InterMat Staff

Mark Perry

After a decade at Army as the head coach of Black Knights, Chuck Barbee stepped down from the position in April to spend more time with his family and change careers. His departure opened a national search for his replacement and eleven weeks later the Academy found their man, Joe Heskett, and he was announced to the public today as the ninth head coach in the history of the program “The opportunity to lead one of the Academies with their history and tradition is special,” stated Heskett when asked for comment. “The goals and vision they have for the Cadets completely reflect the way I was raised and the person I have become. It is an absolute honor to be the head coach at Army. It is our mission to produce great men and great wrestlers.” Heskett bring a wealth of experience to West Point. As a wrestler he was a three-time state champion for Walsh Jesuit HS, a four-time All-American and the 2002 NCAA 165 pound national champion at Iowa State, and a five-time National Team Member in freestyle and was on the 2007 World Team. As a coach Heskett spent his first four years on staff at Cal Poly and the last four years as an assistant coach at Ohio State. “Joe Heskett is going to be a great head coach and we are going to miss having him in Columbus,” offered OSU head coach Tom Ryan. “He is a special person and that transcends coaching. He will not only make a difference in the wrestling room, but in the classroom and in their every day lives. At the same time Joe is someone that will continue to learn and grow with each new challenge.” Heskett is tentatively scheduled to take over as head coach on July 15. Joining him on staff will be a pair of returning assistant coaches, Ryan Wilman and Rafael Vega. “Coach Barbee did a great job at Army but there is always room for improvement,” responded Heskett when asked about the transition. “I hope that with the returning coaches and wrestlers we can build on the hard work they put in and help the program take the next step forward.” Army was 7-4 during the 2009-2010 regular season finishing seventh at the EIWA Tournament with a pair of national qualifiers. They will have six returning lettermen expected to be in the lineup next year. “The rest of the summer is going to go pretty fast. There is a lot of work to do to be ready for the regular season so I look forward to building relationships with the coaches, cadets, administration, and alumni during the summer. We have a lot of work to do so I can’t wait to get there and get started.”

Joe Heskett

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Mark Perry, who recently completed his first season as assistant wrestling coach at Cal Poly, and seven-year Mustang head coach John Azevedo will serve as co-head coaches beginning with the 2010-11 season. Mark Perry (Photo/Tony Rotundo, Tech-Fall.com)The announcement was made Tuesday by Cal Poly director of athletics Alison Cone. “This move further strengthens our wrestling coaching staff,” said Cone. “Mark's strengths combined with John's attributes will provide us with an unbeatable coaching combination.” With Perry as his assistant last season, Azevedo guided Cal Poly to a third-place Pacific-10 Conference finish and produced a pair of NCAA All-Americans. He was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year by D1CollegeWrestling.net. “I think this will be great experience for Mark and his future as a head coach,” said Azevedo. When Perry was hired as assistant coach last summer, Azevedo said, “I believe his passion for wrestling and winning will help Cal Poly wrestling go to the next level of becoming the best. Mark brings an extensive amount of individual and team success to the program.” Perry, a two-time national champion and four-time All-American at Iowa, spent the 2008-09 season as an assistant coach at Penn State before coming to Cal Poly a year ago. “Being promoted to co-head coach is a huge honor for me and I am confident that I will be able to continue to help this program move forward in its quest toward winning Pac-10 titles and NCAA trophies,” said Perry. “The future of Cal Poly wrestling is going to be exciting. I guarantee our fans and alumni we are going to be one of the top programs in the country on a consistent basis in the near future. “Wrestling fans in California are excited about what is going on at Cal Poly and our wrestlers will continue to work toward winning NCAA titles,” Perry added. The Mustangs rebounded from a tough 2008-09 campaign by finishing just seven points shy of Pac-10 champion Oregon State. Chase Pami finished second at 157 pounds in both the Pac-10 and NCAA finals while Boris Novachkov won a Pac-10 title at 133 and placed seventh nationally. Their finish marked the first time in six seasons that multiple wrestlers finished as All-Americans at Cal Poly. Azevedo led the Mustangs to an 8-4 dual meet record, including a 5-2 mark in Pac-10 matches. Azevedo, 45-61 in dual meets as Mustang head coach, has guided nine Mustangs to All-American honors and seven Pac-10 champions. He was an assistant under Lennis Cowell for two years before taking over the head job with the Mustangs in 2003. His coaching career also includes one year as a graduate assistant at Arizona State (1980-81), three years as assistant coach at Cal State Bakersfield (1981-84), two years as an assistant as Notre Dame (1984-86), five years as an assistant coach at Wisconsin (1986-91) and 12 seasons as head coach at Calvary Chapel High in Santa Ana (1991-2003), leading the wrestling program to seven state championships and one runner-up finish. Calvary Chapel also garnered 11 league titles, 10 CIF-Southern Section team championships, and posted a 183-18 dual meet record under Azevedo’s direction. The program also spawned 23 NCAA Division 1 wrestlers. Azevedo was named National High School Coach of the Year in 1993 and California Coach of the Year seven times. As a collegian, Azevedo won an NCAA title in 1980 while at Cal State Bakersfield, after two runner-up finishes and three NCAA Division II titles. He amassed a 122-2 collegiate record and was named team captain three times. He is also a member of the California Wrestling Hall of Fame. Azevedo was also a member of the 1980 United States Olympic team (the United States boycotted those summer games in Moscow) and won a national freestyle championship in 1981. He placed fourth at the World Championships in 1982. Azevedo earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cal State Bakersfield in 1981. Perry was the NCAA individual national champion in 2007 and 2008 while helping the Iowa Hawkeyes to a team championship in 2008. With his title in 2008, Perry became the 17th four-time All-American and 14th two-time national champion in NCAA history. During his 2007 NCAA run, Perry defeated two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks in the finals on his way to a 32-5 record. Both his NCAA titles came at 165 pounds. As a sophomore at the NCAAs, Perry placed third at 174 pounds, earning the Gorriaran Trophy for pinning four opponents at the championships. As a freshman he placed second at 165 pounds, posting a 32-5 overall record. Perry was a team captain all four years at Iowa and was a Big Ten Conference finalist four times as well, capturing one title in 2007. He also was a four-time finalist in the prestigious Midlands Wrestling Tournament, earning two titles. Perry was named National Wrestling Coaches Association rookie of the year in 2005 and University of Iowa athlete of the year in 2007. Perry was a two-time prep national champion while attending Blair Academy, located 60 miles west of New York City, in rural Warren County, New Jersey. He was a three-time AISCS High School All-American while posting a career 169-7 record. Perry earned his bachelor of arts degree in art from the University of Iowa in 2008.

