InterMat Staff

BLOOMSBURG -- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team picked up wins over East Stroudsburg and Sacred Heart and lost a tough match to Buffalo on Saturday at the Bloomsburg Duals. The Huskies beat the Warriors of East Stroudsburg, 33-12, Sacred Heart 41-3, before losing to Buffalo 18-16. Bloomsburg All-American Matt Moley (Phoenixville/Spring-Ford) had a big day with three wins, two of them by fall, while the third win was by technical fall. Rick Schmelyun (New Oxford/Bermudian Springs) at 165 pounds had the day's quickest pin with a 49 second victory over Buffalo's Ron Majerus. Bloomsburg, 3-4,will be idle till Dec. 29-30 when the Huskies go to Greensboro, NC to for the Southern Scuffle.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Seven wrestlers for the No. 8 Fighting Illini won both of their matches as Illinois dominated Findlay, 32-6, and McKendree, 39-9, in front of 845 fans Saturday at Huff Hall. No. 2 Jimmy Kennedy (133), No. 6 John Wise (HWT), No. 11 Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165), No. 11 John Dergo (174), No. 17 Jordan Blanton (184), B.J. Futrell (125) and Grant Paswall (157) each went undefeated in the Illini's pair of victories. "It was a pretty dominant team performance," Illinois coach Mark Johnson said. "All of the guys who won both their matches looked good and we had some impressive individual performances. We just have to continue to work on getting healthy and getting our full lineup out there." Futrell and Smith-Bergsrud got the Illini off to a strong start as Futrell pinned Findlay's Nick Weisjhan in 3:29 on one mat, followed shortly by Smith-Bergsrud's technical fall over McKendree's Arben Balazi on the other mat. Kennedy followed Futrell with a technical fall and Dergo scored a pin after Smith-Bergsrud's performance as Illinois went up 11-0 on both mats. No. 17 Jordan Blanton scored a pin in 1:18 at 184, but on the other mat, Ryan Prater dropped a hard-fought 7-6 decision at 141. True-freshman Eric Terrazas fought back on that mat with a 7-5 win at 149, but the Illini streak on the other mat ended when Patrick Bond fell, 3-2, at 197. Wise responded with a pin in 1:55 at heavyweight, though, and Paswall earned a 9-2 win to end the first session on both mats. Next up, Illinois' lighter weights finished the dual against McKendree, as Futrell notched a 21-9 major decision and Kennedy registered a pin in 5:37. Redshirt-freshman Zeke Rowan dropped a 5-4 decision at 141 on a last-second three-point near-fall and Terrazas lost a 4-2 decision at 149, but Paswall finished the dual with a pin in 1:55 to seal the victory, 39-9. In the third session, the Illini heavier weights finished the dual with Findlay, starting with Smith-Bergsrud's 5-1 win at 165. Dergo followed with a 24-7 technical fall and Blanton scored a 7-4 win. Bond dropped a 4-0 decision, but Wise capped the 32-6 win with an 11-1 major decision. Illinois has two weeks off for final exams and the holidays before heading to Midlands at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill., on Dec. 29-30.

BOISE, Idaho -- The Boise State wrestling team earned its first Pac-10 Conference win of the season, Friday night, with a 25-13 victory against the Oregon State Beavers in Bronco Gymnasium. Boise State won seven matches on the night, improving its overall record to 7-1, 1-0 in Pac-10 competition. The Broncos managed to rebound against the Beavers despite dropping the first two matches of the night. At 197-pounds, Boise State freshman Jacob Neumann lost his first ever collegiate match in a 13-4 major decision against Chad Hanke. Then, in the Heavyweight match, Sam Zylstra fell to Oregon State's Clayton Jack, 17-2 technical fall, which gave Oregon State and early 9-0 lead. Alan Bartelli gave the Broncos their first win of the night in the 125-pound match, wrestling Jake Gonzales to a 3-1 decision. After a scoreless first period, Bartelli scored a one point escape in the second to take a 1-0 lead heading into the third. Bartelli sealed the win with 1:01 left in the match with a two-point take down. In the 133-pound match Boise State sophomore Andrew Hochstrasser managed to keep his dual record perfect for the season (8-0) with an 11-2 major decision against Kelly Kubec. Hochstrasser jumped out to a big lead early, scoring six points in the first period. The win narrowed the gap for Boise State, trailing 7-9 going into the 141-pound match. At 141-pounds Eli Hutchison gave the Broncos their first lead of the night, 11-9, after a 12-4 decision over Ryan Harold. Hutchison used an eight-point third period to blow the match wide open, scoring six points on take downs in the final period. The Boise State lead wouldn't last long, however, with Oregon State overtaking Boise State again after Heinrich Barnes defeated Boise State's Jason Chamberlain at 149-pounds. Barnes' 12-4 major decision gave the Beavers' their final lead of the night, 13-11. In the 157-pound match Adam Hall overpowered Oregon State's Anthony Peressini, 20-5, behind a seven-point second period for Hall. In the match, Hall scored on seven take downs, giving Boise State a 16-13 lead and helping to improve his dual record this season to 6-1. Senior Tyler Sherfey overcame two scoreless periods against Oregon State's Keegan Davis in the 165-pound match, en route to a 2-1 decision. Sherfey scored the matches first point with a one-point escape at the 1:50 mark in the third. Despite being penalized one-point for stalling with 00:30 on the clock, Sherfey scored an advantage point in the end to give Boise State a 19-13 lead. Kurt Swartz sealed the deal for the Broncos, however, with a 5-3 overtime win against Ben Harris at 174-pounds. After wrestling to a 3-3 tie at the end of regulation, Swartz scored a two-point take down with 00:11 to go in the first OT, extending Boise State's lead to 22-13. In the final match of the night, 184-pounds, Kirk Smith fended off Oregon State's Kyle Bressler, 4-1, in the most anticipated match of the night. Smith entered Friday night ranked No. 4 in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA individual rankings, while Bressler was ranked No. 8. After taking an early two point lead in the first period, Smith score a one point escape in the second and scored the advantage point to hold off Bressler and give Boise State the 25-13 win. The Broncos now return to the road, traveling to Reno, Nev. next weekend for the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 18. The Broncos are on the road until Jan. 18 when Boise State will host Cal State-Bakersfield, which is the first of five consecutive Pac-10 home duals for the Broncos.

ERIE, Pa. -- The No. 10 Mercyhurst College wrestling team downed crosstown rival Gannon, 28-12, in the War at the Shore IV. The Lakers won seven of 10 bouts, including back-to-back falls by Kevin Hardy and Bryan Wolff at 174 and 184 lbs, respectively, to even the series record in the War at the Shore. At 125 lbs, Payne Lint got the scoring started for the Lakers with a 10-4 decision over Chris Santucci. After a scoreless opening period, Lint jumped out to a 3-0 lead with an escape and takedown. Santucci added an escape to make it 3-1 but Lint rebounded with two more takedowns to finish the second period with a 7-2 lead. Another fall by Lint and two escapes for Santucci rounded out the scoring as Lint earned a point for riding time. With 1:25 remaining in the second period, 133-pounder Michael Baxter earned an escape for the first points of the bout before adding to his score with a takedown to end the second period leading 3-0. The third period was also scoreless and Baxter would add a point for riding time to finish with a 4-0 decision. At 141 lbs, Gannon's Kevin McElhaney got the Golden Knights on the scoreboard with a 7-4 decision over Lance Pitcel. McElhaney took the lead on a takedown which Pitcel quickly countered with an escape one minute into the match. Another takedown with just over 30 seconds left in the second increased McElhaney's lead to 4-1 before Pitcel earned an escape to make it 4-2 to start the third period. Another escape by Pitcel made it 4-3 but a takedown with almost one minute remaining in the match gave McElhaney a 6-3 advantage, a lead he would not relinquish as Gannon won their first bout of the evening. The Lakers then reeled off five victories, highlighted by the falls and a 14-1 major decision over Brett Terry by Josh Shields gave Mercyhurst a commanding 28-3 lead heading to the final two weights. Lenny Calhoun won at 149 lbs and began with a takedown that was countered with Milanik's escape close to the end of the first period for a 2-1 lead heading into the second. After Milanik deferred and Calhoun started in the down position, an escape by Calhoun stretched his advantage to 3-1. Milanik's escape from the down position started the third and made it 3-2, but Calhoun held on for the victory. At 157 lbs, Andy Lamancusa started the scoring with a takedown just over a minute into the match and Monin quickly added an escape to cut the lead to 2-1 heading into the second period. Another takedown to end the second period with a 4-2 lead that would end the same score. At 165 lbs, Josh Shields took a commanding 5-0 lead just over halfway through the match before adding three near fall points to close out the second period. Another takedown increased Shield's lead to 10-0 before an additional three near fall points stretched the lead to 13-0 before finishing 14-1. Gannon swept the last two matches of the night as Jacob Tazzi posted a 6-1 decision over Trevor Gallo before heavyweight Frank McGrath pinned Kenny Bluska at 2:06.

