 23-15 in his sophomore season and had a seventh place finish at state after winning the Black Hills Conference title. In his freshman season, he went 10-15 and earned the Broncos Most Improved Wrestler award. “Kale brings a toughness and work ethic to Augie that we look for. He isn't afraid of pushing himself to the limits to achieve his goals. Kale has worked hard to get where he is at and will be a great leader,” Reitmeier said. Curtis (285 pound) was a four-year starter and letterwinner at Winner High School. He posted a career record of 121-37 with 74 pins after going 21-3 in his senior campaign. Also in 2008-09, he finished second in the state tournament. In his junior season, Curtis was 38-4 and also took second place in the state tournament. Curtis finished his sophomore season with a 31-13 record and finished in seventh place at the state tournament. He started his varsity career with a 28-17 record as a freshman and recorded an eighth place finish in the state tournament. “We are very excited about getting Isaiah in. He too fits the model of what we are looking for at Augustana; he is an extremely hard worker. He is a big, strong, physical kid that could contribute at heavyweight right away. He adds much need depth in the upper weights,” Reitmeier said. Roberts (197/285 pounds), a standout at Harding High School in St. Paul, Minn. was a three-year starter and letterwinner for the Knights. He finished his season 25-2 for an undefeated Knights team and participated in the state tournament. He also helped his team become Twin City Champions, while earning All-St. Paul City Conference honors. In 2007-08, Roberts went 26-4 to earn All-Conference honors before participating in the state tournament. The Knights finished 6-1 and took second in the conference during the same season. In his sophomore season, Roberts started his varsity career, finishing the season 10-9. “Michael is very athletic kid, who has a huge upside. Michael has only been wrestling for a few years and has a lot to learn yet. He continues to improve every time he walks on the mat and will learn so much working with our upper weights,” Reitmeier said. Fischenich (141 pounds) was a four-year starter and letterwinner at Windom Area High School, where he recorded over 150 wins. He finished his senior season 28-7, while taking fifth in the state tournament. Also during the 2008-09 season, Fischenich earned All-Conference honors and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. In his junior season, Fischenich went 39-7 and won the sectional championship. He also made the state tournament after earning All-Conference honors for the Cobras that also won the sectional championship. He went 35-9 in his sophomore campaign, with winning the sectional championship and taking fifth place in the state tournament. He also earned All-Conference honors in the same season. Fischenich went 29-9 his freshman season to earn All-Conference honors. “Sam is a great addition to our program, not only is he great athlete but a great student. I'm very excited about the addition of Sam to our lower weights. He comes from a strong program that will help him adjust to college,” Reitmeier said. Huffman (157 pounds), who competed at Burwell High School, was a four-year starter and letterwinner for the Longhorns. Huffman won the state championship his senior season, going 45-1, while earning 291.5 team points. In his junior campaign, Huffman went 40-6 and earned a third place finish at the state tournament. He went 27-9 in his sophomore season, as his team finished sixth in state, after going 14-11 his freshman year. “Darcy is very athletic kid who could have played multiple sports in college. He is one of the most athletic kids we have brought to Augustana. But he has a real passion for wrestling and lets it show in his performance on the mat. Darcy is a great addition to our upper weights,” Reitmeier said. Derry (149/157 pounds) was a four-year starter and letterwinner for Northwest High School, where he has recorded over 100 wins in his career. Derry was 29-9 his senior season to take fourth place in the state tournament and also made the All-Metro team. In his junior year he went 30-7 and finished fourth in state, while earning All-Metro team honors. In his sophomore campaign, Derry finished the season with a 29-13 record and qualified for the state tournament. In 2005-06, Derry went 27-13 as a freshman, while qualifying for the state tournament. “Sean is great example of a student-athlete; works extremely hard not only on the mat but in the classroom. Sean will compete at around 149/157 and will add a much needed toughness and depth to the middle weights,” Reitmeier said.