LEXINGTON, Va. -- VMI wrestling has announced its 2010-11 schedule, according to information released by the program Monday. The Keydets will open the season at the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech at the Salem Civic Center on Nov. 7. It will mark the third consecutive year VMI has participated in the event, and will be followed on the squad’s slate by the Keystone Classic in Philadelphia, Pa. on Nov. 21. VMI then takes part in its first dual of the year, a rematch from last year’s contest with Franklin & Marshall, located in Lancaster, Pa. Last season, the Keydets won in a rout, 33-10, sparked by a technical fall by David Yost, and this year’s battle is set for Saturday, Dec. 4. Coach John Trudgeon’s squad then remains in Pennsylvania for the following day, as the team is scheduled to participate in the Nittany Lion Open, hosted by Penn State in State College, Pa. No current Keydets have ever competed at that event, as VMI has not attended the meet since 2007. VMI then has a single dual, taking on Gardner-Webb (Dec. 10), before competing at the Southern Scuffle (Dec. 29-30) and the Virginia Duals (Jan. 7-8). The home opener finally comes on Friday, Jan. 14, as the Keydets welcome the Wolfpack of N.C. State to the Thunderdome, before VMI travels to Charlottesville for an intriguing tri-meet. The Keydets will wrestle not only host Virginia, but will also take on the University of Pennsylvania on Jan. 16. The next dual is a return home to the Thunderdome, as the George Mason Patriots come to Cocke Hall on Jan. 20. They will be followed by The Citadel Bulldogs, who will open VMI’s Southern Conference season on Jan. 28. All told, the Keydets will have three of their five home matches in a two-week span, stretching from Jan. 14 through Jan. 28. SoCon action continues the following Friday, as VMI travels to Davidson (Feb. 4) before participating in the All-Academy Championships, hosted by The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. on Feb. 6. Last year’s All-Academies were incomplete, as Army was unable to travel to the meet due to severe winter weather on the east coast. This year, however, all teams are expected to return for the much-anticipated meet. Three of VMI’s final four duals are Southern Conference matchups, with a trip across the Blue Ridge Mountains to Liberty (Feb. 13) being the lone exception. Appalachian State enters Cocke Hall on Feb. 11, as does UNC Greensboro on Feb. 18. Finally, the Keydets wrap up their regular season in Chattanooga, Tenn., taking on Chattanooga on Feb. 20. The SoCon Championships will be in Boone, N.C. on March 5, while the NCAA Championships, which VMI’s Josh Wine has qualified for two of the previous three seasons, will be held March 17-19 in Philadelphia, Pa.

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- The name recognition associated with the Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling program took another step in the right direction today as head coach Mark Branch announced that two-time NCAA Champion and three-time All-American Chris Pendleton would be joining his coaching staff this coming season. "Chris has an outstanding wrestling pedigree and will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our upper weights," Branch said. "He is one of the best technicians in the country and he has a passion for coaching. He has trained with some of the best wrestlers in the country and has coached some very successful athletes. I know he will do great things with our team." A Lemoore, Calif., product, Pendleton won NCAA titles at 174 pounds in 2004 and 2005 and was a three-time collegiate All-American (2003-05) while competing for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He was a member of the OSU squad from 2001-05 while Branch was the associate head coach for the program. Pendleton defeated future two-time NCAA champion and Dan Hodge Trophy winner Ben Askren of Missouri for both of his titles. He was a leader on three Oklahoma State NCAA championship teams (2003-05), compiled a 118-12 record (91% winning percentage) as a collegian and was a 2006 USA National Team member. He was a two-time Big 12 individual champion, claiming titles in 2003 and 2005. Pendleton also won the 145-pound California State Championship in his senior year at Lemoore High School. Pendleton served as a volunteer assistant coach for OSU in 2009-10. He is the son of Bill Pendleton and Lisa Cervantes. He has two younger brothers, Willy and Jacob. Chris was born January 21, 1982. Pendleton joins Travis Shufelt, in his fifth year, and Ethan Kyle (second year) on Branch's staff for the 2010-11 season. "I believe we are building one of the best programs in the country and doing it with a first-class coaching staff," Branch concluded.

Event: UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas) Date: July 3, 2010 The UFC Monster is the only man on the planet, outside of Brazil, that wagered his hard-earned cash on Fabricio Werdum defeating Fedor Emelianenko as a 5:1 underdog! I also wagered on a submission victory at +635 odds. So, when Werdum locked in a triangle choke and combined it with a vicious armbar, the fight ended in 69 seconds and the "World's Greatest" Heavyweight MMA fighter was dethroned! That now makes Saturday night's heavyweight championship fight between Brock Lesnar (4-1) and Shane Carwin (12-0) a HUGE event, as the winner will be crowned the BEST heavyweight in the world ... and Fedor will soon be a distant memory. The betting public has pounded their action on Shane Carwin. Opening as a -200 favorite (you bet $2 to win $1), Lesnar is now just -150. This fight was originally scheduled for last November, but a near-death bout with verticulitas almost put Brock in his grave. Carwin went on to defeat interim champ Frank Mir … and now the big battle is on. Carwin, for those who haven't heard, has won ALL his fights in the very first round, by both KOs and submissions. The former two-time Division II wrestling champ has been awesome. But Lesnar is a beast. The former Gopher NCAA champ has lightning quick takedowns, and fists like a sledgehammer. And this is how it will end. Carwin will have a few good shots a unloading his arsenal of heavy hands, but once Lesnar gets a hold of Carwin and brings him to the mat, this one will end quickly. A brutal ground-and-pound display will end this affair. Take Lesnar and lay the -150 odds. Middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1 with 2 no contests) was supposed to fight Wanderlei Silva, but an injury to Silva put Chris "The Crippler" Leben (20-6) into the fight as a late replacement. Surprisingly, Leben fought (and won) just two weeks ago, beating Aaron Simpson in a big upset. Akiyama wanted Silva. Leben just wants to fight. I don't believe that Leben will have enough left in the tank to pull this one off. I see value in a better fighter, more rested, with a fighting style that doesn't match up well for Leben. This one will end in the second round with a rear-naked choke submission by Akiyama, the -200 favorite. Welterweights Chris "Lights Out" Lytle (38-17-4) and seasoned veteran Matt Brown (13-8) will go toe-to-toe in a slugfest. These two met three years ago with Lytle winning by submission. Despite nearly 60 fights, Lytle has yet to be submitted! And Brown has yet to be KO'd. Interesting. I see the value in Brown at +190, a decent underdog to get his revenge. Brown by convincing decision. And speaking of revenge, light heavyweight Stephan "American Psycho" Bonnar (14-7) got screwed by a bad referee's decision the last time he fought Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski (23-10-1). An inadvertent head butt by Soszynski caused a bloody stoppage to the fight, and the unaware referee declared Bonnar the loser. The judges didn't even get their say. That made three straight losses for Bonnar, who has fought injuries and the Jon Jones launching, to find himself on the verge of UFC extinction. He needs to win badly. And he will. Why he is a +190 underdog is beyond me. This is my underdog POD. Bonnar will leave it all in the cage, believe me. He will battle and brawl his way to a sweet unanimous decision victory. You can take that to the bank! Rounding out the main card will be an interesting matchup between lightweights George Sotiropoulos (12-3) and Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino (21-4), both submission specialists and both on winning streaks of six and four respectively. There will be no knockout here. Who will get submitted first? Not George. His lanky frame and mastery of the "rubber guard" makes him lethal to all. Pellegrino won't go easy, and his transitioning rolls will be interesting. But in the end, we will most likely see George Jits in a pretzel position with Batman's face turning blue. Sotiropoulus at -170 cashes the ticket here. Now let's take a peek at the undercard. You can see the next two fights FREE on Spike TV. Heavyweight sluggers Brendan "The Hybrid" Schaub (6-1) and Brock Lesnar's training partner, Chris "The Crowbar" Tuchscherer, will stand and strike at each other to see who is the last man standing. I think that man will be the better athlete, Bhrendan Schaub, who will land a stunning first round KO of the slower Crowbar. Overpriced maybe at -300, I still think Schaub is the right side to be on here. Who's Ricardo Romero? He's a 10-1 light heavyweight who has fought all 11 of his fights in Atlantic City for the Ring of Combat group! His opponent, Seth Petruzelli (14-5), is best known for his stunning upset (at the time) of Kimbo Slice. Seth was a last-minute replacement for the legendary Ken Shamrock. Petruzelli won within seconds with a stunning KO victory over the thick-bearded one. I'll roll with the UFC experience here and take Petruzelli as a generous +160 underdog. A second round submission ends this one. Middleweight Goran Reljic was unbeaten at 8-0 when he got injured. After a year off for recovery, he looked lethargic losing to C.B. Dollaway. Kendall "Da Spyder" Grove is an unorthodox, lanky striker with amazing submission skills. With his long-range reach advantage and constant kicks, Grove should be able to keep Reljic at bay. I'm looking for a quick, surprise submission, a triangle choke maybe, to end this. Why the bookies have made Grove a modest +135 underdog is a mystery to me. But I'll grab the value here and hope to cash as predicted. A strong wrestler, middleweight Gerald "Hurricane" Harris (15-2) has never been submitted. His opponent Dave Branch (6-0) is a Renzo Gracie submission student who may not have enough experience to get the job done here. I'll lay the -260 on Harris. Welterweight Forrest "The Meat Clever" Petz (24-7) has been around forever. He even has a win over Dan Hardy on his resume! But that won't be enough to stop up-and-coming Daniel "Ninja" Roberts (9-1), who amazingly fought Anthony Macias this year. Macias is an early UFC pioneer who fought in UFC 4, losing to Dan Severn 16 years ago! This is a matchup of fighters going in opposite directions. The younger, more athletic Roberts will cash here with a jolting first round KO. Lay the -180. Every UFC undercard has two heavyweights stacked face-to-face with haymakers flying. Tonight's qualifier pits undefeated Joe Madsen (5-0) against undefeated Karlos Vemola (7-0). Anything can happen, but Madsen at +150 offers the better value. A first round KO stops it. That's it. Six favorites and five underdogs make up our winning ticket. Let's see how we can do with our fictitious $1000 bankroll. Let's lay $165 to win $110 on Brock Lesnar dominance. Let's lay $100 to win $190 on Stephan Bonnar's survival tour. Let's lay $80 to win $40 on Akiyama over a gassed Leben. Let's lay $102 to win $60 on Sotiropoulus' rubber guard. Let's lay $80 to win $152 on a game Matt Brown to win a decision. Let's lay $90 to win $30 on a Brendan Schaub bridge-jump. Let's lay $40 to win $64 on Petruzelli. Let's lay $80 to win $108 on da "fake" Spyder. (Anderson Silva's the real one.) Let's lay $130 to win $50 on Gerald Harris's ground and pound. Let's lay $ 90 to win $50 on Ninja Roberts. Let's lay $40 to win $60 on a Joe Madsen punch and a hunch. In all, we are risking $997 to win $914. Not bad. Let's leave the three dollars as a tip to the cocktail waitress. And, don't forget to share your profits with your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow's champions are born. Enjoy the fights. I know I will. I'll see you at the winner's window!