HEMPSTEAD, NY -- The Pride won nine consecutive matches, including a pin by Lou Ruggirello and a tech fall by Jonny Bonilla-Bowman, to post a 37-3 victory over CAA-rival Binghamton at the David S. Mack Sports Complex Friday night. The Hofstra victory boosted the Pride's season mark to 3-1 and bumped the program's conference match undefeated streak to 61 (60-0-1) and their conference winning streak to 58. The match opened at 184 pounds with Binghamton's 15th-ranked junior Josh Patterson taking on Hofstra freshman Ben Clymer (8-4). Patterson (19-2) jumped out to a 3-0 lead and hung on for a 4-2 victory. Hofstra sophomore Joe Fagiano, ranked 16th in the nation at 197 pounds, put Hofstra on the board with a convincing 15-1 major decision over freshman Carl Korpi (1-7). The Indiana University-transfer improved to 10-1 on the season with his fifth consecutive victory and gave the Pride a 4-3 lead. Hofstra freshman Jordan Enck followed Fagiano's lead with an 8-0 major decision over junior Corey Waite (13-9). Enck boosted his record to 9-8 on the year. Steve Bonanno, the third of five freshmen in the Pride starting line-up, boosted the Hofstra lead to 12-3 with a 17-3 major decision over sophomore Tyler Malberg at 125 pounds. Bonanno improved to 12-6 on the year with his fifth consecutive victory. Pride sophomore Lou Ruggirello, ranked 10th in the nation, improved to 10-1 on the season and recorded his ninth win by fall with a pin of junior Rob Slavin (7-8), in 1:11, at 133 pounds. All 10 of Ruggirello's victories this season have been bonus-point wins. Pride red-shirt freshman Justin Accordino continued Hofstra's run of five straight bonus-point victories with a 14-3 major decision over sophomore Anwar Goeres (11-10) at 141 pounds. Accordino boosted his season-record to 10-4. In a rematch of the 2007 New York State High School Championship final, Hofstra red-shirt freshman P.J. Gillespie, from Long Beach High School, squared off against Matt Kaylor (13-8), from Burnt Hills High School, at 149 pounds. Once again, Gillespie (12-6) got the better of his opponent, jumping out to a 3-0 lead and holding on for a 4-1 victory. Leading 25-3 in the match, Hofstra junior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (4-5) dominated red-shirt freshman Jon Kaloust (2-5) to post a 25-10 tech fall victory at 157 pounds. Pride sophomore Ryan Patrovich, ranked 20th this week at 165 pounds, boosted his record to 9-3 on the season with a 7-2 victory over sophomore Ryan McGarity (9-9). Patrovich has won four of his last five matches. Hofstra senior Alton Lucas, the Pride's lone returning All-American, closed out the match and boosted his record to 8-3 on the season with a 17-4 major decision over junior Anthony Esposito (8-8) at 174 pounds. The Pride will break for exams and will return to action on December 29-30 when they compete at The Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Rob Koll, who is in his 16th season as head coach at Cornell, has led the Big Red to nine Ivy League titles, crowned four individual NCAA champions, 27 All-Americans, and 23 EIWA champions. Cornell is poised to challenge for the NCAA team title this season with six All-American on its roster. RevWrestling.com recently talked to Koll about Troy Nickerson's status, Mike Grey's move back down to 133, what makes Jordan Leen so good, what Mack Lewnes is going to need to do to win the NCAA title, how Adam Frey's battle with cancer has affected his life, why he thinks the NWCA should do away with the All-Star Classic, and much more. Rob Koll (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)Troy Nickerson started the season at 125 and wrestled 133 against Penn State, but hasn't competed since. What his status? And when do you expect him to return to the lineup? Koll: As soon as possible. He's just struggling with some injuries. We don't want to rush him back too soon … because at the end of the day, nobody is going to care how he does at the Southern Scuffle or Vegas. They're going to remember what he did at nationals. To be honest with you, it's a day-by-day situation and we just don't know. He takes two steps forward and sometimes three steps back. We just want to keep moving forward instead of constantly setting ourselves back. So I don't want to rush the recovery. Compare the Troy Nickerson who placed third at the 2007 NCAAs to the Troy Nickerson who is on your roster now. Where do you think his biggest gains have come during that time away from competition? Koll: That's really hard to say because I haven't seen him wrestle in competition but a couple matches. I wish I could answer that question. I know in the practice room he has significantly improved. He's much more dominant and doesn't give up points anymore. Whereas in the past, he would concede positions and points. He's not doing that anymore. My main concern with Troy is to get him physically healthy so that he can have a great mental frame of mind going into nationals. Mike Grey had an outstanding freshman season. This season, Grey won the Binghamton Open, but struggled against Penn State and then again a day later at the Body Bar Invitational while competing at 141. Now he's moving back down to 133. What went into Grey's decision to move back down to 133? Koll: Well, you just answered it (laughing). The fact that he struggled at 141. He won the Binghamton Open, but didn't look good doing it. Ever since he has gone down, he's just a totally different animal. I'm one hundred percent confident the next time you see Mike Grey he will be vastly improved from the Penn State match and Body Bar. And he's at 133. I think sometimes a person has to train doubly hard to get down to weight … and that makes him that much better. I think in Mike's case, that's the situation. Whereas other people, if they don't have to work so hard, they don't wear themselves out. Mike has to work that hard to have the confidence that he's in just unbelievable shape and bigger and stronger than anybody he wrestles. Will he be back for the Southern Scuffle? Koll: Yes. Mack Lewnes placed fourth at the NCAAs last season as a freshman. He has been very impressive this season. But he has a history of close losses to Nick Marable of Missouri, including one this season at the NWCA All-Star Classic. What's going to be the key for Mack to win an NCAA title this season? Mack Lewnes has struggled with Missouri's Nick Marable throughout his career (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Koll: Well, hopefully Marable is on the other side of the bracket and gets beat (laughing). (Mack) just needs to keep doing what he does every single day, which is work incredibly hard. I've never seen him get out of position in practice. Every waking moment, he's trying to get better. Whether it's coming in and doing extra cardio work or doing extra lifts or drills, he's just an absolute coach's dream come true. He will continue to improve as the season progresses. I have no doubt whatsoever. I think he's the guy to beat. I'm obviously very, very biased. He has to figure out a way to score on Marable. That's the one guy who has given him trouble the last two years. But we'll see him again at the dual meet, so hopefully we'll have it figured out by then. As a competitor, you competed twice in the NWCA All-Star Classic. You have coached several wrestlers in the event during your career, including two this season. What is your opinion of the current format of having the event in the early part of the season and the matches being exhibition matches? Koll: I don't think they should even have it anymore. If it doesn't count, then it doesn't mean anything to me. It's one way or the other. How can you say this doesn't count when every pollster counts it? So it only counts if you win, I guess. But if you lose, it counts against you. Why would Mack be ranked second in so many polls? When in theory he's undefeated. It doesn't make any sense. When I wrestled, it was East-West. It had some meaning to it. It was interesting. People cared. There was some loyalty. There is always that rivalry. That's gone. If they're not going to bring back the East-West, then get rid of the whole thing. Jordan Leen has had a great career at Cornell. He's a two-time All-American and NCAA champion. He's intelligent and well spoken. He's a pre-med major. He also has a strong faith. Describe what the experience has been like not only coaching Jordan, but also getting to know him on a personal level in the time you have spent with him. Jordan Leen, who hails from Tennessee, is a two-time All-American and the defending NCAA champion at 157. Being loose and relaxed is what makes Leen so good because he doesn't get nervous, says Rob Koll (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Koll: Well, I've known Jordan since he was about knee high to a grasshopper. I met him when he was about 4 or 5 years old running around his father's kitchen in Garden City, Kansas. I was recruiting Jason Roach, who was one of our top recruits. I went out to see him. I remember going over to the coach's house and this little red-haired hellion was running all around the kitchen. That was the first time I met Jordan. And then I remember seeing him on video. Coming out of Tennessee, he wasn't highly recruited. But I just really loved what I saw. And then we hit off really well when I spoke to him. And there's been no looking back, obviously. He's a very intelligent wrestler. People really underrate him. For some reason, they don't want to give the kid any credit. Winning nationals was certainly not a fluke last year. He has two losses this year, but the first match … I don't know how to say this without sounding it sounding like sour grapes, I mean, it was one of the poorest officiated matches I've seen in my life. He probably should have won by four … had it not been in someone else's hometown. Against Burroughs, that match could have gone either way. I don't know why people for some reason tend not to give him credit. And then recently, I don't know where I saw it, but people were commenting on how he's cocky or something because of how he wrestles. He just has a blast out there. Being loose and relaxed is what makes him so good because he doesn't get nervous. He's very content … win or lose, he's just going to go as hard as he can. He knows he's done everything he can do. He has a phenomenal attitude. He is really enjoying the experience. I wish every one of my wrestlers could be as poised and relaxed as Jordan. He is his own best coach. He's very, very intelligent. If he loses to somebody, he'll study those videos and have a game plan the next time he wrestles him. So I'm not too concerned about those early losses, although there are so many good kids in that weight class, you know, flip a coin, and anyone can come out on top. Josh Arnone was an All-American two seasons ago at 184, but battled injuries last season. He hasn't competed yet this season. What's his status? Koll: Josh is back. He wrestled live today in practice again. He will be wrestling at the Southern Scuffle and he looks really good. I held him out longer than he needed to be held out this year intentionally. He was cleared to go in early November. I just didn't see a need to rush him back in there. Last year, I think we pushed him a little too quickly. We weren't going to make that same mistake twice. You have six All-Americans on your roster this season, including an NCAA champion and an NCAA finalist. Obviously, the expectations are extremely high for Cornell this season. Do you feel more pressure this season as a coach compared to past seasons? Photo/Tech-Fall.comKoll: That's hard to say because I don't feel it externally. But I certainly put in on myself. Anyone who is competitive is going to put a lot of pressure on themselves. It's not pressure … it's excitement. I talk to other coaches, I say, you know, I'm really blessed and fortunate to be able to coach at Cornell because win or lose, our alumni find the good in our performance. And I'm not just saying that. It's sincere. We'll go out and look awful and they'll tell me how good our uniforms look. I mean, they're going to find something good in everything we do. It makes it a pleasure to coach here. Whereas some of my peers, these poor guys, whether they're being attacked personally or on the message boards, you can't win. And these are some guys who are incredibly successful coaches. And at the same time, coaches who are making as much as high school teachers with no job security and an ungodly amount of pressure. So it can be a thankless job. I don't think people truly appreciate it. It's also awfully fun. I'm fortunate to be in a situation where the pressure I feel is coming from within. It seems that you as a coach often times take a more cautious approach to injuries when it comes to competing in regular season events. You had several starters out for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. It doesn't seem like you put as much emphasis on regular season events, including duals and major tournaments, as other coaches. Your focus seems to be much more about getting your athletes ready to compete in March. Is that an accurate assessment? Cory Cooperman and Rob Koll coach Jordan Leen to a victory over Iowa State's Cyler Sanderson at the 2008 NWCA All-Star Classic held at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Koll: Yeah, but you can thank Tim Flynn for that. Year after year, we would have this great dual meet team in November. I remember Tim Flynn and Lou Rosselli would come out and tease Tom Shifflet and me mercilessly. They would be like, "Yay, guys, you have one heck of a dual meet team." It finally dawned up on me, I was like, 'You know what, who freaking cares?' We were ranked in the top 10 in the country, but nobody cared. You can't peak for six months. I think a lot of coaches look at very single dual meet as a national championship … and every single tournament as a national championship. When you look at it that way, one, it's extremely depressing and hard to recover from a loss if you think every match is a national championship, although you may wrestle that match a higher level. But the problem is, you're basically trying to peak for six months. You simply can't do it. I did make a conscious decision that until they change the format to make the dual meets count more than the national championships, I'm not going to perceive it that way. I do have other goals. It's not like I completely forgo early season competition. Things that count for us at Cornell. We're supposed to win the Ivy League Championships … and we do. My goal is obviously is to win the Ivies, get as many guys to nationals, and win the nationals. So you'll find that we do get guys in the lineup when it comes down to the Ivy League Championships. The Eastern championship doesn't mean that much to me, although I look at that as a national qualifier. Now that we have the ability to win the national dual meet championships, you'll see that we put a lot of emphasis on that as well. So I'm not just going to let that go. But, hey, if the best you can do is seventh, I'm not going to sacrifice our Ivies and NCAAs so that we can place sixth instead of seventh. But now that you have a chance to win it, yeah, then I'm really going to try to peak them for that championship. You also have to remember, I don't have anybody here on scholarship. And there's a different relationship that we have with the kids because of that. Kids are here for the right reasons. Some of them will hopefully want to make the Olympic team, but all of them want to be prepared for their careers in medicine, engineering, or law. Despite what some people say, you can't go back and become a doctor after college … because you'll never get into medical school. So to sacrifice the next 60 years of happiness for four years is foolhardy and unnecessary. Having a great education and having a national championship experience, I know the two aren't mutually exclusive. And the great thing is, high school kids know that now. We don't have to beat down their doors to have them come look at us now. Cory Cooperman is in his second season on your staff. People know about his credentials as a wrestler from his days at Blair Academy and Lehigh. But what does he bring to the table as a coach? Koll: Cory is a wrestling savant. He's our little wrestling "Rain Man." The guy has as much technique as anyone I've ever been around, so it's really neat. Sometimes I really have to pull him back because he goes too much. There is only so much you can do at practice. Realistically, you have 30 some guys on the team and only so many of them can do the things he's doing. So he's had to pull back a little bit … because if you're not athletic enough or don't have the experience to do some of things he's able to do, you're wasting your time showing it to them. But he has really gotten a good grasp on that. He has been a super asset. Another one of your assistants, Damion Hahn, was runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Does Hahn still have plans to compete in freestyle? Damion Hahn (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Koll: Give him two years and let him see how it goes. He's so darn good. He's a different type of coach than Cory. They're very different. Damion is much more basic in his approach, but he's also a bigger guy. So it's a great mix to have someone around the middle weights with Cory. I have Travis Lee on the lighter weights. And I have Damion on the upper weights. I don't think there is a school that has a better staff than what we have. Not only are they great technicians and great coaches, but they are just really good people and very intelligent. On top of that, I still have Tyler Baier in town, who was a national finalist for me. Clint Wattenberg, who has been on the U.S. National Team, is the strength coach and nutritionist. I just have a wonderful group of people here interacting with our kids. You mentioned Travis Lee. You coached him to a pair of NCAA titles. Following his collegiate career, he wrestled some freestyle and had a victory over Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas. At one point, he seemed to be on the brink of breaking through and challenging for a spot on the World or Olympic team. But he battled some injuries, which prevented him from competing. Is he done competing? Koll: Yeah, he's done. He went over to Ukraine, got hit with an arm spin, came down on his head, and severally herniated three discs all in alignment. Every specialist we took him to told him that he should never wrestle again. He lost feeling in both hands, so it was pretty serious. It wasn't like he had a stinger. He literally went unconscious and lost feeling in both hands. Barring a medical miracle, he won't be competing anymore. Although, in our room, he can still whip anybody up to 149. And on a good day, probably 157. If Travis would have been able to stay healthy and continued competing, how great do you think he could have been in freestyle? Koll: I really believe he was too athletic for anybody. I don't mean to take anything away from anybody on the United States team because they're very good. But it had been a long time since he had lost to anybody in the United States. So I would have been surprised if he didn't make the Olympic team. But anybody who was competing for that spot would beg to differ. I don't want to be disrespectful to anybody else. Not that I don't think they are that good, it's just that I think Travis is that great. One of your wrestlers, Adam Frey, has been courageously battling cancer since March. How has his battle with cancer affected your life? Adam Frey (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)Koll: It puts things in perspective. You have to constantly remind the kids that as bad as it may seem with grades, weight, or whatever, it could certainly be a lot worse. I've been at this for 20 years. I've lost many wrestlers though accidents and tragedies. Life is very, very temporary. You don't want to waste any opportunities. That's really the message we try to get through to these guys. You may never have a chance at a national title. Individually, these guys may never have a chance to win a national title. One of Adam's main goals in life it to get back here and win a national title. That's one of the things he wants to do as much as anything. Almost on his death bed, that's still important to him. These guys have to remember that it can be taken away from you very, very quickly, so don't waste this opportunity. Hopefully Adam will be back next year. Based on everything we hear, there's no reason that he can't be back. But who knows if he'll be able to get back to the same level. So we're really hoping he can. It really puts everything in perspective. Anytime you have a struggle, you have to say, it could be a lot worse.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum has announced its Class of 2009 inductees in the categories of Distinguished Member, Outstanding American, Order of Merit, Medal of Courage and Lifetime Achievement for Officials. The Hall of Fame's Board of Governors approved the selections at its semi-annual meeting held in Las Vegas the first week of December. "I want to thank our Board of Governors and the various screening and selection committees involved in the six-month process that determines our honorees for induction," said Jim Keen Sr., Chairman of the Board of Governors. Distinguished Members – Pete Blair, Ed Eichelberger, Les Gutches and Dennis Koslowski; Outstanding American – Steve Silver; Order of Merit – Arno Niemand; Medal of Courage – Larry Gibson; and Lifetime Achievement for Officials – Chuck Yagla will be inducted during Honors Weekend in Stillwater, June 5-6, 2009. These eight honorees will mark the 33rd class since the Hall of Fame began operations in 1976. The Class of 2009's Distinguished Members includes a World champion in freestyle, one of just two NCAA champions for the Naval Academy, one of the United States' first Greco-Roman stars and one of Lehigh's all-time greats. Distinguished Member - Ed Eichelberger When signing an autograph, Edward Baxter Eichelberger always adds "Galatians 6:14" after his signature. It reads: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. He was coached by a legend in high school – Billy Martin at Granby High School in Norfolk, Va. – and by another legend in college – Gerald Leeman at Lehigh. Eichelberger was undefeated his final three years of high school, winning three state titles in Virginia. His career at Lehigh included two NCAA championships and a 55-3-1 record with 37 pins. One of his losses came in the 1954 NCAA finals to Myron Roderick of Oklahoma A&M. He was named the EIWA Tournament's Outstanding Wrestler in 1955 and 1956 and the NCAA Tournament's OW in 1955. Employed by IBM since 1956, Eichelberger earned his Masters and Ph.D. from Princeton. Distinguished Member - Peter Blair As a senior at Granby High School in Norfolk, Va., Blair stood just 5-foot-6 and did no t wrestle on the varsity. He enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 16, and during his recruit training grew an amazing 6 inches. By the time his two years at Bainbridge Prep Academy were done that total was 7.5 inches. Blair competed at 177 pounds as a freshman and sophomore at the United States Naval Academy and moved up to 191 pounds his final two collegiate seasons where he would win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. His career record was 57-5 with no losses over his final two seasons for legendary head coach Ray Swartz. Soon after beating Kenneth Leuer in the 1956 NCAA finals, Blair pinned five opponents in winning a National AAU title. Two weeks later he was the Olympic Trials champion at 192 pounds and would be elected team captain by his freestyle teammates. In Melbourne, Australia, at the 1956 Olympics, Blair would earn a bronze medal. An officer in the Navy from 1955 until his retirement in 1974, Blair served on ships and submarines and taught at the Academy. Blair died on June 29, 1994, after a brief but concentrated bout with cancer. Distinguished Member - Dennis Koslowski A two-time Division III national champion at Minnesota-Morris, Koslowski began the transition to Greco-Roman soon after graduating in 1982. One year later, in 1983, Koslowski would win the first of his 7 USAW Greco-Roman titles. In 1987 at the World Championships in France, Koslowski earned a silver medal at 220 pounds. At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, the Minneapolis resident would bring home a bronze medal, and four years later at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, the 220-pounder would earn a silver medal. He was the first to win two Greco-Roman Olympic medals for the USA, an achievement only matched by Rulon Gardner. While at Minnesota-Morris, he was also a three-time All-Conference guard on the football team and is currently the owner of Koslowski Chiropractic, Inc., in the Minneapolis area. Distinguished Member - Les Gutches Gutches was the first athlete to win USA Wrestling national titles in all five age group levels – Cadet, Junior, Espoir, University and Senior. At South Medford High School in Oregon, Gutches won three state titles. He was also a district champion in the 400 meters for the track team. He was a two-time NCAA champion while at Oregon State, compiling a 134-10 career record. He earned the Outstanding Wrestler award at the 1996 NCAA Championships and the Dan Hodge Trophy that same season. Over his final two collegiate seasons he allowed opponents just one takedown. Gutches quickly made his mark in freestyle, winning the first of his 5 U.S. Nationals titles in 1996 and also the Olympic Trials title at 180.5 pounds. In Atlanta, he would finish seventh. However, a year later at the 1997 World Championships in Russia, Gutches would earn a gold medal at 187.25 pounds. He would also earn a bronze medal at the 1999 World Championships. Medal of Courage - Larry Gibson The 2009 Medal of Courage honoree, Gibson has battled adversity since the age of 12 when he was hit by a drunk driver. After almost two years in the hospital and 13 surgeries his leg was amputated seven inches below the knee. He participated in both football and wrestling in high school and college, earning four letters and serving as team captain for two years at George Fox College in Oregon. A life-changing plane crash sent Gibson back to school where he received his teaching degree. He taught history and served as wrestling coach at Omak High School for 16 years. A club coach since 1972, Gibson was voted Washington's Coach of the Year in 1991. He was inducted into the Washington State Chapter of the NWHOF in 1995 and received his USA Wrestling Gold Level Coaches Certificate in 1997. Gibson has been a nationally-known motivational speaker since 1988. Order of Merit - Arno Niemand Niemand, the Order of Merit honoree, received the FILA Gold Star in 2008 and has provided leadership gifts for new training facilities at his high school and collegiate alma maters. He has contributed major resources to several elite national and local youth clubs around the country. He was the pioneer sponsor of USA Wrestling's Women s National freestyle team through his company, Body Bar Systems. Niemand has also support the National Wrestling Coaches Association's educational program Building Leaders for Life and the College Sports Council's advocacy against the consequences of Title IX interpretations on the sport of wrestling. He is currently writing and publishing the book Miracle on the Mat detailing Cornell College's road to the 1947 NCAA championship. Niemand is a graduate of the University of Cornell (Ithaca, N.Y.) and has been a CEO, President and Chairman of Niemand Industries and Body Bar Systems since the 1960s. Outstanding American - Steve Silver The founder and owner of the Steve Silver Company, an import furniture business in Dallas which employs 500 worldwide in five nations, the 2009 Outstanding American honoree has been involved in wrestling throughout his life. Silver wrestled for Spencerport High School in New York and at the University of Alabama for three years under coach Pat Milkovich. Six of Silver's seven children, including two daughters, have participated in wrestling. He founded and coached a youth wrestling club in Forney, Texas, hiring 1988 Olympic gold medalist Kenny Monday to coach the club, now known as Team Monday. Silver is also a big supporter of Bishop Lynch High, a nationally-known program. Silver has served as Team Leader for the last four U.S. Freestyle Teams including the 2008 Olympics in China where he's done business for a number of years. He was named USA Wrestling's Man of the Year in 2006 for his contributions to the sport. Lifetime Achievement for Officials - Chuck Yagla A two-time NCAA champion for the University of Iowa, Yagla has been an official for 24 years. Also a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, Yagla will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement for Officials. From 1996-07, Yagla worked the NCAA Tournament and was selected as a championship finals official five times. He's also officiated six NCAA Division II Championships along with Big Ten (1995-07) and Pac-10 (1997-07) tournaments. Yagla has worked 12 National Dual Championships and has been officiating college matches and tournaments since 1983. He was appointed Coordinator of Wrestling Officials for the Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences in July of 2008.

Ron and Don Jones are legends in their small community of Iowa Falls, but their impact is far reaching beyond their home town. "The Jones Boys" were both state place winners, with Don winning it all at 133 in 1961, and Ron placing second and third. both went on to wrestle at Iowa State University under legendary head coach Dr. Harold Nichols, and were part of the 1965 national championship team. Ron placed 5th in 1963, and 4th on the ‘65 team, while Don was stuck behind two-time All-American Bob Buzzard. Out of college, both went on to successful careers in coaching, reaching thousands of lives along the way. both ended up coaching at home, with Don running the junior high program and Ron taking on the high school duties. In 15 seasons with Iowa Falls, Ron sported a 134-43-3 record, won seven North Central Conference team titles, 15 state place winners and two state champions. He was named the coach of the year in 1983 and is a member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Throughout the rich history of Iowa Falls wrestling, nobody remembers there ever being a regular season tournament hosted there. On Dec. 20, that will change as Iowa City's City High, Clarksville, North Butler, Algona, West Marshall, and the JV squads from Perry and West Des Moines Valley join Iowa Falls-Alden for the Ron and Don Jones Invite. The honor is well deserved, and meaningful in more ways than one. In January of this year, Ron was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) which is a member of the Parkinson's family. His health has been failing, but his mind remains active. He can still spout off about some of the sport's best from the ages, and remembers well the members of the teams he coached. In honor of both Joneses, all former Iowa Falls wrestlers under each are invited to the 11 a.m. tournament–free of charge. Others from their past, including high school and college teammates and opponents, or just friends and casual acquaintances, are also invited to help celebrate the event and make their day extra special. For further information, call Iowa Falls athletic director Pat Norem at 641-648-6440.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Former Oregon State wrestler Les Gutches will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame during honors weekend in Stillwater, June 5-6, announced Thursday. Gutches will be inducted as a Distinguished Member. He joins seven others in the 33rd class since the Hall of Fame began operations in 1976. He becomes the second Oregon State wrestler to be inducted since Robin Reed in 1978 with former head coach Dale Thomas also being inducted in 1980. "It's a huge honor," Gutches said. "When you win a tournament, it's kind of what you've done then and there. But being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a great honor because it encompasses your body of work and what you've done overall as an athlete. Growing up you see all of the people being inducted and have great respect for them. So for the Hall of Fame to look at your work and deem it to be honored like this, it's huge." Gutches was the first athlete to win USA Wrestling national titles in all five age group levels – Cadet, Junior, Espoir, University and Senior. At South Medford High School in Oregon, Gutches won three state titles. He was also a district champion in the 400 meters for the track team. He was a two-time NCAA champion while at Oregon State, wrestling from 1993-96 and compiling a 134-10 career record. He earned the Outstanding Wrestler award at the 1996 NCAA Championships and the Dan Hodge Trophy that same season. Over his final two collegiate seasons he allowed opponents just one takedown. Gutches quickly made his mark in freestyle, winning the first of his five U.S. Nationals titles in 1996 and also the Olympic Trials title at 180.5 pounds. In Atlanta, he would finish seventh. However, a year later at the 1997 World Championships in Russia, Gutches would earn a gold medal at 187.25 pounds. He would also earn a bronze medal at the 1999 World Championships. Gutches currently is a commercial lender for a bank in Corvallis. He spends his free time helping with local high school wrestling programs and is actively involved with the Oregon State wrestling Orange Crush Club. He was inducted into the Oregon State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.