Wrestling Fans, we return for the 4th of July weekend special to the Brute Adidas studios of TDR brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Great show this week. Join us starting at 9 AM CST. Join me, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT. Our In Studio Guests: Sullivan Baccam- Glory Fighting Championships/ Max Fights MMA Star Troy Peterson & Wagener of Impact Pro Wrestling Our guests Include: 9:01 Kent Sesker- Dan Gable Intl Wrestling Inst. and Museum Kent will talk about the the coming weekend of inductions into the Geo. Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame 9:20 Mick Foley- WWE Star, HS Wrestling standout, Will receive the Frank Gotch Award at the Hall of Fame weekend at Geo. Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Hall of Fame 10:01 Stephen Neal- NFL Star for the New England Patriots, Cal Bakersfield Alumn Beat Brock Lesnar for the NCAA Hvy Wt. Title. Recently Neal helped to raise some 900K to benefit the Cal Bakersfield Wrestling program and promises to do even more next year. 10:20 Mark Perry- Cal Poly Asst. Head Coach. With a top 20 Finish last year, a team of eager young studs and a great head coach to work for Perry Joins us to talk about potential Wrestling fans- Episode 64 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings. TDR and TDR TV. Now It's appointment Radio and TV! TDR on Internet: Join us Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Delayed Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan TDR TV: Mediacom Cable Ch. 22 in 6 Midwestern states. Tu- 5PM, Sat 10 AM Time Warner Cable Sports Ch. 813 New York State Sat 12 Noon TDR TV On Internet: Over 31 Different sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!

The NWCA is pleased to announce the addition of John Licata to their staff as of July 2010. He will be filling the Coaching Development Coordinator position recently vacated by Coach Neil Turner. In this role, Licata will manage the NWCA coaching development programs and services for youth, high school and college coaches. Licata’s two main duties will include the oversight of the NWCA State Chairman Program which is designed to help ensure the NWCA is receiving important feedback on the unique needs and challenges of high school wrestling coaches in each state across the nation. He will also work closely with the NWCA College Coaches Leadership Academy, where he will serve as the primary oversight person for the mentoring component of the Academy. “I have always admired what the NWCA has done for the sport of wrestling and what it stands for. I believe that coaching development is one of the key factors in growing wrestling at all levels and the NWCA has put a lot of time and effort into making programs readily available for that exact purpose,” said Licata. “Throughout my business career I have remained very involved with wrestling. I have come to realize that many of the CEO principles that apply in the business world are very applicable in the coaching profession. Conversely, many of life’s great lessons are learned on the wrestling mat and have served me well in business. I am excited to be able to share this knowledge with many of our young, aspiring high school and college coaches who are now coming through the ranks.” Licata’s educational background started at Pittston Area High School (PA) along with a prep school career at Wyoming Seminary (PA). He attended West Chester State College (West Chester University) where he received his Bachelors of Science in Health and Physical Education. Following that he completed his Masters of Education at James Madison University in Health Education. While at West Chester State College, Licata was the wrestling team captain, a conference champion and an NCAA Division I Qualifier. He served as an assistant coach at James Madison University for five years and then continued his coaching career at various high schools in northern Virginia, the most recent at Westfield High School. Licata currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia State Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is also part of the alumni group that is working to support wrestling at West Chester University. Licata owned and operated one of the largest North American Van Line companies in the nation, which he recently sold and now wants to apply his business expertise toward helping coaches strengthen their CEO skills. “Having someone with John’s experience in both wrestling and business is going to be extremely beneficial for everyone involved. He will be able to relate to coaches in his daily interaction, along with provide them with the insight that is necessary to help coaches think outside of the box,” said NWCA President Jim Beichner. Licata will be working remotely from Virginia and can be reached by email at jlicata@nwca.cc.