WRESTLERS HOST ANNUAL TOURNAMENT: Fourteen schools vie for individual and team honors Saturday, Dec. 13, at the 36th Dick Walker Invitational. Action begins at 9 a.m. inside Levick Arena and the Center Court area of the Wartburg-Waverly Sports and Wellness Center. Updated brackets, results and more will be available throughout the day at www.go-knights.net, the Internet home of Wartburg athletics. A live video webcast of the finals can be accessed at http://www.go-knights.net/video.html, and live audio of the semifinals and finals will be available at http://www.kwar.org. This year's team title chase includes six teams ranked among the top 11 of the current National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III top 25 (Wartburg - #1; Coe - #2; North Central - #4; Augsburg - #7; UW-Whitewater - #9; and Cornell - #11), Central Missouri State out of NCAA Division II, and second-ranked Iowa Central Community College of Fort Dodge and fifth-ranked North Iowa Area Community College of Mason City from the National Junior College Athletic Association. TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The tourney is named in memory of Dr. Richard Walker, long-time Wartburg wrestling coach. Walker compiled a 180-93-4 dual record in 22 years as head coach, including a school-record 43-dual win streak. He was a three-time Iowa Conference Coach of the Year and coached four conference championship teams… Wartburg is the 13-time defending team champions. Augustana College of Rock Island, Ill., was the last team, other than the Knights, to be first in the point standings when they won the 1994 tournament. KNIGHTS NOTES: Senior 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont of Pocahontas, the nation's top-ranked individual at his weight class, brings a 52-match win streak into the tournament. He's just three wins shy of 100 for his career…Senior 165-pounder Justin Hanson of Dakota City is the reigning Iowa Conference Male Athlete of the Week. He rolled up four wins en route to his weight class title at Simpson last weekend including knocking off Burkle, the defending national champion, in the championship…Hanson's effort also moved him to number one at his weight class on the current NWCA individual rankings. Head coach Jim Miller's team also has junior Mark Kist of Eagle Grove ranked 10th at 125, junior Matt Kelly of Dubuque ranked second at 133, senior Zach McKray of Iowa City ranked second at 141, Wernimont first at 157, senior Grant Jenkins of Manchester eighth at 174, freshman Byron Tate of Clinton ninth at 197, and sophomore John Helgerson of West Union sixth at heavyweight…The Orange and Black opened their dual season last week with strong results, toppling No. 19-ranked Loras 44-0 at Dubuque. It was the 123rd consecutive dual win for the program against conference competition. DESERT DUALS: Wartburg hosts the event Sunday, Dec. 21, inside the ballrooms of the Flamingo Las Vegas hotel. Complete information on the tournament is available at http://www.go-knights.net/wrestling/dduals/index.html.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 12th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team will take its perfect 4-0 dual record on the road this weekend, Dec. 13, when it travels to San Luis Obispo, Calif., to compete in the Big 12/Pac-10 Challenge. Competing against the Sooners on Saturday will be Cal Poly (9 a.m.), Cal-Bakersfield (11 a.m.), and Cal-Fullerton (1 p.m.). All matches are scheduled to be held at the Madonna Inn Convention Center. Oklahoma is coming off its second-straight victory over in-state rival Oklahoma State last Sunday to open up Big 12 competition, winning by an 18-15 final margin. The Sooners are 1-0 to begin the Big 12 season for the first time since 1993. Also for the first time this season, the Sooners boast seven nationally-ranked wrestlers, led by No. 9 Jeff James at 174 pounds. Joey Fio is No. 12 at 125 pounds and Kyle Terry and Eric Lapotsky are No. 14 at 149 and 197 pounds, respectively. Redshirt sophomore Zack Bailey is No. 15 at 141 pounds, Shane Vernon is No. 16 among 157-pounders and 133-pound David Armstrong ranks 19th. Cal-Bakersfield leads Sooner competitors this weekend with four nationally-ranked wrestlers. Heavyweight Mitch Montiero is No. 4, Riley Orozco is No. 11 at 197 pounds, and Brandon Zoeteway is No. 15 among 125-pounders. Thomas Kimbrell rounds out the group ranked No. 12 at 133 pounds. Cal Poly has two ranked, as Chase Pami is No. 13 at 157 pounds and Filip Novachkov is No. 20 among 141-pounders. Cal-Fullerton's Tim Hawkins is No. 16 at 184 pounds and T.J. Dillashaw is No. 17 at 133 pounds. The Sooner squad will break for the holidays after this weekend's trip to California, and will resume competition at the Lonestar Duals on Jan. 3, in Arlington, Texas.

LINCOLN -- The University of Nebraska has announced tickets are now on sale for the general public for the 2009 Big 12 Wrestling Championships, which will be held at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb., on March, 7. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the Nebraska Ticket Office at (800) 8-BIGRED or online at Huskers.com. All-session tickets are $20 for reserved seating (north and south stands) and $15 for general admission (east and west balcony). Individual-session tickets will be available on March 7 for $8 reserved and $7 general admission. The first session begins at 11 a.m., while the second sessions commences at 4 p.m. Finals are contested at 7 p.m. The Huskers host the conference tournament for the second time since the inception of the Big 12 and the first time since 2000. Nebraska finished fourth when it hosted the event in 2000 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. This year's tournament will be contested at the NU Coliseum, which holds more than 4,030 fans. The Coliseum is located in the heart of NU's campus next to Memorial Stadium and has provided a thrilling match-day environment for fans, including hosting the National Duals from 1993 to 1997.

CEDAR FALLS, IA -- The top-ranked Hawkeye wrestling team improved to 10-0 on the season with a 30-12 win over Northern Iowa Thursday night at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls. A crowd of 2,315 attended the dual. Northern Iowa fell to 0-1 with the loss. "Toughness is something that we need to work on," said Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands. "Losing four matches like we did tonight is unacceptable. We have a good nucleus; we just have to add to it. We have to control more of what is going on from start to finish, and when we do that you'll start to see progress." The dual started with Northern Iowa heavyweight Christian Brantley's 6-2 win over Hawkeye junior Dan Erekson. The Hawkeyes then rolled off four straight wins to build an 18-3 lead. Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck pinned Caleb Flores in 4:07 at 125, followed by junior Daniel Dennis' 17-7 major decision over Josh Baldridge at 133. Senior 141-pounder Alex Tsirtsis, who was named wrestler of the week by the Big Ten and TheMat.com for his performance against Iowa State on Saturday, scored a 14-2 major decision over Trent Washington to give the Hawkeyes a 14-3 lead. Hawkeye junior Brent Metcalf took Iowa into the intermission scoring his 45th career and 42nd straight win with in a 24-9 technical fall in 6:25 over Charlie Ettelson at 149. Northern Iowa picked up wins at 157 and 165 after the intermission. Panther junior Tyson Reiner scored an 8-2 win over Iowa sophomore Matt Ballweg at 157. Then second-ranked Panther Moza Fay fought off a late takedown attempt by Hawkeye junior Ryan Morningstar to win 3-2 at 165. Iowa junior Jay Borschel responded at 174 with a 4:10 pin over Jarion Beets, and junior Phillip Keddy received a forfeit at 184 to score Iowa's final team points. Northern Iowa won the final bout of the night when senior Andrew Anderson posted a 10-5 win over Rick Loera at 197. Falck (10-0), Tsirtsis (8-0), Metcalf (10-0), Borschel (10-0) and Keddy (10-0) all remain undefeated on the season. Iowa's next competition will be Dec. 29-30 at the Midlands Championships in Evanston, IL. The Hawkeyes are the defending Midlands team champion and are looking for their 20th team title in tournament history.

Augustana recorded pins in four of the eight contested matches to easily defeat the University of Sioux Falls 49-3 in non-conference wrestling action Wednesday night at the Elmen Center. The Vikings (3-2) dominated the dual. In addition the four pins, Augustana won two matches by forfeit, one by technical fall and two by major decision as they claimed nine of the 10 bouts. Mitch Lunning, Ty Copsey and Jarred McCarthy wasted little time in their matches as they all recorded falls in the first period. Lunning, a 184-pounder, pinned Trevor deBraga in just 1:04 after jumping out to a 6-1 lead in the first 40 seconds of the match. Copsey, who is ranked fifth in the nation at 197 pounds, wrestled up a weight class but had no trouble in defeating Chris McKinney. Copsey scored a takedown with 2:03 left in the first period and got the pin 30 seconds later at 1:27. At 149 pounds, McCarthy scored a quick takedown against Brady Nolz in just 11 seconds. He then rode Nolz until he was finally able to turn and pin him in 2:36. Also registering a pin was Jason Jeremiason, who pinned USF's Doug Thompson in 4:05. Augustana's Casey Mouw used a flurry of takedowns in the final minute of the second period to open up a 16-3 lead. He then added an escape and takedown in the third period for a 19-3 technical fall over Jake Renken. Cody Lensing got the Vikings off to a great start as he shut out USF's Chris Strand 10-0 for a major decision victory. Augie's Marcus Edgington also won by major decision as he outscored USF's Tyler Reibsamen 13-3. The most exciting match of the night came at 157 pounds between Augustana's Brandon Kruger and USF's Koln Fink. After a scoreless first period, Kruger scored an escape from the down position in the second period to lead 1-0. Fink chose neutral to start the third period. Neither wrestler capitalized on shot attempts, until Fink got a takedown with just 8 seconds left in the match to claim a 2-1 win. Augustana is off now until January 3-4 when the Vikings travel to Indianapolis, Ind., to compete in the Midwest Classic.

Sacramento City College head wrestling coach David Pacheco will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio this Thursday, December 11. Augsburg College's KAUG radio serves as the online host of Wrestling 411 Radio. The hour-long show can be heard live this Thursday from 7 – 8 p.m. Central Standard Time by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Archives of each broadcast will be available on the website. Pacheco is in his 25th year as the head wrestling coach at Sacramento City College. In 1996, Pacheco led his team to a California Community College State Championship. He has also coached 12 California Community College state champions and 98 state place winners. This weekend his team, along with 21 other California Community Colleges, will compete at the California Community College State Championships in Victorville, California. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 – 8 p.m. CST by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Questions for any of the on-air guests are welcome. Please e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Wyoming redshirt freshman 184-pounder Joe LeBlanc (Meeker, Colo./Meeker HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. In arguably the top preseason tournament in the country, Wyoming's Joe LeBlanc beat two top-20 wrestlers and placed third at the Las Vegas Invitational with a 6-1 record, two of his wins by major decision. Unseeded heading into the event at 184 pounds, LeBlanc opened the tournament on Friday by beating the number three-seed and nationally ranked No. 6/7 (W.I.N./InterMat) Vince Jones of Nebraska in overtime. After an apparent 7-6 victory by LeBlanc in regulation time, the two wrestlers were called back to the mat to wrestle an overtime period when a scoring error revealed that the match should have ended in a 7-7 tie. Despite the difficult circumstance, LeBlanc prevailed and took down his favored opponent in overtime to win 9-7. LeBlanc ended his sterling event performance on Saturday night with an 8-7 victory over No. 18 (W.I.N.) Anthony Biondo of Michigan to earn third place honors in a difficult field. His other wins included a 4-2 decision over Jake Meredith of Arizona State, a 14-2 major decision over Jon Clark of Cal Davis, a 6-5 quarterfinal win over the 11-seed Zac Thomusseit of Pitt and a 10-1 major decision over Tim Hawkins of Cal State Fullerton. LeBlanc's only loss came in the semifinals to eventual tournament champion, No. 4/5 ranked Kirk Smith of Boise State. The Cowboy redshirt freshman now has a season record of 21-3. LeBlanc led the Cowboys to a 19th-place team finish, the best of any other Western Wrestling Conference teams in attendance: Utah Valley (25th), North Dakota State (31st) and Air Force (37th). The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Others nominated: Air Force - Andrew Zwirlein, 125, So., Nashotah, Wis. (Arrowhead HS) North Dakota State - Ryan Adams, 149, Jr., Coon Rapids, Minn. Northern Colorado - Mitchell Polkowske, 149 lbs., Fr, La Jara, Colo. (Centauri HS) UNI - Christian Brantley, 285 lbs., R-Fr., Homewood, Ill. (Mount Carmel HS) Utah Valley - Ben Kjar, 125 lbs., So., Centerville, Utah (Viewmont HS) South Dakota State - Dustin Walraven, 141 lbs., Fr., Huron, S.D. 2008-09 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 11 - Andrew Anderson (UNI) Nov. 18 - Shane Onufer (Wyoming) Nov. 25 - Ben Kjar (Utah Valley) Dec. 2 - Mitchell Polkowske (UNC) Dec. 9 - Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming)

INDIANOLA -- Senior 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont of Pocahontas extended his current match win streak to 52, while senior 165-pounder Justin Hanson of Dakota City toppled defending national champion Tyler Burkle of Coe in the finals, highlighting a team championship for the No. 1-ranked Wartburg wrestling team at the Simpson Storm Invitational Saturday, Dec. 6. Wernimont, upping his season record to 15-0 and closing within three wins of 100 for his career, registered two major decisions and a fall en route to his championship. He closed his day with a resounding 10-1 win over Matt Collum of Missouri Baptist. Hanson turned in a fall and a major decision on his road to the championship before using a late takedown to upend Burkle. The Knights, with 175 points, edged runner-up Coe by six for first. Senior 141-pounder Zach McKray of Iowa City and freshman 184-pounder Ben Scott of Adel added runner-up efforts for head coach Jim Miller's squad, while junior Mark Kist of Eagle Grove (125), junior Matt Kelly of Dubuque (133), senior Craig Kreman of Tipton (174), and freshman Byron Tate of Clinton (197) all claimed consolation championships. The Knights resume action with their 36th annual Dick Walker Invitational Saturday, Dec. 13. Matches begin at 9 a.m. inside Levick Arena and the Center Court at the Wartburg-Waverly Sports and Wellness Center.

State College, Pa -- LionHeart announces the West Coast MMA debut of 2008 NCAA Wrestling Champion Phil Davis. Davis will face Josh Green at The Palace Fighting Championship in Lemoore, Ca. on Jan 22, 2009. Richard Goodman of PFC said he picked Davis for the card because he stood out not only as a fighter but as a person. "We're excited to have Phil out here at The Palace. It's the place to be if you want to make a name for yourself. We have a great organization with fighters who have worked their way into the UFC and Phil's the best of the best when it comes to wrestling. We're looking forward to working with him as he makes his transition into MMA." LionHeart Founder Chad Dubin believes the show will be an important step forward for Davis. "A lot of people back East know what's going on with Phil but it's important for him to get out West and be seen by the MMA community out there. Palace Fighting Championship has proven to be a great stepping stone for fighters looking to move to the next level and we're excited about the opportunity for Phil to fight out there." Davis will enter the fight 1-0 as a professional. He won the NCAA Wrestling Championships at 197 lbs. in March of this year. In other LionHeart news Paul Bradley's fight against Raphael Sapo in Washington D.C. at Battle at the Nation's Capital has been cancelled due to an injury of Sapo. The fight will be rescheduled at a later date.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The 13th-ranked Penn State wrestling team dominated the 2008 Nittany Lion Open, crowning five champions at the prestigious event. Penn State got titles from three returning All-Americans, a red-shirt freshman and a veteran heavyweight. All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) went 6-0 at 133, crushing the field with three majors and three pins. His opening round victory was a 10-2 major over teammate No. 20 Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.). Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) was also outstanding, going 5-0 with three pins and a major to claim the title at 133. All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 2 at 149, stayed perfect on the year by going 5-0 to win the crown. Jenkins dominated the field with four majors and a technical fall. Jenkins' final major was a 10-2 win over No. 7 Bryce Saddoris of Navy. All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) also went 5-0 at 157. Vallimont, ranked No. 8 at 157, used two majors, a tech fall and a pin to claim the NLO title. Senior John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.), wrestling unattached at heavyweight, was superb in winning his first Nittany Lion Open title Laboranti clinched his title with a 5-2 win over No. 11 Rashard Goff of Cleveland State in the title tilt. In addition to its five champions, Penn State had a sixth finalist as freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) took second at 174. Wright went 4-0 to advance to the finals before falling to two-time ACC Champion Mike Letts, unattached of Maryland (Letts is red-shirting this year). In addition to its six finalists, Penn State had three other grapplers post strong performances and place at the event. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) rebounded from an upset loss via defensive pin in the second round to win five straight in wrestle-backs to take fifth place. Pataky went 6-1 on the day and is now 12-4 on the year. Junior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) went 5-2 on the day to take sixth at 133 and red-shirt freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) was very strong at 165, going 5-1 and taking fifth place. The other five champions were Navy's Prescott Garner at 125, Maryland's Brian Letters at 165, Letts at 174, Josh Patterson of Binghamton at 184 and George Mason's Cayle Byers at 197. Penn State's next action is slated for Sunday, Dec. 14, when West Virginia invades Rec Hall for a 1 p.m. dual. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling 814-863-1000 or 800-NITTANY. Season tickets are $32 for adults and $24 for youth. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package.