Randy Couture

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University wrestlers Donnie Jones and Brandon Rader each have been granted their sixth year of eligibility, allowing them to compete for the Mountaineers in the 2010-11 campaign. “Donnie, Brandon and the coaching staff are very appreciative of our compliance staff, which put volumes of materials together and answered a series of questions to where we got the answer that we thought was correct,” coach Craig Turnbull says. “Without their diligence and the time put in, it wouldn’t have happened for either.” Due to their inability to participate for two years, the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee granted Jones and Rader extensions of their five-year eligibility period. A Parkersburg, W.Va., native, Rader is a two-time All-American. The only true freshman in program history to earn All-America honors, Rader compiled a 30-6 overall mark in 2006. He won the 141-pound Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) title and then collected four victories at the NCAA Championships en route to a sixth-place finish. A year later as a sophomore, he won 24 matches, including another league title. His five wins at the 2007 NCAA Championships were good enough for a sixth-place showing. He currently has a 55-10 overall record. Jones, a Slickville, Pa., native, earned his third bid to the NCAA Championships this past season. He won a career-high 20 matches at 165 pounds, led the team with 70 takedowns and finished runner-up at the EWL Championships after medically forfeiting the title bout. In 2009, he won 11 matches, going a perfect 6-0 against league competition. Jones owns a 45-28 overall mark. “I think it’s very important to Donnie, Brandon and the program,” Turnbull adds. “Both have tremendous potential to reach their goals, which is an NCAA Championship. They have been unlucky to some degree to have a certain portion of their career taken from them by inopportune injuries. I believe the granting of the sixth year was appropriate, and I’m glad the NCAA saw it that way. Both are very excited. It provides us that added bit of leadership that is critical to the program being successful next year.” The Mountaineers only lose two dual match starters from the 2009-10 season, and return pivotal pieces for next year’s squad, including Rader, Jones, Shane Young (125), Colin Johnston (133) and Brandon Williamson (HWT).

Last fall, I wrote an article for InterMat and The Guillotine titled "Whatever happened to UMD Wrestling?" about the demise of the University of Minnesota-Duluth wrestling program. At the very beginning of that story I wrote that I had no idea when I started looking into the story that two years later UMD wrestling would still be such a big part of my life. Here I stand almost three years later and I am still talking about something that happened fifteen years ago. Normally I wouldn't revisit the same subject so quickly, but out of such a bad ending some remarkable things have taken place. The story of the UMD wrestling program continues. The college students The response I received after the story was published was overwhelming. Thank you to everyone who responded so positively after the story came out. One of the people who contacted me was Matt Jennissen, who at the time was starting his sophomore year at UMD. He wrestled in high school for his dad at Cambridge-Isanti. "When I got up to school (at UMD), "I saw there wasn't any wrestling at the high school level or even a club team at any of the colleges," said Jennissen. "I wanted to change that because I was missing it from high school." He didn't start his freshman year until the second semester last year so the club took some time to get rolling. He was able to get a handful of guys interested and went to the area of the school administration that was in charge of student associations. "They didn't have any space for us or any mats so we got in touch with Nate Bipes, who runs the North Shore Wrestling Club, which is a youth program. We would go in three days a week after (the youth program) finished. We had ten guys at the start and by the end had about four guys come to the practices." With the word out a little, and because they were able to start right away in 2009, the attendance at practices went up. At the top end they had twenty four kids interested in the program and would usually have six to ten guys at the practices. As more people have gotten involved, the club will try to expand. They are going to try to do some fundraising after this season to try to do some open tournaments next year. They have taken baby steps despite not received any help from UMD. "We are registered as a student organization," said Jennissen. "At first I asked them about an extra auxiliary gym that is not really in use. If we could come up with the mats, I asked them if we could store the mats there and use it when it wasn't in use. They said that wasn't OK. When I tried to get us registered (as a club sport) through the Recreational Sports and Outdoors Program they didn't really give me a reason (why they couldn't). They never got back to me." Jennissen is hopeful for the future. "With it going to be our third year and with this being Kathryn Martin's last year as Chancellor here, we are optimistic we will get some more support. We are basically plugging away at the lowest level we can." A grass roots crusade The help Jennissen and his club have received from Bipes comes from one man's crusade to get wrestling going at the youth level in the Duluth area. Bipes wrestled for McLeod West in the mid-nineties and was a two-time state entrant there. His competitive wrestling career was over, but after college he knew he still wanted to be involved in the sport. After his family re-located to the Duluth area he started to volunteer with Superior (WI)'s high school program. "I got my son involved when he was in kindergarten with their youth program," said Bipes. "That is when I ran into a couple of other guys I knew (Luther Darby and Brian Carle) and the three of us got together. I have always been a Minnesota guy at heart and we started to try to get something going for the area up here." They started looking for a mat and for a place to hold practices. Ironically, the mat they use is the old UMD mat that Bipes got from the youth program in Cloquet, Minnesota. "They (the Cloquet booster club and program) have been a big help and a support though out the whole process. They send kids our way and we have been working together to expand wrestling in the area." At first it took him contacting everyone in the area he could think of for help, but it took a year for Bipes to even find a school that would let him use a room for his club. He finally found a spot in an elementary school about fifteen minutes outside of town. With a place to go, the club had an abbreviated season and about thirty kids in year one. They just finished their third season and have about twelve kids who have been with the club since its start. Bipes found out about Jennissen and his guys through The Guillotine. They met and have benefited each other. Bipes gives the college guys mat time after the North Shore Club has finished and the college guys -- specifically Cullen Berg from Simley and Kyle Larson from Chaska helped the club get a freestyle and Greco-Roman program going. "Right now things couldn't look better for us," said Bipes. "We've got kids in the program that are coming back. We've got a great core of younger kids. We had 42 kids and fifteen that stayed for freestyle and Greco. If they stick together and we can keep this progressing we are not going to be just another program. We are running our program longer every year. We had guys wrestling at the freestyle and Greco state tournament. We qualified seven kids for the MN/USA folkstyle qualifier. We've got some good parent support, some good coaches and we've got some people who are buying into the program." Bipes was able to secure a grant through MN/USA Wrestling that they give to help groups that are trying to get wrestling in an area that doesn't have it. With that money and money he hopes to get through fundraising, Bipes hopes to outfit the kids with better equipment and take the next step toward a junior varsity-type program. The Proctor/Hermantown/Duluth Marshal co-op is where Bipes would like to end up. "We are just trying to keep our nose clean, don't ruffle any feathers along the way and show the community this is something the kids need," said Bipes. "This is a sport we understand (people in the area) might not be familiar with, but if you give it a try we know you are going to like it." The schools have been supportive and helped the club continue. Right now the club has kids from Proctor, Hermantown and Duluth. Bipes' goal is to be an official program with the co-op within four years. "We need to go to that school board with all of our ducks in a row. We took a lot of notes from what Cloquet was able to do (going from a club team to a varsity team). We have to have all our financial backing ready so when you go to that school board and they say 'we can't afford to run another program', we can say we will run the program, we will pay for it, just let us have it." Building bridges and righting a wrong Unbelievably, less than a year after the first UMD article was published, the Minnesota-Duluth program is nearly at the same spot. Ever since the program was killed, the wrestling alumni have wanted to bring the program back. When former head coach Neil Ladsten was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame the alumni started to contact each other through Facebook -- the social networking Web site -- to get the word out on Ladsten's day. As more people got involved, the wheels started to turn. Conversations turned to bringing the program back. The plan is ambitious. Not only do the alumni want to get UMD's program running again, they see the program as a beacon for the whole area and something that can give the youth in the area something to shoot for. UMD wrestling camps, putting together a Midlands-style tournament at the DECC in Duluth, and support for schools who want to get programs going in the future would all be things the alumni would want to someday see in place. The athletes are in the area and more importantly in the state. There are coaches who have said they would want to be a part of the program. But in order to get there, three major hurdles stand in the way. One big one has been cleared. Jerry Hoy wrestled for Apple Valley in the late 70s. For years he was the only wrestling inductee into the Bulldog Hall of Fame. He sat down with a friend of his. "I was at (the donor's) house, "said Hoy, " and (the donor) came up to me and said 'I read article (the UMD article from earlier in the year) and said 'you go ahead and get that program going and don't worry about the money. Just get it going.' Normally you would just look at someone and tell them 'you don't know how much this costs', but if you knew this person you wouldn't even question it." Hoy said the mystery donor is committed to getting the program started and supporting it early on, but would expect with fundraising to be slowly weaned off of being the major contributor to the program. Unlike the first time around -- when raising enough money was not going to work -- this time it would be more feasible. The alumni are all established in their careers and are in a better place to generate the money needed to slowly take over the expenses. "We would really have to be aggressive with fundraising," said former UMD wrestler Jim Paddock. "We have over three hundred alumni. We are all connected on Facebook now. I think they are committed. Most of these guys are in their fifties. Yhey have careers and they have means. These are things we didn't have twenty years ago. I know we could do it financially. "(The donor) is not the kind of person to just give out money," said Hoy. "We are going to have to work for it. There is no set time limit, but (the donor) is going to want us to set up a steady flow of donations to wean (the donor) off of it or at least get it down to half or something." The second major hurdle to cross will be to keep UMD in Title IX compliance. In order to add a men's program -- even one that is funded entirely outside of the University -- UMD would have to reduce the number of men's athletes or add a women's program. With the recent rise of the football program to national prominence and the success of the men's hockey team the last five years, it would be unlikely that the administration would want to take away spots from the men. "We need a women's program to piggyback with us," said Hoy. "We need a women's coach to come in and lobby. If anybody knows of a passionate coach who wants to bring in a women's program, that would really help out. Ideally if a women's coach would approach the athletic director about getting a women's program going and plant that seed, then we can come along and say we would like to get the wrestling program back and we can pay for it ourselves. Then maybe (UMD) would say, 'Maybe this would work.' "The one objection that we can't do a whole lot with is, 'We don't want you here. If there is still some bad blood up there, then we are dead in the water." Hoy and Paddock are hopeful that the bad feelings that were generated the first time around will be gone with the exit of Martin. "There is no one left up there from when it all went down," said Paddock. "They are all gone." The time might be right. Although not a friend of wrestling, Martin and others in the administration have done a lot of good at the university. My family and I have been visiting our old school once a year for about five years ... and what the administration has done to the campus is impressive. To the naked eye it was sort of a drab campus fifteen years ago. Now improvements have been made all over campus. It is a campus to be proud of. Although they might have been forced to do it, the UMD administration cleaned out everyone in the athletic department that was part of the corruption up there. Eventually almost all the programs have had success -- many at the national level. Included in those success stories are the two big revenue generating programs and the one the wrestlers helped create. When the wrestling team was cut, the two biggest programs at the school were not doing well. The football team had its first losing season in years. After the program was cut, the football program quickly fell to the bottom of the conference. After a few coaching changes, athletic director Bob Neilson became the head coach. His program won the Division II national championship in 2008 and qualified for the tournament again last year. They made renovations to the football stadium to make it one of the best DII fields in the area. The men's hockey team was in the bottom half of the WCHA standings regularly in the late-nineties. Since Scott Sandlin was hired the team has had its ups and downs, but has been in the NCAA tournament twice in the last five years and came within one or two wins last season of making it again. Next season they will be opening a new area on the waterfront. The women's hockey team has won numerous championships and much of the credit for all the programs has to go to the people who are in charge now. They have turned the entire athletic department around. In doing that, the climate for bringing the program back is better than it has ever been. The current UMD administration has proven they can turn around and run successful programs. In order to get wrestling back at UMD (and the area in general) people in the right places may just need a little push. If you want to help at any level, the people leading the charge gave us the following ways to get involved. To contact the North Shore Wrestling Club or the students running the UMD club team, go to North Shore's Web site: www.north shorewrestlingclub.com. If you know of any old wrestling gear -- shoes, head gear, or even something like mat tape lying around, Bipes would love to take it off of your hands. If someone has a used wrestling mat you would like to sell or simply get it out of storage -- instead of throwing it away, Bipes would love to hear from you. To contact the people involved in bringing the Minnesota-Duluth program back the best way to get involved is to join Facebook, look up and join the page originally set up by Jennissen, "Bring wrestling back to Duluth." It is free and a great way to get involved in the movement. Hoy and Paddock will be meeting with administrators at UMD later this summer. The administration needs to know Minnesota is ready to have the program back. Listed at the end of this article is the contact information for the UMD athletic director and the members of the U of M Board of Regents. A great way to help would be to contact these people and let them know you support bringing the program back. The more positive feedback supporters of wrestling can give to the decision makers at the university, the easier it will make it for the movement. "We just want to right a wrong, "said Paddock. "If UMD lets us do it, we get a program back and after a few years it is not working, then let it die. We can live with that. We just can't live with the way it was murdered." UMD Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Bob Nielson: rnielson@d.umn.edu Members of the Board of Regents Clyde E. Allen, Jr: allen190@umn.edu Dallas Bohnsack: bohnsack@umn.edu Linda A. Cohen: lacohen@umn.edu David M. Larson: dmlarson@umn.edu Anthony R. Baraga: no email listed John Frobenius: froben@umn.edu Steven D. Hunter: sdhunter@umn.edu Maureen Ramirez: ramir015@umn.edu Richard B. Beeson: rbeeson@umn.edu Venora M. Hung: hung0025@umn.edu Dean E. Johnson: djohns@umn.edu Patricia S. Simmons: simmons@umn.edu The Regent's Web site asks that any correspondence is sent also to the Executive Director and Corporate Secretary Ann D. Cieslak at cieslak@umn.edu.

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State assistant wrestling coach Chris Bono announced Wednesday that he is resigning his position to pursue opportunities inside and outside the wrestling community. “I have been in wrestling a long time,” Bono said. “I am looking at options and considering what is best for my family. They are my first priority.” Bono just completed the first season of his second stint as an assistant coach for the Iowa State wrestling team. He had been head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga for three previous seasons (2006-09). “Chris Bono will always be a part of the Cyclone family and has been a valuable member of my staff,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. “He has made significant contributions as a student-athlete and as a coach at ISU. Chris will be hard to replace but we are going to seek a worthy successor.” Bono worked for former Cyclone head coach Bobby Douglas as an assistant coach and was the Cyclones' head assistant coach for the his final three years (2002-2005) in Ames. Bono was a three-time All-American at Iowa State, winning the NCAA 150-pound championship in 1996.

Former professional wrestling star Rene Goulet and journalist J. Michael Kenyon will be radio show guests this week. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Rene Goulet was a professional wrestler for 30 years. He will be receiving the Lou Thesz Award on July 10 in Waterloo, Iowa, at the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame inductions ceremony. J. Michael Kenyon is a former journalist and broadcaster who lives in Oregon. He has covered many sports over the years including professional wrestling. He will receive the Jim Melby Award for excellence in journalism.