Harvard sophomore Corey Jantzen has been named EIWA Wrestler of the Week after winning the championship at 141 pounds at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, held last weekend in Las Vegas, Nev. Jantzen, who was fourth in the EIWA as a freshman, came into the tournament unranked nationally, and was making his first competitive appearance of the season. Seeded ninth in the tournament, he won five straight matches, with four of them seeded higher than Jantzen. Included were falls against No. 18 Chris Bencivenga of UNC-Greensboro and No. 12 Chris Drouin of Arizona State. In the quarterfinal round, he defeated defending NCAA champion J Jaggers of Ohio State, 5-4. In the final bout against Tyler Nauman, of Pittsburgh, he was cruising with an 8-0 lead late in the third period. With 15 seconds remaining, Nauman used a cement job to put Jantzen on his back. It seemed like he was about to get pinned, but with five seconds remaining Jantzen seemed to levitate off his back to score a reversal. Back points and a possible fall would have occurred had Nauman's shoulders not been outside the circle. When time ran out, Jantzen had secured a dramatic 10-5 win.

PARK RIDGE, IL -- Iowa 141-pound wrestler Alex Tsirtsis has been named co-Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. He shares this week's honor with Michigan 174-pounder Steve Luke. Tsirtsis earned the first weekly conference honor of his Hawkeye career for upsetting #2 Nick Gallick of Iowa State, 4-2, Saturday. The third-ranked Hawkeye scored a reversal with one second left in the match to preserve his unblemished season record (7-0). His win spurred No. 1 Iowa to a 20-15 victory over No. 2 Iowa State in front of a national collegiate dual record-setting crowd of 15,955 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. For his performance, Tsirtsis' was also named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week. Tsirtsis is the first Hawkeye wrestler to earn the Big Ten honor this season. Top-ranked Iowa (9-0) will face #22 Northern Iowa (0-0) Thursday at 7 p.m. in Cedar Falls. The dual will be held at the McLeod Center, and aired live on Iowa Public Television. Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and former Hawkeye wrestling coach Dan Gable will call the action for IPTV. Tickets ($10) are available at the McLeod Ticket Office at 319-273-4849, 877-216-3663 or www.unitix.uni.edu.

THIS WEEK The top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (9-0) will face #24 Northern Iowa (0-0) Thursday at 7 p.m. in Cedar Falls. The dual will be held at the McLeod Center, and aired live on Iowa Public Television. Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and former Hawkeye wrestling coach Dan Gable will call the action for IPTV. Tickets ($10) are available at the McLeod Ticket Office at 319-273-4849, 877-216-3663 or www.unitix.uni.edu. TSIRTSIS EARNS WRESTLER OF THE WEEK HONORS Hawkeye senior 141-pounder Alex Tsirtsis has been named wrestler of the week by TheMat.com and the Big Ten Conference. He shared the Big Ten honor with top-ranked 174-pounder Steve Luke of Michigan. The third-ranked Tsirtsis posted a 4-2 win over second-ranked Nick Gallick to lead No. 1 Iowa to a 20-15 win over No. 2 Iowa State before 15,955 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It was the largest dual meet crowd in NCAA history. Tsirtsis' win at 141 pounds provided a huge boost as the Hawkeyes won 6 of 10 matches over the Cyclones. Tsirtsis scored a reversal with one second left in the match to pull out the win. He is undefeated at 7-0. HAWKEYES LOOK TO EXTEND WINNING STREAKS Iowa has won its last 23 duals, and its last 19 duals away from Iowa City. The school record for overall consecutive dual wins is 42 (1994-97), and for consecutive away dual wins is 31 (1994-97). The 19 straight away duals rank second in school history. Six Hawkeyes also have their own winning streaks they will try to extend. Junior Brent Metcalf (149) has won his last 41 bouts, while junior Jay Borschel (174) is on an 11-match streak. Senior Charlie Falck (125) and juniors Ryan Morningstar (165) and Phillip Keddy (184) have each won their last nine matches, and senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) has won his last seven. ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC. Fans can also listen to the broadcast live on www.hawkeyesports.com using the XXL All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 per year). Internet - Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts, and live video broadcasts from home duals are available online at www.hawkeyesports.com.Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS Northern Iowa will open its 2008-09 dual season Thursday against the Hawkeyes. Head Coach Brad Penrith is 70-57-4 in nine seasons with the Panthers. Penrith was an NCAA champion and three-time NCAA finalist, all-American and Big ten champion at Iowa from 1986-88. He is assisted by Northern Iowa alums Randy Pugh and Sean Stender, and Nebraska alum Jose DeAnda. The Panthers are led by senior all-American Moza Fay, who is 3-0 and ranked #2 in the nation at 165. Northern Iowa returns four other 2008 NCAA qualifiers in sophomore Caleb Flores (125), senior Josh Baldridge (133), junior Tyson Reiner (157) and senior Andrew Anderson (197). THE SERIES Iowa leads the series, 40-8-2, and has won the last 32 meetings. The Hawkeyes hold a 19-5-1 advantage in Cedar Falls and are 1-0 at the McLeod Center. Iowa's last win in the series was 40-3 last season in Iowa City, while Northern Iowa's last win was 17-15 in Cedar Falls during the 1973-74 season. LAST MEETING - IOWA 40, NORTHERN IOWA 3 The top-ranked Hawkeyes improved to 7-0 last year with wins over Northern Iowa (40-3) and Cornell College (51-0) in its first home duals of the 2007-08 season. The Hawkeyes went 19-1 on the night, losing the first match on a last-second takedown. Iowa rebounded to score eight pins, six major decisions and two technical falls in the remaining 19 matches. Iowa recorded its 40th series win over Northern Iowa and its 20th win over the Panthers in Iowa City. Hawkeye senior Mark Perry, ranked second at 165, pinned No. 3 Moza Fay in 48 seconds in the night's marquee matchup to pick up his 80th career victory. Sophomore Ryan Morningstar scored his 30th career win by pinning Panther Jarion Beets in sudden victory at 157. Iowa 40, Northern Iowa 3 197 - Andrew Anderson (UNI) dec. Rick Loera (I), 6-4 Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) maj. dec. Dustin Bauman (UNI), 17-6 125 - Charlie Falck (I) pinned Caleb Flores (UNI), 1:10 133 - Joe Slaton (I) maj. dec. Trent Washington (UNI), 15-7 141 - Dan LeClere (I) dec. C.J. Ettelson (UNI), 8-2 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) tech. fall Charlie Ettelson (UNI), 22-7 in 5:32 157 - Ryan Morningstar (I) pinned Jarion Beets (UNI), 7:59 165 - Mark Perry (I) pinned Moza Fay (UNI), 0:48 174 - Jay Borschel (I) dec. Alex Dolly (UNI), 10-7 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Andy O'Loughlin (UNI), 10-4 HAVEN'T WE MET? Following are the past series results for potential Iowa-Northern Iowa matchups: 125 - Charlie Falck (I) is 1-0 vs. Caleb Flores (UNI) Falck pinned Flores in 6:46 at 2007 Midlands 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) is 1-0 vs. Charlie Ettelson (UNI) Metcalf tech. fall Ettelson, 22-7 in 5:32, at 2007-08 dual 165 - Ryan Morningstar (I) is 1-0 vs. Moza Fay (UNI) Fay won by med. forfeit over Morningstar at 2005 UNI Open Morningstar dec. Fay, 5-3 SV-1, at 2006-07 dual PERSONNEL NOTES • Iowa junior Joe Slaton (133) and Northern Iowa sophomore Jarion Beets (174) and redshirt freshman Cruse Arhus (125) all attended Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School. • Iowa sophomore Colby Covington (165) and Northern Iowa junior Terrance Young (125) were teammates at Iowa Central Community College. Covington won the 2007 165-pound NJCAA title, while Young won the 125-pound national title in 2008. HAWKEYES BEAT IOWA STATE, SET ATTENDANCE RECORD The top-ranked Hawkeye wrestling team picked up its 23rd straight dual win Saturday night when they defeated intra-state rival Iowa State, 20-15, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa also set the national collegiate dual meet attendance record as 15,955 fans packed the arena. The previous record of 15,646 was set Feb. 1, 2002, when Minnesota hosted Iowa at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Iowa improved to 9-0, handing the Cyclones (3-1) their first dual loss of the season. Iowa scored wins at six weights - including two upsets and one technical fall - and all six winners remain undefeated on the season. The Hawkeyes also scored two points in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk series. The Hawkeyes now lead the fifth annual series, 11-4. Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck got Iowa out to a 3-0 lead with his 4-2 win over Cyclone sophomore Tyler Clark at 125, but Iowa State fought back with Nick Fanthorpe's 12-2 major decision over Iowa junior Joe Slaton at 133. Senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and junior Brent Metcalf (149) put Iowa on a roll with wins at the next two weights. Tsirtsis, who is ranked third in the nation, scored a reversal as time expired to upset second-ranked Nick Gallick, 4-2. Metcalf extended his own winning streak to 41 matches and scored crucial team bonus points with his 26-10 technical fall over Mitch Mueller in 6:14. Iowa State's Cyler Sanderson scored bonus points of his own with a 22-9 major decision over Hawkeye sophomore Matt Ballweg at 157, making the team score 11-8 going into the intermission. Hawkeye juniors Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) fired off three straight wins, scoring Iowa's final team points of the night. Morningstar, who is ranked ninth in the nation, upset #3 Jon Reader, 2-0. Borschel scored a 6-2 win over Duke Burk, while Keddy scored a takedown in the last minute to beat Jerome Ward, 3-2. Falck, Metcalf, Morningstar, Borschel and Keddy all improved to 9-0 on the season, while Tsirtsis is 7-0. Each Hawkeye, except Keddy, handed their Cyclone opponent his first loss of the season. Iowa State won the last two bouts of the night - a 13-3 major decision by top-ranked Jake Varner over Hawkeye sophomore Luke Lofthouse at 197 and a 5-1 decision by David Zabriskie over junior Dan Erekson at heavyweight. Iowa 20, Iowa State 15 125 - Charlie Falck (I) dec. Tyler Clark (ISU), 4-2 133 - Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) maj. dec. Joe Slaton (I), 12-2 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Nick Gallick (ISU), 4-2 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) tech. fall Mitch Mueller (ISU), 26-10 in 6:14 157 - Cyler Sanderson (ISU) maj. dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 22-9 165 - Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Jon Reader (ISU), 2-0 174 - Jay Borschel (I) dec. Duke Burk (ISU), 6-2 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Jerome Ward (ISU), 3-2 197 - Jake Varner (ISU) maj. dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 13-3 Hwt. - David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Dan Erekson (I), 5-1 IOWA CROWNS THREE CHAMPS AT NORTHERN IOWA OPEN Hawkeye junior Dan LeClere (141), redshirt freshman J.J. Krutsinger (125) and true freshman Grant Gambrall (184) each won titles at the Northern Iowa Open Sunday in Cedar Falls. Of the 18 Iowa wrestlers, 10 placed at the tournament. LeClere posted one technical fall, one major decision and three decisions on his way to the title. He defeated Northern Iowa's Alec Hoffman in the finals, 3-2. Krutsinger scored two decisions and won by medical forfeit over Northern Iowa's Caleb Flores in the finals. Gambrall posted two decisions en route to his title, beating Missouri's Brent Haynes (6-3) in the finals. The Hawkeyes also had three placewinners at 133, two at 165 and one each at 174 and 197. Redshirt freshman Montell Marion (2nd) and true freshmen Nate Moore (3rd) and Matt McDonough (5th) placed at 133, while junior Michael Fahrer (4th) and sophomore Aaron Janssen (5th) placed at 165. Sophomore Jake Kerr placed second at 174 and junior Rick Loera finished sixth at 197. HAWKEYE WRESTLING TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's five remaining home duals are on sale at the UI Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. Against Wisconsin, Illinois, Bucknell and Purdue, tickets purchased in advance are $10 for adults and $5 for youth. Tickets purchased at the meet are $12 for adults, $6 for youth. University of Iowa students and children ages five and under will be admitted free. Against Minnesota, tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $7 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. Tickets purchased at the meet are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. Due to the possibility of a sellout crowd, the first 1,000 general admission University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge after they log-in to their student account at www.hawkeyesports.com to reserve a seat and download a free paper ticket. After that allotment is sold out, students may purchase reserved seats at the youth price. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Doug Schwab, Mike Zadick and Jared Frayer earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, one Olympic bronze medal, six NCAA titles, 11 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 487-83-2 (.858). UP NEXT Iowa will vy for its 20th Midlands Championships Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, IL. Iowa, the defending team champion, has won the most team titles (19) in the 45 years of the meet. All matches will be held at Welsh-Ryan Arena on the Northwestern University campus. Ticket prices vary and can be purchased from the Northwestern University Athletic Ticket Office at (847) 491-2287 or www.nusports.com. Session times are as follows: Session I - Dec. 29 at 9:30 a.m., Session II - Dec. 29 at 7 p.m., Session III - Dec. 30 at Noon, Session IV - Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.