Air Force wrestling head coach Joel Sharratt announced today the arrival of the Class of 2014. This year’s incoming freshman class features 24 wrestlers, including seven entries from the Academy Prep School. Featured in the group are 10 high school state champions and three NCWA All-Americans. “The team and staff are excited about this year’s class, and the talent and depth it will add to the program,” said Sharratt. “Personally, I am proud of the effort the team and coaches gave to attract such a great group of young men to the Academy. These guys offer the Academy tremendous depth in all aspects of our mission and hold great promise as future leaders.” Following is a listing of this year’s newcomers, along with a brief summary of their previous athletic accomplishments: - Carter Adams, Coon Rapids, Minn. – Attended the Academy Prep School … four-time state placer in high school … All-American at NCWA Nationals in 2010, finishing third … captured title at 2010 NWCA Southwest Regional … posted a 25-10 overall record at the Prep School. - Dan Barringer, Monument, Colo. – Third-place state finisher in 2009 … state champion in 2010 … compiled a perfect record (45-0) as a senior … academic all-state honoree. - Daniel Baucke, Bartlett, Tenn. – Three-time state champion … three-time state placer … Fargo Cadet All-American. - Jared Broussard, Maurice, La. – State champion in 2009. - Jonsen Crandall, Oakley, Utah – Two-time state champion … two-time state runner-up. - Cody Davis, The Woodlands, Texas - Two-time state champion … placed third in 2008 … fifth-place at 2008 Cadet Greco Nationals. - Brook Gosch, Orwigsburg, Pa. - Eighth place at NHSCA Junior Nationals … state qualifier in 2010. - Evan Gros, Lake Orion, Mich. – Attended the Academy Prep School … three-time state placer in high school … two-time state runner-up. - Devin Hightower, Colorado Springs, Colo. – Attended the Academy Prep School … finished sixth in the state in high school … NWCA Southwest Regional runner-up in 2010. - Jarret Hoeppner, Apple Valley, Minn. – Attended the Academy Prep School … three-time state placer in high school … All-American at NCWA Nationals in 2010, finishing seventh … finished first at 2010 NWCA Southwest Regional … posted a record of 22-9 at the Prep School, including 15 falls. - Colby Kluesner, Denver, Colo. – Placed fifth in state in 2009 … finished third in 2010. - Joshua Kreimier, Fort Collins, Colo. – Attended the Academy Prep School … academic all-state in 2008 … two-time state runner-up in high school … state champion in 2008 … ranked 13th nationally by W.I.N. Magazine in 2008 … Fila Cadet National Greco runner-up … four-time Cadet Asics All-American … All-American at NCWA Nationals in 2010, placing third … finished first at 2010 NWCA Southwest Regional, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors … compiled a 36-8 record at Prep School. - Garrett Manley, Holland, Ohio – Fourth place state finisher in 2008. - Blake Mabry, Mesa, Ariz. – Attended the Academy Prep School … state placewinner and state champion in high school … state freestyle champion … runner-up at NWCA Southwest Regional in 2010. - Justin Martinez, Henderson, Nev. – Attended the Academy Prep School … Prep School national champion and two-time Prep School All-American in high school … two-time state runner-up. - Chris Morales, Rio Rancho, N.M. – Third-place state finisher as a sophomore … state champion in junior year … member of New Mexico Dream Team in 2009. - Michael Osborne, Union, Ky. – Finished fourth in state in 2009 … state champion in 2010. - Greg Rinker, Bath, Pa. – State qualifier … two-time NHSCA All-American. - Jared Tonder, Parachute, Colo. – Four-time state placewinner … state champion in 2010. - Jesse Stafford, Loomis, Calif. – Placed fourth in state in 2009 … state runner-up in 2010.

Stephen Neal

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee announced Friday, June 25 that Iowa State University has been selected to host the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. The NCAA Committee also awarded the 2014 Wrestling Championship to Oklahoma City, Okla. The Des Moines Local Organizing Committee (LOC) spent nearly two years working through the bid process, with input from the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau (GDMCVB), Des Moines Area Sports Commission, Iowa State University, the Big 12 Conference, Global Spectrum and Polk County. "Booking this event was truly a collaborative effort and one that the whole community can now celebrate," said Greg Edwards, President/CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau (GDMCVB). "We're proud to continue bringing quality events into Greater Des Moines to benefit the local economy." "We are thrilled that the NCAA Championship is coming back to Central Iowa and to Wells Fargo Arena for the first time," Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard said. "This was a joint effort between Iowa State, Polk County, the Big 12, the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Des Moines Area Sports Commission and Global Spectrum to bring this great event back to our state for the first time since 2001. Iowa State hosted the first NCAA Championship in Ames in 1928 and this will be the eighth time that ISU has hosted the event. Iowa State wrestling fans and our Cyclone wrestling student-athletes and fans of the sport throughout our state are the biggest winners in this successful NCAA bid." While this will be the first time NCAA Champions are crowned inside Wells Fargo Arena, it's not the first time the NCAA has held successful events in Des Moines. In 2008, the Division I Women's Basketball first and second rounds were hosted at Wells Fargo Arena, and the 2008 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships was hosted at Drake Stadium, with return trips scheduled for 2011 and 2012. "This is another example of a major event again putting Des Moines on the map with sports enthusiasts," said Al Lorenzen, Vice President of Sports and Development with the Des Moines Area Sports Commission, an organization under the GDMCVB umbrella. "This showcases our community's commitment to health and wellness." Des Moines has become a city known for executing high level sporting events in previous years, including the AAU Junior Olympics, Drake Relays, USA Track and Field Championships, High School State Wrestling Championships and the World Disc Golf Championships. When Polk County officials made the decision to build Wells Fargo Arena, events like this were on the list of those they hoped to attract. "Showcasing the NCAA Wrestling Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena is exactly the type of national event that was envisioned for the Iowa Events Center since it was first conceived. This event will provide a huge economic development impact and allow us to share with thousands more all that Des Moines and Polk County have to offer," stated Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly. "This is a tremendous accomplishment for everyone in the State of Iowa," said Global Spectrum's Matt Homan, General Manager of Wells Fargo Arena. "We look forward to exceeding the NCAA's expectations for the 2013 Wrestling Championships and providing a first-class facility and city for wrestling fans to enjoy."

Two recent NU All-Americans will add further experience and knowledge to the Husker wrestling coaching staff as Nebraska has announced the additions of volunteer assistant Brandon Browne and administrative assistant Craig Brester. Along with recently-hired assistant coach Bryan Snyder, the three new hires combined to win 87 percent of their matches and earn eight All-America honors during their Husker careers. Browne will be in his second year with the Huskers after serving as the team's club coach last year. A native of Plattsmouth, Neb., Browne won back-to-back Big 12 championships at 174 pounds in 2008 and 2009. He placed fourth at the NCAA Championships as a junior and senior to finish his career as a two-time All-American with a 79-15 record. His .840 winning percentage ranks seventh on the school's all-time win list after enjoying his best seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09 with a combined 65-9 mark. The team's Most Improved Wrestler during the 2007-08 season, Browne earned a psychology degree from Nebraska in August 2009. His younger brother, Cameron, will be a senior on the Nebraska wrestling team in 2010-11. Brester will be the most recent face on the NU staff and serve the role of administrative assistant. The Howells, Neb., native finished his career this past March with his second-straight NCAA runner-up finish at 197 pounds. Through four years, Brester produced a 109-21 record and ranks with the eight-best winning percentage (.838) in school history. He was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2009 Big 12 Championships following his individual title that lifted the Huskers to a share of the team championship. Brester graduated with a mechanized systems management degree and was named Nebraska's Male Student-Athlete of the Year for excellent achievements on the mat, in the classroom and in the community. The additions of Browne and Brester complete Nebraska's coaching staff for the 2010-11 season. Earlier this month, the Huskers announced the return and addition of Snyder, a four-time All-American, to give the NU coaching staff three members of Nebraska's 100-win club (Snyder, Brester and NU strength and conditioning coach Jason Powell). They will join 11th-year head coach Mark Manning and fifth-year assistant coach Tony Ersland to form a knowledgeable and loyal staff that has spent a combined 40 years with the NU wrestling program as either a student-athlete or coach.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Takedown Wrestling Media and Time Warner Sports have established a relationship that will bring the popular TDR TV amateur wrestling program to over 700,000 homes in the eastern United States. The first broadcast of TDR TV on Time Warner Cable NY will be Saturday, July 3, on Channel 813 throughout the CNY Division. (Check your local listings for availability on additional channels.) TDR TV is a 30-minute weekly TV show that covers all aspects of amateur wrestling in the U.S. Host Scott Casber updates viewers on the latest developments in high school, college and international wrestling, conducts insightful interviews with the sport’s top wrestlers and coaches, and shares his passion for the “oldest and greatest sport” in a fun, fast-paced show. TDR TV is already available on the Mediacom cable TV system serving six Midwestern states, and can be viewed online at www.TakedownRadio.com and at over thirty other affiliated amateur wrestling websites. “Central New York is a hotbed for championship wrestling on both the high school and collegiate levels,” said Time Warner Cable Sports Director Doug Logan. “We are pleased to be adding Takedown Wrestling Media’s news program, TDR TV, for all of our subscribers who appreciate this outstanding and demanding sport.” Casber, founder of Takedown Wrestling Media, said, “This is an important step forward for the athletes, coaches and fans of wrestling across the country. Time Warner Sports is a respected name around the country. They understand wrestling fans and the need for promotion of the sport in order to continue its positive growth. This is a special opportunity to partner with Time Warner Cable in the distribution of TDR TV. We understand the responsibility we have in this undertaking and will do our best to present wrestling in a positive manner.” “Time Warner Sports will present our weekly TV program throughout the prime wrestling hotbeds in the eastern U.S., where collegiate wrestling got its start more than a century ago, and is home to a number of great programs at Cornell, Buffalo and Binghamton,” said Casber. “In addition, we’ll be now seen in the part of the country that features some of the best high school wrestling programs in the nation.”

Wrestling Fans, this week we return to the Brute Adidas studios of TDR for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Lots going on for sure. Great show lined up for you again this week. Join me, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT. Our guests Include: 9:01 Andrew Pariano- Head Coach Northwestern University 9:20 Scott Goodale- Head Coach of Rutgers University 9:40 Cael Sanderson- Head Coach of Penn State University 10:01 Robbie Waller- Head Coach of Lock Haven University 10:20 John Azevedo- Cal Poly Head Coach 10:40 Ricky Lundell- Head Coach University of Grappling in Utah Wrestling fans- Episode 63 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings. TDR and TDR TV. Now It's appointment Radio and TV! TDR on Internet: You can join us Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Delayed Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, TDR TV: Mediacom Cable Systems Channel 22 in 6 Midwestern states. TDR TV On Internet: Over 30 Different sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!

California USA Wrestling Inc. announced today that they have joined forces with the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) to help financially support the fight to reinstate the University of California, Davis wrestling program. The California USA Wrestling Board of Directors recently donated $20,000 to the cause. Duane Morgan, State Chair for California USA Wrestling, had this to say, "Wrestling programs throughout the State of California have taken a big hit over the past six months. Due to the elimination of the UC Davis wrestling program, the student-athletes are essentially left with no options to stay within the state and wrestle at the Division 1 level. We chose to partner with the NWCA in an effort to help formulate a plan that not only translates into the reinstatement of the wresting program at UC Davis, but that also serves as a long term solution for the remaining college wrestling programs in California." In April, UC Davis abruptly announced that they were eliminating the wrestling program, and three other intercollegiate sports programs, effective July 1, 2010. The $20,000 donation made to the NWCA, by the California USA Wrestling Board of Directors is an effort to help sustain an ongoing attempt to reinstate the UC Davis Wrestling program, and to help maintain existing Division 1 wrestling programs in the state of California. UC Davis head wrestling coach, Lennie Zalesky, issued a public statement within hours of the announcement stating that the wrestling program had been eliminated. According to Zalesky, in the fall of 2009, he was informed by personnel at the University, that no matter what may come to be, football and wrestling were safe at UC Davis, yet the wrestling program was cut without any notice to the student body, student- athletes, coaching staff or coach Zalesky. Further, UC students were not allowed to attend the press conference announcing the elimination of the programs. According to Chancellor Linda Katehi, dropping athletics teams and losing opportunities for student-athletes is regrettable but necessary. However, neither Chancellor Katehi nor Athletic Director Greg Warzecka ever discussed the prospect of eliminating the sports programs with the students, student-athletes or the coaching staff, despite the fact that the sports programs are largely funded from self-imposed student fees. Mike Moyer, the president of the NWCA, feels that despite the financial situation California continually finds itself in, solutions may be better found with the active involvement of all parties. Moyer stated, "To purposely ignore the student body, student-athletes and the coaching staff, and to ignore the student initiative, in which the student body agreed to a self imposed fee for sports programs, are disrespectful and irresponsible." Moyer also expressed his gratitude to California USA Wrestling, "The NWCA would like to personally thank Duane Morgan and the entire California USA Wrestling Board of Directors for their support. Their financial contribution is a testament to their continuous resolve to protect the interests of the wrestling community in California." The UC Davis wrestling program had the second highest fund-raising numbers (behind football) over the last three years (averaging $65,000/year), the highest alumni/donor support, and one of the most profitable per contest gates of any sport at UC Davis. This specific criterion was supposed to be examined when determining which programs to retain. The elimination of the UC Davis sports programs, which includes wrestling, as well as men’s and women’s swimming, currently effects 73 female and 80 male student-athletes. About California USA Wrestling Inc. California USA Wrestling, Inc., (CA-USAW) is a non-profit corporation that promotes amateur wrestling in many forms to Californians of all ages. California Wrestling is an affiliate of USA Wrestling in Colorado Springs, the national governing body for international-style amateur wrestling in the United States. They are the designated representatives for USA Wrestling in the State of California. CA-USAW educates the California public in both collegiate and international wrestling styles. In addition, the organization conducts and sponsors well-planned wrestling activities, including wrestling camps, clinics and tournaments, and other related programs in order to improve the quality of California wrestling at all competitive levels. About The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs. The membership embraces all people who are interested in amateur wrestling. The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognition achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.