Related: Inside Trip: Vietnam (Part 1) In a perfect wrestling world, cultures would still achieve oral and written tradition alongside the physical, the passing along of local wrestling techniques, rules and ceremony are excellent examples of cultural identifiers. Sumo is different than Kushti is different than Scholastic and each of the variables reflects priorities and provides information about local values. Yesterday I'd discovered that someone in Lieu Doi was passing these traditions to members of his small village. But who? I was at the pho shop at 10 a.m., I'd need a translator and the only person I knew in Phu Ly (the closest town with accommodations) was Van and her high-pitched Hollywood English. She was sitting in the back of her family's open air restaurant watching the Mark Wahlberg/M. Night Shamalan collaboration, The Happening. I asked her about translating for the day and she said, "No problem, I tell my father and we can go at 1 p.m. ... I'll take you at the coffee shop." Van guided me through the back alleys of the neighborhood where kids were playing beneath red flags emblazoned with the hammer and sickle. Some were kicking the soccer ball, while others were crouched over shooting marbles. Van chose me a seat at the coffee shop, ordered me a ca phe and mango shake. The café smelled enough like pork and coffee to remind me of morning, but not enough for me to want to order their bacon. "I come back at 1:15," she said. "Then go to Lieu Doi." She was back in 10 minutes. "I cannot go with you to Lieu Doi because my father said it is not OK." She then reached in her bag and presented me with an egg shell white ceramic wind chime in the image of a pagoda, the sides hand painted with flowers and Vietnamese lettering. She apologized effusively and made a quick exit -- ever so sorry that she'd disappointed me. I did my best to allay her guilt and told her I'd be fine on my own. "No big deal, I'm sure your father is just worried." Was I the evil American in some Vietnamese after-school special about stranger danger, only specifically about bulky white Americans? The news ruined my plans to visit Lieu Doi. I stayed on the computer to catch up on e-mails and enjoyed six more mango shakes and two more cold ca phes. The plan was to catch a bus to Hanoi by 5 p.m. ... and rent a room and sleep before my early morning flight to Ho Chi Minh. Without a translator I'd learn nothing in Lieu Doi. I paid my bill and unplugged the computer. As I did, a 10-year-old girl bedazzled in Hello Kitty gear appeared staring nervously. "For you. stay," she said before disappearing in the David Copperfield manner in which she arrived. Dear Mr. Timothy, Would you please wait me in Bom's Cafe till 1h 30 pm? I and my little sister will come there and we will go to Lieu Doi village, oki? Best wishes, Van Van showed up on time and we hailed a taxi. Her sister, a diminutive 15-year-old with a strong aversion to spoken communication, sat in the backseat as I hopped up front with a cigarette guzzling cabbie with dark sunken eyes. We exchanged names, his was "Mikey" and though I repeated "Timothy" several times, we all settled on "Pimchee." Mikey called his boss as flummoxed as the Dolt about where exactly he might find Lieu Doi. Once we hit the main street, I told Van that I remembered the way. After six or seven turns on dirt paths marked by puddles, hay barrels, and one blue moped, Mikey complimented my sense of direction. I felt the need to clarify, "My father was a Marine, as were both my grandfathers. Soldiers, you know. Bang bang." Van's interpretation was met with a grim silence and the enormity of my idiocy becomes apparent. "No! No! No!" I blurt out "I'm a civilian. Only Vo Vat ... No soldier ... No bang bang." "Ugly American: What to do when if you meet one. Who to call and how to act ... Special Presentation at 4 p.m. Van's sister is still winning the quiet game, while Mikey and I fill the time with playing twenty questions through Van, who is proving to be a good but at times confused translator. She's only just taken off her jacket and decorative surgeons mask; the Vietnamese woman has a vampire-like aversion to the sun, the implication being that a tan is akin to being a farmer, a clearly established social hierarchy was defined by this skin tone differentiation (same was true in Cambodia and Thailand). Many of the women take severe measures to ensure their light skin; rays to the skin are considered more dangerous than softball sizes of hail against your noggin. We arrive and Mikey decides to join our crew of reporters. A look of "This I must see" splattered across his face. Mikey, Pimchee, Van and the Mute: of this scene United Nations Christmas cards make. I try to catch up with Mikey who has stopped to interrogate an old man walking the road with a cane. I peak over a gate and call a few boys lounging in hammocks (napping is a national pastime). The first to emerge was my cheetah-shirt pal from the day before. We exchange greetings and they chuckle awkwardly. Where yesterday the group of boys was engaging, today they were quiet and aloof; less interested in questions about wrestling and more concerned with acting cool in front of Van, an attractive girl. While you'd imagine she was being scoped and thus quiet or passive, the boys were actually squatting down picking at grass only answering her questions over their shoulders. The more she forced them to speak the more I realized that Van was not to be trifled with. As she navigated the mind of the teenage boy, Mikey pulled through and commented that the older gentleman had directed our motley crew to the residence of the Lieu Doi wrestling coach. Truong Nguyen, a slight build, bowl cut and weighing 155 pounds, is the 27-year-old coach, teacher, and local pho shop owner. He invited me into his home and sat poured some voit tea (sweet and similar in taste to green tea), for the guests. He looked at me and smiled. Before we shook hands or Van explained why we had showed up, he reached across the table and pointed at me ears. "Yeah, vo vat." I said as the smiles continued. The room was cinder with a permanent black tarpaulin above our heads. We sat on small red plastic chairs and rested our arms on a low table. Van introduces the group and immediately started translating my questions. The Lieu Doi wrestling festival is Vietnam's only wrestling-specific festival. According to Troung, the festival is a deep-rooted Vietnamese tradition, having been practiced "for centuries." He's been a competitor, claiming to have won several tournaments and placing in many more. There are other festivals, some even in the Nam Dinh province which have more wrestlers, but those have less meaning because they are wrapped into larger festivals. Lieu Doi is their NCAA tournament. Last year's festival welcomed more than 150 grapplers all competing in a single weight class. Presumably there has been little need for expanding the weights because the rules tend not to favor the heavier opponents and many Vietnamese are similar slight builds. The tournament and surrounding festival takes five days to complete, with some time spent on ceremonies on day one, and closing ceremonies on day five. That was the extent I could learn about the festival. There was too much information for Van, just a college student, to be able to translate. Accumulating facts about the festival would be for another trip. For now, I wanted to roll with Troung, who'd mentioned he'd been injured playing soccer earlier in the week. He went to change for some light drilling and technique. I was most interested in the rules and ceremony surrounding each competition. Are the Vietnamese praying to a deity? Are they donning ornate robes? Who do they pay tribute too? Take the example of Sumo. Japan, a country of diminutive people, exalt their national sport which consists of giants many of whom are taught to act in accordance with traditional Japanese values of conformity, modesty and fair play. When you contrast that with Mongolian wrestling culture, or even Vietnam, you begin to get a superficial understanding of the natural and inextricable impact wrestling has had on the development of local culture. Tim Foley arms wrestles MikeyTroung says that he will change into work clothes and we can walk to the stadium. In the meantime Mikey has gotten edgy from the lack of combat and challenges me to arm wrestling competition. This guy is 140 pounds when holding a first-grader, yet, he's already latched onto the table with his left hand, speared the table with his right elbow and presented his hand for our physical tete-a-tete. Van is in hysterics; this she just has to see. She snatches the camera from the table and stands to take photos. We lock hands and I allow Mikey to open up a big lead. He's strong, but in the end I put on a show for the table, we stand to hug and take another drink of tea. Troung and I enter the arena with the Mute, Van and two neighborhood kids we picked up on the walk. Van is cowering beneath an umbrella. She has recruited the smaller of the two boys to hold an umbrella over her head as she snaps photos. The boy, at most 50 pounds, has him arm fully straightened in the air, like Mary Poppins descending from a rooftop. At some point he quivers, maybe his nose was itchy, but the umbrella falls away from Van's face and she gets pelted by some UV. There was something barked sharply in Vietnamese, the point clear to even the English speaker: Let the umbrella fall again, country boy and I'll eat you. Pre-competition danceWe start with the modified electric slide, I am whirling my hands in a tight circle as I kick up my feet in bowing retreat from where they will place their statue. The dance then turns to face Truong and we make a series of sumo-like stomps along with stares and intimidating slapping gestures (you thought that was just Americans?). These aggressive motions signal to my opponent that I am prepared to wrestle and that I intend to give him my full "spirit." We then bow a few times and start to drill. The festival, I've been made to understand, has a much more complicated series of dances and garb. Troung starts by showing an outside single. Germane but he was quicker than hiccup in getting to an angle and high into my thigh. I showed a basic elbow tap setup to the outside single. He showed a duck under -- I replied with an inside trip. We went back and forth for 20 minutes in front a few dozen locals who'd come to see their coach scrap with the fat American. (I weigh 180 pounds.) Van was taking photos and translating when we'd pause the action to stand flat-footed, arms stretched wide, saying aloud in our native tongues, "What the hell are you doing?" Troung gives Tim Foley a knee to the crotchThe rules for Vietnamese traditional wrestling, as best I could tell, are simple. You accumulate wins by lifting your opponent's feet off the ground, or placing him on both his shoulders. Action is restarted once you hit the ground with anything but your opponent's back exposed. These rules lend to a straight legged wrestling style, bent at the hips head sticking forward to block. All defense and very little risk. Front head locks are tempting, but didn't seem effective and may only open you up for a duck under or fireman's carry (Troang's favorite). The foil is the belt, which is popular in several Asian wrestling styles. Knowing I was unfamiliar and seeing a thick black leather belt around my waist, Troung took time to show me how to best utilize your leverage and lift your opponent's feet into the air. He gave me a knee to the crotch and guess what? My feet left the earth. Still a bit tender I grabbed Truong and gave him an aggressive head fake, he down blocked and I snapped his head, which he circled out of in his recovery. I'm not too sure anything was communicated past that point, but his ankle seemed fine as he tried for a duck under. Like a little kids wrestling practice the light drill had suddenly gone live. Troung came in hot, stepping into a high-duck which I posted out of, sagging my weight and managing my right arm into an under hook, we were now in over under. He feinted a high single to my over-hook side which opened up a well hit inside trip. He transferred his weight back to the post leg and stepped out with little effort. We scrap a few more moments, soaked with sweat and Van offers to video the performance. Truong and I took photos with some of the kids, the rest having scattered at the sight of a camera. Mikey drove us the 150 yards to Truong's restaurant-home, where we shared a hand shake, modified bro-hug and our e-mail addresses. He asked me to come back and I gave him a cordial head nod of appreciation. He insisted and told Van, "He is special guest. Stays in my house and competes in the festival." Tim Foley with Truong and kids post-workoutI was flattered. Not only had he offered for me to enter his tournament also his home. I'd have to come early, he told Van, because only one foreigner had tried before, a judo coach from Russia, and there was lots of paperwork. I thanked him again and said that I'd work on the return trip, hopefully to write about his town's festival in January, next time with a professional translator in tow, not to mention the watchful eye of the hammer and sickle. When you are planning to compete, it's never too early to prepare I'll be busy breaking down the video of our 90-second match to look for weaknesses and find out what happened to that well-executed inside trip. I'm not entering this festival to lose; winning I'm sure is a universal value of wrestling.

St. Cloud, Minn. -- St. Cloud State University sophomore John Sundgren (Blaine/H.S.) was named the Northern Sun Conference Wrestler of the Week after his performance at the Dragon Open on Dec. 6. Sundgren, who was ranked third in the country at 157 lbs. in the NCAA Division II latest poll, went a perfect 4-0 on the day, defeating three NSIC opponents before topping Concordia-Moorhead's Lane Lunde 10-1 in the final. Sundgren recorded falls in each of his first three wins, posting the pins at 6:00, 2:11 and 5:51 of the matches. It is the second straight open tournament Sundgren has won, as he earned the title at the Cobber Open two weeks ago. He now is tied for the team lead in falls (7) with teammate Tad Merritt (Canby), and is currently 12-2 on the season. The Huskies remain ranked at 12th in the latest NCAA Division II Wrestling Poll. Along with Sundgren, Brad Padgett (Buckley, Wash.) also was ranked third at 184 lbs., holding his spot from the preseason poll. The Huskies will be in action for the final time in 2008, as they host the 38th annual Husky Open on Saturday. Matches are set to begin at 9:00 a.m. They will resume action at the Menlo (Calif.) Invitational on January 4.

"My goal when I started was to write the very best wrestling novel that could be written." Alfred Martino wrestled at Milburn (New Jersey) and DukeThat's what drove Alfred Martino -- former high school and college wrestler, and now a volunteer prep coach -- to write Pinned, his first novel, published in 2005 by Harcourt. Martino, who wrestled at Milburn, a powerhouse prep program in New Jersey throughout the 1970s and early 80s, and at Duke University, says, "I wanted other wrestlers to pick up the book and see that the author had an intimate knowledge of the sport." "After my wrestling days were over, I thought of writing a book as a way to give back to the sport." Filling a void "For a long time, I had the beginnings of a story. I decided to sit down and write a book," says Alfred Martino, who wasn't satisfied with the high school wrestling novels he had read. "I read Vision Quest and Wrestling Sturbridge. Both bring in elements that wrestling doesn't need. For people who don't know amateur wrestling, some books reinforce notions." "My goal was to write an honest portrayal of the sport, to emphasize the solitary idea of being a wrestler," Martino continues. "It's very difficult to explain issues like losing weight, the scoring system, or even describing wrestling moves in a clear, accurate way. I spent a lot of time getting it right." Going into overtime For Alfred Martino, 'getting it right' took time and tenacity. "Writing the book was like starting wrestling," says the author of Pinned. "You get kicked around. You're not particularly good at first. But, with time and practice, you improve." Alfred MartinoMartino, who runs Listen & Live Audio, an audio publishing business based in New Jersey, says, "I do business writing -- business letters, sell copy for the back of products. Writing is writing -- you're trying to get across an idea." That said, Martino is honest in describing the challenges of writing a first novel. "I started writing in 1994," according to Martino, who, at the time, lived in California and wrote for local newspapers. Among his assignments -- covering high school wrestling. "I didn't get an agent until 2000. We didn't generate publisher interest until 2003." "My agent sent the book to dozens and dozens of publishers. It was rejected by all but two." "My editor (at Harcourt) really stuck with me," Martino continues. "She took it to the acquisitions committee more than once. On April 15, 2004 -- I remember that date clearly -- the acquisitions committee said yes." Taking it beyond the mat Having a publishing deal didn't mean Pinned was ready to roll off the presses. "The publisher recommended that the book incorporate adolescent issues beyond wrestling," says the first-time novelist. "It has to cover other teen issues -- relationships with girlfriends, coaches, parents." "The publisher is selling their books to public and school libraries," continues Martino. "They want the book to appeal to those who acquire titles for libraries … The book must have a universality to it that appeals to all teens. All kids go through typical problems and challenges, whether you're a wrestler or not." "The comments from women librarians have been very interesting. From reading the book, they point out that wrestlers are always stepping on the scale." "Lots of teens, especially girls, but nowadays, boys, too, have dieting and weight issues. Issues like bulimia and body-image concerns that go beyond wrestling." Hard work pays off Like a wrestler discussing his workout routine, Martino cites some of the elements that helped make him a better writer and that were critical to making Pinned a reality. "Being in a writing group was like having three or four coaches to help guide you," says the New Jersey native. "The other writers in my group were middle-age women who were very nurturing, very supportive. I loved the process." "Writing for newspapers was also a tremendous help. You quickly learn that your writing has to be clear, concise, to the point. You also have deadline pressure, and editing yourself, too. All great experience for writing a novel." All that effort has paid off. Pinned has earned a number of significant honors, including YALSA's Popular Paperbacks For Young Adults, YALSA's Best Books For Young Adults, Pennsylvania's Young Adult Top Forty List, TLA's Tayshas Reading List, Junior Library Guild Selection, Quills Award Nominee and Kirkus Reviews 'Book of Special Note.' But Alfred Martino isn't resting on his laurels. "Once you've written the novel, your work isn't over. Contacting libraries, making appearances, promoting the book with postcards and on wrestling forums." The story of Ivan and Bobby Pinned tells the story of two high school wrestlers, Ivan Korske and Bobby Zane, who, as described on the text on the inside front cover flap, "couldn't be more different -- they come from different backgrounds, they have different lifestyles, and they each have very different ways of looking at the world." "I came up with two boys who would not normally know each other, but would meet in wrestling," according to Martino. "Ivan is from a poorer town. His mother died the year before. His father is emotionally stunted. Winning a state title is a way for him to get away from his dad, and New Jersey." "Bobby is from a wealthier town. His parents are going through the beginning stages of divorce. He has a girlfriend who may be pregnant." "Things are jumbled up for both of them," the author continues. "Wrestling is the one thing that each of them had control over, something to hold onto while everything else is spinning out of control." The novel is set in the world of New Jersey high school wrestling, a world that Alfred Martino inhabited as a grappler, and now as a volunteer coach at his prep alma mater, Milburn High. In fact, one of his characters, Bobby Zane, wrestles for Milburn. "I had to write at least half of the book about a place I know. I wanted to pay tribute to my program, and pay homage to New Jersey wrestling." "Bobby is a made-up character but some actual Milburn wrestlers of the past are included in the telling of his story," says Martino. "Everything to do with Ivan is made up. It was fun to create a town, and the psychology behind it." "I incorporated real towns to make the story feel even more authentic." An air of authenticity For a sense of the authenticity of Pinned, here's an excerpt from the second chapter that takes readers inside the Milburn wrestling room: His heart pounding, Bobby Zane stood. The thirty-second rest between round-robin shots was hardly enough time to sit down and get up again, let alone catch his breath. But Bobby understood no amount of weightlifting or miles of running would have prepared him enough for the first practice of the season. He slipped the plastic headgear over his head, shifting the halo and ear pieces into place, then snapped the chin strap secure. Sweat ran down his cheeks. A drenched long-sleeved shirt clung to his body like a second skin. "Time!" Coach Dean Messina's voice boomed from the front of the Millburn High practice room. "Look up front!" Bobby and his teammates turned toward their coach, the most celebrated wrestler in school history, a two-time New Jersey state champion whose wrestling legend crossed county lines as far north as Sussex and as far south as Cape May. "You guys are not executing on your feet," Coach Messina said. He cleared space on the mat. "There are four parts to a single-leg. Stance. Set up. Drop step. Finish." Coach Messina recoiled in a powerful stance, then lunged forward with his left leg, down to his left knee for a split second, sweeping his right leg under his body and forward along the mat. In an instant, he was back on his feet with the lower leg of an imaginary opponent secure, in a perfect position to finish off the two-point takedown. "Any questions?" There were none. Or perhaps, Bobby thought, no one dared ask. Pinned is a powerful first effort from Alfred Martino that takes you inside the lives of two high school wrestlers, providing a realistic, inside look at life in high school that goes beyond the wrestling mat to make it a compelling read for boys and girls… and their parents, too. To learn more about Pinned, visit the official Web site www.alfredmartino.com, which includes a segment of the book to read online, along with reviews. The book may be purchased at www.amazon.com; signed copies can be purchased directly from the author at Alfred@ListenandLive.com.