Brent Metcalf

The drive to find the best. The drive to be the best. InterMat Top 10 Recruits (2011) 1. Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) 2. Morgan McIntosh (Calv. Chapel, CA) 3. Chris Phillips (Monroeville, OH) 4. Andrew Campolattano (Bd. Brook, NJ) 5. Jesse Thielke (Germantown, WI) 6. Nico Megaludis (Franklin Reg., PA) 7. Cam Tessari (Monroeville, OH) 8. Mason Beckman (Reynolds, PA) 9. Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, OH) 10. Evan Silver (Blair Academy, NJ)These two statements epitomize what the InterMat grade level rankings represent. These rankings started out being done only for the incoming senior class in late June, right before Division I wrestling coaches could make their initial official contact with prospective student-athletes. However, in order to satisfy the desires of our readership and customers, the rankings have expanded in scope. They now cover all four grades of high school as well as junior high, and are updated at least three other times on a yearly basis. While there are obviously many different perspectives on what rankings actually accomplish, and their relative significance, most can reasonably agree that a primary purpose of them is identify and recognize those wrestlers that have separated themselves as among the nation's elite. From the perspective of wrestlers across the country, each one aspires to perform to the best of their ability. Five individuals are being recognized as the best in their respective graduating class. These wrestlers have all risen to the top of their class based on hard work, a strong drive and determination, and the willingness to compete. Destin McCauley (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) rises to the No. 1 position in the Class of 2011. Headed into his senior year of high school, McCauley is the lynchpin of a squad that is among the nation's best -- and will seek to win that elusive unanimous national championship this coming season. A member of the varsity lineup since his seventh grade year, McCauley will be after a fifth state championship in six varsity seasons with only a runner-up finish as a high school sophomore blemishing his state tournament record. Last summer, he finished in third place at 145 pounds in freestyle at the Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. Already this offseason, McCauley finished third at 145.5 pounds at the FILA Junior Nationals (freestyle) in a weight bracket dominated by graduates of the Class of 2010 and wrestlers with college experience. Taylor Massa (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)Remaining atop the Class of 2012 is Taylor Massa (St. John's, MI). Massa burst on to the scene for followers of high school wrestling when he reached the semifinals of the preseason Super 32 Challenge in the fall of 2007, when he was in eighth grade. Additionally, Massa had but one loss in approximately 70 matches at the Cadet Duals and Cadet Nationals on the way to sweeping the Cadet National Greco-Roman and freestyle titles each of the last two years. In addition to a two-season high school record of 120-0, Massa is also a two-time Super 32 Challenge runner-up, 2010 FloNationals champion, and also won the FILA Junior Nationals in freestyle at 154 pounds this past April. Therefore, despite the constraints placed on his in-season scholastic schedule by the MHSAA, Massa has tested himself in many major platforms -- passing those examinations with flying colors. Bo Jordan (Photo/BuckeyeWrestling.com)Bo Jordan (Graham Local, OH) moves up to the top spot in the Class of 2013 after winning the state championship with a 39-1 record during his freshman season; the lone loss in the ultimate tiebreaker of the finals of a mid-January tournament was avenged in the state semifinals. The son of Graham head coach Jeff Jordan has assuredly practiced and competed against many of the nation's finest both in his school's practice room, as well as through Jeff Jordan's State Champ Camps. Prior to high school, he was also a multiple-time Roller World of Wrestling event champion. Chance MarstellerAmong incoming freshmen in the Class of 2014, Keystone State native Chance Marstellar moves up to the No. 1 position in the rankings for this group. Just last week, he finished 19-0 in contested matches at the Cadet National Duals between the Greco-Roman and freestyle competitions. Over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, Marstellar only lost one out of approximately ten matches at the NHSCA National Duals; among the victories were wins over FloNationals champion Travis Shaffer (Derry, PA), state placer Nick Heilmann (South Plainfield, NJ), and state runner-up Tyler Scotton (Willingboro, NJ). This past fall, Marstellar competed at the Penn State Open as well as the Super 32 Challenge. Mark HallFinally the top spot for wrestlers in junior high this coming fall, slated to graduate in 2015 or later, goes to Mark Hall -- a Michigan native who competed for Ryle High School in Kentucky this past season. As a seventh grader, Hall was a state runner-up, losing 6-2 in the final against defending state champion Myron Bradbury -- a senior from Trinity. Since the end of the season, Hall was champion of the USA Schoolboy Folkstyle Nationals; defeated Cadet National freestyle All-American Stephen Myers (Moeller, OH) at the Grand River Rumble in mid-May; and then defeated both state finalist Kyle Casaletto (Southern Regional, NJ) and two-time state champion Alex Cisneros (Selma, CA) at the America's Cup Duals in early June. Along with these individuals, there are a total of 235 wrestlers recognized with rankings in this update; 100 from the incoming seniors (Class of 2011); 50 each from the Classes of 2012 and 2013; 25 from the Class of 2014; and 15 among junior high wrestlers. Summary of ranked prospects by state: Class of 2011: 13 for PA; 11 for CA; 8 each for OH, NJ, and IL; 6 for IA; 5 for MN; 4 for WI and MI; 3 each for NY and MO; 2 each for OK, ID, CO, SD, FL, MT, VA, KS, MD, and IN; 1 each for DE, OR, AZ, KY, TN, NC, and AL Class of 2012: 6 each for PA, OH, and IL; 5 for MI; 3 each for NJ, CA, IA, and FL; 2 each for IN, MN, NY, OK, and OR; 1 each for WI, WA, VA, MD, and NE Class of 2013: 8 for PA; 6 for OH; 3 each for VA, IL, NJ, CA, MN, GA, and MO; 2 each for IA, TX, MI, and OR; 1 each for FL, IN, KS, NY, NV, OK, and WA Class of 2014: 4 for PA; 3 for NJ; 2 each for IL, OK, CA, OH, MO, and MD; 1 each for NY, IN, MN, GA, IA, and KS Junior High: 2 each for OH, FL, IL, and PA; 1 each for KY, CA, MO, IA, WA, VA, and MN View InterMat Grade Level Rankings (InterMat Platinum)

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jim Moulsoff, who has served the Augsburg College wrestling program as an assistant coach for the last three seasons, has been promoted to a full-time assistant coach position for the Auggies, the athletic department has announced. Moulsoff replaces Jared Evans, who is leaving Augsburg to pursue other opportunities. Moulsoff will also have other duties within the Augsburg athletic department, which have yet to be announced. "I'm very honored and appreciate the opportunity to be working with such an established wrestling program, and look forward to our continued success, continuing the pursuit of excellence that has been the hallmark of this program," Moulsoff said. Moulsoff has spent more than 20 years as a wrestling coach at the high school, amateur and collegiate levels. Prior to joining the Augsburg staff in 2007, Moulsoff spent 15 years as head coach of the Minnehaha Academy High School program. He spent three years as an assistant coach in Whapeton, N.D., before moving to Minnehaha Academy. He also serves as the cadet director for Minnesota/USA Wrestling. Earlier this month, the Minnesota cadets won the national titles in both Greco-Roman and freestyle at the USA Wrestling Cadet National Duals in Rochester, Minn. "I am very excited to have Jim on staff full-time. His experience and knowledge in the sport of wrestling will uphold the tradition of excellence in this program," said Augsburg head coach Mark Matzek. "Jim is a technician and an avid student of the sport. In 2010, Jim has been an integral part of winning four national championships. He won the NWCA National Duals and the Division III national championship with Augsburg and has just come off winning the Cadet duals national championship in both Greco-Roman and freestyle as cadet director of Minnesota/USA Wrestling. Jim and I will be a great team, and I am looking forward to the years to come." Augsburg won its record-11th NCAA Division III national championship in 2010, claiming eight All-Americans and three national runner-up individuals. Augsburg extended its streak of “trophy finishes” – finishing in the top four in the team race – to 22 straight years, the longest active streak of any NCAA wrestling program, regardless of division. The Auggies went 12-0 in dual meets and claimed the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals title in the 2009-10 season. In Moulsoff's three seasons, the Auggies have had national team finishes of third, second and first, while claiming 20 All-Americans and going 33-4 in dual meets.

Terry Funk, one of this year’s George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame inductees, and Michael Talbott, a former wrestler who acted in the 1980s show Miami Vice, will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, June 23. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Terry Funk has a long and distinguished professional wrestling career that spans six decades. He will be inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on July 10 at the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo. Funk’s father, Dory Funk, Sr., wrestled for the legendary Billy Thom at Indiana University. Michael Talbott, best-known for his role as Det. Stanley Switek on the 1980s television show Miami Vice, has had roles in several major films. Talbott will be at the Dan Gable Museum celebrity golf outing on July 9 in Waterloo, Iowa.